A/N: And here's the next chapter! In which it is time for some brotherly fluff. Or not. Though Sesshomaru sure is fluffy. But I digress. This chapter explains Sesshomaru's feelings for InuYasha, though a more thorough explanaition will be offered in Chapter 18. But now, enjoy!
Brothers
Carefully, his ears swivelling to catch even the smallest of sounds, he crept through the forest. He knew that his red clothes wouldn't help hide him from hostile eyes, but they provided protection – and they were the only thing he had left of his parents. His mother had told him that they had been a gift from his father – the mysterious youkai he knew nothing of. Seeing as how he was not yet fully grown, they were much too big, but InuYasha had simply rolled the arms and legs up and tied everything in place so it wouldn't hinder him.
The little hanyou had no idea how exactly he had been able to survive the last 90 years of his existence – what with all the youkai around who had tried to kill and/or eat him, the humans who chased him away like a stray dog and the fact that he hadn't known how to find himself anything to eat. However, with time, he had figured that out at least, and by now, he could even hunt.
But there was another thing that made his life more troublesome – the fact that once every month, during the night of the new moon, he lost his demonic abilities and became a human. He would always make sure to find a good place to hide, so that no enemy would be able to sneak up at him while he was in this vulnerable state. He hated it, the fact that he wouldn't be able to defend himself against anything in that state, and was always very relieved when the first rays of sunlight would turn him back into his normal self.
InuYasha brushed a strand of his silvery-white hair out of his face and looked around. He had never been this far west before, and the whole place smelled strange – a smell that put him on edge, made him nervous – though he had no idea why.
Only once had he returned to the place where he had spent the first ten years of his life – along with his beloved mother. However, he had been shocked to see that the fortress lay in ruins – it looked like someone had burned it down, and some of the rocks and stones looked like something had melted them. Gathering his courage to address some humans that happened to be in the vicinity, he had asked what happened here, and they told him that a youkai had attacked, single-handedly killing all of the castle's inhabitants before tearing the whole place down. Only a few mothers with their children had made it out alive, and those that had not been at the fortress that day had survived, as well. No-one knew where they had gone – they hadn't dared to return to this place, fearing that the youkai would return.
InuYasha had been shocked – despite the fact he had never really been welcome there, it had been the only home he had – and he had known happiness there, if only fleetingly. And now, this place was in ruins, all the inhabitants dead – InuYasha was unable to comprehend that youkai's cruelty.
Suddenly, a strong scent and aura hit him, and InuYasha immediately flattened himself against a tree, his heart pounding rapidly. His instincts screamed at him to run away, to get as much distance as possibly between himself and that creature, but something else stirred within him, telling him there was no threat – urging him to approach the one this overwhelming aura belonged to.
Unsure what to do, InuYasha stood there, frozen in place, hoping against better knowledge that he would remain undetected.
"Come out", a deep voice demanded.
It spoke in that certain tone that urged you to comply – lest you would like to face some nasty consequences. Squaring his shoulders, trying his best not to seem afraid – even though he was close to shaking with fear – he pushed himself away from the tree and stepped out, facing the owner of the voice.
His eyes widened when he finally saw the man – he was undoubtedly a youkai, but looked completely different from any other he had encountered in his life – he looked human, just a lot more beautiful. He had the same silver hair and golden eyes as InuYasha, but no dog-ears on top of his head – his ears seemed to be hidden under his long hair. He was wearing elegant clothes and armour, a sword stuck in his obi, and a long, fluffy pelt falling off his right shoulder. And he had strange, colourful markings on his face – a dark blue crescent moon on his forehead, and magenta-coloured twin-stripes on his cheeks.
He stood perfectly still, not moving a muscle, not threatening, but definitely causing the impression that could change in a moment. InuYasha cautiously sniffed the air – something about him felt vaguely familiar, he just couldn't place it.
"Come closer", the man said, beckoning with one clawed hand.
Slowly, InuYasha started forward, his eyes fixed on the man's face, trying to detect anything – but his face was completely expressionless, as if that person cared about nothing.
He stopped a few paces away, not wanting to get too close to this strange youkai – though he did realise that refusing to get too close wouldn't stop the other one from killing him, should he decide to do just that. InuYasha had never in his life met a youkai with such a powerful aura, it was daunting.
The youkai suddenly moved forward, and InuYasha flinched. To his greatest surprise, he bent down and sniffed his head, his long hair falling over his shoulders in the process.
Letting out a low growl, he straightened again, regarding InuYasha with a strange expression – one he couldn't place, especially since that man hadn't shown any emotion before.
"InuYasha."
It was a statement, not a question. This man knew who he was. InuYasha's ears, which had been flattened against his skull, perked up.
"You know my name? Have we met before?"
"In a way – though you were but a few days old. It is, therefore, not surprising you do not remember."
InuYasha frowned. He didn't really know much about that time – the time before they had gone to live with his mother's relatives. He knew he hadn't been born in that castle, so that meant they must have lived somewhere else before. He just had never heard that part of his own story before – his mother had never liked to talk about the past, or his father.
"Who – who are you?", he finally asked, giving the youkai a questioning look.
"I am Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands – your elder brother."
InuYasha stared at him in utter disbelief, though it stemmed mainly from his surprise.
"I have a brother?"
"Obviously", the youkai who was his brother replied dryly.
InuYasha took a half-step back.
"I-it's just no-one ever told me", he stammered. "I didn't know."
Sesshomaru tilted his head to the left.
"The humans never told you? Your own mother forgot to mention me?"
"She – never liked to talk about the past", InuYasha replied quietly. "And the others - "
He didn't feel like finishing that particular sentence. He didn't have many happy memories of that place, or his family. They had been mean, cruel even. Only his mother had loved him, but she was dead.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed a fraction, something seemed to displease him.
"Ano – ani-ue?"
The youkai's eyes snapped to his, returning to their normal expression, and InuYasha realised he was waiting for him to ask his question.
"I came by the castle where I used to live a couple of years ago – but it had been destroyed, and some humans told me a youkai had done that."
"I know."
InuYasha blinked, surprised.
"You do? Do you know who did that?"
Sesshomaru inclined his head in an elegant manner.
"I did."
His eyes widened in shock and horror.
"Why?!", he whined, staring at his older sibling with wide eyes.
"Because they deserved to die."
InuYasha opened his mouth, but no sound came out – the shock had left him speechless.
"I would have thought this would please you", Sesshomaru stated, one eyebrow raised, expressing his slight surprise that this apparently wasn't the case.
"Please me?!", the hanyou screeched. "You slaughtered them, and you expect me to be happy about it? You – you monster!"
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in a dangerous way, red seeping into them, and the next moment, InuYasha was off his feet, his brother's hand closed tightly around his neck, and his back pressed against a tree. InuYasha desperately tried to break his hold, but to no avail. Sesshomaru was incredibly strong.
"Watch your tone of voice, pup", he snarled, baring his fangs. "You will not speak to me in such a respectless manner. Has no-one taught you to respect your elders, InuYasha? I am your alpha, your lord, and you will not question my decisions."
Utterly terrified, InuYasha tried once more to free himself from his brother's iron grip, which only caused Sesshomaru to growl even louder. InuYasha's let out a frightened whimper, desperately trying to make sense of the conflicting things his instincts were screaming at him while fearing he would die at any given moment.
Suddenly, Sesshomaru's head whipped round, and the next moment, he dropped InuYasha unceremoniously to the ground. In a blur of white, silver and red, he vanished, leaving the terrified pup behind.
As soon as he was certain the youkai was gone, InuYasha got to his feet and made a run for it, never looking back. He guessed that, given the strength he had in one hand, Sesshomaru had to be a damn fast runner, so he had to get away as far as possible before that monster decided to return. He had no idea what had distracted him, but he wasn't going to stick around to find out. He valued his life far too much.
Taking deep breaths to memorise the smell of this area, he swore to himself to never again set foot in the Western Lands.
Sesshomaru had never mentioned his encounter with InuYasha to Lillia, guessing that his mate wouldn't be pleased by the fact that he had managed to scare the pup away. He had been rather surprised to run into his younger brother – though his men had never found his body, they had assumed he might have died. However, he had seemed to be doing rather well – considering he must have been on his own for the most part of his life.
However, the pup clearly hadn't known how to behave, and Sesshomaru hadn't expected him to be bothered by the fact he had killed his family – from what Lillia had told him, he would have never guessed that InuYasha would feel any sort of attachment towards the humans, blood relatives or not.
However, the hanyou had not been pleased by Sesshomaru's actions, and even had had the audacity to insult him. Angrily, Sesshomaru had attempted to put the pup in his place, when he had suddenly scented a youkai – who had apparently made plans of making his younger brother his dinner, something Sesshomaru could not permit. So, he had left to kill the brute.
However, once he returned, he noticed to his dismay that InuYasha had run away – and then the thought occurred to him that he might have made a mistake.
Lillia had once explained to him that humans often mistook dominance for aggression when their dogs got into a fight, and would intervene in an attempt to protect their pets, basically making the problem worse. InuYasha, being half human, might have the same problem – he might have believed Sesshomaru would harm, or even kill him, as he had apparently not had any qualms about murdering his family. It was safe to assume that he knew nothing about inu-youkai, their customs or their instincts, he was probably relying on his human half, since he had been living with humans.
Sesshomaru had stood there for a while, debating whether or not he should go after the pup – he would be able to catch him, but InuYasha would surely feel threatened and panic. And this would not be a good way to start a relationship.
Sesshomaru had finally decided to leave him be – he had managed to survive the first 100 years of his life, after all, and those were the most dangerous ones. However, he did instruct the men watching the border to keep an eye out for InuYasha – claiming he had heard rumours that he was still alive – ordering them to bring the pup to him immediately, should he return.
However, he never had.
Sesshomaru knew, from several sources, that InuYasha was still alive, however, he didn't seem to harbour any desire to see his brother again. At first, Sesshomaru had been fine with that – if InuYasha wanted to be on his own, so be it. It was, after all, his life. However, things were different now – war had come to the West again. The war with the dragons had been devastating, and the power of the West had been diminished greatly. All his men were fighting with all they had, but they suffered horrendous losses every day, and Sesshomaru didn't like it one bit.
And this was where InuYasha came in. Or rather, his sword. According to Totosai, whom Sesshomaru had questioned concerning his father's fang, the Tetsuaiga could destroy one hundred youkai in just one sweep – just as the Tenseiga could revive the same number in one sweep. Sesshomaru needed InuYasha, because, according to the blacksmith, he was the only one who knew the location of the sword. He would find it, and then use it to annihilate his brother's enemies. He had an obligation to the West, whether he was aware of that or not, and Sesshomaru would make sure to make him aware of the fact.
And that was the reason he had travelled all the way across the land, to a small human village called Edo, which was apparently the place InuYasha lived at at the moment. In his absence, Lillia was in charge of the army – and Sesshomaru greatly disliked the fact that she had taken to the field herself. Luna and Sole had stayed at home, however, to defend the castle, if need be, but Sesshomaru intended to return as soon as possible, so his mate wouldn't be exposed to danger needlessly.
Sesshomaru appeared at the outskirts of the village, not wishing to needlessly frighten the humans – they were usually a bit more cooperative when you didn't scare them out of their wits first.
Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose in disgust when the smell of smoke hit him. He was rather surprised to see that the village had been under attack – many houses had been destroyed. And the people gathering on the road, armed with makeshift weapons and farming tools, didn't look much better, either.
Sesshomaru assessed them in silence, not moving, until his gaze settled on a small girl that was hiding behind the men. Her right eye was covered by a bandage, and Sesshomaru assumed that something – or someone – had taken that eye out. His instincts revolted at the thought of someone harming a pup, but he decided this wasn't his concern – she was not a member of his pack, nor any of his subjects. If her parents were unable to keep her safe, well, that was hardly his problem.
"I am Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands", he said at last, breaking the heavy silence. "I have come in search of InuYasha. Take me to him."
The men exchanged glances, nervousness plainly visible on their faces. However, they acquiesced to his wish, and one of them led the way. The others followed, the little girl watching him curiously with her remaining eye.
After walking across the village, the men led him into the forest. Their procession was a silent one, and Sesshomaru wondered why they were so damn nervous – if they had his brother sticking around all the time, they should be used to non-human company. However, once they reached their destination, it all made sense.
They stopped in front of a tree that was in itself an impressive enough sight to behold. However, Sesshomaru's eyes immediately fixed on the young man with silver hair and dog-ears on his head, who had been pinned to the tree with an arrow. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be sleeping.
"What is the meaning of this?", Sesshomaru demanded in his usual expressionless voice. "Why is my brother in this – state?"
The men grew even more nervous upon hearing of their relation, and exchanged worried glances.
"He – he was sealed, Sesshomaru-sama", one finally ventured.
Sesshomaru slowly curled his fingers into fists.
"And how did this happen?"
"It was Kikyo-oneesama's doing", the little girl spoke up. "Onee-sama was the one who sealed InuYasha."
"Then bring this miko here immediately, and have her unseal him at once."
"Kikyo-oneesama passed away", the little girl replied quietly.
"Her body?"
"Burned, according to her wishes."
Sesshomaru fought down the urge to swear. Colourfully. If she no longer had a body, he could not use the Tenseiga to revive her, so she could unseal InuYasha. Unless...
"Can anyone else undo this seal?"
"No, Sesshomaru-sama", the girl replied. "Only Kikyo-oneesama could do that."
"Pray tell me why your sister saw the need to bind a Prince of the West to a tree", he growled.
The girl paled, but obliged.
"Kikyo-oneesama was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, and InuYasha was after it."
Sesshomaru frowned ever so slightly.
"What is this jewel you speak of?"
"You don't know?"
Sesshomaru gave her a look that implied he wouldn't have asked otherwise.
"The Shikon no Tama is a very powerful artefact that can grant wishes", the little girl explained. "If it were to be used for a selfish wish, it would get tainted, and that would be bad... Youkai have always been after it, and if one were to lay hands on it, that would be disastrous... Kikyo-oneesama managed to defeat all the youkai that came looking for the jewel, but she never killed InuYasha, even though she had enough opportunities. They eventually grew closer, and Kikyo-oneesama suggested to him to use the jewel to become a human, instead of becoming a youkai, so they could live together."
"My brother was in love with that miko?"
"I believe so – but it might have been just an act... Kikyo-oneesama was in love with him, I know that. Anyway, one day, InuYasha suddenly attacked the shrine, attempting to steal the jewel, and he gravely injured onee-sama. With her last bit of strength, she sealed him to this tree. Before she died, she instructed us to burn her body along with the Shikon no Tama, so it would not be sullied... That is what happened."
Sesshomaru stared at his younger brother, unable to comprehend this level of idiocy. So the hanyou had been dissatisfied with his lot in life, and had been after this artefact in order to become a youkai. And, if there was one thing that Sesshomaru despised, it was people who sought to become stronger by what was cheating in his eyes. You were either strong, or you were weak. And, if you wanted to become stronger, you had better work for it – like Lillia had. She had, while still human, shown tremendous progress, and had always been willing to try out new things. Now, his own brother, on the other hand, had chased after an artefact to do the job for him. As if that wasn't enough, he had also managed to get entangled with a miko – which was foolish and dangerous enough in itself – and it had done him no good in the end. Now, he was fastened to a tree, his "lover" dead, and Sesshomaru had no brother, and no sword.
So this is what has become of the son of the greatest demon to ever walk the earth? Pathetic. He is not worthy of being my brother, or my father's son. What a fool.
Greatly displeased, Sesshomaru turned and started walking away, not sparing the hanyou or the humans another glance. They would have to win this fight without InuYasha, then. And they would, he swore that to himself.