I Do Not Own InuYasha


Ichariba Chode

行逢りば兄弟

"Though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life"


IV: 17


Year 839...

Tsuzuki Castle...

Kimi was watching Iya in her gardens with Tōga's concubine, Hoshi, when a courier came rushing into her gardens. The pup was startled, and ran to Kimi, Kimi effortlessly wrapped the pup up in her furs as she stood to greet the inu yōkai who stood before her.

"My lady! I apologize for the abrupt arrival, but I have urgent information to relay to you my lady!" the courier informed her.

"What is it?" she demanded

"Tōga-sama has declared war upon the Hyōnekozoku for the abduction of Sesshōmaru-sama!" the courier explained.

"Is that not a rash action?" Hoshi asked, which had Kimi glaring at the concubine.

"Know your place!" Kimi snapped. Though she had long since decided to be accepting of Tōga's eccentricities she would not tolerate a lower bitch commenting on matters above her station or level of thought!

"Tōga-sama pleads with Kimi-sama to aid him on the front against the Hyōneko Shiten'nō in efforts to retrieve Sesshōmaru-sama!" the courier finished.

"That is all, you may leave, I will reply in person to Tōga's plea," she stated as she accepted the school and picked up Iya from her mokomoko. The pup had reverted to her humanoid form and quietly stared at Kimi then.

If it was a war Jimmu wanted, then war it would be.

No one stole her pup and survived!


Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace...

Rin watched Shippō as he explained and showed what he was doing in the courtyard. After a few days of these lessons Rin had finally managed to properly summon kitsunebi to her finger tips, though she couldn't maintain it well. She was brilliant at manipulating the flames when they were on Shippō's fingers or when they were playing catch fire, but other than that, she wasn't having much ease with these lessons. Catch fire was the game from her childhood she and Shippō would always play, and it was something she had always found to be fun, Sesshōmaru now joined the game and seemed to find it fun as well; though frustrating for the little hunter in him.

The lesson was progressing into the late afternoon when a glint of a cream colored bangled coat of a mokomoko caught Rin's eye, she peered to see a flutter of bright silks pressed against the courtyard entry. Sesshōmaru growled lowly, interrupting Shippō's lesson as all the fur on his mokomoko rose up which had Shippō looking at Rin. Lowering herself down to Sesshōmaru's level she leaned in.

"Who is it?" she whispered.

"I don't know, inu," he replied icily.

"Stay here my lord," she ordered softly as she walked towards the cream brindle mokomoko she saw poking out from behind the wall. The pup gasped when Rin came around and surprised her, the pup tripped, her wide liver colored eyes startled as she fell. Rin blinked, the girl scrambled to her feet, her elven ears and ethereal beauty all betrayed her yōkai status, but the black and red markings on her face were the biggest indicator. The black lids of her eyes with the red almost flower like mark on her brow.

"Hello," Rin greeted. "I'm Rin, who are you?"

"I'm not allowed to talk to a human!" the girl snapped. Sesshōmaru materialized in a light ball snarling.

"Rin is mine!" he snapped, she caught his wrist before he could unleash his fury. Sesshōmaru seemed surprisingly touchy about her status after her little dual with Tiāngǒu.

"That is no way to greet someone, Sesshōmaru," Rin snapped sharply which had the pup looking somewhat abash about what had happened.

"Princess Han Ying Yue," Shippō said behind her. Rin turned to see her littermate perform a formal low bow.

"Princess?" Rin asked.

"Hai, she's the granddaughter of Imperial Emperor Tiāngǒu's consort, Naicha's, daughter, Princess Zhi and her husband, General Han Xin," Shippō explained.

"Naicha?" Rin whispered.

"Hai, from Ryuku InuYōkai Pack," he explained to her softly and she nodded. Rin remembered that there had been a conflict in Kimi-sama's lessons, that she had never listened to which had focused on the near annihilation of an InuYōkai Pack on the islands to the south. Something about a Western invader stealing their Alpha Bitch without hunting her, which had sparked some war that Rin lost interest in. The Ryuku InuYōkai Pack was not large enough or prominent enough to ever really form a threat or alliances with the Shikoku InuYōkai Pack so it was never something Rin had paid much attention too.

"She's Sesshōmaru's… cousin?" Rin guessed as she mentally mapped out her lord's family tree.

"Hai," Shippō shrugged.

"Baba says I'm to mate him," the girl huffed as she stood up.

That had her lord's hackles rising faster than Rin had anticipated as she barely caught him before he lunged for the poor girl.

"Sesshōmaru!"

"I Am Not Mating HER!" Sesshōmaru roared viciously.

"Sesshōmaru-sama! This behavior is shameful!" Rin shouted as she struggled to contain a small inuyōkai pup. Yōkai pups were powerful, determined, dangerous, and worst of all they had sharp claws with short tempers and milk teeth fangs! Rin finally had Sesshōmaru slung over her shoulder as he had done to her numerous times in her childhood as she stalked off. He slid down to her waist as she neared A-Un's corral, he was clutching her shoulders tightly, growling lowly as his mokomoko wrapped tightly around her waist.

"That is enough!" she snapped as she put him down finally and loomed over him.

"Rin!" he started. "She challenged you, I was defending your position as mine!"

"Oh no you don't," she warned sharply. "She is a pup, like you, I am a grown onna who can take care of herself if I should ever be properly challenged! That entire display was unbecoming, my lord! You are Lord of the West! The next Inu no Taishō! And the heir to the Shikoku Inu Yōkai Clan, not just the Pack, but the Clan, my lord, which means you represent all of us, all the time, no matter the setting!" she snapped, the pup shrunk a bit. "That display was inappropriate, uncalled for, and dishonorable and disrespectful!" she continued sharply which had him drooping a bit.

"But…"

"I do not care that you have marked me, I am yours, now and forever, it is that simple, there was no need for that display!" she snapped. "My position is secure, I will always be yours, but that does not mean you can lose your temper and composure because a female finds you to be desirable, my position, for as long as you have claimed me as yours, is secure. Do not ever behave like that, again! Am I clear!?" she demanded.

"Hai, Rin."

"When we meet her again, because we will, you will apologize to her," Rin warned sharply.

"Hai Rin," he muttered grumpily.

"My lord, I will forever be yours, do not think that you have to fight for me at every turn of life," she said.

"You are a weak mortal."

"Hai, I am, but that does not mean I cannot defend myself," she mused. "I have fought long and hard to get to where I am, and I am yours, always. Understood?"

"Hai," he nodded.

"Good, we'll go feed A-Un, then we'll return to ki lessons if Fǔ Yáng thinks it appropriate, after dinner," she promised.

He nodded and she offered him her hand which he carefully took before they walked into the corral.


Year 1581...

Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace...

InuYasha was irked at the silence of his brother, but he was relieved; because after what felt like an eternity of flying with Miroku on Kirara and A-Un, they came to a floating island; rather like the ones Tsuzuki Castle had been on

What unfolded before him was beauty of the likes of which he had never seen before.

"Monk, you will find shelter most obtainable at the human settlement down south, near the base of the mountain, near where the mortal realm and yōkai realm overlap, stay within the yōkai realm," Sesshōmaru ordered.

"How will I…" Miroku started.

"The neko and A-Un will know," Sesshōmaru dismissed and InuYasha saw he was losing his ride which had him leaping from Kirara as he struggled to keep up with Sesshōmaru. Now he envied his brother's ability to fly, he had never really noticed how far and long Sesshōmaru could go compared to him. InuYasha had always been running and leaping around, but as he found himself succumbing to the inevitable dowards point of his jump Sesshōmaru continued flying.

"Bastard!" he shouted as he nearly hit the water. Sesshōmaru now landed beside him, dropping from the air, wincing at the landing. His blood hit InuYasha's sensitive nose, which had him narrowing his eyes on his brother.

"You need to take it easy!" he snapped.

"I'm fine," Sesshōmaru dismissed as he stood and started walking.

"No you're not," InuYasha stated, Sesshōmaru turned to glare at him. "I saw the wounds, scented the blood and the curse, you're in no real condition for a serious battle or serious fight in general, hell you shouldn't have even flown here!" InuYasha stated.

"It is none of your concern," Sesshōmaru stated.

"The hell it is!"

"InuYasha!" Sesshōmaru's tone was sharp and authoritative. "Know your place!"

"As what? The hanyō bastard of Tōga?" InuYasha snapped.

Before he could blink his brother had him pinned and claws at his throat.

"You are here representing the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan, not the Pack, but the Clan, you will act with the decorum and manners of that honor," he growled lowly. "You will not smear your Clan or my mother's reputation with your usual childish behavior, you are an adult, act it," Sesshōmaru ordered as he released InuYasha. InuYasha crumpled to the ground gasping for air as he rubbed his throat. Sesshōmaru turned and started for the Castle.

"You know in a fight you don't stand a chance!" InuYasha coughed. "And Rin will kill you if she gets back and you're dead!"

That stopped his brother in his tracks.

"I doubt she died," InuYasha huffed as he got to his knees and pushed himself to his feet. "She's too much like you to do that!"

"It is not of your concern, InuYasha."

"It is cause I'm here now, and she'll fucking slaughter me if you die," InuYasha huffed. "We're in this together, asshole, which means, you admit you can't get in a serious fight right now and let me do the fighting," InuYasha huffed.

Sesshōmaru said nothing but continued walking after that, which had InuYasha rolling his eyes as he hurried after his elder brother and wondered why the fuck he was doing this for the umpteenth time since Rin had brought a blood Sesshōmaru to his hut a handful of days ago.


Sesshōmaru was irked with InuYasha's presence.

InuYasha was too much like their father for Sesshōmaru to actually like his younger brother, but he was half tolerable now that Sesshōmaru had actually been forced to get to know him; both through Rin and their actual interactions. But the mere mention that his little brother thought him so weak as to actually need a hanyō's protection was simultaneously insulting and infuriating to Sesshōmaru, and it had him wanting to unleash his wrath upon InuYasha. Sesshōmaru had survived worse injuries and fought harsher wars and battles than that hanyō could ever comprehend.

Sesshōmaru decided to ignore the younger's demand that he step down from role as alpha and accept protection from someone weaker than himself. It was insulting and ridiculous, and Sesshōmaru would not indulge such a demand. He would sooner have protection from his cousin, Kochi than InuYasha; both were likely to get him a fang in the back.

Walking for Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace he saw the guards tensing and preparing to strike. He smiled now as he cracked his knuckles; he would show his little brother how 'weak' he was, Magatsuhi's curse or not!

The guards rushed him and he let the light unspool from his claws as he lashed it out in a wide arch, it sliced through the arrows before streaking forward as he drew a different set of fangs. His attacks were swift, brutal, he twisted through the guards, slashing them down effortlessly. Catching the start of a spear he twisted into his opponent, tearing the weapon from the guard's grip as he effortlessly hurled it at another, he caught a fang with his own too before going low and cutting legs off. Moving swiftly he killed and maimed everyone in his way, leaving their bodies behind him before InuYasha could attack.

Every move was calculated, every attack a reasonable risk even as he sheathed his fang and resorted to claws as the desire for a fight grew. Sesshōmaru smiled.

He felt most alive with Rin or in the heat of a battle; and whilst this slaughter was no battle it was enough of a fight to get his blood pumping. Tearing limb from body the screams were filling the air, even as he plunged a hand through a chest to crush a heart before casting the body aside, he kept his steady pace forward before finally reaching the gates, the last guard falling weakly to his knees.

"Cousin," a melodic voice greeted which had him looking up as Princess Ying Yue appeared, her chestnut eyes met his own. "Her Imperial Highness was not expecting such a brutal arrival," Ying Yue said as she leapt down and landed before him.

She was tall, not nearly as tall as he, she was a rather vivacious figure, her silver hair was pulled into an elaborate style, whilst the pinks and creams she wore melded with her mokomoko, which she wore around her shoulders now. Her black marks had grown sharper, thicker and her red flower mark on her brow was brighter.

"Ying Yue," he acknowledged.

"I am so glad I made an impression upon you, cousin," she chudkled. "Who is that?"

"Who the fuck are you?" InuYasha demanded haughtily behind him. There was a groan behind him which had Sesshōmaru turning to lash his whip, silencing the fool.

"Where is your pet?"

"That is none of your concern, where is Chang'e?" he demanded sharply shoving past her onto the castle grounds. Nothing had changed; not really, in the seven centuries since he had last been here. Ying Yue sputtered as she ran after him.

"His Imperial Highness Prince Jūn Ān!" a retainer bellowed as he bowed.

"Where is Chang'e?" he demanded.

"Her Imperial Highness is in her gardens!"

"InuYasha," Sesshōmaru snapped for his brother, InuYasha stumbled to keep up. Sesshōmaru curled his claws in a tight fist and clenched his fangs against the burning sensation of Magatsuhi's curse in his chest now that the heat of the battle was dying down in his blood. The dull, constant ache of the curse was something he had forced himself to become accustomed to in recent years, but it was an annoyance he could overlook. Right now, he would speak with his grandmother; and hopefully, not tear her head from her shoulders.

"Who the fuck was that!?"

"Ying Yue, our cousin," he stated. "Daughter of Zhi, father's half sister, who is daughter of our grandfather, Tiāngǒu and his consort, Naicha."

"We have cousins!?" InuYasha sputtered.

"Just Ying Yue," he clarified. He and InuYasha only shared his father's family, and though he loathed his little brother, his little brother did deserve to know their father's family.

"Who's Jūn Ān?" InuYasha asked.

"I am," he stated icily.

"You?" InuYasha sputtered.

Sesshōmaru felt no need to elaborate, he had loathed his grandfather and grandmother for attempting to rename him and erase his mother's heritage from him when he was young. He was very lucky Rin hadn't left him behind.

It didn't take long before they found Chang'e's private gardens, she was standing at her pearl harbor, and he snarled lowly, which had the immortal looking up at him.

"Beloved grandson!" she gasped in delight.

"You will not invade my home," he stated firmly as she started for him.

"I… Pardon?"

"You will not come East, you will not invade my home, my territory, mine," he growled lowly.

"You would dare to taint your heritage by remaining in the East, you are Imperial Emperor here," Chang'e started. "And you, who are you, you look like my son, Imperial Prince Zhìháo," she started.

"This in father's other son, of his human consort, Izayoi-hime, InuYasha," he smiled when his grandmother paled and looked ready to collapse. "The human bitch he died for and the hanyō son he named his heir."


Somewhere in Izumo Province, Japan...

It had been a few days since his grandson had separated Magatsuhi from his human host, and Shikoku had started tracking the spirit. It had been an interesting hunt thus far, especially after he had sent his grandson on an errand to thwart Empress Chang'e's plans. Sesshōmaru was just enough like Midoriko and Kimi to actually disrupt a war invassion's plans, and dangerous enough to get a desirable outcome despite impossible odds. And Shikoku had taken pride in that knowledge, while also acknowledging he had to finish his unfinished business with Magatsuhi. And that lead him to tracking the spirit eastward, until this abrupt change which had brought Shikoku to where he was now…

Shikoku had tracked Magatsuhi's scent to the water's edge and frowned at the western direction the spirit had gone.

The Great Evil had fled, which had him concerned for Sesshōmaru as well as Rin. Neither would be safe while Magatsuhi was loose. Though there was no real way to contain such a spirit of evil there were ways to disapate the creature, to keep it at bay. Now though, centuries in a corrupt Shikon no Tama, and in endless cycles of conflict, Magatsuhi was powerful and would not be so easily subdued.

Midoriko and Watatsumi had been doomed from the start, they couldn't have defeated Magatsuhi if they had wanted to, and being cursed by a powerful, greedy human had not aided their union.

Shikoku was expecting better for Sesshōmaru and Rin.

Looking back at the East he looked towards the West before deciding his course and leaping to action.