yeah, really really sorry about the late update! but at least i got it in before the 30th, right? heh heh... anyway, yeah i know this story is a full page short. and i'm sorry. really, i am. i even wanted it to be longer. but the next scene is about four pages long, and i dont want to chapters that eratic. so, sorry. really truely. the next update wont be for at least two weeks. maybe less if i have a good day. probably more cause i just started school. and japanese. i love my class. tomorrow i have choir/squeel/ i love choir.
disclaimer: usual stuff, like 'i dont own', 'no money gained', etc...
warning: but i do own. just not inuyasha. so, NO STEALING!!!!!
or i will send zombie!naraku after you.
PS-oh, btw, i'm working on two Fullmetal Alchemist PWP and a Naruto PWP staring our favorite perverted jounin.
It didn't take long for Kagome to calm down, although it probably would have gone faster if Inuyasha hadn't continued to bring up the fact that she ran right into a wall. After she had counted to ten, and Inuyasha had eaten dirt, they both sat in silence, pondering their own ponderings.
It might have even been a comfortable silence, provided that Kagome hadn't kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye since he caught her flat out staring. The inu youkai sighed as her eyes flicked to him again, "Hey, Kagome?"
She startled slightly, "Um… yes?"
He turned to face her, "Do you happen to have a mirror?"
The miko blinked, "uh…"
"Cause, ya know, I've been tryin to see my reflection in your eyes, but you don't stare at me long enough for me to get much more than vague color streaks."
She blushed –rather prettily, he thought- at that and stammered an affirmative before getting to her feet and telling him to wait. Up the stairs, a knock and she was in the world above, where ever that was.
The light let down from the opening was lamp-light, so he still didn't have a good idea what time it was, but the accompanying breeze brought a faint hint of dogwood blossoms. Kagome, when she returned, held a small hand mirror and a wrapped bundle that smelled tantalizingly of manjuu. She glanced up through the doorway as if someone were talking to her, and responded. Inuyasha was much surprised when he didn't have to concentrate at all to pick up the conversation:
"Are you sure, Kagome-sama? I could just as easily-"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure. He's already awake anyways, so it wouldn't make any sense at this point."
A sigh, "very well then. But do be careful."
The door shut and robes rustled as the time-traveling-reincarnated-priestess-girl bounded down the stairs. She went straight to the small sleeping mat and deposited the bundle he was currently drooling after and handed him the mirror. He took it, face down, and hesitated. This had been such a big question for him for as long as he could remember. His mother had once commented a long time ago that he looked very much like his father had, sans a few facial markings. Now the time had come when he probably would see his father's face staring back at him. It was more than a little unnerving. He closed his eyes and let out a harsh breath before flipping the mirror over and opening his eyes simultaneously.
He stared, "Kagome, why did you give me a picture of Sesshoumaru?" then gaped, as Sesshoumaru's jaw waggled in time with his words. He heard Kagome giggle, but he was too wrapped up in his own appearance to notice much. He knew things would be different, he knew it when he woke up and had to think about sitting up because his center of balance was off. But he never thought the resemblance between his brother and himself would jump so much.
He turned his head from side to side, taking note of the delicate stripes along his cheekbones, and reached a hand up to brush aside his hair. His eyes rested momentarily on the matching mark on his wrist and his slightly longer claws. He also noted with some surprise that he still had the dog ears he had been born with, not Sesshoumaru's more human like ones.
While his chin was still sharper than his brother's, his face had lengthened slightly, making him look more noble. His eyes had thinned as well, and added to the stripes on his cheeks, created a very fine sculpted look that the now full youkai wasn't sure he was used to.
He brushed his hair back again, feeling something off… that was odd; his hair was definitely lighter, less course and practically shone it was so white. As his hair fell forward once more, it disturbed his bangs, revealing a red crescent moon mark that they had been purposely grown out to hide the lack of. Absently he noticed that the change had added inches towards his height to the point that the fire rat robes were now useless.
There was a vague and insubstantial wondering in the back of his head about what it would be like to transform into a demon state.
He looked up, the miko studying him intently was munching on a manjuu and offered him one as he continued to stare into space in thought. Taking the sweet bun, he munched a bit before he focused and queried, "where's Sesshoumaru?"
"Up stairs. Talking with Miroku, I think," she continued to study him, her eyes flicking across his face. She seemed as fascinated with the changes as he did.
"Can you go get him?"
Without a word, the young woman got up, robes rustling and went back up the stairs. Inuyasha stared off in thought while he waited, his mind pleasantly not thinking about evil hanyous or annoying wolf princes.
Footsteps on the stairs drew his attention and he watched as Kagome lead the taiyoukai to him. The moment his brother was within his sight, however, something strange happened.
He noticed right off the bat that Sesshoumaru was tense, hyper alert. He straightened instinctively, scenting the air for danger, when his nose caught whiff of something that he had never smelt from anyone. It was hard to describe, kind of bitter and sweet and like flowers. A whole smell with an edge of something harsh. Something full that seemed to expand in your lungs when you drew it in. The kind of smell that made you stand at attention. Or attack.
The once-hanyou gritted his teeth at the sudden swelling he felt inside his chest, and put a hand to his temple in an attempt to ease the headache he felt building. He was just barely aware of his brother murmuring a warning before he was shoved from the front of his mind, "I knew this was a bad idea…"
Sesshoumaru had his doubts when his brother's miko asked him to come down to the bowels of the shrine. It wasn't so much a fear of the younger but more a cautious feeling concerning what the boy would do. Being a hanyou, Inuyasha had more than likely never scented the undertone to a taiyoukai's scent. Depending on what his youki felt, his brother would either attack, or bow in submission.
Sesshoumaru was rather convinced it would be the former, rather than the later. And not just because of his brother's stubborn habits; he was a son of the great Inutaisho, after all. He probably wouldn't let himself be dominated by anyone.
Never the less, as the saying goes, there was only one way to find out. And besides, it had to happen sooner or later.
He followed her to the heart of the recently erected shrine, past the alter and off into a side room with a large cellar door in the center. Pausing briefly, he took the light from her as she bent to open the door.
The taiyoukai had to admit, his brother had chosen well. The miko was powerful, strong and strong willed as any demon. She never backed down but had enough common sense to not pick fights she couldn't win. It really was too bad she wasn't a demon, he thought; she would have made a wonderful leader. Especially compared to those old, blubbering fools, he concluded with contempt.
She retrieved the lamp and they continued down the stairs. He paused about half way down and closed his eyes, ignoring the questioning look of the miko. He was curious as to how much his brother's scent had changed, not to mention the markings that his younger sibling would have received upon his transformation.
The Lord of the West frowned slightly; and, if his eyes hadn't been deceiving him, his brother's ears would have to be addressed as well. He shrugged it off; it was far more likely that his brother's (untidy) hair had created the appearance of the puppy ears that human women seemed to adore.
But, back to the problem at hand, his brother's reaction to his taiyoukai scent was his foremost concern. Especially with his brother's…. 'condition' to complicate matters. Sesshoumaru just thanked Amaterasu that the younger hadn't fully transformed into his demon self when he was a hanyou. That was one thing the taiyoukai had been grateful for. His brother's human blood had prevented him from transforming into the great dog like he himself was capable of. So when he went insane as his demon blood took over, at least there was no real worry of him rampaging all over Nippon.
Steeling himself, the Great Youkai took a deep breath and descended the final half of the stair well.
He got a momentary glimpse of his brother's appearance, noting with a faint shock how similar they looked, before Inuyasha's face contorted in pain and he understood what was happening. It seemed that his brother would indeed prefer to fight to being dominated.
He sighed and moved the miko behind him, "I knew this was a bad idea…"
Then his brother was suddenly in front of him, claws aiming straight for his throat. He would learn in the days to come, to regret ever teaching his brother to be so fast. A quick pivot on his right foot, and a step back with his left allowed him to both dodge the attack, and go on the offensive. Continuing with his turn, it was a small matter to grab his brother by the wrist and take the younger with him. He brought Inuyasha across the front of his body with his left, shoved the miko back with his right, tripped his brother up with his foot, then hurled him back at the wall. The enraged demon hit the dirt wall hard enough to shake the temple above and leave a small 'poof!' of dust at his impact point.
The taiyoukai cursed. The temple above wouldn't benefit from the coming battle, but he had no way of leading his brother elsewhere without making it seem like he was running away, and in this fight, appearances were everything.
Sesshoumaru's eye widened a fraction as he heard the miko behind him preparing her spell, "SI-"
"NO!" he roared at her, "do not interfere. At. All."
She gaped at his back, and stuttered, "wh-why for heaven's sake!?"
He spared a glance behind at her with one eye before he was forced to block another swipe of claws. Flinging Inuyasha away again he answered her briefly, "it's a battle of submission. Whoever looses is conquered. If you help me, I loose."
He could practically hear her plotting in light of his revelation and he peaked over his shoulder to give a blood-freezing glare, "don't even think it."
"B-but you'll kill him!"
His mental eyes rolled; did she still not trust him with the mutt? "Do not fret, miko. It is a battle to first blood, nothing more."
He was spared having to argue with her over it as the once-hanyou came at him again. He parried and dodged attacks, watching as his brother's red eyes got more and more infuriated. It just figured that the one sure-fire way he knew of to knock his brother into his senses was currently inaccessible- and by his own choice! A mental sigh signaled the final seal on his resolve; he had wanted to wait until his brother was in full control of his faculties, but it seemed the brat just had to do everything his way. Brat.
It didn't help that the results would be unfair; Inuyasha was unbelievably slow and dimwitted when he got like this. It was almost like fighting a child. He grunted as a fist connected to his face. Alright, an unbelievably strong child, but a child nonetheless.
He let the punch stagger him, and added a few extra steps back till he was at the base of the stairs leading to the main part of the shrine. The taiyoukai dodged more strikes, backing steadily up the stairs till he was in the small storage room and had flat, stable ground to attack back from. Still, he let the enraged youkai push him further and further into the shrine proper, sparing glances behind him when he could to check their progress.
As they came upon the doors to the new temple, he thanked whoever had the foresight to have the doors swivel outward, rather than the more formal sliding shoji screen doors, and kicked them open.
The taiyoukai leapt backward to dodge a swipe of claws and landed on the top of the steps leading into the shrine. From there it was a simple matter to let the once-hanyou steadily push him back into the forest.
As he backed further into the pines, Sesshoumaru marveled at human ingenuity and stubbornness. Though the shrine grounds were almost 2 ¼ kilometers (1.4 miles) from the village, the perseverance of the villagers had constructed the temple, the grounds and a small guest home in the week preceding and the two weeks following Naraku's attack.
The once-small clearing around the Bone-Eating Well had been cleared enough so that Sesshoumaru was able to just catch a glimpse of the Goshinboku before he was forced to pay more attention to his brother. Dodging a swipe of claws, the taiyoukai set about thinking.
He could easily draw first blood from his brother, ending the fight and forcing the other's erratic youki into submission; there was no question about Sesshoumaru's battle prowess against such an impaired Inuyasha. But that idea didn't sit well with the taiyoukai. Inuyasha, he knew, was a skilled warrior, even more so now that he had been trained in the use of the Fang, and doubly now that he was a full youkai. Any victory against Inuyasha in anything but a coherent, fully alert state would be a victory in name only and he would be both shamed at the conquest, and forever questioning his own abilities.
On the other hand, he couldn't let Inuyasha win. Besides the fact that Inuyasha might not stop at first blood under these circumstances, the koinu simply wasn't ready for the position of Lord of all the Western Land. He had many things to learn about himself, his new powers and the way things worked in youkai society, not to mention inu society in particular, before he would be ready for even the position of heir to the throne.
Sesshoumaru blocked a kick that sent him skidding back several paces as he contemplated the third, and really the only viable, option.
The third option would be to force a draw. Which was impossible under Inuyasha's current mental condition. Either getting the gaki to back down, or draw blood at the exact moment his brother did would be nigh impossible without at least a semblance of intelligence in his brother's eyes. which meant that he would have to subdue his brother without said brother's help, and without drawing any blood whatsoever. Which would be a challenge on a good day.
Which this obviously wasn't.
The right hook that came in towards his face gave him an idea and an opening needed to perpetrate the idea it sponsored. Grabbing his brother's right wrist, he blocked the swipe of claws from the left hand and deflected it outward, and using the same hand he blocked with, lightly coated with poison, in an open palm strike to the face, rendered his brother unconscious, "we really need to work on your guard, little brother."
He caught the collapsing demon with something that would have been an eye-roll-sigh combo for anyone else. Then he sneered in distaste; when was the last time his brother washed his damn clothes?! Ugh, I cant believe he can live in this smell! And his hakama don't even fit right!
But, he pondered, it's not like the brat really had the option of getting any more. He probably lived in this kimono. The taiyoukai felt a pang of guilt, which he quickly shook off, it's not like I could have done anything; the law forbids it.
He blinked. No, the law forbade it…
He smirked, "otouto, we have a lot of catching up to do…"
Kagome rushed outside, following the sounds of rustling fabric and enraged roars from her-… from Inuyasha. She paused outside the temple, looking for which way they could have possibly gone when the noises stopped. She waited patiently for some other noise to draw her attention to the battle, certain she could help even after Sesshoumaru's warning and past her own instincts telling her to stay put if she wouldn't comply with their first demand of run screaming!
It didn't take too long for her to spot Sesshoumaru carrying Inuyasha's sedate form over one shoulder, or for her to bound down the temple steps with worry, almost falling flat on her face in her haste. The taiyoukai was speaking as she got closer, and it took her a second to figure out it was she who was being spoken to.
"…alright, I didn't kill him," his calmness infuriated her at times. He'd just walked into the clearing with his unconscious now-full-demon brother over his shoulder and he didn't even look a bit guilty!
She stared at him intently, a hint of anger in her eyes. not so much at him, but more of her own helplessness in the face of the situation, "So. Who won?"
"Inuyasha lost," he stated briefly as he walked past her to the temple. She turned to stare at him in outrage, sure he had used his brother's weakened state to his advantage when he peered over his shoulder at her, "and so did I."
Her anger deflated in the face of confusion, "huh?"
Sesshoumaru faced forwards once again to mount the shrine steps, and pseudo-rolled his eyes, very articulate, miko.
"Come," was all he said aloud, however.
He walked through the still-open doors of the shrine and laid his brother down on the futon mat the miko had been using next to the door. Though the temple proper and many of the buildings had been completed, there were still some minor touches that the artisans insisted on doing before they would let the miko's chambers be occupied by their Kagome-sama. They routinely stated that everything had to be perfect for one of their saviors. So, the miko took to watching over the temple while the village waited on the last few ounces of gold they had bought and a semi precious stone that had to come from Kyushu.
The taiyoukai seated himself at the head of his brother's futon and mussed over what he should tell them. His brother's attraction towards the miko was quite clear and he had to make them understand what Inuyasha's transformation would mean for them both. They could not have the fairy tale ending they deserved.
Sesshoumaru blinked at the thought, I'm getting soft. But they really did. Or Inuyasha really did. The boy had suffered far too much in too short a time to get nothing in return. And when he looked at the miko, his brother's eyes shone like gold. If for that look and nothing else, he would ensure history would not repeat itself.
Gold eyes turned at a sound from the doorway and he beckoned the miko with a slight twitch of his head. He waited until she had seated herself at his brother's side before beginning, "miko… Kagome." He saw her eyes widen fractionally, but he didn't care, "there is something you must know. Both you and Inuyasha. I will tell you first so that you may assure him that this is no trick and that what I speak is truth."
Despite all the recent progress, almost 200 years of bad history still remained between the brothers, a fact that often prevented them from… seeing eye to eye, as it were. More often than he would like, arguments had been settled in near or complete violence.
"You and my brother must-"
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!! Oh where are you Sesshoumaru-sama!?"
He sighed. It figured. Just his luck, as always.
"What have they done to you Sesshoumaru-sama? Why do you not answer?"
"Oi! Watch out! Damn toad… he's not here! Obviously. Otherwise he would have answered you."
"YOU! What have you done to my Sesshoumaru-sama!?! Ah! Feel the wrath of the Staff two Skulls!"
"What the-? Ow! OWOWOWOWOW! Kami-damnit!! Get back here, you!"
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!!!!!!!!!!" the little kappa burst through the doors the miko had closed, trailing one angry monk and a whole lot of smoke. With practiced ease, the tiny spirit honed in on his idol and fell to the floor in submission next to him, "Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Said youkai glanced at his retainer, "Jaken."
Immediately the youkai prostrating himself sat up and spoke in a hurried and scratchy voice, "Sesshoumaru-sama! The Council of Dogs demands- er, requests an audience with you, my Lord!"
Sesshoumaru blinked slowly, thinking. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. This could NOT have come at a worse time. "Tell the Inu no Shiyakusho I will meet with them on the night of the new moon."
The kappa swallowed and the taiyoukai could almost see the gears turning. Requesting a meeting on the night of a new moon was a sleight in inu society. It meant that the one receiving the invite was displeased with the party asking for the assembly, and/or asserting their dominance. In this case, it would be both. How dare they summon me like some lowly commoner. I am Lord of the West!
Their impudence and arrogance turned his stomach. The little shits thought to command him, but he was no one's tool. He would be as his father was, and not a porcelain figure upon a throne for them to play with. He would make them pay.
But subtly.
A sudden thought gave him inspiration, it would be the perfect night to introduce Inuyasha to the council. Now that I know his transformations weren't myth they will understand what bringing a former hanyou to the meeting on the night of the new moon means. This might actually make this entire event (no, farce. Definitely a farce) go smoother and better for me. Not to mention Inuyasha.
"Was there anything else, Jaken?" the now smug but still stoic taiyoukai asked. And he smiled.
Jaken, the loyal, if a bit misguided, retainer quivered in fear; his lord was smiling. Only bad things could come from this.
"N-no, Sesshoumaru-sama!" he squeaked.
Sesshoumaru glanced away and the kappa took that as his cue to scamper as far and as fast as his little legs could carry him.
yeah, really sorry again about the lateness. remember to look for my next update in about two weeks! and i should have a link up here in a little while to that new pic of inuyasha. dont forget to come back for the next chapter! the inu bros go shopping!!
