Touma stood before him, his voice loud and abrasive as he listed his reasoning and motivations for the events taking place.

"Our Lord is weak. Has always been weak."

"We cannot trust his judgment."

"He does not hold even a half of the capabilities of his father."

"The honorable bloodline of the West has been tainted and, should he continue on this path, will be diluted even more so."

"Ask yourselves this, if he had the best interests of his people, why not kill the woman and the halfbreed before the West lost its most formidable ruler to have ever existed since the beginning of time?"

On and on went his soon-to-be former general. The general's attempts to rally his shiro against him would have been valiant if not for the obvious desire swirling in his eyes.

While the male was displeased with the presence of the halfbreed, the general was only using Inuyasha as an excuse to enact a rebellion. Touma had set his sights on the position of Lord since Sesshomaru's grandsire first saw his potential.

It was truly pathetic that in all his time waiting for an opportunity to usurp the lands for himself, he used it on something as paltry as this. The other six generals in his employ were radiating malice, all directed at the other male.

While Inuyasha had not been warmly accepted by his household in the beginning, now the pup had an active schedule that involved as many of his servants as he could fit in before collapsing at the end of the day.

He flitted about the kitchen, helped the stablehands, trained with the soldiers, played with the other pups, had lessons with his mother. Everyone adored him except for the imbecile still waving his sword around.

Sesshomaru could not help the upturning of his lips.

The fool had already lost before he had begun.

"So, for the sake of the West, for our people, our lands, and in respect to our great and honorable bloodline, I challenge you, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Hn. This One was wondering if you had a point or if your sword was just for show. This One was beginning to doubt your commitment."

Humor flooded the courtyard as the male set his jaw, amber eyes narrowing at the grins lining the faces of those in attendance.

"Will you accept or yield?"

Sesshomaru's chuckle was a dark thing that smothered the mirth in the air, sharpening it into deadly concentration. Every demon in attendance tensed in preparation at the feeling of being hunted as Sesshomaru's eyes bled red.

"I accept your challenge."

Before Touma could get into position, he lunged, howls ringing out all around.

Sesshomaru stood outside on his balcony, a pipe held in his clawed hand as the rich smoke wafted away on a stray breeze. An aura pulsed against him, causing his gaze to soften for a moment before he sent his own in answering.

The whisper of feet against the wooden floors pricked his ears, but he remained looking out, eyes unseeing as his senses honed in on the other presence in the room.

A soft tug on his sleeve had him looking down, and his eyes narrowed on the ears laid back upon Inuyasha's head.

The complex emotions wafting from the boy had Sesshomaru letting out a quiet sigh.

"Bed, brother."

He watched as he nodded his head, relief pouring out of his aura as he turned and went back into the room. The sound of furs rustling as he bedded down reached his ears, and not long after, the gentle, steady beat of his heart signaled his departure into sleep.

It had been a decade since Izayoi had passed, and still, the boy struggled with the loss as if it had just happened yesterday.

Sesshomaru was at a loss at what to do to aid him. His mother had offered to take him to her palace when she left two years earlier, and he had thought the idea may have held some merit. A change of scenery would have done the pup some good.

However, when he had brought it up to him, giving him the option to stay or go, panic had flooded his study so swift and sharp he had nearly stumbled.

He did not entertain the subject again.

Slitted pupils slanted towards the mound under the pile of furs on his bed, mind wondering towards possibilities.

Inuyasha sat nervously, clawed hands fiddling with the red fire rat robes Sesshomaru had altered to fit him.

It made the boy look all the more like their sire.

Especially, he mused inwardly, with the look of indignation and remaining pulse of rage still lingering in his aura.

His eyes took in the sight his brother made.

Ears slanted back, eyes dark and hardened, small fangs peaking out as he gnawed on his lip, one leg was bouncing furiously with his frustration, his face was marred with bruises and scratches, his lip split with dried blood cacked around the edges of his mouth.

His brother's eyes all of a sudden met his own, and Sesshomaru lifted a brow expectantly.

"I'm not sorry. They were mean and they deserved and if they say it again I won't be sorry the next time either."

Sesshomaru held his gaze, noting the determination set in stone before him.

His lips twitched as he fought the grin attempting to form.

"Good. You are my brother, the second son of the previous Lord. It is not their place to question our judgment."

He ignored Inuyasha's surprise as he looked down at his papers.

"You may go."

He listened as the boy fidgeted, obviously wanting to say something, but knowing he was dismissed.

Finally, the sounds of his robe's rustling reached his ears as he made his way to the door.

"And, brother - "

Inuyasha halted at the door. Sesshomaru did not need to lift his head to know the boy was gazing at him curiously.

"Your dragon is not strange, neither are you. Do not take the opinions of those who are hindered by such shortsightedness as truth."

It had happened so suddenly, though not entirely unexpected. The Southern Lord's son had been teasing and accosting Inuyasha constantly since they had arrived, berating and talking down to the boy as though he were a servant when outside of his father's supervision.

Inuyasha had been starting to withdraw. His normal childlike exuberance was unable to hold up under the gravity of the other boy's disdain.

Sesshomaru blamed himself.

He had warned the Southern Lord when he first heard of his arrival that while here, they would refrain from showing Inuyasha any hostility - he should have ensured his order was carried out.

When the shouts of fear began echoing around his stronghold, he immediately took flight to settle the disturbance, Lord Junichiro on his heels.

He could not hide the widening of his eyes at his half-brother's snarling and enraged form. For the first time since their father's death, he felt an overwhelming sense of panic at the spike of power from the lord beside him.

He could hold off the other lord, but he doubted he could subdue him quickly enough before one of his soldiers had to hurt Inuyasha or before Inuyasha fatally injured another.

In a fraction of a second, he made his decision.

Forgoing the lord and his injured son, he grabbed up Inuyasha and flew away. Urging his youki to go faster while he attempted to keep hold of the thrashing animal in his arms. He could feel the rage-filled aura of the Southern Lord eating up the distance between them as he rushed to the dungeons, the only place with strong enough wards to hold the boy until he could figure out what to do with him.

He needed him safe - out of the way - so he could deal with the threat that sang for blood. It was pulsing and raging at him - beating at his back, causing him to snarl. Red began to bleed into the whites of his eyes to match those of the boy in his arms.

Something snapped in his aura, causing it to flow outward and engulf him in a blinding light that yanked the both of them forward so sharply everything blurred. His eyes struggled to keep up with the new speed as he weaved and dodged around stone walls and demons looking on with wide eyes.

He reached the metal door, nearly taking it off in his rush to get through as he descended into the musky structure.

5...

Eye's narrowed as he traversed the dark halls, searching for - there. A clawed hand snapped out, gripping the keys enchanted with his blood.

4...

He turned down a corridor, torches lighting the way as he passed room after room.

3...

Sliding to a stop he gripped the door handle and slung Inuyasha through the doorway, ignoring the way his small body bounced before hitting the far wall, and slammed the door.

2...

Sliding the key into place, he muttered the incantation, slicing his hand with a claw and letting the blood pour freely onto the key.

1...

His eyes fluttered with relief as the lock glowed before the wards hummed and settled into place. Inuyasha's pounding sounded on the door as he snarled and growled unintelligibly.

He didn't have time to think on it as he turned, hand stretched out to catch the deadly strike aimed at his head.