A\N: Bleagh.
Sorry everyone if I've taken a little while to update. My computers been a total ass lately, and I've been running around like the maniac I am and just haven't had enough energy lately. --
-Box Queen - Oh, I disagree completely. According to medical research there is no such thing as "hyper." So, if being hyper means to be insane, and Hyper doesn't exist, then does that mean that insanity doesn't exist either? -- Lol, there's no way in hell that's possible-- Look at me! (BTW -- I have no idea if that research is accurate)
-wolfygirl13 - Oh sure, I'd love to see that pic. It's funny, cause on my other fic someone suggested a pic to fit a scene from there as well. -- Coincidence? -- I have no idea, but, as the saying goes, "If it's not coincidence, it's a conspiracy." And I don't believe in coincidence. -- The horses? I don't know, I never pictured them having human forms, so I guess not, but then again, maybe so... you've definitely given me something else to ponder. -- And thanks for the cookies and pocky!
-xolovexinuyasha - Well that's the way it's always seemed to me. He couldn't stand not to know what was going on when Inuyasha first turned full demon and there have been other incidents. Certainly he doesn't just go around questioning people like Inuyasha might, but, in his own more subtle way, it always seemed that he was trying to figure out things that didn't always really involve or effect him.
-Darking Queen - Lol, that "punishment" isn't on you guys. It's for a completely different on-going fic on a completely different website. I can't update there, which means that I'll probably be giving this fic more attention. Unless of course my regular bought of writers-block sets in again. Which it just might. -- Anyway, I hope you feel better now, cold's really can suck sometimes. -- And yeah, Sess is perfect... but what do you think about him in the story?
-sourapple10000 - Yeah-- I'm never quite sure how to portray Rin. She seems both very childish and very mature at the same time, and, while I like her character (one of only three females on the show I actually like), it's sometimes hard to get her down on paper properly. In this case I think I opted a bit more for the childish side of her...
Wish-full Thinker - Well, I plan on giving it attention. I'm not sure how much (at least this week) since I've got only until Friday to finish reading this two-hundred page book and write a report on it.
-MewMewFireHeart - In all honesty you probably shouldn't help me with my ranting (I hardly need it, neh?) It's not that I don't enjoy your help, but, as I have clearly shown you before, once I get started it's hard to stop and then I usually end up writing more rant then chapter! I got a complaint about that the other day on my other story... it was a little bit sad, actually, that the person had such big problems scrolling for hell's sake. How lazy are we getting if we can't scroll down to the middle of a page? -- Lol, I'll be sure to check that out (not right now cause I don't have the time, but soon) And I have no idea about how age effects horror-movies. In all honesty, I couldn't really watch anything gruesome until I was around 14 (the lord of the rings was sort of a breaking in point for me since, for some reason, I absolutely hate listening to people being tortured... so I forced myself to watch that scene with Gollum during the beginning of TFoTR and it helped... now I'm even more deranged then before! ) but now I'm good. It was actually a big help since my father was always watching Law & Order and CSI (which has those crime scenes) and I watched Forensic Files. Anyway, waaaaaaaay offtopic, the point is, it took me a long time to actually get through that (most because I'd never been exposed to it really) but now I'm just sitting there wondering when the hell the next break in the move will be so I can go and get something to eat while the guy in front of me is be decapitated. Lol, okay, so maybe not that bad, but still...
-Black Betty - Yay!
-RamblingPhilosopher - Hey, don't let that depress you! It's good to be a freak! It's the normal one's you have to look out for... You can never tell which of them are real and which are just robot clones. Or barbie dolls. Lol, trust me it's fine. Well, at least here it is anyway. In the real world it might not seem acceptable, but since when has anyone ever liked the real world anyway? -- I've, once again, never heard those songs you've got listed there, but I like the title of that one by fallout boy "Our lawyer made us change the name... etc" that's fun! -- Lol, and you're right, Sess can carry out things like that a little bit. Sometimes they give him lines where I just want to groan and go "Oh come on people, this is Sesshomaru! Do you really think he'd say something as stupid as that!" But still, you gotta love him!
-Almandine-Azaleea - shudders Oh, believe me, you really don't want me to show you what I got. You never want me to release the "demon" inside me like that, cause if you challenge me to "do my worst" then chances are the universe is gonna explode. Lol, okay, so maybe it won't be THAT bad, but still... it'll be bad!
-Sexy Kat - Lol, thanks, I'll definitely try to!
-Emily - Don't worry, I will!
Never Wanted to Fight
Sesshomaru was slightly surprised when the scent of his half-brother led him, not to the rooms he had left for the boy to inhabit while he stayed here, but down toward the dojo (which was actually a building in itself that stood a few meters away from the main building).
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he stood silently watching Inuyasha swing the fang Tetsusaiga around. The boy's moves were undeniably uncertain as he regained the feel of his sword, but he was quickly gaining confidence with each swing he took at the fake training partners and invisible enemies he conjured around him.
The boy had an incredibly artless way of fighting, yet never failed to maintain grace in his moves-- something Sesshomaru had failed to notice before. The fact that he had not smelled or heard his presence yet, was enough to show just how engrossed Inuyasha was in his training.
Drawing his own sword, Tokijin, in a manner that made the blade scrape against the sheath particularly loudly, he stepped toward Inuyasha, who had swung around at the sound, ears flat against his skull, and Tetsusaiga pointed at him, even though a good few feet separated them still.
Inuyasha's sword lowered slightly as he realised it was Sesshomaru, but he eyed his brother warily. He was never sure what to expect from the taiyoukai-- one minute he would try to slice his head off, the next he may well just show up by accident with no real intentions of fighting. Sesshomaru was something he didn't understand, and couldn't let down his guard enough to trust for even a moment. Just because his brother had agreed to let him stay in his home did not mean that he would refrain from trying to kill him.
'Raise your sword, Inuyasha, unless you plan to fight me with your hands again.' Sesshomaru said in his cool tone, Tokijin's demonic aura pulsating noticeably as it yearned to fight with him.
Inuyasha eyed him nervously but did not raise Tetsusaiga. He was nowhere near ready for a fight, especially not with someone as powerful as Sesshomaru, and he did not want to fight the demon lord anyway. Somehow, loosing his memory and regaining it made all the feelings of hate and anger and all the grudges and longing for everyone other than Kagome, Sango, Miroku and the others seem obsolete: He only wanted to make things right again.
'No.' He said, though it was weak, and sounded came out more like a question than a statement. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, and Inuyasha, swallowing his pride, shook his head and spoke again, pleased when his voice came out stronger, with more self-assurance, but still sounding strangely quiet. 'I don't want to fight you Sesshomaru, I... I never wanted to fight you.'
'Your actions state otherwise, little brother. Or do you always swing your sword around like an incompetent fool at those you do not wish to fight.'
'Well you force me to!' Inuyasha said, his voice shooting up to near-shouting-- the loudest tone he had used in a long, long time, and Sesshomaru was slightly surprised by the outburst. And Inuyasha felt like he should stop, all his senses screaming at him that, no, this was not a smart thing to do, but he had started it now, and he could no sooner stop the words that suddenly started to flow from his mouth than he could stop the blood from spilling through his veins.
'You started this blood feud, not me!' Inuyasha said angrily. 'You think I wanted to be constantly fighting with you for my life over a damn sword?' He demanded of the slightly stunned Sesshomaru. 'I didn't even know about Tetsusaiga's existance until you mentioned it, and I sure as hell had no interest in it until it was the only standing between me and you and your fangs and certain death!' The hanyou said heatedly, the anger slowly evening out as it pulsed through him, no longer as hot or as focused in one place, but pulsing through his entire body, and he forced himself to take deep breaths and calm down.
Sesshomaru stared at his brother coolly, letting his words sink in. This was a side of Inuyasha he had never seen-- this strangely remorsefully angry and strangely upset side that was filled with a strange kind of wisdom and truth that Sesshomaru hadn't thought his brother could possess. It was strange, and he wasn't entirely sure he liked it. But still, it rose a small twinge of something inside Sesshomaru that he had not felt since he was very young. Guilt.
'Inuyasha' he said slowly, then paused as he realised that he wasn't entirely sure what he was planning to say. 'I did not accept you into my care to simply try and kill you again.' He said, deciding to go with the most direct route that would lead them away from this conversation, and, hopefully, away from this version of Inuyasha. 'And I did not come out here to begin another battle to the death with you-- I was merely going to attempt to train you so that you could handle that sword with some more grace and skill than that of a blind ogre, which is what you currently seem to possess. I am not trying to hurt you.' He added quietly, strangely humbled by Inuyasha's outburst.
'Oh.' Inuyasha said quietly, dropping his eyes and flattening his ears slightly in submission as recognition that he was wrong in his sudden outburst-- another thing Sesshomaru had never seen Inuyasha do: Admit he was wrong.
'Now, are you going to raise your sword, or am I going to have to get on my knees in order to battle with you.'
Sesshomaru kneeling before him... that was a novel idea!
The faint traces of remorse in Sesshomaru's eyes were off-kilter enough to put the poor hanyou into a state of uncertainty, but the very idea of Sesshomaru suggesting he kneel before him was enough to send Inuyasha into a state of utter shock as he stared at his brother wide-eyed.
After a moment of pointless staring, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. 'I am not going to kneel before you, brother, so I suggest you raise your sword or I will be forced to attack your unguarded chest.'
Inuyasha blinked, snapping out of his stupor, and looked at his brother. Something flickered in the hanyou's eyes, and then the golden depths hardened again, and the small smirk he was so used to seeing was slowly returning as the cockiness and determination returned to his brother's face.
Sesshomaru's own face hardened slightly in response as he tightened his grip on Tokijin.
Without warning he started forward, raising his sword above his head to bring down in a mighty slash at the unguarded Inuyasha's head.
Inuyasha waited until the last minute, then his smirk widened and he raised Tetsusaiga to meet the blow, the swords clashing as dark electricity crackled between them, before Inuyasha roughly shoved back, forcing Sesshomaru a few paces away.
Sesshomaru fell back slightly, before attacking his brother again. And again and again and again. And again and again and again his brother blocked his blows and returning them with equal fervour.
By the end of it, both brothers were tired and breathing hard (though Sesshomaru hid it better and still seemed the composed aristocratic demon that he was) and it was apparent that they were ready to call it quits for the day. Sesshomaru was more worn out than he had been in a very long time, and in desperate need of a bath, however, after seeing the way Inuyasha's smirk slowly began to develop and finally transform completely into a full-fledged smile, it somehow was entirely worth it.
END
A\N: Lol, I think I used the word "strange" about fifteen times in one of the paragraphs up there. It was kinda strange actually...
Well, I think I may very well have destroyed Sesshomaru for people in this chapter, but it had to be done.
He has to get along, at least relatively, with Inuyasha, and that's all there is to it.
Please don't kill me!
Special Thanks to: Box Queen, wolfygirl13, xolovexinuyasha, Darking Queen, sourapple10000, Wish-full Thinker, MewMewFireHeart, Black Betty, RamblingPhilosopher, Almandine-Azaleea Sexy Kat and Emily-- The completely awesome reviewers from last chapter who I have made wait for who knows how long for this one! Sorry guys!
CMoC - Save me - Remy Zero, I'm not an addict - K's Choice, You give love a bad name - Bon Jovi, Yura Yura - Every Little Thing, Fade - Staind and Drown - 3 days grace