The True Holder of Shikon

Disclaimer - Don't own Inuyasha.

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Chapter 18 - Forgetting The Past

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After a tough and trying journey through the woods, they reached the main road that the young girl led them to. Sango had not seen Sesshoumaru since their conversation but she knew why. He wanted to keep going that way for a while to be less conspicuous. When they reached the edge and emerged through the trees, they were all surprised to see Sesshoumaru standing on the hill that they had to climb to reach the main road. Sango smiled at him. He just stared at them with his amber gaze. The breeze softly caressed his silver locks and carried them until it no longer could.

"Come on, you guys." She trotted ahead but stopped when she realized that no one was following her. She turned to look at them.

"I smell something foul..." Inuyasha locked eyes with his brother and they both looked in the same direction. "I knew it wouldn't last." Miroku looked at Sango with a panicked look. The girl they were travelling with was still staring at Sesshoumaru. Sango never bothered to learn her name.

"Who is he...?" She asked; her eyes wide. Rin and Jaken had their eyes on the miasma cloud that was coming their way. Sango frowned and ran up to Sesshoumaru's side.

"What are you doing? Get back down there!" He stated; his amber eyes glaring into her mahogany ones. She glared back.

"No! If he wants to take me, he will have to fight me. I am not running like a scared little coward." He held her gaze for a moment longer before looking back at the miasma that was drawing closer to them. Sango followed his gaze. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt her body tense. The miasma stopped and vanished when the wind from Naraku's power blew it away.

"Sango." She froze at the sound of his voice. Sesshoumaru grabbed her hand and braced her, pushing her behind him so that she was out of Naraku's view. "Ah, what a pleasant surprise." Naraku chuckled. "Again we meet, Lord Sesshoumaru. You will not stand in my way, I hope?" Sesshoumaru cracked his knuckles and growled.

"You will not touch her." His voice was colder than Sango had ever heard before. She supressed a shiver as she watched anger register briefly on the hanyou's face.

"You'll have to go through us, too!" Inuyasha shouted; landing at his brother's side. "Ain't no way you're gettin' her the easy way!" Kanna, Kagura, and Kohaku rushed forward to do battle. Meanwhile, that left Sesshoumaru and Sango facing off with Naraku. Shippou and Jaken watched with wide eyes. Rin was covering her eyes and quivering.

"I should kill you for what you did to her last time." Sesshoumaru stated icily. Naraku stood there with a pleased smirk on his face.

"She is beautiful and fiery, though, is she not? How could I resist her?" He chuckled and licked his lips. "I can still taste her sweet blood..."

"You-" Sango shouted and ran forward with her sword in her hand. She lunged at him and let her power flare in his eyes before slicing at him. He dodged and smirked in pleasure.

"Such a lovely fighter's spirit."

"You bastard..." She growled and sliced at his arm, successfully giving him a wound. It wasn't very deep but it pleased her to be able to wound him. In her mind, all of her worries and fears made him seem invincible. This proved it wrong. She continued to attack him, beginning to breathe hard from the energy she was putting out just to keep up with his speed. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru was getting angry and trying to contain it before he killed everyone. He lunged forward but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Naraku grab Sango's throat. She dropped her sword and brought her hands up, trying to pry his fingers from her flesh.

"Calm down, beautiful taiji-ya. I will not kill you. You are going to be mine even if I have to have Kanna suck your soul from you." She then brought her knee up and got him in the abdomen, feeling instant relief when he dropped her to the ground. Before Naraku could move toward her again, Sesshoumaru had him by the back of the throat.

"One more move and I will snap your neck." The Taiyoukai's eyes flashed red. He leaned down until his lips were mere inches from Naraku's ear. "You will pay for touching what is going to be mine." The hanyou tensed and stared at Sango. Sesshoumaru was about to snap his neck when something hit him from behind.

"Sesshoumaru!" Sango cried; getting to her feet and rushing to his side. Naraku ripped her away from him and pressed his claws to her neck. He growled.

"You will be mine, not his." Sango noticed that he had her up against him and it was very easy to...

"Ugh..." She pulled back her leg and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. He dropped to the ground, still holding her. She struggled in his grasp. She had to get free and see if Sesshoumaru was okay. He gripped her tighter and she let out a strangled cry. She tried to pry his fingers from her throat but it was useless. He was just as bad as Sesshoumaru had been. But the throat was the perfect spot to go for on a fighter. "L-Let...me...go!" Naraku snickered.

"Sorry, sweet Sango. But you will be mine whether you like it or not." He used his free hand to trace his claw down to her chest, cutting into her flesh and ripping the top portion of her shirt. "Your heart will belong to me." A snarl reached her ears and she was pulled into someone's arms. She instantly clung to him and tried to regain the ability to breathe.

"Never touch her again!" Sesshoumaru raked his claws across Naraku's chest, leaving bleeding flesh wounds. The Taiyoukai's eyes were blood red and his lips were pulled back in a snarl. His chest was heaving. By now, everyone was staring at the fight, even Kanna and Kohaku. The stripes on the side of his face turned darker and grew larger. But he would not transform. His chest rumbled with his growls and Sango only buried her face further into his shirt. Naraku got to his feet and looked at Kagura. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

"I will be back for her." His message lingered on their minds as they stared at Sesshoumaru in wide-eyed astonishment.

"S-Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked hesitantly. He blinked and his eyes and markings returned to normal. He looked down at her before dropping to his knees and trailing his eyes down the bleeding line Naraku had made on her chest. "I-I am fine." She reached up and touched his cheek with a smile. "Thank you for saving me again."

"I will always protect you." He tightened his hold on her and his eyes went to Inuyasha, who had only shifted his weight. Then the Taiyoukai looked at Miroku. The houshi stared back and knew what he saw in that amber gaze. He let a small smile pass his lips. He knew that Sesshoumaru was the only one who could ever understand her the way she needed to be understood. He gave a simple inclination of his head to assure the youkai lord that he would stay out of the way. Sesshoumaru got to his feet and held Sango to him as she stood on her slightly wobbly legs. "Can you walk?"

"There will be hell to the first person who tries to stop me." He could not suppress the chuckle that worked its way up his throat. She gave everyone a bright grin. "Thank you for...fighting for me." Inuyasha sheathed his sword and crossed his arms.

"Ain't like we never have before." Then she walked over to Hiraikotsu and placed it on her back. "Let's hurry it up, though! I'm itchin' to get walkin'!" She glared at him.

"Just because you fought for me does not give you the right to boss me around!" She shouted. As usual, Inuyasha wound up hiding behind Kagome. Miroku sighed and looked at Sesshoumaru, who returned his gaze.

"Good luck to you." He muttered sarcastically; only to be hit in the head by a rock.

"Say something, Houshi-sama?" She asked menacingly. He shook his head and laughed nervously. Then he began to run and Sango chased after him, waving her fist threateningly in the air.

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Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as Sango sat with Rin and polished her large bone boomerang.

"Why do you do that?"

"Well, this stuff hardens on the surface and makes it easier to wound my enemies in battle." She explained as she handed Rin a small rag with the stuff on it. "Want to help?"

"Yes!" The little girl cheered as she kneeled in front of Sango and began helping to polish the large weapon. "Do you like Sesshoumaru-sama, Sango-chan?" Sango blushed and blinked.

"Well...yeah." She said softly. "I like him a lot." The two shared a smile before they were interrupted by Miroku.

"Rin? Can I have a moment alone to speak with Sango?" He asked and the girl nodded. She left with one last look back. As soon as she was out of sight, Miroku sat down in her place. "I realize now that you have three suitors. I can easily say that I do not wish to back down but it seems as though you are happier when you are around him."

"Houshi-sama..." Sango looked down. "I want to keep things the way that we have had them. I can tolerate touch again and I was never happier when I realized that. But...there is no doubt that things will change." She sighed. "I did have feelings for you. However, before I could begin to think to act upon them, Sesshoumaru entered the scene. Houshi-sama, the last thing I want to do is hurt you." Miroku lifted his hand and brushed away one of her tears with a smile.

"My dear Sango, as long as you can find happiness then I know that I can move on." He pulled his hand away. "It is obviously hurting me to be this close to you and not being able to express my feelings for you. However, my affections should go elsewhere. I am poor and I am an itinerant, flirtacious houshi. How could I afford to support a family, even after Naraku is defeated? At any rate, looking to an unsure future is unwise." She narrowed her eyes at him before slapping him. His eyes went wide and he looked at the places his hands were. One was resting on his knee and the other was holding his staff. "What was that for?"

"That was for speaking of such things." She stated in a cold voice. He sighed and held up his cursed hand.

"There is nothing that I can do about it, Sango. I have a gaping hole in my hand and I cannot be sure of my future. Just like you now have the responsibility of the Sacred Jewel." He gave her a gentle smile. "Now, I believe that I have to find our dense hanyou friend. He told me that he wanted to speak with me." After he left, she set her rag down and sighed.

"This was not how I planned on them finding out." She looked at Sesshoumaru over her shoulder. "In fact, I had no idea how to tell them so I guess it works." He walked toward her and kneeled down next to her. She stared up at him before he sighed and sat down. Then he grabbed her and pulled her in between his legs, holding her gingerly to his chest.

"We will work through our obstacles, will we not?" He asked quietly. She didn't answer but closed her eyes and felt the relief and safety that his arms offered. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, feeling her silky ebony locks against his skin. Her scent drifted up to him and it felt so nice to hold her. "Sango?" She moved slightly to tell him that she was still awake and listening. "I will not let you be taken from me."

"Naraku is persistant. He will wear us out..." She sat up and trailed off when she saw the look on his face.

"We have already found more ways than one to wear ourselves out." She gave him a look before smiling and leaning up, capturing his lips with hers. He felt a shudder run through her petite frame when he deepened it, his grip tightening on her. A soft moan escaped her pink lips when he nipped her bottom lip. He broke away; the feeling lingering before drifting away. She then lifted her hand and affectionately rested it on his cheek.

"Will you let me...stay by you?" She asked quietly. He blinked then smiled.

"As long as you wish to."

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"Damn!" Inuyasha punched the tree he was standing in front of. "Damn you!" He was more than angry. What the hell was Sesshoumaru thinking?

"Inuyasha." The hanyou froze and turned to look at Miroku. The houshi stared at him with his face perfectly composed. "I do believe that you are taking your anger too far."

"What do you know, houshi? Who the hell asked you, anyway?" Inuyasha snapped; crossing his arms. He glared heavily at the tree he had previously been attacking.

"Sesshoumaru can make her happy. He can protect her. If he does not get the chance to fully realize his feelings, then what do you believe will happen? He will become more bitter and withdrawn than before. I at least thought that you could surmise that. Do you not care about your brother at all?" Miroku felt wrong, standing there and lecturing the hanyou about a brother that never cared for him once in his life.

"The only thing that I care about is the fact that he is the last living family I've got." Inuyasha looked at him with an empty look in his amber eyes. "That is the only bond we have." The houshi quickly realized one more fact that he knew he should bring up.

"Your father, Inutaisho..." Inuyasha frowned.

"What of him?"

"I have heard rumors in my travels. Apparently, Inutaisho took an inu youkai female as a mate and had a son with her." Miroku paused. "Myouga told me about it. He said that Inutaisho met your mother some time after that. My guess is that Sesshoumaru was old enough to understand the meaning of the word betrayal. He was old enough to experience it the hard way. Imagine how you would feel if your last memory of your father was one in which he was walking away from you; abandoning you for some brother that you did not even know you had." He sighed. "How would you feel if your mother died because of an attack from enemy forces and the only thing that your father did was turn his back on you? How would you feel if you were considered the last of the pure blood-line? Do you think now that Sesshoumaru lived a life where he got everything he wanted?" The hanyou began to feel guilty. He understood now why his brother hated him so much. "All he probably wanted was a father to raise him and protect his mother."

"I never..." Inuyasha trailed off. Miroku frowned.

"The real tragedy is that Sesshoumaru was tormented; just as you were. He was known as the son of the betrayer of the inu youkai clan. He was the bearer of the worst kind of torment. Your father left him for you. He betrayed his mate for your mother. You are the symbol of your father's betrayal." It was all too clear then. Inuyasha really felt like a jerk.

"What am I gonna do, houshi? I can't just accept the fact that they're together all of a sudden." Miroku shook his head. He had tried everything he could. Inuyasha turned and silently walked away.

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He was silent and stealthy as he infiltrated their room. His sharp eyes could make out their shapes beneath their thin blankets. His gaze was only on one of them, however. Her ebony hair was spread out like a silk curtain across her pillow and her chest rose and fell steadily.

Are you really happy with him? Does he treat you the way that you deserve to be treated?

She remained completely oblivious to his presence and for that he was grateful. He suddenly held his breath and backed against the wall when she sat up and looked around with her mahogany eyes. He felt his heart nearly stop when her gaze went over him but she didn't seem to take any notice. Instead, she got up and went to the door, throwing it open to reveal the stillness of the sleeping world outside. She walked out onto the porch and down the steps, where she noticed a lone figure standing in the sliver of moonlight that peeked through the dark, roiling clouds. He peered out from the doorway so that he wasn't seen.

"Sesshoumaru..." The name left her lips in a shaky whisper. She ran the rest of the distance and threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Come." He said softly. "We do not want to wake anyone." She nodded and hesitantly let go of him. Then she smiled and took his hand in hers as they walked. He followed them like a shadow. He needed to see it for himself. There was no way that he would let it go with just the houshi's explanation. They made it to a small meadow and immediately Sesshoumaru sat down and pulled Sango down with him. She frowned at him before taking his face in both of her hands.

"I had a nightmare." She whispered; looking away from him as though she were ashamed.

"Of what?" He asked gently; gazing at her calmly.

"Your...death." She felt tears sting her eyes but she didn't want them to fall. He could smell how agonizing it was for her to recall it. He lifted his hands and took her own in his before resting his cheek in her hair.

"You have nothing to fear." He soothed her. Then he pulled back and released her hands in favor of wrapping them around her lithe body. She looked up at him and gasped softly when he kissed her. She leaned into his tender touches. She shivered as she ran her tongue over his fangs. She began trembling in his arms; almost every emotion rising to the surface. Inuyasha's face burned and he felt so guilty. Sesshoumaru was too distracted to notice him so he ran off. He had seen all he needed to. His brother was so gentle with her... Perhaps, deep...deep...deep...deep down, he actually had a heart.

Nah, that's a little too cruel, even for him.

The hanyou smiled. He felt better, knowing that they were well on their way to understanding and even approaching a breakthrough in their relationship.

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Sango and Sesshoumaru walked back, hand-in-hand. It was around sunrise. The taiji-ya looked a little drained but Inuyasha couldn't smell anything to hint that they had done something. Sango released his hand and turned around when she was on the second step, which put her to his height. She then gave him a quick kiss before turning back around and going inside. Before Sesshoumaru had a chance to leave, Inuyasha spoke up.

"Hey...can I talk to you for a minute?" The Taiyoukai's gaze went to his brother. For a moment, Inuyasha could hardly begin to think about what he wanted to say. The hanyou cleared his throat nervously when Sesshoumaru gave him a nod. "I...uh...I heard about what happened to you back then, when I was little. I'm... I can't apologize for Father and I have no reason to apologize but I wanted..." He hesitated. The youkai's expression was still the same. "I wanted to see if we could...y'know..." His face turned red.

Dammit! Why is it so hard to talk to him?

"I wanted to forget the past. We both wound up in the same boat because of Father but neither of us chose this life." He stared at his older sibling. For once in his life, he wanted them to be brothers. He knew that they would never fully become friendly or develop that sibling love but it was something. "We're brothers whether we like it or not, Sesshoumaru. We can at least act the part. Brothers shouldn't kill each other out of spite." The Taiyoukai's stoic, expressionless look did not vanish from his visage. If anything, it only increased Inuyasha's anxiety. Sesshoumaru turned around and began walking away. He stopped and looked at his brother over his shoulder.

"Why not, little brother? After all, I have no use for a sword that I cannot touch and your life is barely worth sacrificing my love for." The hanyou knew what he was talking about and grinned. Sesshoumaru smirked back. "Also, it is far better not to waste my time fighting you when I could be paying more attention to killing Naraku."

"..." Inuyasha frowned before he realized that his brother was teasing him. "Hey!"

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Well...that was one really long and interesting chapter, ne? Sango and Sesshoumaru are together! Woo!

Please review!