Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
I know it has been very long, over half a year before I put on an update for one of my Inuyasha fandom's fan-fictions. I had a serious block on how to write down the ideas. And the feeling was not there enough to focus on it. But now, hell yeah!
However, the previously planned second chapter ideas took too much space so I have decided to write a happy sequel, after whenever I come around to finish the last chapter of this story.
Though some of my fabulous reviewers had guessed right about the outcome of this story, I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter.
2. Lust (for Life)
That you were once unkind befriends me now,
And for that sorrow which I then did feel
Needs must I under my transgression bow,
Unless my nerves were brass or hammered steel.
For if you were by my unkindness shaken,
As I by yours, you've passed a hell of time,
And I, a tyrant, have no leisure taken
To weigh how once I suffered in your crime.
— Sonnet 120, Shakespeare
"Myoga." Her melodious voice granted entry to the waiting vassal outside the Forbidden Chamber of her Palace.
The Flea demon hopped inside, stopped several feet behind her, dared not to look up at the sole mate of his late Lord. "Milady." She moved her hand downward, palm up, silently ordering him where to situate himself. Myoga obeyed after a nervous swallow. He jumped high to perch on the pad of her forefinger, still kept his head down.
Sparing a brief glance at the meek servant, her gaze went back to the creature inside her life size demonic amniotic sac, the only purpose for this chamber. "This is the son of his and Izayoi, who our beloved Sesshoumaru has been raising all alone, Inuyasha."
There was no quizzical in her statement however, Myoga dutifully confirmed, "Yes, Milady."
"Tell me, Myoga." She raised her hand with Myoga toward the pulsing sac before her eyes. "Why is he looking more human than what he truly is?"
Myoga only dared to look in the direction she permitted, he gasped audibly at the sight of long pit black hair almost covered a figure suspending in the center. True to her words, this Inuyasha curling around himself inside her transparent sac, chin touched his chest, face hid behind his folded knees, hands laxly crossed over his ankles, appeared as though he was sleeping… was no more than a human. "H—How?!" He stuttered. "This… this c—couldn't be…!"
"This body had completely absorbed all his blood you brought to me." She ignored his reaction and continued voicing her own confusion. "Still it is undergoing no change and…"
Hearing a flutter of fabric, Myoga chanced a look behind his shoulder. He saw the Lady placed her other hand on the Meidou Stone, golden eyes remained on Inuyasha's motionless form but narrowed in the slightest sign of her impatience, "… I can feel his soul nowhere."
"But I had witnessed with my own eyes Sesshoumaru-sama put his claws through him…" Myoga squeaked in fear. He almost forgot what he was going to say next the instant her eyes glared down at him sharply, her look demanded a continuation of his story than his silence. "M—My Lord ordered I sucked him dry of his untainted blood while his own poison fought for control over the former one by the time he came for Inuyasha-sama, Milady!"
"This child," She hissed, it was unknown to Myoga the rising anger in her tone was toward his young charge or what else, "Can't survive Sesshoumaru's poison if he had already been damaged by another in his system."
Myoga had prepared to die the moment he was back in the village with Lord Sesshoumaru, watching hopelessly what Inuyasha had become during his absence. He had not only left his young Lord's side when he was in danger, he also failed him on many more levels than his old life was worth. But… he couldn't afford to let Inuyasha's only hope of living that Lord Sesshoumaru had entrusted him be in vain. What could he do?!
"Have you not heard my question clear, Myoga?"
Her voice didn't raise any higher than usual, but to Myoga it struck like thunder force. He kowtowed miserably, his shoulders shook in fear, heart wretched on the inside in despair for his ward. Myoga could not come up with any explanation as to why Sesshoumaru had sent him to her, who had it in her the power to crush what it could be that her own son was hoping to achieve when the Lord permitted him to enter her Palace on his most trust Ah-Un, well-protected by the lives of Kohaku, Jaken and Kirara on Sesshoumaru's order until he was safely arrived with stomach filled with Inuyasha's pure blood.
"Milady, I…" Myoga went silent again. He couldn't tell her.
"Don't make me waste Sesshoumaru's effort in sending you here, pitiful fool." She brought him to level with her eyes, stared him down, intimidating him further.
"Milady… Please I…" He swallowed hard. He couldn't… tell… her…
Smoldering liquid gold orbs narrowed into slits at his tight mouth, still she gave him no more last warning. His loyalty to Inuyasha had been well proven that she saw it good enough to spare his life. "You would hope Sesshoumaru knows what he is doing, bearing the Sacred Mark all by himself." Lips curled into a smirk eerily crueler than her son's, whom hers had genetically passed down, she turned her attention back to Inuyasha, left Myoga free-falling to the cold floor from her finger, unconscious from his own fear.
"You are his son, down to how you choose to die for your love one, Sesshoumaru." She caressed the sac gently, "Come back to this world again soon, our dearest little one."
The perpetual noises in his head stopped abruptly as the last fragment faded away, memory fragments of Sesshoumaru about him. Inuyasha blinked slowly at the familiar landscape of his forest before his eyes. He was very likely lying under the shade of Goshinboku Tree. The last thing he remembered was… Sango's broken voice incoherently between crying out his name and pleaded mercy for his life while the eerily smiling pupil-less, black sclera eyes Kagome holding the stolen slayer sword pointing at her neck and pain still the only thing he tasted, Miroku restraining him with the shakujou over his front like the first time Tessaiga broken resulting his fail in fighting against his Sire's demonic blood, him growling at Kohaku to bring Rin and Kaede to the cave behind the village with whatever hapless living humans out there before he completely lost it, and then Kagome… pierced herself with a purification arrow, some black substance came out of her mouth instead of her own blood, winning back the control of her body and released Sango before collapsing, there she lay motionless on the dirty ground but still breathing, albeit it got fainter.
Inuyasha closed his eyes at the surfacing memories before the first fleck of dawn lit the horizon. His human body had been soaking in miasma because the adversaries didn't want to risk him doing any more damage to them than he had done even when he lost his demonic power, he took pleasure in smelling their reeking fear of him in the air no matter how it strongly filled with the scent of his own blood from the wounds everywhere in and on his person. He could still hear his bones got broken one after another. It had started with his left knee. Then he tried reaching out for Tessaiga lying on the ground, only to realize the impossible because his right forearm dangling at odd angle and refused to do what it was supposed to, the same happened to his left arm next. Tessaiga was still screeching very loudly as if calling something… or it might have been his hallucination, or it had been him who was screaming. Too much pain.
The only thing in his mind was… he couldn't leave this village. Because Sesshoumaru said he would come for him.
Inuyasha turned his head up to gaze at his brother's sleeping face. Was Sesshoumaru really sleeping? Sesshoumaru… He raised a trembling hand to touch the pale cheek that had turned a paler shade of porcelain than usual. Was he cold? The last time he was with Sesshoumaru, his brother kept him warm by holding him like this the entire night. Inuyasha breathed out shakily through chapped lips, mouth moving to form his sibling's name but no sound came out… he tried again, a little harder… still his voice was a deafening mute.
As if Sesshoumaru heard him, one of his brow twitched. And nothing.
Encouraged, Inuyasha attempted another try but he stopped himself when catching something from the corner of his eyes. Golden gaze trailed along the angry blood veins like tree roots spreading out from somewhere under his brother's neckline. The younger one lowered his hand, inching closer to the strange occurrence. Only to be halted before he could touch it by Sesshoumaru seizing his wrist.
Right then, a strong pulse surged from something behind his back.
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, his eyes dilated at seeing Tenseiga glowing steadily in his brother's other hand. He also noticed Mokomoko curling around them like an addition protective arm as if Sesshoumaru was fighting something only his eyes could see, to keep them at bay. Inuyasha looked back to Sesshoumaru in time the older golden eyes opened to stare at him blankly. His hand was released so Sesshoumaru could angle his head and pressed their mouths together. His body was like a dead weight, Inuyasha realized, when he attempted to drag himself up to deepen their kiss. Because he needed this to reassure himself Sesshoumaru was not going to abandon him for losing to another demon beside his brother, for breaking their unspoken vow to only die by each other's hand.
Only he didn't understand how he was still alive but dead at the same time.
Inuyasha pulled back to voice his confusion but again, as if reading his thought, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and shook his head once instead of saying no.
"Ses… sho… u… ma… ru…" Inuyasha croaked. His throat protested strongly as if thousand needles prickled his vocal cord with each syllable being forced out.
His brother kissed his forehead, then bumped their noses. "Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said his name for the first time since he woke up in his arms. "Sleep. Inuyasha."
Sesshoumaru didn't order him. He had sounded like an older brother who tried coaxing his restless sibling to be a good baby. And like a good baby, Inuyasha closed his eyes obediently with a soft smile, cushioned his head on the part of Mokomoko wrapped around Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Yes… Ani… ue." He slurred faintly, surrendered to oblivion, allow it to bring him farther from the real world knowing he was safe, especially knowing Sesshoumaru had always been protecting him from the shadow since the day he was born if those foreign memory fragments he had seen were not another episode of his wistful delusion. But right now, he was not afraid of the dark anymore.
If Inuyasha had tried staying up a little longer, he could have witnessed Sesshoumaru's eyes widen. Because, perhaps Inuyasha didn't realize in his delirious state that he had truly called Sesshoumaru big brother. Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha tighter, molten liquid gold flashed crimson at the new group of hellish imps gathering around them, waiting to take Inuyasha from him.
Tenseiga pulsed again, one more time reduced each and every of the netherworld beings to nothing.
"I will not let you die, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru pledged, leaned down to press his mouth atop the slumbering puppy-ears head before his eyes closed again.
"You brought him dead rats?!" Inuyasha shook from repressing his cackle, burying his face in his sibling's neck to hide how much it pained his entire body only to laugh. There was no change in their positions from the last time he was awake, and that was three days ago. He was told it had been over a week since the night of new moon.
Rin pouted, flushing in embarrassment. "I didn't know what Sesshoumaru-sama eats because he never ate anything I brought for him. And it was not good when he got injured like that!"
"Come to think of it… I've never seen him eat anything." Inuyasha blinked up at his silent brother curiously, expectantly. "Even you do have something you like to eat, yeah?"
Eyes went wide, Rin raised a hand to cover her audible gasp from watching her Lord bent his head a little to hush in Inuyasha-sama's twitching ear. She flushed for another reason when a blushed crept up the younger Lord's face from hearing the soft whispering words.
Sesshoumaru leaned back to rest his cheek on Mokomoko again and stared at their expressions in boredom, he grunted satisfactorily at his handy word, then drawled, "Now keep up with the silence, you two."
Rin covered her cheeks, which had become even redder. Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, she stood abruptly and shot back to the village as if ghosts at her tail, squealing like an unfortunate (or fortunate depended on how one viewed it) child just walked in on her parents.
Inuyasha, upon realizing he had just lost his partner in crime (in annoying his brother), groaned in mortified, "Do you have to say it when she was around?!"
"Her mind is older than you give her body credit for." Was Sesshoumaru's pleasant reply. "Why do you think she ran away?"
"You are shameless. Totally shameless!" Inuyasha accused with strong conviction.
"You are wrong. I am simply expressing my fondness toward my most favorite edible material." Sesshoumaru deadpanned.
You. As Sesshoumaru's voice rang in his mind over and over saying that one word, Inuyasha wanted to hit his head on any really hard object to murder the fussing butterflies in his tummy. He shoved his face in the fluffy Mokomoko and whined pitifully at his predicament, puppy ears flatted against his skull when Sesshoumaru leaned down to nuzzle one of them.
A heavy kind of silence descended.
"Say… How long do I have left…?" Inuyasha asked, sounding far more dead than he appeared moment ago.
Sesshoumaru never replied, only tightened his grip around Inuyasha and Tenseiga.
"Even if I am to die one more time… I will bring them down… with me…" Inuyasha promised.
The blood roots reached Sesshoumaru's jawline and stretched its miniature limps below his left cheek. Just right then his sight got blurry, white dots clouded his vision, his grip on Tenseiga unwantedly loosened due to the loss of life force he had been feeding Inuyasha's dead body to keep it existing, for Inuyasha to continue living,
The hell imps attacked.
His lids fell against his will to stay alert and before he knew it, he was back in his 200 years younger self, stood facing the back of his dying Sire on that fateful snowy night at the ocean edge.
"Why are you seeking for power?" His Sire demanded. Strangely Sesshoumaru found himself in control to remain silent instead of telling his Father about his wish to conquer and for that ambition, Tessaiga and Soun'ga were required as he remembered doing so.
"Have you anything to protect?" His Sire went on without waiting for his reply, there was a disdainful grunt supposed to be in between the questions, which never happened in their current exchange that was nowhere following his memory.
"I am never strong enough to protect Inuyasha no matter how much power I have obtained. Even my own life will soon prove to be useless if it can stall his no longer." Sesshoumaru voiced his thought in a much calmer voice than his almost defeated expression was showing which contained a sardonic curl on the corner of his lips. "Father, if you were me, you wouldn't have allowed this the chance to happen at all, would you?"
"I have no right to answer your question, Sesshoumaru, for I am the coward Father who had left both of you to live on your own and chosen the easy way out for myself."
"Then Father, you have no right to belittle yourself either. Because only I am entitled to judge you if this is how you see it."
Low rumbling noise echoed in the Taisho's chest, it got louder until raw laughter boomed from his throat in waves. Sesshoumaru heard this sound a lot when he was still tiny and struggling to walk properly. More often whenever he completely decimated his kidnappers' entire clan all by himself only because he was bemused at waking up in a new environment nowhere resembled his personal quarter. He cared not what others saw in this matter since everything was just a game of It in his childish lenses. 'He lived up to his name', His Mother had remarked while his Father grinned, greatly pleased about his heir. Sesshoumaru gave up demanding a change of clothes to replace his dirty one because neither of them heard him, preferred going over his accomplishment again and again in their mind eyes. Of course they had been stalking his grow with sadistic glee, only he had been too young to catch their presents within darkness at the time. No wonder how he had raised Inuyasha "just as fucked up", as his witty sibling worded it that fateful night.
Sesshoumaru waited patiently until the questionable mirth in his Father's aura subsided. His eyes fell on the almost thick layer of snow beneath their feet and for the first time he realized there was no trace of dripping crimson on white ground, neither could he smelt his Sire's blood oozing out from his supposed injuries. In fact, his Father did not appear to be suffering from any kind of wound that could cause his death soon. Definitely, "I am the one who is not right in this place, wherever it is."
"This place is the boundary between the living and the dead. However not the one you and Inuyasha had become familiar with because everything that is occurring now, is in your own consciousness."
Sesshoumaru sneered at his predicament. "So this Sesshoumaru has reached the point where he is delirious."
"It doesn't have to be a bad thing like you presume, Sesshoumaru. Only you know why your mind has taken you to this place in time."
"Are you telling me to listen to my blood, Father." Sesshoumaru raised his voice in responding to his cold fury, "The same blood that is going to take Inuyasha from me soon enough only because half of it is running within him?"
"The very same blood which you have decided to put an end to its existence if you are to lose Inuyasha." The elder stated.
"If this blood can do nothing but giving Inuyasha any more unnecessary grief and pain, what is the point in preserving it, Father."
"Then use it for Inuyasha. Can you?" His Sire challenged humorously.
"Monk, release Inuyasha. And get out, all of you." Sesshoumaru ordered icily, drawing Bakusaiga but instead of pointing his weapon at Inuyasha, he simply held it by his side while glaring at the wary and tattered mismatch of humans and demons under Inuyasha's protection, who did none of what they were told and instead stationing themselves in front of Inuyasha to shield his younger from him. The strong smell of Inuyasha's blood was lurching his mind into a mad drive of emotional disorientation where he was starting to consider massacre this entire village because they had been partly responsible for Inuyasha's current state of demonic survival in a body that had gone through a completely wrong nature healing, disfigured his baby sibling by the wrong joins of shattered bones because of the miasma's effect feasting itself from inside his Inuyasha. He had no intention in wasting his time explaining himself to them.
However, Inuyasha in his craze demonic mind recognized a familiar entity closer to himself than the rest, broke free of the monk's protective hold and launched himself at Sesshoumaru before the bewildered eyes of their companions and followers. But none of them ever prepared to witness Sesshoumaru wordlessly dropped his sword and embraced Inuyasha while angling the puppy ears head under his throat, effectively having Inuyasha's elongated fangs pierced his pulse as soon as their body made contact.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken and Myoga shrieked in horror—
At the same time Sesshoumaru's bloody claws emerged from Inuyasha's back.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku and Sango immediately sprang into action but before they could get any closer to the sibling, Bakusaiga lit up and shrouded the two Dog demons in its own demonic barrier, and Myoga. Jaken, in an insane fearless moment of feeling extremely left out because he was the most trusted and closest vassal to his Lord, but why only Myoga got to be inside the sparking green barrier, tried testing out its capacity with the tip of his tiny claw only to screech loudly when he got burned moment away from truly touching it.
"Myoga." Sesshoumaru calmly addressed the shaking Flea demon as if he was not holding a dangerous Inuyasha biting his neck in his arms at the moment, "Secure what of his blood had yet to be contaminated this instant."
"R… Right away, M—My Lord." Myoga gulped and hopped up to latch onto Inuyasha's throat, immediately sank his proboscis in the flesh.
Sesshoumaru turned his eyes to his servant, "Jaken, bring Ah-Un and fetch Kohaku. You three are to ensure he reaches my Mother together with Inuyasha's blood." If Myoga dared losing even a tiny bit of the blood while choking at his words, Sesshoumaru would kill him where he was before the old Flea even thought of escaping.
"Sesshoumaru… you…" Sango swallowed, unable to voice her obvious question. She could hear very loud and clear from where she stood, how Inuyasha was sucking and drinking Sesshoumaru's blood while the unmissable coloring of Sesshoumaru's poison was replacing, purging the black blood dripping out from Inuyasha's numerous still open wounds.
"There is nothing you can do." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the remaining two humans, "Aside from continuing what Inuyasha has been doing here in his stead."
Miroku dropped to his knees and kowtowed before the demon, "Please take care of Inuyasha." Then he straightened up and pulled his reluctant wife with him. On their way out, the monk collapsed and broke down with Sango crying in grievance by his side when Sesshoumaru's voice reached them before they were out of earshot, "You have my gratitude in keeping him alive long enough for me."
Sesshoumaru lifted his chin haughtily, "This Sesshoumaru has no need for an illusion of his Sire to tell him something had already been carried out."
"Shall I tell you something a mere illusion wouldn't be able to conjure up?" The elder demon mused with the same hint of dark humor in his tone.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes even more at the hidden challenge. Piercing golden orbs followed the movement of the slightly turned head to the half visible view of lips began to open and close, forming words soundlessly.
A smirk steadily made itself at home on Sesshoumaru's face.
Inuyasha shut his eyes in agony when Sesshoumaru tightened the hold around his back painfully. Even the near dead himself could sense his brother getting weaker by days but now, this must be the strongest demonic pulse from Sesshoumaru since the time Inuyasha had known him. Sesshoumaru's demonic aura slithered its way into his person from every direction and instead of killing him with its heavy pressure, Inuyasha felt better. Better than he ever was as if his body was truly restored but he knew it wouldn't last, it wasn't supposed to be. But to give enough for him to feel more alive than dead…
This was the same demon he had cut an arm off? This was the same demon got hit by his first Wind Scar? This was… Sesshoumaru? And he thought he could match Sesshoumaru, getting closer to be his brother's equal by strengthening Tessaiga at every chance given to him. Sesshoumaru kept getting further and further, about to be out of reach just when he thought he had come close enough to grab his back.
Inuyasha curled his arms harder around his sibling's neck to bite back a frustrated sob. So unfair…!
"Toutousai." Sesshoumaru stated, not looking up at the old blacksmith demon hovering above their heads.
The new comer dismounted a little very far from them and turned his head ninety degrees to one side unattractively in confusion. "I can't come any closer to you than I am." Defended Toutousai, eyeing Tessaiga leaning on the tree trunk near Inuyasha's side and Tenseiga in Sesshoumaru's hand and, Bakusaiga stood proud and menacingly all by itself, creating the impregnable barrier surrounding the two in its protective cage.
Inuyasha turned slightly to glare over his shoulder in the direction he heard Toutousai's voice come from. "What are you blabbing about? The humans could get as close as I allow."
"Only the humans, so it seems." Toutousai remarked nonchalantly. "Your swords possibly have the worst sense of humor in defending their owners from their idiotic selves and of course, outsiders."
Sesshoumaru did nothing more than a humorless grunt while Inuyasha stared at his sibling in wonder. Just how much of his brother he had yet to understand? Did he even understand Sesshoumaru at all?
What Inuyasha truly needed to recognize was Sesshoumaru could hear his thought and read his mind like an open book. But of course, unless the younger one remembered that bite (and the significant of its meaning along with the consequences when doing it wrongly right) he had given his older sibling in his mindless full demon self, he was going to live with the disturbance of not knowing because Sesshoumaru wouldn't tell him on his own about it any time soon.
"Tessaiga obviously wants to be within reach for Inuyasha while Tenseiga demands to stay in your hand. Aaah, what a tight spot you have put me to." Toutousai exhaled dramatically, paddling pass Bakusaiga without getting charcoaled like whatever smart enough to choose the method of suicide by throwing themselves at the outer shell of its round shape barrier. He squatted low to scrutinize Tenseiga with a frown, paying extra attention to the small cracks start appearing along its edge. "I have no idea about you but this cutie won't hold up much longer." The oldest addressed Sesshoumaru without sparing him a glance.
Inuyasha went to snap about what the hell this senile demon meant by that, but Sesshoumaru quietly hushed him by nipping softly at one tip of his irritated twitching ears. "Just kill him, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha whined into his sibling's neck pitifully.
"After he returns Tessaiga and Tenseiga to its original form." Sesshoumaru informed him indulgently.
"No way!" Squawked Toutousai. "If I do that you will kill me after! You even say it yourself beside my good ol' ears like I am not sitting here eavesdropping you!"
"Return them to its original form?" Ignored the ranting demon, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at his sibling. "Are you planning to discard Tenseiga?"
"Eh, this is a little different than what Shishinki told you, Inuyasha." Toutousai interjected, "He wants Tessaiga to merge into Tenseiga."
Inuyasha gaped incredulously at his sibling. Toutousai predicted an angry outburst from a half-demon feeling betrayed by his sibling's seemingly malicious intention, but perhaps not, seeing the way they were still latching onto each other like a pair of puppies until now. Hmm, how cute.
"Can he even do that, at all?" Inuyasha whispered to Sesshoumaru anxiously, shifting dubious glances between Tessaiga and whatever he could glimpse of Tenseiga from behind.
This made Toutousai felt insulted, greatly insulted. Why that imbecile puppy…! If only his life wouldn't be in danger once he kicked it…
"He is still alive, is he not." Sesshoumaru deadpanned instead of plainly acknowledge Toutousai's capability.
"Alright." Inuyasha jutted his lips, temporarily placated, then turned toward the old blacksmith, "Well?"
Toutousai magically pulled out a familiar ridiculous massive tongs from somewhere behind him and tested it with an intimidating snap. "You know the drill. Surrender your fangs to me. Now!"
Inuyasha swallowed audibly while Sesshoumaru looked like he was about to slice the thing in half with his poison whip.
"I believe some of my teeth had dropped during that time in the village. Let's use them instead." The youngest suggested hopefully.
Sesshoumaru's eyes twitched.
"Didn't you hear me?! I said FANG! Not Tooth!" Toutousai howled in indignant, "And I never mentioned your tiny fang!" He pointed at Sesshoumaru's scowling face. "I meant HIS!"
"Oh, I see." Inuyasha sighed in relief, then grinned at his sibling cheekily. "I will hold you. Even kiss you better. Don't worry."
Sesshoumaru's expression got darker.
"You could always do like your great Sire, you know?" Toutousai batted his owlish lashes creepily at the two, "Remember there was an incomplete fang with odd shape like it got a clean cut in the middle in your Father's Grave, Inuyasha? He purposely stayed in his true form to avoid having me plucked out the entire thing back then. Although the process of regrowing it was hundred years slower."
Inuyasha thumped a first in his open palm in realization, "Now that you mention it!"
"Look the other side, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru ordered stiffly.
"Noooooo waaaaayyyyy." Inuyasha droned, opened his eyes wider for good measure.
Sesshoumaru swore he heard a certain Father cackling in his head.
"Time is running out the longer your pride keeps stalling you, you know?" Toutousai taunted.
Sesshoumaru decided he would thoroughly feed Toutousai to Ah-Un when this was over. "Do it." He groused. Only Inuyasha picked up the strain in his voice, being closer to his brother than the other demon. Despite what he said, Inuyasha closed his eyes and leaned up to press his mouth firmly on his brother's throat while tightening his arms around Sesshoumaru when it happened.
"Before I can proceed," Toutousai gestured at Tessaiga with his hand, "Sesshoumaru, don't you have anything to tell it?"
Inuyasha tilted his head, now that was an adorable sight in this hold mess, and picked up Tessaiga with one hand to raise it before their eye level. "You know this all along, don't you?"
Whoever the question aimed at, neither of the two demons knew.
Sesshoumaru covered Inuyasha's hand on the hilt with his. "This has to be done, Inuyasha." His lips whispered in a puppy ear.
The half-demon nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm prepared to be burned alive with you. But I don't think it will happen anytime soon, so I will hold you very tight that you are unable to push me away just in case things don't go as you planned." And Inuyasha withdrew his hand, leaving Sesshoumaru's the only thing held Tessaiga.
The demonic barrier on Tessaiga flared up like every time any demon touched it, only there was no scent of burned flesh in the air this time as Inuyasha witnessed the event unfold. And it ended with Tessaiga snuggled silently in the demon's hand like it did Inuyasha's.
"Hmm, very well." Toutousai scratched his chin in contemplation, "Took you long enough to realize the farce, right?"
"Farce?" Inuyasha echoed in confusion.
"Your Father must have left more than one hint for him to obtain Tessaiga if he so desired it. However, they all were more like conditions than hints. Your darling brother here has the level of selfishness from both his parents combine, I tell you." Toutousai ranted on, completely oblivious to Sesshoumaru's glare or he just ignored it for the sake of his poor old heart.
"I never meant to use Tenseiga for Inuyasha. I have no use for it back then." Sesshoumaru stared down at Inuyasha, who deliberately avoided his eyes.
Toutousai raised an eyebrow, but there was no surprise in his voice, "You still think he is a mere half-breed staining your blood?"
"I was humiliated by Father choosing to give me Tenseiga."
"I know." Inuyasha whispered sourly.
"Because he indicated I was incapable of protecting you, carelessly leaving you died somewhere along the way so that I would obediently learn how to use it."
The younger half-demon parted his lips to let out a gasp with wide eyes jerked up to their older twins.
Sesshoumaru let the eye contact remain for several moments until his lids fell, "He was right. But when I need it most…"
"Well, stop sulking because I am here to save the day again!" Toutousai snatched the swords from Sesshoumaru's hands and plopped down beside them. "Keep him grounded, will you Inuyasha? Even if he understands killing me now will not benefit any of you, his hot head thinks otherwise."
"No, he's holding me back because I want to kill you myself." Inuyasha grilled through his struggle in Sesshoumaru's arms to do just that. Because Toutousai got to hear something only meant for his ears.
"Then you are free to distract your murderous intent with someone else." Toutousai slammed his hammer down on the two swords, large amount of demonic flame pouring out of his puffing mouth. "Like talking about old time, but in his point of view. By the way, I took two of his fangs and he looks very ridiculous now, you know?"
Inuyasha blinked, his wriggling stopped abruptly when Sesshoumaru became rigid and turned his head away. The half-demon stared and his eyes inching closer to his sibling's tight mouth, "Reeeeeaaaally?"
"Uh huh." Toutousai banged his hammer on the swords again.
Sesshoumaru ignored them all together while trying to retreat from Inuyasha's advance. How ironic.
"Let me see it," Inuyasha coaxed foxily, "I will definitely lick it better."
Sesshoumaru glared at him and gritted his teeth tighter.
When the first quarter moon was setting at the wee hour…
"Well then, since I have no plan to risk my life sleeping with you, I am heading back to my own warm turf." Toutousai climbed on his cow and took off before either of their attacks could hit him.
"That creep… pervert… senile… creep…!" Inuyasha wheezed under his breath from his sudden movement to murder the fleeing demon.
The only reason Sesshoumaru's poison whips didn't hit their target was because he had to catch Inuyasha when the latter leaped after Toutousai only to be too weak to land on his feet safely.
Inuyasha looked up at his brother, but Sesshoumaru's attention was on the newly emerged Tessaiga? Tenseiga? He had no idea what it was anymore. It looked like… both. But how was it possible for a sword to look like two at the same time? Aside from the rusty old hilt, its blade looked as deadly as Tessaiga but at the same time, as harmless as Tenseiga. Mesmerized by it, Inuyasha didn't realize Sesshoumaru had carried him closer until it was within arm reach, but he snapped out of it when his feet touched ground as Sesshoumaru carefully settled him down.
"You are going after them, are you not." Sesshoumaru's whisper caressed a puppy ear.
Inuyasha nodded. "This humiliation and my wounded pride, I will avenge them."
In reply to his answer, the new sword pulsated strongly, spreading its demonic aura, bypassed Bakusaiga's barrier and almost cover the entire forest.
"Recall the time I first held Toukijin and make it yours, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru ordered.
The frantic little heart inside Inuyasha missed a beat. It was… for him?
A trembling hand hesitantly reached toward the sword. But stopped hairbreadth away from the first lash out of the wild weapon. Inuyasha closed his eyes and dropped his hand. No. He had never wished for power to revenge.
"Your swords possibly have the worst sense of humor in defending their owners from their idiotic selves …"
"Tessaiga obviously wants to be within reach for Inuyasha while Tenseiga demands to stay in your hand."
"… returns Tessaiga and Tenseiga to its original form…"
"He wants Tessaiga to merge into Tenseiga."
"Because he indicated I was incapable of protecting you, carelessly leaving you died somewhere along the way so that I would obediently learn how to use it."
This sword had been created by Sesshoumaru's desire to protect him. His heart ached with recognition. Sesshoumaru, you bastard…
The vicious demonic aura reduced to a light breeze before dissipated as Inuyasha's hands determinedly took hold of the hilt and hauled it off the ground. That was when he saw them, what Sesshoumaru must have been fighting against this entire time or he should have been dead. The Hell imps, something only Tenseiga could kill. But before Inuyasha lifted the sword to strike them, a pulse sprang from it and purified every entity that did not belong to the living. He raised his weapon and ran the pad of his forefinger along its edge, "This is… Tenseiga." As soon as he said it, Inuyasha grimaced slightly and withdrew his digit as if he was burned to see a thin trail of blood leaking from the most recent cut inflicted by none other than his idiotic self.
Sesshoumaru caught his wrist from behind and licked the blood clean.
"What…? How can I get hurt…? Tenseiga couldn't…" Inuyasha stammered, too shock to think straight.
"If it has only been Tenseiga." Sesshoumaru licked the corner of Inuyasha's mouth and nuzzled his neck affectionately, taking in the younger scent deeply, "You smell nice. Delicious. As edible as you have always been."
Inuyasha almost dropped the sword at feeling it again. That same sensation had made him want Sesshoumaru do something to him that night. Only the difference now was, he wanted to do that something he had wanted Sesshoumaru do to him, to his brother. And smelt nice… Sesshoumaru smelt nice, too. A little too nice…
Instead of saying so, Inuyasha angled his head backward to properly kiss his brother, his free hand weaving in silken hair down Sesshoumaru's nape and lowered to his neck,
Where he felt the texture of those blood roots thing he had seen on Sesshoumaru days ago.
Inuyasha immediately broke the kiss to turn around and pulled the white attire open enough to see what it was.
Behind him, Miroku, Sango, Jaken and Kohaku arrived from sensing the earlier demonic aura burst from the sword. However, before any of the humans and demon could question their well-being, Inuyasha cut in sharply just as calmly with a deadly edge, "Was it me who bit him?"
None dared to make a noise, their survival instinct told them to shut up because it was too late to run for their lives now. But there was a thud of Hiraikotsu hit the ground before long since Sango needed both her hands to cover her mouth gasping in horror at the sight of the demon's neck.
It looked like the worst kind of parasite, and two of them, looking harmless like two black dots minus the blood veins stemmed from there and digging their nest on Sesshoumaru skin. Miroku suspected the lower part of its roots still hidden under his kimono had long reached his heart while the sources squeezing his artery, each of the pulsates felt as if something bigger was sucking away Sesshoumaru's blood if not his life, or could be both, into itself.
Inuyasha raised his hand to caress a pale cheek. The usual him would be running away by now, as far away from his friend and especially Sesshoumaru to wallow in his misery, for hurting his brother, for forcing himself on his brother, for violating his brother…
"Leave." Inuyasha glanced at them from the corner of his eyes, enough for the onlookers to see a part of his otherwise shadowed expression, "Leave before you can't."
"He turns demon!" Jaken squeaked loudly in terrified at the familiar jagged purple strip on Inuyasha's cheek and the same purple strips on his lids like Sesshoumaru's red ones. His limbs were shaking too bad under the glare even rivaled that of his Lord.
Miroku grabbed the green imp by the back of his neck and took his wife's hand in his. Kohaku caught his intention, went to scoop up Hiraikotsu in his arms and together, they evacuated the forest. "Don't do things you will regret, Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted over his shoulders, not slowing down and could only hope Inuyasha pick up with his demonic hearing.
Jaken kicked the air in random directions, "No! Put me down! Sesshoumaru-samaaaaaaaaaa!" Kohaku whacked him into unconscious using Hiraikotsu conveniently in his hands.
Inuyasha stabbed his sword on the ground to free his hand and caressed Sesshoumaru's other cheek with it. "How long are you going to keep this silence?"
"What are you going to do if you know any sooner?" Sesshoumaru inquired back instead of giving an answer, "It's possible you might want to run away and then come back, feeling obligated to do something for me in return."
"Or maybe I want to make use of it and touch you the same way you want to touch me." To prove his point, Inuyasha licked a trail on his brother's neck and sucked one certain place until a red mark formed on the fair skin.
Sesshoumaru tightened the circle of his arms around Inuyasha's back, his breathing slightly uneven when wandering fingers sneaked under the opening of his attire to brush the skin below his collarbone. "Have I told you why two dominances are forbidden to perform the Hallowed Unification with each other?" The demon breathed in his younger's ears.
"Because they may kill each other to fight for initial bite from not knowing which of them is the better. Unlike within Royals, that had already been established through acknowledgment among themselves unless they are foolish enough to kill off the only mean to continue their pure bloodline." Inuyasha ran his fingers over the angry bite mark, "But you never tell me what will happen to the one who bears this mark all by himself, and what will happen to him when the one gives this to him die. It is okay now to tell me, right?" Inuyasha pressed their lips together chastely. "I want to know before my chance is lost."
"I will die."
"This won't do." Inuyasha shook his head, "I may be like Kikyo and reincarnate in 500 years. Kagome was manipulated to come in this era and her return said enough about where I am in her time, but I have no means to find you like that."
"I can return the favor if it makes you feel better." Sesshoumaru indulged in amusement.
"Can't too." The half-demon shook his head again, "It's disgusting. This body had been ridiculed, broken, shamefully damaged beyond repair no matter how good you have come close to make it look healthy like now. It's disgusting me this dirty body is allowed to touch you like this because my desire for you is unbearable. If luck smiles at it further by receiving your bite, I might destroy it before I can think of the need to use it for killing my enemies."
"I'm having you. It does not matter what happened to your body."
"I feel loved. That's why the only thing I can make up for you is pay back whoever got in my way. Now. Before I suck your blood and life dry." Inuyasha grinned and pulled his waiting sword off the ground. "Have you seen Myoga? He disappeared when things got a little rough." The younger wondered absentmindedly.
"He is smart enough to not linger in the same area I am occupying."
"Too bad. This may be his only chance to have a taste of your blood when you are too distracted to kill him properly."
Inuyasha glanced sideways from his place, perching on Sesshoumaru's massive nostril because he wanted to ride on a gigantic dog to his enemy's not so secret base. Beside, Sesshoumaru happened to be the only one knew where it was. "So," The half-demon yawned and stretched his limbs, "Why are you tagging along?"
"I'm revenging my wife and friends." Was Miroku reply.
"I'm going to pay back for my husband and friends." That was Sango.
"I didn't get to fight last time." Kohaku reasoned.
"I'll go with My Lord everywhere he goes!" Jaken squeaked behind Kohaku's back.
"A half-ass monk, a preggy woman slayer wife of said monk, a slayer boy who is planning to marry Rin in several years, an imp who would mostly get stomped on the head because no one saw him in the way." Inuyasha drawled.
"P… P—p—p…!" Sango and Miroku stuttered.
"Aneue, Aniue, please turn back this instant." Kohaku deadpanned.
"No!" Sango snapped in embarrassment, "But…!" Hers and Miroku's face looked really torn.
"Good for you since I will be the one do all the work. So watch me and don't lift a hand." Inuyasha waved his hand dismissively.
"WHAT?!" The humans yelled.
"So annoying." Inuyasha covered his ears, frowning in irritation. "Alright, Kirara, Ah-Un, let's have a race. We are heading that way," He pointed at the furthest, highest and most intimidate no less ugly looking rift between two adjacent mountain edges, "I can smell their miasma from here already. We are not that far now."
"Inuyasha-kun," Miroku deliberately added the honorific and emphasized it in his incredulous expression, "It looks like one eighth a day of flying from where we are now."
Sesshoumaru let out a pleased growl through his displaying pearly fangs. At least Miroku thought so because Sesshoumaru looked like he was grinning, if this was how a dog grinning face looked like. The monk might be unable to look at dogs the same way again, no matter how innocent the puppies appeared to be. If Sesshoumaru was the son then he really didn't want to face the somewhat mentioned Mother any time soon. And Myoga had looked like he was preparing to die when he headed off. Miroku shivered visibly. Sango decided she didn't want to know what was running in her husband's mind.
"Hurry up Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha urged his sibling, who was taking his sweet time leisurely floating in the air. "Ah-Un becomes a dot! You hear me?! A DOT!" He screeched at the end of his speech.
"Hmm, dragon is a very competitive specie." The monk observed Sesshoumaru's mount already disappeared from sight with Kohaku and Jaken.
"Let's go, Kirara." Sango petted the Cat demon's head. Kirara growled, her natural aggressiveness kicked in and sped pass the two Dog demons in half a blink.
"I can't believe this!" Inuyasha hollered at the top of his lungs. His nonchalant sibling still kept the same pace as he had been, ignoring his demands. "I know you are old, but you can't possibly be that old, can you?!"
Sesshoumaru snorted and, to Inuyasha's horror, he started flying lower until they neared the ground within a totally dark and foreboding forest. Then Sesshoumaru ran. Ran among the trees.
"FUCK MY LIFE!"
Kohaku looked between the two-heads dragon when they glanced at each other from time to time. "Jaken-sama, do you think they catch something?"
"Hmm?" Jaken stared at the two heads' antic, then he sniffed the air. "Mmm, I can smell Sesshoumaru-sama very close by too, but…" He looked around and behind them, "I can't see him anywhere."
"What happens, Kohaku?" Sango asked, having caught up with them.
"Aneue, it seems Sesshoumaru-sama is somewhere around here but we can't spot him." Kohaku informed her.
Kirara growled, nodding her agreement.
Inuyasha watched another boulder slammed into the prism-like rock and knocked the latter away by Sesshoumaru's psychokinesis before a white aura swirling like maelstrom appeared where the odd shape object had been. Sesshoumaru ran through it within instant before it disappeared immediately behind them. When Inuyasha opened his eyes, they had gone way ahead from where they had been previously.
"So they sold our teleportation secret to the black dragon, err, Ryuukotsusei, but then realized your Mother was the one really controlling the Palace's entries at her own whims, so they went into hiding all this time using it to fend off opponents or run away without notice." Inuyasha summed up.
"Only those share our blood or being escorted by us can enter the Palace. It has been our Fortress since the very beginning of our bloodline. Ironically enough, while it can be named our safest Haven with the impregnable barrier, we have been hunted because of its secrets." The voice of Sesshoumaru rang in his younger one's head. "We don't own lands like human Warlords and Kings. Other tribes pledge alliance with us for our protection by offering something of theirs. The Palace holds that knowledge within, making use of it to strengthen itself over time."
"Sounds familiar to Tessaiga." Remarked the half-demon.
"Somewhat. However," Sesshoumaru continued, "The other party doesn't necessarily lose their offering if we decide to take it for ourselves."
"And I see they found it unfair because we keep getting stronger while the rest of them always the weak ones living under our protection forever, so they decided to usurp the Palace after Ryuukotsusei and the Old Man killed each other off." Inuyasha tilted his head from side to side. "I'm starting to feel bad for Tessaiga and Tenseiga. The available test objects are not even worthy as one Naraku."
Sesshoumaru made another boulder crash into another prism-like rock. "Draw your sword, Inuyasha."
"ANEUE! ANIUE!" Kohaku screamed, throwing his chain-sickle at the demon looming over the unsuspecting Miroku and Sango out of nowhere. I can't make it! His mind cried desperately.
The demon was briefly crushed by pristine massive front paw, also appeared out of nowhere.
"Yo," Inuyasha stood shouldering the blade of Tessaiga on Sesshoumaru's head, chin raised arrogantly, "True heroes always arrive late, you know?"
O that our night of woe might have rememb'red
My deepest sense, how hard true sorrow hits,
And soon to you as you to me then tendered
The humble salve which wounded bosoms fits!
But that your trespass now becomes a fee;
Mine ransoms yours, and yours must ransom me.
— Sonnet 120, Shakespear
TBC.