Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/1107702.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      InuYasha_-_A_Feudal_Fairy_Tale
  Relationship:
      InuYasha/Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha_&_Sesshoumaru
  Character:
      Sesshoumaru_(InuYasha), InuYasha_(InuYasha), Sesshoumaru's_Mother_
      (InuYasha), Inu_no_Taishou_|_The_Great_Dog_Demon, Miroku_(InuYasha)
  Additional Tags:
      Master/Slave, Slavery, Dominance, Submission, Anal_Sex, Oral_Sex,
      Masturbation, Leashes, Collars, Foot_Massage, Shota, Yaoi, Male_Slash,
      Torture, Slave_Inuyasha, A_little_bit_footfetish, Kneeling, Possessive
      Behavior, Ownership, Fluff_and_Angst, Warm_and_Fuzzy_Feelings, Smut,
      Moral_Ambiguity, Dubious_Morality, Rough_Sex, Rough_Oral_Sex, Punishment,
      Aristocracy, Dom/sub, S&M, Breathplay, Underage_Sex, Lemon, Spanking,
      Come_Eating, Protectiveness, Demons, Puppy_Play, Control, Size_Difference
  Series:
      Part 1 of Want_To_Be_Your_Slave
  Stats:
      Published: 2013-12-29 Completed: 2016-09-01 Chapters: 35/35 Words: 154696
****** Want To Be Your Slave ******
by LordYouko
Summary
     Inuyasha is an abused slave forced to endure humiliation and pain
     that breaks his spirit. However, when Prince Sesshoumaru buys him for
     himself, will the icy Lord feel anything for the little hanyou?
Notes
     Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and make no money from the writing
     of this fic.
     A/N: Hi everyone! I have recently discovered the AO3 website and
     after reading some amazing fanfics here, I decided to post some of my
     work. I mainly write Sess/Inu yaoi stories.
     This story was written about 3 years ago. I have been publishing my
     stories on AFF and Fanfiction . net so far. This story is complete
     and has 35 chapters in all, but I will be uploading them slowly
     because there's some editing to be done. Please read and enjoy!
     Title inspired by the song "Slave" by Silverchair.
***** Might Is Right *****
                                        
Chapter 1: Might is Right
"Argh!" The cry fell from the lips of the chained hanyou as the captor's iron
rod made contact with his knee-caps. He collapsed on the ground.
"Shut up!" growled the man pulling him up by his long, dirty white hair. The
thin boy got to his feet shakily.
One of the people in the crowd came forward. Shoving a couple of coins in the
slaver's hand, he grabbed Inuyasha's ears and twisted. Once more, the boy cried
out piteously but the men laughed. The boy, who was a hanyou, had two
triangular puppy-like ears on the top of his head and they were very sensitive
to touch. The man was brutal and the boy could not suppress the cry of pain.
"Do it again!" urged one of the others and the man smirked and complied, paying
no heed to the sobbing hanyou.
"He deserves it, the bastard," remarked one of the on lookers. "A sin of
nature, that's what he is. A crime, an abomination." The others murmured their
agreement.
"Tell me, boy," sneered someone from the crowd. "Were your parents as filthy as
you are?"
The boy whimpered and kept his head bowed.
"'Course they were," growled another, laughing. "Boy's got 'slut' written all
over him! Got it from your mother, did you boy?"
Inuyasha, for that is what the hanyou was called, lowered his head still
further. He had endured pain – physical and mental – he was used to their
talents and insults but somehow, this hurt more than anything else. He knew he
should keep silent, not say anything but he could not help it.
"N-no please," he began in a tremulous voice, "She was-"
But his words were cut off with another cry of pain, for the captor had once
again hit him on the knees, this time harder. He collapsed.
"Little shit!" he screamed. "How many times have you been told to keep your
damn mouth closed? Now up! Stop lazing around!"
Inuyasha tried to get up, but his legs would not co-operate. He touched his
knees with his chained hands and gasped at the sharp pain. His legs were broken
at the knees.
"Is he alright?" asked a concerned voice in the crowd. "He'll be fine, sir,"
assured the slaver. "He's just a slave. Needs to be collected like that. Ain't
no other way of teachin' them somethin'. If you wanna have your fun with him,
it'll only cost you a couple of coins." He grinned toothily.
"How do you control him?" asked someone curiously, "He is a hanyou. Surely he
is powerful."
The slaver threw back his head and laughed. With his other hand, he removed the
whip from his waist band and struck the hanyou's bare back hard. The boy whined
like an injured puppy.
"He ain't powerful, sir," the slaver said earnestly. "Been a slave all his
life. We managed to beat any evil outta him."
Indeed, Inuyasha, now around 11 years of age in human terms, had been a slave
as far as he could remember and had never shown any evidence of demonic powers.
He had claws and fang, but a lifetime of forced servility and obeisance to
those more powerful and stamped out any hint of aggression in him. Now, he was
merely a curiosity, a freak of nature on display for people's amusement, forced
to turn tricks like a dog, beaten and humiliated for the spectators' twisted
pleasure who seemed to love watching the "half-breed" get what he deserved.
Unfortunately, his highly emotional and sensitive nature was the one thing his
captors had been unable to suppress and soon, they let him be as the people
seemed to find greater enjoyment when the slave writhed and cried and pleaded.
"I said get up!" the slaver shouted as he grabbed him roughly by his arm and
hauled him to his feet, ignoring the child's pained sobbing. As soon as he was
left to his feet, however, Inuyasha collapsed back to the ground, crying
uncontrollably.
"Well, waddya know? Slut boy's useless as well."
Inuyasha shut his eyes tightly and tried to ignore the voices. He knew his
mother had not been a slut. His mother had been a beautiful princess who had
fallen in love with a youkai and had run away with him. The youkai, who had
been a lower class demon, had been challenged and killed for his decision to
mate with a human, leaving a pregnant hime to fend for herself. Alone and
helpless, the hime had given birth to Inuyasha and died during the birthing,
leaving Inuyasha alone in the world, with no legacy except the story of his
parents. The hanyou had been tended to by the hime's maid, who had helped in
the childbirth and chosen to remain loyal to her mistress in the face of
ostracism. She had lovingly tended to the little boy till he was about five
years old in human terms. She had told the little hanyou the story of her
courageous parents who had sacrificed everything in the name of love. Soon
after, the woman had died and the boy, not quite five years of age had been
captured by slavers and crafted into a slave.
As his captor realized that the boy's legs were broken, a cruel smirk came on
his face. He brought out a piece of cake from his bag and held it just out of
reach of the thin, half starved hanyou.
"Come and get it, boy," he invited. As Inuyasha reached for it, desperation and
pain in his eyes, the slaver chuckled and jerked it out of his reach and the
hanyou with the broken legs could only beg and plead for the piece of food held
so tantalizingly out of his reach.
Inuyasha whimpered and looked down helplessly. He had to beg because it was a
part of the entertainment. If he didn't, he would sleep without any food that
night. A cake was either way, out of question. Besides, what did it matter?
There was nothing left of his pride anyway.
The villagers taunted and laughed, the children threw stones at the little
half-demon. Inuyasha cried brokenly but his tears only incited amusement from
his tormentors.
"What is going on here?" asked a deep, quiet voice laced with power and
authority.
The slaver froze with the cake raised above Inuyasha's head and the crowd
turned towards the voice, then parted as the figure walked slowly, with
measured steps towards the centre of amusement.
"L-lord Sesshoumaru," the slaver stuttered as he was pinned under the glare of
the fearsome Lord of the West.
The Lord waited silently for the slaver to find his tongue.
"W-we are merely…that is – this is…" he blabbered helplessly, finally gesturing
towards the still crying hanyou.
"Is that a child?" asked the Lord, voice icy and dangerous.
"It is merely a hanyou, my Lord!" the slaver hastened to explain.
"Hmm…a hanyou…" The demon Lord looked curiously at the boy on the ground.
The slaver kicked Inuyasha harshly. "Bow to the prince, you worthless piece of
shit!"
Inuyasha whimpered and bowed his head to the ground before the imposing figure.
He knew who he was, of course. Everyone knew who Lord Sesshoumaru was. Stories
of the young prince's cruelty and strength and beauty were told throughout the
kingdom. The only son and heir of the filthy rich Lord Inu no Taisho was a
legend in his own right; a worthy son of a noble father. No one in their right
mind would do anything to offend the young prince. Lord Sesshoumaru answered to
no one.
"Rise."
Inuyasha straightened hesitantly at the command but kept his eyes to the ground
as he had been taught.
"Look up."
Inuyasha started at the command and raised hesitant, teary eyes at the prince.
Sesshoumaru's heart clenched at the sight of those innocent golden eyes looking
so pathetic and pained.
"Come here."
Inuyasha whimpered and looked away, biting his lip.
"H-he can't, milord," the slaver put in. "His legs are broken."
Sesshoumaru leveled an icy glare at the slaver. "You broke his legs?"
The slaver gulped and backed away a little,. Uh-oh. The demon Lord looked
pissed.
"W-we had to, sire! He was misbehaving."
Sesshoumaru's face remained impassive but the contempt in his gaze was clear.
The slaver broke into a cold sweat.
Inuyasha glanced wonderingly from the prince to his captor. The slavers were
cruel but strong. They had to be, to control some of the more unruly demon
slaves. Inuyasha had never yet seen them hurt by any attacks or wounds
perpetrated by slaves or even bandits who sought to steal their 'merchandise'.
And yet, here was this young Lord who, with one look, had the cocky slaver
stuttering.
"P-please, I-"
Both sets of eyes turned on the hanyou and Inuyasha broke off under their gaze.
Relieved to find a convenient target to release the tension and his fear, the
slaver sneered and slapped Inuyasha.
"Idiot! Don't speak unless you are spoken to!"
He turned to Sesshoumaru, more confidently. "You see, my Lord? He simply won't
listen. That is-"
He broke off as the prince narrowed his eyes and walked towards him. He backed
away even more. The crowd backed off behind him, watching the spectacle play
out. Sesshoumaru halted a few feet in front of the frightened slave-master. The
slaver fidgeted and glanced at him nervously.
"M-my prince-?"
"How much for the boy?"
The slaver started. "I-I beg my Lord's pardon…?"
Face impassive, Sesshoumaru backhanded him across the mouth. He was knocked to
the ground, blood trickling from the side of his mouth.
"Pay attention when you are spoken to. I said, how much for the boy? I wish to
buy him."
The slaver held his cheek where he had been struck and whimpered.
"B-But milord, he is but a dirty hanyou! I-I have finer specimen if your
majesty wishes for a slave!"
Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment as he stared at the cringing and whimpering
man.
"Stand up," commanded the demon Lord quietly.
The slaver stood up slowly.
Poisoned claws slashed him across the chest and he cried out stumbling back.
Clutching his chest, he fell on his knees as he lost his balance. Some people
in the crowd gasped. The Lord flicked blood idly from his claws.
"Do not presume to question me. Only answer what you are asked. How much for
the boy?"
The slaver thought quickly and named a high price. The Lord threw a few coins
at him without looking at him. The slaver tried to crouch down and collect the
money but could not bend due to the wound on his chest. The Lord glanced at him
in amusement.
Resentful and terrified, the slaver shakily handed him the hanyou's leash. The
Lord looked thoughtfully at the trembling hand offering him the leash. Then
with one flick of his own wrist, his poison whip struck the slaver's hand,
neatly severing his hand at the wrist. The slaver screamed and several people
in the crowd cried out. Some ran away.
"Wh-why Milord?" the slaver cried cradling the bleeding stump. "What have I…"
"Hmmm," the Lord looked at him thoughtfully, as if considering his own motives.
"Because you annoy me," he replied. Then he turned regally and nonchalantly
walked back to his carriage, gesturing to his servants who hurried forward and
carried the injured hanyou to his carriage.
The slaver panicked as he felt the poison from the gashes in his chest
spreading, causing the muscles to spasm, eliciting a cry of pain.
"M-my Lord," he whimpered, still on his knees where Sesshoumaru had left him,
not having the courage to stand up.
Sesshoumaru glanced at him briefly.
"It will heal…eventually," the demon Lord said.
"B-but my price, the poison…"
"It will not kill you," Sesshoumaru assured him. The slaver let out a breath he
didn't know he had been holding.
Then Sesshoumaru smiled and the unfortunate slaver almost pissed in his pants.
"But you will wish it did."
Then the Prince of the Western Lands got into his carriage and disappeared with
his entourage as the villagers watched silently.
 
===============================================================================
A/N: As you guys probably realized, Inu and Sess are not brothers in this
story. I feel that if Inuyasha really was the son of his father's concubine,
Sesshoumaru would find it damn near impossible to feel any sympathy for the boy
and so, for the purposes of this story, they are not related.
 
 
***** Sesshoumaru's Puppy *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Chapter 2 – Sesshoumaru's Puppy
Inuyasha kept his eyes tightly shut, shivering in fear as he was carried to the
Lord's carriage. He had heard fearful stories about the cruel and cold Prince.
It was rumored that he was a matchless warrior without pity who killed anyone
who even happened to annoy him. But then again, he away from the cruel slavers
so that was a good thing, right?
He tensed even more as he felt the Lord get in and sit across from where he was
laid down by the servants. He cautiously opened his eyes to see the young
prince staring at him idly, chin resting on his right fist. Inuyasha waited.
Then the carriage passed over a rough patch on the road causing the hanyou to
jerk in his seat, sending a sharp lance of pain through his legs. He winced.
The carriage shook even more and the thin hanyou was in danger of falling down
from the narrow sea. He clutched at the sides of the seat but it wasn't enough.
He braced himself for the fall.
Just then, he felt a strong, heavy hand on his chest, steadying him. He opened
his eyes. Lord Sesshoumaru seemed to have his hand there negligently; he was
now staring out the window, seemingly uncaring about the injured hanyou.
Inuyasha gave a small smile through the pain and closed his eyes and fell
asleep.
===============================================================================
 
He must have fallen unconscious because when he came to, he was lying in a
large room, on a big bed. It was huge- big enough to comfortably fit a grown
man. Inuyasha had never sleep in a proper bed before. The slavers made him
sleep on the ground, lying only on a thin sheet.
He tried to move his legs but realized that he could not feel them. Panicked,
lest they may have been cut off, he quickly threw off the soft white sheets and
then sighed in relief as he saw that they had been bandaged firmly and were, in
fact, still attached to his body.
He covered himself with the sheets once again as it was slightly cold. He
sighed in pleasure as the warmth slowly came to his body under the thick soft
blankets. He wondered at the luxury of the room.
It was big, bigger even than the slaver's room had been, certainly bigger than
any room he had been in, even bigger than their leader's room. The walls were a
soft blue color and the high, white ceiling gave the room a very calm and
peaceful feeling.
Inuyasha burrowed into the sheets and closed his eyes hoping the servants would
not immediately realize their mistake in putting a hanyou in what was clearly a
nobleman's room. He also hoped that he would not be punished too much for
soiling the sheets with his dirty body as, after all, it was not his fault. Of
course, the slavers had never accepted that particular excuse before.
===============================================================================
 
When he woke up next, it was with the feeling of a warm hand on his forehead.
He had opened his eyes to see the smiling, kindly face of a man with brown eyes
and brown hair, and the smell of…soup!
Inuyasha's stomach growled and he realized just how hungry he was. His eyes
roamed the room and landed on a huge, steaming bowl of soup on top of a nearby
table. His face fell and the ears on the top of his head flattened. There was
no way that was for him.
The kind man's face clouded with concern.
"Are you alright?"
Inuyasha stared at him, confused. Why was this man asking how he was? No one
had ever asked him that before. He nodded slowly. His eyes strayed to the bowl
of soup and the man chuckled. Then he picked up the tray containing the bowl of
soup and placed it on Inuyasha's lap gently.
"Eat, little one. You must be hungry."
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he looked from the soup to the man. The man nodded
to him encouragingly, so he slowly tasted a spoonful and gasped. It was
delicious!
The man smiled at him, then pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed.
After having a few spoonfuls, Inuyasha hesitated and then slowly offered the
bowl to the man. In the slave camp, he had always been beaten if he ate
anything good without sharing it with his captors. His masters would take away
most of it and if he was lucky, he would get to taste a bit of it. After all, a
hanyou slave such as him should be grateful to even be able to taste food like
that.
The man, however, frowned looking from him to the soup.
"Aren't you hungry?" he asked.
Inuyasha blushed and looked away, nodding shyly.
The brown haired man smiled and taking the tray from his hands, once again
placed it in his lap.
"Then it's all for you, little one. You must eat if you want your injuries to
heal quickly."
Inuyasha blinked uncomprehendingly. Was this man for real? He looked
searchingly him and after determining that he indeed meant no harm, he
concentrated on finishing the delicious soup.
When he was done, he attempted to get down from the bed to take care of the
dished but the man gestured for him to stay put. Soon, a girl came and went out
with the dishes,
"What are you called, little one?" asked the kind man,
"Inuyasha…"
"Well, Inuyasha, my name is Miroku and I am Sesshoumaru-sama's healer. If you
need anything or if you are in pain, do not hesitate to tell me."
Inuyasha nodded. Just then, a girl appeared at the door and Miroku stood up
quickly.
"Now you get some rest. I will come to check up on you later."
Inuyasha settled back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. He could hear the
Miroku and the girl talking in whispers.
"He is so kawaii!"
Then a dull thump.
"Keep away from him, hentai! Lord Sesshoumaru will have your head otherwise."
A sigh.
"Sesshoumaru's so lucky! I'll bet the puppy'll make an adorable-"
Another louder thump and then silence.
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha woke up early next morning and stepped down from the bed. His body was
still in pain and his legs were not entirely healed yet but he had already
lazed around too much. One entire day! He was surprised that he had been
allowed to rest that long. With the slavers, he was forced to do his chores as
soon as he was able to remain conscious for a while. Maybe his new masters
didn't know that hanyous healed faster than humans.
He went out, intending to find someone and tell them that he was ready for
work. But he had not realized exactly how huge the castle was.
He walked on through many twisty corridors, past many many rooms. He was
growing tired. His strength had not returned yet and his legs were starting to
throb. He grew worried; he didn't know the way back. He began to walk as
quickly as he could but a wave of dizziness hit him and he wavered on his feet.
He tried to regain his balance but everything was swaying. He pitched forward
towards the cold, hard floor-
And a pair of strong arms caught him firmly. Inuyasha looked up gratefully and
then felt his blood turn to ice. It was Lord Sesshoumaru. He had collided with
the Lord of the Castle.
"I-I am very s-sorry," he stammered, looking down and tried to pull out of his
arms but Sesshoumaru didn't let go. Inscrutable gold eyes stared at him.
Sesshoumaru had been fascinated by the shy, broken little hanyou. Despite
everything, he had still retained his childlike innocence- hell, he wasstill a
child. Considering his injuries, Sesshoumaru had expected the hanyou to rest at
least for a few days.
"Where did you think you were going?"
Inuyasha was startled. "T-to work?"
Sesshoumaru stared disbelievingly at the little hanyou in his arms. "You
thought you were in any condition to work?" The arms holding him tightened and
Inuyasha winced. Sesshoumaru's voice was cold. "Or did you think you would run
away?"
Inuyasha panicked. "No! Please, my Lord I would never try to run away! I am
very grateful to you for bringing me here and in return, my life is yours; I
will serve you in any way I can." He blushed; Sesshoumaru had still not let go
of him.
Sesshoumaru stared. Although he had bought the little creature at a whim, he
had not yet made up his mind as to what to do with him. He would occasionally
buy a plaything if he was bored and he would just as easily discard it as soon
as he tired of it but this strange little hanyou was another story. He felt
like locking him away somewhere and keeping him only for himself.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the scared and blushing hanyou and couldn't help but
think that he looked adorable…like a small puppy.
"Hmm...you are in no state to work, puppy,"
Inuyasha's eyes widened comically. "P-puppy?"
Sesshoumaru smirked deviously. "Yes, my little puppy. I have bought you from
those slavers and so you're mine. I won't allow you to run away."
Inuyasha blushed even harder. "I will be yours even if you release me, Master."
He bit his tongue, cursing himself for his stupidity. Why couldn't he just keep
his mouth shut when the Lord hadn't asked him to speak?
But Sesshoumaru did not seem displeased. "Good. Now go and rest and if I find
you wandering around again, I will have to get you a collar and leash."
Inuyasha had a sudden image of him on his knees at the Lord's feet with
Sesshoumaru holding his leash and he whimpered.
"B-but…what are my chores? I am a slave, aren't I?" Wide eyes stared up at him
expectantly.
Sesshoumaru had had enough. The hanyou was just too adorable for his own good.
He suddenly lifted Inuyasha into his arms bridal style and Inuyasha squeaked.
"You are not a slave, puppy. You are my pet."
Inuyasha was confused. "Pet?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes glinted. "That means I can play with you anyway I want."
Inuyasha swallowed nervously.
"You can't just say he's yours, Sesshoumaru. You have yet to present him to
Lord Inuu no Taisho."
Inuyasha looked up to see Miroku coming towards them. Miroku grinned.
"There's the little devil! Had to look all over the castle for him."
Inuyasha's ears drooped and he shrunk into Sesshoumaru's arms as much as he
could.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause any trouble…really, I'm very sorry." Tears
were brimming in his eyes. Who would punish him? Miroku or Sesshoumaru?
Miroku looked at him in concern. "It's ok, Inuyasha. I was just worried about
you since you are not entirely healed yet. You should rest for a few more days
till you are completely well and then Lord Inu no Taisho will decide what -"
Sesshoumaru growled and held Inuyasha closer. "He will not. I have made my
decision. Inuyasha is going to be my new pet."
Miroku looked bemused. "You are aware that you are not the Lord of the West
yet, right? Inu no Taisho holds the right to assign a new slave to a suitable
position, especially a hanyou. He might not allow you to keep him. After all,
you are not exactly in his good graces right now, after the incident."
Sesshoumaru didn't seem too bothered. The incidentwas that some old, pompous
nobles – his father's allies- had made a derisive remark about Inu no Taisho's
heir – something to the effect of their being stronger and wiser than him due
to age and experience. Sesshoumaru had…proved them wrong. His father had not
been happy to find them severely injured and gibbering in his court the next
day.
"Inuyasha will be presented to father as soon as he is healed, but it is merely
a formality. Inu no Taisho cannot refuse me in this."
Miroku looked skeptical. "And if he does? He could even remove Inuyasha from
the castle if he so wished. What can you possible do about it?" Inuyasha clung
tighter to Sesshoumaru. He did not want to be removed from the palace.
Sesshoumaru in turn tightened his arms around Inuyasha and smiled slowly.
Miroku felt a shiver down his spine but he scowled defiantly.
"It's true!" he stated defensively. "You can't go against Lord Inu no Taisho's
wishes."
Sesshoumaru looked amused. "How long have you known me?"
Chapter End Notes
     Next chapter: Inu no Taisho's reaction to Sesshoumaru's...request.
***** Like Father, Like Son *****
Chapter 3 – Like Father, Like Son
"My Lord, this is the hanyou –Inuyasha."
Lord Inu no Taisho gazed impassively at the tiny hanyou staring at his toes.
Inuyasha could not lift his eyes for the life of him. The huge, richly
decorated court room was quite intimidating and Lord Inu no Taisho was every
bit as impressive as his reputation suggested. Tall and regal, he dominated the
throne room with his presence. All the courtiers and nobles seemed quite in awe
of him. Inuyasha was not sure how he was expected to behave since he had never
met such a powerful person. He was very glad that his legs were healed because
otherwise, he would have surely collapsed from the nerves alone.
It had taken Inuyasha one full week to heal completely since his wanderings
through the castle had aggravated his wounds. Inuyasha had assured Miroku after
the first three days that he was perfectly fine now, just a little tired but
Miroku had stubbornly refused to let him go stating that Sesshoumaru would have
his hide if Inuyasha was in the least bit injured.
Inuyasha had also found out that the room that he had been staying in was not,
in fact, a nobleman's room but a kind of hospital ward and that it was,
apparently, nothing that special. Privately, Inuyasha did not believe it.
As soon as Miroku had informed Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha was now completely
healed, Sesshoumaru had ordered him to be escorted to court. Lord Inu no Taisho
had, of course been immediately informed when Sesshoumaru had brought the
hanyou to the castle but upon being advised that he was injured, Inu no Taisho
had consented to postpone his presentation in court till he was healed. He had
also learned of Sesshoumaru's apparent fascination with the little creature and
was determined to punish his spoilt heir by refusing to allow him the pet.
As he stared thoughtfully at the slave, Inu no Taisho was waiting for
Sesshoumaru's request or demand to have the hanyou for himself. Sesshoumaru,
however, seemed quite disinterested and did not say anything. Finally, Inu no
Taisho announced his decision.
"The hanyou will assist the palace servants. Raia!"
Raia, the head of the servants, came forward and bowed low.
"Show him his quarters in the servants' ward and inform him regarding his
duties."
Inuyasha felt a pang of despair that he couldn't entirely explain. He was very
relieved to not be kicked out but he was disappointed when Sesshoumaru said
nothing against the decision. Inuyasha had know Sesshoumaru only for a few
days- they had barely even spoken but whether it was the fact that Sesshoumaru
had rescued him, or his personal power and natural authority but Inuyasha felt
something for him that he didn't entirely understand. There was gratitude and
respect, of course but there was also something more.
Of course, he knew it was presumptuous of him to even imagine that a great Lord
such as Sesshoumaru would want to be anywhere near a dirty half-breed such as
himself, but after Sesshoumaru had claimed him as his pet, he had allowed
himself to hope. As a pet, a slave or any other way the Lord deigned to have
him near, Inuyasha would have been eternally grateful. But he supposed that
Miroku-sama was right and that even Lord Sesshoumaru could not go against the
will of his Lord father. His ears drooped. Maybe he had even forgotten all
about him and had found another, more worthwhile pet to entertain himself with.
He risked a glance upwards at the seemingly unconcerned Lord Sesshoumaru. It
was difficult to gauge from his impassive expression what exactly he was
thinking but he did not seem too be at all keen on making any sort of claim on
the hanyou. Inuyasha's eyes, which had gained a little life since the week in
the castle, slowly dulled back to their opaque state. Of course Sesshoumaru-
sama would want nothing to do with the likes of him. He probably had a whole
harem of slaves at his disposal - full demons far superior to a half-breed -
and would definitely not risk his father's displeasure over the likes of him.
He felt tears prick at his eyes but he ignored them. It served him right,
really, for letting his imagination run away with him. Shouldn't he know better
by now?
Raia gestured for him to follow and after a deep bow to the Lord of the West,
Inuyasha followed.
Inu no Taisho watched them exit the room and glanced at Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru was not even looking at the departing hanyou. Inu no Taisho
frowned. Had he been misinformed? If so, the informer was in quite a bit of
trouble. But he had to make sure.
"Sesshoumaru, do you have anything to say in the matter?"
Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly. "No, my Lord. It will be as you
command."
A light murmur went through the court at this. Word had passed rapidly that
Lord Sesshoumaru had brought home a hanyou slave. Sesshoumaru was well known
for his possessiveness. He did notshare. Ever. Anyone who had had any dealing
with him ever since he was a child had learnt this the hard way. Rumor had it
that the Lord wanted the hanyou as a personal slave and being the Lord's only
child Sesshoumaru was slightly (read completely)spoiled. He always got what he
wanted but Inu no Taisho had been quite furious at his son for disobeying his
orders and picking a fight with his allies. Granted, they had been out of line
as well, but everyone felt that this did not give Sesshoumaru to disobey the
Lord's commands. Inu no Taisho was a great leader because he was ruthless and
implacable. His authority must not be undermined in the eyes of his vassals and
underlings.
In his natural authority and dangerous aura, Sesshoumaru was quite similar to
Inu no Taisho and almost everyone felt that he would, someday, make a great
leader. But while Inu no Taisho was calm and patient, except with enemies and
those that justly aroused his anger, Sesshoumaru was a dangerous force –
volatile and unpredictable. Anyone who had anything to do with him knew that
despite his father's strict upbringing and enforcement of discipline, the young
heir, due to his own strong alpha nature, was someone who could not be entirely
controlled even by the likes of Inu no Taisho. Most looked at this in
disapproval and grudging admiration. Sesshoumaru's many enemies looked on
smugly as Sesshoumaru, for once, gracefully gave in to the Lord of the West.
===============================================================================
 
After court was over, Inu no Taisho stood staring moodily out of the window.
Sesshoumaru hadn't argued or said anything.He had been respectful and polite
and perfectly well-behaved. And that could only mean one thing.
He was up to something.
Anyone else would have assumed that Sesshoumaru had acted maturely and
reasonably but Inu no Taisho knew his son better. Sesshoumaru's mother would
love humans the day Sesshoumaru gave up without a fight.
And he hadn't been disappointed. Sesshoumaru had requested audience with him in
private. Inu no Taisho was still angry at him, but given that he had behaved
well in court at least, he at least decided to hear what his son had to say.
"Chichiue."
Inu no Taisho turned and looked at him questioningly. "You wished to speak with
me?"
"Yes," Sesshoumaru answered. "It's about the hanyou…"
Inu no Taisho smirked. Well! That was more like it.
"What about him?"
Sesshoumaru glared. "I want him."
Inu no Taisho raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you expect me to just forget about
your punishment, do you?"
Sesshoumaru kept his face blank. "What punishment?"
Inu no Taisho gave him a look. "Don't play dumb, Sesshoumaru. You know very
well what. This is your punishment. The hanyou will remain a palace slave."
He looked thoughtful.
"In fact, you know what? He is, henceforth, forbidden from even being in your
presence and you are to in no way have any contact with him."
Seeing the look on Sesshoumaru's face, Inu no Taisho enjoyed his rare victory
over his son.
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha was led to a far side of the castle. The servants' quarters were far
better than Inuyasha had expected. They were clean and well aired. The other
servants, however, were far from nice. As soon as he stepped in, he was greeted
by whispers and murmurs…
"There's the hanyou stray-"
"What was Lord Sesshoumaru thinking…"
"Now we have to put up with the little shit-"
"Probably won't be any use at all-"
Inuyasha's ears drooped and he tried to ignore the cruel words. He had endured
much worse, really. But coupled with his recent hurt regarding Sesshoumaru, it
stung none the less. Inuyasha hoped they would be less cruel than the slavers.
Raia seemed to be kind, though a little strict. She led Inuyasha to a room and
opened the door.
"This will be your room. You are to sleep here when you are done with your
duties."
Inuyasha stared in wonder. He had never had his own room before. The room was
cozy and simple. There was a comfortable looking bed in the corner, a small
dresser and a table and chair. By the bed was a window. The only problem,
thought Inuyasha was that there were no bright colors. All his life, Inuyasha
had lived outdoors and as such, was not used to dull, drab surroundings.
Granted, this room was much more comfortable than any he had had previously but
he wished for color. Inuyasha's favorite color was red.
This is already more than I could have expected, he berated himself. There was
no point in pining for more.
Raia led him back to the kitchens.
"After the Lords and Ladies have their meal, we eat our food. Meals will be
eaten at regular times so don't be late or you'll go to bed hungry."
Inuyasha nodded his head vigorously. This he understood.
"I will explain your duties to you tonight and you start work tomorrow."
Inuyasha bowed.
===============================================================================
 
 
Sesshoumaru made his way to a particular lake – the lair of a female dragon. He
needed to call in a favor.
===============================================================================
 
 
Inu no Taisho, Lord of the Western Lands, was shaken out of his pleasant stupor
by shrieks from a near hysterical female. Who dared disturb his rest?
He opened annoyed golden eyes and stared at the source of annoyance.
"What is going on here?"
A guard came running in panting as if he'd run a mile.
"Forgive me, my Lord…she's just…"
The female paid no attention to him. When Inu no Taisho looked at her properly,
he noticed that her face was streaked with tears and her dress was dirty with
mud and blood. She seemed to be in considerable distress.
"Forgive me for intruding, my Lord but the village has been attacked!"
Inu no Taisho's brows drew down in a thunderous scowl and he adjusted tessaiga
and sounga at his waist.
"What? Who dares attack my land?"
Her lower lip trembled. "A-a dragon, my Lord! From the lake."
Inu no Taisho froze. "What? Dragon?That dragon was slain! I sent Sesshoumaru
himself to do the job and of course, he succeeded! He presented its head to
me!"
The dark blue dragon in question had been a magnificent one and according to
witnesses, Sesshoumaru had slain it as easily as one would slice a piece of
fruit. (For evidence, see Inuyasha episode 34 ~_^)
The woman did not seem to be consoled.
"I don't care! Everyone from the village is in danger, my Lord! You have to do
something!"
Inu no Taisho growled. He summoned an officer. Dragons were notoriously
difficult to slay and it was a well kept secret that the Lord of the Western
Lands was not too fond of (slightly afraid of) dragons. The only one who seemed
to be a natural at it was-
"Where's Sesshoumaru?"
The man bowed. "He left the castle a while ago, my Lord."
Inu no Taisho sighed in annoyance. He would have to take care of this himself.
"Very well. We will head to the village."
The woman bowed gratefully.
===============================================================================
 
Inu no Taisho arrived at the scene. The huts had been destroyed and people were
running helter-skelter.
He proceeded alone towards the dragon's lair, deep into the dark, foreboding
forest. This was a task for him alone- he had an example to set to anyone who
challenged the authority of the Lord of the land in such a way. Also, it would
take a small army of men to slay a dragon this powerful.
There, near the lake, was the same brilliant blue dragon. Seeing the Lord, it
raised its head proudly and roared. Inu no Taisho felt a small sliver of
apprehension. He really hated dragons. How unfortunate that this happened at a
time when Sesshoumaru-
…He froze, the wheels in his head turning…
-when Sesshoumaru just happenedto be away from the castle.
Inu no Taisho gritted his teeth.
"Sesshoumaru! Come here right now!"
Sesshoumaru stepped from behind the dragon casually, as if it was the most
natural thing in the world.
"Yes, father?"
Inu no Taisho glared. "What do you think you're doing? Why is this dragon still
alive? I thought I ordered you to slay him!"
Sesshoumaru smiled. "He is slain, father. This one is a she."
Inu no Taisho looked incredulously at the giant dragon. "She? You mean…there
were a male and a female dragon in the lake?"
Sesshoumaru nodded. "And dragon babies."
Inu no Taisho's eyes widened. "Dragon babies?"
Sesshoumaru said nothing. Inu no Taisho clenched his fists.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Sesshoumaru cocked his head. "Why should I? You would have had them killed..."
Inu no Taisho sighed in exasperation. It was just his luck that his one son and
heir had to have a strange attachment to dragons.Ever since he was a child,
Sesshoumaru had never had any particular friends – followers and worshippers,
yes but no friends. He had never seemed to think anyone worthy of being
anything more than entertainment. But he had always had the slightly
frightening ability of making friends with all forms of dragons. Even the most
skilled warriors had trouble slaying a dragon – even the common one-headed
dragon. Sesshoumaru had chosen a two-headed dragon as his ride.
Inu no Taisho sighed.
"If you don't do it, you knowI will have to slay it – her."
Sesshoumaru shrugged. "You won't have to if I order her to retreat. She has
never given this village any trouble all this time, after all."
Inu no Taisho blinked. Well, that was certainly true. Why had this dragon
remained quiet all this time and then suddenly turned violent today? Then it
hit him and he felt entirely stupid.
"What did you do?"
Sesshoumaru smirked. When her mate had turned violent and begun attacking
innocent people, Sesshoumaru had obviously been the one delegated the task of
slaying the beast. When he had realized there were not one but two grown
dragons in the lake, the female had begged him to spare her babies' life in
exchange for her own. Sesshoumaru had spared them both in exchange for her word
that no harm would befall the village. She had sworn eternal loyalty to him. He
had called in the debt today.
Sesshoumaru placed a hand gently on her neck. "I want Inuyasha."
Inu no Taisho saw red. "You-! If you think you'll get away with this-"
He drew tessaiga.
Sesshoumaru seemed unconcerned. "You can kill her but she has a lot of babies.
They will grow into many strong dragons someday…terrorizing your land…"
Inu no Taisho scowled. "I'll kill them right now!"
Sesshoumaru smirked. "If you canfind them…"
Inu no Taisho's grip on tessaiga tightened. Sesshoumaru stroked her neck lazily
and she let out a contented purring sound. Inu no Taisho stared wide-eyed at
the amount of control Sesshoumaru seemed to have over the beast. The dragon was
no danger to anyone…unless Sesshoumaru ordered her to be…
And even as he was furious with his son, Inu no Taisho felt distinctly proud.
Sesshoumaru would be far stronger than him someday. The female dragon was not a
violent one and pride and ego aside, it wasn't in his nature to kill any
creature for the hell of it. Inu no Taisho would never have been a great ruler
if he was ruled by his pride.
He lowered tessaiga.
"Have any of the villagers been harmed?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head.
Inu no Taisho sighed. "All this for the hanyou?"
Sesshoumaru's face was impassive. "He does not deserve to see any more
suffering in his life."
Inu no Taisho looked deep into his son's eyes and for the first time, found a
touch of compassion there.
Well, it seemed the little hanyou had accomplished in a few days what he, Inu
no Taisho, had been trying to do for years.
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha bowed his head as much as he could, the tears gathering in his eyes
threatening to spill over. He hasn't done anything this time, he really hadn't!
"Well looks like the little shit's gonna cry!"
The speaker was a young man, maybe 18 or 19 years old, around Sesshoumaru's
age. But while Sesshoumaru, due to his intensive training as the Western Lord,
had an air of maturity and dignity about him, these young punks were
rambunctious and rough.
The entry of a hanyou child into the household was not a quiet affair. While
the disapproval and scorn of the other, older servants was more veiled and the
insults verbal, the youngsters had taken it upon themselves to see exactly what
he was all about. So, late that evening, they had cornered the slave in a
deserted back garden.
Inuyasha had tried to ignore them and remain neutral to their insults. It was
not in his nature to fight – years of life as a slave coupled with his
naturally soft nature had made him naturally submissive.
So when the young men had made him do some rather demeaning and humiliating
chores, he had done them without a fight. This was his new life, after all, and
if he antagonized them, he would have to suffer beatings and humiliation for
the rest of his stay here. He knew no one would help him if he complained – he
was an outsider while the young men were one of their own. Inuyasha felt the
tears slide down his cheeks and smiled dejectedly. He was always the outsider
and he always would be, for the rest of his life…
One of the punks, Taori, grabbed the front of his haori and lifted him off the
ground. Inuyasha kept his neck limp- a sign of submission. Furious that he did
not manage to get a rise out of the victim, Taori snarled and threw him
violently onto the floor.
"Haven't got a tongue in you, have you kid?"
Inuyasha winced. "I-I'm sorry…please…"
Taori's comrades laughed. One of the others, Sanjo leaned in close and grinned.
"You're sorry? You should be!" he sneered. "A half-breed tainting our castle
with your disgusting presence."
Inuyasha shrunk in on himself. Is this how it was everywhere? He had escaped
from the slavers for this? What was the difference then? He knew it was his
fault that he was in everyone's way, a burden on everyone but he was alive,
despite what he sometimes wished, so wouldn't they just let him make it up to
them? He hadn't refused them anything, he would obey them…what more could he
do?
Another of the group, Yuta cracked his knuckles thoughtfully. "How about I
break every bone in his body?"
Inuyasha flinched and turned away, trying to make himself as small as possible.
Yuta advanced-
===============================================================================
 
***** Inuyasha's Master *****
Chapter Notes
     Thank you to all the wonderful people who left comments and kudos!!
     ^.^
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 4 – Inuyasha's Master
"Yuta, stop."
The cold female voice made all of the boys look up from the entertainment. Raia
was coming towards them, face grim. The tall, formidable looking female with
dark blue-black eyes and flowing wavy black hair gave even the most wayward
bullies a pause. They had seen what she could do when really pushed – a few of
them still had scars to show. Yuta frowned.
"What-"
Raia cut him off.
"Lord Sesshoumaru orders Inuyasha to be brought to him."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. Yuta scowled.
"Sesshoumaru has nothing to do with him. Didn't Inu no Taisho refuse to give
him the hanyou?"
Raia raised an eyebrow. "If you have any objections, you better take it up with
Lord Sesshoumaru. Maybe you would like to tell him that he's out of line?"
Yuta fell silent. With all his arrogance, even he wasn't suicidal enough to do
that. Taori, who had been looking forward to the forthcoming excitement, didn't
appreciate their entertainment being taken away.
"What does he want with a hanyou? Is he really that desperate that he can't get
anything else?"
Inuyasha flinched at the words and this drew the others' attention to him.
Sanjo smirked. He raised a hand to strike him but it was caught but Raia. The
fluid movements and quick were those of someone who had been in as well as
broken up, many fights. Her eyes were cold.
"Lord Sesshoumaru has ordered me to bring Inuyasha to him. He will not be
pleased to know that you lot have been roughing him up."
Her grip on Sanjo's arm tightened and Sanjo looked away.
Having worked at the place for many years, Raia was experienced and respected
by everyone. Around 35 years in human terms, everyone knew that Raia was strong
and also very loyal and would not tolerate any nonsense from a bunch of punks.
Yuta, Taori and the others knew better than to get on her bad side because she
always made good her threats and they were not at all anxious to face
Sesshoumaru's ire.
Raia looked at the hanyou on the floor. "Come with me, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha stood up quickly and followed her. Yuta stepped in his way, sneering.
"You may be Sesshoumaru's golden boy for now, dip shit, but once he bores of
you, you're gonna pay." He leered at Inuyasha who drew back a little. "You
don't belong with some fancy Lord, hanyou, you belong with us –beneath us."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. He knew it was true, of course. Hedidn't belong with a
great Lord such as Sesshoumaru. He didn't deserve to be even near him. Lord
Sesshoumaru would tire of him soon and then, he would be back here – if the
Lord didn't kick him out of the castle.
"Inuyasha," Raia called, without turning around. Yuta moved out of the way and
Inuyasha followed her, glancing back fearfully at the laughing boys.
 
===============================================================================
 
"Umm….where exactly are we going?" Inuyasha asked in a small voice. Raia didn't
look at him.
"Lord Sesshoumaru has ordered for you to be cleaned up and placed in his
rooms."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "In his rooms?"
Raia felt a small smile twitch on her lips. "Yes. But first, we need to have
you bathed."
She led him to a small bathing area where some sour faced servant girls were
waiting. Raia gave them a warning look. "If Inuyasha gets hurt in anyway while
in your care, you all will answer to Lord Sesshoumaru."
The girls bowed to her and Raia left. As soon as she was gone, the servants
turned to Inuyasha, looks of disgust on their faces.
"I can't believe I have to touch a hanyou. Oooooh, I'll have to bathe at least
thrice to get clean."
Inuyasha's ears flattened and he bowed his head.
"Ugh! What does Lord Sesshoumaru want with such a pathetic thing?"
Inuyasha shut his eyes tightly. "Ummm…please, I will bathe by myself. You don't
have to-"
One of the girls struck him harshly across the mouth. "Be quiet, runt!" she
hissed. "You want Lord Sesshoumaru to punish us, don't you?"
Inuyasha shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes. "No! I-"
The girls clucked their tongues impatiently. "We don't have all day, you brat!
Hurry up and undress so we can get this over with…"
 
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha looked nervously around and tried not to fidget in his new clothes.
He had been given a very thorough bath. The girls were rough and his skin was
raw and his ears were hurt from their hard scrubbing. His hair had been washed
and brushed carefully so that it looked clean and rather shiny but his scalp
was hurting because of the rough way in which they had brushed his thoroughly
entangled hair. Then thy had dressed him in these clothes that he felt were a
little too big for him. The red haori's sleeves were longer than his arms. He
was sure he looked ridiculous.
Then they had taken him to Raia who had led him to this room. Before entering
the room, he had been blindfolded and placed on something soft, his wrists tied
together in front of him and Raia had ordered him to remain in the kneeling
position and not to move or try to get up. He must wait patiently for Lord
Sesshoumaru to come to him when he felt like it.
Inuyasha was not used to these confining clothes or even to being still for
this long. The thing that he was kneeling on was soft so it was not painful or
uncomfortable but having worked all his life, staying still like this was
driving him nuts. Since he had no work to keep him occupied, melancholy
thoughts filled his head.
Did the demon Lord think that a bath and grooming would improve his ugly looks?
Surely, once Lord Sesshoumaru saw him here like this, he would be disappointed
and angry because, he, Inuyasha, did not look good at all. On the contrary, he
looked quite hideous and dirty. He did not know how to behave in front of such
extremely powerful people. He tried to be as courteous as possible, of course
but surely that was not enough. He had no talents and no skills and worst of
all, he was a half-demon. Didn't Lord Sesshoumaru know that his chambers were
being tainted by him?
He felt tears gathering in his eyes again and he rebuked himself for crying
over something so silly – of course Lord Sesshoumaru, Prince of the Western
Lands would not want a slave such as himself. What was there to be disappointed
about? That was life – it always was and always would be.
Inuyasha grew more miserable by the minute. He wished Lord Sesshoumaru would
come quickly and get it over with. If he was going to face rejection, he would
rather it happened fast. It was less painful than waiting here like this. Then
he collected himself. But it was not up to him to decide that. Lord Sesshoumaru
probably had better things to do than see him. It was the Prince's right to
keep him here like this as long as it pleased him and if it pleased the Lord to
keep a slave waiting, it was not Inuyasha's place to question him.
Then, Inuyasha heard the door open and felt Sesshoumaru's powerful aura come
closer. He whimpered.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sesshoumaru was in a very good mood. He had given orders to have Inuyasha
brought to his room. No doubt, the servants would wonder at this, considering
Inu no Taisho's decision but they knew better than to question him. Sesshoumaru
could hardly get through the day's work, so impatient was he to see his new
toy.
So, when he finally entered his rooms to find Inuyasha kneeling before him –
blindfolded and whimpering, he was pleased, to say the least. Leisurely, he
entered his chambers and went about his routine, completely ignoring the
hanyou.
Feeling the powerful demon nearby, Inuyasha began to squirm. He couldn't see so
there was no way of knowing whether Lord Sesshoumaru was angry or disgusted or
what. What was he planning to do with him? Would he throw him out right away?
Would he beat him?
"Inuyasha,"
Inuyasha was startled on hearing the deep, velvety voice very close.
"M-my Lord…"
One hand softly caressed his ears and all of a sudden, Inuyasha felt very warm.
"Do you know where you are, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha turned his head towards the hand and the source of the voice. "I-In-
in your chambers, sire?"
Sesshoumaru was amused. Then the blindfold was gone and Inuyasha slowly blinked
his eyes, trying to gain focus in the semi-lit room. Then he gasped.
Surely this humongous place could not be called a room?
It was huge; big enough to fit an entire house in it. Inuyasha had never, in
his wildest dreams, imagined a place like this. Everything in the room was
huge: There was a vast bed in one corner of the room, situated hear a tall
window reaching nearly upto the very high ceiling but Inuyasha could not see it
properly because he was kneeling and the bed was a bit high; there was a big
wardrobe and a big mirror framed with magnificently carved silver; on the floor
was thick, soft carpet; on the opposite side, the floor was at a slightly lower
level – here, in front of a roaring fire, there were two massive armchairs and
a couch; an elegantly designed table in the centre of the arrangement held a
bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.
Inuyasha's stared, hardly daring to blink. Dark, deep colors were dominant in
the room – the carpet was ochre yellow with beautiful designs; the armchairs
and the couch were a deep wine-red and the table was of some kind of a dark
wood. The whole atmosphere in the room was of quiet elegance and luxury. The
colors balanced each other out well and the whole picture was one of beauty and
calm. There was nothing flashy or showy –everything here was undoubtedly
priceless but it was all in impeccable taste. It seemed somehow fitting to
Inuyasha that the dangerous, powerful prince should have a room like this – one
that exuded a quiet kind of power.
Sesshoumaru smirked on seeing the wide eyed look of wonder on Inuyasha's face.
"You will henceforth be staying here, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha's head snapped to him in surprise. "Here?"
Sesshoumaru gestured towards the thing he was kneeling in. Inuyasha looked up
and around him. He was kneeling in a big, soft round…bed? No, it was more like
a basket – a basket with a soft mattress and silk sheets. He looked up and saw
a light woven arch going from one side to the other. His eyes widened. It was a
puppy basket!
Sesshoumaru smiled inwardly at the look on his face. Kneeling, Inuyasha barely
reached up to the demon Lord's knees. The Prince reached down and tilted
Inuyasha's chin with two clawed fingers to look up at him. Inuyasha was
mesmerized by the light golden eyes radiating such power.
"I told you you're my little puppy, Inuyasha. Puppies stay in their Master's
room."
Inuyasha blushed and looked away.
"T-thank you, Master," he said shyly.
"Hmm." Sesshoumaru stared intently at the joyful, timid pup. Inuyasha blushed
all the more under the demon Lord's scrutiny.
Before Inuyasha could say anything, Sesshoumaru lifted him lightly by the back
of his haori, much as how one would lift a little puppy and walked over to one
of the big armchairs by the fire. Inuyasha shivered pleasantly at the heat
provided by the fire – but also due to something else.
Sesshoumaru sat down into the armchair and gently dropped Inuyasha on the rich,
plush rug near his feet. Inuyasha looked up at him with wide eyes and tilted
his head to the side in a puppyish manner. Sesshoumaru was charmed. The puppy
looked delectable in the oversized haori and baggy hakama. The tiny hanyou
dwarfed in comparison to everything in the room and Sesshoumaru found that he
liked the effect. He let a small smile grace his lips as he looked down at the
adorable little hanyou.
"Tell me about your day, Inuyasha. Was it good?"
Inuyasha gasped. The Lord of the Castle was asking him how his day was? Why
would he be interested? Then he remembered the incident with Taori and the
other bullies and the servant girls and his ears drooped. He had to remember
this was all temporary – Lord Sesshoumaru would get tired of him soon and then
he would be back with them. He could not allow himself to get used to this.
"Yes, my Lord."
But Sesshoumaru had seen the sad look in the hanyou's eyes.
"Do not lie."
Inuyasha jumped at the cold command and bowed quickly, forehead touching
Sesshoumaru's boots. He had not even realized when the Lord had freed his
hands.
"I-I beg your forgiveness, Master...I just-"
"Look up, puppy."
Inuyasha looked up cautiously. Sesshoumaru did not seem that angry.
"What happened?" One long clawed finger traced the light bruise on his left
cheek where the servant girl had struck him.
Inuyasha whimpered. He didn't want to name them because they would doubtlessly
be given a light warning or reprimand and when Lord Sesshoumaru sent him back,
they would have their revenge.
Sesshoumaru frowned at Inuyasha's hesitancy.
"I promise they will not hurt you again, little one. Tell me what happened."
Inuyasha could not disobey the Prince. He stared at the intricately patterned
rug.
"Some of the servant girls…they- one of them hit me."
He felt Sesshoumaru's aura spike with anger and he hastened to explain.
"I-it was really my fault, my Lord. You see, they were full demons and they
were angry at having a half-demon amongst them s-so they- they were just
angry…"
Sesshoumaru was moved by this hanyou's attempt to defend his tormentors. Did
the child really believe he deserved such treatment?
"Do you think they were justified in beating you, puppy?"
Inuyasha's ears flickered at the nickname. He really liked it. He chewed his
lip as he tried to answer.
"I-I didn't enjoy it but they- they're older and superior to me…I mean I didn't
mean to but they felt I had to be punished so-"
Sesshoumaru growled and in one swift movement, Inuyasha was sitting in his lap,
Sesshoumaru's arm wound possessively around his waist.
"Let me make this clear to you, hanyou." Inuyasha winced at the word.
Sesshoumaru's grip tightened.
"I am your Master, puppy, and therefore only Iam allowed to punish you – not
the servants, not Raia, not even Inu no Taisho."
Inuyasha gasped. Not even Lord Inu no Taisho?
Sesshoumaru looked quite angry. "Those servants will pay. I am your onlyMaster,
Inuyasha; you will obey only me and those whom I order you to obey. No one else
has any right to lay a hand on you."
He pulled Inuyasha closer and Inuyasha blushed at the proximity and
Sesshoumaru's comforting, possessive words. Dare he believe them? He began
squirming. Sesshoumaru stilled him forcefully.
"You are myhanyou. I am can call you whatever I want but if anyone else insults
you in any way, you will tell me and I will deal with them. Do you understand?"
Inuyasha nodded and blushed. "I am really yours, My Lord?"
Sesshoumaru seemed satisfied. "Yes, only mine."
Impulsively, Inuyasha threw his small arms around the demon Lord, eyes shut
tightly. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened briefly and then he returned the embrace,
crushing the small hanyou to himself. Why did it feel so right?
"Mmm. You have had a long day. Go to sleep, puppy."
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he tried to pull back but Sesshoumaru did not
release him. Would the demon Lord really allow him to sleep in his lap? One
hand caressed the top of his head lightly, smoothing back the downy ears.
Inuyasha sighed happily as he felt drowsy. He really was very tired.
Sesshoumaru looked at the little hanyou in his arms and felt an unusually
strong urge to protect and possess him – hold him tight and never let him go.
Then the puppy yawned cutely and snuggled into his chest.
"Yes, Master," Inuyasha murmured sleepily, almost asleep.
Sesshoumaru held him close, staring into the warm, cheerful fire.
Inuyasha may be hesitant to tell him the whole truth but he was well aware of
most demons' attitude towards half-breeds: they were considered dirty, low and
a pain. He knew because he had shared this opinion till he saw Inuyasha – the
innocent, guileless pup sleeping so trustingly in his lap. He could not
understand how anyone could bear to hurt the tiny puppy-like hanyou – even he,
whose ruthlessness and heartlessness were legendary, was moved.
Sesshoumaru knew his father held compassion for all creatures but from his
mother and various other demons, Sesshoumaru had come to despise all half-
breeds and humans. And he also knew how hard Inu no Taisho had tried to enforce
discipline and kindness towards weaker creatures in the palace. But people
were, after all, people and no matter how much he wished, Inu no Taisho had
other matters to deal with and could not devote time and attention to every
individual complaint. As a result, in the servant's quarters and with the rest
of the staff, the rule of the jungle existed. Those who were of one mind
overruled those who were any different. Weaker creatures like hanyou inevitably
suffered. Therefore, for the sake of the half-breed as much as the demons, Inu
no Taisho refrained from employing any human or hanyou servants at the palace;
it would be nearly impossible to keep anyone from harming them.
Sesshoumaru frowned. If Inuyasha was to stay in the palace, he would have to
make sure that Inuyasha was safe. Even knowing that it was to be expected,
Sesshoumaru was still furious. How dare anyone, least of all servants, dare go
against his orders and harm what was his? Inu no Taisho had once said that
despite anyone's best efforts, till the change came from within, it was nigh on
impossible to make everyone treat a hanyou well.
But Lord Sesshoumaru was not just anyone;there was a reason why he was so
feared and respected. Inuyasha was hisand the servants would have to be taught
a lesson in humility.
Sesshoumaru lifted the sleeping hanyou in his arms and laid him gently into the
puppy-basket. Then he soundlessly left the room and went to his study. There,
he summoned Raia.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     A/N: Wouldn't we all like to own a little Inuyasha-puppy? =^.^=
***** A Demon Lord's Wrath *****
 
 
Chapter 5 – A Demon Lord's Wrath
Yuta, Taori and the others were longing around as usual, doing no work. Their
parents had many a times tried to get them to do some useful work but they had
refused saying they were meant for bigger and better things than being
servants. Like minded boys of the same age had banded together to form a small
gang; they had dreams of making it big someday so why waste time on something
as tiresome and demeaning as work?
Yuta was lying on an old, worn-out couch at their usual den, feet propped up on
the back of a chair. Taori stood facing the window and the others were
scattered around the room, thinking up mischief for the day.
The door to the den opened and Taori turned, frowning. Not many would dare come
to this place uninvited.
It was Raia. They all looked at her questioningly.
"Lord Sesshoumaru summons you," she told them.
Yuta uncrossed his legs and straightened up, frowning. "What? Why?"
Raia kept her face carefully neutral. "It has something to do with the hanyou.
Yuta gave her a disbelieving look, a sneer twisting his features. "The brat
ratted us out?"
Raia looked at him in amusement. "No, not him."
Yuta frowned. "But then who-?"
Raia looked at him steadily and Yuta snarled furiously. "You!"
Raia was unperturbed. "Yes."
Taori spit out the blade of grass he was chewing on. "What's this all about?
Why would you snitch on us?"
Raia raised an eyebrow. "Lord Sesshoumaru demanded to know. Would you dare lie
to the son of the Western Lord?"
All of them fell silent. It was true; they wouldn't. The Prince of the Western
Lands was not known for his patience – or his gentle methods.
Raia turned away. "You better not keep him waiting."
Yuta sighed and got to his feet, trying not to show his apprehension. "Alright
let's get this over with."
 
===============================================================================
 
"Inuyasha."
The low, deep voice woke Inuyasha out of his slumber.
He slowly opened his eyes and blinked. He took a moment to remember where he
was. When he did, he couldn't believe it. Lord Sesshoumaru had not kicked him
out! Instead, he had given him a bed- well, a basket – of his own. Surely that
meant that he was planning to keep him, at least for some time!
He sat up and yawned cutely, turning wide, sleep-dazed eyes on the Lord who was
sitting in an armchair. Sesshoumaru kept his face impassive but he was charmed.
Damn but the brat was adorable when he woke up!
Inuyasha's basket was placed near the foot of Sesshoumaru's bed and the
armchairs and the fireplace were on the other end of the room, so Inuyasha
turned quickly towards the Lord and bowed. He looked curiously at the servant
standing behind Sesshoumaru who was carrying something on a platter.
Sesshoumaru beckoned Inuyasha closer and glanced at the servant. She placed the
platter on a low table near the lord. Inuyasha looked at it - it was a
beautiful black collar with silver work – some characters in kanji that he
couldn't read. Inuyasha cautiously approached him and Sesshoumaru pulled him
into his lap. Inuyasha's eeped.
Moving Inuyasha's long white hair over one shoulder, Sesshoumaru placed the
collar around Inuyasha's neck. Inuyasha shivered as his fingers came in contact
with the skin on his neck. The demon Lord did not fail to notice the reaction.
Inuyasha looked at the collar and then at him, eyes wide.
"This collar marks you as my property, puppy."
Inuyasha gasped. Did the demon Lord really want to show everyone that he owned
a half-breed pet?
Inuyasha touched it gingerly and then moved his neck experimentally. The collar
was thick and heavy and the silver cool to the touch but it was not
uncomfortable – it was obviously made from some very high quality material. It
covered his neck and throat and Inuyasha found the weight comforting.
"Thank you, Master," he whispered blushing.
Sesshoumaru pulled the hanyou's hair back in place once more, one hand
lingering to caress his lower back. Inuyasha once more blushed at the contact.
"You are not to remove that, Inuyasha. If you do, you will be punished."
Inuyasha nodded vigorously. He had no intention of ever taking it off.
Sesshoumaru let him off his lap and got to his feet.
"For now, you are coming with me."
He turned and walked away. Inuyasha followed quickly.
 
===============================================================================
 
Yuta, Taori and the other bullies entered the large room. It was tastefully
furnished giving a clear message of the wealth and power of the owner. But
there was only one throne-like chair in the room. There were no other seats or
chairs.
This was the room where complaints of subjects were addressed if the matter
concerned a large number of people. Raia gestured for them to wait in one
corner with a bunch of servant girls. The room was very crowded – it seemed the
entire castle's servants had been gathered there-
===============================================================================
In a different part of the castle, the Lord of the West, Inu no Taisho was
irritated. Why weren't there any servants around? Had they all decided to slack
off all at once? He gritted his teeth. Had discipline in the castle really gone
so lax?
Frustrated, he called Raia.
"Where are all the servants?" he demanded.
Raia bowed. "Lord Sesshoumaru has summoned them to the Hall, my Lord."
Inu no Taisho frowned. Sesshoumaru?
"All of them?" he asked, rather incredulously.
Raia nodded. "Yes, my Lord."
"Do you know why?"
Raia averted his eyes. "I…believe it has something to do with the hanyou…"
Inu no Taisho turned towards the direction of the Hall. He had to find out what
his son and heir was up to this time…
 
===============================================================================
 
The guards announced the arrival of the heir of the Western Lands and everyone
bowed low, anxiety knotting in their stomach, glancing surreptitiously at the
demon Lord's face, trying to gauge his mood.
Face expressionless, Sesshoumaru did not glance at them but made their way to
the throne like chair at the head of the room and sat down.
But to the shock of all the occupants of the room, a tiny hanyou hurried after
the Lord and stood next to the chair. Sesshoumaru glanced on the floor near his
feet and Inuyasha sat down happily. Ignoring everyone gathered, Sesshoumaru
looked at the hanyou intently and laid a hand over his head, playing lightly
with his ears. Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.
All the inhabitants of the room fidgeted uneasily at the display of affection
to the worthless hanyou. The Lord was so far disregarding their presence
completely. There was a collar on the hanyou's neck with Lord Sesshoumaru's
insignia. Was he more than just a distraction? Had the demon Lord really
claimed him?
Yuta exchanged looks with Taori, both thinking the same thing. The fierce Lord
had gone soft…showing such affection to a lowly hanyou? Such a shameful display
for the son of Inu no Taisho. Taori wrinkled his nose discreetly and smirked,
glancing at Inuyasha and then Yuta. Yuta returned the smirk.
Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped up and locked with Taori's. Taori's heart stuttered
at being on the receiving end of the notorious Sesshoumaru death-glare.
"You. Come here."
Glancing subtly on either side to confirm that the Lord was indeed talking to
him, he stepped forward hesitantly but defiantly.
"My Lord?"
Sesshoumaru stared at him languidly. "Is something amusing?"
Taori swallowed nervously. "N-no, my Lord…"
Sesshoumaru was looking at him quite calmly. "Perhaps there is something you
wish to say?"
Taori could not help but glance at Inuyasha but he didn't say anything.
"Yes? Is it about Inuyasha?"
Sesshoumaru's amiable and encouraging tone gave him courage. "It- it is just
that…the hanyou, milord…will he be returning with us?"
Sesshoumaru tilted his head slightly. "With you?"
Taori once again eyed him nervously. "He is a servant of the palace, isn't he
milord? At least Lord Inu no Taisho said-"
Before he could blink, Sesshoumaru had him raised by the throat. Several of the
room's inhabitants cried out and stepped back involuntarily.
"Yes?" he asked Taori softly. "What did he say?"
Taori choked, trying to splutter something. Sesshoumaru squeezed his neck
tighter. Negligently holding him by the throat, he let his gaze sweep over the
other occupants of the room. Yuta had turned pale and some of the servant girls
were shivering. Turning his attention back to the struggling demon in his
grasp, Sesshoumaru released him abruptly. Taori fell to the floor in an
ungainly heap and took in urgent gulps of air. Sesshoumaru looked down at him
disdainfully.
"What were you saying, filth? After the way you treated Inuyasha, you have the
nerve to ask if he will be sent with you to suffer more abuse at you hands?"
Taori groaned but said nothing, glaring in hatred at the demon Lord. Young and
rowdy, he, like everyone else, had heard the tales of the young Western Lord –
his fierceness and short temper and how he suffered no disobedience. Privately,
he had always thought they were a bit exaggerated.
"M-my Lord, we didn't know…tha-that the hanyou…that is you-"
"Did not know? You did not know that Lord Inu no Taisho does not tolerate
despicable bullying and cruelty in his castle? Or did you think you could get
away with it?"
Taori frowned. "W-We did not mean any harm, my Lord. We were just playin'
around…"
Sesshoumaru stared at him steadily. "What were you planning to do? Rough him up
and claim that he got into a fight?"
Taori looked away. That was a bit too close to the truth.
Sesshoumaru looked up to glare at the servant girls. "And you. I give you a
simple task and you see it as an opportunity to mistreatment him. Just who do
you think you are?"
The girls huddled closer together and flinched.
Sesshoumaru's voice was deadly. "You think you verminare so far above a half-
breed but really, you are nothing.Lord Inu no Taisho, as your Lord and Master,
commands absolute obedience and if any of you, in your conceit think you can
get away with such behavior, you are greatly mistaken.
He let his gaze sweep over the room. "If any of you here wish to challenge the
Western Lord's rule, speak up now!"
Everyone was silent. Sesshoumaru waited.
"Are you so cowardly that you need to intimidate a child to feel worthy?"
A deathly, foreboding chill settled as Sesshoumaru's cold, furious aura
permeated the room. Some of the weaker demons felt faint.
In the demon society, stronger demons dominating over weaker ones was the
natural way – the more powerful demons claimed the superior position in any
relationship and looked after the weaker ones; the weaker demons, in turn,
showed respect and obedience towards those stronger than them – it was the way
the hierarchy functioned. As a half-breed, Inuyasha had to pay obeisance to all
demons but the demons had no right to ill-treat him so. It sickened the demon
Lord that these servantsthought they had the right to treat him as they liked.
It took a special level of spinelessness to be cruel to a child.
"Is there anyone here who dares challenge me honorably?"
No one said a word. Of course they would not dare challenge him; no one was
idiotic enough to think themselves equal to the Lord's strength. Even without
years of grueling training as a warrior, Lord Sesshoumaru's raw, demon energy
was enough to frighten the daylights out of them.
They exchanged furtive looks. They could not figure out why he was being so
protective of the half-breed.
As a pureblood royalty and the heir of the Lord of the West, Sesshoumaru was
above everyone in the demon hierarchy and as such, it was inconceivable for
everyone else to imagine how such a powerful Lord sought to associate with a
half-breed child. In their minds, they equated the status and strength of the
slaves with the power of the owner – if the slave was strong, it reflected on
the strength of the Master at being able to subdue him. So, only the weakest
demons would accept a half-breed slave – everyone knew that hanyou were little
better than humans.
Sesshoumaru looked at them disdainfully. "Consider this a warning." His icy
voice was deadly. "If I hear a single word against Inuyasha, if anyonedares
even whisper an affront to him-"
His hand glowed a poisonous green and the servants once again recoiled.
"-I will tear your tongues out." The room had gone deathly quiet, the servants
hardly daring to breathe.
Sesshoumaru turned away.
"Now get out- all of you!"
The servants jumped at the command, scurrying towards the door. Yuta went over
to Taori to help him up.
"You alright, man?" he murmured.
Taori winced, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, kinda." Taori's pride was stinging from
being humiliated in front of everyone. Moving close to Yuta, he whispered low.
"Who would have thought the dirty half-breed would be so damn much trouble?"
And before he could blink, the doors of the hall slammed shut and Taori was
back in Sesshoumaru's grasp, tongue held securely between a clawed thumb and
forefinger.
"I warned you," Sesshoumaru said softly, a slight smile gracing his lips.
Then Taori's screams echoed in the Hall and Sesshoumaru released him, allowing
him to crumple onto the floor, his tongue held delicately between his claws.
The other servants gasped and a few of them screamed. The demon Lord had
literally ripped his tongue out.
A few of them swallowed uneasily, glancing at the hanyou sitting silently on
the floor near Sesshoumaru's chair. Would he really go to such lengths for the
sake of a half-breed? But no one was brave enough to voice the thought.
Sesshoumaru looked calmly at the servants, holding up the severed appendage.
"It seems you imbeciles do not understand unless taught a lesson." He
carelessly threw the tongue on the floor. "Next time, death will be the
outcome."
The doors creaked open slowly and glancing nervously at the demon Lord, the
servants silently filed put. The last ones in the room were the servant girls
who had bathed Inuyasha and Taori and his friends. Taori was still on the
floor, a hand across his mouth. Eyes wide, he was in shock. Lord Sesshoumaru
had really made good on his threat. The demon Lord had definitely not gone
soft.
"You."
They all froze, turning slowly towards the Lord.
"You all are henceforth banished from the palace. You will join the
construction laborers building the Southern castle."
The servants gasped in despair. The Southern castle was being constructed on
the other side of the kingdom. As construction workers, they would be required
to work in the hot sun, doing hard manual labor. A palace servant's life was
comparatively easy and paid much better.
All of them, except Taori and Yuta, fell on their knees glancing up pleadingly
at the Lord. "P-please forgive us, milord, it will not happen again…"
Sesshoumaru glanced down at them coolly. "Yes. It will not. Now leave before I
reconsider not killing you here and now."
They got to their feet quickly and scuttled away. Yuta led a groaning Taori
slowly towards the door, glancing in hatred at Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Did this brat have the insolence to meet his
eyes so disrespectfully? "Do you have something to say, boy?"
Yuta gritted his teeth at being addressed as boy. Surely the demon Lord could
not be that much older than him!
"N-no, my Lord."
"Hmm…be careful, then." The demon Lord's eyes burned into the servant's willing
him to look away. Yuta sweated, trying to maintain the eye-contact.
"Impertinence will not be tolerated. Or do you wish to suffer the same fate as
your friend?" Yuta swallowed nervously and looked down unable to withstand the
power in his eyes much longer.
"No, milord," he murmured defeatedly, head bowed.
 
===============================================================================
 
Inu no Taisho watched the scene play out from his hiding place with a small
smile on his face. Yes, Sesshoumaru would surely be a great ruler some day. His
son already knew how to establish his command – not everyone could be made to
understand with simple explanations and requests and it was a king's job to
keep his subjects under control. Fear was a powerful motivation to keep cowards
in line.
Without alerting his son to his presence, he returned to his chambers.
Inuyasha had so far remained silent through the whole scene. But now that it
was only him and Sesshoumaru in the room, he felt the tears gather in his eyes.
The demon Lord had done all this for him? He was used to facing abuse and
mistreatment; he took it as a part of life as a hanyou. He had always thought
that was the way of the world – the strong dominated over the weak; half-breeds
had to submit to whatever treatment a demon gave them – it was not his place to
question or complain. He should be grateful to even be allowed to live – at
least that is what he had always been told.
Was Sesshoumaru really going to protect him from everyone? Of course, he knew
that the Lord was powerful enough to do so but he had never thought he would be
so concerned over a slave, a pet. After all, weren't slaves only there to
please their masters? Why was Sesshoumaru being so…nice?He, Inuyasha, did not
deserve this. The Prince had already saved his life and given him a home. There
was no way he would be able to pay off his debt.
"Inuyasha, come."
He glanced up hurriedly at the Lord who was leaving the room and hastened to
follow.
Once back in his chambers, Sesshoumaru could not understand why the little
hanyou was so downcast and miserable.
"What is the matter, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha jumped at the smooth, deep voice.
He was sitting at his usual place by Sesshoumaru's feet near the armchair.
Sesshoumaru was reading some papers and would occasionally pet his head or play
with his ears. Right now, however, Inuyasha's ears lay flat on his head and as
the demon Lord failed to say anything, Inuyasha had grown more miserable by the
minute, till the Lord's voice shook him out of his reverie.
"N-nothing, my Lord."
Sesshoumaru glanced at him casually. "I have warned you to not lie to me, pup."
Inuyasha blushed at being caught and looked down. "I-it is really nothing,
Master," he assured him. He did not want to worry the demon Lord with his petty
concerns.
Sesshoumaru tilted the hanyou's chin up to meet his eyes. "Something is
troubling you. What is it?"
Looking into the demon Lord's intense eyes, Inuyasha could not deny it anymore.
"I-I just…with those servants today…wh-why did you…defend me?" he swallowed
nervously. He did not really have the courage to question him.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Why? What do you mean why?"
Inuyasha fidgeted. "Y-you didn't have to, Master…I-I already belong to you and-
and I am a mere slave so-"
Sesshoumaru smirked. So thiswas what it was all about. He felt like tormenting
the hanyou a little by making him say it out loud.
"So?"
Inuyasha looked down dejectedly. "You have…already done too much for me,
Master," he said softly. "As long as I live, I will never be able to repay
you…"
Sesshoumaru was amused. Repay him? The little hanyou thought he could repay
him?
Suddenly, Inuyasha was picked up and plopped down into the demon Lord's lap,
Sesshoumaru holding his chin firmly in his hand, staring mischievously into the
scared half-demon's eyes.
"Who says I want you to repay me, hanyou?"
Inuyasha gasped and his eyes snapped up.
"Slaves have to remain in service of their Masters till they discharge their
debts. Maybe I want you as my slave forever, having to do as I command you…"
Inuyasha blushed, squirming as the dominating words stirred something in his
lower belly. His heart beat faster.
Sesshoumaru's hand on his back wandered lower and grabbed his firm little ass.
Inuyasha jumped at the sensation of having the Lord's strong fingers near his
crack, not understanding why it felt so pleasurable.
"Do you want to be free of me, half-breed?" the demon Lord whispered hotly in
his ear, crushing Inuyasha's small body into his chest.
Inuyasha shook his head, mind reeling from the foreign sensations in his body,
his as yet innocent mind not recognizing the feeling as arousal.
Sesshoumaru slipped his haori off his shoulder, leaning in to place small nips
on his neck. Inuyasha cried out and tried to push him away.
"M-my Lord, please…I-I'm dirty…"
Sesshoumaru nipped him a little harder and captured his thin little wrists in
one large, clawed hand. "Mmm…perhaps I like you dirty…"
Inuyasha squirmed even more, seeking some form of contact on his nether regions
unconsciously grinding onto the demon Lord's leg. Sesshoumaru growled, pleased
at his pet's innocence.
He grabbed a fistful of his hair and tilted his head back in forced submission,
not that the tasty little hanyou wasn't entirely submissive already.
Soft lips and deadly fangs grazed down his exposed and vulnerable neck and
Inuyasha shuddered, helpless and immobile in the predatory demon Lord's grasp.
"You are mine to do with as I please, hanyou…perhaps it is time you learn
that…"
 
===============================================================================
 
 
***** Puppies Don't Like Thunderstorms *****
Chapter Notes
     Glossary:
     Oyasumi nasai – Good night (a very good night to you!)
     Gomen nasai – I am very sorry.
     Warnings: This chapter will contain some yaoi, shota
 
Chapter 6 – Puppies Don't Like Thunderstorms
Inuyasha moaned as Sesshoumaru held him tightly, an iron arm holding him in
place because otherwise, with all these overpowering sensations, Inuyasha would
have surely fallen off his lap. One large hand slid inside his hakama to fondle
his ass, not penetrating but the direct contact made Inuyasha hotter than ever.
His tiny cock became hard and began to leak precum. Sesshoumaru had released
his wrists in favor of holding him in place but when the hanyou tried to
relieve some of the ache with his hands, Sesshoumaru pinned them to his side.
"Do not touch yourself," he whispered.
Chastised, Inuyasha allowed himself to go entirely limp in the demon Lord's
grasp. He tilted his back, demonstrating his submission but Sesshoumaru grabbed
him by the back of the neck and brought the hanyou's face close to his own.
Inuyasha stared at him wide eyed, eyes like the midday sun looking at him
intently; looking into his soul…Inuyasha closed his eyes.
When Sesshoumaru didn't do anything further, Inuyasha carefully opened his eyes
and tried to squirm. Looking amused, the demon Lord forced him to remain still.
The hanyou was perfect – helpless and aroused in his grasped, forced to suffer
whatever attention he deigned to bestow. The lack of any contact was too much
for Inuyasha in his aroused state. He threw his head back as much as he could
with his neck in the demon Lord's grasp, back arching. Tears gathered in his
eyes from the intense pleasure.
"M-master, please!" he sobbed, not really sure what exactly he was begging for.
Sesshoumaru chuckled darkly and lowered his head onto his chest. Inuyasha tried
to look down but Sesshoumaru's hand on his neck made the movement impossible.
Then Inuyasha gasped as Sesshoumaru's fang pieced his hard, sensitive nipple.
He whimpered softly. Why did his belly feel so weird?
The demon Lord pulled back, taking in the adorable picture that his little
puppy made.
"Inuyasha…" he murmured and the hanyou shuddered on hearing his name in that
deep, dark voice.
A clawed hand once again fisted in the hanyou's hair, jerking his head up,
forcing him to meet the Lord's eyes. Inuyasha stared into them mesmerized.
"Cum now!" the prince commanded and to his surprise, Inuyasha felt something
tighten in his lower belly, his body bowing forward for a moment and then
arching back as he released with a cry, vision going dark at the strength of
his orgasm.
Sesshoumaru stroked his back softly, holding the trembling hanyou close. He had
made the pet have his first orgasm without even touching his dick. He smirked.
Little Inuyasha really was a very obedient puppy.
 
===============================================================================
 
When Sesshoumaru returned to his chambers that night, all his good mood had
evaporated.
After laying the sleeping hanyou in his basket, he had to attend a meeting with
his father and his advisors. They had requested to meet with the Lords
urgently.
Those idiots! This was why he forbade them to do anything without his or Inu no
Taisho's express permission; they had absolutely no brains to realize just what
consequences their actions would cause. This time, even his father had agreed
that his advisors were morons. Now it would take him days to sort out this mess
that they had made. Satisfying as it had been to see his father give them a
good firing, it wouldn't make the task to come any less tedious.
Furious, he stormed into his rooms, sending the humongous doors crashing like
tinfoil into the walls. Inuyasha jumped and looked up at the thunderous crash
as Lord Sesshoumaru swept in looking murderous. Inuyasha looked up at him
carefully. What had made him so mad?
Sesshoumaru was too busy cursing the incompetent advisors to notice Inuyasha.
He needed to blow off some steam. He needed to fight. But the difficulty was in
finding himself a suitable sparing partner who would be able to put up at least
a passable resistance before dying. After all, it rather defeated the purpose
of sparring if one's opponent was dead in the first few seconds. There was no
satisfaction. No one was foolish enough to engage the young Lord when he was in
such a mood. The only one who could match him was his father but Inu no Taisho
was currently busy sorting out those fools' mess. He had sent Sesshoumaru away
in fear of his advisors' lives.
Feeling like punching something, Sesshoumaru snarled in irritation when a small
noise pulled him out of his musings. He looked down to see a frightened little
hanyou staring up at him in fear. He was afraid the Lord was going to take his
anger out on him. Sesshoumaru's eyes softened a little and Inuyasha gained
courage. Boldly grabbing his hand, he dragged the demon Lord over in his
favorite armchair by the fire. Sesshoumaru sat down and looked questioningly at
Inuyasha, momentarily forgetting his annoyance.
Inuyasha walked around the chair and sat down on the rug in front of him.
Watching him carefully, Inuyasha took Sesshoumaru's one foot in his hand and
gently removed the boot and placed it to the side. Then he did the same with
the other. Sesshoumaru was watching him curiously. Inuyasha took one bare foot
in his hands and placed it in his lap. Then he began to massage it slowly with
his small, soft hands. Sesshoumaru looked at him, amused. The little hanyou was
planning to give him a foot massage.
Seeing that the Lord was not angry at his audacity, Inuyasha relaxed a little
and began to rub the instep of the foot in gentle circles, applying even
pressure. Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, only stared at him. Inuyasha was
concentrating on the task at hand. The demon Lord's foot was much larger than
his hands and quite heavy, so he had propped it up in his lap and holding it in
position with one hand, the hanyou rubbed diligently with the other, applying
as much pressure as he could but the demon Lord barely felt a thing, so he had
to work extra hard. He worked on the soles of the feet, using his thumb to rub
in slow circles. Small fingers caressed each toe and the space in between them.
Then placing the foot in his lap, he rubbed the upper part of the foot.
With the glowing, warm light of the fire and the little hanyou massaging his
feet so gently, Sesshoumaru began to relax, his anger dissipating in the face
of such innocent devotion. He could see that the slave was getting tired; his
hands were starting to ache but he did not stop what he was doing, lovingly
massaging each foot alternately.
Sesshoumaru stared at the orange firelight falling on that innocent face, huge
expressive eyes and white long hair; the hanyou looked gorgeous. The puppy ears
on the top of his ears were flickering slightly as the hanyou concentrated on
his task. The collar around his neck shone dully in the dim light.
Seeing that his little puppy was getting really tired, he withdrew his foot
from his lap. Inuyasha looked up at him in surprise.
"My Lord? Did I…did I displease you?"
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. Reaching down, he removed the collar from around
his neck. "Go to bed now, puppy. You were good."
Inuyasha flushed at the praise. He got up and bowed, then did as he was bid,
getting into his basket and under the sheets.
"Oyasumi nasai, Master."
Sesshoumaru didn't look around.
"Oyasumi, puppy."
 
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha shut his eyes tightly and tried his best not to cry out as thunder
crashed outside again and a flash of lightning illuminated the night for a
moment.
The night had grown steadily colder as the storm approached and the winds raged
outside. Then, around midnight, it had broken and the hanyou had been scared
out of his wits at the first rumble of thunder. Inuyasha had never liked
thunderstorms as long as he could remember, because he had spent most of his
life outside, hiding in caves or under some sort of a rough shelter when the
storm hit. The slavers, of course, had taken the driest and warmest places and
Inuyasha had been forced to try and at least stay away from the lightning.
On one such occasion, he had seen lightning strike a man. The man as well as
the tree under which he had taken shelter had both been reduced to near ashes
in seconds. Since then, he had been terrified of lightning and the slavers had
laughingly threatened to lock him out during a storm if he misbehaved. They had
even made good on that threat on one occasion, jeering raucously from the
safety of their hut while Inuyasha had begged and pleaded to be let in.
So, all in all, thunderstorms were not the hanyou's favorites. The loud crashes
of thunder made him afraid that that the roof or the floor was going to
collapse. Another peal of thunder clapped outside followed by a flash of
brilliant lightning and Inuyasha shivered, pulling the sheets over his head and
curling in on himself. He had never yet been able to sleep on a storm night.
Besides, it was cold. His clothes were appropriate for the normal warm whether
they'd been having, not this cold, stormy night. The sheets were silky but
thin. He had woken up shivering. He tried to keep himself warm by curling as
small as possible but it wasn't working. His hands and feet were by this time
icy cold and numb. He tried to rub his hands together to keep them warm but
they were already tired and aching from earlier.
Once again, a loud clap of thunder was heard and Inuyasha whimpered, the sound
escaping from his throat unbidden. Inuyasha prayed for the night to be over as
soon as possible. The castle was scary and unfriendly on this night, the trees
outside making a ghoulish noise due to the wind. Being somewhat superstitious,
Inuyasha thought he could hear angry spirits and ghosts howling outside trying
to get in and come for the little hanyou…
"Inuyasha."
He jumped at the sound and looked around. It was Lord Sesshoumaru. He had woken
up from his sleep, it seemed.
"F-forgive me if I disturbed you, My Lord." Inuyasha said in a small voice,
body tensed for any sound of thunder or the spirits.
Sesshoumaru looked at the shivering, curled up hanyou.
"Take off your haori, hanyou. You will sleep without it tonight."
Inuyasha looked at him in shock. The Lord wanted him to sleep half naked on
this chilly night? Why? Had he done something wrong? Was this punishment for
waking the prince up? His ears drooped. If his master did not want his pet to
have the least bit of warmth on this freezing night, he, Inuyasha, would obey
him without questioning.
"Go-gomen nasai, my Lord," he murmured softly, slowly taking the haori off. He
put it aside, beginning to shiver violently as the last little bit of warmth
left his body. His teeth began to chatter and he lay down quietly in his
basket, covering himself with the sheets. He closed his eyes.
"Come here, Inuyasha."
Surprised, Inuyasha sat up once again, turning to look at the Lord. Sesshoumaru
was sitting up in his bed, sheets still covering him at the waist. In the dim
light, the hanyou could not see him clearly. At his command, Inuyasha got out
of his basket. The thick rug was cold and leaving the warmth of the bed,
Inuyasha began to shiver all the more. His lips had turned blue and his hands
and feet were completely numb. He walked unsteadily towards the Lord.
"Get in," Sesshoumaru
ordered.                                                     
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "I-in?"
Sesshoumaru glanced at the space next to him. "Get into the bed, hanyou."
Inuyasha swallowed nervously. Did the Lord really want a hanyou soiling his
bed? He walked over to the furthest side of the huge bed near the window. This
must be the coldest side of the bed. He had to jump a little to be able to
climb on. He lay down at the very edge. He didn't want to inconvenience the
Prince and he figured that this was the place where he was least in the way.
The bed really was amazingly soft, though the sheets were just as thin and he
was just as cold. He closed his eyes tightly.
Sesshoumaru sighed in exasperation. This giant bed could easily fit 11 grown
men and the little hanyou went and lay down at the coldest end and on top of
the blankets that too, just under the uppermost sheets.
Inuyasha's eyes shot open as he felt a warm, strong arm snake around his waist
and pulled him to the centre of the bed. He kicked out on instinct, trying to
get free but of course, his strength was no match for the Lord's. He gasped as
his bare back made contact with a warm, hard bare chest.
"M-my Lord…?"
"Be quite, hanyou," Sesshoumaru murmured severely in his flickering ears which
flattened at his tone.
Wrenching the thick sheets from under his puppy, Sesshoumaru covered them both
with it, tucking Inuyasha in. As Inuyasha's small hand came to lie on his arm,
Sesshoumaru realized just how cold he was.
Sesshoumaru encircled the little hanyou in his strong arms forcefully, trapping
him against his body so that the hanyou's head and neck rested on his arm. He
took both of his puppy's tiny frozen hands in his big ones and began to rub
warmth into them. Inuyasha winced slightly as the friction burned his hands a
little. He tried to once again to curl into a ball in an effort to warm his
feet but Sesshoumaru placed one heavy leg over both of his, making him unable
to move them. In fact, he couldn't move anything much now; his legs were
trapped under the Lord's, his hands were also captured in Sesshoumaru's and the
way Sesshoumaru had imprisoned him in his arms, he couldn't even turn anywhere.
Slowly, Sesshoumaru's body heat warmed the little hanyou. He relaxed in his
arms and Sesshoumaru was very glad that he had made the slave keep his hakama
on and he himself never slept naked, because otherwise, he was sure he would
not be able to control himself and would take the poor half-breed then and
there. He really made an irresistible picture, pinned half under him like that.
Thunder clapped again and Inuyasha jumped and whimpered. Sesshoumaru frowned.
"What is it, puppy? Are you frightened of the storm?"
Inuyasha bit his lip, tears gathering in his eyes. "Y-yes…"
Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on the hanyou and tucked the half demon's head
under his chin.
"You are safe, little one. Go to sleep."
The Lord's warm voice washed over him and Inuyasha felt himself relax. The
warm, implacable weight of his Master's leg on top of him was really very
comforting. But he was still scared.
"Nothing can harm you here, Inuyasha. I am Lord of the Manor. Nothing can get
into the castle without my permission." Sesshoumaru drew him impossibly closer.
"Or do you doubt my strength, hanyou?" he asked, mischief lacing his voice.
Inuyasha gasped. "Never, my Lord!"
Sesshoumaru chuckled softly. "Then go to sleep, Inuyasha. I will not release
you tonight."
Inuyasha wriggled and squirmed experimentally, but true to his word,
Sesshoumaru didn't allow him to move. Satisfied, Inuyasha closed his eyes and
felt the demon Lord's warm breath on his neck. He was warm and cozy – this bed
was a lot more comfortable compared to his own. For the first time in his life,
Inuyasha felt sleep claim him as the storm raged outside. The howling wind
would not dare trouble the hanyou while the demon lord protected him. After
all, Sesshoumaru-sama was far more powerful than any evil spirits.
***** Chapter 7 *****
Warnings: This chapter will contain yaoi, shota (sex with minor), graphic
lemon, humil, D/s...if you are not comfortable with this, please leave.
===============================================================================
 
Chapter 7 – The Perfect Way To Start A Day
Next morning, Inuyasha woke up just a little before dawn. Without opening his
still sleep-laden eyes, he tried to stretch as always but found today that he
could not; there was something…restraining him?
He opened his eyes to investigate and his heart almost shut down as he
remembered all the events of the previous night. Oh god! He was sleeping in
Lord Sesshoumaru's bed! He began squirming – he had to get out of there.
Sesshoumaru's arm was draped casually over his stomach. With both his hands, he
tried to gently lift it and put it off of him but it wouldn't budge. Inuyasha
glanced at the sleeping Lord worriedly. He attempted to wriggle out from
underneath him but could not.
Then he tried to inch away from the Lord but Sesshoumaru's grip only tightened
and he drew him close again, flush against his chest. Inuyasha gasped.
"M-my Lord…I-I have to go…"
Sesshoumaru didn't seem very willing to let go of his sleep or Inuyasha.
Sesshoumaru had dimly felt Inuyasha's struggles to get away and it had amused
him. Did he really think a hanyou could be stealthy enough to not alert his
infinitely more superior youkai senses?
"Mmmm…" he murmured, hugging Inuyasha close.
Inuyasha tried again. "Master I really have to go!"
Sesshoumaru opened annoyed golden eyes and glared. Inuyasha quailed.
"Go where?"
Inuyasha looked away and blushed. "I-I need to…need to go pee…" His cheeks
flushed bright red at having to say that out loud.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes again and buried his face in the hanyou's warm,
soft neck. "No."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "No?"
Where Inuyasha could not see, Sesshoumaru smiled slightly, burrowing into the
sweet, pleasing scent. "No."
Inuyasha renewed his struggles, frowning. "But I really-"
Then in a swift movement, Inuyasha was lying flat on his back with an amused
demon Lord hovering over him, pinning his arms down. Inuyasha stared up at him.
This was the first time he had seen the demon lord half naked. The light was
too dim to see much the previous night. He was breathtaking. Hard, perfectly
sculpted muscles flexed in the early morning light as the demon Lord held
himself easily above the little hanyou.
"You're not going anywhere today, puppy," the demon Lord whispered huskily.
Sesshoumaru had woken up annoyed. The whole day today would have to be spent
fixing those idiots' mistakes. There was a lot of work to be done and
Sesshoumaru was not of the most hardworking disposition. He believed in
shortcuts to most things. But this work was unavoidable. He would be buried in
paperwork and boring meetings the whole day. Consequently, he was determined to
enjoy his puppy now. Inuyasha was staring up at him with his big innocent eyes.
Sesshoumaru smirked. The tiny hanyou looked almost insignificant on the
gigantic bed…
He stared at the little kid trying to figure out just what it was about the
hanyou that appealed to him so much. Then he decided that the Lord of the
castle really didn't need to explain himself to anyone. Even himself.
He crawled predatorily on Inuyasha who shrunk back in fear.
Inuyasha's eyes widened into big round saucers as Sesshoumaru's hand found it's
way down his hakama and on his-
"Ungh!" he moaned.
Sesshoumaru snapped.
His eyes bled red and a moment later, Inuyasha saw his shredded hakama hit the
floor. Sesshoumaru pressed up close to him and he gasped at the feel of the
hardness poking at him. The first sunlight of the day streamed in through the
window and fell on the hanyou's gorgeous little body. Inuyasha turned away,
embarrassed at having the Lord staring so lustfully at him. He did not want to
be so openly naked in front of him. He was not beautiful – far from it. Hanyou
were not beautiful and he did not want the prince to be disgusted.
Sesshoumaru, however, gave him no opportunity to hide his nakedness. Clawed
hands ran leisurely over his body, the demon prince never once taking his eyes
off the little puppy. Sesshoumaru leaned in close to his ears.
"I'm going to fuck you, little puppy."
Inuyasha gasped and blushed.
Hot lips placed gently kisses down his neck and throat.
"Have you ever been with another man, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha shook his head violently. "N-no, my Lord."
He knew what it meant, of course. He had seen the slavers taking some of the
slaves this way. He knew it was very painful. The slaves had cried the entire
time. But as a pet, he, Inuyasha, was required to please the Lord this way.
"Do you know what is going to happen to you, hanyou?"
Inuyasha shut his eyes tightly.
"I'm going to take you till you can't walk."
Inuyasha gasped in fear, taking the words literally.
Lips trailed down his chest. A hot, lazy tongue swirled around his nipples,
making his shiver and shake.
"Mmm…" Inuyasha couldn't help but moan as the demon Lord's tongue found all the
right spots on his body.
Sesshoumaru inserted one wet finger into the tight, virgin ass and groaned at
the pressure. If the little ass did that to one finger then his cock would
indeed be in heaven.
Inuyasha whined at the intrusion, wriggling his bottom. Then another finger
joined the first. It felt…uncomfortable…to have fingers up there.Sesshoumaru
scissored slowly with the two fingers, stretching him carefully. Inuyasha
squirmed more but silky lips on his body distracted him.
"Are you my little puppy, Inuyasha?" the prince murmured on his skin.
Inuyasha gasped. "Yes, master…yours…always…"
Sesshoumaru growled contentedly and the hanyou was rewarded with the demon
Lord's big, hard sex grinding against Inuyasha's cute little ass. Inuyasha
gasped at the feeling.
"Please…in me, master…"
Sesshoumaru chuckled low. "But do you think it will fit, little Inu?"
Inuyasha blushed. Sesshoumaru pressed him into the mattress with his weight and
looked in satisfaction at the picture he presented, the whimpering child,
pressed into the mattress, ass waiting to take his hard cock that was way too
big for his little hanyou body.
But that didn't stop him. He positioned himself at his entrance and then began
to push in.
Inuyasha cried out softly at the pain. It was an intense, throbbing pain, the
kind that he had never felt before. The demon Lord's sadistic side was
gratified. Sesshoumaru grew impossibly hard at the sight of the abused little
asshole striving to take in his thick dick. But he had no mercy, and pushed in
despite the hanyou's obvious discomfort. Inuyasha sobbed as the cock entered
deeper, slightly tearing a sensitive place but if it gave any pleasure to the
Lord, he would willingly endure it forever.
Sesshoumaru sheathed himself in the hanyou's ass and growled in satisfaction.
Then he withdrew and plunged back into the poor tight asshole that clenched in
an effort to keep him out. Sesshoumaru was not known for his consideration and
kindness, not by a long shot. The kindness he had shown to Inuyasha was by far
the most he had shown anyone. The submissive, fragile hanyou stirred something
inside him. But during sex, he was never mellow. He liked it rough. And
unfortunately for his partners, they had to be on the receiving end. But due to
his dangerous good looks radiating sexyness, most people were more than willing
to endure anything from him to have the chance to touch him.
Inuyasha had his eyes shut tightly. Sesshoumaru was indeed very well endowed
and that was not a good thing for his poor ass. The feeling of the thick, hard
shaft sliding into that sensitive little place was a very weird one.
Sesshoumaru began a slow and steady rhythm, working in slowly. Inuyasha moaned
as the thick cock rubbed a wonderful place inside him. The hanyou arched off
the bed, a scream escaping him. Sesshoumaru grinned ferally and established a
rhythm, his powerful thrusts making Inuyasha gasp. Inuyasha was panting heavily
now. Of all the times he had seen the slavers fuck the slaves, he had never
known the uke to find any pleasure. Was it always this good?
Then thought became very difficult as Sesshoumaru once again hit a wonderful
place inside him a few times in succession. Then he screamed once again as he
came hard. Sesshoumaru however was not done yet. He continued to pump in and
out of the little ass, not stopping when the puppy's orgasm hit him. The
clenching of the slave's muscles around him felt amazing as his orgasm caused
his body to tighten. Inuyasha had now collapsed onto the bed exhausted and
Sesshoumaru continued to fuck the little hanyou. Inuyasha moaned and whimpered
occasionally. Just how long could the demon Lord go?
Finally, Sesshoumaru's pace sped up. He began to thrust in hard and fast.
Inuyasha's asshole was quite sore by now, the thick, hard shaft had caused some
damage. As Sesshoumaru's speed and the power of his thrusts increased, Inuyasha
winced. The cock went very deep. But Sesshoumaru was close now and he was
focused entirely on his own release. The little hanyou that struggled to take
in his huge cock was of no importance. All that mattered was his own pleasure;
the slave's discomfort was of no consequence. Gripping the thin hips tightly
enough to leave bruises, Sesshoumaru snarled, thrusting in powerfully.
Inuyasha no longer had the strength to support himself up and so, lay down on
the bed, letting the demon Lord do whatever he wanted with him. Whatever pain
Sesshoumaru caused him, he would never complain. The prince graced his body
with his touch when he certainly didn't have to. There would be any number of
willing partners who would kill to be in his position, yet Sesshoumaru had
chosen to find his release with him. Inuyasha also knew that if the Lord really
wished to cause him pain, it would be not be this easy.
Sesshoumaru's pace became erratic and with a hard thrust that made Inuyasha cry
out, he came.
He stilled in the hanyou's ass making sure the slave had all his cum. Inuyasha
gasped at the incredible feeling of having something warm and thick releasing
deep in his ass. After thrusting softly with the aftershocks, Sesshoumaru
finally let go of him and lay down next to the puppy. He looked sideways at the
slave and smirked. Inuyasha was almost asleep.
A few minutes later, he got up, showered and got dressed, heading out for the
meeting.
 
===============================================================================
 
The demons present hastily got up and bowed as the heir of the Western Lands
entered through the door. Inu no Taisho looked at him and glared.
"You're late."
Sesshoumaru returned his gaze and smirked. "My apologies. I was…otherwise
occupied."
Inu no Taisho, unfortunately, knew exactly what this meant and closed his eyes
tightly as if to pretend he hadn't just heard that.
Sesshoumaru glanced coolly around the room. Most of the people present were the
unfortunate advisors, some allies and other employees. They all stood in mortal
fear of Sesshoumaru. As Sesshoumaru swept his glance across the room, everyone
avoided his eyes and those unfortunate enough to catch it shivered.
"Gaeten."
A lithe purple demon with a single long dark plait came forward and bowed low.
"How did it go?"
Gaeten clenched his teeth and wrenched the words out of his mouth. "I…could not
do it, My Lord."
Sesshoumaru glanced at him thoughtfully. Inu no Taisho didn't like the looks of
that. He came forward hastily.
"Gaeten, what do you mean?"
Gaeten bowed in his direction.
"My Lord, it cannot be done. Lord Sesshoumaru…caused permanent damage the last
time he was there and-"
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.
"Of course I didn't."
Inu no Taisho glared at his son and turned back to Gaeten.
"Are you certain?"
Gaeten nodded, not looking at Sesshoumaru.
"Yes, My Lord."
Inu no Taisho sighed. Gaeten, though young, was a trusted advisor of his. He
was very hardworking and diligent…unlike that son of his. "Sesshoumaru, why do
you do this? If you hadn't done this that time, we would not be in this mess."
Sesshoumaru was insulted. "If these idiots had not messed up yesterday, this
whole thing would not have happened. What Idid was a mere trifle. I will go and
fix it in a few minutes if you want."
Inu no Taisho frowned. "But Gaeten says-"
Sesshoumaru smirked. "If I am able to do it, I want your permission to deal
with Gaeten for his incompetence."
Sesshoumaru gave the proud tiger demon a once over. He was very well built with
attractive features. But what intrigued Sesshoumaru the most was his stiff
necked pride and his obvious dislike of himself. There were very few who were
not terrified or in awe of him.
Seeing the demon Lord's lustful stare, Gaeten, still kneeling, turned red.
Embarrassment flashed in his light brown eyes. He hated this man…this- this
undisciplined young heir who got away with everything.
Inu no Taisho agreed grudgingly because he didn't have a choice. Sesshoumaru
had a knack for making very complicated messes which only he himself could sort
out.
"But," he stipulated. "You can't hurt him."
Holding the tiger demon's gaze, Sesshoumaru smiled genuinely and Gaeten hated
himself for the anxiety that he felt fluttering in his chest.
"Do not worry, father. Gaeten will not be…hurt."
Gaeten seethed. He was damned if he let this spoilt son of the Lord do anything
to him. Much as he hated the demon Lord, he was aware of his dangerous,
powerfully seductive aura and looks that were absolute perfection. And so, he
was all the more determined to hate him. And he didhate him…his arrogant, I-
don't-give-a-damn-about-you-and-if-you-don't-like-it-you-can-go-fuck-yourself
attitude. Only…he was hot.
He had to do something. The demon Lord mocked him in front of everyone every
chance he got and made him look like a fool. He would rile him up and tease him
and put him down in front of Lord Inu no Taisho. His fist clenched. He had
worked too damn hard to be esteemed in the eyes of the Western Lord; he had
given his life to rise till the rank he was at. It was not his fault that the
heir could accomplish near impossible things.
Something would have to be done. He would have his revenge on the Western
Lord's son.
 
===============================================================================
 
When Inuyasha once again regained consciousness, the sun was high in the sky
and he was still in Sesshoumaru's bed. He felt extremely happy. Lord
Sesshoumaru had found pleasure in his body! He had taken him and in such a
pleasurable way too. The hanyou turned over towards the window and his body
screamed in protest. Everything was aching; the demon prince had not exactly
been gently although he hadn't been particularly rough either. His ass was
killing him and his back and leg muscles were sore. He tried and found that he
could not sit up.
Just then, the chambers door opened slightly. Inuyasha's ears perked up. Lord
Sesshoumaru was back! Making a superhuman effort, he rolled over and sat up,
whimpering at the pain. He turned to face the figure and froze. It wasn't Lord
Sesshoumaru.
There was a big, seemingly powerful purple demon entering the room. Inuyasha
retreated into the bed and pulled the sheets around him, suddenly fearful. The
demon's aura was very powerful – almost as powerful as Sesshoumaru-sama's. If
he decided to hurt him, then he, Inuyasha, would not be able to do anything
about it.
The demon came slowly close to the hanyou cowering on the bed and smiled. So
this was Sesshoumaru's new toy. And by way the Lord's scent covered him, he was
quite a goodtoy too. This was perfect. He approached the bed and was amused as
Inuyasha scoothed back.
"W-who are you? Where's Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The demon smiled at him warmly, coming over to sit on the bed near him.
"Sesshoumaru –sama is…busy. I am Gaeten."
Inuyasha, for some reason, did not like him. "Is there something you need,
Gaeten-sama?"
Gaeten leaned in close to the boy and caressed one rosy cheek with his hand.
"Yes, indeed. There is something I…need."
Inuyasha shied away from the touch. "Please Gaeten-sama….I-"
Gaeten grinned inwardly as an idea occurred to him. Sesshoumaru would not
return for a long time. "Why, hanyou? You don't want your Sesshoumaru-sama to
get…hurt, do you?"
Inuyasha froze, fear entering his eyes. "Sesshoumaru-sama? Hurt?"
Gaeten congratulated himself gleeful inside but outwardly, his voice was grave
and honeyed. "Yes, little one. Sesshoumaru-sama is…in trouble. If you don't
want me to make things worse for him, you will co-operate."
Inuyasha felt tears gathering in his eyes. Sesshoumaru-sama? In trouble? Would
this man really hurt him? He could – he seemed very powerful. He knelt as best
as he could in his state and bowed low, though his muscles screamed in protest.
"Please don't hurt him, Gaeten-sama. I'll-I'll do whatever you want."
Gaeten smirked. "Really, little hanyou? Anything?"
Inuyasha swallowed and steeled himself. "Y-yes…I- just please don't hurt
Sesshoumaru-sama."
The youkai looked thoughtful. "Hmmm…." A hand came to caress his lower back and
cupped his ass.
Inuyasha closed his eyes at the unwanted touch. Gaeten withdrew his hand.
"But that won't do, my little Inuyasha. I want you to…offer yourself to me."
Inuyasha gasped and stared at him horrified. "W-what?"
Gaeten smirked. "You. On all fours. For me."
He was delighted. When Sesshoumaru found out that his pet had willingly offered
himself and that he, Gaeten, had fucked him, he would not be in a very good
mood. In fact, it was quite the insult – his pet, whom he had gone to so much
trouble for, was so very fickle.
Inuyasha felt tears slip from his eyes. Was this man going to rape him? He
looked at him carefully. Yes, that is what he seemed to be planning. But he had
to do it. He didn't have a choice. If it helped Sesshoumaru-sama, then he would
definitely do it.
He turned and placed himself in position slowly, bare ass facing the smirking
demon. His sore ass muscles screamed in protest but he forced himself to stay
still. Gaeten smirked at the picture he presented.
"Gaeten."
He froze at the cold, amused voice.
Inuyasha turned quickly to the door, a big smile lighting up his tearstained
face.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!" he sobbed, looking at him desperately.
"You-You're ok, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Sesshoumaru looked in disgust from the hanyou to the tiger demon who had turned
pale.
"Me? What happened to me?"
Inuyasha looked puzzled. "Gaeten-sama said if I don't co-operate, he would hurt
you."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at Gaeten who jumped up. "Liar! This little slut
offered himself to me!When I refused, he…he tried to tempt me…"
Inuyasha cried out in negation. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama! I didn't- I would never-
"
"Quiet, Inuyasha." Inuyasha closed his mouth immediately. Sesshoumaru walked
slowly towards the furious and now very worried tiger demon who backed away and
fell onto the bed. Sesshoumaru was suddenly in front of him and grabbed him by
the collar.
"You were planning to take him against his will."
Gaeten shook his head feebly, hypnotized by the demon Lord's icy golden eyes
inches from his face. Sesshoumaru gave him a predatory look and Gaeten
shivered.
"Perhaps," whispered the Lord, "Inuyasha is not the slut in this equation."
Gaeten felt all the remaining blood drain from his face.
 
===============================================================================
 
A/N: Heeeeheehehe poor Gaeten is in for a rough ride ~_^
One thing about reviews, people. I really appreciate the fact that you people
take the time to hit the review button to write even one line or one word but
if possible, please tell me what specifically you liked about the chapter and
what you didn't like so that I can improve, instead of just saying 'update
soon'. I am trying out a lot of new things with this story and I'd like to know
how it is received so that I can follow up on the parts that you guys like.
Constructive criticism also welcome but no flames, please. But all reviews are
always welcome because they tell me that people are actually reading my stories
and enjoying.
Thank you! ^.^
 
***** Punishment Has Many Faces *****
Warning: This chapter will contain yaoi, lemon, humil, slave, D/s, masochism,
slight sadism. If you are not comfortable with this, please don't read further.
===============================================================================
 
Chapter 8 – Punishment Has Many Faces
Gaeten swallowed nervously. Shit, shit, shit….he was in so much trouble…the
demon Lord looked pissed…he struggled in Sesshoumaru's grip as much as the hold
allowed.
"I-I my Lord! Will you believe this…this hanyouover me?"
Sesshoumaru looked at him, cold fury simmering in his eyes. "But of course," he
replied.
Gaeten's jaw tightened at the insinuation that a hanyou was more reliable than
him.
"I-is he not a mere pet, my Lord?"
Sesshoumaru threw him to the floor violently and Gaeten's head hit the bedpost
hard. He cried out.
Inuyasha gasped as Sesshoumaru's aura flared with anger. He had never felt this
kind of youki before. Gaeten's aura, which he had considered powerful till this
point, was comparable to a human's in the face of Sesshoumaru's anger. Inuyasha
could never have imagined that a demon could control his youki to such an
extent. The amount of will and control it took to impose this kind of restraint
on one's youki was staggering and Sesshoumaru seemed to do it almost
effortlessly. Gaeten's aura was on the same level as before, except that it was
now flickering nervously due to his fear.
Inuyasha looked at the demon Lord with new found wonder. Lord Sesshoumaru's
aura in its most restrained form was equal to the tiger demon's in its
unleashed form. Just what was the extent of the demon prince's power?
Gaeten picked himself up from where he had fallen and turned to face the demon
Lord sullenly. Sesshoumaru stared. After a few seconds, Gaeten looked away.
"Pet or not, Inuyasha is my property. You should better than to touch what is
mine."
Gaeten clenched his teeth as he forced the words out. "Forgive me, my Lord." It
galled him to apologize to this pompous, arrogant heir but the stories he had
heard of Sesshoumaru's anger were not very comforting.
Suddenly he was once again all too close to Sesshoumaru. Gaeten tried to back
away as the demon Lord's powerful aura enveloped him, the more powerful youki
urging his own to submit and placate the angry demon Lord. Gaeten held out with
every last bit of his will. He was damned if he let Sesshoumaru have the
satisfaction of seeing him give in. He would never submit to the Lord Inu no
Taisho's spoilt brat of a son…
Grabbing him by the back of his head, Sesshoumaru smashed their lips together
in a bruising kiss. Gaeten's eyes widened and he tried to push him away.
Sesshoumaru deepened the kiss, his tongue forcing its way into the tiger
demon's mouth, caressing potentially deadly fangs that the advisor dared not
use. Sesshoumaru pulled him flush against himself, grinding their lips together
and at the same time, playing with the reluctant tiger's tongue. Against his
will, Gaeten moaned and clutched at Sesshoumaru's haori as his legs suddenly
refused to support him. Damned if the heir of the Western Lands wasn't a
terrific kisser!
Inuyasha watched wide eyed as the seemingly fierce tiger demon submitted to his
Lord.
Sesshoumaru smirked and pulled away, causing the tiger demon to whine in
frustration.
"Strip."
Gaeten stared at him in disbelief but Sesshoumaru was not in the mood to
tolerate disobedience. The demon prince's eyelids lowered, casting a hot look
at the tiger demon, commanding golden eyes demanding that he obeyed. Slowly,
Gaeten disrobed, shedding his garments with extreme reluctance. He would have
loved to sneer something in his face and stalk away but this was Lord
Sesshoumaru, not anyone else. Even he had to admit that despite everything, the
young Lord was extremely powerful. It was in the nature of demons to desire and
lust after someone more powerful than themselves.
Despite his fierce attitude and strength, Gaeten was not an alpha by nature; he
was uke. But he had scorned that position all his life. It was very difficult
for a demon who was not alpha by nature to mate with another uke. It happened,
of course, but both parties would eventually end up unhappy unless an unusually
strong bond of affection existed between the two. Even then, their basic
natures would remain unsatisfied.
Gaeten had denied his very nature all his life, seeking the strength and
independence of an alpha demon, seeking out a job that required strength,
leadership and toughness. He had been with only submissive partners – demons
who were happy and willing to let him assume the seme position. In fact, others
had been none the wiser regarding his…preferences. But here was this demon
Lord, threatening to strip him of all his inhibitions and hard won control with
one, hot kiss.
Once he had finished undressing, he stood defiantly before the still fully
clothed demon Lord. He tried to pretend indifference but the blush dusting his
cheeks gave him away. Sesshoumaru saw it and smirked. Sesshoumaru beckoned him
closer with an imperious gesture. Cheeks flaming with embarrassment and anger,
Gaeten stepped forward. Sesshoumaru grabbed him around the waist and pulled him
closer, one hand coming to rest on his bare ass, the other lazily caressing the
tiger's neck, making him shiver.
The hand on his neck found its way into his hair. Sesshoumaru fisted his hand
into the advisor's hair and pulled, forcing his head back, forcing him to
submit. Gaeten gasped as his neck and jugular were exposed forcibly by the
demon Lord. He felt intoxicated, the actions taking on a slightly surreal form.
He was submitting to Sesshoumaru…no, he was being forced to submit to Lord
Sesshoumaru whom he hated. The true alpha's dominance turned him on in ways he
could barely comprehend. His cock grew very hard without touch. Is this what it
felt like to give in to your real nature?
The prince's lips were now on his throat, lethal fangs grazing his neck, making
him shiver. He stayed very still, afraid that if he moved in the slightest,
Sesshoumaru's fangs would tear into his neck. Sesshoumaru nipped him lightly
and he jumped at the sudden pain, drawing back on instinct but Sesshoumaru held
him immobile. Clawed hands roamed the naked body while the tiger demon's own
hands were pinned awkwardly at his sides, unable touch the demon Lord.
Gaeten tried to buck against Sesshoumaru, seeking some form of contact on his
now painfully hard, leaking erection. Sesshoumaru laughed softly. Gaeten felt
silky lips on his ears as the prince whispered:
"The hanyou…is watching you…"
Gaeten clenched his teeth and his fists. This humiliation, this shameful
submission - in front of a hanyou, a slave? He turned his head slightly to
glare at Inuyasha who recoiled at the look full of hatred.
"Get out, hanyou," he panted harshly, "Can't you see the Lord is busy…?"
And Sesshoumaru's claws pierced his hips, the slight dose of poison making him
cry out. "You do not order him, tiger. Inuyasha stays."
Fangs sharper than any blade tore at his neck ruthlessly, making Gaeten
suddenly fearful for his life. He could feel Sesshoumaru's icy smile as the
demon Lord whispered:
"Let him watch…you will beg and plead for your release…as the slave watches…the
hanyou you tried to defile…will watch as I corrupt you…"
Gaeten's eyes closed tightly, the poisonous words making their way into his
heart, into his pride. Once clawed hand brushed over his weeping erection and
Gaeten's breath hitched. And yet…
Yet, this time was different. There was something different about this
encounter as compared to all his other sexual experiences. Gaeten had had
several sexual experiences, of course, every time as a seme; as such, he was
familiar with most ways of gaining pleasure – whenever he felt aroused, he
sought stimulation on his cock, sought a heat to bury it into but this time-
His face flamed as he helplessly clenched his ass, feeling empty and
unfulfilled, seeking something he did not understand. Sesshoumaru felt the
movement and smiled darkly.
"Is there something you need, Gaeten?"
Gaeten cried out and panted harshly, breathing laboured with the effort of
trying to deny what his body craved.
"N-no…"
One finger ghosted near his crack, rubbing slow, almost absent-minded circles.
His ass clenched once more.
"You want to be filled, tiger," Sesshoumaru murmured against his skin. "You may
as well admit it…you want another man's hard cock filling you up…thrusting into
you without mercy…"
Gaeten almost sobbed with need and denial, shaking his head.
"No! No tha-that's not…I'm not-"
And abruptly, one long finger was inside his ass and Gaeten almost wept with
relief.
"You're not what?" asked Sesshoumaru. "Not an uke?"
His free hand pinched the tiger demon's nipples hard. "Not submissive?"
The finger in his ass withdrew, causing tears to gather in his eyes. "Not my
bitch?"
The velvety, seductive yet authoritative voice turned him into a pile of goo.
"You will obtain release…if you beg…"
Gaeten shook his head violently, the last tatters of his pride protesting
against the demand. He did not beg; not now not ever. He did notbeg, he did
not-
Two fingers were shoved into his virgin ass and Gaeten cried out. Sesshoumaru
ignored his cock completely and yet, the tiger demon's arousal seemed to
increase with every passing second. The demon Lord had broken him, his
painstakingly cultivated alpha nature. No true alpha got hot with such
domination and humiliation, by being controlled by the object of his hatred in
front of a hanyou…Sesshoumaru had made him a bitch…or perhaps he had always
been one…
Sesshoumaru saw the subtle change in his eyes as the tiger finally admitted
defeat and he smiled, satisfied. Punishments come in many forms…some from pain,
some from pleasure…
"Sesshoumaru-sama, please…" Gaeten managed to mutter, something inside him
dying at having to beg Sesshoumaru for his release, but his ass simultaneously
clenching around the fingers. As soon as he said it though, the fingers
withdrew.
"Not me…"
Gaeten looked at him inquiringly, feeling drugged, not understanding what he
meant.
"Not me…you will beg Inuyasha…you will be granted release…if my pet forgives
you…"
Gaeten closed his eyes in despair as Inuyasha gasped. No…no this could not be
happening…him, a respected, powerful demon begging a half-breed…no he would
not…surely, surely no release was worth that…
Sesshoumaru's large clawed hand suddenly grabbed his hard dick and Gaeten
screamed.
"No! Please, Sesshoumaru-sama…I cannot…"
"You can…" Sesshoumaru whispered, the silky voice making him lose his mind his
thoughts, his determination.
"I- he…no…"
"Ask him," Sesshoumaru murmured. "Beg for his forgiveness…beg…"
Slowly, torturously, he turned his head towards the hanyou who was staring at
him and Sesshoumaru with his eyes wide. From behind Gaeten, Sesshoumaru gave
Inuyasha a look. Inuyasha knew it meant that he wasn't to say anything till the
prince commanded. Inuyasha blushed. Sesshoumaru knew that if anyone asked
Inuyasha's forgiveness, Inuyasha would forgive them instantly as he was not at
all used to such kind gestures.
"A hanyou…a half-breed…" Gaeten muttered to himself, the true humiliation of
the situation sinking in.
Hanyou were the lowest of the low in demon society – it was an honor for them
to even be allowed to exist; a demon apologizing or even being civil to a
hanyou was unheard of. When Lord Sesshoumaru had taken on a hanyou slave, he
had privately despised him for it. Surely, the young lord was slipping. Inu no
Taisho must be ashamed to have such a weak heir. But his own predicament was
far worse – he had to humble himself before a half breed…beg his forgiveness
and for what? To persuade the arrogant young lord to fuck him. He had truly hit
a new low. This was hell – enslaved by pleasure from a sadistic lord, forced to
throw away his pride.
"A half-breed…"
"His name," whispered Sesshoumaru, a clawed hand kneading his ass, "-is
Inuyasha."
"Do it…what you desire…you can have it…"
Gaeten clenched his teeth and threw his head back and tried to escape but
Sesshoumaru held him fast.
"No…" he groaned.
Sesshoumaru's skilled fingers toyed with his nipples and ass. The demon Lord
lowered his mouth to the tiger's throat and sucked harshly and Gaeten's control
broke.
Turning his head to Inuyasha while still in Sesshoumaru's grip he gasped.
"Inuyasha…please…I'm sorry…"
The words came as if from the mouth of a stranger because he, Gaeten, a
respected tiger demon did not apologize to a mere hanyou.
"Sesshoumaru-sama…"
"Hmmm…" the demon Lord contemplated, nibbling on his neck. "That was not
enough…"
Gaeten wanted to scream. Inuyasha stared at them both, squirming. He was not
comfortable with this; a higher class demon apologizing to him, a mere slave
and a half breed at that. But Sesshoumaru-sama had commanded him to remain
silent and he could not disobey.
Gaeten writhed in Sesshoumaru's grasp. A knowledgeable hand went to his
thighs,, playing lightly with his balls and Gaeten screamed.
"Inuyasha…Inuyasha please forgive me…Lord Sesshoumaru…"
Deadly claws tightened slightly, the threat all too obvious to the prone tiger
demon. A thrill of fear and painful pleasure shot up his spine. He had never
been under anyone's control before – it had always been a hard-won battle, even
for his family members to get him to obey but this demon prince commanded his
obedience as if he had every right to and the more surprising thing was that he
gave it.
"Beg…" The implacable command in Sesshoumaru's voice made his arousal throb
with need, but what was more shameful was that it was not his cock that
demanded the greatest attention…
"Inuyasha…I beg you….please forgive me…I'm sorry!"
Inuyasha looked questioningly at Sesshoumaru who gave an answering glance.
Turning his attention to Gaeten, Inuyasha nodded hesitantly.
Sesshoumaru smirked. "Well done, bitch…"
Gaeten was too far gone to even register protest at the name. He merely arched
into the demon Lord pleadingly. Sesshoumaru withdrew his hand from his cock and
Gaeten gasped at the loss.
"M-my Lord…please my Lord…" he begged incoherently.
"Are you my bitch, Gaeten?" Sesshoumaru asked in a low, dark voice. Gaeten did
not process the words but at this point, he would have said yes to anything.
"Yes! Yes...just please!"
Then two fingers rammed into his waiting ass at a slightly different angle and
hit something inside. Gaeten came with a scream and passed out.
 
===============================================================================
 
A few minutes later, Gaeten opened his eyes groggily. He was lying on the
floor…on a rug…on an expensive rug…
Then his eyes opened fully and he saw an amused looking demon Lord staring down
at him. Then everything that had occurred came rushing back to him. Lord
Sesshoumaru had made him cum with just a few touches – he had cum so hard that
he had passed out. Closing his eyes for a moment again, he prayed to lose
consciousness once more.
"Get up, Gaeten," smirked Sesshoumaru. "Lord Inu no Taisho awaits you. They
must all wonder where you disappeared to."
Gaeten rose to his feet unsteadily, legs still a bit jelly-like from the most
intense orgasm of his life. Now that the heat and lust was over, he suddenly
realized the fact that he was naked and Sesshoumaru was still fully clothed.
Sesshoumaru did not have a hair out of place while he looked like he had just
returned from battle.
When Sesshoumaru forced the advisor to meet his eyes, Gaeten's once fierce and
proud eyes were lowered with humiliation. He would never be able to have his
former confidence back again. He had been defeated irrevocably by the young
heir of the Lord of the West. He had begged…for release and not just from the
demon Lord but he had begged forgiveness from a hanyou, Sesshoumaru's pet.
Sesshoumaru took no notice of his nakedness and, for some reason, that was all
the more humiliating. Sesshoumaru stared at him and then glanced at the door.
"Get out."
 
===============================================================================
 
Inu no Taisho turned impatiently as his most trusted advisor entered the room
and bowed hurriedly. He opened his mouth to reprimand the man but then closed
it in surprise.
His clothes were disheveled and wrinkled, his hair was a mess, he was panting
as if he'd run a mile and he seemed quite unsteady on his feet – ready to
collapse. But perhaps the most surprising change was in his eyes; they were
wild and despairing as if he had just been through a most harrowing experience.
Inu no Tiasho frowned. What could have possible happened to him in the span of
maybe an hour or so?
He had never seen the tiger demon look so defeated and haggard. He was
generally implacable in his dressing.
"Gaeten, what happened to you?" he asked.
Gaeten did not seem to be able to form coherent sentences.
"I-" he trailed off and pointed ineffectually at the door. "Lord Sesshoumaru…"
Inu no Taisho sighed. That explained a lot.
"What did he do? I warned him not to injure you…"
Gaeten shook his head miserably. If only…
"No, my Lord…Sesshoumaru-sama did not – did not injure me…"
Inu no Taisho narrowed his eyes. Well actually, he didn't really look hurt…
"Then what happened?"
Gaeten looked at the floor and remained silent but his face flamed red. Inu no
Taisho decided he didn't really want to know.
 
===============================================================================
 
In Sesshoumaru's chambers, Inuyasha looked in gratitude and awe at the demon
Lord. He had saved him; he had not even punished him for baring his ass to
another man. Not only that, he had punished a high ranking demon and forced him
to apologize to him, Inuyasha.
Now Sesshoumaru made his way to the big bed on which Inuyasha was kneeling.
Quite satisfied with the events, he sat down on the bed and stared at the still
stunned hanyou in amusement.
"Well Inuyasha? Did you think that was appropriate?"
Inuyasha quickly bowed low. "Forgive me, my Lord…I shouldn't have believed him.
You are far more powerful than him and I beg your pardon for ever doubting-"
He stopped as he felt Sesshoumaru's hand on his head, slowly caressing his
ears.
"It was not your fault, puppy. Gaeten was in the wrong, not you."
Inuyasha stared at him in disbelief. Not his fault? Of course it was his fault!
He, a mere slave, had not only doubted his master but also presumed to think
that he could actually do something to help him. Of course a great demon Lord
like Sesshoumaru would not need any help from a slave like him! How could he
forgive something like that so easily?
Inuyasha did not raise his head. He wished the demon Lord would just punish him
and get it over with. This- this generosity was too much. Lord Sesshoumaru had
already pardoned too many of his mistakes- he already owed the demon Lord his
life and since he never punished him for anything, he was more in the demon
Lord's debt than ever. It was all very well for the demon Lord to dismiss the
notion in a moment of magnanimity but for him, it was a crushing pressure.
He felt suffocated. He hadn't done anything to deserve such treatment. He
wished Lord Sesshoumaru would just punish him and release him from the
obligations – at least he could live with himself then. As it was, he could not
bear the thought that Lord Sesshoumaru was being so very kind to him while he,
Inuyasha, was being ungrateful.
Sesshoumaru frowned as Inuyasha's ears lay flat on his head. What was the
hanyou so distressed over? Then he dismissed the thought. Perhaps the day's
events had been too much for him. Surely he would be alright in some time.
 
===============================================================================
 
That night, Gaeten lay on his bed alone and touched himself. But the object of
his fantasies was no submissive, cute little demon but Lord Sesshoumaru. The
way he had mastered his body and his will had left a deep impact on the tiger
demon – his uke nature had truly been released. Sure, he would pretend in front
of Lord Inu no Taisho and the others but one look from Sesshoumaru-sama would
be enough to bring him to his knees – even as he hated the demon Lord, he would
never be able to despise him again.
He, Gaeten, was the despicable one – he had got aroused with Lord Sesshoumaru's
domination and expert touches on his ass.
"Are you my bitch, Gaeten?"
The demon Lord's words floated back to him. His face flamed and his hand sped
up. He had been forced to beg a half-breed. Lord Sesshoumaru had humiliated him
in front of his half-demon slave. But, to his chagrin, the degradation had only
turned him on more.
And truth be told, the thing that he had been most disappointed about was that
he had not got even a glimpse of Sesshoumaru's cock. It killed him to admit it
even to himself but he wanted to be fucked. And the only one he would allow to
dominate him was the authoritarian demon Lord who had mastered him with such
ease.
Could he persuade Sesshoumaru to finish what they had started?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
***** A Slave's True Nature *****
Warnings: This chapter will contain shota, yaoi, graphic violent lemon,
asphyxiation kink, D/s, S&M, slave, humiliation, language. If you are not
comfortable with these, then please leave.
===============================================================================
 
Chapter 9 – A Slave's True Nature
Lived too long now you've come to take me
To a place where I can die
Lost my soul, lost my confidence in me
Can't be something but I'll try…
-'Slave' by Silverchair
Inuyasha fidgeted uneasily with his clothing and kept his eyes trained firmly
on the ground, not even glancing up at the various colorful, enticing objects
in the shop windows.
It was the day when the people selling their wares came to the castle town.
Inuyasha had been quite content to be in the castle, not at all keen on facing
people's judging stares and cruel whispers. He had more than enough experience
with them – after all, he had spent his entire life amongst them. But Lord
Sesshoumaru had ordered Inuyasha to accompany him and that is how Inuyasha
found himself being led on a leash in the crowded market place, wishing nothing
more than to go home.
Lord Sesshoumaru had so far not said a word, only traveled in seemingly random
directions. Inuyasha could feel people's curious and derisive stares following
him but Sesshoumaru's presence alone was enough to deter any malicious
whispers; no one was brave enough – or stupid enough - to comment derogatorily
on something that belonged to the prince of the Western Lands. Inuyasha was so
lost in his own thoughts that when Sesshoumaru suddenly came to a halt, he
almost bumped into his leg. The hanyou looked up for the first time and saw
that they had come past the lanes of the street hawkers – this street was
obviously a class apart. The shops, unlike the ones in the common market, were
decorated tastefully but lavishly, even the outside warning off anyone who did
not have a more or less unlimited budget.
Sesshoumaru's attendants entered one such shop before them, announcing the
arrival of the son of the Western Lord. When Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha entered
the grand doors, Inuyasha's mouth fell open at the sight of the place. It
looked nothing like any shop he had ever been in. It was spacious and
skillfully lit, with a few expensive looking items of clothing on display in
strategically placed locations.
As soon as Sesshoumaru entered, shop assistants hurried towards them, bowing
ingratiatingly.
"May I help you with something, My Lord?"
Sesshoumaru did not glance at them but walked leisurely towards a discreetly
placed low table where a man was sitting. The assistants hung back hesitantly,
unsure. Seeing Lord Sesshoumaru approaching, the man immediately got to his
feet and bowed low.
"Lord Sesshoumaru," he smiled. "You honor me with your presence in my humble
establishment."
Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement of the greeting.
"How may I be of service?"
Sesshoumaru tugged on the hanyou's leash lightly, causing Inuyasha to look up
shyly from behind Sesshoumaru, where he was attempting to hide.
"Jounichirou…find my slave something suitable to wear."
Inuyasha gasped while, Jounichirou's eyebrows shot up for a moment before they
drew down again in a frown. The wares in his shop were for the best of the best
– nobles and Lords of the highest class and Lord Sesshoumaru wanted to buy such
clothing for a hanyou slave?
"Ummm…were you looking for anything in particular my Lord?"
Sesshoumaru sat down gracefully on the big cushion Jounichirou's assistants had
brought at a signal from the manager while Inuyasha knelt down nearby. A man
offered him a drink in a beautiful goblet. Taking it delicately, Sesshoumaru
turned back to Jounichirou.
"Whatever he wants."
Jounichirou looked uncertain just for a moment before he called a few
assistants and asked them to wait on the Lord and his slave. The other
customers in the store stopped what they were doing to stare as unobtrusively
as possible at the famous Lord Sesshoumaru. Also, they had to stop browsing as
the shop assistants who had been helping them had disappeared from their side
and reappeared at Sesshoumaru's side.
"And Jounichirou…" The manager of the shop turned inquiringly to the Lord.
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes bore relentlessly into his. "Money is no object."
Jounichirou bowed. A number of assistants approached the low table and placed
exquisite materials before them. Sesshoumaru glanced at the kneeling hanyou.
"You may choose whatever you want."
Inuyasha glanced anxiously at the Lord and then at the fine materials before
him that he was too afraid to even touch, lest he ruined them. Some more
assistants came and placed more such materials, each finer than the one before.
As Inuyasha only stared at them without making any attempt to even touch them,
Sesshoumaru finally glanced at him.
"Are they not to your liking, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha lowered his eyes guiltily.
"They are beautiful, my Lord."
"Then why do you hesitate?" asked the Lord.
Inuyasha's ears flattened. He glanced miserably at the array of some of the
finest clothing laid out before him. How in the world was he supposed to select
something? How would he know if it pleased his master or not? What if the Lord
didn't like it? He had never dreamed to even be able to touch clothes this
fine, let alone wear them himself. Whatever Sesshoumaru chose to give him was
enough for him – he did not need or like such fine things which he would be
forever afraid to spoil or dirty or tear.
"Wh-whatever pleases you, my Lord," he replied in a small voice, bowing.
Sesshoumaru's expression was neutral. "Take what you want, hanyou. I will not
say it again."
Inuyasha looked up sharply at the command. Whatever he wanted? But that didn't
make any sense! He was torn between the desire to obey the Lord and the
dissatisfaction at having to make a choice like this. What was there to chose?
Clothes were for covering the body – all that mattered was how comfortable they
were. Designs and colors were mostly superfluous. What did Lord Sesshoumaru
expect him to do?
"M-my Lord, please! I- I can't…I don't know what…"
Sesshoumaru's eyes softened almost imperceptibly, the difference visible only
to Inuyasha.
"It is a present, Inuyasha. Do you not desire fine garments?"
Inuyasha bowed low once more and touched his forehead to the ground before the
Lord's feet but remained silent.
Sesshoumaru stared at the hanyou, contemplating. His puppy seemed really
distressed and scared. Strange. Most servants leapt at the chance of wearing
such fine clothing and yet, here was this shy little hanyou, unable to choose
from the finest. How much degradation had the child endured to have lost all
sense of self and preference?
The demon Lord glanced thoughtfully at the gorgeous materials laid out before
them and then looked up at Jounichirou.
"The Lady of the Western Lands returns soon. Have outfits suitable to her
station be sent over to the castle as soon as possible."
A hint of amusement entered the Lord's eyes.
"I am sure you are aware of the consequences, should they…displease her."
Jounichirou repressed a shiver and bowed quickly. The Lady of the Western Lands
was a…forbidding figure when crossed. He did notwant to be on the receiving end
of her wrath.
Although the shop claimed to have all articles of the highest quality, the
clothing used to make the outfits of the royal family of the Western Lands was
a class apart. Although all the ridiculously expensive garments in his shop
were of the highest quality, the material and dye he would use for Lady
Seitachi was made from rare demon threads – beautiful as well as durable. It
would have to be flawless – anything less would invite the ire of the Lady on
his head. The patterns printed on them would be hand crafted by the most
talented artisans in the field. No other demon or demonesses would have
clothing anywhere close to that.
"Yes, my Lord."
Sesshoumaru stood up fluidly and headed for the door without a second glance at
the materials laid out on the table. Jounichirou glanced knowingly at the
slave. It was obvious that it did not think itself deserving of such finery.
And just as well. It would not do for a hanyou's apparel to rival a noble's. As
a man who had much experience dealing with and getting his work done by people
of all classes, he knew that well trained slaves did not possess the audacity
to express a preference different from their master's. And Lord Sesshoumaru's
slave, although hanyou, would of course be impeccably trained. Why then had the
Lord brought him here and asked him to select? Was it a test? If so, the little
hanyou had passed.
The shop's activities swiftly returned to normal as the prince left and
customers began to grow impatient at the lax in service.
 
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha dutifully followed the Lord out of the store, but inside, he was
miserable.
He was truly pathetic, he thought to himself. He could not even follow a simple
order of selecting a present that the Lord was generous enough to give him. The
Lord must surely think him ungrateful now. Hadn't he caused enough trouble to
the Lord without disobeying him even in this? Why had he wanted to reward him
anyway? He, Inuyasha, had caused nothing but trouble since he had arrived at
the castle.
He kept his head bowed, the guilt eating up at him. He felt itchy in his own
skin, the novel situation and the strange behavior of the Lord causing him
confusion and anxiety. This was the worst possible thing he could have done,
rejecting a gift from his master. He would surely be punished for it. If he
wasn't, then that was even worse; how would he live with himself? If a master
did not think it worthwhile to spare the trouble of punishing his slave, then
surely the only thing that could mean was that he was not worth the trouble of
training and that he would be supplanted soon. If he continued at this rate,
the Lord would surely replace him with a more worthy, obedient pet.
Tears gathered in his eyes as he thought of a life without his master. No, he
would rather die than belong to anyone else.
Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he felt the waves of misery rolling off the
hanyou. He could not understand what was troubling the little puppy so much.
Surely a trip to a clothing store could not cause such anxiety. What was the
matter with him?
Sesshoumaru had not liked the extreme submission in the hanyou, to the extent
that he had entirely lost himself. Something would have to be done to return
some sense of self-respect in him but as a slave, the hanyou's mind functioned
in a different way from the average person. Things that would help a normal
person gain confidence and strength would only hurt a slave's primed psyche. He
would have to find a different way.
 
===============================================================================
 
When they returned to the castle, evening had already fallen. Sesshoumaru had
not said a word to Inuyasha through out the day and after the incident in the
shop, Lord Sesshoumaru had ordered him to wait outside whenever he entered a
shop – to buy something or merely to inspect. While Sesshoumaru had merely not
wished to cause the hanyou any more anxiety, Inuyasha thought it was because he
was ashamed of his conduct and wanted to make sure the hanyou did not embarrass
him further. His heart sank all the more.
As Lord of the Land, it was one of the duties of the heir apparent to make sure
that no illegal items were being marketed in the land. If he suspected
anything, he could order a search of the place. Of course, these seemingly
minor duties could be carried out from the palace itself without the Lord
having to go into town himself, but Inu no Taisho knew that it was impossible
to govern a kingdom without knowing it's people – what conditions they lived in
and whether or not they were content.
Sesshoumaru ordered Inuyasha to bathe and then wait in his chambers and then
left to report to Inu no Taisho.
 
===============================================================================
 
As Inuyasha prepared to remove his clothing before entering the bath, he looked
sadly at the dull, dirty blue, rough material of his haori. The hakama, that
were actually supposed to be of the same color as the haori, were grayish. The
pair was obviously mismatches, as was common in servants' clothes who did not
have the luxury of discarding an entire outfit if either the haori or the
hakama were torn or unusable, with the result that the sets that remained were
often mismatched. The undershirt, that was supposed to be white, had yellowed
and frayed.
He glanced in the looking glass in dismay at the sorry picture he presented.
Surely Lord Sesshoumaru found it repulsive to look at such a pet. That is why
he had wanted to buy him more appealing clothing and he, Inuyasha, had even
screwed that up. But what could he do now? There was no way of making amends
for his stupidity.
He stripped quickly and got into the cold bath miserably. With the bar of soap
and the rough wash cloth, he scrubbed at his skin harshly till it was rubbed
raw. Letting the unpleasantly cold water steal his body warmth, he
unconsciously reveled in the discomfort. The evening was cool, the chill of the
night beginning to set in and the cold water, coupled with the rough scrubbing
caused his skin to hurt. And as hot tears mingled with the hot water, Inuyasha
thought that this punishment was no where near enough.
 
===============================================================================
 
When Sesshoumaru returned to his chambers, he found Inuyasha kneeling in front
of his usual armchair, leash and collar still attached.
He sat down in the armchair and gestured at the collar and leash.
"You may remove them now, Inuyasha."
A collar and leash were a symbol of a slave's submissive status, a declaration
of his master's dominance but Sesshoumaru did not require him to wear them at
night as they were not at all comfortable to sleep in. But today Inuyasha bowed
his head to the ground, resting it on the Lord's feet, eyes dull and
despairing.
"I beg your forgiveness, Master. I know I deserve any punishment you give for
my disobedience."
Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. "You are not going to be punished, puppy."
To his surprise, he saw his boot wet with the child's tears. He raised him up
gently but Inuyasha kept his head bowed.
"May I beg for one last chance, my Lord? I swear on my life I will not
disappoint you."
Sesshoumaru slowly smoothed the hanyou's ears, hoping to calm him but the
hanyou got all the more agitated at the light caresses. "What are you talking
about, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha's tiny fists were clenched in his lap as he knelt at his master's
feet.
"I know…I know I have caused you much trouble…I know I am not worthy to serve
one such as you but- but please my Lord! I beg of you to keep this slave…"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. His pet thought he was going to be
sent away for such a small thing?
"Who told you that you were being dismissed from my service, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha shook his head miserably. "And I disappointed my Lord over and over
again. Of course, I am not worthy of punishment by your hand but please, order
me to do anything and I will do it…to myself….but please don't send me away!"
Sesshoumaru was touched to the depths of his iron heart. This hanyou thought so
less of himself that he was not worthy of even the Lord's punishment? He would
harm himself at his master's command?
Then something caught his eye. Inuyasha's skin…it was red and irritated as if
by a rash. There were small scratches where the harsh scrubbing had drawn
blood.
He seized one small arm tightly. "You did this to yourself?"
Inuyasha looked down.
The demon Lord was enraged. He leaned down and his large clawed hand fisted
harshly in Inuyasha's hair and held tightly. Inuyasha winced as his head was
pulled at an unnatural angle.
"Listen to me, hanyou," Sesshoumaru hissed. "You are not going anywhere. Not
now, not ever. Do you understand?"
Inuyasha tried to glance at him out of the corner of his eyes but could not see
the Lord's face due to the angle of his head. Sesshoumaru turned him violently
to face him, the force raising him off the ground a little.
Then his hair was released and Sesshoumaru got to his feet. He took the
hanyou's leash in his hand and dragged him bodily to the bed. He glanced in
satisfaction as the collar choked the hanyou, causing tears to spring to his
eyes and hands to scramble ineffectively at his throat, trying to relieve the
pressure.
Inuyasha was then grabbed by the back of his neck and thrown unceremoniously
onto the bed face first. Wincing at the light bruising that had already started
to appear on his throat; Inuyasha tried to turn on his back but choked on a cry
as the maneuver caused the collar to be pulled harshly.
Looking back at the Lord, he saw Sesshoumaru kneeling over him, leash in hand
the way one handles spirited horses. His clothes were torn off his back and
Sesshoumaru's implacable hand pressed his face into the mattress, hiking his
ass into the air.
Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed red, his inner youkai demanding that the little
creature's submission be forced. The Lord understood that Inuyasha was too
agitated to see sense and logic, the deeply ingrained slavish nature refusing
to be placated with kindness. Gentleness would only make matters worse. There
were times when brute force was essential.
Lethal claws caused little pinpricks on the hanyou's neck as they grew.
Inuyasha's neck which was in the Lord's vice-like grip, the pressure almost not
allowing the slave to breathe as his face was pressed into the mattress.
Without warning, he felt the Lord's huge cock slam into him. He screamed, the
dry penetration causing his unprepared entrance to burn and tear but it was not
enough to even give the Lord pause. Sesshoumaru withdrew harshly and thrust
back in all the way. Blood began to drip from the tender orifice stretched
beyond its limits.
A heavy body draped over his pinned him to the bed as Sesshoumaru leaned over
him to whisper into puppy-ears.
"Does it hurt, Inuyasha?"
The rough, amused voice sent a shiver of fear down the hanyou's spine.
"Yes, my Lord…."
Sesshoumaru pulled his dick back almost all the way. "Good." And he slammed
back in, causing the poor hanyou to cry out once more.
Youkai on the surface, Sesshoumaru smirked at the little creature's discomfort.
The hand holding the leash pulled, idly choking the hanyou.
"Who are you, hanyou?" The rough voice demanded.
"Y-your slave, master," Inuyasha choked out as much as the pressure on his neck
would allow.
The hold was not loosened.
"And?"
Inuyasha writhed, the huge intruder in his abused ass feeling very….different.
"Yo-your pet…"
Sesshoumaru grinded lazily into the hanyou's ass.
"And?"
Inuyasha whimpered, unable to think, the lack of oxygen clouding his thoughts.
His face was pressed harder into the mattress and Inuyasha shut his eyes.
"You're my whore, hanyou. My slut….my toy…whatever I want you to be."
The leash was abruptly released and Inuyasha took in deep gulps of air. But
then a clawed hand grabbed his hard little dick and Inuyasha's breath released
in a gasp.
"This body-" a large palm squeezed the little shaft roughly. "-is mine to do
with as I please."
The demon abruptly pulled back and thrust into the child, the force enough to
push Inuyasha forward but due to Sesshoumaru's hold on his neck, he could not
move.
"You live…for my pleasure..."
Merciless claws pinched tiny hard nipples and once golden eyes that were now
blood red stared cruelly at the little creature in its grasp.
"It seems you do not understand the meaning of being my possession."
Inuyasha was suddenly slammed onto his back and the demon thrust his swollen
member in roughly, drawing Inuyasha's legs to his chest, the hanyou nearly
folded in half. The child stared fearfully at the demon fucking him so
ruthlessly.
"Master…master, please…have mercy…"
Sesshoumaru looked amused. "Mercy?"
Inuyasha whimpered and tears escaped his eyes as the demon shifted slightly
inside him.
"I-it hurts, my Lord…"
Powerful hands caught hold of his skinny legs and pulled them apart, giving the
aggressor greater access.
"Hmm…so?"
Inuyasha gasped. The demon Lord had never been so brutal with him; he was
frightening.
"Master- I belong to you…please…"
The predator smirked icily and thrust back in, paying no heed to the victim's
pleas.
"My possession, hanyou, does what I say. You have been a bad puppy."
Inuyasha whimpered. "Yes, master."
"Do you deserve this punishment, puppy?"
Inuyasha closed his eyes in resignation. "I do, Master."
Sesshoumaru grabbed him by the jaw and turned his head, forcing the hanyou to
open his eyes and look at him. "Did I not tell you only I may punish you – no
one else?"
Inuyasha assented with his eyes.
"And yet you harmed yourself." A single clawed finger drew a thin line on the
raw skin, drawing blood.
Inuyasha glanced at the wound and then at the demon's red, glowing eyes. Of the
Lord decided to kill him now, he would not be able to do anything about it. The
thought sent another wave of arousal thought the half-demon's body.
"You will learn…you will learn what I can do to this body of yours if I
wish…what damage I can do to it if you displease me…"
The hard, merciless cock thrust back into his thoroughly abused ass and
Inuyasha screamed.
"Your punishment and your pleasure…are mine to give as I see fit…"
Arms like steel slammed his thin wrists onto the mattress forcefully, bruising
the sensitive flesh. The half demon stared helplessly up at the Lord as the
powerful demon forced his submission, pitiless eyes staring him down.
"Do not presume to know when you do and do not deserve punishment."
As the demon began to fuck him in earnest, Inuyasha cried. His asshole was
beginning to feel stretched and raw. The demon Lord's large shaft caused more
pain than pleasure but he had never been more aroused in his life. His tiny
dick strained with the lack of contact as Sesshoumaru entirely ignored it. His
face felt hot and he felt slightly dizzy but in an oh-so-good way. Every place
the Master's hand touched, cut, bruised, Inuyasha's skin tingled with pleasure
and the demon Lord was relentless. For hours, the demon fucked the little
hanyou, shifting him in different positions according to his whim, with no
regard for the hanyou's comfort. The Lord came several times, shooting his load
on the hanyou's face, head, body. Inuyasha also came numerous times, without a
single touch to his cock. Eventually, Inuyasha was exhausted too sore to move,
teetering on the verge of unconsciousness.
A sharp slap to his face snapped him out of the daze.
"You will not fall asleep, hanyou. I will take my pleasure from your body
still."
Inuyasha whimpered, feeling trapped and helpless on all fours, but loving the
feeling because it was his Master who controlled him so viciously. This- this
was it. This is what he was meant to be. How could he have forgotten? How could
he have spent so much time needlessly worrying over whether or not he
disappointed his master? It was not his place to worry about that. He was a
toy, a body to be used by his master- to be fucked and beaten as the master
pleased. If Sesshoumaru-sama was ever displeased by his actions, he not spare
him. He had seen just how ruthless the Lord was towards those who disobeyed
him. Then how could he have ever imagined that he, a mere slave, had the right
to take his punishment into his own hands? Had the Master not told him that he
belonged to the Lord forever? How could he have ever doubted the Lord's word?
Sesshoumaru continued to use him for a long while after Inuyasha was too
exhausted to get aroused, body still tingling from the aftershocks of the
numerous orgasms that he had had. Finally, he released deep inside the hanyou's
ass and allowed himself to fall onto the hanyou's back, the half demon's breath
leaving his body because of the heavy, almost crushing weight on top of him.
Feeling his master satisfied, Inuyasha finally allowed himself to slip into
unconsciousness.
 
===============================================================================
 
When Inuyasha opened his eyes, it was already late in the day. He woke up
feeling more relaxed and content than he could ever remember feeling before.
His body was pleasantly sore from his Master's harsh fuck. The bruises and
scratches were just beginning to heal. Inuyasha tried to turn onto his side but
found that his ass was killing him. But it was all worth it. Sesshoumaru-sama
had truly shown him who the Master was. Yes, he had done a lot of foolish
things but not everyone could be perfect like Sesshoumaru-sama. Inuyasha's
strength was nowhere even close to any demon's and Sesshoumaru was the most
powerful of them all, save for Inu no Taisho. For the first time in many days,
Inuyasha grinned. How could he have been stupid enough to think that he could
have inconvenienced the Lord in any way? Everyone knew that Sesshoumaru-sama
allowed for no impudence.
"What brings a smile to your face, puppy?"
Ears flickering happily at his master's voice, Inuyasha turned joyfully to face
Sesshoumaru who had just walked in followed by a servant.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" he beamed happily. Then he blushed as he realized that he
was still naked under the sheets and Sesshoumaru was staring at him amusedly.
He attempted to get out of bed to kneel properly before his master but seeing
his discomfort, Sesshoumaru gestured for him to stay put so Inuyasha knelt on
the bed.
Sesshoumaru glanced impassively at all the bruises and cuts that he had
inflicted in the poor slave. It had been a mistake on his part to treat the
slave too gently all these days. He was aware that it took slaves a long time
to be able to unlearn their training and begin to behave as a normal person. If
only the brat didn't look so damn adorable and innocent, he would not feel like
pampering him so much. But the lesson had been needed; the hanyou needed to
feel the security of being under a strong master. But along with firmness,
something else was also needed.
He motioned to the servant to step forward. Inuyasha looked inquiringly at the
neatly wrapped parcel on the platter in her hand. Sesshoumaru took it and
placed it in the hanyou's lap. Inuyasha's eyes went wide.
"For me?"
"Open it, puppy."
Heart hammering with excitement, Inuyasha carefully opened the outer cloth
wrapping and then the inner thin rice paper. Within, were a carefully crisp
white undershirt, a haori and hakama – fiery red in color. Inuyasha's eyes were
impossibly wide and shining.
"Master…"
"It is a fire-rat kimono, Inuyasha, made out of the hair of the fire-rat. You
seemed afraid of soiling those fine garments in the shop so I believe this will
be adequate. It repairs itself, does not need to be cleaned and will grow as
you do."
For a moment, Inuyasha stared at the robes in wonder. The properties of fire-
rat hair were very well-known but as far as he knew, no such clothing existed
because everyone knew that the hair of the fire-rat was extremely difficult, if
not impossible to procure. Not many would survive the attempt as the hair had
to be taken off a live fire-rat for it to retain the properties and fire-rats
were rather…fierce by nature. This gift was priceless but this time, Inuyasha
knew better than to feel unworthy of it. Sesshoumaru-sama was the judge of what
he was worth, not him.
As soon as he got over the shock, he impulsively threw his arms around the
Lord, hugging him around the middle which was the part that he could reach
while the Lord was standing and he was kneeling on the bed.
As the hanyou burrowed his cute little head in his chest, Sesshoumaru allowed a
small smile to flicker on his lips. When Inuyasha pulled away, his face was
impassive once more.
"Do you like this color, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha nodded shyly. The slavers had always told him that a slave had no
likes or dislikes except what his master wanted him to have but somehow, he had
never been able to entirely get rid of his preference of this color.
"Red can mean many things to many people but I give it to you because it is the
color of courage," Sesshoumaru told him, voice soft. "Courage and confidence…"
Inuyasha looked doubtful. Courage? He was not courageous…
"Wear it without shame for you are worthy of it."
Inuyasha nodded fervently.
"Besides," Sesshoumaru said wryly. "You will need to be presentable when the
Lady of the Western Lands arrives. She must be quite keen to meet you."
Inuyasha's eyes went wide. "But…I have heard…the lady does not like hanyou…"
"That," Sesshoumaru informed him, "Is putting it verymildly."
 
===============================================================================
 
 
A/N: Next chapter: All hell breaks loose when Inuyasha meets Sesshoumaru's
mother ^_^
Tell me what you think of this chappie, especially the lemon. Ja ne! ^.^
 
***** The Lady of the West *****
Warnings:This chapter will contain yaoi, shota, lemon, D/s, Slave, humiliation,
masochism, violence. If you are not comfortable with these, please leave.
Chapter 10 – The Lady of the West
Inu no Taisho's features were outwardly schooled as usual into his impassive
mask, but inside, he was doing a little happy dance. His mate, the Lady of the
West returned today and although life had been a good deal quieter and calmer
when she was away, he had missed her.
Faced with sniveling, groveling sycophants, day in and day out, it was
refreshing to have his tart, fearless mate to endure it with him. Lady Tsukiko
was an unusual mixture of rigid, irreproachable propriety and unsettling
mischief. Inu no Taisho was respected and obeyed throughout his land, but Lady
Tsukiko inspired a different kind of awe- people obeyed her just because they
could not be entirely sure what she would do if they didn't – not that she had
ever been cruel or unjust, but her justice was precisely the thing that the
crooks feared and that served to keep them in line.
"Taisho, this is entirely your doing!"
This was the first line that greeted his ears on the arrival of his beloved
mate.
"What is it, my lady?" he asked mildly. "Something displeases you?"
Lady Tsukiko glared at him. "You know very well what displeases me! My son…what
have you done?"
Here we go, thought her husband.
"You have weakened our son! I leave my son for but a few days and you make him
take in a hanyou pet?"
"Make him?" Inu no Taisho raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think anyone can
makeSesshoumaru do anything?"
The Lady waved this aside. "Well, allowed him, then. How could you allow him a
hanyou pet?"
"Hanyou are living beings as well, Tsukiko-sama," he reminded her.
Lady Tsukiko snorted. "Then perhaps you would wish to house chicken and pigs
here as well, my Lord? After all, they are living beings as well; they deserve
a roof and shelter."
Inu no Taisho's lips thinned. "That is not the same thing," he told her
irritably.
"Whyever not?" she challenged.
"BECAUSE THE DAMN HANYOU IS NOT A CHICKEN, ALRIGHT?" Inu no Taisho shouted.
Then he groaned as his mate just smirked. Insufferable woman! Why had he missed
her again?
The guards posted outside the room looked at each other as their Lord's loud
voice reached their ears. The Lord and the Lady met after many days and they
were discussing chicken?
Lady Tsukiko looked at him in an injured manner. "I spend years training our
son to be the future Lord of the West and you weaken him in a few days? Is that
all my efforts are worth? Is that how it is?"
Inu no Taisho hesitated. "No! Of course not! That's not…that is not what I-"
Lady Tsukiko closed her eyes, took a deep breath and held up a hand. "You need
say nothing further, my Lord," she said in wounded tones.
Inu no Taisho passed a tired hand over his forehead. How was it that he could
work with intricate political and diplomatic problems for days on end and this
mate of his could tire him out in a few minutes?
"Look, why don't you just go sort it out with Sesshoumaru?"
 
===============================================================================
 
When the Lady of the West had first heard the rumors of her son with a hanyou,
the bearer of this ill tiding had feared for his life. The noble Lady did not
appreciate her son walking in his father's footsteps with regard to these
rather embarrassing eccentricities. She had made it a point to learn the full
and accurate account of what had happened and she had at once determined to
make sure Sesshoumaru knew exactly how she felt about the whole issue.
When she returned to the palace, everyone walked on eggshells for a while till
the Lady sorted things out with the young heir. Even the generals and officials
were not too keen on incurring her displeasure.
In fact, the only one who didn't seem to be afraid of her was her son.
"Sesshoumaru!"
"Hahaue," the young Lord bowed to his mother in greeting when she entered the
richly furnished room that was a favorite of his mother's. There were different
types of chairs arranged tastefully. Lady Tsukiko seated herself in a cushioned
chair. Sesshoumaru took a seat opposite her.
"Well?" she demanded. "Is it true?"
Sesshoumaru cocked his head to the side in a rather unsuccessful attempt at
innocence. "What?"
She reclined back slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "A hanyou? Really?"
The look that she was giving him now had been the cause of nervous collapse in
many a powerful demons but Sesshoumaru returned her gaze unflinchingly.
"Yes, mother. A hanyou. He is a pet." Then he glared. "And you are not to do
anything to him."
Lady of the West raised her eyebrows incredulously. "Did you just order your
mother, Sesshoumaru?" she asked in a very cold voice. "Your Lord shall hear of
this, make no mistake."
Sesshoumaru raised an arrogant eyebrow. "So?"
The Lady of the West glared at him intimidatingly for a moment. When
Sesshoumaru didn't seem even remotely affected, she sighed. "Yes, you're
right." It was very obvious what she thought of the esteemed Lord's control
over their son.
She sighed with deceptive resignation. "Well, I would at least like to meet the
famed hanyou."
Sesshoumaru gestured for a servant to bring Inuyasha.
Inuyasha had not yet healed from the injuries of Sesshoumaru's harsh use of
him. As a result, there were deep scratch marks, bruises and various cuts on
his body. His throat still bore the marks where the collar had dug in when
Sesshoumaru had held him in a choking grip. He still limped heavily as his ass
hurt like a bitch too but he reveled in the pain; it was proof of his master's
power over him. He did not want the dull ache to go away any time soon. Every
time he sat down, especially on a hard surface, a sharp lance of pain would
shoot through his rear end and he would shiver at the memory of that glorious
night with his Lord. Pain was good; it kept you grounded, made you real.
When he headed towards the room where his Lord had summoned him, he was wearing
his red fire-rat robe along with the collar and leash that he was henceforth
ordered to wear even within the castle. Sesshoumaru would not make the mistake
of giving him too much freedom before he was ready for it.
"What do you plan to do with him?" Lady Tsukiko asked her son while they
waited.
When Inuyasha entered, covered in bruises and bite marks and limping severely,
she smirked. "I see."
Inuyasha bowed low before her. Lady of the West threw him a glance of utmost
disdain. Inuyasha shrunk back and almost whimpered. This Lady was scary!
"Well I must say I am disappointed in you, my son," she said in her coldest,
most formal tone. "A hanyou pet…to think the extent to which Sesshoumaru should
fall, just when I was away. The fate of a kingdom rests on your shoulders and
this…" she glanced contemptuously at the kneeling slave. "…these are the values
you have? To play with what is not worth the dust under your feet."
Every word pierced Inuyasha's heart with the force of a poison-tipped arrow.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and gave her a look that clearly said I know what
you're trying to do and it's not going to work.
Lady Tsukiko sat, straight backed and proud.
"You have tainted the castle by bringing a hanyou in here. Have you no respect
for traditions?"
He raised an eyebrow. Lady Tsukiko was asking him to respect redundant old
traditions? His mother was taking him to task over breaking tradition? That was
the pot calling the kettle black.
"Such behavior…such common tastes and passions…this is not what is expected of
the future Lord of the West. Take care, Sesshoumaru…or you may end up throwing
away a kingdom over a slave."
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he panicked. The kingdom? Was she talking about
disowning Master Sesshoumaru? Would he lose his throne? Because of him? Why did
the prince insist on risking so very much on him? She was right - he was not
worth the dirt under his feet.
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at his mother's theatrics. Being melodramatic was
in the Shiro inuyoukai blood, it seemed.
The Lady did not miss Inuyasha's increasingly horrified and ashamed countenance
and the glint in her eyed conveyed the challenge to her son. With a slight,
haughty tilt of his chin, Sesshoumaru accepted it.
But he could not say anything in the presence of the servants and guards and
his mother knew that! Dammit, now he would have to spend some time convincing
the sensitive little puppy that his mother's odd sense of fun was not the
hanyou's fault and that he, Sesshoumaru, was not going to be disowned because
of having a hanyou slave; he had gotten away with far worse, after all. But the
slave had an irritating habit of shouldering the blame for all misfortune.
He stood up. "If that is all, my lady, I will take my leave."
The Lady of the West said nothing. Inuyasha and everyone else only saw the
impassive, regal countenance and piercing, shard-like eyes; only Sesshoumaru
saw the cheeky spark of mischief in them.
 
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha sat miserably in his place at Lord Sesshoumaru's feet, fiddling with
his red haori's sleeves.
Sesshoumaru glanced at him. "Do not pay attention to, Hahaue, Inuyasha. She
does not truly mean it."
Inuyasha glanced at him disbelievingly. Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly. "It is her
idea of a joke."
Inuyasha looked on the verge of tears. "B-but...she said…your crown…"
Sesshoumaru smirked. "What about it?"
Inuyasha stared at him wide eyed. "I could not bear it if you were deposed
because of me, my lord."
Sesshoumaru's eyes glinted dangerously. "My parents are not foolish enough to
needlessly sacrifice the life of any hapless demon presumptuous enough to try
and take my place."
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly but he was still miserable.
"But y-your mother was displeased with you, my Lord-"
Sesshoumaru returned his attention to the papers he was looking through. "That
is perfectly normal."
"-be-because of me…" Inuyasha bit his lip. "I-I'm sorry, Master. You got into
trouble…because of me…"
Sesshoumaru wanted to roll his eyes. Being in trouble was how he had spent the
majority of his life. His parents would grow concerned if he started behaving
in a proper, decorous manner.
"It is none of your business, hanyou," Sesshoumaru commanded coldly. "Your job
is to please me…do not presume to disquiet yourself over my affairs."
Inuyasha jumped at the severe tone.
"Yes, my Lord," he said softly, keeping his eyes on the floor.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the little slave. Inuyasha was still anxious and was
biting his lower lip adorably. Seeing the submissive little puppy worrying his
soft, red lip, Sesshoumaru felt a stirring in his lower regions. Putting his
work aside, he reached down and with one clawed thumb, eased the swollen lip
away from his teeth. Inuyasha glanced up, startled.
"You will put that mouth to better use, hanyou," the Master ordered huskily.
Inuyasha whimpered at his tone.
Taking hold of his leash, Sesshoumaru pulled the kneeling hanyou between his
legs. Inuyasha blushed. Sesshoumaru guided the slave's mouth to his now exposed
cock and Inuyasha obediently took him into his mouth. It was too big; Inuyasha
could only take in about half of it. He whined happily as Sesshoumaru caressed
his ears encouragingly. Master was pleased; he was doing good!
But for Sesshoumaru, it was not enough. He allowed the hanyou to get used to
the large member in his mouth but then he gripped the puppy by the back of his
neck and forced him to take in a little more. Slowly, carefully he began
thrusting in and out of the hanyou's virgin mouth, going in a deeper each time.
Finally, his control broke as he felt the head hit the back of the little
hanyou's throat. Pulling back, he thrust in rather roughly and Inuyasha gagged,
staring up at him wide eyed.
Sesshoumaru looked down languidly into the choking hanyou's eyes. Damned if he
didn't look adorable choking so helplessly on his dick! He held himself in
place for a while till Inuyasha began to struggle to breathe. The child's tight
little throat was clenching around him in the best possible way. Finally, he
pulled back a little and allowed Inuyasha to take in a few quick breaths before
thrusting back in. The warm, wet hole was too good for him to stop fucking.
Inuyasha concentrated on not choking as Sesshoumaru took his pleasure from him.
Inuyasha had felt himself get hot just at the position he was in; trapped on
his knees between the Lord's powerful, muscled legs, with his Master
controlling his leash- he could not turn, could not move, could not do anything
that his master did not want him to. He was a leashed pet; his master could use
him as he pleased…like a slave…like a dog…
He snapped out of his fantasies as Sesshoumaru's hold on the back of his head
tightened and he suddenly thrust deep into his throat and remained in place,
grinding the poor hanyou's face into crotch. Inuyasha could not breathe as his
throat was stuffed with his master's cock and his nose was buried in
Sesshoumaru's pubic hair; he began to struggle but Sesshoumaru paid him no
mind. Then, with a soft groan, he came deep in the hanyou's throat forcing the
slave to swallow all of his cum. What he couldn't swallow spilled from the side
of his mouth and dribbled down his chin.
Panting softly with flushed cheeks, Inuyasha glanced up shyly at his master.
His lips were red and swollen from the delicious abuse and his throat was sore
but it had been worth it to be able to taste Sesshoumaru-sama. He was
reassured; his master had gifted him with his touch, so obviously, he was not
angry with him. He had learned his lesson over worrying about things beyond his
control. Lord Sesshoumaru did not wish to let go of him despite his mother's
disapproval so it was not his place to question his master. Hadn't the Lord
made it clear that Inuyasha belonged to him and no one else?
Sesshoumaru caressed his ears soothingly. If his puppy looked this fuckable
every time he did this, then his knew permanent place was on his knees between
his Master's thighs.
 
===============================================================================
 
Some of Inu no Taisho's courtiers, including Gaeten, were celebrating. They had
heard of Lady Tsukiko's reaction to Sesshoumaru having a hanyou pet and they
all felt that if anyone could force the young Lord to see sense, it was his
mother. It was clear that since the Lady of the West disapproved of the hanyou,
he would not be long for this world. Lady Tsukiko and Lord Inu no Taisho were
the only people who could overrule Sesshoumaru. Lord Inu no Taisho spoilt his
son a bit too much, they felt. But now that Lady Tsukiko had returned, they had
an ally; no one hated hanyou and humans more than Lady Tsukiko.
Sesshoumaru, because of his uncompromising, ruthless nature, had many enemies.
There were many at court who felt that the young heir was not suitable to be
the next Lord of the West. Inu no Taisho understood the importance of diplomacy
and keeping good relations with others even if sometimes, one had to sacrifice
certain ideals – that was the way of the world, after all. But Sesshoumaru was
ruthless; his answer to intricate, tangled problems was a slash of his claws.
Admittedly, more often than not, it worked but it made things…inconvenient for
those who sought personal gain along with the good of the kingdom.
So, excited tongues wagged in censure of the young Lord, hoping the noble Lady
would pay heed and take action. One of the officials, Teru, was a member of the
diplomacy- on many occasions, his cunning words had prevented bloodshed and
placated miffed Lords. However, he was a unique combination of honeyed words
and harsh action and this time, Teru thought it was a time for actions rather
than words. It was good to be cautious, he felt, but nothing great was ever
achieved without some element of risk. Sometimes, it was important to know who
owned the marmalade and right now, it wasn't Sesshoumaru. Of course, the Lady
was very fond of her son and not inclined to hurt him. She would need a …
little nudge in the right direction. This was a perfect opportunity to prove to
her who exactly was on her side.
"You are willing to…do away with the hanyou?" she asked the kneeling youkai
impassively.
Teru eagerly bowed low before her. "If you wish it, your Majesty!"
Lady Tsukiko looked at him with inscrutable eyes. "And what of Sesshoumaru? If
he finds out I ordered his precious pet to be slain, he would be quite upset
with me."
"He…need not find out who the perpetrator was, Majesty," Teru said carefully.
Lady Tsukiko looked at him thoughtfully. "Hmmm…it's an idea…"
Teru flushed with triumph. "My Lady, all I ask is your protection! If the young
Lord even suspects me…"
A cold shudder went through him. He did not even want to imagine.
"The little hanyou is a bit of an embarrassment, ne?" she sighed.
"Yes, my Lady," Teru nodded furiously. "And this seems to be the only
solution…"
"My son is quite stubborn," the Lady of the West agreed reluctantly.
"So…shall I…go ahead, majesty?" Teru asked, heart thundering furiously in his
chest.
Lady Tsukiko contemplated for a long moment. "No, never mind. Sesshoumaru is
determined to have him. He will go ballistics if anyone even lays a hand on his
little toy. He tore out a servant's tongue for merely insulting the child, did
he not?"
Teru nodded and swallowed nervously at the memory of that terrifying day.
Lady Tsukiko rested her cheek on the back of her hand. "He will tire of the
slave soon enough. It is best to wait. Besides, he has ordered that no harm
should come to the boy -"
She smirked and Teru frowned worriedly. "-and it is not in your best interests
to disobey Sesshoumaru. My son has quite a temper."
Teru agreed with her on that but he could not hide his disappointment.
 
===============================================================================
 
Late that night, Inuyasha limped back cheerfully to his master's chambers.
Sesshoumaru had given him permission to go and get some fresh air since he had
work to do; Inuyasha could stay out till midnight…after all, there was no
danger to him inside the castle walls.
The gardens in the back part of the castle were extremely beautiful, especially
at night. They were heavy with the scent of the night flowers that gave out
fragrance only at night and today, on a full moon night with a light breeze
playing, it was absolutely heavenly.
Inuyasha smiled happily to himself. Master must be finished with his work by
now. Inuyasha hoped he would have some time for him.
The night was still and silent except for the rustling of leaves and the sound
of the wind through the trees. The guards who stood at their posts might as
well have been statues.
He gasped as a shadow moved suddenly.
He looked around in alarm and then sighed with relief; it was only the shadow
of a swaying tree-branch falling because of the moonlight coming into the open
corridor. Nevertheless, he quickened his step.
He did not have time to scream when a heavy body slammed into him, holding a
clawed hand firmly across his mouth. Inuyasha at once began struggling and
kicking but it was entirely ineffectual against the demon's strength.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow you any last words, brat," he hissed, smirking.
Inuyasha began struggling harder. He glanced appealingly at the guards. They
just stared blankly at him. His captor laughed. "What're you lookin' at them
for, hanyou? Just because Sesshoumaru-sama has taken a fancy to your body, did
you think you were royalty? These guards are here to protect only the
inhabitants of the castle…the rightfulinhabitants…"
Inuyasha tore his gaze away from them and trained his eyes on his soon to be
murderer.
"Ummmumph!" he tried to scream, but it was useless.
The demon hefted the long spear-like weapon he held in his other hand, smiling
nastily at him. Inuyasha shut his eyes tightly and turned his head away. He
raised the spear-
"Teru,"
The cold, commanding voice made the demon freeze in his tracks. Without
releasing the hanyou, he turned towards the Lady of the West.
"M-milady…"
Lady Tsukiko walked towards them regally, silently. The moonlight falling into
the corridor made her white silky clothes glow in the dark night along with her
pale skin and light golden eyes.
"Did I not tell you not to do it?" she asked softly.
Teru was frightened but he set his jaw. "My lady, it is the perfect
opportunity. Please!"
She glanced at the guards and then back at Teru. Teru smirked but it was rather
strained. "It is amazing what a few pieces of gold can buy."
"You would disobey Sesshoumaru?" she wondered.
Teru knew his next words would either make or break him. He bowed his head.
"Forgive me for speaking plainly, my Lady, but I am my Lady's servant first. If
I may say so, Lord Sesshoumaru is still…young."
"Hmmm…so your loyalty lies with me?"
Teru looked up and met her eyes. "My life is yours to command, my Lady.
Sesshoumaru-sama may have my head for this but if having this hanyou disappear
pleases you, I would gladly forfeit my life to do your will."
Lady Tsukiko smiled slightly. "I see."
Teru did not have time to blink before Lady Tsukiko's poisoned claws severed
his legs clean at the knees. With a cry, Teru dropped Inuyasha in an attempt to
keep himself from falling.
"My Lady!" he gasped, cradling his stumps. "Did I displease you in some way?"
"Just what do you take me for, fool?" her voice was icy. "The noble house of
Inu no Taisho cannot be corrupted by the likes of you!"
"I-I did not mean offence, my Lady," Teru stuttered, gritting his teeth against
the pain throbbing through his legs.. "I am loyal…loyal to you, my lady!"
"I did not order this killing. Did I not tell you to leave him be? You dare go
aggainst my commands...
Teru whimpered. "M-my Lady…I-I thought…Lord Sesshoumaru's mistake…"
Lady Tsukiko backhanded him across the mouth. "It is not your place to evaluate
Lord Sesshoumaru's actions. He is your Master. Inu no Taisho and I will
determine how to correct his mistakes. You presume to get above yourself by
attempting to judge him?
Teru gasped. "I-I…but your authority is above his, my Lady…"
Lady Tsukiko's eyes flashed dangerously. "And his authority is above yours.
Sesshoumaru is your Lord and the future ruler of this land...neither you nor
anyone else has any right to disobey his commands unless Inu no Taisho or I
order you otherwise."
Her eyes were alight with cold fury. These vermin needed to be taught a lesson
about who exactly was in charge here.
"Prince Sesshoumaru is the acclaimed heir of the Lord of the West. Any command
given to you by any member of the royal family has far more value than your
worthless life. If Sesshoumaru orders you cut off your arm, you cut it off…if
he demands your life, you give it…if he commands you to be nice to a hanyou,
you do it."
Teru fell at her feet. "My lady, forgive me! It will not happen again. I beg of
you!"
Ladt Tsukiko stared calmly at the groveling demon.
"Because of your skills, you are a valued member of the Court and the Western
Lands are ruled by mercy and forgiveness…"
Teru looked up hopefully.
"…but there is no forgiveness for traitors."
Teru gasped and curled into a ball, bringing his thick, muscled forearms up to
protect his head. Looking amused, Lady Tsukiko stepped forward and wrapped a
small, delicate clawed hand around his wrists and pulled them apart as if there
was no resistance at all.
The guard at the end of the corridor screamed as Teru's head rolled to a stop
near his feet.
Lady Tsukiko turned to face them.
"Of all crimes, attempting to sow seeds of resentment, unrest and rivalry is
the worst." Her voice held implacable power. There was no hint of amusement or
dramatics.
She walked forward slowly. The guards stared at her, horrified.
"The power of Inu no Taisho's rule is family. If anyone attempts to disrupt
that – turn one against the other…"
Swift as a cobra, she grabbed the nearest guard by the throat. With strength
belied by her frail, delicate figure, she raised him above the ground and with
a violent movement, snapped his neck.
The other guards attempted to run for it.
A few seconds later, the once peaceful corridor was strewn with bloody corpses.
Lady Tsukiko calmly flicked the blood from her claws.
Inuyasha stood shivering in a corner, staring wide eyed at the carnage. Lady
Tsukiko turned to him and he backed away, whimpering.
"Stop, hanyou," she commanded sharply and Inuyasha immediately obeyed, freezing
to the spot.
"Are you hurt?" she asked him. He shook his head hesitantly.
His eyes widened as he stared at something behind her. Lady Tsukiko smiled.
"Sesshoumaru," she said without turning around.
Sesshoumaru stood silently next to the shadow he seemed to have melted out of.
"Fools," he said softly glancing around at the dead bodies. When would people
learn that there are some bonds that cannot be weakened?
Lady Tsukiko inclined her head in agreement. The other traitors who had plotted
this would learn not to disobey the prince's commands. Sesshoumaru's authority
had to be established from now itself if he was to be an effective ruler later
on.
Then she glanced at Inuyasha and smirked at Sesshoumaru.
"Take better care of your things."
She picked Inuyasha up by the back of his haori and tossed him at her son.
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he went tumbling through the air. Then he was caught
quite easily by Sesshoumaru. The demon Lord dangled him at his eyelevel,
inspecting him for damage. Inuyasha hung there limply and stared thankfully
into familiar golden eyes, no longer put out at being suspended 6 feet off the
ground by the back of his haori.
 
 
***** Of Play and Playmates *****
Chapter 11 – Of Play and Playmates
"Why are all the flowers of different colors, Sesshoumaru-sama?" little
Inuyasha asked.
He and Sesshoumaru were in the castle's main garden. It was a beautiful day;
the garden was in full bloom and the summer sun shone cheerfully on the castle.
For the time being, Sesshoumaru had released his pet from the collar and leash;
the weather was too beautiful to keep him confined and the puppy was not going
anywhere. Inuyasha was happily exploring the place, counting the different
kinds of flowers and attempting to climb all and sundry trees while Sesshoumaru
was enjoying a rare moment of peace and solitude.
Well, except for a few questions from his pet but he was the one who had
encouraged inquisitiveness in the child so he was quite satisfied. The red
fire-rat robe, which had at first seemed ill-fitting and gaudy on the frail,
dull-looking hanyou, now seemed to fit him better. Or, more accurately,
Inuyasha seemed more comfortable in it. The red was beginning to color his life
back. But Inuyasha, like all children, asked very odd and sometimes downright
disconcerting questions. Sesshoumaru, however, had far too much practice
talking his way out of sticky situations and answering answerable and
unanswerable questions.
"Because," Sesshoumaru told him, "If they were all alike, they would not be
able to recognize each other."
Inuyasha beamed and nodded. That made sense.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and allowed the light breeze to flow through him,
gently taking all his troubles with it. Despite being a ruler in the making and
a prince, Sesshoumaru had always been quite close to nature as a child,
spending many hours relishing the calming beauty of nature. His father had
encouraged this curious inclination as it kept the young heir out of trouble;
otherwise, his son's amusement seemed to come from the plight of some or the
other hapless soul who was unfortunate enough to become the victim of
Sesshoumaru's pranks.
Inuyasha glanced at his master from time to time just to reassure himself of
his presence. Even so, he made sure not to wander too far. He felt safe with
the feel of his master powerful, comforting aura. The young Lord was now
standing under his favorite tree; it was one of the ancient trees, hundreds of
years old and staring up at something, Sesshoumaru's silken garments swayed
gently in the breeze. He was so still, he could have been made of stone.
Until something jumped out, aiming one strong, tanned foot at the son of the
Western Lord.
Inuyasha gasped in fear but Sesshoumaru had already disappeared by the time the
kick landed harmlessly on the ground with a loud crash. The force of the kick
threw up a cloud of dust, shielding the attacker from Inuyasha's gaze.
An arrogant voice called out, "Lord Sesshoumaru…prepare to meet your maker."
Inuyasha ran and hid behind some bushes. This demon seemed powerful. Where was
Sesshoumaru-sama?
A white shape blurred into the cloud of dust and a quick match ensued. The only
sounds were to be heard were the sounds of blows landing and occasional grunts
and winces.
When the smoke cleared, Sesshoumaru was impeccable as ever, holding a grumpy
looking demon boy of some kind by his toe…upside down. The demon had a long
brown pony tail and a bushy brown tail, both of which were dangling to the
ground because of his position. Thankfully, the fur loincloth which he was
wearing remained in place.
Inuyasha stared in surprise at the captured demon. He did not seem very
frightened. Didn't he know that Lord Sesshoumaru would not spare his life for
daring to attack him in his own grounds like that? In fact, the boy looked
quite annoyed. He had his arms crossed and was steadily mumbling a string of
curses under his breath.
"What is going on here?" Inu no Taisho shouted, stomping into the garden,
looking ready to breathe fire. A sudden burst of youki – he could guess exactly
from whom – had pulled him out of some very important work.
"Chichiue," Sesshoumaru greeted graciously, entirely ignoring the upside down
boy he was holding by his toe.
Inu no Taisho also seemed not to have noticed. "Sesshoumaru! What in god's name
are you doing? Look at that! Look!"
He pointed accusingly at the shattered window of his study, some distance away
where he had been working. He liked to have the view of the beautiful garden to
look at when he was working. Did his son make it a point to trouble him?
Sesshoumaru glanced pointedly at the boy in his grasp. Inu no Taisho turned his
glare irritably upon the other demon. Then his frown cleared and he grinned.
"Kouga! Nice to see you again!"
Kouga nodded his head upside down. "Taisho-sama, it is a pleasure to see you
again too."
He turned to glare sideways at his captor. "Would you let go already, Jackass?"
Sesshoumaru calmly dropped him. Kouga fell in a heap, grumbling under his
breath. He got up, brushing himself off and bowed to Inu no Taisho. The Lord of
the West glanced exasperatedly at his son.
"Kouga is a guest, Sesshoumaru. Is this the way you greet your guests?"
Sesshoumaru's face was blank. "He attacked me, father."
"I most certainly did not! Sesshoumaru picked a fight with me!"
Sesshoumaru's lip curled. "Father-" he began.
Inu no Taisho shook his head. "You both are still the same after all these
years; can't go a minute without picking a fight. Sometimes I wonder how this
castle stayed up with the likes of you two growing up together."
Kouga grinned cheekily. "You know you missed me, Taisho-sama. Who else is gonna
keep this arrogant ass in line?"
Sesshoumaru raised an aristocratic eyebrow. "You will keep me in line? Indeed,
that is why you look like something the cat dragged in." He gave the wolf a
contemplative look. "Although," he conceded. "This is how you naturally look so
one cannot hold that against you."
"You little-" Kouga began but Inu no Taisho held up a hand to both of them.
"Well, I know it's hopeless, so I'll let you two boys sort it out by yourself
but do come in, Kouga. You'll want to freshen up after that…fall."
Kouga nodded, subsiding for the moment. He turned away from Sesshoumaru,
sticking his nose in the air and followed the Western Lord.
"It matters not. The wolf will reek just as bad," Sesshoumaru muttered, also
falling into step.
Behind the Lord's back, Kouga gave him the finger. Inu no Taisho sighed without
turning around.
"I'm not going to say anything," he stated, "Because you deserved that, son."
Sesshoumaru glared at Kouga. Kouga stuck his tongue out at him.
"Come, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru called, turning slightly to glance at the hanyou
who peeped put from behind the dark green bush where he had been hiding.
Cautiously, Inuyasha came out and followed his master, keeping a safe distance
from the strange wolf demon. Kouga looked curiously at Inuyasha but did not
comment.
 
===============================================================================
 
"So," Kouga said once they were comfortable in Sesshoumaru's room, "This is the
hanyou."
Sesshoumaru nodded, gently scratching Inuyasha's head with his claws. Inuyasha
smiled, happily basking in the attention.
"Hey, he's pretty cute," Kouga said, giving Inuyasha a very deliberating look.
"Can I-?"
"Touch him and die, wolf," Sesshoumaru stated blandly.
Kouga sighed. "Yeah, yeah I know…you're a possessive bastard. Never learned how
to share."
Inuyasha was very glad he had not. He was still a bit frightened of him. Who
was this strange demon, speaking so familiarly with his master? He stared
curiously at the wolf demon, glancing at his master questioningly. He had
almost broken the habit of not looking at his master, unless he was submitting.
"This is the wolf prince Kouga, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru introduced. "We,
unfortunately, grew up at the castle together till his father, The King of the
Wolf Demon tribe had to move up north." Then he turned to his friend. "Kouga,
this is my puppy."
Kouga looked amusedly at Inuyasha. "Hell yeah…he does look like an adorable
puppy."
Inuyasha's ears perked up at the praise. No other demon had ever said anything
nice about him before. He glanced looked searchingly at Kouga. The wolf demon's
eyes were a deep blue – calm like a deep lake. There was mischief in them and
amusement, but no malice. Inuyasha relaxed a bit.
Kouga leaned back in his chair and waved his arm derisively at Sesshoumaru,
closing his eyes. "Heh, he's wasted on you, you cold bastard."
Then he leaned down to whisper conspiratorially to Inuyasha, although he knew
Sesshoumaru would hear every word. "You ever get tired of him, come to me, ok
puppy? I'll take muchbetter care of you."
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "As if you could ever take care of anything, much
less a puppy. Remember the hamster you had?"
Kouga glared. "That was years ago! And how was I supposed to know hamsters
can't eat raw meat?"
Sesshoumaru smirked and mocked the wolf prince with his eyes.
"See?" Kouga complained to Inuyasha. "He's such an ass. Bet he's a jerk to you
too, eh pup?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently. "Oh no! Sesshoumaru-
sama is the best master ever!"
Kouga glanced knowingly at the almost faded, light bruises on the hanyou's
body. "Yeah, right…"
"But he is," pressed Inuyasha. "I was bad so Master had to punish me. But he is
a very kind master. He punished the mean demons who were troubling me and he
made everyone be nice to me." Inuyasha grinned toothily. "And he promised to
keep me forever."
Kouga stared in shock at Inuyasha and then looked at Sesshoumaru in
exasperation. "It's not fair," he complained. "You always get all the best
ones."
Sesshoumaru smirked insufferably.
 
===============================================================================
 
A red ball rolled to a stop near the place where Inuyasha, Kouga and
Sesshoumaru were relaxing.
The day was still beautiful and after a short while, it had seemed like a good
idea to move the reunion into the garden to enjoy the warm sun and the beauty
of summer.
So, Sesshoumaru and Kouga were lying on comfortable long-chairs- the kind that
curled smoothly on one side. Both were propped up with cushions and pillows.
Inuyasha sat on the soft, sweet smelling grass near Sesshoumaru, playing with
flowers and plants and listening to Sesshoumaru and Kouga's repartee. He was
beginning to realize that the insults and scuffles between the two were a
strange, rough sort of affection. Kouga seemed to be a nice enough guy.
Inuyasha's ears flickered curiously and he stared at the ball longingly, trying
to pay attention to what Kouga was saying.
"Don't believe a single thing that this guy tells you about me, Inuyasha,"
Kouga was saying but Inuyasha was only half listening, itching to reach out and
touch the curious red toy. It looked like so much fun!
"Inuyasha?" Kouga inquired, looking down to see what the kid was staring at.
When he spotted the ball, he and Sesshoumaru exchanged a discreet, amused
glance.
"You may go," Sesshoumaru said abruptly.
"Go?" Inuyasha asked, turning away from the ball to look at his master.
"Go play with the other children, puppy."
Inuyasha gasped. "Oh no, my Lord! Kouga-sama wanted me to-"
Kouga tsked impatiently. "Nonsense! We'll have more than enough time to catch
up. Go have fun!"
The hanyou looked uncertainly at his master. Sesshoumaru nodded once and
Inuyasha jumped to his feet, beaming.
"Thank you very much!" He bowed to both demons, picked the ball up and ran off.
 
===============================================================================
 
After he was gone, Kouga turned sideways facing Sesshoumaru and propped his
head on his elbow. "So…a hanyou pet?"
Sesshoumaru did not turn to look at him. "Shut it."
Kouga grinned. "Oh come now…"
"No."
"But I thought you hated hanyou…weren't you always going on about how filthy,
useless they were? Why don't you just admit that the little puppy melted your
pointy frozen heart?"
Sesshoumaru gave him a flat look at the description. Pointy? "He is merely a
slave."
"Sure he is," Kouga scoffed. "That's why you threaten to kill anyone who
touches him."
"He's mine." Sesshoumaru stated.
"Yeah, yeah I know but would it kill you to admit that you have a soft spot for
him?"
Sesshoumaru almost sniffed. "Well you are one to talk, wolf-boy. Tell me, how
is Ayame?"
Kouga immediately turned red and scowled. "Shut up! She was just a kid,
alright? She didn't know what she was saying."
Sesshoumaru smiled deviously. The tables had turned. "It seemed to me as if she
knew exactlywhat she was saying. Indeed, if you two got around to doing half
the things she wanted to-"
"We didn't doanything!"
"Of course not," Sesshoumaru replied smoothly. "I'm sure you would not want to
sully the name of your future mate however talented she is at-"
"Would you stop?" Kouga shouted, embarrassed. "She is not my mate, alright?"
"Oh?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "Friends with benefits, then?"
"WE WERE NOT FRIENDS!" Kouga felt like his head was going to blow up.
Sesshoumaru was truly the most annoying, irritating, useless prick he had ever
met!
"I have not seen Ayame in years, alright? Now she's-"
But Sesshoumaru was not listening to him. The dog demon frowned when he saw
Inuyasha's slumped figure coming morosely back towards them. Both sets of demon
eyes followed him as he quietly came to a stop near Sesshoumaru's feet and sat
down on the ground.
"What is the matter, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked. "You are back already?"
Inuyasha tried to smile but it was obviously forced. Kouga sat up to look at
him. He was so bubbly a moment ago; now he looked as if someone had died.
"Th-they…left…"
"Left?" Sesshoumaru asked.
Inuyasha looked down at his toes, trying very hard not to cry. He knew it was
stupid but it had happened one too many times now. Somehow, he had thought this
time would be different. But why should it be?
"So why d'you look like your favorite cat just died?" Kouga asked bluntly.
"Umm…" Inuyasha didn't know what to say. It was so stupid; what was there to
say?
Sesshoumaru gestured for him to come closer. Inuyasha reluctantly obeyed and
stood in front of his master. Sesshoumaru stared intently into his eyes.
Inuyasha looked down.
"Wh-why don't they want to play with me?" he mumbled in a small voice.
Comprehension dawned on both Kouga and Sesshoumaru.
"They did not allow you to play with them?" Sesshoumaru repeated.
Inuyasha shook his head. "It's always like that – whenever they see me, they
always…go away…I don't know what I did wrong..."
Kouga frowned at the hanyou's distress. "You didn't do anything wrong, kid."
Then he looked at Sesshoumaru. "You gonna go kick their ass, or should I?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "You will do nothing of the kind."
Inuyasha looked slightly disappointed and Kouga scowled. "Why not?" he
demanded.
"Because," Sesshoumaru told him, "They did nothing wrong."
Kouga frowned. He had grown quite possessive of the cute little hanyou and was
not averse to kicking his old friend's ass if he decided to take his sadistic
side out on the puppy.
"Sesshoumaru-" he began threateningly but the demon Lord took hold of
Inuyasha's haori and plopped him in his lap. Inuyasha blinked at the sudden
change of location then relaxed and snuggled happily into his Master.
Sesshoumaru slowly stroked his head.
"You have no idea how cruel kids can be," Kouga told him shortly. Sesshoumaru
shrugged.
"Cruel, yes. But not wrong."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"That they are well within their rights to reject him, wolf. Whether because he
is hanyou or for any other reason, children always reject those who are
different and adore those who are stronger than them. The hanyou cannot escape
the lesson, Kouga. It is how life goes."
"Well, it shouldn't," Kouga argued stubbornly. "The poor kid felt so bad. And
it's not his fault." Inuyasha agreed completely.
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "Of course it is not his fault. It isn't anybody's
fault. He will merely have to learn that life is cruel sometimes. The adulation
of the crowd will always go to the powerful, never to those who are weak or
different."
"You would definitely know," Kouga muttered broodingly, still not happy with
his friend.
Inuyasha stared at him in surprise. "You and Sesshoumaru-sama played together?"
Kouga looked up and grinned at him. "You bet."
"Tell me more, please!" Inuyasha implored, his own misery forgotten in favor of
the chance to learn something about his master's childhood.
"There's not much to tell," Kouga shrugged.
"Please!" Inuyasha begged. "What was he like as a small boy? Were the other
kids mean to him?"
Kouga burst out laughing. "Mean to him?" He asked incredulously. "Oh no…on the
contrary, they worshipped his holy ass."
"What?" Inuyasha asked, eyes shining. "Did Master Sesshoumaru have many friends
when he was my age?"
Kouga glanced at his old friend in amusement. "Well…I don't know if you can
call them friends…"
"What do you mean, Kouga-sama?" Inuyasha asked eagerly, leaning towards the
wolf demon, balancing precariously in Sesshoumaru's lap. Sesshoumaru returned
Kouga's amused glance and absently placed a hand in front of the hanyou to make
sure he would not fall off.
"You can say that he was very popular…"
Sesshoumaru smirked at the careful wording.
"So he had many friends!"
"No, I had followers," Sesshoumaru replied. He remembered all the children who
would follow him around, clamoring for his attention. He was the son of the
Lord of the Land, after all and the strongest among them by far.
"Did you play many games?"
Kouga again began to laugh. Games…yes, Sesshoumaru had always loved playing
games with others though not the ones children usually played.
"Not these games, no," Sesshoumaru replied, playing idly with Inuyasha's ears.
It was coming to be his favorite pastime. The ears never failed to flicker
curiously at his touch obviously pleased at the attention.
"Why not?" Inuyasha wanted to know.
"Because," Kouga replied, "He was always too freakin' fast so he always won
everything. It was damn pissing off."
Inuyasha giggled and Sesshoumaru smirked. "It's not my fault that you're slow
as an ill sloth, wolf."
Kouga scowled playfully and threw a pillow at him. He threw up his hands
exasperatedly as Sesshoumaru caught it elegantly before it hit him and placed
it at his back, making himself more comfortable.
"You ass! You know damn well I was faster than almost all those other brats."
Sesshoumaru smiled as Inuyasha crossed his legs and made himself comfortable in
his master's lap.
"Yes but that's not saying much, is it?"
"Fine," Kouga agreed grudgingly.
"It must have been great to be better than everyone and have everyone follow
you around, ne?" Inuyasha asked Sesshoumaru longingly, turning his body so he
was now sitting facing him.
"Not really," Sesshoumaru shrugged, folding a forearm behind his head and
leaning back. He gestured to a nearby servant. The servant bowed and
disappeared then almost immediately reappeared with chilled drinks. Kouga took
one and Sesshoumaru took two, handing one to Inuyasha. Inuyasha took it eagerly
and was delighted at the cool, sweet taste.
"It was mostly boring," Sesshoumaru continued. "Their games mainly involved
bickering among themselves over trifles or running around like monkeys."
Kouga took a sip of his drink and rolled his eyes. "That's because you were
already as fast as the wind and twice as strong when they were still learning
to crawl."
Inuyasha gazed at the youkai in awe. He was so lucky to have such a great
master!
"So the point is, they're not being cruel. They're just being children."
"But that means I'll never get to play with anyone my age?" Inuyasha asked in a
small voice.
"It means they will not get to play with you," Sesshoumaru told him with a
smirk. Kouga grudgingly agreed. Sesshoumaru was, after all, the best authority
on self-confidence -and arrogance- and right now, Inuyasha needed a bit of
both.
"But-but all the other kids have friends and I have no one…"
"You will," Sesshoumaru assured him.
Inuyasha looked up at him in surprise. Sesshoumari smiled. The puppy looked
really adorable with his eyes wide. "Really? When?"
"Once you've grown up."
"But…why should then be any different from now?" Inuyasha asked miserably. He
just knew he was never going to have any friends and he would always watch the
others having fun, belonging. Always on the outside.
"Because," Sesshoumaru told him. "Adults are very different from children. When
you are strong, they will respect you."
"Strong?" Inuyasha asked in wonder. Him, strong? He had never even thought
about that before.
"Yeah," Kouga put in, "But also, there's something else."
"What else?" Inuyasha asked.
"You have to notcare about them."
"Not care? But-but people like to be cared about!" he protested. "And if I take
care of what they like, then they'll like me, right?" Inuyasha asked.
Kouga smiled at the innocence in his voice. "That's what you'd think," he told
him. "But that's not how it works. You see, people will respect you if you
don't care about them, if you don't care about what they think."
"Really?" Inuyasha asked a bit uncertainly.
"Oh yes. Look at Sesshoumaru. You ever seen him give a damn about what people
think?"
Inuyasha had to admit he hadn't.
"But-"
"Don't be distressed that you're missing anything, puppy," Sesshoumaru told
him. "Believe me, when they finally accept you, you will realize that it's
nothing so great at all. It is merely boring."
"I will be strong?" Inuyasha asked hesitantly, hopefully.
"You bet," Kouga told him. "And maybe someday you can even kick Sesshoumaru's
ass."
"Oh I will never be anywhere near as strong as Master," Inuyasha replied
softly, blushing. He didn't add that he would never want to be stronger than
the demon Lord. It felt very nice to belong to someone so much more powerful.
And the best part was that he knew no matter how hard he tried, he never would
be. He would not hold back. His Master's power over him was genuine and not
because he, Inuyasha, allowed it. Otherwise, it would just be a facade.
Kouga smiled. It was true, unfortunately. His friend, although an ass, was far
too strong.
"But you'll be far stronger than all of them, kid," Kouga said, gesturing
towards where Inuyasha had just returned from. "And that's all that matters."
Inuyasha nodded eagerly.
The afternoon was spent cheerfully. Kouga told Inuyasha about their childhood,
the various mischiefs that the dog demon had been up to and how Kouga had
always been the one who pulled him out of it. Sesshoumaru told him how much of
a lie that was. Inuyasha enjoyed listening to them both; they were, after all,
very interesting stories. Kouga and Sesshoumaru had had a
rather…eventful…childhood and he loved sitting in his master's lap.
"By the way," Kouga turned to Sesshoumaru at one point. "Guess who's coming
here as part of the southern embassy."
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Southern embassy? Those rats…they're coming here?"
The Southern Lands were notoriously barbaric. There was no stable ruler and
there was constant factional fighting among various tribes. Generally, they
stayed away from the Western Lands because they were in no position to incur
Inu no Taisho's wrath so it was surprising that they had even formed an
embassy, and even more surprising that they were being sent here.
"Who are the members?"
"Guess," Kouga told him wryly and from his tone and expression, Sesshoumaru
deduced that it was no one good.
"I don't know many from those parts," Sesshoumaru told him.
"Oh you know these two," Kouga assured him. "In fact, that is one of the
reasons why I'm here. I have to discuss this with Lord Inu no Taisho and gauge
their sincerity so the Wolf tribe can make a decision as to whether or no to
invite them over."
Sesshoumaru's curiosity was aroused.
"Who?" he asked.
Kouga gave him a flat look. "The Thunder Brothers."
Sesshoumaru's hold on Inuyasha tightened and the hanyou looked at his master in
surprise. Sesshoumaru did not look happy.
"Hiten and Manten? They are a part of the southern embassy? There is not an
ounce of diplomacy in them, especially Manten."
Kouga shrugged. "I know. But the main thing is, they're coming here."
Inuyasha drew closer to his master in alarm as Sesshoumaru's aura darkened.
Hiten and Manten were both quite the lechers, especially Manten. No doubt,
Inuyasha would catch their eye. Sesshoumaru pulled his pet flush against his
body, crushing the little hanyou to him. Inu no Taisho would no doubt order him
to be civil to them, but if either of them eyed his puppy the wrong way,
then…well, there were other ways of destroying one's enemy except by outright
violence.
 
===============================================================================
 
A/N: Feedback appreciated!
 
***** Chapter 12 *****
 
Chapter 12 – Hiten and Manten
Sesshoumaru, Lady Tsukiko and Kouga were waiting when Hiten and Manten landed
from their cloud in the castle courtyard. Lady Tsukiko stood in the front with
Sesshoumaru standing on her right, close behind her and Kouga a little further
back to her left.
"Welcome, Hiten-san and Manten-san of the South," she said cordially.
Hiten, looking much like a human male except for his red eyes, stepped forward
and bowed formally to Lady Tsukiko.
"Thank you," he replied.
Manten followed behind his brother. At a glance, no one would have imagined
them to be brothers. Unlike Hiten, Manten looked more like a lizard or a fish
than anything else. Short, stout and bald with a large mouth and cunning eyes,
no one could mistake him for a human.
"I hope you find your stay here comfortable," Lady Tsukiko stated. "If there is
anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask."
She turned slightly and Sesshoumaru stepped forward. "You know my son,
Sesshoumaru and this is the wolf Prince Kouga. Kouga is our guest for a few
days."
Kouga nodded to them.
"Thank you, Lady Tsukiko," Hiten smiled amicably. "The Western Lord is well
known for his hospitality. I am honored to be allowed to stay in such
distinguished company." He glanced respectfully from her to Sesshoumaru and
Kouga. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed fractionally. A brute and a barbarian he
might be but Hiten, unlike his brother, was smart. He knew better than to make
needless enemies with his words before he got whatever he had come here for.
This one would have to be watched.
Lady Tsukiko gestured to a servant and the young demon girl came forward.
"Nariko will escort you to your rooms. I'm sure you will want to rest a while
after the long journey."
Hiten's lecherous eyes sized up Nariko and he smirked. "Yes, I am sure our stay
will be…delightful."
Nariko smiled coyly at the handsome demon and bowed low. Lady Tsukiko headed
into the castle, showing no reaction to this. A notorious ladies man, Hiten
invariably required a few women to warm his bed. No servants in the Western
Lands would be forced to service a guest against their will but since a lot of
the young maids found the thunder demon sexy, the problem was solved. Rumor had
it, however, that Hiten killed or devoured the young girls after he had his fun
with them but that of course, would not be allowed. The diplomat of the
Southern Lands knew better than to rouse the wrath of the Lord of the West by
needlessly killing in his castle. Hiten would keep his sadistic instincts in
check for the duration of his stay; his partners would be unharmed.
Manten cast jealous looks at the girl and his brother. Of course, females
always favored his brother. Hiten had a long plait of dark, beautiful hair. Who
would look at little bald Manten?
When Hiten followed the girl, eyes on her cute ass, Manten resolutely turned
his eyes away, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest that always
came whenever he saw his brother with a beautiful girl. He glanced back; Kouga
and Sesshoumaru had hung back behind the others. Manten could not help but
think that Sesshoumaru seemed even more beautiful than the last time he'd seen
him.
The breeze picked up, tossing the demon Lord's silver hair gently in the wind.
Manten repressed a shiver at the sight. Sesshoumaru really had the most
beautiful hair of anyone he'd ever seen, except for his brother. The cold,
dangerous demon Lord had been in his fantasy since the last time he'd seen him.
But he'd been too young to appreciate the beauty before him then. Now, however,
he could fully appreciate the toned, lean demon Lord's decidedly hot body…and
that hair. What wouldn't he give to have that hair curtain his face as the
demon Lord crawled on top of him, preparing to push into him with-
He snapped out of his fantasy as Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. Suddenly
realizing that he'd been staring, he blushed and hurried after his brother.
"So, Sesshoumaru-sama…word is that you keep a hanyou pet."
Sesshoumaru's face remained impassive.
They were seated in a semi-casual seating room. Having freshened up and rested
for a couple of hours, Hiten had expressed the desire to chat for a while with
the prince, who was about his age. Sesshoumaru didn't want to, but Lady Tsukiko
had insisted he comply. It wasn't right to be rude to diplomats.
That was how he found himself sitting with Hiten and his younger brother on
silk pillows, answering questions about some mundane things and listening to
the thunder demons talk about their life. Actually, Hiten did most of the
talking. Manten mostly agreed with whatever his brother was saying. Sesshoumaru
didn't fail to notice the adoring glances Manten threw his older brother.
"I mean no offence," Hiten assured him, correctly interpreting the look on his
face. "We would merely like to meet him. Hanyou are rare in the south; not many
survive the rather…rough atmosphere."
 
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha was waiting in Sesshoumaru's room.
The Thunder Brothers were to arrive today and Sesshoumaru, Kouga and the Lady
of the West had gone to welcome them. The demon Lord had warned the hanyou to
stay away from both of them as they were not particularly nice people.
"Inuyasha," a servant came in and bowed slightly. "Sesshoumaru-sama summons
you."
Inuyasha was surprised. Hadn't his master told him to stay put? But he nodded
and followed the servant.
 
===============================================================================
 
"This is Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru introduced.
Inuyasha looked curiously at the two guests. One looked like a lizard while the
other looked more human. Were they really brothers? They did not look at all
alike. He bowed to them both.
Hiten was still smiling but Sesshoumaru recognized the cruel look in his eyes.
The innocent little hanyou aroused the sadistic demon's instincts to break what
was so weak, so vulnerable.
"He is charming," Hiten announced while Manten glared at the hanyou. "Perhaps
you would allow me to get…better acquainted with him." .
Hiten stared into Sesshoumaru's eyes. There was no mistaking his meaning. If
the thunder demon had not come here on a diplomatic mission, he would be
screaming in agony right about now.
"I'm afraid that will not be possible," the demon Lord stated and the look in
his eyes promised bloodshed if Hiten pressed the issue. Fortunately, Hiten was
smart.
"I see," he said casually. "Well, it's a pity but I'm sure Nariko will keep me
…entertained."
Manten glanced enviously at his brother. Of course Hiten would have a gorgeous
young girl in his rooms to enjoy the night while he would be stuck alone in his
room, fantasizing with only his hand for company. Unless…
"Eh…Lord Sesshoumaru…" Sesshoumaru turned inquiringly towards him and Manten
blushed. "Perhaps you could…uh…show me around the castle…"
Sesshoumaru stared.
"It's, um, beautiful," Manten stammered, feeling himself get a little lost in
the smoldering golden eyes. "Um, the castle, that is," he hastened to clarify,
feeling uneasy under the demon Lord's gaze. "Yes, the castle is very
beautiful…hehe…"
"Certainly," Sesshoumaru said finally.
"Well, I'll be turning in, if you don't mind," Hiten announced. Manten look at
him, slightly disappointed. Of course, Hiten never cared what he did or who he
did it with…
 
===============================================================================
 
The castle is just too damn huge, thought Sesshoumaru as he gave Manten a tour.
Manten was far too inquisitive asking endless questions about this, that and
the other. Sesshoumaru mentioned snippets of information about things and
places and Manten gushed about how marvelous and breathtaking everything was.
Sesshoumaru did not particularly like ass-kissers and it was obvious that that
was in fact what Manten was trying to do. He couldn't wait to get away from
this idiot and return to his delicious puppy.
Some time after dark that day, the castle tour came to a close in Inuyasha's
favorite back gardens. Sesshoumaru stood facing the swaying trees, enjoying a
moment of peace and the light, cool breeze. He glanced up at the cloudless sky,
twinkling with stars. There was a very thin cresant moon visible. It would be
new moon in a one or two days. Inuyasha had been in the castle less than a
month but it seemed much longer.
"The flowers are beautiful tonight," Manten said, breaking him out of his
thoughts.
"Yes," he replied absently without turning around. He froze as he felt the
lizard demon's hand on his arm, caressing it slowly.
He tried to gently disengage his arm but Manten only pulled his body closer,
plastering himself against the demon Lord's side. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes,
I must not permanently maim the diplomat, I must not permanently maim the
diplomat, I must not…kill…
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Manten whispered in what he mistakenly thought was a
seductive voice.
"I suggest you let go, Manten," Sesshoumaru ordered in a cold voice.
But Manten was not as sharp as his brother. "But the night is still young, My
Lord," he whispered, attempting to embrace him. "Perhaps we can-"
Sesshoumaru moved his hand slightly and sent him flying into a nearby tree.
Manten groaned as his back made contact with the tree trunk.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" he cried.
"If you value your life, do not try that again." Sesshoumaru told him. "It does
not befit you to try and make advances on the Lord of another land."
Manten scowled. The injustice of the words stung. It had nothing to do with
being a diplomat, he knew. In fact, there were plenty of goings on between
diplomats and princes and Sesshoumaru was not known for his virtuous nature.
No, it had nothing to do with status at all…it was only the fact that he was
bald…
"You will regret that, Sesshoumaru-sama," he whispered, rankled by the demon
prince's aloofness. Sesshoumaru said nothing in response, only glanced at him
contemptuously.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Both sets of eyes turned to the entrance of the garden. Inuyasha bowed to them
both and addressed the demon Lord.
"Lady Tsukiko requests your presence, my Lord."
Inuyasha looked curiously at the lizard demon slumped against the tree as
Sesshoumaru walked towards him.
"Return to my chambers," he informed the hanyou, glancing at him and rubbing
his ears absently. "I will see her now." Inuyasha blushed with pleasure and
nodded.
The lizard demon's eyes burned with rage. Such affection to a hanyou…the nature
of their relationship was very clear. Sesshoumaru would not object to fucking a
hanyou child but he'd rejected him. He was almost a prince, dammit! What the
hell did Sesshoumaru think of himself? Just because he was fuckin' beautiful,
did not give him any right to treat him like dirt!
Manten could not tear his eyes away from the slave. His expression, the sparkle
in his eyes when Sesshoumaru looked at him, the way he blushed at every touch
from the demon Lord, his vulnerable, small body that was so appealing to his
brother…Manten hated Inuyasha with every fiber of his being. The half-breed had
no right to such happiness while he, a full-blooded demon, suffered in
loneliness.
 
===============================================================================
 
While his Master headed for the Lord and Lady's chambers, Inuyasha did as he
was told and headed for Sesshoumaru's rooms. The Prince's rooms and the Lord of
the Castle's rooms were in different wings of the castle, the latter being
quite a bit closer to the back gardens from where Inuyasha was returning. It
was a considerable distance to walk but Inuyasha didn't mind it as he happily
considered the prospect of spending time with his Master once he was done with
his work.
"Inuyasha," a voice called and the hanyou turned around in surprise.
"Yes, Manten-sama?" Inuyasha asked, feeling a little uneasy. The lizard demon
didn't seem very nice. His brother, on the other hand, seemed much nicer, more
friendly.
"Don't worry, child, I just want to talk to you for a while," Manten said in an
oily, sickly sweet voice. Inuyasha nodded unsurely.
"Sesshoumaru-sama is your Master?"
Inuyasha nodded enthusiastically. "Hai!"
"And you are happy with him?"
"Oh yes!" Inuyasha replied. "Sesshoumaru-sama is very kind to me."
"Perhaps a bit more than he should be," Manten murmured, looking at him
carefully.
Inuyasha's ears flattened and Manten smirked in his head in satisfaction. Oh
yes, the little kid was veryeasy to screw with. If he, Manten, had to face
humiliation day in and day out from the cruel words of Hiten's endless line of
lovers, it was only fair that Sesshoumaru's precious pet got a taste of that.
The demon Lord had turned him down cruelly, after all, putting him lower even
than a hanyou pet.
Hiten loved inflicting hurt with his hands and his weapons but Manten's weapon
of choice was words. Words, after all, were not partial to those blessed with
beauty. Words hurt everyone equally. It was not fair that pretty people got
everything they wanted; Sesshoumaru's toy should also get a taste of the
poison; no one was better than Manten at using words as weapons.
 
===============================================================================
 
The meeting with his parents continued well into the night. There were things
to be discussed regarding the Thunder Brothers' visit and some things needed to
be cleared up before the official meeting with the two took place where they
would put forward their requests. Important as this was, Sesshoumaru was glad
to return to his rooms for some well deserved rest. It was exhausting being
nice all day.
When he entered his chambers, he found Inuyasha in a far corner of the room,
hugging his knees and crying silently. The demon Lord frowned and strode
swiftly to the hanyou. Who dared make his puppy cry?
Without preamble, he lifted the child in his arms and headed for his huge bed.
Inuyasha stopped crying for a moment in surprise as he was suddenly being
carried in his master's arms. Sesshoumaru sat back comfortably against his
pillows and sat his puppy down into his lap facing him. Inuyasha tried to hide
his face by looking down but Sesshoumaru would have none of it.
"Look at me, little one," he ordered.
Inuyasha shook his head, attempting to burrow his face in his master's chest.
Sesshoumaru gently pulled him away and forced him to meet his eyes.
"What is the matter?"
Inuyasha whimpered but said nothing, attempting to get his master to release
his face, but Sesshoumaru's hand wouldn't budge.
"Tell me what is wrong, puppy," Sesshoumaru repeated softly.
"I-I…" Inuyasha hiccupped, wide eyes brimming with tears.
"Manten-sama said…he said-"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Manten said something to you?" That asshole was
going to get it.
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly. "He said...a hanyou can never be good enough to
satisfy a taiyoukai's needs and that…and that I cause you more trouble than
anything else and…and he's right!" he finished desperately trying to read the
demon Lord's face but it was inscrutable as always.
"I'm too weak to be of any use to you, Master," Inuyasha said in a small voice,
ashamed. "I-I know he's right. He said…he said that is why you would not have
to take so much trouble to save me from everyone and…and-"
Inuyasha didn't get a chance to complete that sentence as Sesshoumaru's lips
descended swiftly upon his. Inuyasha's eyes widened as Sesshoumaru's tongue
softly caressed his own, petal soft lips meeting the hanyou's in the sweetest
kiss. Inuyasha's mind shut down. There was nothing except Sesshoumaru's mouth
on his, nothing but the sweet pleasure of his master's tongue exploring his
mouth, nothing but the intimate connection between them…and it seemed to go on
forever, as though they would never be parted again…
When the demon Lord drew away, Inuyasha stared at him, glassy eyed and
speechless. He had kissed him. Lord Sesshoumaru had actually kissed a hanyou.
It was unheard of! Masters never kissed their slaves unless it was to inflict
some kind of torment afterwards and certainly never so gently.
"That son of a bitch is lying," Sesshoumaru assured him. "Do not believe a word
of what he says."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest but his brain functions were not entirely
back yet.
"You think you are troublesome?" Sesshoumaru asked, pulling him close.
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly, even as he soaked in the heat of his powerful
Master's body.
"Why?" the demon Lord asked, draping one arm over the little puppy's back, the
other hand reaching up to gently move Inuyasha's bangs out of his eyes.
"Because…I can't defend myself, Master. You have…you have tolerated me near you
even though everyone said you shouldn't and whenever anyone tries to…to hurt
me, I can't fight them at all and you have to take care of me…" Inuyasha bowed
his head submissively. "I am more trouble than I am worth, Master."
"Do you like fighting, Inuyasha?" the demon Lord asked, still not loosening his
grip on the boy.
Inuyasha shook his head miserably.
"Do you wish to learn how to fight?"
"Well," Inuyasha began hesitantly, staring at his hands. "I…I want to be useful
to you, Master. If I'm not so helpless a-and weak, you won't have to keep me
close all the time and I'll be less of a burden on you so-"
"Idiot," Sesshoumaru berated him, and Inuyasha looked up in surprise. "Just
what do you take me for, puppy?"
Inuyasha flinched at his annoyed tone, ears lying flat on his head.
Sesshoumaru's grip on him tightened.
"Protecting what is mine is not tedious; it is my pleasure."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. Sesshoumaru smirked wickedly. "Keeping you close to me
all the time is not at all tiresome, Inuyasha. Whether you can defend yourself
against others or not is irrelevant. I would not allow you to wander about
alone in any case."
"This –" The hanyou gasped and blushed as Sesshoumaru's hands suddenly cupped
his ass, kneading the cheeks. "-belongs to me. Those who seek to harm you will
meet a swift and bloody demise by my hands."
"But you wanted me to be strong," the hanyou reminded him miserably. "You said
I will have friends when I grow up because I will be strong but I'm notand I'll
never be…"
"Strength…has many forms, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru told him. Inuyasha looked up
into his Master's eyes. There was no hint of humor in them and his tone was
completely serious.
"Strength is in one's nature. In things that matter – like loyalty and honesty
– you are more than strong enough. But it is not in your nature to fight and
hurt others."
Inuyasha marveled at how well the demon Lord knew him. Yes, he did not like
fighting because he could not bear to hurt anyone. With the slavers, with
bullies, with cruel people who wanted to hurt him, he just didn't have the urge
to hurt them back and that made him a weakling, didn't it? Wasn't that why
everybody could walk all over him so easily?
"But…that means I will never be stronger…I'll always be…like this…"
"You will be strong," Sesshoumaru told him. "Just not in matters of battle
because I know you dislike violence. You will grow strong in other facets.
Strength in battle is not the most important; there are other strengths – to be
strong enough to not let others affect you so much, the strength to be true to
what you believe, the strength to believe in yourself."
The demon Lord's hold became possessive.
"And as far as people attempting to hurt you, it matters not, because I will
always be there to protect you"
Once again, Inuyasha had tears in his eyes but these were not tears of sadness.
He was simply overwhelmed. Sesshoumaru gently cupped the slave's face in his
hands and brushed the tears away with his thumb.
"You are an uke by nature, puppy. You do not need to try and be something you
are not. Violence…is not in your nature and that is alright. You are fine just
as you are."
Inuyasha threw his arms around his master, rubbing his nose in Sesshoumaru's
chest. The demon Lord smiled slightly and returned the embrace.
Inuyasha felt as though a big burden had been lifted from his heart.
Sesshoumaru gently caressed the hanyou's head, amusement twinkling in his eyes
as the puppy ears perked up happily at the contact.
"Sleep now, puppy. You have had a rough day."
Inuyasha let his eyes close, listening to the steady beat of his Master's
heart. Then his eyes flew open with a yelp as Sesshoumaru's hand came down
sharply on his behind.
"But you will be punished for letting that bastard lizard get to you, hanyou."
Inuyasha smiled at the roguish threat in the demon Lord's voice.
"I look forward to it, Master," he whispered softly, snuggling into
Sesshoumaru's chest.
Sesshoumaru smirked at the prospect of reddening the pup's bottom the next day.
Then his smile widened and his eyes darkened at the prospect of what he would
do to Manten for messing with his puppy. How dare the idiot try to make his pet
feel inadequate and miserable? If Manten wanted to play that game, it was time
to let him know that he, Sesshoumaru, could play it better.
 
===============================================================================
 
"The fucker said what to Inuyasha?" Kouga bristled, balling has hands into
fists, and getting ready to go kick his ass. "Wait till I get my hands on that-
"
"Wait," Sesshoumaru ordered, pulling him back by his tail. Kouga scowled at
him. "Get your filthy hands away from my tail," he snarled irritably. "If you
think I'm gonna let that motherfucker get away with insulting the little kid
you've got-"
Then he stopped short on seeing the amusement in Sesshoumaru's eyes.
"You're planning something," he stated, relaxing, no longer in any hurry to go
anywhere. Whatever Sesshoumaru planned would definitely be far worse than any
beating he could give the nasty lizard youkai. He knew from experience to run a
mile when the demon Lord got that glint in his eyes.
"What?" he asked finally when Sesshoumaru didn't say anything.
Sesshoumaru still remained resolutely silent. Kouga sighed in exasperation.
"Fine, asshole, don't tell me. Just tell me what I need to do." Irritating dog
never told anyone what he was up to but it would nevertheless be a lot of fun
to participate in whatever scheme he was hatching.
"You must injure Hiten," Sesshoumaru told him finally.
Kouga was confused. "Hiten? Why? That's pretty nasty, if you're planning to
hurt his brother just to get back at him."
Sesshoumaru smirked in his head.You have no idea what nasty is, wolf…
"No, you idiot, that's not what I meant. Just injure his leg so he can still
walk, but with difficulty. He must not heal for at least a couple of days and
there should be no mark left by the injury."
Kouga frowned. "Why all the specifications?"
Sesshoumaru smiled evilly. "You'll see."
 
===============================================================================
A/N: Feedback appreciated!
 
***** Thunder *****
Chapter 13 – Thunder
"Hiten-san!"
Hiten, who had been walking benignly down the corridor, paused and turned when
his name was called.
"Yes, Kouga-san?"
Kouga grinned. "I was wondering whether you'd like to spar with me? I have
heard impressive things regarding your prowess in battle. Perhaps you could
show me a trick or two?"
Hiten looked at him deliberatingly for a moment. He knew the wolf prince was
not really too fond of him and he heartily returned the feeling. What was the
boy's purpose in picking a fight like this? Kouga couldn't pull anything that
would jeopardize his, Hiten's, relationship with the Lord of the West. He came
in diplomatic capacity, after all. Then what did he want? But of course…he
could beat him any time.
"I would be honored, Kouga-san," he stated.
Kouga gestured for him to follow and they headed out towards the dojo which was
at a far end of the castle grounds. Hiten looked at it in surprise. It seemed
old and disused. Why was the wolf taking him here instead of the regular dojo?
"Kouga-san. I think there is another dojo in the castle which is more in use."
Kouga looked at him innocently. "Well yes but this one is more sturdy and since
it is a bit removed from the main castle, I think we can fight more freely
without disturbing the Lord and the Lady, don't you think?"
Hiten shrugged. "Alright. Let us begin."
 
===============================================================================
 
"Raia! Do you know where my brother is?"
Riai bowed respectfully to the little lizard demon. "I was told he is with
Sesshoumaru-sama, my Lord."
And that was really what she had been told…by Kouga. Of course, she knew he was
lying but technically, she had not lied to the Lord's guests. Mature and jaded
as she was with the years, she had to admit to herself that sometimes, it was
fun to go along with the young heir's games. He always made sure that none of
his…partners…ever got into trouble and unhesitatingly took the responsibility
if anything went wrong.
That, and she didn't like the Thunder Brothers. There was something…repulsive
about them.
Manten frowned. "With Sesshoumaru-sama? Why?"
Raia kept her face carefully neutral. "I am sure I do not know, sir."
Manten looked at her purposefully blank face and narrowed his eyes
suspiciously.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sesshoumaru's face never betrayed any expression but Inuyasha could clearly
read the displeasure on his master's face. He didn't know why the demon Lord
was mad; all he had been told that they were heading to a human village.
Sesshoumaru internally cursed his father and the incompetent guards for putting
him through this. The Lord of the West knew how much he hated these things and
yet, he had to learn to deal with all kinds of people and situations if he was
to be the future ruler of the lands. Sometimes, he felt this whole Lord thing
was more trouble than it was worth.
And those imbeciles. Were there no competent demons to provide security
anymore? There was a fierce, powerful butterflydemon attacking the village,
pillaging and plundering and those idiot guard had come running to the lord of
the land. Honestly, he would be having a word with them soon.
As they neared the scene of the village, the cause of all his problems became
apparent. It was, indeed, a butterfly demon. Although butterflies were supposed
to be beautiful and this…thing…was clearly not.
It was a garishly dressed grinning male demon with pink-red lips and a high
pony tail. He was sitting in a chair, apparently surrounded by human bandits,
grinning lecherously at the young village maidens they held captive. One of
them was serving the 'Lord' with trembling fingers. The others were huddling
close together, whimpering and holding their children close for as long as
their captives allowed. At the other end of the group, Sesshoumaru was
surprised to see a few demon children standing close together, glaring at the
bandits even as they shook with fear. It was rare to see demon children in a
human village. Perhaps they were waiting there till their parents finished
whaever errands they had come to the village to run.
Sesshoumaru landed neatly in the middle of the little drama scene. Some of the
women cried out in fear at the entry of this new 'threat'. Idiots. The demon
children, though, were smiling and looked relived. Even they knew of the
imperious Prince of the Western Lands.
"Ahhh the famous Sesshoumaru-sama," the butterfly smiled mockingly, not
bothering to even get up. "I have always wanted to go up against the mighty
prince."
Well, if he didn't have the sense to get on his knees and beg for mercy in
front of the young prince, then he was dumber than he looked.
…
A few seconds later, Sesshoumaru was flicking the stupid demon's blood from his
claws. Honestly, this is what had those guards stumped? A little poison sticky
stuff? He was a butterfly, for God's sake! He would personally be supervising
the training of the next batch of guards.
Inuyasha looked on in awe as his Master seemingly effortlessly finished the
scary colorful demon off. He had been a little uncomfortable coming to a human
village but his Master had ordered it so he had to obey. His experience in
human villages had not been fun. Some humans, he had found, were even crueler
than demons.
With their leader dismantled before their eyes, the idiotic bandits had,
unfortunately, decided to take matters into their own hands and had therefore
met their end under Sesshoumaru's whip. He never used his claws on humans if he
could help it. He did not want to take the trouble of washing their disgusting
blood off his hands. It took forever to come out.
The human women were eyeing him warily. Sesshoumaru looked on disdainfully as
the human child closest to him whimpered as the demon Lord glanced at him and
ran to his mother and hid behind her. The woman held the boy close, whispering
comforting words in his ears and cuddling him. Thus reassured, the boy peaked
from behind his mother to glare at the scary demon. The other women and
children also looked as though he would turn on them any time.
However, the two demon children came forward and knelt before him, touching
their foreheads to the ground.
"My Lord, thank you," one whispered. The others remained silent but kept their
heads respectfully bowed.
Sesshoumaru acknowledged them with a glance, then picked Inuyasha up and took
off without a backward glance at the humans. This is why he despised them.
Irritating creatures were the most dishonorable, spineless species of all.
Demons and even animals knew instinctively to be grateful to one's savior, to
give thanks for help rendered. But humans only ever thought of their own gain,
their own well-being. Whatever his father said, he had never yet encountered a
human who was different. The spineless creatures would sell their soul, their
pride everything for the sake of their pathetic lives.
"Master, where are we going?"
His puppy's small voice brought him out of his musings. That's right, he had
not told the boy why he had brought him along.
"I wanted some peace and quiet."
He always needed to get away for a while after spending time in those filthy
humans' company. Their ripe scents, always brimming with fear and cowardice
pissed him off and it was much quicker to take Inuyasha with him rather than to
come back to the castle to pick him up and then head out again.
The little hanyou looked at him a little uncertainly. "Would I not disturb you,
my lord?"
Sesshoumaru gave him one of his rare smiles. The concerned little pet's gentle
nature was soothing.
They came to a stop under a huge, sturdy looking tree. Inuyasha looked
concernedly at the ground. The tree was, indeed beautiful but its roots looked
very gnarly and a but scary. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to sit there?
But he'd barely finished that thought when he was picked up by his haori and
the next thing he knew, Sesshoumaru had soared up and landed gracefully on the
tallest branch. Inuyasha clutched at him and whimpered, shutting his eyes
tightly. Sesshoumaru frowned.
"Are you afraid of heights, pup?"
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly, still not opening his eyes.
Then he felt Sesshoumaru lower himself onto the wide branch. The demon lord
pulled him in his lap and snaked an arm around his waist. Of course
Sesshoumaru-sama would not be scared of heights. He could fly, after all. In
fact, Inuyasha was sure Sesshoumaru-sama was not afraid ofanything.
"Open your eyes."
Inuyasha flinched at the command but did as he was told.
Then he gasped.
The view was beautiful. There was a forest for miles around and somehow, they
seemed to be above almost all the trees in the forest, looking down at a lush
green carpet. Was this the tallest tree in the forest?
But as he looked straight down, Inuyasha held on tightly to his Master's arm
supporting him.
"You will not fall," Sesshoumaru murmured in his ears which flickered weakly in
response.
"I-I'm scared, Master," Inuyasha whimpered.
"Why?"
"Because," Inuyasha told him. "It's a very long way down."
Since Inuyasha was in his lap, back to his chest, the hanyou could not see the
slight smile on his Master's lips. With the hand that was not holding
Inuyasha's little body tightly against his own, Sesshoumaru tilted his puppy's
chin up gently, forcing him to look at the horizon.
"But the view is beautiful, is it not?"
 
===============================================================================
 
"Oni-sama," Manten asked gingerly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Hiten stated, limping over to his bed and lowered himself onto it
gingerly with the help of one hand.
"But you're hurt," Manten noted. "What happened?"
"I said it was nothing!" Hiten snarled, lifting his injured leg onto the bed
with difficulty.
Manten flinched a little at his tone. His brother's temper tantrums were
sometimes quite violent. But he had to ask.
"Where were you, brother?"
"I was with that mangy wolf Kouga," Hiten hissed. "Bastard did something to my
leg."
There was no need for his little brother to know that the wolf prince had
pulled something in his leg…it wouldn't heal and it hurt like shit to move the
leg. Damned wolf and his tricks
But that did not sound right to Manten.
"B-but why were you-"
"Stop interrogating me, Manten," he snarled. "You're not my mother. Now get
out. I need to rest."
Manten swallowed his hurt at the words and slowly made his way out of his
brother's room and headed to his own.
Why did Hiten have to be so nice and correct with everyone else but so mean to
him?
 
===============================================================================
 
This was, Manten reflected, officially the worst conversation of his life. Of
course, he had heard the prince of the Western Lands was no prude, but this?
"Hiten is not bad," Sesshoumaru revealed carelessly. "Quite skilled but I
believe he needs a bit more practice."
"What?" Manten stared.
Sesshoumaru, it seemed, had returned from wherever he had gone to but when he
had asked him if he knew where Hiten had gone, the replies he had gotten were
quite disturbing. He had expected the demon Lord to be curt after what had
happened the night before. Hell, Sesshoumaru had seemed quite pissed then. But
his reticience seemed to have evaporated.
He must be tired? Let him rest? What kind of replies were those?
Manten was trying very hard to not think exactly what was going on in his mind
at the thought of his lecherous brother and the beautiful Lord and Hiten's lies
but so far, he was failing.
"What are you talking about?" Manten asked irritably. "What did he do that he's
so tired?
Sesshoumaru laughed. "He worked quite hard to please me. He is not a very good
with his…tongue…although he does seem to enjoy it…but he's good enough
for…release."
Manten's eyes almost popped out of his head as all his worst nightmares were
confirmed. "You-you've…made love to him?"
"Fucked him," Sesshoumaru corrected. "Yes, he's quite the submissive."
Manten laughed but it was a bit strained. "Hiten and submissive? In your
dreams, dog!"
A ghost of a smile appeared on Sesshoumaru's face. "You don't know your brother
very well, do you?"
"I know him damn well," Manten responded irritably because that is exactly what
he'd been asking himself for the past few days. "And he'ddiebefore he bottomed
for anybody."
Sesshoumaru smirked. "Did he not tell you why he's limping today?"
Manten turned red. "He said he injured his leg!"
Sesshoumaru laughed softly and the sound sent shivers up the lizard demon's
spine.
"Stop it!" Manten shouted.
Sesshoumaru raised an amused eyebrow.
"M-my brother said he has no interest in males! He would never sleep with you!"
Sesshoumaru smirk. "I would say he has plenty of interest in males. Why else
would he offer himself to me? I was not that inclined to take up his offer but
after he begged so well-"
Manten looked like he was having a heart attack. Begged? Hiten begged
Sesshoumaruto take him when he, Manten, had been ready and willing for his
brother for years?
"B-but he-" Manten's lip wobbled. Sesshoumaru smiled sadistically.
"It seems you are not the only one who can use your words to convince others,
do you not think so? Manten?"
The taunt did not register then and it would not till much later when he found
out the truth of the situation and then he would bitterly regret even speaking
to the stupid hanyou but right now, Manten's face fell.
Hiten had lied. He, Manten, had been feeling guilty over whether what he'd
proposed to Sesshoumaru would ruin his brother's plans but here he was, rutting
with the prince freely. Did he have no morals?
Then he smiled bitterly to himself. Of course he didn't but he'd already known
that. What stung the most was how unfair it all was. Sesshoumaru had chided him
for suggesting something 'inappropriate' but he had no qualms doing it with his
beautiful elder brother?
And what stung even more was that even his brother, who he'd assumed cared for
him, did not once look at him, Manten, who would readily allow him to do
whatever he wanted to his body. No, he'd rather beg the demon Lord for it.
Of course, it wasn't really surprising considering how beautiful Sesshoumaru
was, but it still hurt.
 
===============================================================================
 
"So, Hiten-san and Manten-san…what brings you to the Western Lands?"
The big meeting had finally arrived. Hiten had hinted that it was of a somewhat
private nature, so the only ones present were he, his brother, the Lady and
Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru and a few trusted advisors.
"I wished to discuss something of a rather…delicate nature with you," Hiten
stated.
Inu no Taisho inclined his head as his mate watched the Thunder Brothers
intently. Lady Tsukiko was more astute than him in judging people's ulterior
motives.
"Manten and I-" Hiten glanced at his younger brother but the lizard demon was
too angry about earlier to pay attention to the meeting. Hiten glared fiercely
at him. Normally, a look from his was enough to get the younger to obey him
immediately but today, he remained resolutely silent. What was wrong with him
at this vital moment? He would have to sort it out later.
"In the South, we have heard great things about the Lord of the West."
Inu no Taisho's face remained impassive.
"We were hoping to strengthen our alliance with you which has been
rather…tenuous at best."
"It would be an honor to have an alliance with your House," Inu no Taisho
replied politely, but carefully. "However, we have remained friendly in the
past, despite the lack of any formal agreement. May I ask the reason for this
rather abrupt visit?"
Hiten smiled charmingly. "Hardly abrupt, my Lord. For years, we have held the
Lord of the West in high esteem but due to certain…conflicts, the time was not
viable to make such a long journey. Things are calmer now, however, so I
thought it best to not postpone this auspicious occasion any longer."
Lady Tsukiko smiled just as sweetly. "We appreciate the indubitably noble
sentiments, Hiten-san. I am glad to hear things have settled down in the south.
There were rumors of severe internal unrest and even war but I presume they
were merely rumors. You, of course, would know the state of matters better than
most…?"
Wily old witch, Hiten cursed in his head.
"Well," he cleared his throat. He was hoping to broach this subject at a more
opportune moment but Lady Tsukiko had forced his hand. "Although most of the
insurgents and rebels have been dealt with, there isa small matter…"
Lady Tsukiko's smile could be called polite but to Hiten, it appeared smug.
"Wehave been having some trouble with the southwestern border of our lands.
They are ruled by a small raccoon clan. I assume you are aware of them…?"
Inu no Taisho nodded. "Yes, I know it is ruled by King Kentorou but I am not
personally acquainted with him."
Hiten did a little victory dance in his head at this first piece of good news.
Sesshoumaru looked at him with veiled disdain. So that's what they were after.
Lord Kentarou was reputed as being a just, honorable and very principled ruler.
The raccoon tribe were very prideful people and the leaders of the southern
lands had been unable to intimidate them with threats or force so they wanted
Inu no Taisho's help to capture it by force.
"Well, as you know, it is a very small kingdom surrounded by our territories.
We have attempted to carry out negotiations with the King but he refuses to
consider our terms-"
Sesshoumaru almost snorted. More like the barbarians were unable to take on the
courageous, fierce people by force.
"-I was hoping perhaps if the Lord of the West strengthened our position, Lord
Kentarou would…reconsider."
Inu no Taisho remained silent for a long while, considering his words. He was
not good as his mate at sugar coating words.
"Hiten-san," he finally began, "While we would be honored to have the Southern
Lands as our friends but I am afraid since we have no enmity with Lord
Kentarou, it would be inappropriate to take a stance in a conflict that is not
our own."
Hiten was still smiling calmly, as though he had expected such a response.
"Of course, it would be impudent to ask this of our allies but I had hoped
there would be no such inhibitions among family."
Inu no Taisho frowned. "Family?"
Hiten continued smiling. "As proof of our trust in the noble royal family of
thee West and as a symbol of our sincerity in this desire of friendship, as the
eldest in the family, I offer the hand of my younger sister, Souten, to
Sesshoumaru-sama."
Inu no Taisho and Sesshoumaru stiffened while Lady Tsukiko continued to smile
as though she had been expecting this.
Inu no Taisho was speechless. Would these barbarians really barter their own
sister to secure a political alliance? Poor Souten...she was too young to make
a decision like this on her own. Of course, age was not an issue with
pureblooded demons as they pretty much stopped aging after a point but to
recklessly give her away to relative stranger for such a reason seemed
appalling.
"Hiten-san," Sesshoumaru spoke up for the first time in this meeting and
everyone's attention turned to him. "While I am sure anyone would be lucky to
have your beautiful sister as their mate, I cannot accept your offer."
Hiten looked at him a little indulgently and turned expectantly to Inu no
Taisho. In their family, the elders made the decisions for the young and he was
sure that the young heir's protests would be ineffectual if Inu no Taisho
ordered him to accept the offer and the thunder demon was sure that the Lord of
the West was too smart to spurn such a potentially valuable friendship over
such a tiny kingdom that would never be of any real help to the Lord Inu no
Taisho.
Lady Tsukiko read the condescending look in his eyes and the reciprocating
narrowing of Sesshoumaru's eyes and her smile widened, just a little.
Ooooh…wrong move, boy…
Inu no Taisho hid his disgust behind a politely inquiring look.
Hiten smiled amiably. "I am sure you will need time to consider such an
important decision-"
"There will be no need for that."
Hiten's smile shrank a bit at his tone and his eyes became more cautious. Inu
no Taisho continued.
"Sesshoumaru has already made his feelings on the matter known. His decision on
the topic is final. Two individuals should have deep affection and regard for
one another before they consider coming together in a mating. While I am sure
Souten would be a gem for any demon to have as a mate, she and Sesshoumaru do
not know each other; indeed, they have never met. You may be assured of our
friendship, Hiten-san, but it would be dishonorable for us to pressure Lord
Kentarous who has been as good a friend to us over the years you.
That is, we know them as little as we know you, Lady Tsukiko thought with a
smirk.
Hiten's features hardened, anger flashing in his eyes. "But unlike Kentaro, we
came with hopes of securing a deeper friendship than merely political alliance.
Surely, that puts our friendship a little above theirs?"
Inu no Taisho met his angry gaze with his own neutral but powerful one. "A
marriage alliance cannot strengthen a friendship if the parties involved have
no genuine regard for each other, any more than a lack of such an alliance can
destroy it. Political alliances are business; let us not sully such a pure act
with sordid affairs of the state."
Hiten was no longer smiling and his red eyes were hard as rubies. He stood up
and Manten stood up as well.
"If that is your stand on the matter, my lord, I am afraid our relationship may
be somewhat…strained in the future."
Inu no Taisho, Lady Tsukiko and Sesshoumaru stood up together.
"I hope you did not take offence, Hiten-san," Lady Tsukiko replied in her
melodious voice, "The refusal was nothing personal, I assure you. It is a
matter of principle."
Hiten grit his teeth. Old hag is calling us unprincipled?
"I must say I am disappointed, Tsukiko-sama," he said neutrally, "I must take
my leave now. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope the Western Lands prosper
for years to come."
Till he and his brother left, Hiten was impeccable in his civilities but the
rage in his eyes promised revenge.
Manten quietly followed his brother on his cloud as they took off from the
castle of the Western Lands. Much later, he would finally confront his brother
about what Sesshoumaru had implied and suffer some severe injuries from his
brother's wrath for ever believing such a thing.
And, of course, Hiten would now have one more thing to hate Sesshoumaru for.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
"The gardens are the most beautiful at night, Master," Inuyasha smiled.
Sesshoumaru stared out at the swiftly darkening sky from what seemed to be
Inuyasha's favorite haunt at night. The day had gone well, all things
considered, but it had been exhausting. He had known the brothers were barbaric
but to think Manten would proposition him even knowing he came to offer his own
sister's hand to the Lord. Is this what went on the Southern Lands? Regardless,
he looked forward to relaxing with his puppy.
"The starsare the most beautiful on the moonless night," he stated.
Inuyasha froze as the full implications of this statement hit him. Moonless
night…tonight was the night of the New Moon. Tonight, he would transform into a
human! How could he have forgotten? His face turned pale as he thought of what
Sesshoumaru would do when he found out.
The demon Lord had noticed the look on his face. "Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha said nothing. He stood trembling in front of his Lord as the sun set
slowly below the horizon. Sesshoumaru stared at him, transfixed.
His silver, almost white hair turned black before his eyes. His claws retracted
into human nails and the puppy ears on the top of his head slowly disappeared
and human ears appeared. Inuyasha had not the courage to meet Lord
Sesshoumaru's eyes.
The prince of the Western Lands watched in wonder as his adorable hanyou turned
into a pathetic human in front of his very eyes. He barely refrained from
wrinkling his nose at the scent. Silver white hair turned into drab and coarse
human hair, and worst of all, the puppy ears that he so loved to play with were
gone. Obsidian eyes stared at his feet and Sesshoumaru could no longer see his
intriguing pet in this scrawny human brat.
When Sesshoumaru didn't move or say anything, Inuyasha hesitantly looked up.
Sesshoumaru was staring at him and although his face was expressionless as
usual, Inuyasha had by now grown quite good at gauging his reactions.
Inuyasha's heart clenched in his chest as he discerned a look of barely
concealed disgust in the Lord's eyes.
Tears that threatened to fall finally spilled over as Sesshoumaru turned and
left without a backward glance, leaving Inuyasha standing alone in the
darkening room.
 
===============================================================================
 
Servants and guards stared as the pissed off demon Lord swept into his study.
"Bring Raia to me immediately," he ordered a couple of cowering guards who
jumped to obey.
A human…so the rumors were true…hanyou became human once a month. He did not
know how long the transformation but it didn't matter. He despised
humans…despised everything from their whining, clinginess, their out of control
emotions to their annoying, sharp scent. A human in the castle…it would take
days for the scent to be cleaned out. What was to be done with the child in the
meantime?
"My Lord, you summoned me?"
Sesshoumaru turned to the woman kneeling before him.
"Inuyasha is a human tonight." Raia's normally expressionless mask slipped for
a moment and Sesshoumaru noted it grimly.
"No one else must know of this. Keep him in an unused room tonight and cover
the scent. I will decide what to do with him tomorrow."
Raia bowed and retreated. Sesshoumaru turned anger hardened eyes at the dark
sky before him.
A human…he was not sure he would ever see him the same way ever again…what
would Inuyasha be like as a human? Would he be as difficult and petulant as he
knew other human children to be? Humans knew nothing of respect and position. A
demon child, even a hanyou knew his place when faced with superiors but humans
were stubborn and headstrong. Would his sweet, innocent Inuyasha be that way
now? He could not bear to see it.
His eyes refocused on the dark sky outside as with a clap of thunder, rain
began to pour from the heavens.
A thunderstorm…there would be a thunderstorm tonight.
 
 
***** Denial *****
A/N:Please don't kill me when you read the ending.
 
===============================================================================
 
Chapter 14 – Denial
Gotta stop these thoughts about you
Gotta learn to live without you
Gotta find some freedom for this weary slave
'Cause I'm hungry for you
And I'm longing for you
And I'm burning for you…
-Carly Simons "Slave"
Raia found Inuyasha still frozen to the spot where Sesshoumaru said he'd left
him. She had no difficulty recognizing the dark-haired, dark-eyed child – even
without his typical ears, Inuyasha was the same quiet, shy puppy-like child
who'd touched her heart. When she drew closer, she could see that there were
silent tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Inuyasha."
The hanyou did not turn towards her, did not look at her. It was as if he
hadn't heard her. She frowned and came to stand in front of him. Inuyasha's
eyes were staring fixedly down the corridor and with a pang, she realized that
this was the way Sesshoumaru must have gone when he left him. She looked his
wide, teary eyes - so innocent and childlike but still full of deep pain.
Raia's heart wrenched at the sight; how did the Lord have the heart to leave
him like this?
The thunderstorm had begun; heavy rains lashed down with fierce winds. The open
corridor where he stood faced the gardens that he and Sesshoumaru had been
looking at, with the result that the rain had completely soaked the back of his
clothes and hair. But Inuyasha did not seem to have noticed. Thunder clapped
loudly but Inuyasha didn't even blink. Raia grew worried.
"Inuyasha?"
No response.
"Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru-sama has ordered me to take you your room."
At the name of his Master, Inuyasha jerked out of his stupor and turned
suddenly towards her. The circumstances seemed to register to him for the first
time; it was his human night and there was a fierce thunderstorm right outside.
Raia had seen him on his human night.
Raia frowned as the now human child shied away from her as if afraid that she
would beat him. A shiver of pure dread seemed to pass through him and for a
moment, Raia had a strange urge to hold him, to tell the child that everything
would be fine. But she couldn't forget that until the Lord stated otherwise,
Inuyasha was still Sesshoumaru's slave and the young heir would not appreciate
anyone coming anywhere close to him, even for so innocent a reason.
"Inuyasha, you must come with me. If the other demons in the castle know of
your secret…"
There was no need for her to say anything further. Inuyasha nodded quietly,
even as his muscles were tensed with fear and anxiety. The storm was so close.
Raia led him down a dark, rarely used corridor. A little way in was a line of
old rooms that had fallen into disuse. This was the safest place for the
hanyou. Since this corridor fell to the back of this wing of the castle, rarely
anyone came this way; it was unconnected to any other parts except the gardens.
Also, wherever the human walked, he left a trail of his scent so the closer his
room was to the spot of his transformation, the better. It would be that much
easier to hide the scent.
She walked ahead of him and unlocked the door to one of the rooms. Inuyasha
took the cue and entered when she stepped aside and held the door open.
"Do not, under any circumstances, leave this room, Inuyasha," Raia warned. "I
am going to try and make sure your human scent stays within this room. If you
open this door, the charm will be ineffective."
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly and Raia turned to leave.
"Is Sesshoumaru-sama going to send me away?"
On hearing the small, frightened voice, Raia stopped but did not turn around.
She didn't think she had the courage to look into those eyes. Inuyasha really
considered himself the Lord's puppy. Was Sesshoumaru really so cruel as to turn
him out for such a reason?
"I do not know," she answered carefully. "He merely ordered me to put you in
this room."
"Arigatou," Inuyasha said quietly and Raia left, shutting the door behind her.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sesshoumaru stood facing his giant window, looking thoughtfully at the storm
raging outside. It was weird, the way this storm had suddenly come about. The
last one had been only a few days ago; thunderstorms were not generally this
frequent. Besides, the past few days had not even been that hot, nor had the
day been cloudy or stuffy. In fact, it had been quite a fine day. The storm had
come suddenly in the evening, almost instantaneously.
He scowled. That bastard Hiten…this was all his doing. He had brought this
fucking weather on the Castle. He would be willing to bet this was his idiotic
form of revenge. His last ditch attempts at getting even with him would have
been funny if it hadn't inadvertently worked so well. Hiten had no way of
knowing about Inuyasha's human night, or about the fact that he was so afraid
of storms. His wild shot in the dark had hit the mark.
Even though he was disgusted and pissed off, Sesshoumaru could not help think
of his sweet little puppy.
Did he even know himself during those nights? Did the human Inuyasha have the
hanyou's memories or were they two separate personalities? He was more inclined
to think they were separate. How could a hanyou and a human think and feel the
same thing? There was no way his puppy wasanythinglike those miserable humans…
How would he ever look at him, knowing what he became? How often were these
transformations anyway and how long did they last? Inuyasha had been with them
for barely a fortnight or so. Were they really so common? Was there even a
pattern or would they come on suddenly? All those time he'd taken Inuyasha, had
there always been a chance he would have suddenly found himself touching a
human? The thought made him nauseous.
For the first time, he questioned the wisdom of taking a hanyou slave.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
Once Raia was gone, Inuyasha turned to properly see his room.
It was dusty and had the damp, musty smell of a place that has been kept close
for a long time. Near the door, there was an old wooden cupboard. It must have
been strong and beautiful at one point but now, it was old and broken in
places. The design was outdated, unlike everything else in the palace. The
floor was wooden and bare. Inuyasha looked around. In one corner of the room,
there was a rolled up futon. There were some chairs and a table covered with
white pieces of cloth. Evidently, no one had bothered to dust this room in a
long time.
Touching the wall opposite the door, near the only window in the room, there
was a normal sized bed, also covered with a white cloth. Inuyasha went over to
it and began to remove the white overcloth. His hands were shaking from cold
and fear. Inuyasha knew there was no chance he would be able to sleep but this
is where he was going to have to spend the night, so he had to at least guard
his human body against the elements. The sheets and pillows must have been very
fine once, but now, they smelled funny.
Inuyasha was about to climb up when the wooden window right next to the bed
rattled, threatening to burst open. Inuyasha squinted at it. The room was quite
dark; humans' eyesight in the dark was very poor. He could not immediately make
out where the latch was but he had to close it properly. The rattling noise was
scary.
He went to the window and fumbled in the dark for the latch. His fingers could
feel the rough wood of the window frame. He ran his fingers lightly along the
surface, searching for any indication of a latch.
Just then, there was a small flash of lightning Inuyasha whimpered at the dull
flash of light visible through the glass of the window. Almost immediately
after, there was a clap of thunder. Inuyasha jumped at the sound. His finger
inadvertently flipped the latch and the window slammed open.
Inuyasha cried out as the strong wind caused the window to crash violently
against the outer walls. The glass pane of the window shattered and a blast of
wind and rain soaked him. Most of the broken glass fell outside but tiny pieces
flew in and littered the floor. A brilliant flash of lightning lit the room for
a fraction of a second and Inuyasha looked up just in time to see angry,
glowing bolts blazing across the sky. His eyes widened in terror. The lighting
looked almost like an overturned tree skeleton; he'd never seen lightning like
that in his life. They looked like claws…
A deafening clap of thunder followed that and a strong wind followed by lashes
of rain struck hum. Inuyasha fell backwards, landing harshly on the hard wooden
floor on the broken glass. He cried out in pain; everything hurt so much more
on his human night. He'd fallen a little on his side and a throbbing pain began
on his hip on which he'd landed, and on his wrist. Instinctively, he'd thrown
his hands out to break his fall but the human child's reflexes were much slower
than the hanyou's and he was not used to the slower movements. He'd sprained
the wrist.
Lifting the injured hand to inspect the injury, Inuyasha saw shards of glass
embedded in the flesh of both his hands. Small rivulets of blood were trailing
down his dirty palm. The firerat kimono had prevented any other part of him
being damaged but his bare hands had taken the brunt of it. Inuyasha hissed
softly at the throbbing pain.
Taking care to not put any weight on his sprained wrist or bloody hands, he got
up and backed away from the window. He cried out once again as tiny glass
shards embedded themselves in his feet. Each step caused pain but he carefully
made his way to the bed. His face fell as he realized that the rain from the
window had reached it; the sheets and pillows were now wet and he could feel
the blast of the cold, watery wind still.
His eyes fell upon the rolled up futon.
Trying to ignore the pain in his feet, he made his way to the futon. With
trembling fingers, he opened it and unrolled it, laying it near the wall
opposite the window, behind the wooden wardrobe. His wrist hurt from the action
and the shards embedded in his palm sent shooting pain up his arms but that
could not be helped right now. He had to find some way to get warmer. A hanyou
cold handle a little cold but a human would fall ill in this whether.
The futon was frayed. He lay down on it and pulled the sheets over himself.
Lying on his back, he opened his eyes slowly. Another brilliant flash of
lightning illuminated large, dirty cobwebs woven at the corners of the room and
near the wooden beams. Astray spider or two scuttled here and there. It could
have been his imagination but he thought he saw one turn towards him…
Thunder boomed once again and he shot up straight in bed, clutching the sheets
to his chin. No there was no possible way he was going to lie down again. He
drew his knees to his chest and wrapped the sheets around him as best as he
could.
As the wind howled outside, dark thoughts filled his head.
Sesshoumaru-sama. His master had left him; he'd been disgusted and he'd left
him.
"Forgive me, Master," he whispered quietly to himself. In the end, he couldn't
even do this one thing right. He could make himself useful to his Master, who'd
done so much for him – gone against his parents, made sure none of the servants
hurt him, blessed him with his touch.
How could he have let this happen? He should have told Sesshoumaru-sama on the
first day itself that this was his curse – that he turned human every new moon
night. Then Sesshoumaru would not have bothered taking care of him all these
days. That was what he deserved. Maybe Sesshoumaru-sama would have sent him
back to the slavers immediately. At least then, he would not have this horrible
guilt over having caused distress to Sesshoumaru-sama. After all, what demon
would lay a hand on a creature like him, knowing what he was? Inuyasha had
marveled at the fact that Sesshoumaru would touch a hanyou but surely, if he'd
known his secret, he would not have tainted himself like that.
A sob escaped him as he realized that this was, indeed, what was going to
happen to him. Sesshoumaru would throw him out of the castle and he would be
once again captured by slavers. Perhaps they would be the same slavers, looking
to pay him back; his new Master, Sesshoumaru-sama, had cut the leader's hand
off, after all. They would kill him.
A cold wind swept in from the window. He began to shiver from the cold. His
firerat haori didn't stay wet for long but his undershirt was wet and so was
his hair. Human hair took far longer to dry than hanyou hair and the damp air
made the process even slower. He ran a hand through the now tangled locks and
was startled to find that his fingers didn't hurt anymore although they were
still bleeding. The glass shards embedded themselves deeper in his fingers as
he carelessly ran them though his hair. They had gone numb. Funny. He hadn't
even felt them get that cold.
But that was not his greatest concern right now. He did not care that his
clothes and hair were wet and the weather was freezing and a human could die
from an illness caused by the cold. The throbbing pain in his hip and wrist
barely registered; he didn't even notice that the injured wrist had reddened
and swollen. Even with the slavers, his human night had always been the worst
but mainly only because he was then more vulnerable to their attacks – both
physical and emotional – but this was worse. Before, he had accepted things as
they were without expecting anything more than survival. But now?
Fresh tears rolled down his cheeks as he remembered the other thunderstorm
night he had spent with his Lord. The way his master's strong arms had held him
close and warm had made him feel so safe and…cherished. He put his arms around
himself and held himself, remembering how good it felt to have his Master's
arms around him, his comforting weight anchoring him, keeping him safe from the
storm.
"…go to sleep, Inuyasha. I will not release you tonight."
Losing something you already had is always harder than never having it in the
first place. His human nights with the slavers had been spent in far worse
places and conditions than this old room. At least it was not dirty or smelly.
There was no leak; there was a relatively warm bed and sheets. But did all that
matter when he didn't have his Master?
"Sesshoumaru-sama," he whispered almost involuntarily to himself. The name was
like a mantra; even saying it aloud gave him a measure of comfort.
I never wanted to be a slave, Inuyasha reflected. His fingers automatically
went to the heavy collar around his neck, a sigh of his Master's ownership of
him Soon, he would be forced to remove it. He remembered the day Sesshoumaru-
sama had given it to him.
"This collar marks you as my property, puppy…you are not to remove that"
He had been so happy! Sesshoumaru-sama had really claimed him. This was actual
proof that he belonged to the powerful Lord.
I never even hoped to be owned by someone of such power,Inuyasha mused.
He had been captured forcefully by slavers and treated badly and he had never
thought being sold to someone would make his situation any better. Of course,
he had never had a Master before – no one wanted a hanyou slave – but judging
by the slavers' treatment of him, he had not expected it to be a good
experience.
The days spent with Sesshoumaru-sama, however, had been the best days of his
life. True, it had not been painless but Inuyasha knew that life never is. His
eyes fell on the bright red hakama he was wearing – he remembered the night
Sesshoumaru had taken him hard as punishment for injuring himself and reminded
him exactly who he belonged to. He remembered how gentle he'd been the next
day, allowing him to sleep in. In fact, Inuyasha had never been required to
work when he was injured.
Tears gathered in his eyes as he remembered how Sesshoumaru-sama had forced him
to rest when he'd been injured by the slavers. He'd always been allowed to
sleep and recuperate after he'd been taken by his Master. These were luxuries
unknown to a slave. No slave he'd ever known had been allowed to rest after his
Master's use of him. Slaves were never treated as living beings. After the
Master found his pleasure in him, he was expected to go on with his chores as
usual. The pain that he suffered after the act was inconsequential. Yes, even
after being given his well deserved punishment, which he had shamefully,
secretly enjoyed, Sesshoumaru-sama had allowed him to rest and recover and then
he'd gifted his slave with this priceless firereat robe.
Red can mean many things to many people but I give it to you because it is the
color of courage…
Sesshoumaru was by no means gentle or kind by nature, but in his own way, the
fierce, protective demon Lord had taught him to hope again.
Courage.
He felt the misery coil in his stomach and settle down heavy against his heart.
He'd really screwed up badly. Sesshoumaru-sama had wanted him to be courageous
but his Master didn't know what a coward Inuyasha really was. He'd taken all
his kindness and good treatment without once thinking of the fact that surely,
this would all end when his Master came to know what he really was.
A human…he'd known Sesshoumaru-sama despised humans, yet he'd never told him
about his secret. If he'd been courageous, he would have. In all the luxury and
excitement of being a favourite toy, he'd conveniently forgotten all about this
night. He did not deserve to even be near Sesshoumaru-sama, did not deserve his
fuck, did not deserve sitting at his feet, basking in the warmth of his
Master's soft touches.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sesshoumaru's furious fist punched a hole right through his wall. Thin fracture
lines spread from the point of impact, a little way across the wall.
He did not want to lose his little puppy dammit! He'd wanted the cute little
hanyou back, the one he'd grown so fond of in just a few days. He remembered
every little gesture – the way the boy's eyes lit up when he Sesshoumaru looked
at him, the way he blushed when he teased, the way the puppy ears flickered
whenever he played with them…
But he wasn't the same person now, was he? He was a stranger in his Inuyasha's
body. A felt a small flash of worry as a thought occurred to him. What if they
were the same person? What if the hanyou and the child shared emotions and
thoughts? Was the human as frightened of thunderstorms as the hanyou?
Then he dismissed the thought. No, that was not likely. His Inuyasha and the
human brat could not be the same, they just couldn't.
 
===============================================================================
 
In her room, Raia couldn't sleep. Wide, puppy-like eyes, filled with
unspeakable pain and hurt haunted her.
That poor kid! What if Sesshoumaru really threw him out of the castle? The
young child had already been through so much in his short life – he'd
experienced pain no one his age should have to experience. He did not deserve
the dog's life he would doubtless have outside the castle. Sesshoumaru's
command of not harming the hanyou child had traveled like rapid fire through
the land. Demons and humans alike had wondered at such care for a child.
Envious eyes wished harm upon the little hanyou, fortunate enough to strike
Lord Sesshoumaru's fancy. When word spread that the demon Lord had kicked him
out, these jealous jackasses would doubtless hurt him all the more out of
vengeance.
Finally, she sat up in her bed, contemplating. She was itching to go out and at
least see how he was doing but she controlled herself with difficulty. It
really wasn't her place to interfere in Lord Sesshoumaru's affairs. He had
displayed his trust in her by letting her in on the hanyou's secret. If she
went into the room and broke the charm, the secret might well be out. Lord
Sesshoumaru would never forgive her.
Raia's hands clenched into fists; she felt torn between duty and her gut
feeling. On the one hand, she was not at all the type to interfere in other
people's affairs; it was one of the things that had gotten her promoted to the
rank of head of the servants. But on the other hand, the image of the sweet
child, terrified and alone, refused to leave her. Her gut told her that
something was going very, very wrong.
Taking a deep breath, she jumped out of bed and put on her nightgown and
slippers. Consequences be damned, she had to make sure the little puppy-like
child was alright. Sesshoumaru could punish her if he liked but right now, she
cared more about the kid's well-being.
 
===============================================================================
 
A few hours later, the wet clothes, ceaseless tears and his various injuries
took their toll. Around midnight, Inuyasha felt himself slipping from
consciousness. He blinked and realized that it took an effort to open his eyes
again. His head hurt and his nose was runny. Perhaps it was best to lie down
after all.
In a daze, he lowered himself onto the futon and haphazardly drew the blanket
around him. Ahhh. It felt nice to lie down. His body hurt. He felt his eyes
closing.
Images of his Master flashed before his eyes.
-Clawed fingers tilting his chin up: "I told you you're my little puppy,
Inuyasha. Puppies stay in their Master's room."-
- "Maybe I want you as my slave forever, having to do as I command you…"
-His master touching him for the first time…
-…thrusting into his body…
-…-punishing him…
-…owning him…-
-…kissing him sweetly for the first time…
-…playing with his ears…
- "…I will always be there to protect you…"
- "…You are fine just as you are…"
- "…you're mine. I won't allow you to run away…."
"Sesshoumaru-sama," he murmured blissfully. Some of his discomfort seemed to be
fading. He almost felt as if he was back with his master. If it was a dream,
then he wanted to live there forever. Perhaps he could sleep, just for a little
while…
 
===============================================================================
 
Raia came to a stop in front of the door to Inuyasha's room. The charm had
held. There was not even a hint of scent or sound coming from the room. It was
as if it was empty.
She stared at the closed door. I'm going against my orders, she realized. She's
never gone against her Masters' orders before. Whatever the Lords or the Lady
of the castle commanded, she did. They had never made unreasonable demands,
after all, and she firmly believed they knew the best course in the situation
better than her but this time, she could not help it.
Her heart was thudding in her chest. Her gut instinct was screaming at her to
open the damned door already. Raia hesitated.
"Is Sesshoumaru-sama going to send me away?"
Thinning her lips, brows furrowing with determination, Raia stepped forward and
wrenched the seal off the door and threw the doors open.
The various scents hit her with almost physical force and she stumbled back.
Eyes wide with fear, she turned around and fled.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sesshoumaru frowned as he felt Raia almost fly towards his room. What did she
want at this time of the night? He was not in the mood to see anyone tonight.
Whatever she wanted could wait until the next day.
He whipped around as the doors to his chambers flew open and Raia staggered in,
panting.
"Raia," he began coldly, "What is the-"
"Forgive me, my Lord," she panted, interrupting him. "I went to check on
Inuyasha just now…"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "You removed the seal?"
On any other day, his quiet tone would have made her tremble with fear but
today, it didn't even register.
"He is very ill, my Lord. I smelt sickness and blood-"
Sesshoumaru was gone before she could finish the sentence.
 
***** Won't Let You Go *****
Chapter 15 – Won't Let You Go
And say it for me, say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me…
-'Saving Me' by Nickelback
When Sesshoumaru burst into Inuyasha's room, the force of his entry unhinged
the old rickety doors and sent them crashing to the floor.
Since the seal was broken, the aura, smells and sounds from the room had
permeated into the corridor but the scents inside the little room itself were
almost stiffing – fear and anxiety mixed with deep regret and rolling misery
and sickness and sweat and blood and tears and beneath it all, pain…
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Inuyasha murmured with eyes closed, a peaceful smile
appearing on his face. He moved slightly, but his body did not have much
strength.
Sesshoumaru was beside him in a trice. Looking at that sweet, innocent face,
human or not, it was not possible to hate him.
 
"Inuyasha," he whispered, placing a hand on his forehead. He was running a high
fever. He let his gaze travel over the human's body. His hands and feet were
bleeding, he was soaking wet and shivering and one wrist seemed to be red and
swollen. Sesshoumaru frowned. The boy had barely been left alone for a few
hours and he looked like he'd fought a battle.
He needed immediate medical attention but the problem was, if he was moved out
of the room, his scent would spread all over the castle. Already, with the seal
broken, the human blood and high emotions would attract the attention of every
demon in the castle.
Inuyasha sighed and murmured something in his sleep and Sesshoumaru decided
he'd worry about that later.
He gently slid his hands under the boy's body and lifted him into his arms. He
looked at Inuyasha worriedly. He was light as a feather. Even in his hanyou
form, Inuyasha seemed to weigh next to nothing, certainly nothing close to what
a demon child weighed, but as a human, he seemed almost weightless. Were all
human children this light? He did not know.
Sesshoumaru looked at the unconscious child in his arms and thought that even
in his wildest dreams, he would never have imagined he would find out; he had
never imagined that one day, he'd have a bloody, ill human in his arms - he had
certainly never imagined he would not mind it.
________________________________________________________________________
Raia had decided to wait in Sesshoumaru's room, figuring that in case he needed
something, he could find her easily. However, what she had not expected was for
Sesshoumaru to have the child cradled in his arms. She could not help staring.
A demon prince touching a sick, stinking human? It was unheard of.
But Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice. "Bring Miroku here and send in some
trusted servants with a tub of warm water and some washcloths," he ordered her.
She bowed and left swiftly to find him.
Sesshoumaru laid the unconscious child gently onto his pristine bed and
proceeded to strip him of his wet clothing. The firerat robes were dry but the
wet undershirt had turned his skin alarmingly cold in comparison to the rest of
the skin that was hot. Sesshoumaru laid the now naked child onto the mattress
and drew the sheets over him. Where his hands and feet touched the sheets, they
quickly became stained with blood.
He could hardly believe how afraid he was for the little boy. How quickly did
humans die from fever? He had thought he would be disgusted at the sight of his
little puppy as a human but when he looked at the pitieous, sick child, it
didn't matter that he was till human, didn't matter that he smelt just as all
humans smelled- afraid and dull and mortal. Inuyasha was stillhis, dammit, and
if anything happened to the hanyou because of his bullheadedness…
He clenched a fist. No, nothing would happen to him. Inuyasha was not allowed
to die without his permission.
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Inuyasha murmured in his almost delirious state, writhing
slightly in the bed, the fever and the aching body not allowing him to get
comfortable.
"Hold on, little one," he whispered, brushing a few dark bangs away from his
sweaty forehead. The skin under his fingers felt thin and fragile, like old
papyrus. The claw of one finger gently traced his human eyebrows, the curve of
his nose…
There was a knock on his door and a few servant girls knocked and entered with
a tub of water and washcloths, as he'd ordered. It would take some time for
Raia to bring Miroku here. In the mean time, Inuyasha needed to get cleaned up.
He took a washcloth from one of the girls and dipped it into the warm water.
"My Lord," one of the girls stepped forward. "Please, we'll take care of him.
Let us-"
"No," Sesshoumaru cut her off. No one, besides him, was going to touch
Inuyasha.
"You may leave," Sesshoumaru told them. "But stay nearby in case you are
needed."
Not all servants in the castle could be trusted with this secret, although it
probably wasn't much of a secret anymore. Human Inuyasha's scent was all over
the corridors and in his chambers. The girls bowed and left.
Sesshoumaru gently removed the blankets from over Inuyasha. The human shivered
as the cool wind hit his sweaty, feverish body. A small, pained moan escaped
him.
Sesshoumaru began to clean his body with the washcloth. There was dust and
sweat covering him; it would be more comfortable for him if he were clean. He
left his feet and hands for Miroku to take care of properly but gently wiped
him all over his body with the wet cloth. Inuyasha moaned and whimpered in
discomfort whenever the cloth got cooler than his skin.
Finally, when the demon Lord was done, he laid the boy back onto the bed and
once more drew the sheets over him.
"Sesshoumaru," he turned to see Miroku striding in. Raia bowed from outside and
shut the door behind her. When Sesshoumaru and Miroku were alone in the room
with Inuyasha, Miroku came up to the bed and frowned at the child's condition.
"What happened to him?" he wondered, staring at his bleeding hands and feet.
Sesshoumaru shrugged slightly. "It seems he has been soaking wet for hours. He
is running a high fever."
Miroku placed his hand on Inuyasha's forehead. "It's surprising. Humans don't
generally get sick so quickly."
Sesshoumaru snorted. "Of course they do. They are nearly always ill."
Miroku glared. "I am the human here, not you. I would know better."
Sesshoumaru looked at him with dawning comprehension. That's right. Miroku, the
main healer at the castle, along with the demon slayer girl who sometimes came
to 'assist' him, were both humans. He'd gotten used to Miroku scent around;
scents of monks and priestesses were, ironically, not as unpleasant as normal
humans, though logically, they should be even more unpleasant since holy men
were natural enemies of demons. Miroku was one of the few monks not prejudiced
against demons and as such, had consented to be a castle healer. His powers
were quite impressive.
Sango and her tribe had caused considerable trouble to Inu no Taisho's lands.
After receiving several complaints from demons who said the demon slayers were
'interfering' with their work, Inu no Taisho had gone to personally investigate
and had then found out they fought only against rogue demons intent on harming
humans. Sango's ride was a magnificent ancient demon, Kirara, who, according to
legend, could not be tamed unless she took to her master or mistress. Impressed
by her skill in battle, Taisho had enlisted her services and asked her to
oversee the warriors' training. Sango also knew a great deal about various
demon tribes. Her knowledge had come in useful many a times in making
strategies against various opposing demon clans and solving their problems.
Sesshoumaru found her tolerable because he had yet to smell any fear on her.
Sesshoumaru blinked. "I'd forgotten," he replied vaguely. The look that Miroku
gave him was accusing, though his tone was mild. "How did Inuyasha get so
injured in your care?"
Though Sesshoumaru's face was impassive, Miroku could see a trace of regret in
his eyes. The demon Lord didn't reply but Miroku could guess what had happened;
a hanyou's human night was not a very well known secret although there were
rumors. He wanted to yell at him for doing this to the poor kid but there was
no time for chatting now.
"We'll talk about it later," Miroku said sharply, realizing it was not easy for
the prince to talk about such things. "Right now, Inuyasha's fever needs to
come down. I can't see why he should have got sick like this. Inuyasha is quite
a resilient person, used to many hardships in life. A little water would hardly
cause him to become so sick."
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Both of them turned towards Inuyasha when thunder clapped
loudly outside and he suddenly cried out. Inuyasha's arms were raised, reaching
for someone. Sesshoumaru was beside him in an instant, putting the puppy's arms
back at his side, and placing a comforting hand on his chest. He was so intent
on his puppy that he didn't see the odd look that Miroku gave him.
For a moment, Inuyasha opened fever glazed eyes and looked piteously at him. "I
want to stay with you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Please don't send me away!"
The demon Lord stared at him. Had he been fully conscious, Inuyasha would not
have even dared express protest against his decision. The fever had caused him
to lose his inhibitions, speak things he normally would not say.
Miroku gazed at Inuyasha, beginning to understand. "He's been deeply hurt," he
stated softly.
Sesshoumaru looked at him inquiringly.
"He's not sick because of the cold," Miroku told him. "He must have thought you
were going to send him away. He's terrified of going away from you."
Sesshoumaru looked at him blankly. "He got a fever because he was upset?"
Humans truly were the most amazing creatures, Sesshoumaru reflected. Emotional
upset caused physical illness in them?
"I've never heard of anyone falling ill because of such a reason," said
Sesshoumaru.
Miroku nodded. "It is rare, but in certain very sensitive individual, a deep
emotional wound can cause actual physical illness. Inuyasha was already
weakened by his human night; his immune system weakens drastically when he
turns human and that, coupled with the knowledge that you hated him, must have
been too much for him to bear."
Sesshoumaru looked away at the stormy sky that was still lit periodically by
lightning.
"And he's frightened of thunderstorms," he mused, forgetting for a moment that
he had refused to believe the human and hanyou could share the same fears.
Miroku's hands balled into fists. He knew how cruel and callous Sesshoumaru
normally was but for some reason, he'd thought he would be different with the
puppy. "You-"
"Later," Sesshoumaru interrupted, "Right now, do something about his fever."
Miroku glared at him, but took a deep breath, and nodded. "I need to take care
of his hands and feet first," he told Sesshoumaru. "Stand back, please."
Sesshoumaru moved out of the way to give him access to his patient. Miroku sat
on the edge of the bed and opened the wooden box he had been carrying with him.
He selected an instrument similar to a pair of tweezers. Then he took
Inuyasha's hand in his, being careful not to push the shards in any deeper.
But as he tried to keep his hand steady enough to allow him to remove the
shards, Inuyasha began to thrash and struggle.
"No!" he moaned, turning his head away, trying to get his hand free. Miroku
held it tightly, afraid that he would injure himself more but Inuyasha
struggled so hard, Miroku finally let go. Inuyasha moved his body towards where
Sesshoumaru was standing.
Miroku stared at him, stunned. He was really so loyal to his master that he
would not allow anyone else close enough to even tend to his wounds. That idiot
better realize what he'd done to the poor boy. He looked up at Sesshoumaru
accusingly.
"Inuyasha will not allow me to come close to him, unless he feels you're
around."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "But he's human."
"So?" Miroku asked impatiently.
"He has his hanyou memories?"
Miroku looked dumbfounded. "Of course he has his memories! What did you think?"
"I assumed the human and the demon were two different personalities,"
Sesshoumaru stated.
Miroku shook his head incredulously. Really, the idiotic things people came up
with!
"Oh no. They're absolutely the same person. The changes are only physical –
weakened strength, stronger emotions and human features. There's also loss of
demonic powers but I've never seen Inuyasha display any demonic powers anyway."
Sesshoumaru had a sinking feeling in his chest.
Oh god…
"So…they are truly really the same person?"
Miroku nodded distractedly, trying to figure out how to treat him when the boy
kept pushing him away. He did not notice Sesshoumaru's inner turmoil.
Inuyasha moaned and murmured something unintelligible.
He had to be treated fast, before the fever turned dangerous.
Miroku hit upon an idea.
"Alright, I will need you to hold him. Just hold his hand steady so I can
extract the shards."
Sesshoumaru got up and sat at the head of the bed. He folded his legs and
gently lifted Inuyasha's head and upperbody in his lap, holding him close,
cradling him gently against his body. Inuyasha sighed and relaxed visibly,
snuggling into the warmth, breathing his scent in. Lightning flashed and
thunder clapped again but this time, Inuyasha didn't jump.
"Master…"
Sesshoumaru gently took Inuyasha's one hand in both of his and held it out to
Miroku. Miroku stared at him for a moment, shocked at how affectionate the
demon Lord was being. He had never in his life seen Sesshoumaru being so gentle
with anybody. Perhaps he hadn't been wrong…
When Sesshoumaru cast him an impatient look, he began to extract the shards.
Inuyasha winced and cried out when each one was removed, the pain enhanced
because of the fever. All the while, Sesshoumaru held him close, comforting
him. Then Miroku did the same with his other hand and then his feet. Once they
were clean, he once again opened his wooden box and opened a small container.
Within it, was a paste. He gently applied it to the wounded hands and feet.
Then he took out a roll of white bandages and wrapped them over the paste. He
took an extra bandage and wound it tightly around his wrist.
"He needs to rest this hand for now. A human takes three to six weeks to
recover from a wrist injury like this but a hanyou will recover faster. Still,
he has to rest till he returns to his hanyou form and then maybe a day or two
after."
"How long does the transformation last?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"It's different for each hanyou," Miroku told him. "It may last any where from
a couple of days to a few hours. Inuyasha will be able to tell you that once he
is better. It's generally fixed."
Miroku sighed, looking pityingly at the boy.
"I can't give him anything for the fever. It was caused because his mind has
been under far too much stress along with the changes in his body. It should
recede once he calms down and his fear and anxiety subsides. Only you can help
him do that."
Then he turned to look at Sesshoumaru. "You're not planning to send him away,
are you?"
"No," Sesshoumaru replied, gazing at the poor broken boy. Had his rejection
really cause him so much pain?
Miroku got up and gathered his belongings.
"If the fever doesn't break by dawn, call me."
Miroku left. Sesshoumaru returned to his puppy's side.
Removing each and every shard from Inuyasha's wounds had been a long process;
Miroku had begun around midnight and now, it was a couple of hours past
midnight. Inuyasha's breathing was still shallow and he seemed incoherent.
Sesshoumaru undressed for the night, put on a pair of hakama and got into the
bed next to Inuyasha. He pulled Inuyasha close to him, fitting the child
against the curve of his body. Inuyasha sighed, a small smiled creeping onto
his face, and brought his hands up weakly to clutch Sesshoumaru's arms wound
around his waist. With one hand, Sesshoumaru caressed Inuyasha's head and held
him close fiercely with the other. Inuyasha's breathing gradually evened out;
he didn't writhe and moan anymore. Once his puppy seemed settled, Sesshoumaru
allowed himself to drift to sleep.
 
===============================================================================
 
After what seemed like only a couple of minutes, but was actually just over an
hour, Sesshoumaru woke up with the feeling of something burrowing against his
chest. Golden eyes opened to see a dark head snuggling into the chest.
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. Inuyasha didn't feel as hot any longer. His body
was covered in a small film of sweat and now that he had a bit more strength,
it seemed his puppy was trying to get as close to him as possible.
He held the boy close against his body and Inuyasha seemed to calm down a bit.
Sesshoumaru glanced outside; the sky was still dark and the storm was still
raging, but it couldn't be long till dawn now. Hiten's magic should be wearing
off now; although the thunder demon was strong, it would not be possible to
sustain a powerful storm from such a distance. The weather would return to
normal in another day at the most.
When Inuyasha squirmed, Sesshoumaru loosened his grip and slowly stroked his
back. Inuyasha seemed to awaken finally up. He blinked sleepy eyes and brought
tiny fists up to rub his eyes. Sesshoumaru hid a smile; human Inuyasha was just
as cute as the hanyou when he woke up. But he was curious to see if everything
else about him was also still the same.
Inuyasha finally opened his eyes. He seemed disoriented for a moment. Then,
when he realized where he was, his eyes widened in horror. He grabbed a few
strands of his hair. His face paled as he saw the dark color and the bandages
on his hand.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Inuyasha?"
Tears gathered in Inuyasha's eyes. He pushed against Sesshoumaru's chest weakly
and tried to get out of the bed. Sesshoumaru was not pleased. He stilled the
boy forcefully. The tears in Inuyasha's eyes overflowed and ran down his
cheeks.
"Master, forgive me," he cried, trying to get away from him, as much as
Sesshoumaru's grip on him would allow.
"I did not mean to offend you," a small sob escaped him. His wounded hands and
feet were throbbing with pain and; everything hurt much more on his human
night. Also, because of the fever, he was much more sensitive to all
sensations; the pain in his exhausted body would have been enough to bring
tears to his eyes but that didn't matter. What he'd done was awful. A little
pain was nothing, in comparison. "I- I should have told you about –about my
curse…I'm –I'm even more tainted than you first thought. Please…I'm sorry…I'll-
I'll leave and never bother you again…"
Sesshoumaru propped his body up on the elbow of one hand and towered over the
frightened puppy. He placed the other hand heavily on Inuyasha's chest and
pinned him to the bed.
"You're not going anywhere," he told Inuyasha. Thunder boomed outside and
Inuyasha stilled, looking scared. Then Sesshoumaru's voice softened. "I'm
sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have left my puppy alone."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. He looked close to panicking. His Master…his Master
was apologizing to him! It was all his, Inuyasha's, fault and his wonderful
Master, who had to go through so much trouble because of him, was apologizing.
A Master apologizing to his slave was unheard of.
"N-no, no Master, please!" he cried struggling to get up. "I-it was m-my fault.
I didn't…I can't …I know humans are beneath you, Master…I do not deserve to
serve you…"
Sesshoumaru leaned in close to him and Inuyasha stopped talking.
"It's not your fault this happens to you, puppy."
Tears fell from Inuyasha's eyes again. "It is! I-I'm…I'm weak and dirty…"
The slavers and humans and everyone else had always told him that. He didn't
deserve any kindness because of what he was. Of course it was his fault!
"I'm not worthy of being your slave Master…I have disappointed you…forgive me…"
"You are not dirty," Sesshoumaru was now so close him, Inuyasha could feel his
Master's warm breath on his lips. He shivered.
"I told you you're mine; whether human or hanyou, it matters not…so long as you
are yourself."
Sesshoumaru touched his nose to the hanyou and Inuyasha gasped at the gentle,
intimate gesture.
"It was my belief that as a human, you would be like the rest of them; selfish
and craven and bothersome…but you are not."
Inuyasha's eyes widened as Sesshoumaru leaned down and kissed him gently on the
lips. Inuyasha's hands came up to push him away but Sesshoumaru pinned them to
his side. His Master's tongue flicked against his lips and Inuyasha surrendered
and opened his mouth. The demon Lord slowly mapped out his mouth and was thrown
by the taste. The human tasted nothing like he had expected. He had thought he
would taste all salty and bad but Inuyasha tasted like morning dew and rose –
he tasted…fragile.
Inuyasha could not believe it. Sesshoumaru-sama…was kissing him…in his human
form. Inuyasha had expected to wake up on the roads somewhere far from the
castle, alone. He had never imagined that Sesshoumaru-sama would even consider
keeping him after this incident; he was only thankful the Lord had not killed
him immediately on finding out his secret. But then again, he no longer had any
desire to live without his Master.
As Sesshoumaru deepened the kiss, Inuyasha was noticed that his Master tasted
different to him in his human form. He tasted like snow and electricity.
Inuyasha was panting for breath when the demon Lord pulled back.
"Do you forgive me, puppy?" he asked seductively.
Inuyasha shook his head vigorously. Didn't his Lord understand that this was
all his, Inuyasha's, fault? "Please don't say that, Master. I-I do not deserve
this kindness…please, I know I have no right to, but if…if you will keep this
slave, I will make sure to stay out of your sight on New Moon nights…"
"New Moon nights? So you're human every New Moon night? And you become hanyou
the next day?"
Inuyasha nodded miserably. "Please, my Lord, anything…I will do anything to try
and make up for all this trouble I have caused you…"
Sesshoumaru was finally convinced this was, indeed, his little puppy. Only
Inuyasha was achingly innocent and yet heartbreakingly grown up at the same
time.
"Do not feel bad, little one. It was not your fault; you do not have to do
anything. You are still my puppy. "
Inuyasha looked up hesitantly, hopefully. "B-But…my human night?"
"I believe that secret is already out," Sesshoumaru told him wryly. "The human
blood from your wounds is ripe in the room where I asked Raia to seal you."
He gestured at the sheets and Inuyasha gasped on seeing his blood staining
them. The priceless sheets, they were now dirty with his blood!
"I brought you here in an almost delirious state; the scent of human blood,
tears and sickness lingers in these rooms, in my bed, on me. All moderately
powerful demons would be by now aware that there was a human in the castle, not
to mention the Lord and Lady and Kouga."
Inuyasha looked away despairingly. One night…he could not take care of himself
for one night…Sesshoumaru-sama would now have to find some way to explain it
away since he refused to let him go and he couldn't very well tell the Lord and
Lady of the West that he had a human pet. The servants and subjects would
whisper and laugh. His authority as the heir of the West would be undermined.
"S-so, what do you command, Master?" Inuyasha asked in a small voice. "Shall I
leave the castle every month, before my human night is upon me? I could go far
away…the scent would not reach the castle but what about my scent i-in your
chambers and-"
He stuttered to a stop when there was a particularly bright flash of lightning,
visible from the window behind the demon Lord. The night was too dark for a
human to be able to see properly but in the momentary light, Inuyasha could see
his Master's golden eyes glowing eerily, angrily.
"Leave the castle?" he demanded quietly. "Humans and demons alike despise you,
puppy. You will not survive your human night outside the castle; my enemies
will torture and kill you."
Inuyasha whimpered.
"Of course, anyone who attempts to harm you would not survive either-"
-a hint of a fanged smile-
"- but by then, it would be too late…You are not even safe in the castle once
the servants and other youkai find out about you."
The human boy's eyes widened. "F-find out?"
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "I believe I will have quite a bit of explaining
to do, come morning."
Inuyasha stared at him. "You-you will tell them-?"
"Indeed," Sesshoumaru replied. "Therefore, henceforth, you will not leave my
chambers on your human night…under any circumstances. I will not have you out
of my sight."
"B-but- you will have to tolerate a human in your chamber, sire…please, I don't
want to inconvenience you…you have done far too much for me already.…"
Sesshoumaru frowned at the look on his face.
"Too much? On the contrary, I have a lot to make up for, puppy. I should not
have left you alone on your human night, especially with that bastard Hiten's
thunderstorm. But it will not happen again."
Inuyasha looked away sadly, guilt eating up at him from inside. The demon Lord
did not know how wretched he really was. Oh god, how was he ever going to be
worthy of even the slightest bit of kindness from him? He didn't deserve it…he
didn't deserve any of it…
"But I don't-"
"Enough, little one," Sesshoumaru ordered, looking down at him and Inuyasha
immediately fell silent at his deep, commanding voice. "I told you I will not
allow you to go away from me. You're still my pet. Slaves cannot disobey their
Masters."
This last was said in a teasing manner but Inuyasha took it seriously. His face
fell.
"Forgive me, Master. I will serve you as long as you allow me to."
Sesshoumaru gently turned Inuyasha's face towards him. "Are you feeling
better?"
Inuyasha nodded, but Sesshoumaru could feel his misery. "I am sorry for ruining
your sheets, Master."
"Puppy, your well-being is more important than sheets," Sesshoumaru reminded
him. Inuyasha just looked at him incredulously but when Sesshoumaru met his
eyes, the child hastily looked down.
After determining that the fever had broken and Inuyasha was not in any
physical pain, Sesshoumaru lay back down on the bed beside him. He frowned when
it looked like Inuyasha was about to get up, but then thunder crashed outside
and Inuyasha trembled. The storm was weakening in strength; the thunder and
lightning were less frequent now, but the noise of thunder still frightened
Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru pulled him towards himself and cuddled him.
"You had a high fever throughout the night puppy. You need to rest."
Inuyasha seemed a bit resistant but reluctantly gave in and relaxed.
"Yes, Master."
But he was limp in Sesshoumaru's grasp, he made no move to hug him or get
closer. He lay there and tried to curl into himself, pulling his legs against
his body but Sesshoumaru didn't allow him to do so. Odd; it was not like his
puppy to resist his embrace. Generally, he seemed to find it very comforting.
"You are still frightened of the storm, yes?"
Inuyasha bit his lip. How was he supposed to answer that? Yes he was frightened
but how to tell his Lord that he didn't have to take care of him like this?
Having a human in his bed was bad enough but to keep him close? Sesshoumaru-
sama was just too kind. He could not believe he had allowed himself to think he
was worthy of his touch. At the most, he should be sleeping at his Master's
feet, not cuddled like this, in an affectionate embrace. But he couldn't lie.
"Y-yes," he bit his lip hesitantly.
Sesshoumaru propped himself up on his side again and drew the sheets around
Inuyasha, tucking him in.
"Then rest. I will watch over you."
Inuyasha gasped. "But my Lord! You should be resting, Master. It is my duty to
see to your needs. I will stay awake and-"
Sesshoumaru felt a twinge in his heart. "You are ill, puppy. You need to rest.
Do not think me so weak that one sleepless night would be vexing."
But then he instantly regretted his words as Inuyasha once again looked on the
verge of tears.
"Master, forgive me! I – I did not mean to offend. I should not have presumed
to- to tell you anything."
Sesshoumaru stared. Inuyasha's tone was entirely submissive, the way he'd been
when he'd first come to that castle. In fact, it was even more subdued.
Inuyasha had never seemed this subservient, even with the slavers, and in the
past few days, Sesshoumaru had succeeded in bringing out the playful, bright
side of him. He had thought Inuyasha was breaking away from his slavish nature,
but now?
"It is alright," Sesshoumaru reassured him. "Now sleep."
When Inuyasha still looked reluctant, Sesshoumaru understood the frightened
child needed to be handled firmly. Inuyasha had gained some self-confidence
these past few days but because of his guilt over this incident and because of
the fact that he was so sure he, Sesshoumaru, was now disgusted by him, all his
insecurities and feelings of worthlessness had returned.
"I said rest, Inuyasha," he commanded in a deep, firm voice, pressing down
warningly on his chest. Inuyasha seemed to visibly relax. He nodded and closed
his eyes.
Sesshoumaru stared at the dark haired, sleeping child and wondered how much
damage his unthinking rejection had caused and what it would take to bring him
back to his happy, mischievous self. He would have to think of some way.
He had to admit, the human Inuyasha looked acceptable, though not as adorable
as his hanyou self. But looking at the clawless, puppy-ears-less, dark haired
child, he could not help wonder – did the puppy also have a demon form? It was
logical to assume so; if his human blood overpowering him caused him to turn
human once a month, there must also be times when he turned demon. He had heard
that a hanyou's demon blood took over when severely aggravated or threatened,
but considering how inaccurate his information about Inuyasha's human
transformation had been, he would rather ask the puppy about it. He had to
admit he was curious to see it; a demon Inuyasha – his own youki burned at the
thought of taming it.
Then he sighed. That was later; he had more urgent problems to deal with. Lady
Tsukiko would not appreciate the idea of him wanting to keep a hanyou/human
pet. And how was he going to explain to his parents why there was human blood
on his sheets?
 
 
 
***** Scars And How To Heal Them *****
Chapter 16 – Scars and How To Heal Them
There was a hesitant, rather frightened knocking at Sesshoumaru's door.
The prince of the Western Lands shifted slightly on his bed, reluctant to wake
up. It had been quite late after Inuyasha fell asleep last night. Although
powerful demons did not require sleep every night, it had, nonetheless, been a
long night and the rather disgruntled prince thought he'd appreciate some more
sleep. Besides, Inuyasha was curled up into him. It seemed in his sleep,
Inuyasha sought Sesshoumaru's comforting warmth, getting as close to the Lord
as possible, even though when awake, the hanyou had begun to feel guilty and
uncomfortable about that. And the feeling of disentangling the little hanyou
from himself early in the morning to attend to decidedly unpleasant tasks was
akin to getting out of warm, soft blankets on a winter morning; he really,
really didn't want to.
But his father would not be pleased if he either sent the servant away or
killed him and Sesshoumaru had enough explaining to do as it was. Besides, this
would have to be done sooner or later; best to get it over with.
So, with some displeasure, he carefully extricated Inuyasha's little fists from
his person and sat up halfway in bed, shifting the sleeping Inuyasha slightly
so that he would not awaken when Sesshoumaru got out of bed.
"Enter," he ordered coldly.
The doors opened slowly and a thin, stooped man entered. Well, 'man' was a
stretch. The boy was quite young, maybe younger than Sesshoumaru himself.
Sesshoumaru propped himself up in bed and pinned the unfortunate servant with
his trademark glare, raising one annoyed eyebrow. The boy, whose name was Yori,
trembled.
"Uuh….forgive me, sire…but uh- Lord Inu no Taisho…that is-"
Sesshoumaru's glare intensified. Yori eeped in his mind. Why did he have to end
up being the one who had to wake the young sire early in the morning?
Sesshoumaru-sama was famously not a morning person. Some of the stories he's
heard from the prince's childhood…
"Taisho-sama a-asks that you see him immediately, my Lord."
Sesshoumaru was amused at how frightened the boy was.
"Where is he?"
Yori quavered. "Uhh…h-he…he is…"
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and Yori jumped as if burned. "He – they're in
the East Wing, My Lord."
They meant his mother was awake too. Well damn...
Sesshoumaru dismissed the servant with an imperious gesture. The boy bowed low
and practically ran out of his chambers.
He glanced at the hanyou peacefully sleeping next to him. Then he got out of
bed, changed and left to see his father.
===============================================================================
As soon as he entered the room, Lady Tsukiko discreetly wrinkled her nose. The
smell of human blood and sweat clung to her son and it was distinctly
unpleasant.
They were in the conference room, designed especially for private meetings with
distinguished guests. It contained a variety of beautiful chairs, couches and
other seating arrangements, skillfully arranged in a way that would make it
possible for all occupants to face each other while sitting comfortably. Muted
but lively colors dominated the room, giving it a professional yet friendly and
warm atmosphere. This is where important treaties were generally conducted; it
helped to put the other party in the best possible frame of mind.
Currently it was being used as an interrogation room for their son. Taisho was
on his feet, glaring at his son. His son and heir got away with a lot of things
but wanton murder and violence would not be one of them. Lady Tsukiko, on the
other hand, did not seem too upset by the thought of one human less in the
world. She was sitting curled up in a big, comfortable chair, seemingly
prepared to enjoy the fireworks.
Sesshoumaru entered and bowed slightly to his parents.
"You have gone too far," Taisho told him quietly. His voice was cold and angry.
"Your revulsion of humans not withstanding, this is not what I expected of
you."
"It is not what you think," the prince told him.
Taisho looked at him furiously. "That is hardly possible."
"It is," Sesshoumaru insisted.
Tsukiko sniggered. "Oh lighten up, Taisho. Don't give the poor boy such a hard
time. It was just a human-"
"Hard time?" Taisho interrupted her. "It seems our son has forgotten the
meaning of hard time…"
"Father-"
"No, Sesshoumaru," Taisho cut him off. "There is no excuse for this. Humans,
despite what the esteemed Lady might think, deserve to live in security and
peace as much as demons do. Even the heir of the Western Lands has no right to
treat them like toys to be played with and discarded at a whim."
"I didn't-"
"Don't bother denying it, young man. What I am wondering is how a human even
got in the castle…"
"Why our son must have ordered one," Tsukiko put in cheekily. "Heaven knows
there are enough of them…why not put one to good use?"
Taisho turned his glare upon her. "I pray you, don't take Sesshoumaru's side in
this. We both know you are not callous enough to needlessly take a life…even a
human life. The boy has to learn not to trifle with others."
Tsukiko raised an elegant eyebrow. "Needlessly take a life?" she asked
incredulously. "Taisho, no one knows better than I what treacherous little rats
those reeking humans are. That their miserable life provided any entertainment
at all to our son is more honor than they deserve."
"Not all humans are alike, my Lady," Taisho reminded her mildly.
This was a bit of a sore topic. In the early years of his reign, there had been
a great deal of upheaval in one of the substantially large kingdoms at the
border of the Western Lands. Tied up with grave problems in the mainland,
Taisho had attempted to send several brilliant, powerful generals along with a
small army to restore order there. They had all returned unsuccessful claiming
that the land was unruly and uncivilized and the subjects impossible to
control. His mate had volunteered to bring them in line and Taisho had
acquiesced gratefully.
Lady Tsukiko had succeeded in establishing order but not without having to use
sly means. Taisho had a sneaking suspicion his mate had not divulged all the
details of that particular conquest to him. However, to be fair, the
inhabitants of the land had truly been barbarians, submitting to force, then
returning to their petty ways once the imminent threat was gone. Tsukiko had
managed to establish more or less permanent calm there. Since she returned to
her mate's side, there had been no insurgencies and drastically fewer reports
of murder and violence.
The humans there had, unfortunately, been quite worthy of everything Tsukiko
seemed to now ascribe to them. It had soured her impression of them forever
although she herself never indulged in wanton violence.
Tsukiko smiled derisively. "Whatever you say, My Lord."
Taisho sighed, turning back to his son. "The point, Sesshoumaru, is that what
you did will definitely not go unpunished.
"It is truly not what you think, father," Sesshoumaru insisted.
"Oh really," Inu no Taisho's voice was hard. "Not what I think…so you are
saying that right now, there isn't a dead or dying human somewhere in the
castle?"
"No there is not," Sesshoumaru assured him.
Taisho drew back at that. Sesshoumaru was devious enough to beat the devil
himself but he was not a liar.
"Sesshoumaru," he began cautiously. "Your wing of the castle is practically
stinking of human blood…"
Sesshoumaru sighed. "Yes, I am aware of that."
"Why was there a human in the castle, Sesshoumaru? And if the unfortunate
creature's blood was spilt in and near your chambers, I'd be willing to bet
tessaiga, you were the cause of it."
Sesshoumaru was suddenly interested. "Really? You will bet tessaiga?"
Taisho gritted his teeth. Kids these days…the attention span of a butterfly…
"Sesshoumaru, my patience is very tenuous right now. Do not test me. Explain
yourself!"
"The blood was Inuyasha's. Yesterday night was the night of his
transformation."
Taisho's eyes showed dawning comprehension. Of course…the hanyou's night as a
human. Then he frowned. "Inuyasha's? You…killed him?" The little hanyou seemed
to have made a place for himself in his son's icy heart. Somehow, he hadn't
thought Sesshoumaru capable of such cruelty.
For some reason, Sesshoumaru could not quite meet his father's eyes. "No…I did
not."
Taisho was confused. "Sesshoumaru…"
"I…ordered Raia to put him in an unused room for the night. The hanyou hurt
himself on his own. By the time I got to him, he was wounded and feverish."
Taisho's mouth fell open. "You…got to him?" he asked faintly. "As in, you
touched a bleeding, ill human?"
Sesshoumaru was staring intently at a spot behind his father. "And brought him
back to my chambers. Miroku treated him there."
Taisho, not entirely able to believe it, felt a surge of pride for his son. His
spoilt, stubborn boy was…growing up.
Unfortunately, Lady Tsukiko wasn't half as delighted at this turn of events.
"What?" she hissed, no longer casual and indolent, "You…that boy sullied your
chambers with his dirty blood and he is still alive?"
Taisho shut his eyes and winced imperceptibly.
Here we go…
Sesshoumaru remained silent.
Tsukiko threw her hands up and gave a despairing cry. Then she glared
accusingly at her husband. "I hope you are happy, Taisho," she snipped. "Our
son is now Just. Like. You." She said the last three words as if they were the
worst insult she could come up with.
Sesshoumaru tried to intervene. "Mother-"
Tsukiko turned her ire on him. "And you. First you decide to keep a hanyou pet
and now a human?"
"He is human only on new moon nights," Sesshoumaru tried to explain.
"It matters not!" Tsukiko cried with a sweeping gesture of her hands. "A human
is a human!"
"Hahaue…"
"Don't you 'Hahaue' me, Sesshoumaru! Where is Inuyasha now?"
"He is still asleep."
Tsukiko was aghast. "In your chambers?"
"Yes."
It was Taisho's turn to snigger. Tsukiko shot him a glare which he retuned with
a smug, amused look. Sesshoumaru looked at one, then the other and tried not to
roll his eyes.
"You plan to keep him?" Tsukiko asked Sesshoumaru, looking quite horrified.
"I do," Sesshoumaru replied, praying she would not probe further.
He was still bewildered by his own decision. He had announced that he would
keep Inuyasha in his chambers on his human night but the fact remained that he
hated humans. That had not changed. The only thing was…he didn't hate Inuyasha.
If asked, he could not have explained why he had no desire to play his
admittedly painful games with this particular human sleeping so fitfully in his
chambers, why the thought of keeping him close did not bring bile to his
throat, but all he knew was that he could not bear the thought of letting the
little hanyou away from him.
Fortunately for him, Tsukiko turned away, knowing it was pointless trying him
to change his mind. Her son was as stubborn as she was.
"Fine," she sniffed. "But get all that blood out. It's giving me a headache."
Sesshoumaru bowed and left.
After Sesshoumaru was gone, Taisho gazed after his son with newfound respect in
his eyes. "You know," he smiled. "He's really nothing like me…he's nothing like
either of us."
Tsukiko sighed, also staring after their son with an inscrutable look in her
eyes. "I know."
Inu no Taisho was sure he heard a faint note of pride in her voice.
===============================================================================
Sesshoumaru entered his chambers, relieved. Now that that was over, he looked
forward to spending some time with his pet. He headed to his bed, expecting his
exhausted little puppy to still be asleep.
Instead, he found Inuyasha kneeling on the floor at the foot of his bed,
forehead touching the ground in the most subservient bow possible. He was
already wearing his leash and collar.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Rise."
Inuyasha straightened but kept his head bowed.
"Inuyasha-"
"YOU LITTLE RATASSED BASTARD!"
The doors to his chambers burst open and Kouga stomped in with murder in his
eye.
"How could you? How could you fucking kill him you-"
Sesshoumaru quietly stepped out of the way of the punch that Kouga threw and
looked pointedly at the hanyou kneeling on the ground who now looked quite
frightened. Kouga glanced at him and his eyes widened. He stopped his attack
short and in his shock, overbalanced and fell on his butt right next to the
kneeling hanyou. Inuyasha recoiled slightly at having the wolf demon so close.
"What-?" he wondered, leaning in to stare at the hanyou, unable to believe his
eyes. "Inuyasha is…alive?"
"Yes," Sesshoumaru explained placidly. "Now that you've ascertained that, get
out of here. I –"
"Hold your horses," Kouga ordered from the ground. "Why does this whole
corridor smell of his blood and tears?"
Despite his annoyance, Sesshoumaru was curious. "You recognized it as
Inuyasha's blood?"
Kouga stared up at him like he'd lost his mind. "Of course, I did."
Realizing this would not end quickly, Sesshoumaru gestured for him towards the
sitting area. Kouga sprung to his feet and brushed past him and settled himself
in an armchair. Sesshoumaru gestured to a servant, then followed him to the
sitting area.
It only took a few steps for him to realize that Inuyasha had not moved from
his kneeling position. Kouga also looked in concern at Inuyasha and then at the
Lord. Sesshoumaru stopped and turned back towards the boy.
"Come, Inuyasha," he ordered softly.
Inuyasha bowed and wordlessly got to his feet, following his master.
Sesshoumaru sat down in his armchair and Inuyasha silently knelt at his feet,
keeping his head low. There was a knock at the doors; then servants entered the
chambers carrying trays of food and drinks. They swiftly placed them on the
table at the centre of the seating arrangement. Sesshoumaru dismissed them and
they bowed and left. Kouga smirked gleefully and grabbed a plate, helping
himself to a number of delicacies.
Sesshoumaru selected a few himself and glanced down at Inuyasha. The hanyou was
trying his best to not look at the delicious looking food on the table. Despite
his efforts, however, he couldn't help glancing longingly at the food
occasionally. Kouga had opened his mouth to put another delicious morsel in his
mouth but following Sesshoumaru's gaze, he closed his mouth and lowered his
hand, staring in concern at the miserable child. He'd never known Inuyasha to
look so timid. What was the matter with him?
"Are you hungry, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked. Inuyasha lowered his head, bangs
covering his eyes, fists clenched in his lap.
"Inuyasha?" Kouga asked when he didn't reply. "Hey if the jackass did something
to make you mad, come here." He patted his lap. "This food's awesome."
Inuyasha whimpered, sounding on the verge of tears. Slaves should never eat
with their Masters. Sesshoumaru-sama had been too lenient with him all this
while and Kouga-sama was suggesting he sit in his lap? He could never imagine
sitting at the same level with them and eating. He was painfully reminded of
all the times he had sat in his Master's lap. How presumptuous he'd been! Even
if Sesshoumaru-sama had allowed it, he should have known better. The slavers'
words rang in his ears.
Slaves should never be treated too well. Got 'em used to it. Ain't good for
them. Start thinkin' they deserve it.
Inuyasha felt the tears threatening to fall. And they'd been right. He'd almost
come to expect his treatment as what he deserved rather what it really was -
his master's generosity.
Kouga frowned fiercely at Sesshoumaru. "You bastard! What'd ya do to the kid to
make him so upset? Don't worry, Inu. I'll kick his ass if ya-"
He stopped, mystified, as with a cry, Inuyasha bowed to the floor.
"Please, Kouga-sama! Master has been nothing but kind to me…I-I wouldn't
imagine e-eating with you…"
Kouga stared in shock at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru returned his concerned
glance. Sesshoumaru handed the plate in his hand to the hanyou.
"Eat," he ordered. Inuyasha glanced up at him, tears brimming in his eyes, but
the demon Lord's face was inscrutable. Inuyasha bowed his head in thanks and
took the plate from him. He sat silently at Sesshoumaru's feet and began slowly
put some food in his mouth.
"How did you recognize it as Inuyasha's blood?" Sesshoumaru asked, veering the
attention away from the already discomfited hanyou.
Kouga cast one last glance at Inuyasha and then looked up to meet Sesshoumaru's
eyes. "I kinda figured. What other human would you have in your chambers?"
"You know about hanyou's transformations?"
Kouga shrugged, leaning forward to place more food in his plate. "Sure…up in
the mountains, we don't treat them much different from us so it ain't a big
deal. But you didn't answer me," Kouga reminded him "Why was Inuyasha
bleeding?"
Sesshoumaru glanced down at the puppy quietly eating his food. "I ordered for
Inuyasha to be put in another room for the duration of his human night. He
managed to injure himself."
Inuyasha's ears flattened. He placed his plate of food aside even though he was
still starving, and once again bowed down low. "I am sorry, master," he
whispered. "I know I deserve whatever punishment you give me for that."
Kouga stared. "Punishment?" he demanded. "Why, it's this asswho deserves to be
punished. He left you alone on your human night? Did you hurt yourself on
purpose?"
Inuyasha looked up, panicked. "No! Please, Sesshoumaru-sama forbid me from
doing that…I haven't done it since…"
Kouga's face darkened. "Again? That means you've done it before…Dammit,
Sesshoumaru, what kinda shitty master are you? Driving this sweet kid to such
things…"
"Shut it," Sesshoumaru ordered, choosing to concentrate on the food rather than
the wolf's yapping. He didn't notice the look on Inuyasha's face.
Kouga scowled. "It's obvious the poor thing is quite miserable with you. I'd
take far better care of him…you had your chance and you lost it…so he's comin'
with me…"
He bent down to pick the puppy up. The tears brimming in Inuyasha's eyes
spilled over. Kouga-sama was nice but he didn't want anyone apart from
Sesshoumaru-sama as his master! He shied away from Kouga, moving closer to
Sesshoumaru's legs but it proved unnecessary as Kouga's hand was arrested
midway in a steel grip.
"Cur, if you know what is good for you, do not attempt to touch him again."
Sesshoumaru's icy voice had both Inuyasha and Kouga looking up at him in
surprise. Kouga sneered.
"The puppy deserves better than that, you asshole! How could you-"
Sesshoumaru's grip tightened warningly and Kouga winced. "What I do to him is
none of your concern. He's mine."
"It damn well is my concern if you don't take care of him!" Kouga shouted,
trying and failing to get free from Sesshoumaru's grip. "I think Inuyasha
deserves a say in this."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply but Sesshoumaru didn't give him a chance.
"He has no say in this." The demon Lord's voice was hard and cutting. "The
hanyou belongs to me. Whether he wants to or not, I have laid claim to him. He
wears my insignia around his neck. If you dare lay a fucking hand on him-"
Kouga cried out as Sesshoumaru suddenly twisted his arm. He was forced out of
his seat and on his knees on the floor as Sesshoumaru held it tightly behind
his back.
"-you will regret it."
Kouga gritted his teeth and glared at him. It was very rare that the icy,
proper prince ever swore. He was kinda proud he could bring out this side of
him.
"Whatever, bastard," he said through clenched teeth. "I'll be damned if I let
the kid be kept here against his will."
"Sesshoumaru-sama can do whatever he likes to me," Inuyasha put in softly,
keeping his eyes trained on the floor. "My life belongs to Sesshoumaru-sama. My
dearest wish is to be useful to my Lord. Whatever he does to me, I am grateful
for it." His head went even lower. Both the demons were shocked when he placed
a soft kiss on his Master's boot.
"Inuyasha," Kouga whispered, pity eyes soft with pity. "He doesn't, alright? He
can't abuse you or treat you badly if he feels like it. You deserve better."
Inuyasha shook his head. "After all the trouble I have caused him, I-"
He took a deep breath. "Sesshoumaru-sama told me I no longer have the right to
punish myself but I know…I know he is being too kind…too kind…"
He broke down into soft sobs. Kouga looked as if he wanted to touch him but
Sesshoumaru was quicker. He swiftly released Kouga and laid a hand on the
kneeling hanyou's head.
"Inuyasha…I told you that you need not hold this guilt. You have caused me no
trouble."
He slid his hand to Inuyasha's chin and lifted it up.
"I will punish you when you deserve it, puppy, but never when you don't."
Inuyasha brought both his small hands up and grasped Sesshoumaru's big one.
"I-I feel I do…" Inuyasha whispered. "Please punish me, Master?"
Kouga was shocked. "Inuyasha-!"
"Like you did last time…" Inuyasha blushed as he remembered the time when
Sesshoumaru had found out he had rubbed the skin on his arms till it was raw
and bleeding. The enraged demon Lord had taken him till he'd cried and begged
for mercy but it had still been the best night of his life.
"Foolish puppy," Sesshoumaru whispered, caressing his pet's ears with the hand
not captured in the little hanyou's hands. "I did not punish you so you would
feel better."
Inuyasha's ears lay flat on his head when anybody else touched them, but they
flickered happily at his Master's touch.
"I punished you because that is the only thing wrong you have done so far…the
only thing worthy of punishment."
Inuyasha looked at him disbelievingly.
"Do you know what punishment is for, puppy?"
Inuyasha looked at him strangely. Of course he knew what punishment was for!
"Master punishes me when I do something wrong," Inuyasha replied in a small
voice. "Master should punish me when I inconvenience him or cause him trouble.
Slaves should not cause master trouble."
He looked up in surprise when Kouga snorted at this definition.
"If that was true, Inu no Taisho should keep this ass in punishment almost all
his life," he muttered, rubbing his smarting wrist where Sesshoumaru had
twisted it. Sesshoumaru smirked; it was probably true.
"I won't punish you if you inconvenience me, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru explained.
"I will punish you if you do something bad…if you are being naughty on purpose
and especially if you do something that is bad for you."
Inuyasha looked up at him with wide eyes. That wasn't right! The slavers always
punished the slaves whenever the slaves failed to follow orders or did
something wrong or sometimes, just if they were in a bad mood. They never cared
what the slaves did to themselves, whether they harmed themselves or not. Of
course, with all the abuse the slavers dished out, the slaves never did
anything to harm themselves; they were too busy trying to stay alive.
Sesshoumaru had shown him the first kindness he had known in years; before, he
had never felt the need to be worthy of someone…the slavers had made it very
clear that hanyou were not worthy of even the air they breathed. Sesshoumaru's
kindness made him feel like he was being ungrateful…his new Master's affection
and concern made him feel as though he was deceiving him somehow and the new
moon incident only strengthened that feeling; all this while, he'd been
pretending to be something he was not.
But this was new. He had thought Sesshoumaru-sama had got mad before because
he'd done something he didn't have a right to do. Was his Master angry that
he'd hurthimself-?
"B-but…" he whimpered. "Slaves should be useful to Master, not cause him more
trouble and I-I have not-"
Sesshoumaru smiled and with his leash, pulled him close, between his legs.
"Slaves are not supposed to cause trouble, Inuyasha…but you are not merely a
slave…you're my puppy….and what fun is a puppy that doesn't cause a little
trouble…"
Inuyasha blushed, lowering his head as much as he could with his chin in his
Master's grip. He liked this; being in between his Master's strong thighs. He
felt…safe…
Kouga got to his feet, smirking at the two. "Well, I don't think I'm needed
here so I'll be going now."
"Get out," Sesshoumaru agreed without looking away from his puppy. Inuyasha
blushed more under his intense gaze.
Still smirking, Kouga sauntered out of the room and gleefully closed the door
behind him.
Inuyasha barely registered the door closing before he was lifted up and plopped
in his Master's lap. He moaned softly when his Master's lips met his.
Sesshoumaru firmly held the back of his head and pulled him close to his body.
Inuyasha felt his bones turn to jelly at the deep, possessive kiss. His Master
had kissed him sweetly before but never like this. It felt like Sesshoumaru-
sama was claiming him, marking him as his. He whimpered when Master's tongue
plunged into his mouth, battling with his own. Of course, there was no contest
and Inuyasha submitted. The collar at his throat felt tight and heavy. His
hands came up involuntarily to scratch at it.
Sesshoumaru noticed the gesture. He pulled away from Inuyasha's mouth, gazing
at him with lust laden eyes.
"That stays on," he whispered huskily. "As a reminder of who you belong to."
Inuyasha trembled at the possessive note in his Master's voice. He loved it
when Master staked his claim on him.
His haori was slipped off along with his hakama. Inuyasha was startled when
Sesshoumaru suddenly swept him in his arms and headed for his gigantic bed.
Inuyasha blushed, clinging to his master's haori, burying his face in his
muscled chest. Master smelled very nice.
Sesshoumaru lowered him onto the bed then stepped back, proceeding to remove
his own clothing. Inuyasha stared at him, blushing, looking exactly like a
happy curious puppy.
When he was done, Sesshoumaru lowered himself on top of the naked hanyou.
"You're beautiful," the demon Lord whispered, tracing one pale cheek with his
pointed claw.
"No…" Inuyasha protested looking away from his Master. He was not…of course he
was not….
"Yes," Sesshoumaru murmured proceeding to once again kiss him senseless. He
drew away again, and held himself above the squirming puppy. Inuyasha grew very
hot as his Master captured his leash in one hand and pulled on it very lightly
so that Inuyasha felt nothing more than a light tug…but it was very arousing to
be leashed this way by his Master. Sesshoumaru was amused by the way the
Inuyasha squirmed under him while he held the puppy's leash. Inuyasha looked
good this way - with his symbol on his slave's neck, collared and leashed. And
the little hanyou looked adorable with his face flushed with happiness, and
also because of how shy he still was.
The demon Lord turned him onto his back and raised his ass in position. Lubed
fingers prepared him swiftly, one hand pressing down on his back, forcing him
gently into the mattress.
Inuyasha was panting by the time the fingers were withdrawn and replace by his
Master's thick cock.
"Master, please," he begged. "In me…"
Sesshoumaru complied thrusting in steadily till he hilted himself inside the
boy. Inuyasha moaned and writhed gently, enjoying the feeling of being so full
of his Master.
"My Lord…"
Sesshoumaru groaned feeling the tight heat compressing around him. "Mmmm…good
puppy."
Inuyasha flushed at the praise.
"Master, please…more…"
Sesshoumaru smirked. "Puppy wants more?"
Inuyasha blushed. "Yes, Master…"
"Master, master…"
Inuyasha did not realize what he was chanting as Sesshoumaru began thrusting
into his ass. With his back pressed into the mattress, the collar felt tight
around his throat and neck but it was a nice kind of pleasure. Inuyasha felt
enveloped in bliss as the prince took his pleasure from him. The pain had
almost faded to nothing, leaving nothing but pleasure for the hanyou and right
then, Inuyasha could not imagine being happier than while being claimed by his
Master.
Many hours later, after Inuyasha's throat was hoarse from screaming his
pleasure, Sesshoumaru released deep inside his slave's ass and collapsed on top
of him. Inuyasha's breath left him in a rush as his Master's heavy body came to
rest on his back. He tried to move but found that he could not; his master's
body was entirely covering his own.
It seemed his Master had fallen asleep. He smiled slightly and closed his eyes,
preparing to sleep as well.
Then his eyes shot open in surprise as his hand was claimed in a much larger
one. Without opening his eyes, Sesshoumaru folded Inuyasha's smaller hand
inside his big palm. He smiled to himself as Inuyasha relaxed and turned
practically boneless. The hanyou slept unworriedly with his Master's comforting
weight on his back and the demon Lord's warm, satiated youki surrounding them.
                                   ~*~*~*~*~
 
***** Mistakes And A Story *****
 Chapter 17 – Mistakes and a Story
 
The next day, Inuyasha woke up with a start because of a loud, crashing noise
outside. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked around for his master.
Sesshoumaru-sama was gone. He could hear Kouga shouting at someone.
 
He ran out of the room and padded on bare feet to the back garden to the source
of the noise.
 
“Come on, fucker! What’re you standing round for?? If you’ve got it in you,
come get me.”
 
Sesshoumaru stood still as a statue in the face of this barrage. Kouga was
clearly incensed, shaking his fists at the unresponsive demon Lord.
 
“Are you scared of me?” Kouga taunted, smirking.
 
Still no movement. Kouga seemed to get all the more riled up.
 
“Fucking asshole....be a man, dammit! Haven’t you got any pride??”
 
Inuyasha gasped. Poor Kouga would surely be in for it now!
 
But the demon Lord stood motionless, face blank.
 
Kouga snorted and straightened from his tensed attack stance and turned away,
running a hand through his hair.
 
“Who am I kidding? You haven’t got the balls to fight for your pride. Gone soft
staying in the castle too long, that’s what this is.”
 
He smirked cheekily at the other demon. “Not that you ever had the guts, mind
you.”
 
No response from Sesshoumaru.
 
Seeing the fight stop, Inuyasha moved forward to go to his Master.
 
Then he was blown back by a cloud of dust and dirt as Kouga suddenly launched
himself at his unsuspecting friend.
 
Inuyasha picked himself up quickly and turned towards his Master. That wasn’t
fair! Kouga-sama had seemed to end the fight! How could the wolf prince do that
to his friend?? Peered anxiously through the dust to where Sesshoumaru had been
standing.
 
Kouga was struggling to get his hand free. He’d punched Sesshoumaru, aiming for
his solar plexus, since he was fighting without armour, but the demon Lord had
caught his fist neatly in his hand.
 
“Let go, dammit!” he grumbled, attempting to pry the demon Lord’s hand off but
because of his position, he was at a disadvantage. In an attempt to put maximum
force behind the blow, he had leaned forward and was now caught in the
position, unable to get the necessary leverage to get away from the demon Lord
and also unable to kick him because if he moved his feet, he would fall.
 
He aimed for Sesshoumaru’s temple with his other hand but before he could even
completely pull his arm back, a punch from Sesshoumaru threw him into a tree.
He gritted his teeth and sprung to his feet, the adrenaline not letting him
feel the pain yet. He took a running leap into the air and aimed a solid kick
at Sesshoumaru’s head.
 
The demon Lord watched him calmly, then ducked his head slightly to the side,
causing Kouga to land next to him, feet making a hole in the ground.
 
“Hey, don’t shit with me!” Kouga yelled at him. “This isn’t called fighting,
dammit!”
 
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you make at least a bit of an
effort?” his lips quirked into the tiniest of smiles. “Or is that really the
best you can do?”
 
Kouga saw red.
 
“I’ll showyou what I can do, fucker!
 
He aimed a series of moves at his sparring partner. He quite forgot that they
were sparring, that he was not really supposed to use lethal moves on his
friend. But all of them were easily blocked.
 
Kouga tried not to cry out as three, precise strikes from Sesshoumaru landed on
his mouth, his gut and his stomach. He fell back a few paces but braced himself
and once again launched himself at Sesshoumaru.
 
“Why. Won’t. You. Fucking. Move??” Kouga asked, punctuating each word with a
punch. Every one of his strikes had been blocked and the demon Lord had yet to
move from his position.
 
“Why should I?” Sesshoumaru asked reasonably, putting an end to the fight by
dealing a sharp blow to the back of Kouga’s neck with the blade of his palm.
With a sharp cry, Kouga collapsed to the ground.
 
Inuyasha stared wide eyed at the wolf. He seemed unconscious.
 
“Are you boys done?”
 
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha both turned to see Lady Tsukiko gliding into the
clearing, somehow managing to remain untouched by the dust and dirt strewed
around the garden. Her light-colored silky clothes were spotless when she came
to a stop next to her son and the wolf prince on the ground. Inuyasha looked
from her to Sesshoumaru. The demon Lord was also immaculate even though he was
wearing white silk. Now he knew where his master learned that trick.
 
“You broke the fountain!” Tsukiko accused her son, glancing exasperatedly at
the broken-in-half marble structure lying under a tree.
 
“Kouga broke it,” Sesshoumaru told her.
 
Tsukiko wasn’t buying it. “You’re the one who threw him into it. Couldn’t you
throw him against a tree or something?”
 
A pained grunt was heard from the ground.
 
They both looked down as Kouga stirred, sitting up slowly. The pains in his
ribs and various parts of his body were making themselves felt as rush from the
fight subsided.
 
“Are you finally awake?” Sesshoumaru asked, managing to keep a straight face.
 
Kouga cursed under his breath, taking the hand Tsukiko held out to him.
 
“Why do I even bother asking you to spar with me?” Kouga asked.
 
“You were the one who wanted to practice,” Sesshoumaru pointed out.
 
Kouga snarled in frustration, poking gingerly at his ribs. “I can’t practice if
you don’t move!”
 
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. “If you can’t land a single blow when I’m
standing still…”
 
“Enough.” Tsukiko called. “I want both of you inside. Kouga, go get your
injuries cleaned up.”
 
She turned away to go back inside, then looked over her shoulder to glare.
 
“If you get any of that muck on my carpets, blood will be shed.”
 
 
===============================================================================
“Fucker has to aim for my ribs,” Kouga grumbled wincing as he wound the
bandages around his wounds. Even talking hurt when your ribs were injured.
 
“Stop whining,” Sesshoumaru ordered. “You’ll heal soon enough. I did not
administer any poison.”
 
“Rub it in, why don’t ya?” Kouga muttered.
 
“It is not my fault you have not been practicing,” Sesshoumaru informed him,
absently caressing Inuyasha’s ears.
 
They were in Sesshoumaru’s chambers. Sesshoumaru was in his usual armchair in
front of the fire. The small table had been placed to the side and the wolf
demon was occupying the area, with his back to the fire, relishing the warmth.
 
 Kouga had taken a shower, mindful of Lady Tsukiko’s threat of imminent injury
if he spoiled the carpets, and was now seated comfortably on the plush carpet
opposite Sesshoumaru, with a tray full of bandages in front of him. Small, left
over pieces of bandages were strewn about. Inuyasha was also sitting on the
carpet, opposite Kouga near Sesshoumaru’s feet.
 
“Screw you…I have been in a hundred fights since we met last and haven’t lost
one.”
 
“Who have you been fighting? Drugged rabbits?”
 
Kouga raised his arm and gave him the finger, then winced as the wound on the
arm stung at the movement.
 
“I’ve fought Birds of Paradise!” he boasted. “An entire tribe of them.”
 
Inuyasha gasped, impressed. Birds of Paradise were particularly vicious
creatures, extremely adept at air attacks. It could not have been easy to
defeat them.
 
Kouga grinned rakishly at him. “You know about them, Inuyasha?”
 
Inuyasha turned red at being addressed, then nodded his head slowly. “I-I have
heard about them, Kouga-sama.”
 
“You think this ass could beat them?” he asked, nodding at Sesshoumaru.
 
Inuyasha fidgeted with the sleeves of his haori. “Master is very strong,” he
replied softly.
 
Kouga looked at him worriedly, unsettled by how mellow he sounded. Just a few
days before, he wouldn’t have hesitated in jumping to take Sesshoumaru’s side.
Now, he seemed afraid of saying anything against him, Kouga, to the point that
he was even uncomfortable being spoken to.
 
It seemed he still hadn’t gotten over the whole new moon thing.
 
Sesshoumaru smoothed back his puppy ears gently, attempting to calm his
anxiety. “It is no wonder you were able to defeat them,” he smirked at Kouga.
“Their intelligence is probably equal to yours.”
 
Kouga gritted his teeth. “Are you calling me bird-brained?” he demanded.
 
Sesshoumaru’s amused eyes gave him answer enough.
 
“I don’t get it,” Kouga frowned. “This was almost the same thing that happened
the last time we fought. I’ve grown much stronger and faster since then. Then
how-“
 
“You’ve been getting into fights,” Sesshoumaru said. “That is not the same as
getting stronger. There is more to strength than merely winning fights.”
 
Kouga looked away and didn’t reply. He was right.
 
The room was silent for a while, everyone lost in their own thoughts. The fire
crackled occasionally and workers could be heard clearing up the back gardens
of the mess the two princes had made. Inuyasha moved closer to his Master,
leaning against his legs and resting his head on his knee.
 
“Will you help me?” Kouga asked abruptly, looking up. He’d been contemplating
this for the past few minutes and had decided it was worth putting his pride
aside. “Will you help me get stronger?”
 
Sesshoumaru’s eyes bore into his. “You know it will not be easy.”
 
Kouga nodded solemnly. “I know. I’ll do what it takes. While I’m here, I might
as well make the most of it.”
 
They stared at each other for a while. Then Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. “I
will.”
 
Kouga nodded and went back to bandaging.
 
A timid knock was heard on the door. Upon receiving permission, a servant
entered, bowing low to Sesshoumaru. “Lord Inu no Taisho requests your presence,
my Lord.”
 
Sesshoumaru dismissed him. Inuyasha raised his head off Sesshoumaru’s knee and
turned to look at his Master.
 
“Stay with Kouga, Inuyasha,” he said. “I will return shortly.”
 
Inuyasha nodded and Sesshoumaru got up and left. The huge doors of the room
closed behind him.
 
He looked down, fidgeting with his sleeves, unsure how to behave in front of
the wolf prince.
 
“What’s the matter?” Kouga asked him. “Are ya scared of me?”
 
Inuyasha looked up, startled. He slowly shook his head. “N-No, Kouga-sama.”
 
Kouga grinned, showing his fangs. “Are you sure?”
 
Inuyasha swallowed nervously and nodded. It wasn’t the fangs he was afraid of.
He knew the wolf prince would not hurt him. But he didn’t want to offend him by
being too forward.
 
“You ok?” he asked.
 
“Ye-yes,” he said, looking down.
 
“Don’t be stupid,” Kouga said gruffly. “I can see you’re not. Tell me what the
matter is. Or would you rather talk to Sesshoumaru? Whatever, just don’t be
miserable like that.”
 
“I- it’s not that,” Inuyasha whispered.
 
“Well tell me, then,” Kouga insisted.
 
“I-it’s stupid,” Inuyasha murmured.
 
Kouga said nothing, only looked at him questioningly.
 
“It’s just…how come Sesshoumaru-sama is so…so calm? I saw you fighting…he
didn’t seem at all affected by what you were saying. I-I used to try to not let
people’s words affect me but-“ he smiled sadly. “I guess I’m too weak.”
 
Kouga looked at him knowingly. “You’re not weak if people’s words affect you.”
 
Inuyasha didn’t look up. “I am...Sesshoumaru-sama has such control and- and he
never lets anything get to him. However hard I try, I can never even come close
to such strength.”
 
“Inuyasha-“
 
“I-I just keep messing everything up,” Inuyasha said in a small voice. “I-I try
to be better, to make less mistakes but I end up making the same mistakes over
and over again.”
 
Kouga’s eyes filled with pity as Inuyasha’s face fell.
 
 
“I tried to…to be good…to be brave like he wanted me to…but it seems I just
make everything worse. I try to be strong but I just get more scared…”
 
He remembered the night of the new moon and the days following that. Tears fell
from his eyes, onto the carpet.
 
“Hey, look at me,” Kouga told him gently. Inuyasha sniffed and looked up
slowly. “Do you think Sesshoumaru was born like that?”
 
Inuyasha looked confused.
 
“Do you think he was always like that?” Kouga asked him with a smirk.
 
Inuyasha tilted his head to the side. “Yes?” he asked tentatively.
 
Kouga laughed, then grimaced as it hurt his ribs. “Hell no! He had the worst
temper of us all,” he revealed. “Everyone used to get scared of his anger. You
couldn’t say a wrong word without fearing for your life.”
 
Inuyasha was staring at him with eyes wide.
 
“Sesshoumaru-sama used to get angry easily?”
 
“Well, I’ll put it this way,” Kouga told him. “You know how I hurtled insults
at him today?”
 
Inuyasha nodded.
 
“Well, back then, I’d have died ten times over in that time.”
 
Inuyasha gasped. “H-he would get angry by what people said?”
 
Kouga stared off into the distance. “Yup. He was the most volatile of us all…”
 
 1120 years ago-
 
 A small, brown haired child ran across the castle playground and stood panting
in front of Kouga.
  
 “Kouga! You have to come quick!”
  
 A much younger Kouga spun around, dropping the thing he was playing with. Big
blue eyes widened with worry. “What, Hiro? What happened?”
  
 “It’s Kinta…"
  
 Kouga snorted. “You scared me. I thought someone was in trouble.”
  
 Prince Kouga, son of the king of the wolf demon tribe, was something of a big
brother for the children allowed to play in Inu no Taisho’s castle.
  
 The brown haired boy looked panicked. “Kinta’s in trouble! He-“
  
 Kouga cut him off with a wave of his hand. Even at that age, he had an aura of
authority around him. There was a big, toothy grin on his face, the predecessor
of his cocky, arrogant smirk.
  
 “Kinta is the biggest kid around, Hiro. He’s the cause of other kids’ trouble.
Let the others get a little payback…”
  
 “No, you don’t get it,” Hiro said, panicked. “Kinta insulted Taisho-sama in
front of Sesshoumaru and-“
  
 Kouga paled. “Hurry up! Where is he?”
  
 Hiro ran and Kouga took off after him.
  
 They skidded to a halt at the other end of the playground where a small crowd
of kids stared in awe, fear and excitement at a big, tall boy, held aloft, off
the ground by his throat by the hands of a much smaller demon.
  
 The aggressor’s face was contorted in a snarl, eyes red with anger. Silver
hair flared around him, his aura causing weaker children to give him a wide
berth.
  
 “Sesshoumaru!” Kouga yelled. “Stop it!”
  
 
===============================================================================
A/N: Tell me what you think ^.^
***** Brats *****
 Chapter 18 – Brats
Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru entered the room where his father was and bowed
slightly. Inu no Taisho was standing facing away from him in the quiet, dark,
cool room, his back straight and rigid.
"Sesshoumaru," he said in a deep voice, devoid of the humor and exasperation it
usually contained when interacting with his son. Sesshoumaru recognized that
tone of voice.
"It has been two seasons, yes?" asked the Lord of the West.
Sesshoumaru felt a thrill of anticipation down his spine.
"Hai, chichiue," he replied formally. "Two seasons will be complete on the
night of the full moon."
The Dog General nodded thoughtfully, hands clasped behind his back.
"Be prepared."
Sesshoumaru bowed low. "Yes."
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha gasped as Kouga continued his story from young Sesshoumaru holding
Kinta up by the throat. "Sesshoumaru-sama transformed?" he asked, eyes wide.
Now that he thought about it, this human looking form could not be his Master's
true form. He must have a demon form as well, but he had never seen him
transform. Truth be told, he hadn't even thought about it till now.
Kouga shook his head. "No, not a full transformation."
"Stay out of this, Kouga," young Sesshoumaru ordered, voice harsh. Killing ki,
not strong enough yet to cause the whirlwind it would after a few years,
nevertheless swept away leaves lying on the green grass. The suddenly cold wind
hit the surrounding children and they backed away, whimpering. Kouga balled his
hands into fists and took a step towards the enraged youkai.
"Let him down, Sesshoumaru! You're gonna kill him!"
 Sesshoumaru's fangs were bared. "He should have thought of that before
degrading the Lord of the West, should he not?"
 Kouga spared Sesshoumaru's terrified prey an exasperated glance. He was well
aware of the fact that Kinta terrorized the younger kids at the playground,
content to Lord over the frightened youngsters who chose to ingratiate
themselves rather than incur his wrath. And since he was pretty strong and big
for his age, he generally got away with it. But what had he been thinking
picking a fight against the Western lord's son?
 Sesshoumaru turned his eyes upon his victim and grinned, sharp demon teeth
flashing in the sunlight. Kinta's eyes had begun to water from the pressure on
his throat. Both his hands were on Sesshoumaru's wrist, trying to loosen his
grip but to no avail.
"The punishment for treason is death."
"He's just a kid!" Kouga reminded him desperately. "Just tell Taisho-sama
whatever he said and –"
"I fight my own battles," Sesshoumaru cut in coldly with all the arrogance of
an 8 year old, squeezing Kinta's neck harder. Kouga looked at him in growing
alarm as Kinta's tan face slowly began to turn blue. "And age has got nothing
to do with anything. Kinta knows not to insult his Lord…right Kinta?"
 Kinta tried to reply but his voice would not come out.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, p-please stop," Hiro spoke up in a small voice, tears
brimming in his eyes. "I'm sure he is sorry for what he said. Please-"
 Hearing the docile, scared voice, Sesshoumaru stared at the demon in his
grasp, deliberating. The grip on Kinta's throat relaxed slightly.
Unfortunately, Kinta tried to take advantage of this by kicking at the demon
Lord. Kouga looked at him despairingly as the grip was tightened once again and
this time, Sesshoumaru's claws glowed green. The children circling the two fell
back with a cry as Sesshoumaru threw him into a tree. The bully's back hit the
tree trunk with a sickening sound. Kinta slumped down with a groan and lost
consciousness.
"Did he die?" Inuyasha asked worriedly.
Kouga shook his head. "We were all very young at the time. Although
Sesshoumaru's powers were the earliest to develop, his poison was not strong
enough to kill a person immediately. Kinta was treated and he eventually
recovered. But he never came back to the castle playground."
"The castle playground?" Inuyasha asked. As far as he remembered, there was no
children's playground in the castle grounds.
Having finished tying the last of his bandages on his leg, Kouga crossed his
legs and faced Inuyasha.
"When we were young, the back of the castle, which now holds huge gardens, were
a playground for Sesshoumaru and me. They had everything; there were swings, a
huge sandpit, and a flat, rocky area. There were small hillocks and secret
caves where we could hide, tall, strong trees that wouldn't break if a few kids
crashed into them and the rest of the grounds were covered in very short green
grass."
Inuyasha's eyes lit up. It sounded like heaven. Kouga grinned.
"Since it was just the two of us, some other children were allowed to play in
the grounds to keep us company. It was a great honor. Most of the children were
noblemen's sons and daughters but there were some farmers' kids as well, who
were let in as a special favor on Taisho-sama or Tsukiko-sama's orders."
"Who was Kinta?" Inuyasha asked, trying to picture the bully.
"Kinta was a farmer's kid. His father was connected to some servant in the
castle who had requested Taisho-sama to let their son in for a few days and
Taisho had agreed. After this incident, though, Kinta refused to be anywhere
near Sesshoumaru."
"Weren't the other children angry at Master for that?" asked Inuyasha. "Weren't
Kinta's friends angry at him for hurting their friend?"
Kouga grinned. "I don't think you understand just what it meant to be Inu no
Taisho's son. The other children, especially Hiro, were grateful to him for
sparing Kinta's life. They all thought Kinta was at fault for angering
Sesshoumaru."
"Really?" Inuyasha asked in amazement. "Weren't they at all scared of
Sesshoumaru-sama after seeing him so angry?"
"Oh they were scared," Kouga assured him. "Everyone was scared of Sesshoumaru,
but you see, they thought he had a right to be that way. And they were all fed
up with Kinta's bullying. So, they were glad someone stood up to him."
"I see," Inuyasha smiled, ears flickering happily, "So Sesshoumaru-sama was not
a bully?"
Kouga grinned. "Yes, he was."
Inuyasha frowned. "But…he was never mean to other kids, right?"
Kouga looked thoughtful. His eyes got a faraway look as he remembered the
small, wide eyed Sesshoumaru who, even at that age, had held a haughty disdain
for the fawning adoration of his peers.
"Well, depends on what you mean by 'mean'," he said at length. "He was not
always nice, that's for sure. Till his training with Taisho-sama seriously
began, he enjoyed the attention and the awe, but he never consciously sought it
out." He smiled wryly. "He didn't really have to. The other kids used to follow
him around, do whatever he told them to. If anyone got on his wrong side, all
he had to do was show that he didn't like them and all the other kids would
keep that person away, not let him play, not talk to him, the works." He looked
amusedly at the hanyou listening intently, apparently trying to picture a very
young Sesshoumaru, followed around by admirers. "You can say he had power and
enjoyed it."
Inuyasha looked down and didn't say anything. He didn't have the guts to say
what was on his mind. Kouga noticed the downcast look on his face.
"What?" he asked.
Inuyasha hesitated. "It's just…doesn't that make him the same as Kinta?" he
asked tentatively.
Kouga shrugged. "In a way, maybe it does, but see, the thing was, Kinta was a
farmer's kid, allowed into the castle as a favor. As the kids saw it, he didn't
have any right to boss them around."
"But that doesn't- " Inuyasha trailed off.
"Make sense?" Kouga finished for him, nodding. "I know but kids are like that,
you know. They'd all grown up hearing wonderful tales of Inu no Taisho, of life
at the castle, of what a prince's life was like and what it meant to be a
prince. Sesshoumaru was all that they had imagined a prince to be and more. So
whatever he did, they accepted it as a prince's privilege."
He shrugged.
"Unlike Kinta, he didn't really force them to do anything they didn't want to.
He just - well, it's difficult to explain. I guess you can say that the
children were happy to do anything to get his approval and he had his fun with
their adulation."
Inuyasha's ears flattened. That didn't sound like a nice thing.
Kouga smiled. "See, the stories that people tell about royalty, what they have
the power to do and all, they are not all accurate. Many of Taisho's subjects,
who had been ruled by tyrannical kings in the past, believed that the king has
complete power over his subjects – the power to hurt them. Taisho-sama and
Tsukiko-sama have never ruled despotically. They have ruled with justice and
strength. But people don't yet know that the king is not allowed to hurt them."
Inuyasha looked up from there he'd been fidgeting with his sleeves.
"Some of the people, who had suffered under autocratic masters and who had been
shown kindness by Tsukiko-sama and Taisho-sama really believed that their life
was the king's, if he so wished, and by extension, the prince's. Hiro's family
was one of those."
"Who was Hiro?" Inuyasha asked. "Was he a nobleman's son?"
Kouga shook his head. "Hiro, like Kinta, was a farmer's son, but he was
extraordinarily bright, so he was studying at the castle, under the best
tutors. He was really the most mellow, sweetest kid you could ever meet and he
was in awe of Sesshoumaru."
Kouga's face softened in remembrance of his gentle, soft-hearted friend who
would have suffered untold ridicule at the hands of his tough, aggressive peers
if it hadn't been for the unstated protection of a certain fierce prince whom
he worshiped. Sesshoumaru had always been a sucker for wide-eyed, tender
innocents – a true alpha to the core.
"He used to follow Sesshoumaru around all the time, always afraid that
Sesshoumaru was going to bore of him. Sesshoumaru never let people crowd him.
He made sure the children kept their distance. But he never minded Hiro
following him around."
Kouga remembered the envious glares that Hiro was the recipient of because of
his closeness to the prince of the Western Lands that the gentle demon was
completely oblivious to. Thin and pale from spending too much time indoors with
books, Hiro, in the beginning, used to show his face only once or twice a month
until the young heir of Lord Inu no Taisho had become curious about the quiet,
reticent boy and ordered him to join them every day. Kouga had gleefully
watched as the seemingly uncaring demon Lord had allowed the small, scrawny boy
close to him. Sesshoumaru's extensive, and sometimes highly creative pranks had
landed most of the other children in deep shit with their parents but had
somehow missed Hiro.
Inuyasha cocked his head to the side. "He was Sesshoumaru-sama's friend?"
Kouga laughed. "No, I wouldn't say friend. He looked up to Sesshoumaru far too
much to be really called a friend."
"So Master was not really mean to the other children?" Inuyasha asked again,
hopefully.
"Well, he never picked on kids," Kouga told him, "Even as a child, he was too
honorable to fight someone smaller or weaker than him but he was extremely
arrogant. He would take offence easily and if anyone challenged him to a fight,
they would not come out in one piece."
Then he grinned.
"And anyway, as the Lord's son, he got his ass kissed so much, I don't know
what he would have done without me."
Inuyasha smiled at the cocky smile on Kouga's face. "You were his friend, ne?"
Kouga again let out a bark of laughter. "We were…no, not friends. He hated my
guts because I never called him Sesshoumaru-samaor showed any respect but
Taisho-sama and Tsukiko-sama adopted me as a sort of a second son, so you can
say we grew up like brothers. Except for in training but I'm glad about that."
Kouga gave a small shudder.
"Why?" Inuyasha asked. "Didn't you train with him?" Inuyasha had somehow
thought they would have trained together.
"Oh no," Kouga shook his head vehemently. "Absolutely not. We never trained
together. I was trained by my father but he was much more lenient in my
training than Taisho-sama was with Sesshoumaru's. I've watched some of his
training sessions. They were grueling."
Inuyasha nodded. That made sense, actually. Demons were generally trained by
either their parents or a tribe elder. It was rare for a demon to be trained by
someone from a different family. A wolf could not be trained by a dog demon.
"We all used to feel happy when Sesshoumaru had to go train coz we got more
time to play then. I've taunted him about it time and again. He even had fights
with Taisho-sama about how other kids didn't have to do this but Taisho-sama
never let him miss a single training session."
They both turned as the doors to the chambers opened and Sesshoumaru entered.
Kouga stood up from the rug where he'd been sitting with Inuyasha and grinned
at the demon Lord.
"I was just telling Inuyasha what a brat you were when you were a kid."
Sesshoumaru slowly walked up to the open window in his room.
"Brat?" he asked Kouga, sounding distant.
"Of course," Kouga smirked, looking down at his friend. "You used to enjoy all
those poor bastards kissing your ass all the time. And the fact that you could
get away with almost anything."
Sesshoumaru didn't respond with his usual comeback and Kouga frowned at him.
"What's the matter?"
"It's time," Sesshoumaru told him in a quiet voice. "This full moon."
Kouga sobered up immediately, all hints of teasing gone. "That's only a few
days away."
Sesshoumaru nodded, still staring out the window. Inuyasha looked from him to
Kouga.
"Full moon?" he asked hesitantly.
Kouga turned his eyes on the hanyou still sitting on the rug.
"On the full moon when two seasons end, Taisho-sama and Tsukiko-sama test
Sesshoumaru."
Inuyasha gasped. "You mean Master's sword skill?"
Sesshoumaru turned away from the window to answer him. "My skill with a sword
as well as my demonic powers."
"But…I thought Master finished his training?" Inuyasha ventured.
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Compared to the Lord and the Lady of the West, my
powers are no where near sufficient."
Kouga stared at him. "May I watch?" he asked softly. Inuyasha looked at him in
surprise. He had never heard Kouga address Sesshoumaru politely.
"Of course," Sesshoumaru replied.
Kouga nodded.
"I'm going to the dojo. I need to practice too. And don't forget you said you'd
help me train."
Sesshoumaru inclined his head. Kouga left.
Inuyasha got to his feet and cautiously approached his Master.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Hmm?" Sesshoumaru asked absently, still lost in thought.
"Why did Kouga-sama ask your permission as to whether he could watch you
train?"
Sesshoumaru finally turned away from the window to look down at his puppy.
"Because," he replied. "A youkai's training is one of the most heavily guarded
secrets of his life. If an opponent knows a youkai's attacks, he may find his
weakness. It is a privilege generally granted only to family."
Inuyasha nodded. Sesshoumaru pulled the curtains over the huge open window and
walked towards his bed. With the light from the window blocked, the rooms had
darkened considerably. He gestured for Inuyasha to come. Inuyasha went to him.
"What has the wolf been telling you, puppy?" he asked.
Inuyasha blinked as he his leash was pulled and Sesshoumaru lifted him up and
placed him onto the bed. It was the middle of the afternoon. Why were they on
the bed?
"Kouga-sama…he just told me what you were like when you were both children,
Master."
Sesshoumaru removed his collar and leaned over him, pushing him down into the
mattress.
"And?" Sesshoumaru prompted. "What did he say?"
"He-he said you were a bully," Inuyasha admitted as the demon Lord's fangs
nipped lightly at the pale skin on his neck.
"I see," Sesshoumaru murmured, drinking in his puppy sweet, fresh scent.
"We-were you really, Master?" Inuyasha asked hesitantly. Sesshoumaru was
pleased he seemed to have got some of his nerve back. Whatever Kouga had told
him, his puppy was less timid now.
"I have never considered it," he admitted.
Inuyasha sucked in a breath as Sesshoumaru's hands roamed his body, stripping
him of his garments. "Do you think I could be a bully, Inuyasha?" he asked
teasingly.
"No, Master" Inuyasha replied promptly. Sesshoumaru drew back in slight
surprise. That was a very quick answer.
"Why is that?" he asked curiously, scrutinizing the flushed puppy lying under
him.
"Because…" Inuyasha blushed and trailed off. He looked at his Master's face
hovering over him and he looked away, trying to avoid his intense gaze.
"Yes?" he incited.
Inuyasha squirmed and his ears dropped as certain painful memories came back to
him. "I-I know what bullies are like and Master is not like them."
Comprehension dawned on Sesshoumaru.
"You were bullied by other children." It was not a question.
Inuyasha nodded slowly, looking miserable. He didn't want to go over the
experience.
Sesshoumaru frowned at the dejected look on his face. Surely memories of
bullying wouldn't warrant this degree of distress? Granted, it couldn't have
been pleasant but it was just in fun.
"What is the matter?" he whispered in one fluffy ear.
Inuyasha drew his hands and knees close to his chest and tried to curl in on
himself the way, Sesshoumaru had come to realize, he did when he was really
upset.
"It is…it was scary," he said in a small voice. "They did terrible things."
Sesshoumaru looked at him skeptically. That seemed like a bit of an
exaggeration, although Inuyasha tended to downplay things rather than
exaggerate. He had, admittedly, never been on the receiving end of it, but he
could not imagine it being all that terrible.
"They were children, puppy," he said softly.
Inuyasha looked up at him and Sesshoumaru drew back on seeing the scarred,
knowing look in his eyes.
"They did terrible things," he repeated quietly.
"Tell me," the demon Lord ordered, intrigued.
Inuyasha looked away. He didn't want to. He didn't want to even think about it
but seeing the imperious look on his Master's face, he swallowed nervously.
"The demon kids beat me. They…they had a game-" his voice broke but he forced
himself to continue. "They had made games of…of hurting a hanyou and…and to see
who could make me cry the loudest and…and some other things…"
He stared off into the distance, remembering all the painful, brutal things
that the children had done, never once considering that the strange looking
creature with puppy ears on top of his head could feel pain like them. The
slavers had also mistreated him but there were certain cruelties that only
children and monsters were capable of; monsters because they had no conscience,
and they relished the pain of others, and children because children were too
innocent to know the deep, painful consequences of their actions. It was
frightening how alike children and psychopaths could be.
"They- they made me do th-things…shameful things and-and if I could not do it,
then they would – punish-"
This time, he could not continue as sobs that he had been trying to contain
finally came out. Tears rolled down his cheeks and ashamed, he tried to keep
his Master from seeing them.
Sesshoumaru, although outwardly impassive, was shocked. Were children really
capable of such things? He thought back to his own childhood. They had all
seemed so pathetic, falling over one another, trying to gain his favor, doing
whatever idiotic thing he told them to do in an effort to please him. They'd
been amusing to mess with. When away from the castle, had their games involved
tormenting a half-breed child?
Images flashed before Inuyasha's eyes – of himself and 7 or 8 other, older
children in a small, muddy deserted ground late in the evening. Two boys, who
seemed to be the leaders of the group, had shouted at him, ordered him to do
something. He remembered being terrified but he had refused. And then they had
smirked at each other. One of them, the bigger one, had pinned Inuyasha to the
ground. The other one had pulled his own pants down, straddled the hanyou's
face and-
"They cannot hurt you anymore." He heard his Master's low, deep voice and
returned to the present, to find himself held securely in the demon prince's
arms. He hadn't realized he'd begun shaking with sobs. He hid his tear stained
face in his Master's rock hard chest and wished he could just…disappear…so that
he would never have to think of those shameful things he had done.
Sesshoumaru allowed the puppy to burrow into his chest and gently caressed his
ears which now lay flat against the base of his skull. He was lying down on his
back on the bed. He had pulled the trembling slave close to his body, holding
him tightly.
The soothing motion seemed pleasant to the hanyou. The sobs tapered off to
sniffles and his tense muscles slowly went limp in Sesshoumaru's unyielding
arms.
"You do not have to tell me if you don't want to," Sesshoumaru told him softly.
Inuyasha raised his head up as much as he could while still being pressed into
his Master's body.
"N-no, Master," he replied, in a tremulous voice. "I am sorry…I will answer any
questions Master asks. Does Master want me to tell him more about what they-"
"No," Sesshoumaru interrupted swiftly as the pain shadowed his puppy's face
again. "You do not have to tell me if it causes you pain."
Inuyasha hesitated. "But-but if Master wishes to know what I – what they-"
"It matters not what they did," Sesshoumaru told him, tightening his arms
around the puppy. "You belong to me now."
Inuyasha smiled gratefully, content to be nestled in the demon Lord's powerful
arms. He took a deep breath, breathing in the musky, comforting scent of his
Master. "Arigatou gozaimasu," he whispered softly.
When Sesshoumaru looked down at his face, he was puzzled to see a conflicted
expression on his face, as if he was trying to make up his mind about
something. Inuyasha felt the demon Lord's eyes on him and blushed and looked
away. Sesshoumaru looked at him curiously. The puppy squirmed in his arms but
made no move to get away. He looked at Inuyasha with growing amusement as the
hanyou turned redder every time he risked a glance upwards at his Master.
Finally, Inuyasha took a deep breath, closed his eyes and raised his face up to
place a chaste peck on the demon Lord's lips. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened
slightly, a rare smile forming on his lips as Inuyasha ducked his head in
embarrassment and hid his face on his Master's chest.
Sesshoumaru fisted a hand in Inuyasha's long white hair and tilted his head
back, forcing him to look up. Inuyasha, too embarrassed to meet his Master's
eyes, kept his eyes shut as the demon Lord leaned down and captured his lips in
a deep kiss. Inuyasha melted against him as his Master's tongue pressed against
his lips, demanding entrance. Inuyasha surrendered, opening his mouth to allow
the prince to plunder it as he pleased. Sesshoumaru pulled his head close,
kissing him deeply.
When he was released, Inuyasha was out of breath. Well…at least Master was not
mad at his audacity.
But the demon Lord made no move to do anything further. He settled Inuyasha's
naked back against his chest and held him there, with arm across his stomach
and one across his shoulder with the result that Inuyasha was cradled literally
in his arms. Inuyasha shivered at the feel of the unbelievably soft, cool silk
against his bare and now hot body and the possessive hold of his Master. His
bare bottom brushed against Sesshoumaru's rock hard abs, making him feel small
and vulnerable. His ass muscles clenched involuntarily and he almost moaned at
the heat radiating off the demon Lord. He loved that feeling whenever he was
with his Master. It made him feel protected…cared for.
"You know," Sesshoumaru murmured and Inuyasha melted further at the deep voice
laced with mischief. "Kouga was not all that saintly then either. Did he tell
you that?"
Inuyasha shook his head, curious. The wolf prince had not told him anything
about himself except for the fact that he'd saved Kinta from being killed by
Sesshoumaru. And he welcomed the chance to think about anything other than his
own childhood.
"Kouga used to forever seek out bigger children to fight, especially when
females were around."
Inuyasha looked up at him, startled, a light blush dusting his cheeks.
Sesshoumaru relished the look of surprise on his face as he understood Kouga
had neglected to mention certain interesting details.
"There was one girl in particular," Sesshoumaru revealed. "Her name was Ayame.
She was the daughter of the Northern Wolf demon tribe. Kouga had a habit of
flirting with all and sundry females but Ayame…Ayame thought he was courting
her."
His eyes sparkled with laughter as he remembered the spitfire female wolf who
had claimed Kouga all for herself, announcing they would be mated as soon as
they were both of age. Kouga had taken it as a joke – of course…what 7 -8 year
old seriously thought about things such as mating? But Ayame, it turned out,
had been in dead earnest.
"Eventually, Kouga grew quite afraid of her," Sesshoumaru told a gleeful
Inuyasha. "He took to hiding or fleeing whenever Ayame came around because she
would raise hell if she saw Kouga even speaking with another female."
Even Kouga, who had fancied himself something of a ladies man, would be
flabbergasted at the tall tales that woman came up with.
"Kouga, ultimately, was ashamed to show his face among his friends, because
Ayame had taken to loudly and graphically telling whoever would listen, just
what Kouga had done and promised to do to her."
Inuyasha resolutely avoided the demon Lord's eyes as he unwillingly thought of
exactly what Ayame might have said. It gave him a weird feeling in his belly
and he was once again extremely aware of his Master's hard body pressed against
him.
"What else did Kouga tell you?" Sesshoumaru murmured in his ear. He loved the
way the silky appendage flickered because of his warm breath.
Inuyasha squirmed, beginning to feel a little hot and bothered. It was
surprisingly erotic to be naked while his Master was still fully clothed.
"Umm…he- Kouga-sama told me about Kinta," Inuyasha said.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Kinta?" He could not recall anyone by that name.
"Kouga-sama said he-he said something about Tasiho-sama and you attacked him…"
Sesshoumaru dimly remembered almost strangling a fool of a boy. Was his name
Kinta?
"And Hiro…" Inuyasha continued, trying to concentrate on what he was saying and
not on the feel of his Master's hard, strong thighs near his own thin legs.
"Ahh…Hiro," Sesshoumaru said softly, recalling the pale, bookish boy with an
unusually gentle nature.
"What did Kouga tell you about him?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Kouga-sama said you did not mind him…" Inuyasha trailed off embarrassed. The
term Kouga had used was 'kiss his ass'. "…you did not mind him being close to
you."
Sesshoumaru shifted slightly, adjusting his position, but Inuyasha barely
suppressed a gasp at the slight friction that caused on his exposed ass. His
skin had never felt so sensitive. The demon Lord had barely touched him and
already, his nipples were hard and aching...so was another part of him.
"That was because Hiro was the most loyal of all those imbeciles," Sesshoumaru
recalled. The frail but courageous demon had stood up for what he believed in,
unlike those other fools who would sway whichever way held reward. He wondered
what had become of Hiro.
"Did all of them grow up with you, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Inuyasha asked, wondering
what happened to the nobles' children.
"No," Sesshoumaru replied. "Most of the children there aged faster than me."
Inuyasha cocked his head. "They were older?"
"No, I was older than most of them." He remembered, smiling, how he'd insisted
there be no older children there with them. He had and still did despise the
supercilious attitude they held because of their age.
"Pureblooded demons age the slowest. Therefore, those of inferior blood 'grew
up' faster than I. Most of them left and concentrated on training for whatever
profession they intended to take up. After a while, my training began as well."
He recalled how grueling his early years of intensive training had been. He
trained daily with his parents then. Eventually, he practiced on his own and
his training with his parents became less and less frequent.
"I do not recall when the playground was turned back into gardens. In all
probability, while I was away on training."
Once he was proficient in, what the Lord and the Lady of the West called
'basics', he was sent to train in different terrains under different
conditions, battling with demons his father deemed appropriate for him. Though
in all fairness, what his parents considered 'basics' would be considered
difficult and advanced by anybody else. But he wasn't complaining. Although
he'd resented having to work so hard then, the training had stood him in good
stead. Whether he thought himself ready or not had been inconsequential then.
He had to do as he was told. Later, once he was older, his father began to
leave the choice of his opponents up to him, interfering only on rare
occasions. But by then, Sesshoumaru himself sought out demons stronger and more
powerful than himself to increase his strenght.
Unknown to Inuyasha, he smirked, wickedly noting the puppy's increasing
arousal. He had not meant to take things very far today. This was the last day
he would get to spend peacefully before he began training tomorrow. He had
wanted to spend it Inuyasha. His smirk widened as Inuyasha squirmed seeking
contact on his tingling bottom. It seemed his puppy was having difficulty
controlling himself.
Inuyasha glanced back worriedly at his Master. Sesshoumaru-sama seemed
oblivious to his…state. What was he to do now? It was not his place to seek
gratification for himself, after all. His Master would use him when it pleased
him to do so.
Sesshoumaru saw the heated but resigned look in his eyes and determined he
would have the puppy begging him before the end of the night. The hanyou had to
learn that he would not be punished for asking although, he thought a little
sadistically, it remained to be seen whether he would grant it.
"Rest, Inuyasha," he ordered, knowing full well there was no way Inuyasha would
be able to sleep in such a state. "I must awaken at dawn tomorrow to train."
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and watched despairingly as his Master let
his eyes close. Now what? The sun had not even set yet but he definitely
couldn't wake his Master!
Then he barely managed to suppress a moan as his Master's hand drifted down his
stomach and brushed his almost fully hard member. He knew it was an accidental
touch but it made matters much worse. He squirmed as much as he could in
Sesshoumaru's steel grip and closed his eyes, trying to sleep. Sesshoumaru-sama
didn't seem to realize what even an inadvertent touch did to him.
Behind him, the demon Lord smiled evilly.
 
***** The Right Reasons *****
Chapter 19 – The Right Reasons
The night had finally fallen completely. While the night air was slowly getting
colder, Inuyasha was getting hotter. The sheets wrapped around him were twisted
and almost off him from all his squirming. He’d been twisting and turning in
Sesshoumaru’s grasp but strangely, he couldn’t get his hands where he most
needed them.
Inuyasha bit his lip, glancing apprehensively over his shoulder. The demon
Lord’s soft touches had been driving him crazy all this while but Lord
Sesshoumaru had not awakened. He couldn’t wake him up for – for such a reason
but maybe…
One tiny hand inched slowly towards his own cock.
Maybe he could help himself, just this one time?
His cool, sweaty fingers wrapped around the organ and Inuyasha gasped. He
tightened his hand around his dick and pumped hesitantly. All his muscles
tightened and his back arched. Oh god, this felt- this felt unbelievable! How
come he’d never thought of doing this before-?
The next second, he was slammed on the bed on his back and his wrists were
pinned to his sides. Eyes wide in alarm, he stared fearfully at the demon Lord
hovering above him.
“Sesshoumaru-sama?” the question came out more as a plea. His neglected cock
was begging for attention and after that brief respite, he would die if he
didn’t get his release soon.
“What did you think you were doing?” the Lord demanded quietly.
Inuyasha stared at his face cautiously. Master’s tone was stern but he didn’t
lookangry. His aura was also quite calm. In fact, if Inuyasha didn’t know
better, he would say the demon Lord was…amused…
“I- I was…”
Sesshoumaru’s grip around his wrists tightened. “Did I not tell you that your
pleasure was mine to give?”
Inuyasha whimpered. Sesshoumaru released his wrists but Inuyasha didn’t dare
move them from place. The demon Lord’s large hands trailed down his body, just
the tips of his claws grazing his skin. The hanyou shivered, suddenly feeling
like prey about to be devoured by the large demon above him.
“Do you think you can defy me without consequences…Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha frowned. Sesshoumaru-sama was supposed to be displeased at his
disobedience but the way he said his name…
A clawed finger traced a design around his cock, lightly touching his balls and
Inuyasha bucked off the bed, fingers clutching the sheets under them, eyes shut
at the torturous pleasure.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the poor hanyou’s predicament and smiled
sadistically. The child had done nothing wrong, really. It was his intention
all along to reduce him to this. It was cruel to deny him his release any
longer but he couldn’t help it. The little slave was far too fun to mess with.
“The punishment for your transgression…”
Inuyasha inhaled sharply as he was lifted off the bed by the scruff of his neck
and plopped on the demon Lord’s lap, face down. Inuyasha turned to look at his
Master in surprise. The prince looked quite pleased, amusement dancing in his
golden eyes. The room was lit only by the dim light of the waxing moon,
streaming in from a window and from the balcony. In the semi-darkness,
Sesshoumaru’s eyes glinted like a predator’s and Inuyasha swallowed nervously.
“Sesshoumaru-sama…please I-“
One large hand rested on his exposed bum and Inuyasha’s entire body went limp
at the wonderful feeling. Then-
SMACK!
“Eeeep!”
Sesshoumaru wanted to laugh at the adorable, surprised squeak from the hanyou.
His puppy had his eyes scrunched close.
SMACK!
Inuyasha jumped as the hand came down on his other cheek.
SMACK! SMACK!
The hanyou squirmed. That tingled!
SMACK!! SMACK! SMACK!
Ahhhh…ok that was beginning to sting.
Sesshoumaru looked down in satisfaction at the now pink bottom, wriggling
adorably in his lap. But pink was not good enough.
SMACK!! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
Inuyasha began to whimper and struggle.
“Sesshoumaru-sama stop…”
The demon Lord smirked. “But you should have thought of that before attempting
to touch yourself, puppy.”
Inuyasha blushed. Sesshoumaru-sama only called him puppy when he was pleased
with him or when he was being kind, never when he was really angry.
A warm hand landed on his back, caressing it slowly. “This body no longer
belongs to you, hanyou. It is mine. I own you. You have no right to bring
yourself pleasure unless I order it.”
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly.
SMACK!
Owww!! That really hurt!
“Master…please…”
“But it seems like you are enjoying your punishment, puppy.”
Inuyasha flushed red with embarrassment. He wasn’t…really, he wasn’t but
then…why was his little cock still hard-?
The spanking continued but now, Inuyasha could not concentrate on anything
except how his dick brushed against his Master’s clothed hakama when he brought
his hand down on his ass. When Sesshoumaru smacked him especially hard, his
cock was squished against his knee in such a  wonderful way…Inuyasha blushed
darkly at his own thought. Slaves were not supposed to enjoy their punishment!
What would Sesshoumaru-sama thin if he knew-?
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
The last one landed right on his crack and Inuyasha gasped at the mixed
pleasure and pain, hands clenching into fists. If this continued…he might cum
just from being spanked over his master’s knee…
Inuyasha tensed in anticipation of the next strike but Sesshoumaru’s hand
landed lightly on his ass, caressing the hot, red skin.
“I believe you have learnt your lesson, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha sighed, unable to hide his disappointment.
The next thing he knew, he was face down on the bed, his Master’s hard cock
resting teasingly against his entrance.
“Master?” he asked in surprise. Thiswas his punishment?
Sesshoumaru stared into the adorable golden eyes, widened up at him. The
puppy’s face was dusted pink and sweat was beginning to form on his forehead
despite the chilled night air. It seemed the hanyou had enjoyed that almost as
much as he had.
“Sesshoumaru-sama…onegai…”
Inuyasha gasped as the demon Lord slowly pushed inside him, not stopping till
he was all the way in. The skin on his bottom was still raw; the demon Lord’s
cool skin against it felt very good.
“I- please move…Master…”
Sesshoumaru’s response was to grind lazily inside his ass, just brushing
against that spot that would have Inuyasha seeing stars. Inuyasha’s head bowed
on the pillow. The sheets were bunched in his tightly clenched fists….close…he
was so close….
“Sesshoumaru-sama…Sesshoumaru-sama…please don’t tease me…harder…please…”
Finally, the demon Lord took pity on him and pulled out, only to thrust back
in. Inuyasha screamed as his prostate was hit dead on. The demon prince
established a hard and fast rhythm, thrusting in and out of the now sobbing
hanyou. His dick ached for stimulation but he knew better than to try and touch
it.
“Let me, cum, Master...please, please let me cum…”
Then Sesshoumaru’s hand wrapped around his dick and Inuyasha threw his head
back at the wonderful sensation. The demon Lord began to pump him in time with
his thrusts and Inuyasha came at the same time that Sesshoumaru released inside
his ass.
Sesshoumaru fell back on the pillows and pulled the incoherent, trembling
hanyou to his chest with an arm around his back, pulling the sheets over both
of them. Inuyasha clung to him, rubbing his face in the demon Lord’s chest.
Weakly flickering puppy ears gently tickled his chin and Sesshoumaru closed his
eyes contentedly.
“Master?”
Hearing the small, hesitant voice, golden eyes opened to see a blushing
Inuyasha resolutely avoiding his eyes.
“What is it?”
Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something,
then closed it again. He swallowed nervously, then tried again.
“Ummm…I- I won’t be ve-very scared of doing that if- if you punish me like this
every time, Master…”
Inuyasha flushed red with embarrassment as Sesshoumaru chuckled softly. The
arms around him tightened and the demon Lord’s body curled around his own;
Inuyasha sighed as warmth surrounded him.
The demon prince brought his mouth close to the hanyou’s ear and whispered,
“Good.”
 
===============================================================================
 
The next day, when Inuyasha woke up, Sesshoumaru was gone. Kouga came to tell
him that they would not see him for the next few days and nights; he wanted to
train undisturbed.
Inuyasha spent the days in Kouga’s company, feeling strange to be without his
Master. Kouga told him interesting stories about their home in the Northern
mountains, the other wolves and various other demon tribes. They spent most of
their time out in the grounds, doing nothing in particular. At night, he slept
in Sesshoumaru’s room.
When Sesshoumaru had first informed Kouga that Inuyasha was to sleep alone in
his room, Kouga had protested. The castle was not a very safe place for a lone
hanyou. But Sesshoumaru had told him of the incidents with Teru and the guards
and Kouga was reassured. After knowing that the Lady of the West was on
Inuyasha’s side, very few would dare try and harm him. Besides, only someone
who was suicidal would enter Sesshoumaru’s chambers without permission.
So, Inuyasha went back to sleeping in his puppy basket that still lay near the
foot of Sesshoumaru’s bed. It did not occur to him to sleep in his Master’s bed
alone. Besides, the basket was small and cosy.
And so the days passed, until it was time.
 
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha stared at the roaring ocean, eyes wide.
He had never before seen such a huge body of water. The sky was clear tonight
and the full moon’s pale light made the water shimmer. The waves rushed forth
with a rumbling sound and Inuyasha couldn’t help but tense a little every time
they crashed on the shores. He relaxed again when they lapped the sands and
retreated quietly.
Kouga glanced down at the puppy in his arms. It seemed Inuyasha was a bit
frightened of the ocean.
The wolf demon and Inuyasha had arrived a little earlier. Now, he and Inuyasha
stood facing the ocean. The little hanyou stood in a rock in front of him so
that his head was just under Kouga’s chin and the wolf prince could hold him
against his chest with his arms locked around Inuyasha’s torso. Just this once,
Sesshoumaru would have to endure him near the puppy; it was for Inuyasha’s
safety.
Kouga allowed his arms to tighten reassuringly around Inuyasha and he felt
Inuyasha’s tiny hand lay on his arm in return. The unbound ocean had that
effect on people; they would either fall in love with it or be terrified of it
– it was impossible to stay neutral.
At night, on that quiet, uninhibited sea shore, the ocean seemed to dominate
the world. The chilled night wind, whispering softly, and the dull moonlight
that cast the world in black and white made the place seem unreal. Inuyasha
couldn’t help blinking his eyes rapidly every so often. Staring out at the
never ending sea which seemed to merge with the inky sky, Inuyasha wondered
uneasily if he was under some sort of spell. The motion of the waves was almost
hypnotic; Inuyasha felt he could have stared at it forever, had there not been
something else arresting his attention- Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko.
When he and Kouga reached there, the Lady and Lord of the West were already
there. When Inuyasha first saw the two pale, silvery figures hovering in the
night, he had to admit he had not recognized them. He had been terrified,
thinking they were some apparitions of the water. But Kouga had reassured him
and asked him to look closely.
When he did, he could see their familiar golden eyes, the markings on their
face, the flowing silver hair. But he couldn’t take his eyes off them. All
colour was absent from their apparel; they were decked in clothing woven out of
spun silver, shimmering dully in the moonlight. The loose kimono fluttered
lightly in the breeze as they hovered effortlessly in mid-air. The ceremonial
white and silver garb of the reigning rulers of the Land seemed to have
transformed them into beings not of this world.
 
Lady Tsukiko’s face could have been carved out of marble. It wasn’t just
expressionless, as in blank, but there was a stillness about it that Inuyasha
found frightening. Chin held high, Lady Tsukiko looked down at the world
through wise eyes, deep and cruel.
Inu no Taisho wore a heavy-looking metal armour and from each shoulder, a
length of fur trailed, giving the demon King of the West a formidable
appearance. Inuyasha could not reconcile the image that he’d had of the King
with this hard-eyed warrior. He had the face and bearing of a conqueror, the
fabled warrior who had brought half of Japan to its knees. Inuyasha swallowed
in fear, unable to quite meet the eyes of the Demon King.
When Inuyasha felt his Master’s aura approaching, he turned his head in his
direction, craning his neck to see him. When Sesshoumaru came into view,
Inuyasha’s mouth fell open.
 He had always thought his Master was majestic –beauty and grace personified -
but the image that he saw of the demon Lord that day would be forever etched in
his mind.
The demon Lord was wearing armour similar to his father’s but his covered only
one shoulder and there was one length of fur wrapped around his shoulder. The
clothes he was wearing were also different from his usual; they were white, as
befitting the son of the royal family but his usual yellow obi was gone.
Instead, it seemed to be woven out of gold.
In the pale moonlight, the superficial colours leeched away and the heir of the
Western Lord stood resplendent, decked in gold and silver, with the red
flowered insignia of the House of the Moon woven in his billowing sleeves. The
purple and magenta markings on his face and wrists seemed darker and deeper.
Each step was measured, filled with inimitable grace, as if he walked on thin
air. Inuyasha glanced down at his booted feet and his eyes widened; in the
dusty sands, where everything made a mark, Lord Sesshoumaru’s feet left no
footprints.
Slowly, he approached his parents – only, today they weren’t his parents; they
were the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands, preparing to pass judgement on the
prince and heir; the warrior, Sesshoumaru. Once before them, the prince bowed
deeply. Inuyasha had never seen him bow like that in front of anyone.
 “Prince Sesshoumaru,” Inu no Taisho spoke in a deep, commanding voice that was
at once quiet and yet seemed to resonate through the silent night. “This night
of the full moon, the Lord and Lady of the West test your prowess, in battle
and otherwise. Are you prepared?”
Sesshoumaru bowed, spine rigid, form impeccable. “I am.”
Lady Tsukiko gestured towards his waist and Inuyasha noticed he was wearing a
katana.
 “Begin.”
Sesshoumaru took three steps back, then faced the sea. Slowly, with rigid
muscles, he unsheathed the katana. Despite the roaring ocean, the cold sound of
a blade unsheathing made Inuyasha’s hair stand of end. The bright, flawless
blade glinted dully in the moonlight and Sesshoumaru began.
He was demonstrating Kata but it looked more like a dance. Each movement, sharp
and precise, blended seamlessly into the next. Form perfect, the blade in
Sesshoumaru’s hand seemed to be an extension of his arm. Inuyasha had never
seen the demon Lord draw a blade before. It was a beautiful sight.  The
movements, the flashing blade, the look in his eyes; Inuyasha stared,
hypnotized.
Soon, he sped up and then each movement was a blur, not visible to the hanyou’s
naked eyes.
He finished with the sword sheathed and bowed before the Lord and Lady.
Inuyasha’s heart soared; that was magnificent! He hadn’t made any mistakes at
all, he had never once faltered. Surely he had passed!
But Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko said nothing. The expressions on their faces
remained unchanged, their eyes inscrutable as always. When Sesshoumaru
straightened, Inu no Taisho said one word.
“Dokkasou.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head respectfully in response.
Once again taking three steps back, he stood, this time facing away from the
sea, facing Inuyasha and Kouga. His eyes were closed. The ocean breeze lifted
his shimmering silver hair.
The moment seemed to stretch forever.
Then Sesshoumaru slowly raised one hand and began to turn slowly. The green
poison whip unfurled and the demon began to slowly spin in place, gaining
momentum. The glowing whip looked beautiful; if Inuyasha hadn’t seen it
himself, he would never have thought it capable of tearing people to pieces and
administering poison strong enough so that they begged for a respite.
Before Inuyasha’s fascinated eyes, it grew longer and longer. Inuyasha had only
ever seen Sesshoumaru use it at close range but right now, it moved around the
demon Lord in a seemingly random fashion, creating a beautiful circular net-
like design around him. As the prince turned, the whip undulated lazily moving
gracefully in precise patterns.
Faster and faster, the demon Lord spun and soon, all Inuyasha could see were
flashes of green light.
It ended abruptly, by Sesshoumaru raising his hand straight up in the air. The
whip rose straight and high towards the sky for a moment and then disappeared.
Inuyasha released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.
Sesshoumaru once more turned towards his parents and bowed.
Inu no Taisho began to descend slowly through the air. As he came lower,
Inuyasha could see a similar Katana at his waist. He touched down gently on the
ground and stood facing his son. His eyes were steady, piercing, and
Sesshoumaru met them with his own unflinching gaze. The night stood still as
father and son stared each other down.
Then with a clang of swords that made Inuyasha jump, they met, blades inches
from each other’s throats. The King of the West pushed him back and Sesshoumaru
was on the offensive, striking at any openings that he saw.
But each time, Taisho’s sword was there to meet his. For the first time in a
fight, Inuyasha saw Sesshoumaru’s face tense with concentration.
Then Taisho took to the air and Sesshoumaru followed, trying to hit his father
as Taisho moved in and out of his range.
“He’s – he’s really trying to hurt Taisho-sama,” Inuyasha whispered to Kouga,
stunned.
“Yeah,” Kouga replied absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off the scene in
front of him.
Inu no Taisho fought nothing like Sesshoumaru. While Sesshoumaru’s movements
were fluid, blending into one another, Taisho’s were sharp and precise moving
no more than necessary. The two white figures clashing in the sky against the
moon made a magnificent sight and for a moment, Inuyasha forgot that it was a
fight.
Until, with one, powerful stroke, Taisho had hurtled Sesshoumaru onto the
ground with an almighty crash. Inuyasha gasped, instinctively moving forward
towards his Master but Kouga held him back, arms like steel restraints around
his body.
The King of the West gave him no opportunity to get up. Next moment,
Sesshoumaru had his blade over his head, trying to withstand Taisho’s blade
weighing down implacably on him.
With all his strength concentrated on throwing him off, Sesshoumaru was not
prepared for the solid kick that landed on his ribs. He hunched over with a
grunt and the flat of Taisho’s blade slapped him on the crown of his head.
Inuyasha saw him blink his eyes rapidly to clear his vision. Then he was
staggering to his feet, glaring at his father. Taisho swooped in low, attacking
violently, driving him back with the force of his blow. He began to dodge,
moving right and left, trying to flow out of the path of his attacks like he
did for many of his opponents but it didn’t seem to be working. Taisho’s blows
still landed precisely.
Then, in an instant, he was, gone and had reappeared behind his father. He
raised his sword for a blow to the neck but the blow was parried and
Sesshoumaru received a swift punch to the solar plexus. Inuyasha heard him gasp
and he looked up at Lady Tsukiko, horrified. What mother could watch her child
get hurt like this? But the lady’s face was impassive as ever, though she was
following the fight intently.
Inuyasha turned his attention back to the fight when he heard a grunt from the
demon prince. He was panting hard and there was a huge bleeding gash on his
arm. Blood was dripping from Taisho’s blade.
“Is that all?” Taisho asked, voice hard and mocking, and Inuyasha saw
Sesshoumaru’s face twitch in his effort to keep it impassive.
Then he attacked again, once more putting all his strength behind his attacks
but soon, it was apparent that he was getting tired. Taisho, on the other hand,
had barely broken a sweat. They exchanged blows, Sesshoumaru on the defensive,
but soon, they were just a moving blur to Inuyasha’s eyes. The night air was
growing hot and stifling, even though they were close to the open ocean.
“If that is all you have learned from the last time we trained,” Taisho said,
“Then perhaps you should give up. A few mere moments and you are on the verge
of collapse. I had expected better of my son.”
Inuyasha shielded his face with his arm as the youki in the area flared, hot
and electric. Sesshoumaru snarled, eyes bleeding red. He began to attack again
but his attacks were much more violent. Taisho’s youki also raised in response
and Inuyasha could feel the tension in the air. Then Taisho’s blade was drawn
back to stab through Sesshoumaru’s heart and the demon prince suddenly floated
up, hovering several feet above his father.
Taisho lowered his sword and laughed, low and dark. “My son is a coward as
well, it seems.”
He raised mocking eyes up at the floating white figure. “Running from your own
father, boy. Is this what you plan to do when you lead an army? Run away when
you’re losing…do you know who does that?”
Hard, pitiless eyes met Sesshoumaru’s angry ones.
“Thieves and whores.”
Inuyasha squeezed his tear filled eyes at the scorching youki that swept
towards them but there was no need. Kouga had raised a small barrier around
them that kept the blast of the youki from hitting them.
The fighting continued. Sesshoumaru’s attacks were growing reckless. Taisho
took advantage of this and soon. Blows began to land – on Sesshoumaru’s ribs,
on his thighs, on his unarmoured chest.
In a final, desperate attempt, Sesshoumaru aimed a close-range stab for his
thigh but before he could draw his sword back, Taisho’s sword was at his neck,
nicking him just enough to draw blood and put the point across.
For a moment, they stayed frozen, neither moving a muscle.
Then Sesshoumaru’s arms fell to his sides and went limp. Head bowed, he allowed
the sword to drop from his fingers and lowered his eyes. Taisho took the sword
away from his neck and stepped back.
“There are too many blind spots in your moves,” he said, face impassive
“Especially the dokkusou. Now watch carefully.”
Sesshoumaru stepped back. Taisho looked up into the sky at his silently
watching mate and the Lady of the West slowly descended from the sky.
Lady Tsukiko drew the thin sword at her waist and stood facing her mate, eyes
blazing and hard. Inu no Taisho leaned in low and sped towards her, slashing
violently enough so that if she had not dodged it, she would be skewered in
half.
 
Inuyasha gaped as Taisho’s huge sword seemed to be about to land right on her
head. Tsukiko, however, raised the sword to meet the oncoming one. Instead of
taking the brunt of the blow the way Sesshoumaru’s had, the sword slid neatly
down the upturned, slimmer blade and then Tsukiko was gone, leaving Taisho to
stumble forward slightly from the blow.
 
In a graceful movement, Tsukiko raised her sword arm and a glowing poisonous
green whip unfurled, ready to strike the Lord of the West. But then Taisho had
blocked it, whirling quickly and wrapping it around his sword, pulling his
attacker with it.
 
“Watch,” he ordered Sesshoumaru, keeping his eyes on his mate.
 
Tsukiko allowed herself to be pulled in by the sword and at the last second,
when Taisho pulled his arm back to strike, Tsukiko landed a short but precise
jab to his side, making him hunch slightly.
 
The fraction of a second was enough for Tsukiko to remove herself from Taisho’s
range.
 
As they fought, Inuyasha finally saw where his Master got his grace from. But
while Sesshoumaru’s movements were fluid, Lady Tsukiko seemed entirely
insubstantial. Taisho’s blows, even though they were fast enough to beat
Sesshoumaru’s speed, seemed to pass right through Tsukiko, even though the
Lady’s speed was probably nowhere near Taisho’s. She seemed to move languidly,
a serene, distant smile on her face and yet, her blows were powerful enough to
get Taisho on his knees White robes fluttering because of the movements,
Tsukiko really did look like a specter, dancing gracefully in the moonlight.
 
They were a perfect blend, of raw power and deceptive skill.
 
Throughout the night, they fought, instructing Sesshoumaru about certain
attacks and blocks, and what was missing in his technique. Inuyasha couldn’t
help glancing at Sesshoumaru occasionally. He was losing blood from his deep
injuries and it seemed like he was about to collapse. Still he stood erect,
never complaining.
 
Finally, they stopped, not even out of breath.
“Your turn,” Taisho told Sesshoumaru, taking a few steps back.
Inuyasha looked anxiously at his Master. The prince could barely stand and he
was expected to fight?
But Sesshoumaru stepped forward silently, readying his sword.
Tsukiko stepped in front of her mate and raised a hand to the sky. The green
whip struck out at Sesshoumaru. Eyes narrowed, Sesshoumaru gripped his sword
hard and charged straight towards it. Stepping swiftly and precisely, he
avoided the path of the whip.
For a few moments, it seemed as though he would make it, but then Tsukiko moved
her hand slightly and it struck, right on the bleeding gash.
The demon Lord could not suppress a gasp at the pain of poison seeping into his
wound and Tsukiko darted forward, punching him across the mouth. Sesshoumaru’s
head snapped to the side, blood beginning to trickle from his mouth.
Sesshoumaru raised his sword to strike her when she was close but it landed on
thin air. Tsukiko was far away in a second. Raising his hand, Sesshoumaru threw
his own whip towards his mother. Tsukiko smiled faintly at him. Without even
moving, she thrust her sword forward and stabbed right through it, managing to
go through all the empty spaces in the swiftly moving pattern. Sesshoumaru fell
back, clutching his gut where blood was beginning to seep into his clothes from
his mother’s attack.
“Not even passable,” Tsukiko said. “Again.”
Sesshoumaru looked up and raised his hand, throwing his whip out again, this
time in a tighter formation.
“You are not paying attention to the end of it,” Tsukiko told him. “The longer
you make it, the more you expend your power and the more skill it takes to
control it.”
Again and again he tried and failed. Tsukiko’s sword found blind spots in each
of his attacks stabbing forth to injure him. The exhaustion from the hours of
fighting began to take its toll. His movements became slower.
Tsukiko noticed and her mouth became a thin line.
When Sesshoumaru threw the whip forward, Tsukiko pushed it aside with her bare
hand. She darted in low and plunged her sword directly into Sesshoumaru’s
stomach.
“If you allow tiredness and pain to rule you,” she said in a cold voice, “You
are nothing better than the foot-soldiers who fight other people’s battles for
a few coins!”
She twisted the sword in the wound.
“If you are a conqueror, act like one.”
Sesshoumaru stumbled back when she withdrew the sword. Wordlessly, he began
again, throwing the whip towards Tsukiko. Again, she found a path through it
but there was a small smile on her face.
“Better.”
Then she raised a hand up and Sesshoumaru stopped.
“Now,” she said, floating further back from him. “You will counter my attack.”
Releasing the whip above her head, she struck. The distance between them was
longer so it should have been easier to find weak spots in it.
But it wasn’t. Each time, the poisonous whip met its mark leaving hissing
wounds on the demon prince’s skin. Because Tsukiko’s poison was stronger than
Sesshoumaru’s the wounds didn’t heal immediately.
Tsukiko threw the whip in different patterns every time, explaining each one to
her son – where and when it was to be used. Sesshoumaru absorbed her words
while simultaneously trying to defend himself and attack the Lady of the West
but Tsukiko’s whip found it’s mark, again and again.
“It seems,” said Taisho glancing once to the side, as Sesshoumaru fruitlessly
tried to fend off Tsukiko’s attacks, “You are distracted.”
“No!” Sesshoumaru shouted clutching his copiously bleeding wound, eyes wide
with understanding.
The next moment, there was a sharp gust of wind and Taisho was standing in
front of Inuyasha, sword raised above his head. Inuyasha’s eyes squeezed shut.
The sword went through Kouga’s barrier and wheezed towards his head.
But it never landed.
Inuyasha opened his eyes. Sesshoumaru, teeth gritted, was holding Taisho off
with his own sword, even though the manoeuvre widened the gash on his arm and
allowed the poison to sink deeper, shooting a lance of pain through his arm.
“No…” he whispered and then, with superhuman strength, Taisho’s sword was
thrown off and the King of the Western Lands fell back a couple of steps.
The demon prince’s head was lowered, bangs covering his eyes. His hands were
clenched into fists, trembling. There was a steadily widening red spot forming
on his stomach where Tsukiko had stabbed him through the stomach.
But despite his injuries and exhaustion, his back was unbowed.
“Sesshoumaru.”
He raised steady eyes to meet his father’s.
On Taisho’s right cheek, was a small cut.
“It seems,” Taisho said, raising a hand to his cheek to touch the blood, “You
have finally found something to protect.”
 
***** Recuperating *****
Warning: This chapter will contain yaoi, lemon, shouta, D/s, M/s, humil. If you
are uncomfortable with any of these, please leave.
Chapter 20 - Recuperating
When Kouga and Inuyasha entered Sesshoumaru’s chambers, Miroku was already
there, with a few maids, bandaging his various wounds.
The test had ended just before dawn. Inu no Taisho, Lady Tsukiko and
Sesshoumaru had travelled back to the mansion the same way they had arrived –
in the form of energy balls -while Kouga and Inuyasha were stuck with far
slower means of transportation. As such, it was already a few hours into the
morning by the time they reached the castle, although a slight coolness from
the night still lingered.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!”
Kouga smirked as the hanyou launched himself at the demon Lord, latching onto
one hakama-clad leg.
Sesshoumaru was sitting on his bed without his haori on while Miroku was
cleaning the wound on his chest. A maid was standing next to him, cleaning his
back with a damp cloth as another knelt near his feet putting away blood-
stained cloths and bringing out fresh ones.
The bruises and sword wounds on his body had already disappeared. The only
wounds still bleeding were the ones which had been poisoned. Even the gaping
wound in his stomach was by now closed up, bleeding only slightly. Three of his
ribs had cracked from Inu no Taisho’s blows and they were still sore from just
having healed.
Inuyasha clung tighter as the demon Lord’s large hand came to rest on top of
his head, smoothing back the nervously flickering, slightly droopy ears.
 “A-are you alright, Master?”
“Of course he is,” Miroku put in, smiling kindly down at the frightened looking
puppy. “These wounds should heal in a few days.”
Inuyasha glanced uncertainly at the young man dressed in monk’s robes, the
healer who had looked after him when he first came to the castle. It hardly
seemed possible that the wounds he himself had seen the demon Lord receive
would be healed so soon but already, he looked a lot better.
“Are you sure?” he asked Miroku in a small voice.
“Don’t worry,” Kouga told him, walking into the room, closing the doors behind
him. “He’s had worse.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head in assent and Kouga came over to sit next to him
at the edge of the bed. Inuyasha watched Sesshoumaru’s face with wide eyes as
the maids passed the cloth over still bleeding wounds. The demon Lord didn’t
even flinch.
“Have you behaved yourself, Inuyasha?” Sesshoumaru murmured, taking a hold of
his leash and pulling him close between his knees.
Inuyasha nodded vigorously. Kouga rolled his eyes.
“Yeah he was an obedient little puppy, alright, curled up cutely in that basket
of his.”
Sesshoumaru glanced up at the wolf. He had expected as much. Slaves generally
knew better than to touch anything of their master’s without permission.
Inuyasha’s place wasin that basket; he had ordered it himself. That he let the
puppy sleep with him on the bed was a whim of his, not Inuyasha’s right.
The demon Lord played with the leash in his hand. “Good.”
The idea pleased him, somehow. He allowed Inuyasha privileges unknown to other
slaves – like staying in his chambers; any other slave would be ordered to
leave as soon as he had taken his pleasure. Spending the night with him in his
bed was something they would not even dare hope for. But while he let the puppy
do so when it pleased him, that did not mean Inuyasha could be presumptuous
enough to sleep in it without permission. Had he done so, the hanyou would have
been punished for forgetting his place but it seemed there was no need.
Miroku frowned, staunching the blood trickling down his arm with a piece of
cloth. “The poison has percolated very deep, especially on your arm but it
seems your immune system has improved. Though Tsukiko-sama administered very
strong poison, the wound will be healed within a week.”
Sesshoumaru said nothing. His mother’s poison and his own could be controlled
in its intensity at will. Lady Tsukiko’s poison in its strongest form was
lethal; Sesshoumaru had seen a powerful demon killed with a single drop
administered in his blood-stream. It might be a Herculean feat to be able to
have power enough to fight that poison back and not let it spread through one’s
body but the young prince of the Western Lands knew his mother had held back.
And even though he had progressed from the previous time, he was still far from
his goal.
Miroku finished tying the last of the bandages in place. The maids also
finished their task and stood up, picking up the wooden bucket of now blood
stained water and the wash cloths.
“I have done all that is necessary for the time being,” Miroku said, picking up
the wooden box he kept his supplies in. “Call me if any of the wounds get
worse.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head.
Miroku smiled at Inuyasha, bowed slightly to Kouga and then headed for the
doors. When he reached them, he paused with his hand on one of the ornate
handles.
“Oh and Sesshoumaru-sama,” he turned back, smiling pleasantly. The demon Lord
looked at him suspiciously, correctly reading the mischief behind wide, faux-
innocent brown eyes. “If you want your wounds to heal quickly, you must refrain
from any…strenuous activities, in the meantime.”
Before Sesshoumaru could retort, he’d slipped through the door and vanished,
leaving a gleeful Kouga grinning at him.
“Well Inuyasha,” Kouga said resignedly to the puppy who was standing between
Sesshoumaru’s thighs, leaning on his leg. “You heard what Houshi-sama
said…you’d better leave Sesshoumaru alone for a few days.”
Inuyasha cocked his head confusedly, not having understood the innuendo in the
lecherous monk’s words. “Houshi-sama said that?”
Kouga nodded sagely. “That’s what he said. You can’t be with Sesshoumaru for a
few days.”
Inuyasha hesitated, one tiny hand bunching the fabric of Sesshoumaru’s hakama.
“But-“
Kouga glared at him balefully. “Or don’t you want him to heal properly…?”
Inuyasha gave a small start, then bowed his head sadly. Of course he wanted
Sesshoumaru-sama to get well soon! He began to move away from his master.
Then steel-muscled thighs closed around him and trapped him there. “You’re not
going anywhere,” Sesshoumaru stated in a low voice, glaring at the wolf prince
who had tried to take his puppy away from him.
Inuyasha looked up at him, blushing at his position but eyes clouded with
worry. “But Kouga-sama said-“
“Ignore the idiotic wolf,” Sesshoumaru ordered, lifting his puppy’s chin with
two clawed fingers. “You are not allowed to leave these chambers for the next
few days.”
“Hey, that’s not fair!” Kouga protested. “You can’t keep him captive like that,
especially with the gardens in full bloom. The days when you were away
training, Inuyasha and I spent our time enjoying the palace gardens. I’m sure
Inuyasha wouldn’t like to be locked away from that, right puppy?”
Inuyasha opened his mouth to say he wouldn’t mind as long as he was with his
master but his voice caught in his throat as he was suddenly released from
where he’d been trapped by Sesshoumaru’s legs; the demon Lord had aimed a kick
at Kouga which the wolf cheerfully dodged, jumping up to stand in front of
them, a safe distance away.
“Now there’s no need to get so pissed,” he reproached matter-of-factly. “I’m
just better company than you are.”
But Sesshoumaru was not looking at him. He was staring intently at Inuyasha
after the manner of a snake hypnotizing its prey. Kouga gritted his teeth,
watching the dazed look on Inuyasha’s face as he stared into piercing golden
eyes. Damn it! It was working...
“You may go with Kouga if you wish, Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru said, straightening
up and making a big production of running his hand through his hair with his
injured hand, wincing slightly. “The gardens are quite beautiful this time of
the year…”
But Inuyasha’s attention was riveted on the slight expression of pain on the
demon Lord’s face. He knew how stoic his Master was…to let the pain show on his
face now - the wounds must really be hurting him.
“Sesshoumaru-sama! Please rest…I- I will brush your hair for you, if you wish…”
Sesshoumaru looked slightly surprised but smiled angelically at the hanyou.
“But are you not going out with Kouga?”
Kouga saw the smile and felt the triumphant grin slide of his face. Uh oh…
Inuyasha immediately turned towards the wolf prince. “I am sorry, Kouga-sama
but I must stay with Sesshoumaru-sama...he is in pain.”
He turned back to smile happily at Sesshoumaru. “And I will see the flowers
with my Master when he is well.”
Inuyasha frowned when he saw the scowl on Kouga’s face; he missed the smug look
that Sesshoumaru cast Kouga over his head.
“You little-!” Kouga began, fists clenched at his side. “Inuyasha, don’t listen
to him! He’s fooling you.”
Inuyasha tilted is head to his side, wide eyes blinking in confusion. “What do
you mean, Kouga-sama? Sesshoumaru-sama got very hurt in the fight. You said
that houshi-sama said that he needs to rest right?”
Kouga wanted to shake the adorable puppy till he saw his evil master for the
devious demon that he was. He had seen Sesshoumaru bear far worse without a
twitch. Hell, he’dbeen with Sesshoumaru when he had led an army during a war;
the demon Lord had nearly been on the verge of death and had borne his wounds
without flinching.
“He can recover just fine on his own,” Kouga insisted, not willing to lose this
little contest, especially after seeing the smug challenge in his friend’s
eyes.
“But I want to take care of him,” Inuyasha said, staring down at the floor to
hide the light blush on his cheeks.
Sesshoumaru shifted back towards the head of the bed and leaned back on the
pillows folding one of his legs. Inuyasha was instantly at his side, kneeling
next to him on the bed.
“Is there anything you need, Master?” he asked glancing anxiously at the red
spot forming on the bandages on his arm and stomach, as blood from the still
raw wounds seeped out.
“It is alright,” Sesshoumaru told him, brushing snow white bangs from his
forehead.
Inuyasha chewed his lip, running his fingers lightly over the wound on his arm.
“Does it hurt very much?”
Kouga passed an exasperated hand over his eyes and sighed.
“For the last time, Inuyasha, he’s fine!”
The hanyou looked down at his hands miserably and fidgeted with the end of his
long haori sleeves.
“But I-“
Kouga shot his smirking friend an exasperated look.
“Would you stop taking advantage of the poor kid and tell him already?” he
demanded.
Sesshoumaru shot him an I-don’t-know-what-you-mean look. Inuyasha blinked
reproachfully up at Kouga.
“B-but he’s hurt, Kouga-sama!”
Kouga threw up his hands in despair. “Fine then you take care of him. I’ve had
enough of this.”
Sesshoumaru watched gleefully as Kouga stomped out of his room, shooting one
last venomous glance at the demon Lord, and slammed the doors shut.
“Kouga-sama is mad at me?” Inuyasha asked Sesshoumaru, unable to understand why
the demon Lord looked so pleased.
“No,” Sesshoumaru told him, pulling him close with his uninjured arm. “He is
mad at me.”
“Why, Master?” Inuyasha asked.
Instead of answering, Sesshoumaru pulled the hanyou in for a deep, slow kiss.
“Did you have fun with Kouga?” Sesshoumaru asked, circling a possessive arm
around the hanyou, holding him close. He knew Kouga well enough to know that he
wouldn’t try anything with the puppy but he still didn’t like the idea of
Inuyasha spending days alone with someone else.
“Yes!” Inuyasha beamed, then looked down shyly. “But I missed you, Master…”
Clawed fingers circled his chin and pulled his face up for another lingering,
claiming kiss. This time, Inuyasha melted into his arms, enjoying his master’s
touch after many days apart. When Sesshoumaru broke the kiss, the hanyou
slumped onto his chest, his knees having lost the strength to prop him up.
Dazed eyes opened slowly as Inuyasha revelled in his Master’s warmth. But he
immediately scrambled away from him when he saw a reddening bandage before his
eyes; he was putting his entire weight on Sesshoumaru’s wound.
“I’m sorry!” he gasped, staring at the bandaged wound in horror. “Sesshoumaru-
sama, I’m so so-“
“Inuyasha,” the demon Lord interrupted, amused. “It is fine.”
“You- you’re bleeding,” Inuyasha said tearfully, holding on to Sesshoumaru’s
one raised knee “... and I – I leaned on it and-“
“You weigh next to nothing,” Sesshoumaru told him, “My wounds will not
exacerbate quite so easily.”
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly, sniffling. “I-is there anything I can do, Master?”
The demon Lord unfolded his leg and rested it in Inuyasha’s lap.
“I am certain a foot massage from will help,” Sesshoumaru said.
Inuyasha’s face lit up. “Really?”
He immediately took the offered foot in his hands and began to knead it with
gentle hands. Sesshoumaru leaned back into the pillows. Well, there were worse
ways to recuperate from a fight than having an adorably worried puppy at his
feet.
He watched Inuyasha; the puppy looked very small and innocent and fragile and
the demon Lord had to resist the urge to pin him under his body and ravish him
till he begged for mercy.
It was a strange feeling; Sesshoumaru could not remember ever having felt that
wild, possessive feeling before. He remembered watching Taisho’s blade about to
cleave his head in two. It had awakened a side of him he had never known
before. In all their years of training, the prince could not remember a single
occasion on which he had managed to hit either of his parents; even now, he
knew his power was nowhere close theirs. But when he had seen Inuyasha about to
be injured, he hadn’t thought of all that. All he knew was that he couldn’t
allow it, no matter if it was his father, Lord Inu no Taisho himself, who stood
in his way.
“Master?”
Sesshoumaru blinked, focusing back on Inuyasha. The hanyou’s head was bowed, a
desolate look on his face.
“Thank you for saving me,” he said softly, bowing low, resting his head on the
demon Lord’s feet. “My life already belongs to you but…”
If, for whatever reason, Inu no Taisho, the Lord of the Land, decided to kill
him, his Master would be well within his rights to not lift a finger.
Sesshoumaru would not have reopened the wound on his arm then; a Master getting
injured for a slave, and a hanyou stray at that, was unheard of.
Then there was a sharp tug on his leash and he was dragged into the demon
Lord’s lap. The demon Lord’s hand grasped him strongly by the back of his neck,
holding him in place forcing him to meet the prince’s eyes.
“But what?” Sesshoumaru asked quietly.
Inuyasha squirmed in his hold, trying to avert his eyes from the demon Lord’s
smouldering ones. “Ahhh....Master…”
“You have no reason to thank me,” the demon Lord told him. Inuyasha stared into
fierce, suddenly dark eyes.
“Your life,” Sesshoumaru whispered, tightening his grip on Inuyasha’s neck, “is
mine to take.”
Inuyasha’s eyes widened.
“I protect the things I own…Inuyasha.  Do not presume to give thanks for what
does not belong to you. I claimed you – your body, your will, your life.”
Inuyasha could feel his heart thundering in his chest. Air…he couldn’t get
enough air in his lungs…
“You are not allowed to die…until I kill you myself.”
The hanyou gasped, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. What was this…
this strange feeling in his chest when he heard those words from his Master’s
lips? He had been raised as a slave for almost as long as he could remember but
had he even dared dream that he would one day belong to such a powerful Master?
The demon Lord took possession of him in a way that made him want to surrender
everything to his Master, his god. One glance from the prince’s imperious eyes
made him want to submit to his every whim and desire. What was this warm, melty
feeling that made him feel simultaneously owned and cherished and safe…
For the third time that night, his lips were claimed by the demon Lord’s.
Inuyasha parted his lips, accepting his dominance and Sesshoumaru’s tongue
entered the puppy’s mouth, exploring it, savouring the heady taste of
submission and Inuyasha. The hanyou melted against him, a tiny hand fisting on
his chest, unwittingly closing around silky silver hair. Sesshoumaru’s other
hand, which was not busy keeping Inuyasha’s mouth in place, roved under his
haori and over his skin, tracing every inch of the soft, plaint body.
Soon, Inuyasha was hard, rubbing against him desperately, pleading for
reprieve. Sesshoumaru released him and looked into the puppy’s lust clouded
eyes.
“Bare yourself,” he ordered quietly.
Inuyasha hurried to obey, quickly removing his garments, fumbling with the
knots in his hurry.
The demon Lord’s hungry eyes roamed over his trembling body, naked except for
the collar and leash.
“Go get the bowl near your basket.”
Inuyasha frowned, confused at the order, but obeyed anyway. The bowl was a
small, doggie dish that had lain next to the puppy basket. Inuyasha had assumed
it had just been a something to go with the basket, merely for show.
He picked the shallow black bowl-like thing and climbed back on the bed,
kneeling in front of the demon Lord.
Sesshoumaru leaned back on the pillows, propping his head on his elbow
comfortably.
“Now,” he said softly, predatory eyes staring at the hanyou. “Touch yourself.”
Inuyasha’s eyes widened, cheeks flushing with colour.
“Master?” he asked tentatively.
Sesshoumaru smiled sadistically at the bashful puppy. “Do it,” he ordered. “And
you will cum in that dish. I don’t want a mess on my sheets.”
Inuyasha shuddered at the command, closing his hand around his hard cock.
He pumped hesitantly, gasping at the long awaited touch on the sensitive organ.
He began pumping quickly, eyes squeezing shut at the intense pleasure.
Oh god, he could feel his Master’s eyes on him…
His hand sped up, climax building quickly. Just a little more…he was so…close…
-you will cum in that dish. I don’t want a mess on my sheets-
Inuyasha’s eyes snapped open as he remembered the command. He glanced
hesitantly at Sesshoumaru. The demon Lord was staring intently at him, darkened
golden eyes raping his trembling body.
Reluctantly, he looked down at the dish. Oh god, he would have to aim…
Face burning with humiliation and arousal, Inuyasha reached out a shaking hand
and positioned the bowl in front of him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he
could see Sesshoumaru’s cruel, pleased smile.
He began to pump himself fast, the feeling of his own hand around his dick
still weird, but in a wonderful way. He tensed, his climax building and then he
released with a cry, falling back into the sheets.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes and sat up, looking anxiously to see if
he’d managed to do what his Master had ordered.
He had, for the most part, though some of it had missed the mark and spilled on
the sheets.
“Forgive me, Master,” he apologized, kneeling before him on weak knees.
“Hmm,” Sesshoumaru contemplated, staring at the dish.
His eyes snapped up to meet Inuyasha’s. “Now drink it.”
Inuyasha swallowed nervously, cock stirring again at his words. “Sesshoumaru-
sama…”
But the demon Lord’s eyes said he would tolerate no disobedience and so,
Inuyasha hesitantly grasped the plate in his hands and raised it to his lips.
With one last glace at his Master, he tipped it back, allowing the content to
flow between his lips. All the while, he could feel the prince watching him,
savouring his humiliation and his abject submission. It made him feel warm, low
in his belly.
When he’d finished, he placed the bowl on the bed and bowed low to his Master.
His leash was tugged and he tumbled forward, lying flat on his stomach. When he
raised his head, he found his face level with the demon Lord’s crotch. He
glanced up at his Master. Golden eyes watched him silently. He turned his eyes
back to his Master’s exposed cock. Inuyasha lowered his mouth onto it and took
the appendage in his mouth.
He could hear a soft approving groan from the demon Lord in response. He opened
his mouth wider and took more of the thick, large cock in. The musky, heady
scent of his Master’s arousal hit his nostrils and he began to suck, attempting
to take him in till the base. Sesshoumaru’s large hand landed on the back of
his head, pushing and pulling it to the Lord’s satisfaction.
Inuyasha relaxed his mouth and throat, allowing his Master to use him as he
pleased. After his own intense orgasm, he didn’t think he had much energy left.
He remained sprawled between the demon Lord’s legs, letting the prince control
him as he pleased.
Soon, Sesshoumaru began to push deeper and faster into his throat. Inuyasha
gagged as he hit the back of his throat for the first time. The breath left his
lungs as one of the demon Lord’s legs landed his back, the heavy weight pinning
him in place. The demon prince’s pace increased, eyes closing as he zoned out
everything except the wonderful feeling on his cock. The hanyou’s throat was
warm and tight, constricting wonderfully around his shaft when he gagged.
Inuyasha felt his own cock grow hard and throbbing at his position and his
Master’s merciless use of him. It felt good, to be weighed down under his
master this way. He could feel his release building for a second time spurred
by the fact that his cock was stimulated by the cool silk sheets, being crushed
under his body and under Sesshoumaru’s weight.
Finally, the demon Lord thrust deep into his throat and held himself there,
choking the poor hanyou. Inuyasha could not breathe, his face being grinded
into the demon’s crotch. He began to feel lightheaded from the lack of oxygen.
To his surprise, he came hard for the second time, just as Sesshoumaru released
deep inside his throat, then lost consciousness.
===============================================================================
 
Late in the evening that day, Sesshoumaru got dressed and headed out of his
room to where his father had called for him. Inuyasha was still sleeping,
exhausted from his efforts to please his Master.
Sesshoumaru entered the room where his father was sitting in an open balcony on
a cushioned chair, sipping tea. The entire front of the castle grounds could be
seen from this spot; the sun setting below the horizon looked beautiful.
“Sesshoumaru,” he greeted, gesturing for his son to sit opposite him. He sat
down, and a servant appeared, pouring tea for the prince. Taisho glanced at him
once and the servant bowed and retreated.
“Miroku tells me your wounds are healing faster than last time. Good.”
Sesshoumaru said nothing, taking a sip of his tea.
“Once you have recovered, I have an assignment for you.”
Sesshoumaru raised his eyes to meet Taisho’s to show him he was listening.
“There is a Lord of a small area in the heart of the kingdom, ruled by a toad
prince. I have received several complaints regarding his oppressive rule. A
messenger, that was sent in warning, was turned away rudely.”
Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows. “What do you want me to do?”
Taisho made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “These demons are mostly low
level ones. It is not difficult to conquer the land by force. However, I want
you to go there and convince the Lord of the Land to either rule fairly or to
surrender his throne to one of our representatives.”
Sesshoumaru frowned. “Convince?”
Taisho nodded. “Without force.”
Sesshoumaru blinked. “You mean you want him alive?”
Taisho glared. “Of course I want him alive! I know your diplomatic skill is
less than adequate so this is a kind of a test. You may spend as many days as
you need there but the Lord should be alive and well and amicable relations
must be maintained between the two lands. Is that understood?”
Without moving a muscle, Taisho got the distinct impression that Sesshoumaru
was making a face at him.
“Ihave to be the one to do this?” Sesshoumaru asked, sounding exasperated.
Taisho nodded. “I will send him a letter informing him of your arrival.”
“Alright,” he conceded reluctantly.
Taisho grinned, pleased to hear the resignation in his son’s voice. “And I have
to warn you, the Lord of the Land is not known for his sweet temper or pleasant
manners and he is not too fond of us to begin with. But you will be patient,
yes?”
Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth. Father and his twisted sense of humour…but he
was taking Inuyasha along with the other servants to make the trip at least
somewhat less tedious.
“What, pray tell, is the name of this Lord?” he asked, attempting to keep the
irritation from his voice.
Inu no Taisho smirked. “Lord Jaken.”
===============================================================================
 
A/N: Mwwwwwwwwaahhahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaha!!!Enter Jaken!  =^.^= Tell me what you
think!
***** The Toad Who Wouldn't Be Prince *****
A/N: Thank you all for the reviews ^_^ You guys make my day :D
The name Hideyori is a figment of my imagination since I couldn’t find any
obscure Japanese village names. If it means anything weird, please do tell and
I’ll try to change it.
 
Chapter 21 – Toad Who Wouldn’t Be Prince
The Land of Hideyori, ruled by the toad demon king Jaken, lay deep inside the
Western Lands, far away from the ocean. The Land was rocky and harsh, flanked
by bare mountains on one side and a desert on the other. The climate was dry
and hot, prone to strong winds and wind storms which brought in tons of sand
from the adjoining desert. As such, the land remained uninhibited for a long
time, till the toad demon tribe came and settle there.
The toad demons were a tough people, used to hardships and harsh living
conditions. Originally, they were peace loving demons, used to living near
water bodies. But wars and natural disasters drew them away from their habitat,
leaving them to wander Japan in search for a home.  In terms of youki, they
were not very powerful, so it was to their disadvantage to fight higher level
demons for land. But the toad demons were survivors and they travelled far and
wide in search of land. Many generations of travelling made them into hardy
people, knowledgeable of the ways of the world.
When they chanced upon this abandoned strip of land, they made the small land
into their kingdom.  The toad demons were a curious mixture of cunning and
pride, defending their place staunchly against offenders but using any means
necessary to do so. Thus, they had the reputation of being unfriendly and
hostile and had few allies. The people in the nearby kingdom left them alone.
Even the ruler before Inu no Taisho had decided to turn a blind eye to the
barbaric practices of the land; everyone knew that toad demons understood force
and nothing else. To prevent their people from falling into anarchy, it was
necessary to be strong and unbending. The governance of the kingdom was left to
their own people and the overlord of the land was content to have the rest of
his kingdom free of trouble from the toad demons.
The kingship of the land was earned by merit, not by birth. The one who would
rule would be the one who could eliminate the current ruler and seize power;
after all, a king who could not safeguard his own throne was worthless as a
ruler. The king’s palace, hewn roughly out of a small hill, stood in the centre
of the kingdom. As with most of the land, the palace was made out of reddish
rock. It was imposing in structure, built at a height providing a militarily
strategic location. The attackers of the land were mostly land demons – water
demons were nowhere around for there were no bodies of water for miles and
demons with wings avoided this land because the strong winds made it almost
impossible to fly on course.
Today, outside one of the rooms of the palace, Iku, a servant, stood trembling
with a letter in his hand. Lord Jaken had locked himself in his room again and
he was the unfortunate soul who had to get the letter of Lord Inu no Taisho to
him.
Lord Jaken was a strong ruler and a ruthless man, well versed in all the
devious techniques of winning. The previous ruler had died through mysterious
means when Lord Jaken had appeared and seized the throne. The people obeyed and
respected him because he ruled with an iron hand and having travelled far and
wide, beyond the boundaries of the kingdom of Hideyori, Lord Jaken had made
brought many changes in the land for the welfare of his people.
 But rumour had it that seeing places so far away had done something to him;
there was a part of Lord Jaken that was not satisfied with the power and wealth
he had. Jaken-sama was susceptible to strange moods, where he would lock
himself in with orders for no one to disturb him and when he came out, there
was a strange, almost melancholy look in his eyes. Of course, no one dared to
comment on it since an underling who had dared to do so had lost his head.
Iku swallowed nervously and then knocked hesitantly on the door.
There was no reply.
Praying to god that he would remain alive after this, Iku knocked again, this
time more insistently.
Still no reply.
“Jaken-sama?” he called out hesitantly.
For a moment, there was again no reply. He raised his hand to knock again when
the door flew open and Jaken stood in front of him, eyes livid.
“What is the meaning of this-?”
Iku shut his eyes in fear and dropped to his knees, holding the sealed letter
above his head, offering it to his Lord.
“My lord, a letter from Lord Inu no Taisho has just come in.”
Seeing how frightened the servant was, Jaken relented. He himself had given
orders that any news concerning Lord Inu no Taisho was to be brought to him
immediately, no matter what. He took the letter from the servant’s hands and
unfurled it, scanning it quickly. His eyes narrowed more and more as he reached
the end of the letter. It was from Lord Inu no Taisho informing him of the
arrival of the prince, requesting hospitality. The letter was couched in the
most amicable terms possible but at its core, it was a command, not a request.
Iku trembled at the scowl on Lord Jaken’s face. Oh god, this was the end of
him…should he run for it? No, no then Jaken-sama would only have him hunted
down and killed painfully. Should he just be a sitting duck them, waiting for
the blow that would sever his head from his neck…?
Jaken, however was oblivious to Iku’s predicament. The Lord of the West was
becoming a serious pain in the neck. The allegedly kind ruler disapproved of
the so called ‘barbaric practices’ of the land and wished for them to become
more just and peaceable. He had even sent an ambassador – a simpering fool of a
demon who had tried to make them “all get along with each other”. The curt
response of the toad demons had not gone over well with him; he had hastened
back to his lord, informing him of how hostile and inhospitable they were.
Jaken had thought that would be the end of that; the previous ruler of the
land, after all, had not bothered too much with the practices of that
particular piece of land; the cost of laying siege to that far out, harsh area
was much too high. But Inu no Taisho was a persistent bastard, it seemed. Jaken
had heard rumours of the great warrior who had brought the entire Western Japan
under his thumb. He didn’t want to get on his bad side but what he was asking
for was ridiculous. It was all very well for an indolent Lord on the other side
of the country to insist on ‘kindness’ and ‘compassion’ but this land was
different. The Western Lands were a far cry from the Kingdom of Hideyori. What
was the Western Lord thinking, sending his only prince and heir in such a
place?
Jaken crushed the letter in his hand, face hard. The Western Lord was getting
too brazen. Something would have to be done.
His eyes were drawn down towards the kneeling servant who was shivering and
whimpering.  Jaken glanced at him exasperatedly. Honestly, these people were a
bunch of cowards, always fearful of their lives. Didn’t they understand that he
wasn’t an idiot? That punishment would only be given out when deserved?
But that was the problem with this land, Jaken decided. The people understood
nothing except an iron rod. It was exhausting, being implacable all the time,
taking great pains to show no weakness at all.
With Iku’s eyes trained on the floor, Jaken allowed a little bit of his
tiredness to creep onto his face. He had fought tooth and nail for this power,
for the position that he now held. But after so many years of ruling, he
sometimes wondered if this was all there was. Day after day of eliminating
weaknesses, of making sure none of these sycophants who licked his boots
stabbed him in the back like he had done for the previous ruler… and he could
not even voice his real thoughts aloud for any weakness could be fatal. The
last time one of the servants had seen him in a pensive mood, he had been
forced to have him killed because it wouldn’t do to have him spreading rumours
that the king was mad.
“Iku.”
When the servant looked up hesitantly at the king, Jaken’s face was once again
free of all emotions except anger.
“Prepare the guestroom. The prince of the Western Lands is going to pay us a
visit.”
The kneeling demon did not bother to hide his relief. After all, the venom in
their Lord’s voice was unmistakable but it was not directed towards him.
“Why, Master Jaken? What does he want with us?”
Jaken’s eyes narrowed shrewdly. “To get us to submit to his father’s commands,
I presume. Well, he will certainly get a welcome he won’t forget in a hurry.”
The servant cackled delightedly.
Most demons did not consider it worthwhile to challenge them over the supremacy
of the wasted, desolate land, especially the pleasure loving subjects of the
Western Lands who, under Inu no Taisho’s rule, had grown used to an easy life.
Because of this, the small kingdom had developed in isolation, unaffected by
the changes in the surrounding areas. The people had grown as unforgiving and
ruthless as the surrounding landscape; here, weakness meant death, a fact that
the young prince of the Western Land was about to find out.
Jaken dismissed the servant and called some of his trusted advisors and gave
them their orders.
Killing the prince would obviously send the message across most clearly but
then Inu no Taisho would not spare them, and Jaken knew they were not equipped
to face the wrath of the great Lord. There was no point in fighting a battle
they would definitely lose. But there were other, more insidious ways of
achieving their means.
In order to reach the palace, the prince’s carriage would have to pass through
a forest. There would be a welcoming party ready for them there. Granted, the
prince’s guards were probably at an advantage when it came to a real battle but
no one was more skilled at fighting dirty than the toad demons. The prince
would be roughed up a bit before he came and the blame would fall on bandits.
The pompous, indignant heir would see the ‘dangers’ of the land and would have
to agree that their current method of functioning was for the best, the boy
would run to his papa and tell him how it was best to leave the small, harsh
kingdom to its own devices and everything would go back to normal.
===============================================================================
On the day of his arrival, Jaken waited patiently at the border of the kingdom,
along with a few high ranking officers. As Lord of the Land, it was his duty to
greet the Western prince on arrival. He was looking forward to seeing the
beaten up prince and his harried entourage. He had informed the so called
“bandits” that to make their act more convincing, they were allowed to rob the
prince of his belongings, although no life must be taken, except perhaps a
slave or two if unavoidable.
Jaken peered into the distance, out at the open flat land. Any minute now, they
would see a stumbling, traumatized prince making his way here.
A few minutes passed and Jaken grew restless. Had those idiotic bandits killed
him against orders? If so, there would be hell to pay.
Then he turned around quickly as he heard cries among his people and his
advisors fell back, staring in horror at the sky. Jaken followed their gaze,
squinting his large bulbous eyes to see against the blazing midday sun.
It was looked like a ghost, all in white. Jaken looked more carefully. Whoever
had heard of a ghost in the middle of the day?
The figure descended and Jaken’s eyes widened. It was a tall man, dressed in
white silk with hair like spun moonlight. He touched down gently on the ground
with inimitable grace, not a hair out of place despite the dusty, dirty
surroundings. Golden eyes like the sun roved over the people staring up at him
and finally settled on Jaken. With a careless gesture, he threw a bundle he was
holding in his hand at Jaken’s feet. It was the bandits, hogtied together
attempting to scream and protest through their bound and gagged mouths, casting
horrified glances up at the demon Lord.
The toad demon stared at the bandits and then back up at the prince with his
beak-like mouth hanging wide open. There was not a scratch on the young man.
Jaken could not take his eyes off him; the only thing that came to mind was
beautiful. The people of Hideyori had long since forgotten all ideas of beauty
and grace, striving as they did for strength and survival. This man standing
here, staring down at them impassively with mesmerizing, powerful eyes was the
paragon of beauty.
“Jaken-san, I am Sesshoumaru, prince of the Western Lands,” he spoke and the
deep mellifluous voice sent shivers down Jaken’s spine. “It seems these vermin
had planned an attack on my people. I trust they will be suitably punished.”
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” Jaken whispered, adding the honorific without thought. “Wh-
why did you leave them alive?”
There was no doubt in his mind that this demon could have killed them without a
second thought; power radiated from his very being and his golden eyes were
cold.
“I am curious to see how traitors are punished in this land.”
Jaken bowed his head and looked away, correctly understanding the jibe. Dammit!
His scheme had backfired. Now he would have to allow the demon Lord to be
present when the ‘bandits’ were punished because he couldn’t very well say
hehad ordered the attack.
The sound of a carriage arriving followed by carts made Jaken turn towards the
road once more. The royal carriage driver drew up in front of them, then got
down and opened the carriage door. On the floor of the carriage sat a leashed
and collared boy, head bowed. When the carriage door opened, he got up and
climbed out of the carriage. Walking towards Sesshoumaru with his head bowed,
he knelt on the ground at his feet.
Jaken glanced at the boy dispassionately. It was no doubt a slave of the
prince, but judging by the ears on top of his head, he was hanyou. What did the
Western Prince want with a hanyou slave? Was he really so hard up to have to
play with a hanyou child?
He turned his attention back to the demon Prince.
“This way please, Sesshoumaru-sama,” he gestured. “You will wish to rest for a
while I am sure, after your journey. I hope you find our hospitality
acceptable.”
Sesshoumaru said nothing, only followed the demon leading the way. The hanyou
child scrambled to his feet and followed at the Lord’s heels.
Jaken stared after him thoughtfully. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his
stomach that the prince of the West brought with him, the winds of change that
their people had avoided for so long.
===============================================================================
As soon as the servant who had showed him to his room closed the door after
leaving, Sesshoumaru sat down on the bed, sweeping his gaze over the room.
These toads were not to be trusted; doubtless, the room had eyes and ears. He
had seen the cunning and the hostility in their eyes.
Inuyasha was kneeling quietly at his feet. The hanyou’s face showed how tired
he was, though he hadn’t complained once during the journey.
There was a knock on the door and servants entered with trays of foods and
drinks, placing them on a table in the center of the room. After the servants
had left, Sesshoumaru sat down at the low, traditional Japanese style table.
Inuyasha sat a little away, with his plate of food on the ground.
The food was simple but good. There were no fancy dishes or expensive wines and
the dishes in which it was served were also simple but Sesshoumaru could see
that an effort had been made make sure the quality was good.
The room was also simply furnished with a bed, a desk and chair, and this
table. There was a curtained window with a view of the cast desert.
Sesshoumaru noticed there were no gardens or flowers in the palace courtyard.
The decorations were simple and austere. Even the garb of the king, Jaken was
made out of some rough, coarse cloth though it was far better than the
loincloths that everyone else seemed to wear.
It seemed the people of hideyori believed in living a severe life, of hard work
and toil. But he suspected things were not as clean and neatly set as they
seemed. He would find out tomorrow, when the ‘bandits’ were given their
punishment. Sesshoumaru would not put it past the cunning little toad Lord to
have ordered the attack himself, but at any rate, things had worked out to his
advantage. Now, he had a legitimate reason to observe the justice process of
the kingdom, which is what his father had sent him to see.
Once he and Inuyasha had finished eating, servants came in to clear the dishes
out.
Once they were gone, Sesshoumaru went to the window, staring out at the vast
land, relishing the dry, scorching sun and wind; it reminded him of other
times, when he and Kouga had fought a war in similar harsh conditions – only
then, there had been no comfortable bed and cool room to return to.
He glanced down when he felt Inuyasha’s head against his leg. The puppy was
sitting at his feet, silently begging for attention and comfort in this strange
faraway land. Sesshoumaru reached down and scratched his ears and Inuyasha
smiled happily, feeling the tension leave his body. To be completely honest, he
felt uneasy in this strange land with all those toad demons’ eyes on him but as
long as Sesshoumaru-sama was with him, he was fine.
Later, Sesshoumaru headed back to the bed, preparing to rest. Tomorrow would be
a long day, after all. He drew the sheets over himself, then glanced down at
Inuyasha who was kneeling on the ground, quietly waiting for his orders.
“You will sleep here, Inuyasha,” the demon Lord said, glancing at the foot of
the bed.
Inuyasha nodded and scrambled onto the bed, curling up under the sheets near
his Master’s feet. He closed his eyes; he could feel the demon Lord’s warmth
and his comforting aura. Sleep came quickly.
===============================================================================
Next day, at dawn, when Jaken sent a servant to wake the prince, he expected a
disgruntled prince to complain about the earliness of the hour and how his
sleep had been disturbed. Jaken was prepared to explain – courteously, of
course – how in Hideyori, the day began early and if he wished to witness the
bandits’ punishment, they would have to leave within the hour. Perhaps the
prince would be too lazy and would give up on the idea.
However, when the servant returned, Sesshoumaru was with him, along with the
hanyou slave. Apparently, the prince had already been awake and dressed when
the servant had come to call. Jaken looked at him carefully. He looked
completely awake and alert; there were no signs that he had forced himself to
awaken before his usual time. Did that mean Lord Sesshoumaru was accustomed to
waking so early? If so, then perhaps the Western Lord’s heir wasn’t as spoilt
as he had first thought.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” he greeted, craning his neck to look up at the tall prince.
“The bandits who attacked the royal carriage yesterday will receive justice
now.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head. “I would like to watch.”
Jaken frowned. “Their punishment will not be a pleasant sight. If I may say so,
it is not appropriate for your Majesty’s eyes-“
“Allow me to be the judge of that, Jaken-san,” Sesshoumaru interrupted sharply,
recognizing the hedging technique for what it was.
Jaken swallowed nervously, looking up at his impassive face. Instinctively, he
decided not to voice any more protests; there was something in Lord
Sesshoumaru’s bearing that commanded obedience, without making any overt
threats.
He led Sesshoumaru out of the palace, glancing back occasionally to make sure
he was being followed. The demon Lord’s face was expressionless as ever; the
only time he had seen his eyes soften slightly was when he looked at the slave.
Jaken glanced at the boy, eyes narrowed; there didn’t seem to be anything
special about him. He acted like any slave would, except perhaps even acting a
bit more unruly, enthusiastically following his master about like a dog. He
glanced at the demon Lord, then at the slave, feeling a spike of irritation at
the mutt’s proximity to the flawless prince. 
Jaken turned his attention back to the path. Flawless…yes, Sesshoumaru-sama was
perfect, nothing like he had imagined him to be. He wasn’t full of false smiles
or fake praise and flattery. His cold golden eyes looked down at the world as
if everyone, including he, King Jaken, were dirt beneath his feet. No, the
demon Prince was far from the simpering wimp he had imagined the heir of lord
Inu no Taisho to be and Jaken suddenly felt himself wishing he could see a
smile on Lord Sesshoumaru’s face.
===============================================================================
Jaken led the way into the big, circular arena where wrongdoers received their
punishment.  The wide area was surrounded by raised stands from where people
could watch the punishment. Rumours had circulated that these bandits had dared
attach the prince of the Western Lands who had come to visit and that the
prince had single-handedly defeated them. The stands were packed today;
everyone was keen to see this prince and to witness the fate of the bandits,
which would no doubt be quite gruesome.
Jaken led the prince in the box reserved for the king and the highest
officials. It was the place with the best view; the place from where the king
would hear the charges and declare the punishment. Sesshoumaru sat down next to
Jaken and Inuyasha knelt at his feet.
The crowds cheered as the bandits with their arms bound were brought into the
arena.  Disgruntled though they were, they kept their heads bowed. It would not
bode well for them that the prince was so powerful. They wished Sesshoumaru-
sama had killed them then and there; it would surely be easier than whatever
punishment they were about to receive here.
“The culprits are here, accused of the crime of attempting to rob and harm
Prince Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands.”
Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to sweep over the audience. The people were
leaning forward in their seats, women, men and children alike. The excitement
in their eyes was almost indecent considering what was about to take place.
“Do you deny the accusation?”
The ‘bandits’ glanced subtly at Lord Jaken. They could say they’d been ordered
to do it by the king but no one would believe them. Plus, their punishment
would be that much more brutal.
One by one they slowly shook their heads. The crowd cheered.
The bailiff turned towards the crowd.
“The accused have accepted their crimes. King Jaken, what will be their
punishment?”
The audience fell silent, the noise in the arena reduced to whispers. Jaken
stood up. He glanced at the side towards the prince. He could see the disgust
in his eyes for the crowd and the way they were behaving. His fists tightened.
There was no way out; justice would have to be given.
“The accused have accepted their crimes,” Jaken spoke in a carrying voice, “The
perpetrators will receive the usual punishment for stealing and for the crime
against the royal guest-“
Jaken glanced at the Lord next to him, aware that his next sentence was going
to damn him. But it had to be done or the people would take it for a weakness.
“-for the crime against a royal guest, let them be punished so they can never
hurt anyone again.”
The crowd went wild, cheering and whooping. Through the din, Sesshoumaru could
make out stray words like ‘Kill!” and “Traitors!” His eyes narrowed. He could
feel the bloodlust in the air. Inuyasha’s ears lay flat against his head. The
hanyou could also feel the aggression and it frightened him. He allowed the
puppy to stick close to his leg, seeking reassurance. His hand went to
Inuyasha’s head, smoothing back his ears.
The four criminals, in the meantime, had been brought to their knees on the
stone floor facing the crowd. Four comparatively large, burly demons came
forward with axes in their hands.
“Hold your arms out for your punishment!”
The criminals trembled at the order. Their eyes were shut tightly and they
brought their shaking arms out.
“For the crime of stealing,” roared the bailiff, “let kami make you incapable
of taking from others ever again!”
Inuyasha shrunk closer to his Master and shut his eyes. There were four
sickening thuds and then the victims’ agonized screams. The crowd cheered,
heartily approving of what was taking place. Jaken glanced at the blood stained
arena and the victims’ severed hands and then at Sesshoumaru. The demon Lord
had not even flinched when their arms had been hacked off, but his eyes grew
colder. The demon Lord was displeased.
But that was their usual crime for stealing; for stealing from a royal guest,
the criminals would most likely lose their lives, slowly and painfully. That is
what the crowd was expecting. It was time to give his verdict.
 “For the crime of attacking a royal guest,” Jaken stared at the sobbing
prisoners. “They are condemned to a lifetime of imprisonment.”
Sesshoumaru glanced sharply at the king. Jaken turned to look at him, meeting
his eyes, willing him to understand that he was doing this for him. “Is this
punishment acceptable to Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The demon Lord stared back at him. Jaken was showing them mercy. He could set
them free but then they would be condemned to a fate worse than that – items of
attraction at a circus- the demons without hands forced to perform cheap tricks
with their feet and mouth. Despite knowing the bloodthirsty crowd would be
displeased, he was showing them mercy by not condemning them to death. Why?
 “It is,” the demon lord said finally, aware that there was something not quite
right here.
The crowd erupted in murmurs once more and the prisoners were taken away.
Inuyasha was hiding his face in his Master’s leg, shaking. Sesshoumaru raised
his chin up and grabbed his leash, leading him away from the bloody scene.
Jaken saw the small display of affection and glared at the hanyou. He was
beginning to really hate the brat.
===============================================================================
When they returned to the palace, the sun was already high in the sky. Jaken
invited the demon Lord to have an early lunch with him, an offer which
Sesshoumaru accepted. During the lunch, they talked of trivial matters, making
small talk. Jaken found out that Sesshoumaru talked little, unlike the
blabbermouth ambassador who couldn’t stop waxing eloquent about the Kingdom of
Hideyori, its beauty and Jaken-sama’s hospitality. It turned out, Sesshoumaru
was more experienced than would be expected by his apparent age; Jaken’s
opinion of the Lord of the West, Inu no Taisho, grudgingly improved.
After the lunch, they retired to a conference room, also furnished simply with
comfortable sofas and a few armchairs. Servants brought in drinks and
retreated. Once they were settled, Jaken broached the topic of main importance.
“So, Sesshoumaru-sama,” he began. “What brings you here?”
Sesshoumaru took a small sip of the drink in his hand and turned his eyes on
the toad king.
“I am sure you are aware of the purpose of my visit,” he replied. “Lord Inu no
Taisho asks that the laws of the Western Lands be applied here as well, since
the king pays tribute to the Lord of the West.”
Jaken inclined his head. “All the kings in the Western Land are Lord Inu no
Taisho’s vassals,” he reiterated. “But I am afraid what you ask is impossible
here.”
“Why?” Sesshoumaru asked quietly.
Jaken made an expansive gesture with his hands. “As you probably saw,
Sesshoumaru-sama, the people of this land believe in…a harsher form of
discipline than what I am sure you are used to in the rest of your lands. In
order to maintain some semblance of order here, it is necessary to make laws
acceptable to the people of the land.”
“The people obey the king,” Sesshoumaru reminded him.
Jaken chuckled, staring at the liquid in his glass. “If only it were that
simple,” he said, rather wistfully. “But alas, here, the king is ruled by the
people, just as much as the people are ruled by the king. The subjects will not
accept a king that they deem to be weak.”
“Is the king of Hideyori a slave of his subjects?” Sesshoumaru asked. Jaken
looked up in surprise.  He had never met any diplomat who was quite so
forthright.
“Of course not,” Jaken said rather sharply. “But the people’s will-“
“Sometimes, the people need a strong ruler to point them in the right
direction,” Sesshoumaru said, meeting the toad demon’s eyes. “I believe you
agree with me on that, Jaken-san.”
The toad prince understood he was referring to the reprieve he had granted the
prisoners. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure himself why he had done it. All his
life, he had taken decisions that would cement his position as a strong leader.
But in that moment, with Lord Sesshoumaru’s eyes upon him, he just had to do
what the demon Lord expected of him, not the blood-thirsty mob.
“Yes, but it is easier said than done,” he protested.
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly and Jaken’s heart spread up.
“So you agree that it can be done?”
Jaken looked away.
“I will have to think about it. I will give you my answer tomorrow,
Sesshoumaru-sama.”
===============================================================================
That night, Sesshoumaru lay back on his pillows, frowning up at the ceiling.
Jaken was up to something. That wily toad was not to be trusted. He had agreed
too easily.
There was a small weight on his leg and he looked down to see that the puppy
had latched onto his leg, whimpering slightly. The day’s events had frightened
him.
“Inuyasha?” he whispered.
“Master,” Inuyasha whimpered and moved closer to him. His eyes snapped open as
he was suddenly airborne; Sesshoumaru had lifted him up by the back of his
haori and then he was snuggled in the demon Lord’s arms.
Inuyasha sighed. The bloody scene from earlier had been weighing on his mind
the whole day. He just couldn’t forget the demons’ screams from earlier. How
could they be so cruel?
Sesshoumaru’s arms around him tightened and he relaxed, feeling safe now that
he was surrounded by his Master’s aura and warmth. Not long after, he fell
asleep.
But Sesshoumaru was awake long after. This wasn’t just a matter of a test; it
was a blemish on the House of the Moon that such practices continued till today
under Inu no Taisho’s reign. Jaken would not give in so easily and he would not
leave until he had these matters sorted out…one way or another.
===============================================================================
Late in the night, Jaken still lay awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Powerful golden eyes and moonlight silver hair danced before his eyes. The
young Lord of the West called up emotions in him that he had thought he had
stamped out when he took up the post of the leader of this kingdom – the desire
to follow.
He had spent his whole life securing his power, destroying his enemies and
right now, in the semi-darkness of his luxurious room, he could see the dull,
grey future mapped out before his eyes –years and years of doing the same thing
over and over again, and then an ignominious end at the hands of some young
buck.
Jaken sat up restlessly in his bed, staring out at the window at the sleeping
town. Suddenly, he felt confined, trapped in this small, self-sufficient town,
in his settled monotonous life. His days of travel swam before his eyes, when
each day had been an adventure, when getting up in the morning had set his
heart racing, eager for a new day. How long had it been since he had felt that?
How long since he had stepped out into the sun without an entourage of body
guards? How long since he had allowed himself to show or even feel real
emotions like sadness or hurt or happiness?
Jaken stared listlessly at the crescent moon in the sky, half-hidden behind
clouds. How long had it been since he had had a peaceful night’s sleep?
A terrified scream tore through the night sky and Jaken snapped to attention.
It had come from the guest room.
Jaken quickly summoned a guard and ordered him to check on the prince. The
guard bowed and hurried away.
He reached the guest room and knocked hesitantly.
“Enter,” ordered a deep voice and he swallowed and stepped in.
“My Lord, we heard a scream…”
Sesshoumaru had a sobbing hanyou clinging to his chest. “It is nothing,”
Sesshoumaru said. My slave was frightened.”
The guard bowed and withdrew, smiling to himself. He would never dare voice it
to anyone but the child was adorable. And it seemed his master took good care
of him.
He went back into Jaken’s chambers.
“Well?” the toad demon demanded.
The guard bowed. “He is fine. It seems the slave had a nightmare.”
Jaken sighed with relief. “So it was the slave who screamed.”
A sly smile crept onto his lips. “He must have been punished by Sesshoumaru-
sama for disturbing his sleep.”
The guard shook his head. “The prince had him in his arms and was comforting
him.”
Jaken’s eyes widened with hurt. The slave disturbed his master’s rest and
instead of punishment, he got coddled?
He dismissed the servant and lay back down in bed, a plan forming in his head.
Now he knew what reply he was going to give the Prince of the West.
===============================================================================
Next morning, after breakfast, Sesshoumaru and Jaken once again gathered in the
conference room. Jaken’s face showed signs of a restless sleep.
“I hope you have reached a decision?” Sesshoumaru asked, watching him
carefully.
Jaken nodded.
“As I said, it is impossible for me to rule these lands by any different means.
Therefore, I am willing to accept Lord Inu no Taisho’s offer of having the
Western Lord’s representative…assisting….me in ruling these lands. In fact, I
am willing to abdicate the throne entirely. But I have two conditions.”
Sesshoumaru waited.
“Firstly,” continued Jaken, “That you allow me to travel to the Western Lands
with you and I work with you and secondly…”
Jaken met his eyes steadily.
“…that the hanyou slave stays here.”
 
***** The Art of Diplomacy *****
A/N: To all my reviwers: I will reply to you all personally tomorrow. It’s 2 in
the night right now. Anonymous reviwers, please check this page again tomorrow
for a reply. I’m also very happy to see a lot of new reviewers along with those
who’ve been with me right from the beginning. Thank you all! ^.^
===============================================================================
 
Chapter 22 -  The Art of Diplomacy
Jaken’s words were followed by a ringing silence.
The prince of the Western Lands had not moved a muscle but the temperature in
the conference room dropped sharply. Jaken glanced nervously around him,
missing his four bodyguards deeply. He had arranged it so that it would be only
him and Sesshoumaru in the meeting; no one else could know about the fact that
he was thinking of leaving or the kingdom would fall into turmoil, not to
mention the fact that his life would be in danger. His chief advisors would be
the first to jump to the opportunity but now, he was beginning to regret it.
Jaken turned his eyes back on the Western Lord. He slowly risked a glance
upwards at his eyes and almost back-pedaled off the couch he was sitting on.
The demon Lord’s eyes were hard and piercing; Sesshoumaru was furious.
The silence stretched on, making the tension in the air taut and thick.
“Aaah… Sesshoumaru-sama?” he finally rasped, unable to take it anymore.
The demon Lord’s eyes reminded of a blade unsheathing.
“Those are your terms?” Sesshoumaru asked quietly.
Jaken frowned and nodded furiously, determined to hold his ground. “Yes! Those
are my terms.”
The demon Lord’s face was unreadable but his voice was like black velvet.
“Those are yourfinal terms?”
Jaken opened his mouth to insist yes but his voice caught in his throat.
Something told him that was a trick question.
“Why hesitate, Sesshoumaru-sama?” he asked instead, voice more squeaky than he
could ever remember it being. “After all, he is merely a hanyou
slave.Myservices, in exchange for him, is surely a morethan fair bargain-”
“Value is in the eye of the beholder…Jaken-san.”
Jaken looked up at him, startled. His voice… it sounded so deep…and so dark…
Repressing a shiver, Jaken clenched his fists, keeping his eyes trained on the
floor so he wouldn’t lose the remainder of his courage by looking onto those
brilliant golden eyes.
“Please don’t take me for a fool, Prince of the Western Lands,” he said firmly.
“I do not appreciate these subtle threats. You obviously do not want a war with
this kingdom so as I see it, you don’t have much of a choice. My life is far
more valuable than that brat’s…”
There was the soft noise of rustling silk and a shadow fell over him. Jaken
raised his head slowly, really, really disliking the way the demon Lord loomed
over him. Sesshoumaru-sama was really, really tall….
“Do you really think so…Jaken?”
The toad demon was too frightened for his life to even register the fact that
Sesshoumaru had addressed him without a title. Hypnotic golden eyes mesmerized
him in place.
“Give me one good reason,” Sesshoumaru said softly, “why I shouldn’t slice you
into ribbons and take your pitiful kingdom right here.”
Jaken throat was suddenly dry. His life flashing before his eyes.
“You…you can’t do that!” he declared, leaning away from Sesshoumaru, even
though the demon Lord was standing a good 5 feet away from him.
Sesshoumaru inclined his head to the side curiously. “Whyever not?”
Jaken looked away, suddenly unsure. He had always thought that the only reason
Inu no Taisho had not taken over the land by force was because it would be
difficult to get an army in such a remote desolate area.  But right now,
looking at this pissed off prince, Jaken got the feeling that wouldn’t be such
an issue after all. The phrase “one man army” suddenly had whole new
connotations.
Why had the Western Lord Inu no Taisho allowed them so much latitude so far?
Jaken was frightened to realize he didn’t have any answer to that question.
And there was a very annoyed demon Lord about to make him into toad kebab…
“Eh, you don’t have to give me an answer right now,” he said hastily, scuttling
off the sofa and edging towards the door. “You can give me your answer by
tomorrow.”
Without looking back, Jaken scurried out the door and was gone.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sesshoumaru glared after him, eyes threatening to bleed red. It took every bit
of self-restraint to not snatch that little bastard back into the room and make
him eat his words. His father had explicitly ordered that he wanted the toad
demon alive and while he wasn’t averse to disobeying orders, if he failed to
complete his mission, his father would have an opportunity to gloat and that
just wouldn’t do.
Inuyasha…just what was it about that boy that made everyone want to see him
suffer? It was almost like the hanyou was some sort of magnet for
troublemakers. People just did not seem to be able to bear to see him happy.
His aristocratic features melted into a thunderous scowl.
Well, it was his happy obligation to fend of anyone who was stupid enough to
lay a hand on what was his. No, simply killing him and taking the kingdom
wasn’t satisfying enough. He didn’t know what reason that pathetic toad had to
try and make him keep Inuyasha in this desolate kingdom but LordJaken would
soon learn not to trifle with him.
___________________________________________________________________________
Inuyasha, who was in the guestroom, waiting for his master to return, looked up
in surprise as the demon Lord swept in, looking pissed.
“Master?” he asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. “Is something
wrong?”
Without replying, the demon Lord pushed him back on the bed and pinned him to
the mattress under him. Inuyasha squirmed as his haori was slipped off his
shoulders and down to his waist.
“Master,” he breathed, eyes glazing over with arousal to have the demon
prince’s touch on his body. “Y-you said…you said they might be keeping an eye
on this room…”
Sesshoumaru held him immobile, glaring fiercely into shy golden eyes.
“Let them see,” he said, voice husky with anger and the sudden need to claim
the puppy.
Inuyasha squirmed, body flushed from the awareness that they were in a strange
place and that they could be being watched.
“Did your meeting go badly, Sesshoumaru-sama?”
“It was fine,” he murmured against Inuyasha’s skin, making the hanyou gasp at
the warm breath.
“So…” he had to try very hard to concentrate enough to form coherent sentences.
“J-Jaken –sama is going to be nicer to people now?”
He blushed as he felt his master chuckle darkly against his neck.
“Hmmm…he said he would relinquish the throne and accompany me to the Western
Lands.”
“Oh that’s good, isn’t it?” Inuyasha asked, pleased that the demon Lord had got
what he had come for.
“In exchange, he wants me to leave you here.”
Inuyasha froze, then went limp. “R-really?” he asked in a small voice. “Bu-but
why? What did I-?”
Sharp fangs nipped him all over his body; Sesshoumaru felt the need to mark the
fragile body under him, to let the world know just who Inuyasha belonged to.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sesshoumaru murmured, hands undoing the knot of Inuyasha’s
hakama. “It seems that is the only way he will surrender the kingdom.”
Inuyasha tried to prevent his heart from beating faster, without success.
“Wh-what did you tell him, Master?”
He tried weakly to hide his arousal from view, to close his legs, but clawed
hands pinned his wrists above his head and he felt Sesshoumaru’s silk clad knee
pushing them open and pressing up against him roughly in a way that made
Inuyasha shudder.
“What do you think?” Sesshoumaru hissed, glaring down at him.
Inuyasha blinked up at him, tearful, and now a little frightened. “Master?”
The demon Lord’s patience snapped. He leaned in and captured the hanyou’s lips
in a bruising kiss. Inuyasha moaned as Sesshoumaru’s fangs sliced his lower
lip, causing blood to dribble down his mouth.
Keeping his hands pinned above his head with one hand, Sesshoumaru’s other hand
closed around Inuyasha’s aching prick, pumping him roughly.
Inuyasha mewled pleadingly in the kiss, arching up as much as he could even as
the demon Lord held him immobile.
Sesshoumaru drew back, holding himself over the desperate hanyou. Inuyasha
looked at him with wide eyes. He could feel the Lord’s aura bright with his
anger, enveloping him, exciting his instincts forcing him to submit; every part
of his body was buzzing with the sensation of being overpowered by his master.
“Do you think I would abandon you here?” he asked Inuyasha quietly.
Inuyasha looked down and turned his head to the side, unconsciously baring his
neck, tears gathering in his eyes.  “But a whole kingdom…just for me…”
Inuyasha gasped as Sesshoumaru’s grip on his wrists tightened enough to leave
bruises. He scrunched his eyes closed, body tensing.
“What kind of a master would I be if I bartered my slave away on an imbecile
toad’s whim?” Sesshoumaru’s voice was rich and deep and it made Inuyasha’s
heart beat faster. “Have you forgotten I laid claim to your very breath?”
The demon Lord pumped the slave’s cock slowly, leisurely watching the
expression on his face of pleasure that bordered on pain.
“Do not forget that I promised to protect you always.”
Inuyasha felt tears brimming in his eyes, this time at his master’s
unexpectedly gentle words. Sesshoumaru’s hand sped up and Inuyasha arched back,
every muscle in his body tensed.
“Cum now!” he ordered and Inuyasha released with a cry, coating his master’s
hand with his cum.
He collapsed on the sheets, panting and Sesshoumaru released his wrists. The
demon Lord brought his soiled hand to the hanyou’s mouth and Inuyasha coloured
darkly, understanding the implicit order. He brought his newly freed hands on
the demon Lord’s and began to lick his own cum from his Master’s hand.
Sesshoumaru watched him, with low lidded, dark eyes. The child-like hands on
his own larger one were gentle, as if afraid to touch him.  The demon Lord
relished his puppy hesitancy and shyness, his fury beginning to cool.
When Inuyasha had finished cleaning his hands, he withdrew it and lay down on
the bed on his back, gathering Inuyasha tightly to him.
Inuyasha sighed and melted in Sesshoumaru’s arms, seeking the comfort and
safety that only the demon Lord could provide. “Won’t Taisho-sama be upset when
Jaken-sama refuses?”
Sesshoumaru covered himself and the naked hanyou with a sheet and Inuyasha
snuggled into his chest, hiding his face like he seemed to be fond of doing.
The demon Lord looped an around his back and held him close making Inuyasha
feel distinctly like the Lord’s teddybear.
It was true; if Inu no Taisho found out he had flat out refused to compromise
with the toad Lord, he would consider the mission failed, even though he could
easily procure the demon by force, like he had told Jaken. Because that was
what diplomacy about – give and take.
His youki spiked in annoyance, causing Inuyasha to whimper and squirm in his
arms.
His father would not expect him to acquiesce to the ridiculous demand of
leaving Inuyasha there. By making that offer, Jaken had lost any sympathy he
might have had for the toad. He would dearly like to wring the toad’s neck
slowly in response to his audacity but he was here as a diplomat, not as a
warrior. And diplomats did not kill their opponents if they got annoying;
diplomats smiled and saw the bigger picture and acted for the good of their
country – or some shit like that. His father had always told him so.
So he would have to find some other way to punish that insolent toad. After
all, violence wasn’t always the most satisfying way of crushing an opponent.
There were other things that could be broken, except a person’s head – like his
confidence and his pride. He would just have to think of something because
letting him get away with it was unacceptable.
Sesshoumaru slowly caressed his puppy’s head and ears, making him sigh at the
pleasant feeling and clutch at the demon Lord’s haori.
 
 “I don’t think Jaken-samais going to be in any position to refuse,” he
whispered to the puppy, who was by now too sleepy to remember what it was that
he had asked in the first place.
===============================================================================
Jaken stormed into his room and shut the doors. He couldn’t get over the
feeling that he had escaped narrowly with his life.
He leaned against the closed doors, catching his breath. Well, that scheme
backfired spectacularly. There was no doubt from Sesshoumaru-sama’s reaction
that he was going to refuse. He had just run off without giving him the
opportunity to reply.
Perhaps he should not have added that last condition, Jaken reflected. But how
was he to know that the mere idea of giving up that hanyou slave would incite
such anger in the prince?
He still got goosebumps when he remembered the way the demon Lord’s eyes had
darkened in that moment. There was violence there, as if the prince could hurt
him and not think twice about it…
The toad demon let out an involuntary sigh, trudging over to the bed and
flopping onto it. It was a whole new side of Sesshoumaru-sama that he had never
imagined existed. If he ever worked with the demon Lord – oh who was he
kidding? Worked for the demon Lord – he would have to no doubt be on the
receiving end of his anger.
He shivered, drawing a pillow to his chest, staring up at the ceiling.
Paradoxically, that danger made him want to be close to him even more.
===============================================================================
The next morning, Sesshoumaru was woken out of his rest by screams and shouts
coming from outside. He opened his eyes in annoyance; Inuyasha was also awake,
half sitting up in his arms, trying to peer anxiously out the window.
“Master-“
“Stay here,” Sesshoumaru ordered him, getting out of bed.
He headed out the door. There were no servants or guards to be seen anywhere.
He made his way through several corridors; all of them were deserted. As he
neared the doors of the entrance, he could see a few people running helter-
skelter.
“What is going on out here?” Sesshoumaru asked one of them, stepping out of the
palace.
The toad in front of him looked about ready to piss his pants but he stopped
because this was a royal guest who was addressing him; Jaken-sama would have
his head if he was rude. “Sh-she…it’s HERE!”
Sesshoumaru frowned. “What?”
“The Banshee! She’s here!!”
Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly. “A banshee?”
Banshees were common demon near deserts. They did not have youki so they could
not be considered demons but demons were their prey. The demonic power of their
prey sustained them. Nevertheless, they were moderately powerful so they tried
to stay away from higher level demon, a task made difficult because they
couldn’t sense demons’ youki and therefore couldn’t tell how powerful they
were. So they generally lived in isolated places, like deserts where there
would be less places for big, powerful predatory youkai to set traps. The lower
level toad demons, however, were perfect prey.
Over the treelines, Sesshoumaru could make out the white-haired top of the
slow-moving banshee’s head. Her long sleeved hands bent down and when they came
back up, she had a screaming soldier in them. The attendant Sesshoumaru was
talking to shut his eyes and looked away.
“Where is your king?” he asked the terrified man.
“Oh Jaken-sama is well guarded,” he assured the demon Lord. “He is in a safe-
room at the back of the castle. He is protected by 20 of our best men.”
Sesshoumaru said nothing but he was disgusted. In time of crisis, the king
abandoned his subjects, hiding away like a rat.
“Even your best men cannot fight off a banshee,” he said instead. “Once the men
here escape, she will advance further in in search of sustenance.”
The man bowed his head. “Yes, we know but if her hunger is satisfied, she will
not attack. The main compounds of the castle are closed off and the foot
soldiers locked in. She will not go further back in the castle if there is prey
readily available to her. A few men must be sacrificed to her in order to
protect Jaken-sama.”
The servant squared his shoulders, a determined look in his eyes. “As long as
we are alive, nothing will be allowed to harm Master Jaken.”
Sesshoumaru gazed thoughtfully at the banshee.
“Yes, it would be…unfortunate if something were to happen to him”
===============================================================================
The foot soldiers locked in the front yard of the castle, stared desolately at
their death, staring them in the face. Each did what he could to hide himself
from the banshee but it seemed like the sport only made her excited for the
hunt. They saw other men picked like sitting ducks; their time would come soon.
“All those years of training for war…Is this all we have worked so hard for?”
one of the men, Taizo asked his friend, Satoru, sounding bitter. “Being food
for a banshee…”
Satoru sighed. “Don’t say that. We’re privileged to be able to protect the
king.” But he could see his beautiful wife Minako’s face before him, even as he
spoke. He and Minako were supposed to be blessed with a child soon; Minako was
already 7 months along. It was a pity; now he would never know if he was the
father of a little girl or a little boy.
Taizo turned his head to the side and spit disdainfully. “Privileged, yeah.
That’s what we are...lucky to die like dogs, without standing the slimmest
chance of victory.” He stomped over to the huge double doors that had been
slammed shut and barricaded. “Our Lord Jaken has made our worth clear with this
padlock on the door!”
The man sighed. “Hey get away from there. It won’t do you any good. Enjoy the
last moments of your life in peace.”
The man whipped his head around to glare at him in frustration. “In peace?? Is
that what you think? Getting slaughtered here like worms is not peace, dammit!”
He slammed his fist against the wooden doors, quite prepared for a bloody,
broken hand. After all, what good was taking care of oneself when one was
Banshee-fodder anyway?
But he froze in shock as the door slowly swung open.
“Taizo…you have to see this,” he whispered, unable to believe his eyes.
Satoru looked up wearily. “Yeah? What is it?”
Taizo turned his staring eyes away from the door to him. “It’s…open. The door’s
open…they must have forgotten to lock it….”
Satoru jumped to his feet. “It’s…what? What did you say?”
Taizo’s face was hysterical, eyes wide with disbelief and joy. “We’re…we’re not
going to die!”
Satoru hesitated. If they escaped, then the banshee might go further inside;
the Jaken-sama would be in danger. “But…the king…”
Taizo strode forward and grabbed him. “Minako-san needs you more than Jaken-
sama,” he said.
Satoru’s eyes hardened with resolve and he nodded. A grin bloomed on Taizo’s
face
“HEY EVERYONE!” he called. The yard fell silent as all the terrified soldiers
turned to look at him. “THE DOOR IS OPEN!!!”
===============================================================================
The banshee watched as her prey suddenly erupted in joy and seemed to almost
fly out the door. She gritted her fists and roared. This had never happened
before! After the first time these pitiful toads had lost the fight against her
and her sisters, they had come up with this delicious system. It was perfect;
she didn’t even have to hunt; the prey was offered to her on a silver platter.
And all to protect their pitiful king; how had they been allowed to escape?
“Hey.”
She looked down on hearing the calm, almost bored voice. It was a man, dressed
all in white; a human by the looks of him. Was he suicidal?
“Are you offering yourself to me in place of those delicious toads?” she
growled, cunning eyes roving her food. “You won’t even be a good mouthful but
you’ll do for now.”
She reached out a hand to grab him. The man extended his own hand. A glowing
whip extended and struck her palm. The banshee withdrew, shrieking in agony as
acid began to eat through her palm. Ok, not a human then.
“I am not your prey,” the man said lazily. “Your prey is out back.”
The banshee looked at him more cautiously. She could devour him first but
poison youkai were never very tasty and from that one hit, the banshee could
tell that his poison was very strong. Nevertheless, she would kill him for his
insolence…later, after she’d had her meal.
The banshee frowned. “Why are you telling me?”
The silk clad man smiled slightly. “Consider it your last meal.”
The banshee threw back her head and laughed. “Who’s going to kill me, boy?
You?”
The youkai said nothing.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she sneered. “After I’m done with those tasty toads,
you’re next.”
Sesshoumaru merely stepped out of her path.
===============================================================================
Jaken was waiting patiently in the luxurious safe-room, surrounded by top-
calibre soldiers. He sat in a throne-like chair in the centre of the room.
There were four guards posted near the door of the room, four behind him, two
next to him and two in front of him. The other eight stood back, just in case
any of these should be taken out.
They could hear everything that was going on outside. The chaos was still going
on. When it was over, one of the middle level soldiers would come to inform
him. It was a shame he would lose a whole battalion of foot soldiers but
fortunately, the banshee came only once every 5 years or so.
There was a sudden frantic knock on the door.
One of the guards glanced at Jaken who nodded. The guard opened the door to see
one of the middle soldiers, panting hard.
“My Lord,” he wheezed, “She’s coming here…the banshee has destroyed half the
castle and she’s coming here!”
Jaken froze, as did his guards. “What?” he shouted. “How did that happen?
Weren’t the foot soldiers enough for her??”
The guard paled. “Well uh.. the- the thing is that I-“
There was a sudden loud boom that shook the castle to its foundations and the
guard quickly pulled the soldier inside and closed the door.
Jaken’s mind was racing. At this rate, the banshee would be here. He would not
survive; he didn’t have a soldier’s resilience or training. Something would
have to be done.
The only one strong enough to protect him was Sesshoumaru. He had felt the
demon Lord’s power in his aura, had seen it in his eyes. Even if Sesshoumaru
ended up taking a few bruises, the demon Lord could save his life. But after
the incident about the slave, Sesshoumaru would be more of a threat to him than
the banshee.
His eyes narrowed, mind working fast. Maybe there wasa way to convince him to
help.
He gestured to one of the guards next to him. He leaned down to Jaken’s level.
Jaken whispered something in his ear. The guard nodded and withdrew, slipping
inconspicuously out of the room.
___________________________________________________________________________
 “Sesshoumaru-sama!”
Sesshoumaru, who had been heading towards his room, turned.
The servant who had called out to him bowed low. “Jaken-sama requests your
presence.”
___________________________________________________________________________
 “Sesshoumaru-sama,” Jaken said greeted as soon as he entered. Once again, the
toad king was struck by the demon Lord’s dignity and grace. Even in the midst
of an emergency like this, Sesshoumaru looked as imperturbable as ever.  If
only the demon Lord would realize just how valuable he could be, he would not
make the mistake of choosing the worthless hanyou over him. “I realize that
after yesterday, you are not entirely favourably inclined towards me, but
forgive me. I need your assistance. I need you to protect me from the banshee.”
The demon Lord raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I would assist?” It
might have been his imagination but Jaken thought he saw a flash of something
like fury in his eyes. His eyes roved the room carefully, as if searching for
something. “After all, it is to my advantage if there happens to be…an untoward
incident with the banshee…”
Jaken steepled his fingers. “I was afraid it would come to this.”
He gestured and the guards standing in a line stepped away, revealing Inuyasha,
held captive by Jaken’s soldiers.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” he cried, tugging fruitlessly against the strong arms of
those who held him.
Jaken watched the demon Lord’s face carefully. He was ready for the demon Lord
to be even angrier with him, but he was banking on the fact that, for whatever
reason, the demon Lord didn’t seem inclined to kill him. He also seemed to
value the slave quite a bit so it was safe to assume he would agree to his
request. After this, there would be no making amends in their relationship but
the toad decided to worry about that after the banshee problem was taken care
of. It was most important to stay alive.
But he began to feel uneasy when Sesshoumaru merely glanced at him in
amusement. Had he misjudged his regard for the slave?
“If you do not wish for your slave to live, you will need to defeat the
banshee.”
Jaken knew it wasn’t an easy task but if anyone could do it, it was the demon
Lord.
Sesshoumaru cocked his head slightly to the side. “You would threaten my slave
in an attempt to have me save your life?”
Jaken inclined his head. “As I said, it’s unfortunate that it has come to this
but it seems there  is no other way. Please, rest assured that if you comply
with my request, the slave will not be harmed. Otherwise, I will order my men
to end his life right here.”
The gold holding the spear to Inuyasha’s throat brought it fractionally closer.
Inuyasha flinched, trying to instinctively lean away from the blade at his
throat but Jaken’s men held him securely.
Sesshoumaru smiled fractionally and Jaken’s heart stuttered. His gut was
telling him that he had just made a very big mistake, though rationally, he
could not see what options the demon Lord had. Even in he attacked one of the
guards, the others would have ample time to kill the slave. Besides, the guards
had orders to end the hanyou’s life is the demon Lord so much as moved from his
place.
“Is that so?” Sesshoumaru asked softly, glancing at the two demons holding
Inuyasha captive. The demons tensed, holding the weapon close to Inuyasha’s
neck. Two other demons closed in, coming to stand in front of them.
The weapon held close to Inuyasha’s neck accidentally grazed his skin and a
single drop of blood seeped out.
The next moment, the poison whip unfurled, slicing through all four demons in
one strike. Many of the demons cried out. The whip had destroyed the spears as
well, though Inuyasha was not touched.
Jaken was on his feet, gazing at the scene in horror. He turned terrified eyes
on the demon Lord.
“S-Sesshoumaru-sama?” he whimpered.
Sesshoumaru languidly turned towards him, as Inuyasha ran up to him and came to
stand behind him.
“You were saying…Jaken?”
The toad was debating making a run for it when the wall of the room collapsed,
folding in like cardboard. The banshee entered, eying the many toads in the
room greedily.
“Sesshoumaru-sama, please help!” Jaken squeaked, even as his guards readied
themselves to step in front of their lord.
Sesshoumaru looked at him dispassionately, as if he were a particularly boring
insect.
The banshee turned towards the one who had cried out and bent down slowly,
reaching for the toad. The other guards in the room were shouting and gesturing
but the banshee was only interested in this one. Was this the one they gave
their lives to protect, time and again? Was the one they called the king?
Jaken shrieked as he was lifted up in the air, almost crushed in the banshee’s
vice-like grip.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” he screamed. “Please, please I beg you. Save me. Save me!!”
Sesshoumaru looked up at him thoughtfully. “Why?”
The toad king saw the drooling banshee’s face and his life flashed before his
eyes. He saw his endless days spent in trying to gain the power he never
ultimately enjoyed, he remembered the days and nights of loneliness he had to
hide, he remembered everything he had given up to be what he was, everything
that had once made life worth living.
Jaken stared at the calm, merciless countenance of the demon prince and knew in
that moment that he would follow him all his life.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” he said, suddenly calm. “I know I have no right to ask this
of you, but if you will save my life, know that that life will belong to you.”
He bowed head towards the demon Lord as much as he could in the banshee’s grip.
“It does already.”
There was a moment of silence and then the banshee’s screech tore the silence
as Sesshoumaru’s whip sliced through her, sending Jaken tumbling to the floor.
When he got his bearings, Jaken blinked rapidly and then hurried towards his
saviour. He knelt down and touched his head to the ground in front of
Sesshoumaru’s feet. He hadn’t yet earned the right to touch the Lord’s feet.
“Thank you,” he said, deeply moved by his generosity.  It would have been no
trouble at all for him to let him die or to even kill him himself. “Please
allow me to accompany you to your lands as your humble servant.”
Sesshoumaru looked down at the toad. While it would be annoying to have the
toad follow him around, this was the swiftest and best solution to the problem
that he had come here to solve. Now, a representative of the Lord of the West
could be posted here to lead and there would be no trouble from Jaken’s side.
He turned away, placing a negligent hand on Inuyasha’s head. “Do as you wish.”
Jaken looked up, ecstatic at his words. But his joy was soured when he saw the
affectionate touch that the Lord bestowed upon that worthless hanyou slave.
That little bastard was the cause of all this trouble. Now that he was
travelling with the Lord, Jaken resolved to have his revenge on the slave. He
was going to be Sesshoumaru-sama’s number one servant, not some stray hanyou.
===============================================================================
A/N: Tell me what you think! ^.^
 
***** Jaken in The Western Lands *****
 
Chapter 23 – Jaken in the Western Lands
The news that Lord Jaken was abdicating the throne spread like wild fire; the
guards who had been in the room when Jaken pledged his life to Sesshoumaru lost
no time in telling everyone they knew.
There was shock, disbelief, happiness, distress, fear.  In the process of
telling, the facts got completely out of proportion. Soon, stories were being
told of how Jaken-sama had killed the banshee and the strange prince of the
Western Lands had then cast a spell on their Lord because he was unable to
defeat him honourably. Others claimed that Jaken had fallen at the feet of the
Western prince and grovelled to be allowed to serve him after his life was
saved by Lord Sesshoumaru. Still other stories said that Jaken had summoned the
prince of the West here himself and had planned to give up the throne from the
very beginning. Others insisted that Jaken-sama was going to temporarily leave
for the Western Lands for the purpose of gaining knowledge.
Fortunately, this worked to Jaken’s advantage since till he handed over command
to Sesshoumaru, he could not have his subjects know that he had pledged a life
of servitude to the Western Prince. They had to believe that he was merely
making a diplomatic decision with another Lord, as an equal, because if the
truth leaked out, they would not accept his commands regarding his successor
but would attempt rebellion and the land would fall into chaos. In order to
ensure stability and peace in the land, he had to show that it was he who was
appointing the new representative, not the prince of some foreign land.
Since there were so many rumours flying around, people didn’t know what to
believe and they would naturally turn to the king to confirm or disconfirm the
rumours. Then no matter if the guards insisted he was lying and they had seen
him bow to Sesshoumaru; the people would assume they were doing it for
attention because from what the people knew of king Jaken, it was hardly
probable.
So, the next day in court, Jaken made the necessary announcements, declaring
that for political reasons, he was going to surrender command to a
representative of Lord Inu no Taisho and that he himself would be travelling
with Lord Sesshoumaru to the Western Lands for an undetermined amount of time.
There were mild protests and uncertainty. Jaken saw the gaze of the nobles grow
calculating and he announced the transfer of military power into the hands of
the new representative. The current heads were outraged and Jaken took the
opportunity to announce how Sesshoumaru-sama had proved his allegiance to the
Land Of Hideyori by killing the banshee. The implicit message was that the
demon Lord was powerful enough to defeat a banshee and that he would not
hesitate to use that power to bring traitors in line if that was what was
necessary.
Word was sent to Lord Inu no Taisho that Lord Jaken had agreed to the transfer
of power. Sesshoumaru and his entourage remained as royal guests till the
representatives arrived and in the meantime, Jaken sorted out any outstanding
matters and set his affairs in order.
It felt weird, Jaken reflected, to be so swiftly preparing to leave behind
everything that he had built his life around. But his gut told him he was doing
the right thing. The demon Lord had come into his life like a whirlwind and
upset all his routine but his arrival was a blast of fresh air, that missing
adventure that the lonely lord had been searching for so long. His destiny was
not in this desolate, unfeeling kingdom full of treachery and deceit. His
destiny lay wherever Lord Sesshoumaru was.
 
===============================================================================
 
The day of their departure finally arrived. The representative of the Western
Lands – a stern, diligent, bespectacled fellow - had been introduced in court
and duly appointed. All loose ends had been tied up and now, there was nothing
left for Jaken to do other than bid a quick farewell to the people gathered in
the town square and then leave with his new Master.
As he left the castle with a few belongings over his shoulder, Jaken cast one
last look back at the place that had been his home for so many years and
realized that he didn’t feel a twinge of regret. In fact, he had felt more
sentimental when he had left his birth home to move into the castle when he’d
won power. Every place he’d stayed at during his extensive travels had felt
more like home than this cold, imposing castle.
So, with a spring in his step, he turned away from his long-time home and
walked towards the border of the city where Sesshoumaru and his entourage were
waiting…well, at least he hoped they were waiting. He wouldn’t put it past the
demon Lord to leave without him if he took too long.
As the white figure that was Sesshoumaru came into view, Jaken reflected that
the demon Lord’s rage had calmed surprisingly well. He had expected severe
repercussions after trying to hurt his precious slave but Sesshoumaru had not
laid a hand on him. He had been quite civil throughout the past few days when
the transfer of power took place. Not a word had been spoken about Jaken’s
transgressions or the promise of punishment that he had seen in the Lord’s
furious eyes.
It might be that Sesshoumaru’s face rarely betrayed his thoughts. Even after a
lifetime spent as a political head, Jaken had never met anyone who was so hard
to read. Still, he was reasonably sure Sesshoumaru harboured no ill-feelings
towards him. No one could be quite so poker faced…right?
When he came closer, he saw that the royal carriage, the servants’ carriage and
the gurads on horseback were all in place, ready to leave. Sesshoumaru seemed
just about to get into his carriage; the door was open. The hateful slave was
standing quietly next to him. Jaken saw the demon Lord give the hanyou a look
and Inuyasha happily climbed into the carriage and sat down on the floor.
Behind Sesshoumaru, Jaken scowled. Their ride would be somewhat soured by the
fact that the hanyou would be present with he and Lord Sesshoumaru. The child’s
supposed innocence and submissive behaviour grated on his nerves.
He walked towards the carriage and moved to get in after Inuyasha, unaware of
the demon Lord’s dangerously amused eyes silently following him.
“Jaken.”
He turned with one foot on the carriage floor and hands on the sides, prepared
to climb in.
“Do not presume to get above yourself,” Sesshoumaru said coldly. “A servant’s
place is not in his Lord’s ride. Go get into the cart.”
Jaken paled at the stinging rebuke. He was going to travel with those filthy
servants? The very idea made him shudder.
“Bu-but Sesshoumaru-sama-!” he protested. He glanced in hatred at the hanyou
watching the interaction. He was being humiliated in front of the slave and all
the servants of the household.
The demon Lord stared down at him steadily. He held the gaze for a few seconds,
then looked down and away. It was all that hanyou’s fault!
“Yes, my Lord,” he said dejectedly and traipsed over to the servants’ cart.
Yes, he had chosen this life but he had not anticipated how much of a blow to
his ego it would be to be actually treated like a worthless servant. Somewhere
at the back of his mind, he had expected special treatment – he was a Lord,
after all, not a commoner like these filth he was now stuck with. But
Sesshoumaru-sama was a hard master; it seemed he didn’t bother about his new
servant’s feelings at all when establishing his authority.
And maybe that is why he had chosen him in the first place.
===============================================================================
 
After returning from a mission, Sesshoumaru’s first priority as the prince and
heir, was to report to either his father or mother.
So, the demon Lord went to the room where usually tactical meetings with
military generals were held, after having been informed that his father had
just finished a meeting there.
===============================================================================
 
Inu no Taisho was pacing.
Ever since he’d got his son’s letter with and official request to send the
Western Lands representative, he’d been worried. If it wasn’t for a fact that
it took days for a messenger to go back and forth and that Sesshoumaru would
return faster than the letter, he would have demanded to know what had taken
place.
Now that the prince was back, he didn’t look forward to any declarations of war
that his son had surely brought upon him; or at the very least, made a few new
enemies; the boy seemed to have a knack for it. Without even trying, he seemed
to make enemies wherever he went. He had never expected him to succeed on this
mission; it was one where even his most skilled diplomats had failed. Of
course, it would have helped if Teru were alive; the man had been very good at
his job but the bastard just had to fuck it up by messing with his mate. Of
course, Tsukiko had been perfectly justified in doing what she did but that
didn’t change the fact that it was a nuisance to replace the diplomat and train
a new batch of guards. Once this mission had gone south, Tsukiko had been
prepared to step in with her unmatched diplomatic skills that even Taisho could
never quite compare with. It was part of Sesshoumaru’s training to take on
tasks more difficult than he could handle, to push his limits.
But when Sesshoumaru had sent him a letter saying the mission was accomplished,
needless to say, he’d had his doubts.
So the first question that he asked his son when he walked through the door and
bowed was:
“Is he alive?”
Sesshoumaru looked mildly offended. “Yes.”
Taisho narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”
Sesshoumaru gave him an exasperated look. “Yes.”
Taisho was silent for a moment, taking this information in. Then-
“How?”
Sesshoumaru frowned. “Yousaid you wanted him alive…”
Taisho stared at him for a long moment. It was theoretically possible, he
supposed, that his son had taken his advice and was working on his
interpersonal skills and that, after putting in considerable hard work since
the last time Taisho had lectured him on the importance of being more tactful,
he was able to successfully secure a very difficult diplomatic victory.
On the other, hand-
Taisho narrowed his eyes. “What did you do?”
Sesshoumaru blinked. “I followed my Lord’s orders; the alliance between the two
kingdoms is strengthened to the mutual satisfaction of the parties involved.”
Taisho gritted his teeth. Visions of dead, or incapacitated, bloody toads
danced before his eyes.
“Mutual satisfaction?” he asked. “Really?”
Sesshoumaru smirked. “Indeed. In fact, I believe he can tell you his feelings
on the matter himself.”
Taisho’s eyebrows went up. “You mean-“ Had he invited the other Lord over to
the Western Lands as a gesture of their agreement and a token of hospitality?
It was a good gesture but very unlike Sesshoumaru.
He frowned when Sesshoumaru glanced to the side and snapped his fingers.
“Jaken.”
Taisho opened his mouth to reprimand his son for his rude behaviour but then
the imp-like toad scuttled in and bowed low before the prince and then bowed to
Taisho. “I am grateful to my Lord for accepting me in your service. I hope
Sesshoumaru-sama finds me worthy.”
It took Inu no Taisho several centuries of practiced restraint to keep his jaw
from dropping.
Sesshoumaru made a dismissive gesture and Jaken bowed to him, then to Taisho
and left. Inu no Taisho stared at his son.
“I believe,” Sesshoumaru offered, “That it is customary to present a new
servant of the household to the Lord of the Castle.”
 
===============================================================================
 
Jaken hurried out of the room from whence he’d been dismissed by his master.
The Lord Inu no Taisho seemed impressive, though he had to say he was slightly
disappointed. The rumours and legends surrounding him made him out to be some
supernatural deity of wrath and justice. He seemed quite regular, by
comparison, though he had the same powerful, controlled aura as his son.
Jaken was pulled out of his thoughts when he bumped into someone and fell over.
After a lifetime spent with people of the same tribe, he wasn’t used to having
to crane his neck and look up at people. As Lord of the Land, it had been
natural for people to bow to him and to be at a position lower than him; it was
disconcerting to be around taller demons.
“Hey, you alright?”
Jaken looked up. It was a young man, with hair tied up in a ponytail. By his
air of authority and dominance, he seemed like nobility though that was
unlikely since he’d just asked after a servant’s wellbeing. If this boy had
truly been royalty, he would have been punished for being clumsy.
“Yes,” he said, getting to his feet.
The man stared at him with clear blue eyes and frowned. “Are you from Hideyori?
Did you return with Sesshoumaru?”
Jaken was startled; who was this person, addressing the prince of the land with
such familiarity? When he spoke again, his voice was more respectful and
cautious.
“I did.  I come as a servant to Lord Sesshoumaru.”
Kouga’s eyebrows shot up. “Jaken? As in Lord Jaken, leader of the people of
Hideyori?”
Jaken nodded.
Kouga scratched the back of his head, looking dubiously down at the toad.
“So…you just gave up your kingdom then?”
Kouga’s diplomatic skills were even worse than Sesshoumaru’s.
Jaken frowned at the young man’s rather impudent tone. “It was more than a fair
bargain…in exchange for what Sesshoumaru-sama did for us.”
“And what did he do?”
Jaken looked away, a dreamy look in his eyes. “He forever liberated our tribe
by slaying the abomination that prowled those lands for years…and he saved my
life which is now his to claim. It is my happy obligation to serve my master in
any way I can.”
Kouga felt his skin crawl on seeing the sappy look on the demon’s face. “Kiss
ass,” he muttered, looking away.
Jaken scowled. “And who, might I ask, are you?” he demanded.
The blue-eyed demon gave him a superior look. “I am Prince Kouga of the
Northern Wolf tribe and Lord Inu no Taisho’s guest. Now watch your tone, imp.”
Jaken bristled at the insult but said nothing. If demon really was who he said
he was, it would not be prudent to antagonize him. At least he would wait to
find out what kind of relations he shared with Sesshoumaru-sama.
 
===============================================================================
 
Meanwhile with Sesshoumaru-
Taisho sighed exasperatedly. “You made the Lord of Hideyori a servant of this
house?” Honestly, couldn’t he go on onemission without causing some mischief?
He frowned slightly when he saw a brief look of displeasure cross his son’s
face. “It was…an unexpected consequence of my attempts to secure the alliance.”
Meaning Jaken had latched himself on to Sesshoumaru without instigation. Well.
Taisho raised a supercilious eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Sesshoumaru looked away and the look on his face was distinctly that of a
slightly annoyed cat. “Yes, it is.”
Taisho deduced the little toad had done something that didn’t make his son very
eager for his company but that was Sesshoumaru’s headache. All that he was
concerned with was that the boy had done what he’d asked.
Though that didn’t mean he couldn’t rib him about it a little.
“Well, I hope you realize, son, that there as his Lord, you are now responsible
for his wellbeing.”
Sesshoumaru gave him a look that said, don’t remind me.“He is under my
protection.”
Taisho smirked at the careful wording. “Since you were the one who brought him
here, you’re not allowed to kill him, son.”
Sesshoumaru looked slightly startled. He frowned. “But-“
“No buts,” Taisho interrupted. “You are not to kill him and he is not to meet
with any potentially fatal ‘accidents.’”
The prince almost scowled. Why couldn’t the little bastard die now that all the
diplomatic crap was over and his death wouldn’t ignite any wars? He suspected
his father was having fun at his expense.
The glimmer of amusement in Taisho’s eyes confirmed his suspicions.
“As you wish,” he yielded with poor grace.
Taisho turned away to hide his smug smirk and dismissed his son. He could feel
the boy’s glare boring into the back of his head before he bowed and left.
There was something very satisfying about pushing the brat’s buttons. Not to
mention the irritating boy usually managed to one up him. Granted, he and
Tsukiko were one of the very, very few people who managed  to do that but it
was still annoying. Under the circumstances, he had to admit that his current
victory was rather satisfying;  the problem of hideyori was resolved,
Sesshoumaru was on his way to becoming an able diplomat though his methods were
questionable, and now, the brat had an unwanted toad following him around. Life
was pretty damned good.
It was only later that it occurred to Taisho that he had forgotten to make any
stipulations about doing anything else to the toad apart from killing him.
He winced slightly. If Jaken had done anything to really piss off his son, the
toad had his sympathies.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sesshoumaru exited the meeting with his father and summoned Raia, explaining
Jaken’s situation to her. The older servant barely hid a smile at her Lord’s
annoyance with the new addition. Sesshoumaru pretended not to notice.
When he finally headed for his chambers, he was looking forward to a relaxing
time with his little puppy.
Unfortunately, when he entered, Inuyasha was on the rug by the fireplace but so
was Kouga, firmly ensconced in his favourite armchair grinning gleefully up at
him.
“So Inuyasha has just been telling me all aboutJaken,” he began, smirking when
Sesshoumaru glared at him and then went over to sit in another armchair.
Inuyasha happily crawled over to him to sit at his feet and the demon Lord’s
hand automatically went to his head, caressing and playing with the puppy’s
ears.
“He’s delightful,” Kouga declared, reaching forward on the table to pick up a
snack and pop it in his mouth.
Sesshoumaru’s eyes snapped up to glare at him. “Inuyasha told you that-?”
Kouga chuckled. “Oh no. I had the pleasure of meeting him. Interesting fellow,
really. And he certainly seems to be…ahem…fond of you.”
He laughed at the look of disgust and horror on Sesshoumaru’s face. “So how’d
it happen? Inuyasha here said something about the asshole trying to get you to
leave him behind and then kill him.”
Sesshoumaru’s eyes hardened. “Jaken, for whatever reason, wanted Inuyasha to
remain behind in exchange for abdicating the throne, on the argument that his
skills were more valuable than the puppy’s. I…disagreed.”
Kouga knew his friend well enough to know that it was most likely a violent
disagreement.
“And at what point exactly did you save his life?” he asked.
Sesshoumaru reached forward to pick up a snack from the bowl on the table.
“There was an unexpected banshee attack in which Jaken was…unfortunately
targeted.”
Kouga gave him a withering look.  “Unfortunately, yeah...”
Sesshoumaru looked up. “He abandoned his people to the mercy of the banshee so
I…persuaded her to target the king instead of innocent people.”
Kouga nodded. Everyone knew honourable fights were always between warriors,
never with unrelated, innocent bystanders. Any ruler who overlooked that
deserved whatever he got. “Well that son of a bitch. And then you saved his
life and then claimed it in return?”
Sesshoumaru shook his head. “My intention was only to get him to abdicate and
leave the lands. It was he who got it in his head for whatever reason that he
wanted to be a servant of this house.”
Kouga’s amusement returned at the disgust in the demon Lord’s voice. He knew
first-hand how annoying unwanted lackeys could be. As the strongest young
leader in clans full of oldies, Kouga himself was seen as very desirable by far
too many ordinary men and women who were attracted to his power, his rugged
beauty and wild aura. While most, he turned away, some he could not because of
political reasons.
“Well, I think you two make a great pair…” When Sesshoumaru’s eyes turned
chilling, he hastily added. “…as Master and servant, of course. What else did
you think I meant?”
The last question was also directed towards Inuyasha who, not having understood
any of the innuendos, looked questioningly from Kouga to his Master.”
The piece of snack that Sesshoumaru threw at Kouga’s head was, unfortunately,
not enough to swerve the wolf demon from that topic of conversation.
 
===============================================================================
 
Jaken entered the servants quarters, led by Raia. The servants who were there,
working on odd chores or taking a brief respite from their work turned to look
at the newcomer. Rumour had it that this was the Lord of another land who’d
been subdued by Sesshoumaru-sama. Everyone was curious to see how he was.
Jaken let his gaze roam over the room, shrewd eyes assessing everyone swiftly.
Demons or humans, in the Western lands or in Hideyori, years of travel had
taught him that people, after all, were people. However powerful or kind or
honourable the ruler, there would always be dissatisfaction, discontent and
those were the people who would give him all the information he needed to find
Lord Sesshoumaru’s weaknesses, his sore spots and most importantly, find a way
to get rid of that hanyou brat. It would not take long to single out those who
were waiting for an opportunity to raise their heads in rebellion.
Raia swiftly explained the rules. He nodded distractedly, waiting impatiently
to get to his duties so he could be close to Sesshoumaru-sama. But then Raia
began to list his chores – they general chores, around the castle.
“Wait,” he interrupted. “I’m not a palace servant,” he told her. “I am a
servant only to Sesshoumaru-sama. I serve him alone and no one else.”
Raia looked down at him impassively. “These are Sesshoumaru-sama’s instructions
that you be assigned work as any other servant. He has not said to assign you
as his personal servant.”
The blood drained from Jaken’s face. To work as a lowly labourer in this
palace? With these sweaty, dirty peasants?
“But-“ he began but Raia silenced him with a look.
“It is not upto me. If you have any problems, take it up with Sesshoumaru-sama
when you see him.”
“And how will I see him?” Jaken asked. None of his duties seemed to include
anything even remotely connected to the prince.
Raia raised an eyebrow. “Follow protocol. Request an audience.”
“But the hanyou always follows him around unbidden-“ he protested.
“Not unbidden,” Raia corrected. “Sesshoumaru-sama ordered it so.”
Jaken subsided but his mind was racing. If something were to happen to
Inuyasha, the post of Sesshoumaru-sama’s personal servant would be wide open.
There had to be a way…
 
===============================================================================
 
 
It didn’t take the experienced toad youkai more than a few days to get
acquainted with the servants. The other youkai found him pleasant, humble,
attentive – nothing like the arrogant Lord that they had anticipated. Soon, no
one felt as though he had joined them only a few days ago; Jaken was now one of
them.
Late one night, drinking with Jun, a fairly ordinary, medium level youkai who,
Jaken learned, had worked  on his land for a few years till he got a job as a
palace servant. He was an honest, loyal kind of person, grateful to Sesshoumaru
and Inu no Taisho but not too bright, which was perfect for Jaken. So after
talking generally about general things to put the rather nervous man at ease,
Jaken asked the crucial question.
“The hanyou, Inuyasha…who is he?”
Jun looked frightened and he glance around nervously before answering. “He is
Lord Sesshoumaru’s pet. The Master picked him up from the streets and brought
him to the palace.”
“Does he stay with us?” Jaken asked.
Jun shook his head. “He’s been staying with Sesshoumaru-sama in his chambers
since he came here.”
Jaken’s cheek reddened. “In his chambers…that means he is-?”
The servant caught his meaning and nodded. “He wears the prince’s collar around
his neck; Sesshoumaru-sama has marked him as his property.”
Jaken’s eyebrows shot up. “Sesshoumaru-sama’s collar? Isn’t that-?”
The man nodded. “Yes, it is a great honor. Sesshoumaru-sama is very hard to
please and tolerates no disobedience.”
Jaken’s fist clenched. “That little bastard is-“
He was shocked when the servant clapped a hand over his mouth.
“Don’t,” he whispered fiercely. “Don’t ever say anything bad about that
hanyou.”
Jaken frowned, moving the hand away from his mouth. “But why?” he asked.
“Sesshoumaru-sama is nowhere around and even so, he is a mere slave…”
“He is Sesshoumaru-sama’s slave,” the man corrected him. “Sesshoumaru-sama’s
wrath is nothing to be trifled with.”
He glanced around and lowered his voice.
“Once, one of the servants, Teru, badmouthed Inuyasha even after the Master
warned him.”
Jaken looked at him curiously. “So? What happened?”
The servant wrung his hands nervously. “Sesshoumaru-sama tore his tongue out.”
Despite himself, Jaken’s heart missed a beat. “Tore his tongue out?? All for
insulting that hanyou slave?”
He had not thought Sesshoumaru-sama was capable of such cruelty.
The servant nodded. “So if you know what’s good for you, don’t even dare to
look at something that belongs to Sesshoumaru-sama wrongly.”
Jaken nodded slowly. “Is he a cruel Master?” Jaken asked. “I am here only as a
servant to Sesshoumaru-sama.”
The servant looked uneasy. “Well, he is a just master,” he said at last. “The
good part is that he is strong and powerful and treats his retainers well but…”
“Yes?” Jaken encouraged as he broke off.
“He…well, he is not very patient and he brooks no disobedience. And he doesn’t
give second chances.”
Jaken nodded, resolve hardening in his eyes. He was going to win Sesshoumaru-
sama over, definitely.
 
===============================================================================
 
“Are you Jaken?”
Jaken turned around, startled by the low whisper in the darkness of his room.
A few days had passed since his conversation with Jun. From the other servants,
Jaken had learned about a lot of happenings in the castle though he knew he had
to take it with a pinch of salt. Uneducated, mostly illiterate servants were
not the most reliable of sources since stories tended to get highly distorted
from being told and retold. Besides, they were too fond of boasting what they
knew to tell the whole truth. Even so, it had so far been frustratingly
difficult to get anyone to speak any ill of the Lord or the prince, even though
most spoke furtively about Sesshoumaru and the Lady of the Western Land’s quick
temper.
Even more frustrating, no one would utter a word against Inuyasha. His subtle
probes made them clamp up stubbornly and Jaken knew any more insistent
inquiries would get him reported to the demon Lord. It was proving
unnecessarily difficult to find a way to get rid of a hanyou slave.
It was now the middle of the night and Jaken had been roused from sleep by
small, almost imperceptible movements in the room an accompanying flare of
youki. Jaken turned in bed, squinting his eyes to try and see in the almost
entirely dark room.
Jaken looked at the newcomer carefully.The level of youki was very high. It
didn’t look like it was a servant; it looked like a noble.
“Yes,” he said finally, knowing there was no way he would be able to match him
if he decided to do something.
The figure turned away. “Follow me.”
Jaken didn’t move. “Why?” he asked cautiously.
The figure – a man by the looks of it – turned. “Rumour has it that you hold a
grudge against the hanyou slave.”
Jaken’s eyes hardened. This could either be the blessing he was waiting for or
it would be the end of him.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Even in the dark, Jaken could see a gleam of fangs as the figure smirked. “I am
Gaeten.”
 
===============================================================================
 
Next morning, the servants who had befriended Jaken smiled in amusement. The
toad demon, who was usually pretty mellow, seemed ecstatic today. He was almost
bouncing around in his joy, grinning at everyone, though he wouldn’t tell what
it was that had made him so happy.
Jaken bore everyone’s amusement uncomplainingly. What did it matter what these
idiots thought? Finally he was going to succeed  in what he had planned to do
ever since he had come here. Inuyasha was going to be taken care of. The angel
that he’d been praying for had come in the form of Gaeten. He didn’t know what
had transpired between the hanyou and him but he seemed to hate the boy more
than Jaken himself did.
Their plan was perfect; since as long as Sesshoumaru-sama was around, there was
no way of touching him Inuyasha would be taken care of while Sesshoumaru was
away from the castle. And since the dratted pup seemed to follow him everywhere
he went, Gaeten had arranged it such that he would be out of the castle with
his father on an official visit where he could not possibly take a hanyou
slave.
The slave would be at his mercy and disposed off before they returned. It had
taken the tiger demon months of painstaking planning to know their schedule
well enough to arrange it so that the entire royal family, including Kouga,
would be away from the castle. It seemed like an inordinate amount of trouble
to go through for a mere hanyou but if it was the only way he could be close to
Sesshoumaru-sama, then so be it.
 
===============================================================================
 
Jaken had the pleasure of being present when Sesshoumaru informed Inuyasha that
he would stay in his chambers and that he would be back soon.  He had entered
as innocuously as possible, with a tray of snacks, mumbling an apology about
his usual servant being sick.
He had watched hatefully at the small signs of affection the demon Lord
bestowed on the slave – a caress to his head, those intent golden eyes trained
on him that made Inuyasha stammer and blush.
He obediently left the room at a look from the demon Lord, knowing Sesshoumaru-
sama would never leave him alone with the slave.
But once he was safely out of earshot, Jaken returned on the pretext of having
forgotten the snacks tray. He brushed past Inuyasha and whispered,  “I hope you
have said your goodbyes, hanyou.”
Inuyasha turned to him, startled. “Wh-what?”
Jaken grinned nastily. “You won’t be seeing him again.”
Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “Why-?”
Ever since what had happened in Hideyori, Inuyasha had not been able to figure
out what it was that made the toad demon so much.
Jaken’s eyes suddenly filled with hatred. “You greedy bastard, taking advantage
of Sesshoumaru-sama’s generosity like this…you know you’re worthless, not
worthy of the dirt under his feet, and yet you continue to revel in his
attention. It will come to an end today. Sesshoumaru-sama will henceforth have
a more deserving servant.
Inuyasha froze and memories crashed into his mind – of his life before the
demon Lord, of the slavers, of being a homeless stray until his Master had
claimed him as his puppy – this…this was exactly what the slavers had said. And
he had forgotten…
It was strange how much a person could change within the span of a few weeks; a
few months ago, it would not even have occurred to him to wonder why someone
wanted to hurt him; he had always assumed that was how a hanyou’s life was.
But these past days with his master had taught him different. Lord Inu no
Taisho and Lady Tsukiko treated him no different than any other servants. He
had come to see Kouga-sama as a sort of protective older brother. After the
incident with Teru, no servant of the castle had behaved badly towards him. He
had just started to think that maybe, maybe he didn’t deserve to be treated
like dirt, like the way the slavers had taught him he ought to be.
And he had thought, if Sesshoumaru-sama found him useful, surely he was not
completelyworthless…
But here was this toad demon, telling him he was, reminding him of all the
things he had so wanted to forget.
Inuyasha saw the smirking, mocking look on the demon’s face and felt, low in
his chest, a sensation he could not remember ever having felt before; anger.
They had no right…these demons had no right to make him feel unworthy of his
Master. Sesshoumaru-sama had claimed him, his life. How dare they try and keep
him away, time and again, when it was Sesshoumaru-sama’s wish that he stay with
him?
Inuyasha bowed his head, bangs falling low over his face, beginning to breathe
fast. His hands clenched into fists.
They had no right…they had no right!
Jaken smirked smugly at the slightly shaking hanyou, mistaking his reaction for
fear and upset.
Unnoticed by Jaken, for a brief second, Inuyasha’s eyes flashed red.
 
***** The Other Side of Compliance *****
Chapter 24 – The Other Side of Compliance
…I tried running away from me
Convince me that I've grown,
But I can't change so unnaturally,
Demons they follow me
I quit running away from me…
                                          -‘Demons’ lyrics by Avenged Sevenfold
Jaken was trembling with anticipation by the time the royal family was out of
the castle. Finally, at long last, his dream of getting rid of the hanyou was
about to come true.
Gaeten’s plan had worked perfectly so far. Inuyasha was left alone with Raia;
the head of the servants was given instructions to keep an eye on him. The
strong demoness was the only one Sesshoumaru trusted to diligently care for the
hanyou child. Gaeten, who had known the loyal servant for years, knew there was
nothing that could corrupt her against her lord. But the castle was huge and
emergencies could come up at any time; it was the leader’s duty to ensure that
everything went smoothly in the absence of the Lord.
It took little ingenuity to stage a disaster at the other end of the castle to
have Raia rushing there as fast as possible, leaving the hanyou alone in a now
desolate wing of the castle.
The room where they had been waiting was situated in Lord Sesshoumaru’s wing of
the castle, a little ways from his chambers. It was a semi-casual room meant
for both formal and informal guests to be entertained according to station. It
was decorated beautifully with exquisite, unparalled works of artistic beauty;
the casually placed items were meant to inspire awe and respect for the owner –
a testament to the wealth and dignity to the prince of the Western Lands. Any
guests lucky enough to have a glimpse of the place invariably left with a sense
of wonder and a slight consternation – if these were the items that the prince
deemed fit to have simply lying about, his true wealth must indeed be
inconceivable.
But the items were as expensive as they were beautiful and as such, precious
few servants had the permission to enter the room, Raia being one of them. And
that was another reason why Sesshoumaru had chosen that room for Inuyasha to
wait in; he knew no one would be foolish enough to loiter near his chambers
when he was not around. Servants were clumsy and if anything broke – a vase, a
rare piece of china - Sesshoumaru had been known to break something of the
unfortunate servant in return. The demon Lord did not appreciate other people
laying hands on his things without his permission. Therefore, there was less of
a chance that the hanyou would get into any kind of trouble from any malicious
staff.
The wise demoness had understood the honour being bestowed upon the hanyou by
being allowed to be here without his master, and she knew the boy was no danger
to anything there – she had never met a child, demon or human as subdued as
this hanyou, and yet, at the same time, so full of life – Inuyasha, for all his
submissiveness, did not have the broken, empty eyes of a slave. The sweet boy
was the last person to be the cause of any mishap.
However, Jaken and his partner in crime had far too much at stake to worry
about some artefacts in a room. If something broke, it could always be replaced
and a minor punishment would be a small price to pay to be rid of the
irritating hanyou.  Besides, if luck was with them, they might even be able to
do the kid in without damaging anything. After all, thought Gaeten smugly, the
idiot was a puppet – Sesshoumaru-sama had turned him into nothing more than a
toy. He would probably even die silently so as not to cause trouble to his
killers.
===============================================================================
 
So, when the time came to put their plan in motion, Gaeten was prepared with a
poison-tipped tanto. The poison was the deadliest he could find; Inuyasha would
be dead before he even opened his mouth to cry out and they would be gone
before Raia returned. The head of the servants would be held responsible for
her ineptitude in keeping the boy safe, Sesshoumaru-sama would banish her from
the castle, if not end her life then and there, and Gaeten could then slowly
worm his way into the demon Lord’s good graces after disposing of the idiotic
toad.
It stung his pride to think the demon Lord still ruled his mind and his
thoughts. Since the day Sesshoumaru had awakened his true nature, he had
yearned for the touch that had made him feel more complete than he ever had in
his life. For the first time since he could remember, he had given up control
and it had felt divine. Now it was like an addiction; he had to experience that
feeling one more time, no matter what.
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha stood alone in the balcony of the gorgeous room.
When Raia had led him into the room, she had gently warned him not to touch
anything lest it broke or got damaged. Inuyasha had complied easily, more than
content to simply look at the beautiful, most likely priceless items in the
room. But the sun setting behind the trees surrounding the vast, beautiful
gardens coloured them enticingly with the last sunlight of the day and Inuyasha
found it more beautiful than any of the objects in the room.
The sunlight diluting gently in the early evening made a stark contrast to the
violence about to be unleashed on the room. A slight, cold breeze was the only
herald to the powerful tiger demon entering the room. Inuyasha, who had been
looking out the small balcony with his back turned to the entrance of the room,
spun around as a small shiver passed through him.
Gaeten stood, poised and calm in the doorway, his long thick plait of light
brown hair reaching up to his knees, giving him a dignified, noble look. There
was nothing in the suave demon’s expression that would indicate anything out of
the ordinary but the killing ki surrounding the man had Inuyasha gasping with
its intensity.
The tiger demon had decided that Jaken would better play his part by being the
silent partner, keeping an eye out for trouble because the blustering toad was
about as subtle as a squawking duck. Jaken, therefore, was positioned seemingly
casually at the entrance of the wing, from where people were most likely to
enter and he was alone with the brat, the only one to enjoy Inuyasha’s final
moments of terror. He did not plan to make it easy for him, after the
humiliation he had endured by having the brat witness Sesshoumaru-sama touching
him.
Gaeten relished the look of shock and fear on the hanyou’s face as he smiled
quietly, long, graceful almost feminine fingers caressing the hilt of the tanto
gently. Inuyasha’s wide eyes stared at him, then the blade. Gaeten stared back,
holding his gaze like a snake hypnotizing its prey.  That innocent, hateful
face would soon still forever.
“Inuyasha,” Gaeten spoke quietly, voice fluid and dark, “I have an…unpleasant
duty I must perform.”
The smile on his lips did not match his words.
“But before that,” he continued. “I must thank you.”
Inuyasha was took a step back, a move that only served to excite the predetor.
Gaeten licked his lips unconsciously as he stepped into the room. The soft
evening breeze fluttered the silk drapes decorating the room and Gaeten voice
seemed to be swallowed up till it was like a quiet drop of water in a still
lake at midnight.
“It is thanks to you that I know who I am today.”
The smile on his faced widened.
“Sesshoumaru-sama taught me.”
He slid the tanto out of sheath with an unmistakable, chilling sound.
“And once you are gone, Sesshoumaru-sama will have someone more…worthy of his
touch.”
The words were swallowed up by the silence of the room but they echoed in
Inuyasha’s mind.
Not worthy, not good enough, good for nothing, worthless, worthless,
worthless…..
For the first time, Inuyasha had a funny feeling inside him; a boiling,
churning feeling as if there was something trapped inside, clawing to come out.
The words seemed to light the fuse on a stack of dynamite and suddenly, there
was rage welling inside him like a hot, unstoppable tide. He bowed his head,
body shaking with the need to tear, to rend, to destroy something.
His breathing quickened; he didn’t like this feeling – this strange,
uncomfortable feeling that something…something was wrong, he had to do
something but he didn’t know what it was that he needed to do.  The feeling of
wanting to destroy, wanting to harm, was so foreign to the hanyou who’d seen a
lifetime of slavery, that he didn’t recognize it at once. Inuyasha could feel
his heart thundering in his chest and the room looked surreal – the quiet,
peaceful evening, the gently silk, the demon in front of him, about to kill
him…
“You’re not.”
Gaeten stopped short, frozen by the unexpected too loud words rasped by the boy
in front of him.
“What did you say?” he asked softly.
“You’re not more worthy of him,” Inuyasha repeated, startled by his own voice.
He felt like a spectator, hearing the words coming from his own mouth.
And suddenly, the poised, handsome face was twisted in a terrible scowl. The
tiger demon’s hand tightened on the tanto.
“How dare you, you fucking brat?” Gaeten hissed. “You dare fucking back-answer
me? Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to open your mouth in front of your
betters?”
The harsh laugh that escaped from Inuyasha’s throat almost had Gaeten stepping
back in alarm.
“What’s so funny?” Gaeten demanded, peering closely at him, trying to see past
his lowered bangs. He suddenly began to feel uneasy in the room, as though
everything was closing in on him; the air seemed to be getting thicker.
But as Inuyasha stood stock still, Gaeten gathered his nerve and advanced.
There was nothing to fear from this broken slave. He was a high level demon, a
trained fighter. He could take this small slip of a boy with his hands tied
behind his back. He was just letting his nerves get to him.
The killing ki in the air became sharper, more intense, as Gaeten raised the
blade above his head and prepared to put it through Inuyasha’s lowered neck.
The tiger demon was too shocked to even cry out as five razor sharp claws
slashed through his raised arm and the tanto thudded softly onto the carpeted
floor.
===============================================================================
 
Jaken was getting impatient.
It had been over an hour now. The pompous tiger had said he would be out in a
flash.  What the hell was he doing in there? He’d been a supercilious ass in
telling him to stay out of the way and these were the lethal skills he had been
boasting so proudly about? How long did it take to kill a hanyou, anyway?
Jaken looked around the corridor he was supposed to be guarding. No one had
passed by here throughout the time he had been here. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt
to go in and check on what was taking the idiot so long…
“JAKEN!!”
The toad demon almost jumped out of his skin at the cry that split the silence
of the evening. It was a highpitched, terrified cry, coming from the room where
Gaeten had gone.
Jaken turned towards the room and frowned. Was that really the self-assured,
confident tiger demon who had gone in a while ago? It sounded like a female’s
voice.
“JAKEN HELP ME!!”
Nope, definitely Gaeten. What had the idiot gotten into his time? Had he run
into guards unexpectedly? How weak was he to not be able to take care of a few
soldiers?
 “What’s the matter?” he called out irritably, attempting to keep his voice
down, unlike the idiot who was screaming at the top of his lungs. “Why are you
making such a racket?”
There was a garbled scream from the room and the sounds of something crashing
and falling. Jaken’s heart missed a beat. The stupid tiger was going to get
them both killed along with the hanyou. It was a miracle no servants or guards
had come here to check on what was going on.
He began walking as quickly as you could towards the room. He knew he would be
no match for anyone who had Gaeten screaming in terror. The tiger demon may
have been pompous and daft but he was strong. The only weapon he was carrying
was a wooden staff that he had managed to lay his hands on in the servant’s
quarters. It was a plain, bamboo staff – strong enough to hit someone with but
no match for demon strength. He wasn’t stupid enough to think he could win a
fight with it but maybe it would be enough to get the idiot demon out of there
and make a run for it.
The moment he entered the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to the
crumpled, horrified countenance of Gaeten sitting slumped against a wooden
chest, shaking and backpeddiing fruitlessly, as if attempting to burrow into
the wood at his back and disappear.
Gaeten’s eyes were wide with terror. “Jaken! That-the hanyou – he- demon –I..”
“Get yourself together,” Jaken ordered disgusted, eyes roving over his injured
and bloody form. There were gashed on his hand and face and blood was trickling
down from his forehead from a nasty wound on his head. “What happened to you?”
he wondered.
Gaeten gulped, still breathing hard. “It was…Inuyasha. I was just - and he…”
Gaeten trailed off, eyes searching the room nervously.
He had always thought he was a strong fighter, unflappable in the face of
calamity but he had never met anyone with such an unrestrained youki.
Inuyasha’s aura frightened him and fear was the thing that had turned the tides
in many a battles; when it came to a match among two strong opponents,
ultimately, the one who lost was the one who was afraid. Gaeten had tried to
swallow his fear and fight for the sake of his pride but to his shame, he could
not land a single blow. Sometime during their struggle, the tanto had been
kicked to the far corner of the room and in his arrogance, he had not thought
to bring another weapon. He had fought valiantly in the beginning with his
claws and teeth but he could land no more than scratches on the hanyou. All he
had to do was look into those cruel red eyes and his limbs turned to water.
Jaken’s eyebrows shot up in his head, staring bemusedly at the defeated tiger
demon.. “Inuyasha did that?” he asked incredulously. He wondered if the tiger
had hit his head a little too hard.
Gaeten nodded weakly. “Destroyed…everything…”
For the first time, Jaken looked around the room and froze at the sight. The
room was  completely ransacked. The curtains were shredded, the sofa was
overturned and broken, the carpet was pulled off, the table had crashed against
the wall and was lying in pieces.
“Where is he?” Jaken asked, fingers tightening around the staff in his hand. It
was a rare break for them if the hanyou had indeed caused the destruction. They
could then tell Sesshoumaru-sama that the boy had gone crazy and the two of
them had only been trying to stop him…although he doubted Sesshoumaru-sama
would buy the idiot’s story of the quiet slave being capable of doing all that.
Gaeten pointed a shaking finger at the top of a high wooden cupboard at the
other end of the room. Jaken followed his gaze to alight upon a small red form
crouching on it quietly. Inuyasha’s bangs were covering his eyes so Jaken could
not tell what he was up to but something about him made the toad uneasy. He
wondered uncomfortably if the tense, suffocating energy in the room was really
coming from the tiger demon as he had originally  assumed.
“Inuyasha,” he said authoritatively, stepping towards the boy. “Just what do
you think you’re doing? I assume you realize you are going to be punished for
this-“
He stopped midsentence when Inuyasha’s head snapped up, turning crazed red eyes
at him. There were strange purple markings across his face and his claws were
coated with blood.
“I-Inuyasha?” Jaken asked rather unsurely.
The hanyou remained stock still. It was a demon’s most base instincts to hide
from a threat before it knew more about the new demon. Getting out of reach and
remaining motionless attracted less attention and kept one alive in the wild.
This toad…his gut told him he was an enemy although the hanyou Inuyasha had
been too soft-hearted to ever think of him as such, even in his own mind. But
the demon, let loose after such a long, long time, could feel all the hurt
sadness caused to the hanyou’s tender heart and he knew this demon had to be
destroyed. A lifetime of slavery had beaten any hint of aggression out of the
hanyou; the demon had never thought he would be let free, never thought he
would finally have control of this body which was as much his as it was the
human and the hanyou’s. They were one; all three were a part of him but the
enslaved hanyou had been forced to repress this side of him, to forget all
about what it felt like to be angry and vengeful and alive…today, all those who
had done that to the hanyou were going to die…a slow and painful death, feeling
ten times the pain they had inflicted on a helpless child.
Jaken’s thoughts were whirling. He knew the rumours about hanyou having a
dangerous demon side but looking at that quiet little slave, he would never
have imagined in a million years that the boy was capable of so much as lifting
a finger against anyone else. In fact, it had been one of the things that had
annoyed him about Inuyasha so. He was the perfect slave – docile and submissive
and innocent. No matter how much he wished to serve, no matter his dedication
to Sesshoumaru-sama, he would never be able to match that child-like innocence.
On the positive side, once the demon Lord saw what the hanyou had done, it
would be the end of the slave. The imperious prince would not want anything to
do with a wild, untamed slave who, at the moment, seemed no more than an
animal. Inuyasha would either be dead or out of the castle.
His attention switched back to he crouched figure on top of the cupboard as a
low growl came from Inuyasha’s throat. The energy in the air tightened.
Jaken swallowed nervously. On the negative side, the hanyou might just kill him
before Sesshoumaru-sama got here.
 
===============================================================================
 
On the top of a tower, at the far side of the castle -  
“My Lord, don’t you think it’s been long enough-“
Raia shut her mouth when Sesshoumaru gave her a cool glance. The demoness was
getting more and more fidgety with every passing moment. When the demon Lord
had ordered her to pretend to leave Inuyasha alone with those monsters, she had
almost protested. The prince was underestimating how dangerous the two of them
were. There was no possible way Inuyasha would survive against them.
 She had had her doubts about the toad since he had come here, though she was
obligated as a servant of the house, to keep baseless opinions to herself. The
toad demon’s oily, smooth talking ways didn’t fool her for a second; she’d had
far too much experience with dealing with people of his type. But Jaken had
done nothing she could fault him for. He carried out all his duties without
once complaining and to the best of his ability. She had discreetly asked the
others if he had caused any mischief and had found nothing.
And Gaeten. Raia didn’t know what had happened to him but the tiger demon had
changed almost overnight one day. There were whispered rumours that he’d gotten
on Sesshoumaru’s bad side but Raia did not have the nerve to ask him. He’d
become taciturn and rude instead of the once poised and aloof person he’d been.
The past few days, he’d been quiet and brooding but Raia had not thought
anything of it. That he would try to harm Inuyasha had never even crossed her
mind; so far as she knew, the tiger demon had never even spoken to the boy.
Therefore, when Sesshoumaru-sama had told her he and Jaken planned to kill the
hanyou slave, she had been surprised, to say the least. She had thought the
demon Lord was unaware of the toad’s resentment against the hanyou. But using
the child as bait to catch the two in the act seemed to her like going a bit
too far. He had even given orders to all the servants and guards to stay clear
of his wing of the castle, regardless of what they heard.
“Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru spoke suddenly and she snapped out of her musings, “Is
stronger than he looks.”
Raia hoped that the disbelieving look she was giving him was enough to get him
to explain. But the demon prince didn’t even bother to tell her what he could
see happening in the room below. It was too far for Raia to be able to see –
which meant Jaken and Gaeten would not be able to see them either – but the
taiyoukai was able to see everything clearly. For once, she cursed the demon
Lord’s ability to keep his face unreadable. She was reasonably sure he wouldn’t
just stand there and watch Inuyasha be hurt but she did not trust his
definition of hurt. She did not want to see the hanyou beaten half to death
because of any strange ideas the warrior prince might have of pain making him
stronger; the hanyou had seen far too much pain in his young life; any more
would break him instead of making him stronger.
So, she watched the Sesshoumaru’s face for any indication of what was going on
down there, but to no avail. It was as pointless as trying to look into the
balcony so far below that was nothing more than a black dot to her.
When Sesshoumaru had learned of the two demons’ idiotic plan, his first thought
had been to snap both their necks. Did they really think the Lord and Lady of
the castle were stupid enough to leave the castle unprotected by going away
together, leaving the protection of the castle to a mere servant? And they
would never have ruled for so long if they remained unaware of crude
assassination attempts being planned in the castle. His mother had found it
particularly amusing and had been gracious enough to suggest several
interesting ways of punishing the two. He had almost taken her up on a couple
of them but then he had felt the change in Inuyasha’s aura when Jaken had
taunted him after he thought they were alone. It was a pure, demonic aura laced
with the kind of fury he had not thought Inuyasha capable of. As fast as it had
appeared, it was gone but it got the demon Lord curious as to just what the
puppy was capable of.
So he had allowed the attack to go as planned. The boy’s demon would appear
only if he felt threatened, and if there was no other way for him to save
himself. If Inuyasha was unable to handle them, it would take him less than a
heartbeat to step in and slaughter the two.
But it didn’t look like it would be required. It seemed the demon half of the
hanyou was as ferocious as the human half was meek; Gaeten had been reduced to
screams and whimpers under the hanyou’s sharp little claws…and it seemed Jaken
was about to meet the same fate. He wanted to be there when the annoying toad
got what was coming to him.
Next to him, Raia took an involuntary step back as a small smile graced Lord
Sesshoumaru’s face. Half intrigued and half frightened, she had to place a
steadying hand on the ledge nearby to prevent falling down the precarious
slope. If she slipped, it would be a steep fall down several stories that would
doubtlessly be the end of her.
She gave a small gasp and had to bring the other hand to grip the ledge as
well, as, in a flurry of white silk, Sesshoumaru gracefully leapt down the
tower and disappeared.
 
===============================================================================
 
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!!”
Jaken and Gaeten both fell back with a cry, four violent red slashes across
Gaeten’s chest. Jaken only barely managed to hold up his staff in time to avoid
taking the blow which would have sliced him in half, like it had the staff.
When Jaken finally saw what had had Gaeten screaming in terror all this time,
he had attempted to turn tail and escape as fast as he could. He had almost
made it to the door but then the hanyou had landed right in front of him, claws
raised, and Jaken had scurried back inside. He had quickly realized that Gaeten
and he needed to work together if they had any hope of surviving. The prideful
tiger demon had not been any more thrilled at the idea than he had been but
they both preferred it to being sliced into ribbons by the hanyou. They thanked
their stars that Inuyasha was still young and had not yet developed all his
powers or they might not have survived the attacks.
Gaeten began to curse softly although he had long since lost the spirit and
pride needed to cuss out an opponent during a fight. They had decided one of
them needed to distract the hanyou while the other took him down, and since
Jaken was the only one with a weapon, though now a weapon half the length it
used to be, Gaeten was stuck with the role of the bait.
With Inuyasha’s attention focused on the demon in front of him, Jaken slowly
moved back, behind Inuyasha and raised the bamboo above the hanyou’s head and
brought it back down, ready to knock him out in one strike.
But the staff never met its mark. Inuyasha had launched himself forward onto
Gaeten and Jaken’s swing crashed into the floor, instead of Inuyasha’s head.
Jaken looked up, frustrated at the blood dripping from Gaeten’s face.
“Why you little piece of crap-“ he muttered under his breath, advancing on
Inuyasha.
Then the hanyou’s head snapped back and ruby red eyes glared straight at him.
Even as the terrified servant stared, Inuyasha bared his fangs and snarled.
Jaken clutched the staff in his hand and whimpered, reading his death in
Inuyasha’s blood-hungry eyes.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!”
Gaeten’s desperate cry made him turn his eyes to the fallen tiger demon who now
had a look of desperate joy on his face, like a drowning man that had spied a
life raft. Jaken followed his gaze and turned terrified eyes on the demon Lord
standing motionless in the doorway.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” he gasped, “Sesshoumaru-sama, help me please, please…”
But the demon Lord may as well have been made out of stone. Cold golden eyes
watched with detached amusement as the little hanyou, who had so far been
afraid to even raise his eyes to Jaken lashed out violently, fangs bared in a
dreadful snarl.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” Jaken gasped, “H-he’s – he’s gone crazy, my Lord. He was-
we were…he began to destroy…the room – and Raia fled and we tried to stop him
but he…he –“
“Jaken.”
The toad shut his momentarily forgetting his injuries and the hanyou he was
barely managing to keep at arms’ length. It didn’t help that Inuyasha’s arms
were longer than Jaken’s.
Hearing the single word spoken in the deep, quiet voice, Inuyasha also stopped,
taking stock of the newcomer. He tried to judge how powerful he was by his
youki but it was pointless. His youki told him he was even weaker than the
tiger demon but at the same time, there was not a hint of fear on anxiety in
him. A demon’s youki would react immediately to any threat; the only way this
demon would be unafraid of him was if he was sure of being superior in
strength.
And he had memories of this one, memories of safety and comfort and awe – this
demon had not done anything bad to hanyou Inuyasha. Inuyasha had been taken
care of; he had no hurt associated with him, only acceptance and surrender. He
could feel it, feel how completely the hanyou had submitted to this demon, from
the depths of his soul. Such submission could not be forced; it had to be
given, and it rankled the demon that the hanyou had given up his pride, his
life, his everything for this man. So, even as he knew his vengeance would not
have to involve the destruction of this youkai, he felt the resentment building
within him towards the person Inuyasha had given his body and soul to. But he
would wait; wait and see just what this strange, fearless, self-assured demon
was all about.
As Inuyasha stilled, so did Jaken, turning hope-filled eyes at his master. The
blood flowing from his fresh wounds almost did not register as Jaken waited for
Sesshoumaru-sama to pass judgement.
“I believe,” Sesshoumaru said at last, staring Jaken down with piercing,
lowlidded eyes. “It is not the hanyou that needs to learn his lesson.”
Jaken felt his heart stutter in his chest. “Wh-what…but we…that is-“
Sesshoumaru glanced once to the far end of the room where the poisoned knife
had been knocked during the scuffle. “If that tanto had met its mark, did you
imagine you would be allowed to hold on to your worthless lives?”
With a sinking feeling, Jaken and Gaeten both realized that they had made a
terrible, terrible mistake. The demon Lord knew…about their attempt to kill
Inuyasha, about everything.
“M-my L-lord,” Gaeten stammered, “W-we didn’t – didn’t realize you…”
Sesshoumaru raised one elegant eyebrow. “You did not realize that you were not
as discreet as you thought you were?”
Gaeten shut his mouth and looked away. The contempt in Sesshoumaru’s eyes
struck him like a physical blow.
“The House of the Moon would have fallen years ago if vermin like you could get
away with murder.”
“Please, please d-don’t do this, my Lord,” Jaken rasped, staring at his last
hope in despair. The cold look in Sesshoumaru-sama’s eyes told him that the
demon Lord didn’t have any intention at all of saving either of them and that
he and Gaeten were very, very screwed. “My Lord, I am loyal…please, I beg of
you. One chance…I beg of you to give me one chance…please…”
“A loyal servant would respect his master’s wishes,” Sesshoumaru reminded him
lightly.  “In your envy, you sought to harm an innocent child who has done you
no harm.”
Jaken felt sweat break out on his brow. The slashes on his body hurt less than
the realization that his Master, his Sesshoumaru-sama was here, and he did
nothing. So far, he had been fighting tooth and nail to stay alive till the
demon prince got here because he had been sure Sesshoumaru-sama would stop the
hanyou from hurting the two of them further, even if later, they were punished.
 “W-we made a mistake…we shouldn’t have – I deeply regret what we –“
“It is not the act you regret,” Sesshoumaru cut in, “You merely regret that you
were caught.”
Golden eyes that seemed lighter, crueller than usual, shifted from the toad
demon to the tiger.
“You.”
Gaeten froze, flinching at Sesshoumaru-sama’s severe tone. He tried to look
away but the molten golden gaze made it impossible. Gaeten stared helplessly
into the demon Lord’s pitiless eyes.
“Did you forget what happened the last time you tried to lay a hand on what was
mine?” A cold smile touched Sesshoumaru’s lips. “Or was the humiliation not
enough for a whore like you?”
Gaeten’s face burned at the reminder, and at the stinging truth in his words. A
whore…was that what he was? Maybe he was right; a true warrior would have been
appalled and would have craved nothing more than revenge but all he had wished
for since that day was Sesshoumaru-sama’s hands on him again. A whore…Yes, yes
he must be…
“You were given a second chance,” Sesshoumaru told him quietly. “You were given
a chance to change your ways.”
Gaeten was not aware that he was whinging. Somewhere in his mind, he knew he
should have been begging for forgiveness, begging for his life but the words
just would not form. All that he could think of was that he had blown his
chance. It did not look like he would ever be touched by the prince again.
“Gaeten.”
The tiger demon opened his eyes to look up at him, unaware that he had closed
them. Humiliated, piteous tears gathered in his eyes even as he looked up into
Sesshoumaru’s disinterested ones.
“A pet that has disobeyed its master is punished-”
Was he....did the demon Lord just address him as a pet? Gaeten’s heart sped up
as he searched the demon Lord’s eyes for any hint of compassion.
Then Sesshoumaru’s gaze swept over him derisively, the look one would give to a
pile of dirt.
“-but a rabid dog needs to be put down.”
 
===============================================================================
 
By the time Raia managed to get to the room, running the length of the castle,
the room in which she had left Inuyasha was unrecognizable. The furniture was
smashed and upturned, drapes, pillows, cushions were slashed to bits and the
carpet and walls were stained with blood.
The two dishevelled figures, that could only be Jaken and Gaeten, were huddled
in one corner of the room, cowering from, it seemed, Inuyasha. The hanyou stood
stock still, his back turned to her and Sesshoumaru, making no move- only the
low, warning growl coming from his throat was a sign that this was not the
sweet hanyou they knew.
Even Riai felt a shiver of fear in her heart at the fierce youki crackling from
the hanyou. She was secretly thankful that its ire was not directed towards
her; she was not certain she would survive it. It was the kind of raw,
unrestrained energy one rarely came in contact with. In all her years, there
were only perhaps a couple of occasions when Raia had witnessed a demon gone
wild and even then, none as strong as this one – the deeper a demon was buried,
the stronger it would come out. That was why demons preferred slaves that were
broken; if a slave’s true nature was only suppressed instead of broken, it
would come out sooner or later and destroy everything in its wake.
Gaeten and Jaken seemed to have received a very painful taste of it, if the
fear in their youki was anything to go by. The blood on Inuyasha’s claws was
testament to the fact that it was he that had wreaked havoc on the room, and on
the two demons trembling in fear.
Raia looked anxiously from the child to the demon Lord.
“My Lord,” she began urgently, still panting from her wild dash from the top of
the tower to this room. “He needs to be reined in…should I bring in guards with
a sedative…” It would be the sensible thing to do to have it shot while it was
still wary of the presence of the new demon.
It was common practice to control unruly demons with a sedative dart. It
usually required a trained team of demons to do the job because controlling a
demon gone wild required effort, skill and perfect co-ordination between the
team members. If the demon in question could not or did not wish to be killed,
it took a strong sedative, usually made from some sort of poison,  to bring it
out of its trance. It was in a wild demon’s nature to fight and keep on
fighting till it died, so it was not possible to do what a demon would normally
do to subdue another– fight and defeat. Defeat implied having the sense to
surrender when one knew the battle was lost; but a demon like this one would
disregard pain, bloodloss and injuries and would not stop till it got itself
killed.
“No,” Sesshoumaru said softly, not turning his eyes away from the small demon
and its prey. “Let him be. The demon has been subdued for far too long…this
time, let him be.”
It took a great deal of his willpower to mask his own aura and watch the scene
play out. If he didn’t demon Inuyasha would promptly turn his attention to the
most powerful source of youki in the room and attack, viewing him as a threat
to its dominance. He wanted to watch the end of this little drama before he and
demon Inuyasha faced off. But his own youki was very tempted to assert its
dominance, to teach this puppy he had claimed that demon or not, he was still
owned. It was not often that any of his pets provided any sort of challenge to
his authority; he was curious to see how his little hanyou would react to
knowing what he had done.
Raia was startled. The first thought she had had when she entered the room was
that whoever had done all this was going to be in very, very deep trouble. When
she had seen it was Inuyasha, she had prayed the demon Lord would not be too
hard on him. Now, however, it seemed as though the demon Lord was, if anything,
pleased by the state of things.
“But the room – aren’t you…?”
When Sesshoumaru glanced at her, his eyes held nothing other than amusement. “I
believe it is a fitting price for the entertainment.”
Raia turned towards him in despair. “B-but…Gaeten and Jaken…they will-“
The demon prince smiled coldly and it suddenly occurred to Raia that
Sesshoumaru-sama was really enjoying this.  He would coolly stand there and
watch the two get killed.
“S-Sesshoumaru-sama,” Gaeten whimpered, attempting to straighten up but he
could no longer feel his limbs and he slumped down awkwardly. “P-please, please
take- take…” he swallowed nervously and tried again. “Save me, p-please,
please?”
For a moment, Raia forgot about the gravity of the situation and stared at him.
If she hadn’t seen it herself, she would not have believed in a million years
that Gaeten could beg, sounding like a small child. It wasn’t that he was a
wimp; everyone knew he had gone into and faced down formidable foes on the
battle field, never giving up his pride in the face of death. But here he was,
looking at the prince with tears beginning to gather in his eyes, and Raia
wondered what exactly had transpired between the two.
“M-my Lord,” Raia stammered, very aware that it was not her place to speak, but
unable to help herself. “A-are you really going to- to…let them die this way?”
It was one thing to execute traitors or wrongdoers as punishment but this was
different. Inuyasha’s attacks were not strong enough to kill them; the demons
would die by inches, most likely from bloodloss. It seemed barbaric to watch it
happen.
Sesshoumaru turned slowly towards her,
“What have they done to deserve better?”
 
***** On Taming A Youkai *****
 
Chapter 25 – On Taming A Youkai
 
Miageta saki e to arukidaseru hazu
Doko made mo yukeru jibun nakusanai nara
 
…I should be able to step toward the path I've looked up to
I can go anywhere, as long as I don't lose myself…
 
                                                                               
                                   -Aozora no Namida lyrics – “Tears of Heaven”
 
Raia waited with bated breath as Sesshoumaru stared at the two whimpering
demons, contemplating. When he remained motionless for an eternity, Raia
thought he was actually going to watch Inuyasha end them. She had known the
young prince for years; difficult as it was for her to believe he would
actually do that, one could never tell, with Sesshoumaru.
Inuyasha had his claws raised and his eyes fixed on the two demons’ throat. The
Inuyoukai relished the look of fear and despair in their eyes as he raised his
blood-stained claws and allowed them to glint dully in the fading light. The
scent of terror and helplessness and suffering was intoxicating; for once, he
would be the one with the power, he would be the predator and the bastards
would  know exactly what it felt like to be at the mercy of someone else.
Then he froze. There was someone who had come to close.
He looked behind him out of the corner of his eye and growled, warning the
intruder, the silver haired youkai, to back off.
This demon…he had no quarrel with this one but it looked like he was planning
to interfere with his kill. Inuyasha bared his fangs and growled, telling him
to stay back. After what they had done, these two did not deserve pity. They
deserved to die, just as they had planned to kill him. And who better to strike
the final blow than the one who had been wronged?
Gaeten’s heart sped up. The demon Lord seemed to be considering saving them
from the beast. It would be an ignominious end, dying by a hanyou’s hands. The
gashes all over his body were already a testament to how far he had fallen. A
stupid hanyou, inflicting injury in a full demon warrior- it was unheard of.
Granted, this was a wild demon, and not the hanyou in his normal form but he
was till the dirty little slave who had witnessed his humiliation at
Sesshoumaru-sama’s hands. Surely, surely the demon Lord would not be so cruel
as to allow him to die by the boy’s hands…
As if he had heard his thoughts, Sesshoumaru stepped closer to them. Inuyasha
turned fully to face him and snarled, glaring at him with empty, furious eyes,
blood-stained claws poised to strike.
The demon Lord gazed calmly at him.
“I believe Inuyasha has been avenged, at your hands, for all the wrongs done to
him by these two. If anything can quench the thirst for revenge over, it is
blood.”
Indifferent golden eyes roamed over the wounded bodies of the two.
“Defeated in battle by a hanyou,” Sesshoumaru commented, “Do you consider
yourselves warriors?”
Gaeten flinched, though Jaken’s face remained neutral.
“You are strong with a poison tipped dagger in your hand against an unarmed boy
but while fighting an enemy without fear, all you are capable of is begging for
mercy.”
“Much as I would like to see these worthless insects die,” Sesshoumaru
continued, looking at Inuyasha, “you do not have the heart of a killer. It will
break the hanyou to have blood on his hands and I cannot allow that.”
Inuyasha flexed his claws and smirked. What the hell was he talking about? He
wouldn’t break from killing them. It would give him the greatest pleasure to do
so. There was currently something inside of him that was thirsty for blood. It
would give him the highest joy to tear these two apart with his claws. This
youkai was lying. He just wanted to take his kill away from him.
Sesshoumaru stepped closer still, till he was almost within reach of the
demon’s claws.
Inuyasha’s claws twitched, itching to tear into this demon who was so
arrogantly stepping into his territory but his fearless, utterly tranquil aura
gave him pause. His instincts told him to be wary of this particular demon.
But then caution was thrown to the winds as Sesshoumaru moved to step in
between him and the two youkai cowering against the wall. The demon launched
himself at Sesshoumaru, claws raised, lips drawn back in a snarl, unmindful of
any damage that it might bring upon itself in the process. The important thing
was to win, after all. If the silver haired demon believed he was stronger than
Inuyasha, then he was simply over confident.
Sesshoumaru stood stock still as demon Inuyasha leapt towards him, but when he
was within reach, he raised an arm and backhanded Inuyasha hard enough to send
him crashing into the wardrobe.
Jaken and Gaeten gasped as Inuyasha’s back hit the wood with a sickening
crunch, then crumpled down to the floor and lay still.
Gaeten turned his eyes back on the demon Lord in fear and relief as piercing
golden eyes turned their attention back onto them. Sesshoumaru-sama stopped the
demon from killing them…that had to mean he was sparing their lives, didn’t it?
Jaken, however, understood that he had not stopped the hanyou for their sake
but for his.  He glanced at the unconscious form of the hanyou. Sesshoumaru-
sama cared enough about the slave to not soil his soul with the burden of
death. Inuyasha was more than a mere replaceable slave; he had misjudged his
worth to the demon Lord. A servant could be replaced quite easily, unlike a
favoured pet. His miscalculation would cost him his life.
 “Jaken,” Sesshoumaru said, and the toad demon looked up at him calmly. He had
risked his status, his life of luxury, everything to get close to this demon
Lord. He did not, for one second, regret what he had done. All his life, he had
gone after what he believed in without holding back, doing whatever it took,
and trying to get rid of competition was part of it. It was this that had
helped him survive in the harsh land of Hideyori and it was that same trait
that was going to be the end of him today.
He glanced out the open balcony door and thought that he would have liked to
spend his life in these lands. True, discipline and decorum were stricter here
but the atmosphere was not stifling, unlike the land he had been born in. It
was unfortunate that he was to lose to a hanyou child but had he not done
everything in his power to be where he wanted to be, he would have lived with
the regret for the rest of his life.
He took a deep breath and met Lord Sesshoumaru’s piercing gaze.
It was better this way.
“Jaken,” Sesshoumaru said, “You thought to get away with this crime because the
life you wanted to take is that of a hanyou and a slave. You come from a
different land and do not know our ways. In the Western Lands, the murder of a
slave deserves the same punishment as the murder of a noble.”
He glanced contemptuously at the tiger demon.
 “You, on the other hand, know very well what happens to traitors and connivers
in the Western Lands. For a slight you perceived to be mine, you attempted to
harm my slave because you were too cowardly to stand up to me.”
Clawed fingers wrapped around Gaeten’s throat and the demon gasped as he was
lifted off the ground.
“You were given a warning, a second chance to mend your ways and repent.
Instead, you harboured hatred against a defenceless hanyou in your mind, for
the punishment meted out by me. You allowed your own shortcomings to poison
your mind until they took on a hideous form – a spineless coward who would
murder a child.”
Gaeten panicked, bringing both his hands against the demon Lord’s wrist to
attempt to pry them off but his grip was like steel.
“A person who makes a mistake may be shown mercy if he begs for a chance but
someone like you, who has lost his sanity…you are incapable of change for fear
of life was insufficient to detract you from attempting a thing as foolish as
this..”
Golden eyes turned to Jaken’s and the toad demon looked up at Sesshoumaru’s
impassive face in awe. There was no anger there, no passion no emotion.
Nothing, except pitiless judgement.
“Death is a punishment not to be handed lightly. You who have lived your life
surrounded by justice and arbitrary punishment find it difficult to comprehend
the laws of this land but you will learn. A criminal deserves a chance at
redemption; you have yours. But watch him and see what happens to those who
abandon the path of justice and become slaves to their base passions.”
Jaken watched, eyes riveted to the morbid scene before him, as Gaeten’s neck
snapped clean in half in Sesshoumaru’s grip. The demon Lord allowed the
lifeless body to drop to the floor and turned to him.
Tears gathered in his eyes as he looked at his Master.
It was not the demon Lord’s strength alone that had enchanted him, because he
had grown up watching displays of strength and dominance all his life. What was
different was a quiet humility mixed with his arrogance that he had never seen
before. The demon Lord had the calmest, most clear aura of anyone he had ever
come across – the kind of aura only a person who was sure of himself and his
actions could have. He, who had lived his life chasing after what he had
thought he wanted, never ended up finding it in the end. Even with Sesshoumaru-
sama, he had taken it for granted that a Lord like himself would obviously take
precedence over a hanyou brat. It had stung his pride and bruised his ego to be
treated no better than a common servant. Justice that didn’t serve his end was
inconvenient and unfair.
But it was that same sense of justice that had saved his life today and he
bowed his head low before the demon Lord, humbled by the mercy he had been
shown.
Mercy…no warrior in Hideyori who wished to stay alive knew the meaning of the
word and Jaken had always thought it equal to weakness – women were merciful
and weak, not real men, not warriors. But looking at the lifeless body of
Gaeten next to him, the toad demon realized it was not weakness that had led
the demon Lord to save his life. If he tried something like this again, it
would be his body at the prince’s feet.
“Forgive me,” he muttered, overwhelmed by the kindness shown to him. “I know I
have done nothing to earn your trust but I give you my word I will be worthy of
you, My Lord.”
===============================================================================
 
When demon Inuyasha opened his eyes, he was lying on a soft, very comfortable
bed. He shot up straight in bed as he felt the aura of the silver haired youkai
close by, the demon who had knocked him out.
He turned towards where the demon Lord was standing calmly. The youkai bared it
fangsand snarled.
Sesshoumaru was amused. “I mean you no harm, little one,” he said.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth. If that was so, then he wouldn’t have come in
between him and his prey. On top of that, he had knocked him unconscious and he
had the gall to say that he meant no harm?
Sesshoumaru read his intent in his furious red eyes. “It is not in your best
interest to fight me,” he told the smaller youkai.
Inuyasha snarled and launched himself off the bed, aiming for the smug youkai’s
throat. This male had challenged his dominance, tried to be his alpha and he
could not let it go without a battle. The hanyou may have been a whimpering
idiot but demon Inuyasha knew better. Dominance among youkai meant slavery,
meant defeat and dishonour, meant giving up; he had seen it far too many times
with his own eyes. All those claims about finding safety with your alpha, about
being protected were fairy tales designed to cheat children. To allow someone
to dominate was to give up your pride and Inuyasha would die before he did
that.
Sesshoumaru stopped the oncoming youkai by gripping him neatly by the throat
and dangling him casually off the ground.
“A full demon,” he murmured, looking curiously into flat red eyes that did not
show any emotion but yet seemed to react to what he was saying. The youkai was
a curious little thing, a mix of child and fierceness.
A youkai, till maturity, lived under the safety and protection of its parents,
till it was strong enough to look out for itself. A youkai who was forced to
grow up on its own, without elders to look after and guide it, inevitable
turned out more unstable by nature.
He did not know about hanyou but he could guess that the human and youkai blood
flowing in his veins would make the demon that much more volatile, making him
more akin to a youkai that had lost its sanity, rather than a normal full-
blooded youkai. He could feel the demon’s bloodlust. He had no doubt that, if
left to its own devices, it would fight and kill whatever it came across till
someone ended his life.
Inuyasha struggled in his grasp, swiping at him and his arm, with razor-sharp
claws, unmindful of the fact that he was strangling himself, that if
Sesshoumaru’s claws, whose latent poison he could feel running beneath his
skin, pierced the tender skin of his neck, he would die a slow agonizing death.
Sesshoumaru stood there, unmoving.
Wild demons were supposed to be beyond reason. One of the reasons they were
usually either heavily sedated or killed was because there was nothing that
could reach them anymore – not any reasonable arguments, not fear of pain or
life nor the pleas of loved ones. A wild demon knew nothing of love or
affection. They had been known to remorseless rip the heart of their own mates
– something that any demon in his right mind would sooner die before even
contemplating.
Yet, staring into Inuyasha’s eyes, Sesshoumaru thought he could see feeling
beyond anger and bloodlust. There was hurt there, and anguish and a certain
childlike vulnerability. Inuyasha had so far not responded to anything he had
said, except by trying to kill him but he had a feeling that the demon could
understand what he was saying even though he refused to obey.
“Inuyasha,” he whispered, fingers loosening their grip on the boy and the demon
froze momentarily before renewing his struggles with even more force.
This was what the slavery had done to him. Denying this part of him had wedged
the anger deep inside his heart where it now remained, poisoning him from
within, not allowing him to understand the consequences of his actions. Hanyou
Inuyasha had been mocked and jeered every time he stood up for himself with the
result that that part of him was pushed deep, deep inside him where no one
could see, where no one could hurt him for it any longer.
And the demon in his blood, that was supposed to fight for him and help him
survive, became this mindless beast that revolted against any hint of
submission, even if it was to save its own life. The hanyou had given up his
dignity and pride every day of his life and now, demon Inuyasha would fight for
that pride even if it meant his own death.
The breath left demon Inuyasha’s lungs as he was slammed onto the bed and
pinned down with an implacable hand between his shoulder-blades. He snarled and
kicked out until the silver haired youkai pinned his legs as well.
The smaller demon felt the clothing being ripped off his body and he howled,
deep and long, arching his back to throw off the demon above him. Inuyasha had
undergone a lot of atrocities during his life as a slave but rape was not one
of them. The main reason was that no one found a scrawny, dirty little hanyou
desirable. Even those who wanted only a hole to fill usually preferred either a
human or a demon, never a half-breed. An unresponsive, submissive little hanyou
was of little interest to anyone; he had long ago lost the spirit that sadists
loved to break.
But this silver haired demon was stronger than him. Demon Inuyasha was fully
prepared to die fighting as long as he hurt his opponent in the process. But
being pinned down like this, forced to take whatever was being done to him was
something he could not bear. He could feel his heart speed up, mind wavering
from consciousness; he was not strong enough to handle his pride being broken
one more time.
“Relax,” a husky voice whispered in his ear and the demon snapped out of his
dangerous haze at the calm tone and the warm breath on his ear.
Glancing over his shoulder as much as his position would allow, he tried to
gauge the other youkai’s intention. He did not seem excited or angry or even
aroused. His scent and aura held no lust; it didn’t seem like rape was
something he got off on. Then why was he being taken like this, if not for this
demon’s pleasure?
“I will not hurt you.”
Demon Inuyasha gasped at the words and whipped his head around, glaring at the
youkai. The demon had pinned him down, had ripped his clothes off, had knocked
him unconscious earlier and he was supposed to believe him?
“It is not my intention to harm you,” Sesshoumaru continued, “But you will
submit to me, one way or another.”
The demon snarled and thrashed. He tried to twist his body to claw at the
youkai but Sesshoumaru grabbed his wrists and pinned them behind his back.
Inuyasha froze as the demon Lord’s aura flared, pulsing with power. It took
every ounce of Inuyasha’s will to keep a submissive growl from forming in his
throat in response to the almost overwhelming dominant aura around him.
“It seems you are unused to accepting dominance, though you are not alpha,”
murmured the demon Lord. “Your resistance to me is hurting Inuyasha. Let it go,
little youkai. Allow me to protect you.”
The pinned demon paused reluctantly, the deep, sure voice calming him despite
himself. He did not want to hurt the hanyou. The hanyou was a part of him; they
were different but also each other. But the hanyou did not always know what was
best for him, was not strong enough to fight and he had learned to ignore the
pain and fear in order to fight hard enough to survive. Years of looking out
for himself had made him almost forget to want someone when in danger. It did
not help to pine after a saviour when one’s ass was in danger. Kindness was not
something that a slave came across very often, especially from powerful demons.
There had been a few stray humans and demons who had been nice to the hanyou,
but no one had ever offered to protect him before.
One large hand landed on his hip and demon Inuyasha felt the Lord’s cock nudge
against his entrance. The grip that held his wrists pinned against his back was
strong but not painful, unless he struggled. The youkai held him so he was
unable to move but so far, he had not hurt him. Inuyasha tensed at the large,
blunt appendage at its ass and shut his eyes, fighting against every instinct
that told him to try and buck the intruder off.
He tried his best not to cry out as the giant member entered his ass in a slow,
even thrust. Every muscle in his body was taut with tension, a low growl came
from his throat at the pain and the pressure. The markings on his face
elongated and became more jagged in response to the pain. Finally, instincts
won and Inuyasha thrashed, trying to get the painful thing out of its ass.
But the demon Lord’s grip was unyielding; had it been weaker, the small demon
would have thrown him off and hurt himself severely in the process. The steel
hand that had felt like shackles did not feel so much like a hindrance anymore.
The hold, coupled with the demon Lord’s strong, powerful aura felt…comforting.
A small smile appeared on Sesshoumaru’s lips as the demon beneath him relaxed
minutely. He did not want to hurt the boy but the demon was too young, too
fragile to be on its own without an alpha. An unclaimed demon had no one to
lean on when things went wrong and it was not in a slave’s nature to fight
everyone off alone and be content. Already, years of slavery had left its mark
– the demon was suspicious of any and every one that offered help. A few years
more and the demon would become unresponsive to words, incapable of
distinguishing between those who bore it ill will and those who wished to help.
The demon had to know it had an alpha that it would obey and who would, in
turn, protect it from harm.
A mix of a growl and a whine emerged from Inuyasha’s throat and the dominant
youkai released his pinned wrists. Instead of trying to claw him, Inuyasha’s
hands merely went to the bed. Sharp little claws fisted the sheets. The
intruder in his ass did not feel so weird anymore. The pain was almost gone,
replaced by a feeling of being full. The demon could have ripped him to pieces
while he was helpless and impaled but he had merely stayed still. Maybe it
wasn’t so bad.
A large warm hand landed on his head comfortingly.
“You are doing well, little one,” the youkai above him whispered and Inuyasha
tensed momentarily. Was the demon mocking him?
A curtain of silver hair fell around him and sharp fangs nipped his ears. Demon
Inuyasha flushed as the act of leaning forward pushed the demon’s cock deeper
inside him. This – this did not seem like rape at all. True, the youkai had
taken him without consent but it had not been for his own pleasure; he could
have simply thrust into him without regard for his body if all the youkai
wanted was release. But he had merely stayed still, holding him in place, not
allowing him to pull away. And he had kept his promise of not hurting him too.
Inuyasha glanced back hesitantly at the demon Lord above him. If this was not
about sex, or torture or humiliation, then….is this what dominance was like?
Maybe…maybe this one was not like the others.
He clenched his fist at the thought. By now, he should know better. Better than
to believe in false words and a show of kindness. The hanyou was a gullible
brat but he should know better. And yet, here he was, having faith in this
demon Lord. Maybe it was his plan to humiliate him by making him submit. Maybe
all he wanted was the satisfaction of seeing him break.
Sesshoumaru frowned as the demon tensed once again. His scent was suddenly of
agitation and confusion.
“Youkai,” the demon Lord murmured, voice suddenly dark. “Someone so weak as you
cannot hope to protect him from those who wish him harm.”
Demon Inuyasha’s eyes widened and he tried to turn around to snarl at the
arrogant youkai above him but a hard weight on his back kept him pinned in
place.
“The hanyou has suffered enough to have no anger left and you, in turn, have
little else. I will not have my pet destroyed because of your foolishness.”
Inuyasha growled as the cock speared him again and Sesshoumaru’s aura flared
even more until it was above him, all around him, inside him until all demon
Inuyasha could feel was the urge to give in, to accept the protection of this
strong alpha who had truly done him no harm. The pulsing, electric aura
surrounding him identified the demon above him as a taiyoukai. How stupid would
he have to be to continue this fight and how much stupider still to refuse the
protection and safety that was generously offered?
But even as his body wished to give in, the untamed part of him, the wild part
that had broken away from normal consciousness because of too much pain and too
much loneliness refused to allow him to submit. Because to continue fighting
was easier, safer. It was all he knew – to fight and to die. It would be so
much simpler to go down fighting than to take a chance on this strange youkai
who offered him something he had long since forgotten. To be betrayed after
giving his trust to this youkai…it would be much more painful than death.
But the implacable hand pinning him to the mattress and the cock in his ass
would not allow him to struggle.
“Inuyasha,” the demon Lord whispered, voice low and deep, and the demon was
startled to be addressed by the name. “You will submit to me…because you are
already mine.”
Then there were teeth on his neck, sharp and unyielding. The cock in his ass
thrust even deeper till the youkai above him was fully sheathed inside him and
Inuyasha’s head rolled to the side helplessly, offering his throat to the
youkai above him. The pleased growl that rumbled through Sesshoumaru’s chest
caused him to relax his muscles, almost involuntarily.
The tension in his body relaxed and a soft, low whine escaped from his throat.
The teeth on the back of his neck held him like a naughty puppy and the youkai,
for the first time, revelled under the claim of another. Yes, it felt right.
The aura around him no longer felt oppressive but only warm and comforting, the
kind of comfort that the youkai had not felt since its birth, the kind that
turned its bones to jelly.
The cock inside his ass began to thrust in faster but this time, the youkai was
so relaxed, there was no pain. Sesshoumaru thrust in at a slightly different
angle and the demon arched and growled as the cock in his ass struck something
that sent electric pleasure coursing through his body. Sesshoumaru growled,
pleased at the display of pleasure from his beta.
Establishing dominance traditionally took on a myriad of forms, ranging from
extremely painful rituals where the alpha took the submissive within inches of
his life and pulled him back, thus laying claim to his existence, to
humiliating rituals where the submissive was forced to give up all forms of
dignity and pride and unconditionally obey the alpha’s every command, no matter
how unreasonable or unjustified.
With someone whom the alpha did not wish to cause undue humiliation or pain,
usually someone from the family or from the pack, sexual domination was the
preferred method. It was an act of intimacy, allowing the dominant to breach
their every defence and have them entirely vulnerable. The submissive learned
trust and obedience and embraced the safety and protection that only the alpha
could provide. There was no foreplay, no preparation of any kind for the uke.
The submissive’s position was under the alpha, every movement under the seme’s
control. There would be no gentle touch on any part of his body, no hands,
fingers lips caressing the skin. It was like a strictly choreographed dance, an
established ritual at the end of which, the alpha showed the submissive that he
belonged.
The whines and moans and low growls coming from the demon conveyed his
acceptance of the alpha, of the pleasure that could be gained by giving in to
the dominant male. That demon Inuyasha did not try to resist the cock in his
ass any longer, nor the pleasure of the act showed that he was accepting his
position in the pack, under the stronger male’s protection. The care the elder
displayed in focusing only on the submissive demon’s pleasure and not on his
own, by thrusting in slowly and evenly conveyed to the uke that in return for
obedience and submission, the alpha would look out for the beta’s interest
before his own.
Soon, the demon attained its release with a shout, without a single touch to
its own member, with only the alpha’s cock in its ass. The demon Lord withdrew
from the youkai’s body and pumped himself swiftly a few times and released on
Inuyasha’s ass, staking his claim on the pup.
The demon’s eyes were hazy and half-lidded with pleasure. The aggression
humming under his skin had found an outlet and the demon lay on the bed
peacefully. Sesshoumaru looked down at him and thought that in this moment, he
could see his hanyou, his puppy in this red eyed demon. The hanyou and the
demon, different as night and day, had both lived lives completely out of
balance, each rejecting the other half of himself.
But that would change. They both belonged to him now, as did the puppy’s human
form and he would bring all three together till they were no longer separate. A
small smile appeared on his lips as he lay down on the bed next to the
exhausted demon and drew the sheets over the both of them. His hanyou would
most likely not react well on knowing the havoc he had caused but he would
worry about that tomorrow.
With the heavy weight of exhaustion forcing his eyes shut, the smaller youkai
closed its eyes and whined quietly, content in being pulled flush against the
demon Lord’s chest and having the silver haired youkai’s arm draped over his
midsection. For the first time, the youkai allowed sleep to come unimpeded,
secure in the knowledge that the demon Lord would not let any harm to befall
him.
Beneath closed eyelids, red eyes slowly faded back to gold.
 
                         …Tears of Heaven, overflowing
                     Someday, it will change into a smile…
 
***** Something Old And Something New *****
 
Chapter 26 – Something Old and Something New
When Inuyasha opened his eyes, the first things that registered were the many
aches and pains in his body…and the harsh sunlight coming in from the open
curtains.
Blinking open sleepy, tired eyes, the hanyou looked around hazily, tiny fists
bunching weakly in silk sheets. He was in Sesshoumaru-sama’s chambers, in his
bed…but he could not remember getting into it. What had happened the night
before?
“Inuyasha?”
He turned his head towards the familiar voice.
“R-Raia…”
 “Sesshoumaru-sama’s orders are for me to take care of you today until he
returns.”
With considerable effort, Inuyasha raised himself in bed. His bottom was sore
as hell. But he could not remember Sesshoumaru-sama taking him the night
before. And there was a scent on him…a horrible, stifling scent.
Inuyasha inhaled sharply, looking around for the source of the scent. His eyes
were drawn to the traces of red on the creamy silk sheets. Blood…there was
blood on the sheets. His fingers clenched involuntarily in mild panic and his
eyes were drawn to the reddish brown thing coating his fingers and nails.
Bringing his hands up, his eyes widened at the dried, now almost brown blood
coating his nails. He could even taste the bitter, sharp taste in his mouth.
Alarmed and now a little frightened, Inuyasha turned towards the head servant.
“Wh-what happened?”
Raia saw the confusion and fear on the hanyou’s face and she bit her lip
hesitantly.
“I…don’t think – that is, I think it would be better if you asked Sesshoumaru-
sama that.”
Inuyasha’s eyes clouded over with worry but he lowered his eyes.
“M-may I have a bath?” he asked hesitantly, wondering if he had the privilege,
before being punished for hurting whoever it was that he had hurt.
Raia nodded, gesturing towards the direction of the bath house. Inuyasha
climbed off the bed and almost stumbled to the ground, wincing as the movement
shot a sharp pain up his ass. The scent of blood was getting suffocating;
Inuyasha felt his stomach clench in protest.
The bath house was located a little way outside Sesshoumaru’s wing of the
castle. Although the demon Lord had his own private, far more luxurious bathing
chamber, Raia had not received explicit instructions to allow the slave to use
it. This bathing house was a natural hotspring turned into an indoor bath, that
was usually used by guests or soldiers or someone from the lower ranks who had
earned a reward. Small and simple but clean, it was a perk everyone looked
forward to and as Sesshoumaru’s personal slave, Raia could not imagine the
demon Lord minding Inuyasha using it, especially considering what he had gone
through the day before.
“W-where is Sesshoumaru-sama?”
The hanyou’s small voice brought Raia out of her thoughts and she turned her
attention back to the hanyou who had undressed partly and gotten into the warm
water.
“He had business to take care of,” Raia answered.
Inuyasha nodded, scrubbing furiously at his hands and the blood stains on his
haori. The red fire rat kimono was easy enough to clean but blood had seeped
into the inner white haori and dried. No matter how the hanyou scrubbed, the
slight light brown stain would not some off.
Tears formed in his eyes as his hands were soon rubbed raw from the scrubbing
and the material came close to tearing. He turned desperately towards the
silent servant.
“D-did I – who did I- that is, whose blood…”
Raia stared helplessly at the heartbroken look in Inuyasha’s eyes. Sesshoumaru-
sama would probably not be pleased for saying something but she could not bear
to let the hanyou go on thinking he had done something wrong.
“It’s…mostly Gaeten and Jaken’s. They attacked you… do you remember?”
Inuyasha stared at his hands, now free of any signs of blood. He vaguely
remembered talking to Jaken before his Master had to leave for somewhere.
Then…then he had watched the sunset…in that room, the one with the important
items.
Inuyasha gasped. “Th-the room! Take me there, please?”
Raia mentally winced, seeing the almost desperate, worried look on the boy’s
face.
“Inuyasha,” she began, “I don’t think that’s-“
The tears that had formed in his eyes overflowed and trailed silently down his
cheeks. Raia sighed and nodded.
===============================================================================
 
Seeing the look on Inuyasha’s face, Raia almost regretted her decision. A small
fist clenched in her robes. Inuyasha looked horrified. Wide golden eyes took in
the damage to the room and everything in it.
“I-I did this…?” Inuyasha asked in a hushed voice, standing in the centre of
the room, eyes glued to the ugly bloodstain on the carpet. “All this- it’s my
fault…Sesshoumaru-sama trusted me… he trusted me and- and I destroyed-“
Voice breaking, Inuyasha could not help the tears now falling freely from his
eyes. In his life with the slavers, he had made many mistakes - of course he
had, no one could be perfect all the time – and he had been punished for those
mistakes. Some were more serious than others and had earned him whip lashes and
days without food and nights spent outside alone in the cold.
But they were mistakes, things that he had done wrong by accident. In all his
life, he had never wilfully destroyed anything. The blood on his claws and the
destruction of the room was not something that happened by mistake. He had…he
had actually destroyed everything. The most precious, valuable items that
Sesshoumaru-sama did not even allow anyone else to touch…he had destroyed them.
Sesshoumaru-sama would never forgive him for this. Even if he slaved all his
life, he would not be able to repay the demon Lord for the damage that he had
caused.
And throughout the room, on the rubble and on the walls, there were bloodstains
where Jaken or Gaeten had been thrown at the walls or on the broken furniture
strewn about.
“I…I did this. I did it…I did it…”
Raia looked helplessly from the room to the hanyou. Well, what could she say?
It was true, after all. He had done it.
Inuyasha turned despairing eyes up at Raia. “And Jaken and Gaeten…what- are
they alright?”
Raia looked away. “Jaken is…injured but he will be fine. Gaeten…”
Raia trailed off and Inuyasha took a sharp intake of breath, correctly
interpreting her silence.
“He’s dead,” he whispered, eyes slowly glazing over until they became entirely
emotionless. “Because of me...”
The hands that he held out in front of him shook and though his skin was an
angry red colour from scrubbing so hard in the bath, and there was not even a
drop of blood on them, the scent of blood was suddenly once again suffocating.
“I killed – killed him…”
“No,” Raia protested, beginning to panic slightly at the suddenly dazed look on
his face. She had no idea what to do with this hanyou boy who seemed so struck
at the idea of having taken a life. Demons never reacted like this, not even
demon children. Was it his human blood that was inciting such a reaction?
 In any case, it didn’t look like Inuyasha had even heard her. He stared
blankly at the large stain of blood on the carpet and then his claws.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” he said softly, seemingly talking to himself. “Sesshoumaru-
sama will-“
“Will what?” came a deep voice from behind him.
Inuyasha spun around, eyes landing on the demon Lord standing quietly in the
doorway.
Raia bowed her head in apology as Sesshoumaru walked in. She should really have
known better than to bring the hanyou here. It would have been wiser to let the
demon Lord do the explaining.
“Master,” Inuyasha said in the same blank tone, hastily dropping to his knees
and lowering his forehead to the ground.
Sesshoumaru walked over leisurely and came to a stop in front of the kneeling
Inuyasha.
“Gaeten did not die by your hands,” he stated calmly. Inuyasha raised his head
hesitantly, looking at the demon prince in disbelief. The blank look in his
eyes wavered.
“Gaeten received his just punishment by my hands for being a traitor…and for
attempting to harm what belongs to me.”
The calm, feelingless look on Inuyasha’s face shattered and serene golden eyes
were once again wide and vulnerable. “B-but – but the blood-“
Sesshoumaru gestured for him to rise and Inuyasha got shakily to his feet.
“Gaeten attempted to kill you and your youkai fought back.”
Inuyasha’s eyes grew impossibly wider. “Y-youkai? M-my youkai..?’
Though the slavers didn’t care about his monthly transformations into a human,
they had made sure his youkai would never come close to the surface. They had
told him that they had beaten the evil out of him. And sure enough, his youkai
had never once surfaced, even after all their humiliations and torture and
beatings.
A large hand landed gently on his face and Inuyasha snapped out of his musings.
Long, clawed fingers wrapped around his chin and gently but firmly lifted his
face up.
“Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru whispered. “You are shivering.”
The hanyou clenched his hands into fists and realized they were indeed shaking.
His fingers and toes felt cold and numb. The demon Lord’s grip did not allow
him to turn his face away but he lowered his eyes. Sesshoumaru-sama had to
witness his unrestrained, untamed side…the worst side of him. He did not know
what the youkai had done but it was safe to say he had disrespected his master
along with destroying some of his most prized possessions. He would be lucky to
get away with his life.
“F-forgive me,” Inuyasha mumbled and heard his own voice sound raspy and odd.
“I have done nothing to deserve your mercy but-“
“No,” Sesshoumaru interrupted sharply and Inuyasha flinched as if the demon
Lord had struck him.
Inuyasha’s knees trembled and only the demon Lord’s grip on him kept him
upright.
“Never apologize when you have done nothing wrong,” Inuyasha heard his Master
say, and he slowly turned incredulous eyes to meet the demon prince’s.
“Jaken and Gaeten were the ones at fault for attacking you. You merely defended
yourself.”
Inuyasha gasped. “I- but this room. I did this…”
A ghost of a smile reached the demon Lord’s lips. “Jaken  is going to have a
hard time paying for it.”
Inuyasha’s mouth fell open slightly. “Jaken-sama?”
“He and Gaeten were the ones who forced you to defend yourself. Since Gaeten is
dead, it falls upon Jaken to fulfil both their dues.”
Still holding the hanyou’s chin in his grip, Sesshoumaru’s thumb came to gently
run over his slave’s cheek in a barely there caress. Cold golden eyes softened
imperceptibly.
“Did you think you would be punished for merely defending yourself?”
A small whimper escaped Inuyasha’s throat. Defending himself…yes, he might have
died if his youkai hadn’t come to the fore. And he really had no control over
his youkai but-
“I…everything here was very valuable. It’s my fault…”
Sesshoumaru’s eyes turned hard again.
“And you,” he said, and his voice, that was suddenly commanding, made Inuyasha
raise his eyes up to reluctantly meet his master’s. “Your life has no value?”
Inuyasha lowered his eyes. “N-not more than the- the priceless stuff in this
room…?”
“Inuyasha.”
The hanyou flinched at his quiet tone. Had he said the wrong thing?
Inuyasha lowered his head. “Forgive me. My life…” he took a deep breath. “My
youkai – I…I destroyed something that was precious to Master. My life is worth
nothing in comparison. I wish I could promise that my youkai will never come
out again but – but I ca-can’t...ow!”
Inuyasha raised his hand to his hand slowly, reaching for his stinging ear,
unsure what had just happened.
“M-master flicked my ear.”
Sesshoumaru looked smug as he withdrew the clawed fingers that had, indeed,
flicked one quivering ear.
“That,” he said, “Was for saying my puppy is worthless.”
Inuyasha whimpered, rubbing his ear gingerly. That had really hurt! “But I-“
“Your youkai only surfaces when your life is in danger,” the demon Lord said.
“You fought them to save your life. What happened after was not your fault.
Inuyasha remained silent but he knew that wasn’t it. His life had been in
danger plenty of times before – from demons, from the elements, from starvation
– and his youkai had never once risen to the surface.
But something inside his chest loosened at the demon Lord’s words. Not his
fault…when was the last time anyone had told him that? It wasn’t his fault. He
– he had done something wrong, something which wasn’t supposed to be done and
he wasn’t being punished because- because it wasn’t his fault all of this had
started in the first place. The concept of someone considering his intentions,
not his actions, was so foreign to him that it took time for the demon Lord’s
logic to sink in.
 
Large golden eyes hesitantly searched the demon Lord’s lighter, colder ones.
“M-master is not going to send me away?”
For a moment, Inuyasha could have sworn he saw a smile in the Lord’s eyes,
though his lips had not moved, and then Sesshoumaru turned away from them and
moved towards an upturned table next to which, there were the remains of an
intricately carved sculpture.
“Well,” he replied, turning his back to Inuyasha and Raia to look down
regretfully at the remains of the beautiful sculpture, “I always did like that
sculpture...”
Tears welled up in Inuyasha’s eyes once again and Raia glared at the demon Lord
behind his back. Was it necessary for him to tease the poor boy who was already
so upset?
“I-I’m sorry,” Inuyasha whimpered. “I will…”
“Why is this room not cleaned up yet?” a sharp female voice demanded from the
doorway.
Inuyasha bowed hastily to the floor as the Lady of the West entered, looking
distastefully around the room. Her scornful gaze turned to one of curiosity as
she took in the wreckage.
“Did you do this?” she asked the kneeling hanyou who whimpered at being
addressed by the scary lady.
“Y-yes, Tsukiko-sama,” Inuyasha replied, keeping his forehead pressed tightly
against the floor. He wanted to tell her that he would do anything to try and
make up for the damage that he had caused but he could feel the imperious
lady’s eyes burning a hole in the back of his head and the words stuck in his
throat. All that came out was a piteous whimper.
His ears flickered slightly as he heard a distinct sniff above him. “Hmm,” she
said. “Impressive.”
Inuyasha looked up slowly, now fairly certain he wasn’t going to get his head
lopped off. Lady Tsukiko was staring amusedly at her son.
“Sesshoumaru, stop sulking over that inane sculpture. It was high time you got
rid of all this rubbish.”
Sesshoumaru turned to face his mother and glared. “It was not rubbish.”
Inuyasha stared in surprise from the Lady to his Master. Raia had her head
bowed but she had raised a hand discreetly over her mouth and Inuyasha had a
sneaking suspicion that she was trying not to smile.
Sesshoumaru stuck his nose in the air regally and turned away from his mother
towards the window, silver hair falling gracefully in place. “I happened to
like it.”
The Lady of the West rolled her eyes. “Get someone to clean this up
immediately,” she ordered Raia, “And have the carpets replaced as well. No
matter what they claim, blood stains never completely come off of those
things.”
Raia bowed and hurried away and Tsukiko turned to her son.
“You must leave immediately to finalize the boundaries of those villages and
towns.”
Sesshoumaru turned around sharply, all traces of amusement gone, and nodded.
His father had summoned him early that morning to inform him that the village
headmen and the heads of the towns, who had been haggling about their
boundaries had finally come to some sort of agreement and Inu no Taisho had
asked his son to go immediately and finalize it before they changed their minds
again.
“Come, Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru ordered, heading towards the door after bowing
shortly to his mother.
Tsukiko stared after her retreating son and the hanyou pup, who leapt up and
stumbled after him immediately.
Amused golden eyes once again took in the wreckage that was the room, lingering
over the light bloodstains on the walls where Gaeten and Jaken had been
slammed.
Perhaps hanyou weren’t such wastes of space after all.
“Mother.”
Tsukiko turned around, to see Sesshoumaru smirking from the doorway. Her eyes
narrowed suspiciously.
“What?”
Her son had the cat-ate-the-canary expression on his face.
“If any other servant had dared destroy the simplest item in this House, you
would have them punished severely.”
For a millisecond, Tsukiko froze and then looked away haughtily.
“Well, the boy isn’t a-a person. He’s a puppy. So it does not count.”
Sesshoumaru had his trademark evil grin on his face.
“Tsukiko-sama may be developing a soft spot for a hanyou.”
Tsukiko turned around angrily but her son, who had his self-preservation
instinct highly developed, was already gone.
===============================================================================
 
It was late in the evening by the time Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha made their way
back to the castle.
Nothing more had been said about the disaster Inuyasha had caused and the
hanyou did not dare bring it up. He still could not believe he had not been
punished for what he had done. That still did not mean he didn’t feel bad about
it, but at least it did not look like Sesshoumaru-sama was going to send him
away. Maybe later, if his Master was in a good mood, Inuyasha would ask him
about it.
The royal carriage made its way through a rough road between fields and
Inuyasha’s ears swivelled, flickering towards the source of a disturbance.
Faint sounds of shouting and cries could be heard from the distance.
Inuyasha around in alarm as the demon Lord’s aura darkened with anger.
===============================================================================
 
“You worthless piece of shit, we can’t extend your deadline anymore. I want my
money NOW!”
The man who was on the ground clung to the heavier man’s leg, whimpering, with
tears streaming down his face, “Please I’ll give It to you as soon as I can.
Take whatever you want but leave Satoko alone. My wife…please don’t.”
The man smirked and kicked out a few times, till the other man was thrown off
and he lay sobbing on the ground.
Another man came forward and placed a foot on his neck, grinding down. “How
many times have we done this, asshole? What the hell do you take us for? I told
you the last time that I want my money TODAY!”
“But I don’t have it!!” the man cried out. “Please, Satoko has nothing to do
with this…please don’t…”
The men laughed. One of them stepped inside the house and came out holding a
screaming woman by the wrist.
The man on the ground jumped to his feet and launched himself at the man. But
while he was thin and emaciated, the man holding his wife was muscled and
burly. The thug struck out on his chest with one hand and sent the slighter man
flying. He crumpled in a heap on the ground, panting.
“Well,” sneered the thug, “It seems Satoko and I are gonna have some fun after
all.” He glanced at the terrified girl in his arms. “Look at your husband over
there, honey. Do you really want that little bitch who can’t even protect you?
Now me on the other hand…”
Satoko glared at him with hate filled eyes. “Let me go!” she ordered, then her
eyes softened as she looked at her husband’s prone form. He was far too
honourable; he would keep on fighting even if it killed him “And my
husband…please, please don’t do this…”
The man raised an eyebrow at her. “That bastard doesn’t have our money, doesn’t
have anything valuable in the house except you…what, do you expect us to just
let him go for free?”
Satoko’s eyes brimmed with tears, glancing despairingly at her husband. “I-
we’ll repay you as soon as we can, just please…”
The other thug sighed. “I’m getting a little tired of this, so lets’ end this
here....”
He pulled a weapon out of his waistband – a small, but sturdy looking scythe –
and raised it high over his head to strike the man, smirking down at him,
making sure his victim had plenty of time to see the sharp blade descending
over his head. He was in no hurry, after all. Even if some straggling farmer
saw them, which wasn’t likely, the poor bastard would be too scared to do
anything to a king’s soldier. Even if he did, out of some foolish sense of
bravery, it would be the easiest thing to take care of him. No one noticed a
couple of weak-ass peasants disappearing here and there.
He had all the time in the world.
 The slight man closed his eyes, steeling himself for the blow. If this was how
his life was to come to an end, then so be it.
The man brought the weapon down with a cry, then cursed as his hand was
arrested in mid air.
“What the-“ he began, turning to look at whatever fool had dared to touch him.
His face paled when he realized who it was.”
“S-S-Sesshoumaru-sama…” the grip on his wrist tightened and he was spun around
as easily as if he were a doll.
“Did you intend to kill him?” the demon Lord asked quietly.
The man looked away, heart beating a mile a minute. “I- n-no…”
He screamed as his arm was twisted and broken at the elbow. “You would lie to
your prince?” Sesshoumaru asked lightly.
His attention turned on the man holding Satoko as the woman whimpered.
“Let go of her,” he said, meeting his eyes. The man’s grip on her tightened for
a moment. Sweat began to form on his brow to have powerful golden eyes fixed on
his. He released her and Satoko ran to her husband, kneeling at his side.
The other men began to back away, preparing to flee.
“Stop,” Sesshoumaru ordered softly without turning around. The men hesitated.
One of them took one look at the fallen thug and took off as fast as he could.
Sesshoumaru’s poison whip sliced him into three pieces.
The others whimpered and promptly fell to their knees. “Forgive us,” they cried
as one. Sesshoumaru spared them a disdainful glance and turned towards the man
on the ground. He silently offered him a hand.
The weakened, bruised man gasped, gaping up at him. “S-Sesshoumaru-sama,” he
said softly. “Is it- it is really you…”
When he failed to take the hand the prince had offered him, Sesshoumaru grabbed
him by the arm and hauled him to his feet.
“It has been a long time…Hiro.”
===============================================================================
 
A few minutes later, Sesshoumaru and Hiro sat on a rough bench in front of
Hiro’s hut while Inuyasha sat at his Lord’s feet.
The rest of the thugs who had not resisted were tied up by Jaken on
Sesshoumaru’s orders and were now sitting on the ground, bemoaning their fate
and that of all days, they chose today to extort money from the dweeb.
Satoko returned from the hut with a tray with glasses of water on it.
“I- forgive me, I have nothing more to offer you, my Lord,” Hiro said softly,
embarrassed. Sesshoumaru took the offered glass silently and turned his eyes
back on his childhood friend.
While the boy had always been rather pale and sickly, now he had become
literally gaunt. His cheeks were stretched and his eyes had sunk into his head.
There were dark circles around them and they had lost their sparkle.
Sesshoumaru noticed he moved slowly and with difficulty, distinctly favouring
his left leg.
“What happened to you?” Sesshoumaru asked, “You look ill.”
Hiro smiled, a small, sad smile. “I don’t believe I have that many days left in
me…”
“Hiro!” his wife admonished. “Please don’t talk like that.”
She turned to Sesshoumaru. “He does not allow his body to recover, working day
and night on the field. His health was not that good to begin with and since
those thugs started harassing us for the land, demanding “protection”, he works
day in and day out, trying to make enough money to satisfy those monsters. I
keep telling him that it’s no use, that the more money he gives them, the more
they’ll demand.”
Tears gathered in her eyes and she raised the sleeve of her kimono against her
mouth. “They’ll just keep harassing him, beating him till he - till he…”
She broke down into soft sobs and Hiro reached out and took her hand in both of
his. “I could not live with myself if I didn’t do everything in my power to
protect my wife and daughter. If it means kami-sama takes me a few years
earlier, so be it but I worry about them.” He glanced up at Satoko with eyes
filled with love and fear. “After I am gone…”
“Hiro…” Satoko interrupted, gently squeezing his shoulder.
Sesshoumaru’s eyes hardened with anger. Those thugs were going to pay.
“Why are you here?” he asked, glancing around at the small, almost untillable
land. “I remember you planned to apply for the post of a clerk in the
treasury.”
“I did,” Hiro told him. “I worked for 2 years…and then…”
Sesshoumaru frowned. “And then what?”
Hiro hesitated, hands twitching in his lap. “I-“
“What happened?” Sesshoumaru asked.
“T-there were…some of people who worked just above me offered me a bribe…they
wanted me to participate in an embezzlement scheme. I refused and…” he made a
half- hearted gesture. “Well, here I am.”
“There are corrupt officers in the treasury?” he asked quietly, his soft voice
not betraying his anger at the way the boy had been treated.
Hiro looked down and said nothing.
“Why did you not come to me?” he asked.
Hiro looked up at the prince in surprise. “I- I couldn’t trouble you with my
petty problems,” he said. “I came back to my family farm and took over after my
father passed away. I and Satoko were doing fine till…till about 6 years ago,
these soldiers began to ask for money for protection.”
“Soldiers?” Sesshoumaru asked. “Those vermin are soldiers in the royal army?”
Hiro nodded. “Foot soldiers…or- or guards, I think.”
“I told him we should leave the land,” Satoko put in, “but our daughter is
still young and we had nowhere else to go. We…we asked her to go over to my
sister’s house for  a few days till things calmed down here.”
Hiro stared at the ground, seemingly debating something. Finally, he glanced up
at the demon Lord. “Sesshoumaru-sama?” he said hesitantly.
The demon Lord turned his eyes back on him.
“I- I have a favour to ask of you.” He took a deep breath. “After I am gone,
could you see to it that Satoko and my daughter are taken care of?”
Sesshoumaru’s eyes hardened and Hiro flushed. “I- I know it may be too much to
ask of you, prince but please I- I have nowhere else-“
“Hiro,” Sesshoumaru interrupted and the other man stopped at the quiet command.
“You and your family will accompany me to the castle now. I will make sure you
get a deserving post and your family will be housed in the castle along with
the other palace employees.”
Satoko gasped and Hiro looked up with a start. “N-no my prince that is too much
I-“
“Hiro,” Sesshoumaru said, eyes softening. “You did not deem fit to come to me
for your troubles. I see you do not abide by the bonds of our friendship so
this is an order from your prince.”
He glanced up at Satoko and then back at Hiro. “You are coming with me.”
Satoko let out a little exclamation and bowed low to the demon Lord. Hiro
stared at him for a long moment. Then he bowed his head and slowly slid off the
bench. He got on his knees and knelt on the ground, bowing his head but before
he could touch his head to the ground, strong hands caught him by the arms and
raised him up.
He straightened, trembling, because Sesshoumaru’s grip would not allow him to
bow. Tears fell from his eyes and he kept his head bowed. “Thank you,” he said,
voice shaking with emotion. “I don’t know how I’ll-“
“Hiro,” Sesshoumaru interrupted. The man looked up hesitantly.
There was a slight smile on Sesshoumaru’s lips. “Shut up.”
===============================================================================
 
Once they were back at the castle, Sesshoumaru took him to Miroku. The prince
had left a couple of trusted servants behind, informing them to bring the
daughter to the castle once she returned. Hiro and his wife had protested but
it did not seem wise to let Hiro go untreated for much longer.
Miroku cleaned and bandaged his injuries that he had received from being
smacked around by the thugs. He asked the demon Lord and Inuyasha to wait
outside while he spoke with Hiro and his wife.
A few minutes later, Miroku emerged from his office.
“There is nothing seriously wrong with him,” he told Sesshoumaru. “His body has
suffered because of overworking, not having enough nutrition and constant
stress. He needs to relax for a period of time, mentally and physically. He’s
alright now, but any further stress could be very dangerous. Is that alright,
Hiro-san?”
Hiro didn’t meet the monk’s eyes. “I- I’m afraid I can’t do that, Miroku-sama.
I don’t have any money to fall back on and Sesshoumaru-sama was generous enough
to give me a job at the palace. I’ll work hard and-“
“You will do nothing of the kind,” Sesshoumaru cut in smoothly. “I will make
sure the work is not strenuous. And you will start the job only once these
injuries have healed. How long will that take, Miroku?”
Miroku caught his eye and understood what he was implying. “It will take at
least a 3-4 weeks,” he said with a straight face. “Even if the wounds heal
superficially within a few days, it will take at least 4 weeks before I can say
they have completely healed.”
Hiro looked from Miroku to Sesshoumaru, frowning. “That’s really not necessary.
I can’t-“
“It’s not an option,” Sesshoumaru said sternly. “I cannot have castle
employees’ health in jeopardy. If Miroku thinks you need 4 weeks to recover,
then you will take up work after 4 weeks.”
“Miroku-sama, please, I know you are saying this to get me to rest but-” he
began, turning pleadingly towards him.
Miroku shook his head solemnly. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”
Hiro quieted down sullenly, glancing up discreetly at the expressionless
countenance of the prince who had, once before, forced him out of his solitude
and lonely life.
It seemed some things never changed.
===============================================================================
 
The thugs who had been harassing Hiro were held captive in the dungeon,
awaiting punishment. The one with the broken arm sat propped up against the
dungeon wall, groaning quietly. The others were shackled hands and feet. Some
tried to sleep or were too depressed to speak but two of them were awake. News
of Gaeten's execution had travelled quickly through the lands and right now,
the money they had gotten out of the farmers did not seem worth it.
"We should never have agreed," whispered one of them to the other shackled next
to him. "Sesshoumaru-sama has no mercy for traitors and that scrawny wimp
seemed to be a friend of him." He sighed. "We're screwed."
"How were we to know that the prince would appear there?" the other whispered
back fiercely, arms already beginning to ache from the weight of the shackles.
"He hasn't travelled that way in years."
His friend groaned in despair. "We're going to die here. This would never have
happened if hehadn't put us up to it. If it wasn't for him, we would never even
have thought of-"
"That's not the worst of it," the other prisoner replied. "If they decide to
torture us for the name of the person who put us up to this-"
The other man cursed sharply. "T-they can't. They don't know anything about
anyone else being involved. The-they think we were just greedy…right?'
His friend shrugged, shackles and chains clanging loudly in the dark, quiet
dungeon. "I am more afraid of him than of anything Sesshoumaru-sama would do to
us."
The first man made a sharp disagreeing noise. "Sesshoumaru-sama would be no
less cruel. Even if-"
"Shut up," the other ordered hoarsely, "If we betray his name to anyone at the
royal palace, Naraku-sama's wrath will be worse than execution."
 
***** The Return of Naraku *****
 
Chapter 27 –  The Return of Naraku
It was raining.
Not just drizzling, but raining cats and dogs. Fortunately, there was no
lightning or thunder and Inuyasha stood fascinated at one of the giant windows
of the castle watching the huge droplets of rain spatter across the glass.
There weren’t many occasions he could remember when the weather was this wet
and cold and he himself was comfortable and warm.
Actually, the warm was getting on hot now; Inuyasha squirmed rather
uncomfortably in the huge blanket in which he was wrapped.  He glanced
furtively at the demon Lord standing halfway across the room, chatting absently
with Kouga. Sesshoumaru-sama seemedto not even be looking at him but Inuyasha
knew that he would be one the receiving end of his notorious deathglare if he
even so much as moved the blanket from around his body. As if to confirm his
suspicions, Sesshoumaru glanced at him briefly, the look Inuyasha recognized as
a Big-Brother-is-watching kind of warning.
What had happened was the rain had begun a few hours ago and he, Sesshoumaru-
sama and Kouga had wandered into the big drawing room where Lady Tsukiko and
Inu no Taisho were idly watching the rain come down. He had stood for a while
with his master and Kouga and listened to their talks but it was something
boring regarding taxes and the financial situation so he had wandered off,
ending up at this window he now stood at. He had been slightly cold in his fire
rat kimono. And Sesshoumaru-sama had seen him shiver and the next thing
Inuyasha knew, a big heavy blanket had dropped on his head. The weight and
length of the blanket made it very obvious that it was not meant for a child
but Sesshoumaru-sama was glaring at him so he attempted to wrap it around
himself. He began to suspect that the demon Lord’s intentions in giving the
blanket to him were not entirely innocent as the prince silently watched him
struggling with the heavy cloth without making any move to help, until finally,
in attempting to cover himself in it, Inuyasha fell on his bum. Then
Sesshoumaru-sama had stepped forward and, eyes twinkling suspiciously, wrapped
the little hanyou in it.
Only, the demon Lord did not seem to be very good at the whole taking-care-of-
another-living-being thing and for the past 8 minutes, Inuyasha had been forced
to endure the oven-like heat of the blanket. Subtle, pleading looks, of course
got him nowhere since Sesshoumaru tended to be a little daft such matters,
leaving him to return to staring out the window and all in all, Inuyasha
wondered if it was possible for hanyou to melt.
“Inuyasha-san,” a soft voice said and Inuyasha jumped, not at all used to
having any sort of honorific attached to his name. He turned, seeing Hiro’s
smiling figure behind him. The man knelt down next to him and gently loosened
the blanket wrapped tightly around the boy.
“The weather is not cool enough for this blanket,” he said softly by way of
explanation, discreetly noting the flushed skin of the hanyou and the beads of
sweat forming on his skin. Inuyasha glanced instinctively at his master who had
silently watched their exchange, then turned back to his conversation with
Kouga.
Inuyasha gave Hiro a grateful smile. It seemed Hiro-san was the only person his
master did not mind being physically close to him or touching him. The gentle,
soft-spoken man had quickly made a place for himself in the hearts of everyone
at the castle. 
After being glomped and almost knocked unconscious by Kouga, Hiro had quickly
been introduced to the members of the royal household. Inu no Taisho had been
welcoming and Tsukiko as inscrutable as ever, though her mate saw a tiny spark
of approval in her eyes, indicating that she hadn’t entirely forgotten the
gentle little boy who had been a rare companion to their unruly son.
Sesshoumaru still refused to allow him to do any sort of actual work, with the
result that Hiro was forced to spend most of his time just wandering about the
palace enjoying himself – a concept so foreign to the hardworking young man,
that it was driving him crazy.
Inuyasha and Hiro, predictably, had become quite close in the meantime, finding
the easy life at the palace equally difficult to get used to. When Inuyasha had
first been introduced to his Master’s long lost friend, he had viewed him with
his usual wariness. But then, the courteous young man had called him Inuyasha-
san, startling the hanyou into hiding behind his Master. Of course, Kouga and
Sesshoumaru had had their amusement at the expense of the other two and pink-
cheeked Hiro and Inuyasha had quickly bonded over their embarrassment.
As part of his recovery, Miroku had advised him lots of nutritious food, fresh
fruits and sunlight. However, used to scrapping by and living hand to mouth for
years, Hiro was not quite comfortable with the palace delicacies and had fully
intended to stick to his simple diet of rice and fish and maybe soup.
Unfortunately for him, this did not go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru and he
immediately ordered the palace cooks to prepare a special diet for their newest
guest. Hiro’s protests of course, meant nothing, and the man was forced to eat
a big, healthy meal along with the royal family.
Satoko, Hiro’s wife, had offered to work in the kitchens till her husband was
up to taking up a job again but Sesshoumaru had told her it would be an insult
to let a guest work. Instead of a spare room that the couple had been expecting
at the most, Sesshoumaru had them installed in a huge suite-like room and
promised a separate one for their daughter when she got there.
Then there was the problem of sunlight. Every day, Hiro was dragged by the two
princes to the palace gardens and balconies to enjoy the early morning and late
afternoon sunlight. He soon learned not to try to fight their will and just
give in gracefully. Once, out of embarrassment at being treated like someone to
be spoilt, the young man had pleaded ill health and attempted to just spend the
day in his room. The two princes had, to his surprise, had left him alone and
he had looked forward to a peaceful day with relief. It was uncomfortable,
after all, to be paid so much attention to. True, as a kid, he’s loved spending
time with Sesshoumaru-sama and he distinctly remembered following the young
prince wherever he went but they weren’t children anymore. It wasn’t
appropriate for a mere farmer’s boy to be in the company of two princes,
walking around as their equal. Sesshoumaru-sama was probably busy, forced to
spend his rare free time with the likes of him. Perhaps he had just been too
polite to let him alone before, in which case, Hiro felt like he could kick
himself for not having come up with an excuse to stay out of their way.
Then there had been a knock at his door and Hiro had found four palquin-bearers
carrying an elaborate palquin between them. He’d just been about to tell them
there had been a mistake when they had assured him that there had been no
mistake and that Sesshoumaru-sama had ordered it himself. A red-faced Hiro had
been forced to parade around the castle-grounds in the palquin and he knew
Sesshoumaru-sama well enough to recognize the smug look on his apparently
expressionless face to realize that more than a solicitous gesture, the ride
was meant to be a don’t-mess-with-me-or-you’ll-regret-it lesson.
Now, Hiro had become a regular, though unobtrusive part of their lives and
though still frightened out of his wits of the Lady of the West, Hiro was
beginning to regain his health under the watchful eye of Sesshoumaru. That
wasn’t to say he wasn’t anxious and jumpy and overly apologetic and bad at
joking most of the time – old habits die hard – but progress was being made and
two people in particular – Miroku and Inu no Taisho – were very happy with the
results. Miroku, because his patient was coming along so well; Taisho, because
the two rascals living in his house had found a new project to concentrate all
their devious energy on.
The night progressed and the rains slowed to a drizzle. Close to midnight, the
room began to empty. Inu no Taisho and Tsukiko were the first to leave. Soon
after, Hiro took his leave of the two princes and Sesshoumaru Kouga and
Inuyasha were the last to leave.
By the time Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha reached the demon Lord’s chambers, the
rain had almost stopped. The only sound was the pitter patter of water falling
from tree leaves and the corners of roofs. A damp chill had settled over the
stone castle and Inuyasha shivered, now glad of the blanket wrapped tightly
about him. Although not that fond of the rains, what Inuyasha disliked even
more was the quiet after the rains.
Before being claimed by the Lord of the West, Inuyasha had disliked the rains
because rains meant cold. Clothed in rags and fed on leftovers, the slaves were
anyway rarely comfortably warm, a situation only made worse by the damp
chilliness of the rains that went straight to his bones. But the soothing sound
of the rain falling distracted him from the dull, soulless lives of the slaves
and just for the moment, he could pretend that time was moving, that like the
rains washing away the grime and dust coating the world, someday a storm would
clean his own life and things would be better. Things would not always be so
damp and dull and cold.
But then the rain stopped, and everything was somehow quieter than before and
when the sun set, things went back to being dull and lifeless and depressing.
Life went on as usual and as the last drops of rain clinging to the trees and
grass and dwellings fell quietly, slowly to the ground, the world looked just
the same as before, except a little more colourless as if the rainy evening had
leeched the washed away the colours of the world and he was left standing
shivering at the window, waiting for the world start again.
Now, in the lush, luxurious chambers of the prince of the West, Inuyasha
watched the dark, silhouettes visible in the inky, orangish-black sky. The
windows in Lord Sesshoumaru’s chambers were huge but they the window sills were
high, so that Inuyasha had to stand on his toes to be able to see over it. But
he was glad they were. Having spent his life in crude huts, the room situated
on the fourth floor of the huge castle still made him dizzy if he happened to
look down. Even in the balconies, he looked out through the bars of the ornate
handrail. Inuyasha was not fond of heights.
Then there was a strong grip on the back of his haori and he was airborne. The
half-open window was thrown open and Inuyasha’s feet touched the narrow window-
sill, barely wide enough to accommodate half of his foot. Even standing
straight up there, the window was twice the size of the little hanyou. Balanced
precariously on the edge like that, Inuyasha threw his hands out in a panic,
attempting to catch hold of the window frame, anything to help him keep his
balance but the window was too wide. For one dizzying moment, Inuyasha tipped
forward, staring down the smooth outer wall of the castle into the yawning
darkness, and screamed.
Then an iron arm clamped around his waist and he was pulled back against a
warm, hard chest. As Inuyasha caught his breath and leaned back against his
Master, the rain began again.
“S-Sesshoumaru-sama,” the hanyou stammered, trying not to look down, gripping
the demon Lord’s arm around his waist tightly, in his cold, clammy hand. “P-
please, m-may I get down?”
There was warm breath on his ears. “Why?”
Inuyasha flushed bright red, beginning to shiver from the rain hitting his
chest and his frightening experience. The blanket had fallen down in the last
few minutes and Inuyasha felt naked forced to endure the elements head on.
“I-I’m frightened…”
The arm around his waist tightened. “Do you think I would let you fall?”
Inuyasha gasped at the question, turning around slightly trying to look at his
Master but Sesshoumaru’s grip kept him immobile.
“No Master!” Inuyasha said swiftly, but the tension in his body did not relax.
“What are you afraid of, then?”
The half-demon hesitated, staring unseeing into the darkness. How was he
supposed to answer that? It wasn’t like he had control over the reaction. He
had been afraid of heights and cold and thunder and lightning as far as he
could remember. It was like asking a small child why he hated bitter things or
why he liked sweet things; there was just no answer to that.
When Inuyasha failed to answer, the grip around him loosened fractionally and
Inuyasha’s heart leapt in his throat.
“I-I don’t know!” he panicked, clutching the iron arm with his life.
“Open your eyes.”
Startled, Inuyasha did as he was bid, unaware that he had closed them.
The rains were not very heavy but there was a breeze and it blew the tiny
droplets of rain into Inuyasha’s face and eyes. With a small gasp, Inuyasha
realized the sensation wasn’t entirely unpleasant. It was almost…refreshing.
The hanyou relaxed minutely in Lord Sesshoumaru’s arms.
A few minutes later, once his body had ascertained that he wasn’t in any
danger, Inuyasha blinked, getting used to his position and the rain on his
face. The air smelled crisp and pleasant and hesitantly, Inuyasha stuck his
tongue out.
The rain water taster sweet, like the breeze and the joy of the trees had
gotten mixed with it. Delighted, a grin appeared on his face and he began to
lap up the rainwater falling on him.
A deep chuckle from behind, made him turn bright red. The demon Lord had been
so still and silent the past few minutes, Inuyasha had almost forgotten his
presence. Unaware of when it had happened, Inuyasha had relaxed completely in
the demon Lord’s arms.
A large cupped hand appeared in front of Inuyasha’s face. With his free hand,
the demon prince caught some rainwater in his hand and held it out to the
hanyou. Face burning, Inuyasha gently caught the hand in both of his and bent
his head to drink out of Lord Sesshoumaru’s hand. The water tasted even better.
When he was done, the hand was withdrawn and the grip around his waist, picked
him up and carried him back into the room, away from the window. Inuyasha let
out a whimper as Lord Sesshoumaru put him on a table and brought out a huge
towel, ordering him to strip out of his wet clothes and dry himself. He’d been
having too much fun in the rain to leave. Besides, the rain had started up
again, heavier than ever.
Sesshoumaru heard the pleading sound and raised an eyebrow at the half-sulking
boy valiantly working the towel that was too big and heavy for him to handle
comfortably by himself.
“Did you not wish to get away from there?”
Inuyasha blushed and nodded. “I did at first but, b-but then it was fun…”
Sesshoumaru laughed lightly as he too began to change into his night clothes.
“It seems you have taken a liking to the rain after all…”
Inuyasha blushed harder. “O-only when I have master t-to make sure I-I don’t f-
fall…”
Sesshoumaru glanced at him, noting the chattering teeth and before long,
Inuyasha was under the covers in his Master’s warm bed with the demon prince’s
arms wrapped tightly around him.
“With your fragile body, it is not good for you to be cold for too long. You
will make yourself ill.”
The shivering in his body soon subsided as warmth seeped into him from the
demon Lord’s body. Snuggling contently against his chest, Inuyasha sighed,
trying to watch the rain through the window but sleep dragged his eyes down.
“Sesshoumaru-sama?” he asked sleepily.
“Hmm?”
“Th-then why did you allow me to stand almost bare in the rain and wind so
long?”
The demon Lord did not answer for a moment, and Inuyasha almost fell asleep
before he heard his Master’s reply.
“The only ones who love the rain are the ones who have gotten drenched in it
and remained warm afterwards.”
===============================================================================
 
The shadows cast by the looming walls of Naraku’s castle concealed the spider
demon to his satisfaction.
The soldiers of the palace, frightened yet in awe of the handsome young man,
hurried to do his bidding. They would have done the same for any master, of
course, but there was something about the crimson eyed demon that made them
wonder uncomfortably just what would happen to them if they displeased the
mighty demon. Naraku himself was nothing less than courteous and graceful at
all times but there were whispers about the spider demon having strange and
terrible powers – powers that no mortal or demon had. It was rumoured that he
had sold his soul to evil and gained the devil’s powers in return.
No one, who first laid eyes upon the slim, delicate-looking young man would
even dream of considering him anything more a rich noble with perfect manners
and a delicate constitution. Naraku-sama rarely stepped out of this castle
because his health was delicate. Guileless eyes looked out of a fair, handsome
countenance, one that was guaranteed to win one’s trust instantly.
However, right now, those handsome features were twisted into a peculiarly
revolting visage. It wasn’t because of demonic features or rows of big shiny
teeth or anything so crass. By every standard, Naraku-sama looked a human. Yet,
there was a cruel, oily twist to his smile, a glimmer in his eyes that made his
face inhuman.
Naraku stared into the magic mirror held up by the child, Kanna and stared,
transfixed at the young Lord of the West.
“Sesshoumaru…”
The name was a whisper, sounding like soft caress, like autumn leaves blowing
in the cold evening breeze.
Sesshoumaru-sama had really come into his own, these past few years. The
imperious, haughty child had grown into a noble Lord, training to take over the
reins of administration from his father.
For years, Naraku had watched him, had watched the boy grow into a strong,
beautiful young man. Praises of Lord Sesshoumaru’s power and skill had spread
far and wild. His demonic powers were strong, stronger perhaps than anyone,
except Inu no Taisho and that cold bitch Tsukiko.
Naraku’s sneer widened as the image of the imperious Lady of the West ran
through his mind. The biggest mistake Inu no Taisho had ever made was mating
that icy, poisonous little slut Tsukiko. The ambitious vixen would grab his
kingdom the first chance she got, even if it meant eliminating her esteemed
Lord and husband in the process. The only good thing to be said about her was
that she was pure of blood and had given Taisho a flawless heir. The demon
Lord, however, should have got rid of her once she’d given him a son. Powerful
as Sesshoumaru was now, he would have been better had he not had his bitch of a
mother around to make him weak.
Though years had passed since the time Naraku had first encountered Lady
Tsukiko personally, the meeting had left an indelible mark on the spider
demon’s mind. Years ago, when Inu no Taisho ascended the throne, Tsukiko had
been sent to the apparently leaderless, heathen border lands in the Western
kingdom to establish the Taiyoukai’s power. The many generals that Taisho had
sent had enough sense to leave him be once they realized just what he was, and
what price they would have to pay for crossing him. Spiders, after all, were
dangerous like that.
But the bitch Tuskiko had been too thick headed to know when to cut her losses.
Naraku knew better than to fight her head on, because bitch or not, Tsukiko was
a Taiyoukai and Naraku’s powers were best utilized in secrecy, through smoke
and mirrors. So, when the Lady of the West indelicately refused to overlook his
presence in those lands, Naraku had used made use of his arcane powers to
strike a blow from which she would never recover. Dog demons, after all, were
honourable by nature and Taiyoukai or not, Tsukiko would not be guarded against
an attack she knew nothing about.
But the frail, haughty looking Lady was not all she seemed because his attack
had been deflected. Not only that, Tsukiko had used magic of her own – magic
which no mortal woman should have unless she had lain with devil. Gathering the
tattered remnants of his power, Naraku was forced to flee far away, across
oceans and foreign lands, where the witch’s powers could not reach. With him
gone, the spineless humans of the land had fallen easily under the bitch’s
control and Naraku had been forced to wait, biding his time to make the Lady of
the West pay for what she had done.
So, even though Sesshoumaru was not yet as strong as his parents, the time was
just right to make his move. It wouldn’t be long before the young demon Lord
reached the power level of his parents and then, he would stand no chance at
all of overcoming him. Tsukiko and Taisho were both powerful enough that even
with all his tricks and powers, they could blast him into tomorrow before her
had a chance to do what he needed to do.
The figure of Lord Sesshoumaru, walking serenely through the forests sailed
through Naraku’s mind and his hands twitched. Soon now…it wouldn’t be long
before Sesshoumaru-sama was in his grasp and he would have the demon Lord’s
electric power flowing through his own veins. A pity, really to reduce such
beauty to skin and bones but Naraku wanted power and there was no one better to
take it from than the the heir of Inu no Taisho.
It was no easy task to learn the weaknesses of the royal family of the West.
After his body had healed from the tremendous damage the witch Tsukiko had
done, he had watched the three of them for years, searching for some weakness,
some hint of a crack that would let him worm his way in. For years, there had
been nothing; Sesshoumaru was growing up to be as strong and ruthless as his
parents. But then, not long ago, he had seen his chance.
The small boy slave who followed the prince around like a dog…
Taisho gave his woman way too much leash. A true demon would never have allowed
their son and heir to get close to a filthy stray hanyou. Had it not been for
weakening influence of the woman, Sesshoumaru would never have had the weak
spot that the spider now planned to take advantage of.
Rain lashed outside and the weather turned abruptly chilly, the spider demon’s
aura seeping from his body like mist, dispelling into the surrounding darkness,
making the more sensitive humans and demons shiver.
Soon, Sesshoumaru would be his, consumed whole in his unyielding embrace and
the little runt of a hanyou – Inuyasha, his name was – Inuyasha was going to
help him do it.
===============================================================================
 
Far away from Naraku’s hideout, in the most elaborate room of the Western
Castle, Lady Tsukiko sat up in bed with a start, eyes narrowed and cold.
Next to her bed, outside the window, the glowing silhouette of the moon was
visible from behind grey clouds. She stared out at it, gaze unfocused and far-
seeing. There was something wrong…something in the air she had not felt for a
long time.
The wind picked up and violently smashed the window against the castle wall,
shattering the glass.
Evil had returned to the Land of the Moon
 
 
***** Flowers *****
Chapter 28 – Flowers
The next day, for Inu no Taisho, dawned way too early.
“Mmmph,” the reigning Lord of the West mumbled as his shoulder was shaken
insistently by a delicate but persistent hand.
“Get up, Taisho,” Tsukiko hissed, glaring holes in the pillow pulled firmly
over Inu no Taisho’s face.
Inu no Taisho, the Great Dog General, burrowed deeper in his covers, rolled
over and fell asleep again.
“Taisho,” Lady Tsukiko said warningly one last time. When her mate only snored
gently in response, Lady Tsukiko quietly turned away and exited the room.
===============================================================================
 
22 seconds later, the guards posted outside the Western Lord’s chambers were
startled by a very unmanly shriek from their master. Long accustomed to ignore
whatever shouts and screams emerged from the chamber when their Lady was
around, the two sighed and exchanged knowing looks.
“What the fucking hell was that for, woman?” Taisho demanded, now very much
awake, looking around to see what his esteemed mate had dumped on him. If he
was lucky, it would only be ice cold water.
“You would not awaken any other way,” Tsukiko informed him primly.
“I doubt you know any other way to wake people up,” Taisho muttered, grabbing a
handful of his hair to make sure it was still the same colour as before. He
sighed subtly with relief; dripping wet but still silver.
“Oh I do,” Tsukiko informed him, filing her claws with a razor sharp blade that
had appeared in her hand at Taisho’s comment, “But I had a feeling you did not
wish to regenerate any of your limbs right now.”
Taisho eyed the deceptively small blade in her hand warily then turned his eyes
to his mate to see her for the first time. She was fully dressed in her formal
garb, something unusual even for his morning lark of a mate. Even after
centuries together, it never failed to astonish him how beautiful she was. Even
in the silver, almost colourless garb of the Lady of the West, Tsukiko was
glowing.
“What is it?” he asked, anger having subsided slightly. Tsukiko did not approve
of his habits of waking up late but usually let him sleep in unless there was
something urgent.
“Naraku,” the Lady of the West answer succinctly.
Taisho looked up from wrenching the water out of his hair. “Naraku?” He
searched his memory for the name but it did not ring a bell.
Tsukiko sat down on the bed in front of him. “There are some…details…about that
border campaign that you should know.”
Taisho narrowed his eyes “The one you insisted I was better off not knowing too
much about?”
Tsukiko inclined her head. “The time has come…you need to know.”
By the time the water dried from Taisho’s clothes, the sun was high in the sky
and the story was told.
“So this Naraku,” he said at length. “He is a youkai?”
Tsukiko shook her head. “He is hanyou. Half demon, half-human. Though he was
not born that way.”
Taisho frowned. “Meaning?”
Tsukiko turned her head and looked out the window at the fully risen sun.
“Meaning both his parents were human.”
“That’s not possible,” Taisho said decisively. “Hanyou are born; they cannot be
made.”
Tsukiko looked back at her mate and her face was inscrutable. “They can,” she
said softly. “There is a certain magic…magic of the darkest kind. When the soul
of a mortal becomes corrupted with evil, sometimes, at the time of his death,
parasitic youkai come to him to make a pact.”
“Life in exchange for his soul,” Taisho guessed. That was not magic; that was
just the nature of certain dark parasitic youkai. They were attracted by the
stench of suffering and resentment and death and near the end of a person’s
life, came to him to make the fatal deal that would give the human a few more
moments to live but damned his soul for eternity.
Tsukiko nodded slightly.
“But it has been many centuries since the time you went to settle that,” Taisho
protested. “The beings kept alive through such a union do not last more than a
few years. The host’s body would be consumed by the youkai before long as soon
as whatever the person wanted to complete was finished.”
Tsukiko’s face turned grave. “That is the difference. Usually, these beings are
kept alive by a yearning to fulfil some wish, some unfinished business they
have in the world or greed or fear. But Naraku….that man’s soul was so dark
that it consumed the souls of the youkai that came to prey upon it. Now, in
some twisted way, his body has merged with those of the youkai with the result
that he is neither human nor demon.”
“I don’t believe that is possible,” Taisho stated. “Unless a dark miko helped
him, I suppose…”
With the existence of youkai, came the existence of miko and monks–human women
and men born with holy powers usually passed down through generations that
could be used to fight against youkai. And with the existence of holy men and
women, came the existence of magic. These priestesses and monks were born with
holy magic, supposed to selflessly protect human kind with their blessing. But
like everything else, they sometimes their purity turned upon them and dark
priestesses threw their lot in with youkai and turned their power upon their
own kind.
“No,” Tsukiko told him, “A spell cast by someone else, no matter how powerful
the sorcerer or sorceress, always has limitations. Naraku’s transformation was
complete; he was not a human given demonic power by s sorcerer. Naraku gave his
human soul to evil and gained immense power in return.”
“Gave his soul to evil?” Taisho asked sceptically. “What do you mean gave it?
Gave it to whom?”
 Tsukiko’s eyes softened. Her mate was a powerful youkai but she had seen more
of some things than him. Taisho was a brilliant strategist and an able ruler
but of the darker side the world, his knowledge was purely academic.
“When a human soul has known too much suffering, too much evil and no kindness,
the damage caused to his soul is irreversible,” Tsukiko said softly, eyes fixed
on the rapidly lightening sky. “Naraku…when that creature was human, he has
done things and had things done to him that no living being was ever meant to
endure.”
Many many centuries ago, before the reign of Inu no Taisho, in the storehouse
of a daimyou, a boy, no older than 7 or 8 screamed behind his gag as a pot-
bellied, balding man thrust brutally into his ass. Pushing him viciously
forward onto the sacks of rice piled in the store room, the man yanked his
victim’s bound wrists up carelessly. A nasty cracking sound could be heard and
the boy screamed louder.
The man’s eyes were closed and he grunted with pleasure as he imagined a
beautiful, busty young woman in the place of this scrawny boy. The man was not
well endowed and fortunately for the boy, it was not long before he pulled out
and spattered his cum all over the boy’s still-clothed back.
Pulling away in disgust, the man wiped his hands on the boy’s shoulders,
clumsily tying his clothes back into place.
“Ishi!” someone yelled, and the boy tried to straighten up quickly. The pain in
his ass, however, made him bend over again.
“Clean yourself up quickly,” the man grunted, throwing him a piece of dirty
cloth. “And if you go shooting your mouth off, you’ll be back out on the
streets in no time.”
The young boy, Ishi, sobbed quietly, biting his arm to keep from crying out
from the pain in his ass and his hand.
The pot-bellied man left and Ishi forced himself to straighten up, gritting his
teeth against the pain. The ragged top he wore fell away from his shoulder,
exposing the ugly spidershaped scar on his back.
“Ishi,” hissed a woman’s voice from the doorway of the store room, striding in
towards the boy. She grabbed him by front of his shirt to pull him up but
recoiled her hand quickly in disgust, feeling sticky cum on her fingers.
“Whoring around again,” she whispered harshly, glancing furtively at the door.
“Jiro is waiting for the sacks of rice. He sent me to find out what was taking
you so long. Get your ass back out, unless you want a good hiding.”
“I-I can’t,” the boy managed to rasp out, voice low and trembling. He could
barely manage to stand on his own, let alone lift the sacks of rice.
Then one of those sacks was thrust onto his back and the woman gave him a sharp
slap. “You wouldn’t be in this position if you’d waited until after work to
raise your ass to whoever came to ask for it.”
The boy did not answer, face red from trying to shoulder the weight and yet
trying to keep the weight off his ass. But it was impossible and tears fell
once again as the woman swiftly led the way out of the storeroom.
It would do no good telling her there was no “until after work” because work
was never over. There was always more work to be done – if his own was
finished, he would be forced to do someone else’s – but the worker women were
not concerned with that. No one was concerned with a scrawny little orphan boy
who owned nothing except the clothes on his back.
But all other thoughts went out of his mind as he concentrated on putting one
foot in front of the other without collapsing from the pain. He was already
going to be punished for being late; why make it worse by dropping his goods?
 “How do you know…?” Inu no Taisho asked hoarsely, staring at his wife’s
expressionless countenance. She had told the story as if she’d been there when
it happened.
“That is how Naraku was defeated,” Tsukiko answered softly. “The weight of
memories gets too heavy when they are summoned without permission.”
In the heavy miasma that would have vaporized lesser demons where they stood,
Lady Tsukiko fruitlessly cut away what seemed to be the body of the enemy she
sought but what was actually only a puppet. She looked around swiftly, knowing
the puppet-master would not be far if his toy was here.
There! Beyond that hill…she could feel the dark, corrupted aura of a dark
hanyou, filled with rage at being defeated.
She flew straight for it, cutting through the heart of the miasma. Soldiers and
companions were left behind and as Lady Tsukiko reached the place where the
aura originated, all she found was the already disintegrating form of the
hanyou.
The body made up of several small demons was breaking apart on the orders of
their master and Tsukiko reached just in time to watch Naraku laugh mockingly.
“Clever, my lady,” Naraku acknowledged in his husky, soft voice. “You found me;
not many can be said to have that honor. But it will do you no good.”
Purple-red eyes dropped briefly to the sword in her hand, shining as new
despite the many battles it had seen.
“That is a fine weapon you have there but it will do you no good. Swords can
only kill what is alive.”
And Tsukiko understood the source of his powers, the evil that allowed him to
command a whole army of lesser youkai. And yet…
Golden eyes pierced narrowed red ones and Tsukiko smiled – a small, quiet
smile.
Naraku’s smirk died away and he searched her face. This woman…she could be
dangerous…
Tsukiko stepped forward then, within touching distance of the creature that was
neither alive nor dead. Seen from afar, Naraku was handsome -  a beautiful
young man with wavy black hair and the bearing of a prince. But this close,
Lady Tsukiko could smell his rotting breath, could see the cruel line of his
mouth, the evil in his eyes.
“Naraku,” she replied just as calmly, as though this was no more than a
conversation they were having over tea. “You claim you cannot be killed by
swords because you are no longer alive…”
She allowed the weapon to drop from her fingers and Naraku recoiled slightly,
wishing there was some way he could hasten the process of disappearing.
“…but there is still that thing within you which can hurt men, the thing that
canstill be damaged, that thing that gives you life…”
Long, rigid fingers stabbed through his chest, at the place where he still had
his human heart.
Naraku gasped, eyes widening in rage and hatred…not far, if only he could get
rid of that part of his body before the bitch laid hands on his weak spot…
Tsukiko’s hand touched the pulsing warm organ just as the disintegration spell
reached his chest. Her fingers closed around it and she concentrated, shooting
a pulsing light green wave of magic onto her hand till she could feel the
phantom shape of the thing that had once been onigumo’s heart. It was like
putting her hand through a translucent jelly; her hand passed right through it
but she could feel the ghost of the essence of that thing. Magic opened up
pathways that the hanyou had long since tried to forget, and Tsukiko brutally
attacked the now exposed most vulnerable part of the hanyou – repressed
memories.
Naraku gasped, memories he had not perused in a long time flashing before his
eyes. And looking into Tsukiko’s hard eyes, he knew she was seeing everything
he was.
The memories felt like something warm and alive and she watched them in her
head as though she had somehow materialized at the place where they were taking
place. The contact lasted only for a few seconds but time did not move the same
way in those few moments and it took a will of steel on Tsukiko’s part to not
be overwhelmed by all the horrors that made him the evil creature he was. Even
so, the attack was successful and Tsukiko saw far more than Naraku had ever
wanted to reveal…
…and then he was gone, disappearing in the thick cloud of miasma along with a
horde of his other demons. Tsukiko stared after him, hair blowing wildly in the
corrosive wind. The brief contact at the crucial moment had shown Tsukiko his
real soul; the act of having his most intimate defences breached would leave
him weak and powerless for quite a while.
But Tsukiko wondered how long peace would prevail till that vile creature still
existed.
Taisho was silent for a long moment after the story, processing the facts and
the level of danger the undead creature could cause.
“Why did you not tell me this?” he asked at length, glancing sideways at his
wife.
Tsukiko shrugged. “There was no point.” Even this was only a small part of what
she had seen; that moment when time had slowed down, Tsukiko had seen all those
fragments that the hanyou Naraku himself had tried to forget, all the things
that made him who he was – from the boy Ishi, to the bandit Onigumo to the dark
hanyou Naraku.
Taisho did not pursue it any further. That was the way it was for the both of
them; if they sat down to recount each and every battle they’d ever fought, no
productive work would ever get done. Tsukiko’s enemies were her own; she would
be the best person to recognize the threat when it reappeared. Only now, it was
a concern for all of them because Naraku was close enough for her to feel his
aura. The entire kingdom was in danger till they figured out just what the dark
hanyou planned to do.
“You felt him just now…” Taisho mused aloud, wondering why the hanyou had
chosen this time to show himself. He would have to alert his family and the
generals of his army as soon as possible.
“No,” Tsukiko answered and Taisho looked up at her with a frown.
“I felt him at night, sometime before dawn,” she clarified.
“Then what,” asked her mate, “was the urgency that could not wait another hour
or so till I woke up?”
Tsukiko cocked her head to the side innocently. “Urgency?”
Taisho glared at his mate, speaking through clenched teeth. “You…threw…a
bucket…of icy water on…me.”
One dainty sleeve came up to her mouth as Tsukiko hid her smile. “It has been a
while since I saw this priceless look on your face, my love.”
Taisho was concentrating on breathing normally. Must…not…strangle…mate…
“You. You did this…because you feltlike it?”
Tsukiko gracefully leaned down and kissed her furious mate’s lips. “Get dressed
quickly, koi. I have called the full court and it will convene soon.”
The guards outside winced as there was another, frustrated scream from their
Master.
===============================================================================
 
Later on in the day, it was time for one of those garden visits that Kouga and
Sesshoumaru forced Hiro into. It was mid morning and the sun was shining
brightly in the cloudless sky upon the two demon princes and Hiro and Satoko.
It had been Inuyasha’s idea. Sesshoumaru and Kouga had been putting their heads
together over the latest scheme to force Hiro out of his shell, when Inuyasha
had shyly suggested that Hiro-san’s wife might also benefit from the warm
sunlight and fresh air. The two demons had exchanged identical evil looks and
Raia had been ordered to drag the poor blushing woman out of the palace rooms
and into the gardens with them.
Now, they sat together under a huge tree’s shade, enjoying the chirping of
birds and the light, cool breeze. Kouga had made himself at home on one of the
branches of the tree and was lying back with his eyes closed, one leg dangling
off the branch. Hiro and Satoko sat stiffly on the grass, facing Sesshoumaru
and his pet, still uncomfortable in the presence of the two princes.
Sesshoumaru sat leaning against the trunk of the tree, Inuyasha kneeling next
to him.
Everyone turned towards the entrance of the gardens as 4 guards approached the
little gathering. Sesshoumaru frowned and Kouga raised his head from his leafy
recliner. The guards were not encouraged to roam these gardens because they
were not the most civilized, careful bunch and tended to trample upon the
gardener’s hard work. The last time it had happened, the short-tempered woman
had threatened to spike their drinks with something that would, in her words,
make them “shrivel up like the poor gardenias.” The soldiers had made sure to
steer clear of the place after that, preferring to take the lengthier routes
for their rounds. If they came in here knowing the prince and his guests were
present, it must be something urgent.
They bowed to their prince and Sesshoumaru inclined his head in acceptance of
the greeting, looking at them enquiringly. What was so important that could not
wait till they were all back at the palace?
“Forgive me, my Lord,” one of them bowed. “But she insisted on seeing them
immediately.”
“She?” Kouga asked from the tree, leaning down from his branch to see properly.
Two of the guards stepped aside and a small face peeked out from behind them,
hair tied up in an untidy ponytail on one side of her head. She was barefoot,
wearing only a dirty thin yukata that came up to her knees and tears were
beginning to form in her eyes. Then the child’s gaze landed on Hiro and Satoko
and teary eyes widened.
“Oto-san! Oka-san!” she cried out and flung herself at the couple. Satoko
gasped, one sleeved hand coming up to her mouth in surprise and Hiro’s usually
melancholy face brightened. Both of them could hardly contain their own
happiness on seeing their daughter after such a long time and embraced her
tightly.
“Dear,” Satoko admonished lightly after releasing her, glancing pointedly at
the lazily watching prince. “Where are your manners?”
But the girl merely peeked out curiously from behind her parents’ shoulders.
When she returned home with her auntie’s retainer, she had found the soldiers
standing guard outside her house. Her mother and father did not seem to be
anywhere around. When she demanded to know where they were, the scary-faced
guard had told her that they were at the castle of the Lord of the West and
that prince Sesshoumaru had ordered that she be brought to him as soon as she
arrived.
Rin had been frightened, thinking the soldiers were bad men, like the other
guards, dressed exactly like them, who had been mean to her parents. She had
turned on her heels and run, swiftly dodging in and out of trees and bushes she
knew as well as the back of her hand. The youkai soldiers were faster than an
eight year old human girl but Rin knew the land better and the huffing, panting
soldiers soon lost sight of her.
She had only come out of hiding hesitantly when one of them had called out to
her, threatening that she would never see her parents again unless she went
with them quietly.
So she had gone, wondering anxiously what they had done with her parents and
what they planned to do with her; without doubt, she would at least be beaten
for having fled from them.
But the soldiers had not laid a hand on her even though they certainly felt
like giving the little runt a good hiding. Sesshoumaru-sama had explicitly
ordered that she was to be taken straight to the castle and no harm was to come
to her. There was no need for an “or else…” The guards were all too familiar
with their prince’s whip to even consider going against his orders.
Once they reached the castle, the guards told her to wait there till Lord
Sesshoumaru returned. But the child has been too scared for her parents’ well-
being to wait quietly. She had heard Sesshoumaru-sama was a hard, cruel,
ruthless man who did not tolerate the slightest disobedience. Maybe he was
punishing her parents because she’d been a bad girl!
To the guards’ horror, huge brown eyes had filled with tears and she began to
cry. The soldiers looked at each other in shock; what the hell was the matter
with her? If she told Sesshoumaru-sama she’d been treated badly, the prince
would have their heads. From the way she was bawling, it was obvious that the
girl was upset about something. They didn’t think having to wait a few hours to
see her parents should upset her this much but who knew with human brats? Maybe
she was ill…or dying. Best Sesshoumaru-sama see her alive and know that they’d
done their duty. If the demon Lord thought their misbehaviour with her was the
cause of her death, they might as well say their goodbyes now.
A few quick enquiries revealed that Sesshoumaru-sama was in the gardens with
the girl’s parents, and the bawling child had hastily been ferried to the
gardens where Sesshoumaru-sama rested with his guest.
Now, she stared cautiously at her parents’ kidnapper.  Inscrutable golden eyes,
silver hair and white silk robes; this was the prince of the Western Lands,
Lord Sesshoumaru! She mumbled a greeting in a soft voice, discreetly looking
her parents up and down. Oka-san and Ototo-san didn’t lookhurt or upset in any
way. Why had the demon imprisoned them in his castle, then, if not to hurt
them?
 “Forgive her rudeness,” Satoko said, bowing to Sesshoumaru and Kouga. “She is
shy of strangers. This is my daughter, Rin.”
Rin unconsciously hid more of herself behind her mother as inscrutable golden
eyes landed pierced her own. She gasped slightly, losing herself in the
swirling depths of Lord Sesshoumaru’s eyes. If not for the razor-sharp claws on
his hands and his pointed ears, he could be mistaken for a human – the most
beautiful human male ever to live, to be sure – but he looked nothing like the
drooling, blood-thirsty youkai she had seen so far, like those jerks who had
threatened to hurt her parents.
“He is just as pretty as the stories say,” she murmured under her breath,
unaware that the demon Lord and Kouga had both heard her. Amusement flickered
in Sesshoumaru’s eyes and Kouga smirked, deciding to wait until after Hiro and
his family had gone to pull his friend’s leg.
She had never seen a prince before; all her friends had told her that princes
were heartless and cruel and mean but she couldn’t help but think that
Sesshoumaru-sama didn’t look like that at all. He looked…kind. Then he spoke
and Rin smiled happily, her appraisal of the man confirmed. Any man with a
calm, mellifluous voice like that could not possibly be evil.
“Prepare a room for the girl, next to Hiro’s,” Sesshoumaru ordered, turning his
eyes on the guards.
Satoko gasped. “Th-that is really not necessary, my Lord. Rin can stay with us.
You were already generous enough to-“
She cut herself of as Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly. Satoko looked
appealingly at her husband. Hiro nodded slightly and turned to his childhood
friend.
 “You have been too kind already, Sesshoumaru-sama,” he began. “We cannot
accept anything more-“
“I do not believe it is up to you, Hiro,” Sesshoumaru interrupted serenely.
Molten golden eyes landed once again upon the eight year old girl and Rin
blinked.
“Rin,” Lord Sesshoumaru said, addressing her for the first time, “Would you
like to live with your parents or would you like a room of your own?”
“M-my room?” Rin asked in a small voice. “That means we can’t go home?”
If Sesshoumaru-sama really wasn’t a bad man, then why was he keeping her
parents here against their will?
“Sesshoumaru-sama has been generous enough to allow us to live at the castle
because those bad men harass us at our house,” Hiro spoke up, willing his
daughter to be sensible and to let prince Sesshoumaru know that there really
wasn’t any need for him to do any more than he had already done. “We have a
huge room in the castle now, and Sesshoumaru-sama is even going to give daddy a
job so we won’t be so poor anymore.”
Rin’s face split into a huge grin again, unashamedly displaying a missing front
tooth. She knew this kind looking man wasn’t evil!
“Thank you very much, Sesshoumaru-sama!” she chirped, stepping out of hiding
and bowing to the demon Lord
A slight rustle of leaves of the tree under which they all sat caught Rin’s
attention and she took and unconscious step back as Kouga’s grinning face
appeared out of the branches of the tree.
“Come on, girl,” Kouga drawled. “Wouldn’t you like to have a big, beautiful
room all to yourself?”
Rin’s eyes shone with happiness. All her life had been spent in the small hut
at the farm; the only space she could call her own was the small futon at the
corner of the room where her parents slept and even that had to be shared if
they had guests.  A room all for herself in the prince’s castle? It was too
much for an eight year old to refuse and she nodded shyly to Kouga.
“O-only if Oto-san and Oka-san want Rin to…” she added dutifully.
Hiro and Satoko beamed with pride. They knew their little girl would never let
them down.
“We must not impose upon Sesshoumaru-sama’s hospitality, Rin-chan,” Satoko
explained apologetically. Rin’s smile dimmed slightly but she nodded. As long
as she got to live with her parents, she didn’t need a big fancy room.
Sesshoumaru watched the exchange placidly and turned back to the waiting
guards.
“You will make sure it is ready by the time we return,” he continued, as though
the whole conversation had not happened, “And for your sake, it better be to my
satisfaction.”
The guards swallowed nervously, bowed and left hurriedly. Who knew when the
prince would feel like heading back? It was best to get started as soon as
possible.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” Hiro protested, looking exasperatedly at his stubborn
friend. “Rin already said-“
“-that she would not mind living separately from the both of you,” Sesshoumaru
finished. “This conversation is over.”
Hiro sighed and he and Satoko bowed quietly in gratitude. Rin’s face brightened
again as she caught the spark in Sesshoumaru-sama’s eyes.
Having remained quiet and still through this entire exchange, Inuyasha squirmed
now, gazing interestedly at the new arrival.
“Show Rin around the gardens, Inuyasha,” the demon Lord ordered, noticing his
pet’s restlessness and curiosity. Inuyasha blushed, bowed to his master and
stood up, walking hesitantly towards her.
“I’m Inuyasha,” he began cautiously.
After appraising him for a moment, she stepped forward.
“Rin is pleased to meet you, Inuyasha-san,” she said, smiling at him shyly,
impossibly large brown eyes flickering curiously to the watching Lord behind
Inuyasha. It was obvious this boy belonged to the prince; the collar and leash
around his throat identified him as a slave or a pet. But Inuyasha did not look
unhappy or frightened at all. That must mean Sesshoumaru-sama was a good
master…
“W-would you like t-to see the rest of the garden?”  Inuyasha asked shyly, and
Rin brightened. Rin loved flowers and this was the biggest, most beautiful
garden she had ever seen. She glanced once at her parents for permission and
when her mother smiled her permission, she beamed at Inuyasha and nodded hard,
her one-sided pony-tail bobbing adorably.
“I would like that very much, Inuyasha-san,” Rin said and after bowing deeply
to Lord Sesshoumaru and Kouga in a way that was cute more than respectful, Rin
hurried off after Inuyasha.
Sesshoumaru, watching them, could not help but think that little Rin seemed
more like a flower than a human being. He would keep an eye on them, of course,
but he could not help but think the little girl was not as sly and petty like
other humans. Perhaps the warmth of companionship from a child his own age
would do his little puppy good and help him come out of his shell.
The sun was low in the sky when Rin and Inuyasha had been recalled and it was
time to head back.
At the gates of the garden, the guards Sesshoumaru had ordered to prepare a
room for Rin waited respectfully to escort the guests upstairs if that was the
prince’s wish.
One of them happened to glance down at Rin and his face turned pale upon seeing
what was clutched in her hand. He nudged his companion who alerted the fellow
next to him and eventually, all 4 guards were staring at her hand as though she
clutched a live scorpion.
“What are you mutts looking at?” Kouga demanded, amused at the look on their
face.
The guards glanced fearfully at their master and quickly averted their eyes,
bowing their heads. They mumbled something unintelligible that brought an
amused glint to Sesshoumaru’s eyes.
“What?” Kouga demanded, not having heard the low murmur.
The guards looked at Sesshoumaru-sama, then the wolf prince and trembled. “I-
It’s nothing, my lord.”
Kouga made an impatient sound. “Well, of course it’s something. You boys look
like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
One of the guards finally had the courage to speak up. “S-she picked flowers
from the garden,” he said shakily, keeping his eyes lowered, praying
Sesshoumaru-sama did not skewer him for insulting his guest. Granted, said
guest was an 8 year old human girl but you never could tell with Sesshoumaru-
sama.
“So?” Kouga asked, glancing from the bunch of flowers in Rin’s hands to the
terrified guards.
The guards looked at each other and swallowed nervously. “I-I…the lady
gardener…”
How to tell the young prince that they feared near-castration if the irate lady
gardener found out they had allowed her to pick flowers from the royal gardens?
Of course, it wasn’t really their fault because they couldn’t very well yell at
her in front of Lord Sesshoumaru, seeing how the girl’s parents seemed to be
his guests, but they had found that the short tempered, rather unpleasant old
woman was not inclined to be logical when it came to her precious gardens.
“Oh let her be, you buffoons,” came a raspy, high voice and everyone turned
towards the hunched old woman with startling blue eyes glaring at them.
“Izumi,” grinned Kouga, now understanding what had these tough, military
trained soldiers terrified. “What, no complaints that little Rin here ravaged
your garden?”
Satoko gasped, ready to admonish her daughter for being so brazen in someone
else’s home but Rin was looking at the hard, bent old lady and smiling merrily.
The gardener, who no one at the castle had ever seen with anything other than a
scowl on her face, looked straight at Rin and smiled, eyes softening briefly.
“I gave her those,” she clarified.
Then she turned her gaze on the silently watching prince and looked him
straight in the eyes. “I have tended to these gardens since I was a little
girl. Flowers are things to be cherished and protected, not trampled and
plucked mercilessly. But it has been a while since I saw eyes as bright and
pure as hers. If my flowers can help her keep that smile for a few moments
longer, that is all that is important.”
“Leave,” Sesshoumaru ordered the fuming guards coldly and they jumped at the
command, tearing their eyes away from the old woman and hurrying away.
Sesshoumaru lingered behind discreetly as Kouga, Inuyasha, Hiro and the two
females walked towards the castle, Kouga whispering to Hiro something about
finally getting’ some after 8 years that made the young man blush bright red.
Izumi gasped as her hand was gently but firmly grasped by the demon prince and
Sesshoumaru closed her long bony fingers over a handful of gold coins. She
opened her mouth to protest but Sesshoumaru’s eyes locked commandingly with her
own and Izumi bowed gratefully as the stoic demon Lord followed the others into
the castle.
===============================================================================
 
After dinner, Inuyasha and his Master once again prepared for bed. He’d had fun
today, showing the cheerful little girl about the gardens. In actual years, Rin
was probably much younger than him but she seemed to him like the older sister
he’d never had.  She had such bizzare ideas about flowers that in listening to
her, time passed quickly.
Folding his hakama neatly after having changed into his night yukata, Inuyasha
glanced out of the window at the clear, ink blue sky and felt the day’s joy and
enthusiasm drain away.
The sky was dotted with many stars but the moon was only a thin slit in the
sky. Soon, it would be gone and he would be human. Inuyasha felt a stab of
regret as her remembered what had happened the previous New Moon night…he had
caused so much trouble for his Master and still Sesshoumaru-sama had been so
kind.
He turned his eyes from the sliver of moon in the sky and glanced at his Master
at the other end of the room, undressing for bed.
This time would be different. For once, he would disobey his master; it did not
matter what punishment he got as a result. He could not endanger Sesshoumaru-
sama’s authority in the castle again. This time, before the sun set on the
moonless night, Inuyasha would sneak out of the castle to ride out his human
night alone.
===============================================================================
 
Somewhere away from the castle, the now fully regenerated Naraku watched the
same sliver of moon with a pleased smile on his face.
===============================================================================
 
A/N:  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand we have  Rin!   A Sesshoumaru-centric fanfic just
wouldn’t be the same without our little Rin-chan.
 
***** Nightmare *****
 
 Chapter 29 – Nightmare
 
I, once upon a time
Carried a burden inside
I sung a last goodbye
A broken rhyme I'd underlined
There's an ocean of sorrow in you.
                                                                  -Opeth lyrics
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha ran, as fast as his feet would go, past the dark cold rooms of his old
slave quarters. The rotting wooden floorboards creaked under his feet as he
fled and his heart thumped loudly in his chest at the dank, stale smell all
around him, at the feeling of returning to a place he had thought he had left
behind for good.
 But fast as he was going, there was still warm air on his neck and the
slavers’ stinking, alcohol-laden breath. Inuyasha shuddered, panic clenching in
his chest. His feet were too heavy...his pursuers were closing in.
The red billowing red sleeve of his fire-rat haori caught in the corner of a
splintered door-frame and Inuyasha stumbled, staring despairingly behind him.
Oily laughter sounded behind him and he could make out leering eyes, lit
sadistically because of alcohol and lust. High, throaty female laughter could
be heard from somewhere, the cheap whores hired by the slavers also getting
themselves as drunk as possible.
There was a sweaty, beefy hand on his arm and he was spun around roughly. The
stinking drunk man picked him up by the front of his haori and then, it wasn’t
the fiery red fire-rat kimono but tattered grey rags.
A sake bottle shattered somewhere and Inuyasha jumped, instinctively glancing
over the man’s shoulder.
He whimpered softly as the vice-like grip on his arm tightened and the man
dragged him off towards the end of the hall…
…he was watching from a distance as he was dragged in the midst of the man and
his buddies. There was an iron hold on his arm and his captor threw him down in
the centre of the room. The slavers and their whores glanced at him amusedly as
mild entertainment.
A drunk slaver waddled over to him, sake cup in hand and before the hanyou’s
frightened eyes, dropped it to the floor. The crude cup broken into pieces and
the man slowly picked up one of the pieces, holding it up for the others to
see, saying something that Inuyasha watching from above could not understand
but which nevertheless frightened the slumped grey figure on the floor.
The sound of clothes shredding was loud in the night and Inuyasha cried put,
staring in fear at the sharp object in his tormentor’s hand. Two more men came
forward to hold his arms in place while the other placed the sharp fragment
against his open back and made a thin cut, carefully drawing a lewd shape on
the hanyou’s unprotected back.
The whores laughed and then marvelled as the wound began to heal because of his
demon blood.
There were shrill voices once more and again the man descended. However, the
alcohol made him unsteady and he slumped forward, pushing the piece in deeper
than he had intended. Blood spurted from his back and Inuyasha screamed –
Strong arms came up to envelope the screaming hanyou and Inuyasha opened
terrified eyes, straining against the grip that held him fast.
“Inuyasha,” a familiar deep voice whispered, pulling him flush against a hard
chest, warm breath tickling his ears.
“You are fine, puppy. It was only a dream,” the demon Lord murmured.
Inuyasha breathed hard, still smelling the suffocating scent of alcohol and
sweat. He could almost feel splinters digging into his feet as he ran on the
old rotten wooden floors.
But Inuyasha blinked his eyes rapidly and all he could see was beautiful palace
walls. The surface under him was soft , not hard and cold. He was still in his
Master’s chambers. He was not back with the slavers.
Relief surged through his body and Inuyasha sagged, clinging to his Master,
allowing the reassuring arms around him to keep him upright. With sharp, short
breaths, the hanyou took in the familiar, calming scent of his youkai master.
The skin Inuyasha’s nose was touching, was warm and deceptively soft and
clutching at him with weak hands, Inuyasha allowed the sensations to slowly
replace the horror of the nightmare.
Sesshoumaru frowned as the snowy head burrowed in his chest. His pet’s cries of
distress had awakened him from slumber. Though his first instinct had been to
skewer whatever had been audacious enough to disturb his sleep, the scent of
his frightened puppy sounded warning alarms in his head and within seconds, he
was alert, poised to destroy whatever it was that had threatened his property.
But a quick examination revealed that there was no one else in the room besides
the two of them and Inuyasha seemed to be screaming in his sleep. The puppy was
drenched in sweat, his entire body tensed as if in battle. The boy had curled
in on himself as if trying to shield himself from attack, arms wrapped around
his own torso, holding himself. The hanyou had looked so heartbreakingly
pathetic and vulnerable that it had taken no thought on Sesshoumaru’s part to
hold the sobbing puppy tightly to himself and offer the comfort and protection
he so obviously required.
 And now, slumped limply in his embrace, Inuyasha began to cry, clinging to him
with trembling arms as though Inuyasha was afraid he would disappear if he let
go.  Sesshoumaru frowned thunderously, tightening his grip on the small boy.
This just would not do.
Inuyasha did not object as he was effortlessly lifted and deposited in the
demon Lord’s lap. Sesshoumaru propped one knee up to help support his slave’s
back against it and held him as, with a huge shuddering breath, anguish wracked
through his body all over again.
It had been a long time since Inuyasha had even thought about his time with the
slavers.  This particular incident had occurred long, long ago. Long enough
that even the deep scar on his back had also healed completely. It had also
been a long time since he had had a nightmare so frightening. In fact, he could
remember no more than one or two occasions on which he had woken up screaming
from a nightmare when he was with the slavers; then, being comforted for his
fears had not been an potion. His captors would have punished him for
disrupting their sleep. Even those rare times when he had woken up screaming,
he had been quick to muffle his sobs in a pillow as soon as he awakened.
Maybe the nightmare had been his mind’s way of letting him know what awaited
him when he carried out his plan of sneaking out of the castle before the sun
set on the night of the new moon. He had thought that he was strong enough to
face the consequences to spare his master the humiliation of having to hide a
human slave in his chambers but now, shaking with the onslaught of sensations
he had almost forgotten, he was not so sure. Was he really strong enough to go
out into that world alone, without his master? The dream had brought back
memories of the fear and the dread that he had lived with since childhood. Now
that he was away from it, Inuyasha wondered how he had survived the experiences
without going insane.
He took a huge, shaky breath and the scent of alcohol and the cheap perfume of
whores assaulted his nose. Inuyasha felt like he could throw up; the memory of
the slavers’ touch was repulsive. The dream had been based in reality but there
was one major difference. The old Inuyasha had not run; he remembered he had
never ever tried to run from his captors after the first few times that they
had broken his legs. Besides, he had had nowhere to run to.
But Sesshoumaru-sama’s scent and powerful aura were all around him now and
there were no harsh whispered comments. Inuyasha felt the demon Lord’s powerful
, steady heartbeat next to his ear, felt the weight of his Master’s collar
around his throat, felt long clawed fingers gently smoothing back his
flickering ears and his fear subsided.
Sesshoumaru held him quietly as Inuyasha’s sobs calmed down to occasional
hiccups. The terror from the nightmare had been very real to the hanyou; his
scent was still spiked with the fear and adrenaline and the puppy was still
trembling. But he was slowly calming, breathing more evenly. The tiny hands on
his arms, that had been deathly cold and clammy a minute ago were slowing
getting warmer.
The fear from the dream was passing but the hanyou’s emotions were off kilter,
so close to the new moon. Inuyasha’s human blood warred with his demon blood. A
youkai had strict control of his emotions; a few seconds were all that youkai
required to get a handle on their feelings. Even hanyou recovered their poise
quickly and got their emotions under check; it was necessary for their survival
that they be ruled by their brains and not feeble fleeting passions.
But the new moon night was close, and it seemed like Inuyasha’s human blood was
winning. Even as he tried to breathe deeply to control himself, the remnants of
the fear and despair and loneliness surged up like an unstoppable tide and, to
Inuyasha’s horror, he felt tears pricking his eyes again.
The demon Lord watched as the snowy head unglued itself from his chest and
teary golden eyes looked up at him. Those eyes had been wide and haunted a
little while ago but that look was gone now; in its place was his usual
adorable-puppy look. But he watched curiously as tears once again brimmed in
his eyes even as the puppy’s cheeks dusted pink and he looked away. It seemed
the hanyou was unable to control them and was therefore embarrassed.
Unhooking an arm from around the pet, Sesshoumaru extended one finger and
caught a glistening teardrop on his finger.  Inuyasha blushed and looked away
when it was held in front of his eyes.
“Had I known you look so delectable when you cry,” Sesshoumaru murmured,
watching the shy pup intently, “I would have made you cry myself.”
Inuyasha’s eyes widened, detecting the spark of mischief in cold golden eyes.
“D-delectable?” he asked hesitantly, not sure he had understood him right. Was
Sesshoumaru-sama saying he looked good crying? Who had ever heard of a person
looking good crying? Was Sesshoumaru-sama making fun of him?
Fresh tears sprung to his eyes at the thought It was probably the demon Lord’s
way of saying he looked unkempt. With a wince, Inuyasha remembered that he was
covered in sweat and his face was sticky from the tears. . Clenching his
fingers in his yukata, Inuyasha brought two fists up to his face and began to
scrub away the remnants of his tears. He did not want to look dirty and sticky
in front of Sesshoumaru-sama.
Striped wrists pinned his arms away from his face.
“You should not be so rough on yourself,” Sesshoumaru said. The hanyou really
was adorable, face flushed and hair tousled from crying and burrowing into him.
The rubbing had done no good except to make his face even redder than it was
before and one of his puppy ears was flopping down, looking as dejected as the
hanyou himself.
“I-I’m sorry,” Inuyasha whimpered, trying to get himself together but his human
blood was fighting for control today and it refused to listen to pride or
reason. All he knew was that he was frightened and lonely and now depressed
because his master thought he looked horrible.
“Baka koinu,” Sesshoumaru replied. One huge palm cupped his face gently and a
clawed thumb brushed his tears away. The hanyou gasped as soft lips descended
on his. He struggled to pull away, face burning red at the thought that
Sesshoumaru-sama was kissing him in such a state. But his wrists were still
pinned above his head and he was still in his Master’s lap, so his movement was
very restricted. All he could do was wiggle and squirm in his grasp.
He froze when he heard a deep chuckle from above. Still teary eyes tried to
glare up at the youkai holding him captive; Sesshoumaru-sama waslaughing at
him.
Then the demon Lord leaned over him and forced Inuyasha to fall back on his
Master’s knee and tip his head back to look at him. The demon Lord’s free hand
found its way inside Inuyasha’s hakama and the hanyou bucked helplessly against
him.
He could feel Sesshoumaru smirk against his lips; the demon Lord thrust his
tongue in Inuyasha’s protesting mouth, forcing the pet to yield to him. A hand
that was far too talented for Inuyasha’s good pumped his half-hard cock slowly,
and Inuyasha moaned, finally giving in to his master’s will.
When Sesshoumaru broke the kiss, Inuyasha looked adorably flushed and
thoroughly ravaged. The demon Lord smiled contentedly, absently caressing the
boy’s dick in his hand. Inuyasha whimpered, looking up pleadingly at his
Master.
Sesshoumaru stared down intently at his prey. The tip of a razor-sharp claw
brushed slowly over the tip of the little hanyou’s leaking arousal. Inuyasha
stared, hypnotized at the predatory gaze levelled at him. Images flashed before
his eyes, of those claws tearing hardened youkai flesh as easily as paper.
Those same claws were now on his most vulnerable part; it would take no effort
to tear his cock right off if that was what his master wanted, and there was
nothing Inuyasha could do about it.
The thought sent a shiver of arousal down his spine and the hanyou bucked
unexpectedly. The claw at such a perilous place sliced a small wound in the
flesh and Inuyasha screamed, the stinging pain on his cock arousing him beyond
belief.
There was a rumbling growl from the demon Lord above him and the hand around
his cock tightened.
“Cum for me,” Sesshoumaru ordered, and Inuyasha convulsed with his release,
shuddering helplessly on the demon Lord’s lap. He had never before cum as hard
as he did then. The wound on his cock throbbed dully and Inuyasha whimpered,
clinging desperately to his Master, clenching his fingers in his haori.
Then cloth was ripped out of his still weak hands as he was thrown down roughly
on the bed. The hanyou was still breathing heavily from being ravaged; blinking
rapidly, he looked around and tried to sit up.
“Down, puppy,” came a deep order and Inuyasha froze, body obeying his Master’s
order before his mind had properly registered it.
Thin, trembling thighs were pulled apart roughly and Inuyasha’s eyes widened as
a wet, rough tongue swiped over the wound on his cock. Pleasure like he had
never felt before passed through his body like an electric current and Inuyasha
threw his head back and moaned.
Sesshoumaru-sama…Sesshoumaru-sama was lowering himself to taste his disgusting
arousal. The hanyou began to thrash, attempting to wriggle out of his master’s
grasp. But an implacable grip on his thighs kept him in place. Claws pricked 10
miniscule holes on his legs threateningly and Inuyasha whimpered, staring
helplessly at the top of his Master’s head between his legs.
Sesshoumaru smirked to himself, making sure his poor nervous puppy could not
see his face. It was not his first time doing this; there were precious few
debauch acts that he had not tried in his time. But never had any guy reacted
to it the way his puppy was doing now. The poor thing was shivering like a leaf
in the wind. He enjoyed the soft flesh trembling at his every touch, looking at
him as if he would faint any moment.
He raised his head up, holding the puppy’s frightened gaze and lazily swiped
his tongue over the hanyou’s cock which was once again hard under his
attentions. Sesshoumaru wanted to laugh; the poor boy looked like he would have
liked to be swallowed whole by the ground.
“S-Sesshoumaru-sama,” Inuyasha whimpered, and the demon Lord smiled slowly. The
hands on Inuyasha’s hips pulled him forward and the hanyou screamed as his dick
was encased in a hot, oven like heat. Never, in his wildest dreams, had he
imagined that it could feel like this. The demon Lord’s tongue played with the
cock in his mouth, making the hanyou tremble.
Inuyasha felt lethal fangs graze over the sides of his arousal and he shut his
eyes, feeling small and weak and inadequate in his Master’s mouth. Sesshoumaru-
sama’s tongue rolled lazily over his cock and Inuyasha moaned. He couldn’t do
anything else. Though his body’s instinct was to buck into the warm heat
surrounding his arousal, Sesshoumaru-sama’s hands kept him immobile. And his
master’s tongue on his cock did not feel like it was attempting to give him
pleasure; instead, Inuyasha felt like he was being played with. His cock was
small in his Master’s mouth, smaller by far than the strong tongue that was
playing with it. And while each touch to his cock made him ache with pleasure,
there was an almost careless quality to the act that somehow made it all the
more exciting.
“M-master,” Inuyasha gasped, hands clenching in the sheets at his side.
The demon Lord hummed softly, sending vibrations through his entire being and
Inuyasha screamed.
 
===============================================================================
The entire Western Castle saw change following the arrival of Naraku in the
kingdom.
Security was strengthened at the borders and the military trained harder than
ever before. Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko were both present at court each day
and the progress in the troops’ training was reported directly to them. Anyone
found to be slacking off or cutting corners with their job was punished
severely and publicly. Announcements were made as to the nature of the
emergency and the necessity of being cautious.
That was how Sesshoumaru found himself leaving his ravaged, adorable pet in bed
and heading for a training session with a section of foot soldiers. He would
have liked nothing better than to spend the morning with his hanyou slave but
the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands had ordered that he be present to
oversee the training of his particular batch and in times like these, the
sovereigns’ orders had to be obeyed.
Apparently, this particular batch consisted of the ‘veterans’, soldiers who had
earned their place long ago and were now too arrogant to listen to the
trainers. The trainers were sometimes newcomers, younger demons who had been
promoted through the ranks due to merit. But their disadvantage was that they
were inexperienced in dealing with such matters and were therefore forced to
complain of the insubordination to the Lord and Lady of the land.
It was vital that all guards and soldiers were up to date on new weapons,
techniques and battle formations and since the trainers had proved incapable of
reigning in the miscreants, Sesshoumaru had been appointed to…put the point
across.
The demon Lord walked leisurely onto the grounds where the batches of soldiers
and guards had gathered together. Talking and laughter ceased as the demon Lord
entered. Even the most arrogant amongst them were wary of the prince of the
Western Lands. Most of them had seen the demon Lord in battle and were not
anxious to incur his wrath.
With a quiet command, Sesshoumaru called them to order. The soldiers took their
positions and stood alert, waiting for further commands.
Sesshoumaru allowed his gaze to slowly sweep over each and every person
present. He could smell aggression and tension in the air, but there was also
defiance and nervousness. These soldiers were divided; the unity and discipline
to work as a unit was missing, a flaw which could prove fatal during battle.
People who fought together against a powerful enemy needed to trust each other
absolutely. If that trust was missing, the soldiers could put their own as well
as everyone else’s lives in danger.
Without comment, Sesshoumaru ordered them to begin some basic training
exercises. It soon became apparent that these men were out of practice, even
when it came to the most basic routines. The demon Lord’s eyes hardened.
 
“Pathetic,” he said.
Though his voice had been barely above a whisper, every person on the field
heard him. The hum of aggression in the air heightened and the soldiers tensed.
“Is this all you vermin are capable of?”
Fists tightened on weapons and the tension in the air increased. Sesshoumaru
once again swept his gaze over the soldiers, meeting and holding each person’s
eyes. The men glared, shaking with anger. They had not been spoken to like this
they first made their bones in the army. The humiliation stung, but they were
not quite brave enough to back-answer their prince.
Sesshoumaru ordered them to perform some more exercises. These were more
rigorous, pushing even the hardened soldiers to their limits and beyond. The
midday sun, which they had paid no mind to so far, began to take its toll.
Soon, every man had sweat dripping from his brow. Their breaths came in harsh
pants but after the way the demon Lord had insulted them, they felt it was a
point of pride to not show any weakness, to not give in and admit that he had
been right.
Sesshoumaru watched them silently, walking amongst them, impassive as ever in
the face of their growing agony.
Not long after, a man fell, collapsing on the ground with a curse. He raised
his head, panting, to see Sesshoumaru’s silk-clad legs in front of him.
“Weak,” the demon Lord told him.
The man, a high ranking soldier with a well-built body and numerous scars,
clenched his fist and looked up at the demon Lord. Sesshoumaru held his gaze
easily.
“Continue,” Sesshoumaru ordered.
Jaw clenched, the man looked away at the ground.
“Can’t,” he gritted out, then sat up with difficulty, blood boiling.
Soldiers around him fell back with cries as the prince’s whip unfolded and
struck out at the fallen man. The soldier screamed.
The other men who had broken ranks and scrambled away at the sight of the whip
were also subjected to a similar punishment. Flesh burning with poison, the men
looked up at the demon Lord in terror.
“Get back to your places and continue your training,” Sesshoumaru ordered them
quietly.
The soldier who had been hit the hardest, stayed where he was. The whip had
landed on his back and arm. The man glanced down, horrified at the sizzling
wound. The men around were also shocked. They murmured among themselves,
throwing furtive glances at their new commander.
Though he could easily hear what the men said, Sesshoumaru turned towards them.
“Do you worms have something to say to me?”
The soldiers fidgeted under his intense gaze. One of them hesitantly began.
“Your majesty, h-he’s injured…”
Sesshoumaru settled his gaze on him and raised an eyebrow. “And?”
The man trembled, swallowing nervously. His mouth opened but no words came out.
He closed his mouth and lowered his head, looking away.
Sesshoumaru turned his eyes back on the men he had whipped.
“You dare call yourselves warriors when you give up after a mere wound?”
The words, though softly spoken, made the men flinch. Eyes as powerful as the
sun above, burned into theirs.
“You may as well decide to beg for mercy when the castle is threatened. Perhaps
Naraku will look at your pitiful faces and spare your worthless lives.”
Lord Sesshoumaru raised a hand indolently; the whip glowing with poison
unfurled swiftly and snapped on the hard ground.
“I, however, cannot promise to be as merciful.”
===============================================================================
 
In another part of the castle, Kouga was finding it difficult to keep his
promise of not laying a hand on the Inuyasha.
It was surprisingly difficult to not pick him up and put him in chains in
Sesshoumaru’s chambers till the asshole came back and took care of the puppy.
One of the consequences of the fortification of the castle, was that more
ammunition was stocked up. The ammunition was delivered from smiths across the
kingdom, since most of it was made of metal, usually iron. It was taken to the
castle in carts drawn by lower level demons. The job of unloading the carts was
usually done by physically strong demons and therefore, the goods were packed
in huge sacks, to make the process of carrying them faster.
Kouga was given the job of supervising the move; it was important to make sure
that things did not fall into the wrong hands. And here was where he had found
Inuyasha. When he had returned from running some other errands, he had found
the hanyou in the chain of demons carrying the goods off the truck and to the
warehouses.
Kouga fumed. The sacks were heavy even for full-blooded demons and Inuyasha was
a scrawny, half-starved hanyou brat. His first thought had been to demand how
the foreman dared to make the prince’s slave do such back-breaking work. But
the foreman – a moderately powerful bull youkai – had hastily assured him, that
it was the hanyou who had come to him and begged to be allowed to do the work.
The foreman had been about to refuse but then he thought of how that might be
perceived as discriminating against a hanyou and he admitted he had not had the
nerve to face Sesshoumaru-sama for that crime.
The wolf-demon ran a frustrated hand through his deceptively coarse-looking
long hair. When he’d tried to make the hanyou leave the thing off, Inuyasha had
looked up at him with such a dark, desolate look in his eyes, that Kouga had
reluctantly allowed him to do the work. There was obviously something wrong; he
had never seen that look in Inuyasha’s eyes. Heavy as the sack of ammunitions
was, Kouga knew it was the lesser of two burdens.
Inuyasha, on the other hand, barely felt the pain as his entire body shuddered
under the weight of the immense load he was carrying. The task of concentrating
on not dropping it was soothing…it allowed him to plan what was necessary for
him to do that night. Sesshoumaru-sama had asked Kouga-sama to keep an eye on
him. As difficult as it was going to be to escape under the eyes of the sharp
wolf prince, it would have been even more difficult if it had been Sesshoumaru-
sama in the place of the wolf demon.
The day was passing too quickly and yet, at the same time, all too slowly.
When Inuyasha had woken up, Sesshoumaru was already long gone. The hanyou had
sat up unsteadily, body pleasantly sore from the gut wrenching orgasms. He was
still naked and embarrassingly sticky and his face was dirty from tears and
sweat. His still sleepy mind registered that he needed a bath and he’d gotten
out of bed with that in mind.
It had become apparent as soon as his legs touched the floor that he had about
as much strength as wet noodles. It had taken some time to wobble to the bath
but as soon as he was under that spray of water, the reality of the situation
had hit him; he had to leave the palace tonight on this most vulnerable of
nights.
The thought made his legs waver and he had to sit down on the floor of the
bath. It made his chest ache to think that Sesshoumaru-sama would not be there
to protect him this time. Even after he came back from the bath, the thought
swirled in his head, making it impossible to sit still as he usually did while
waiting for Sesshoumaru-sama.
That was why he had headed out of Sesshoumaru-sama’s chambers, intending to
head for the gardens where Sesshoumaru-sama had given him permission to go
during the day. It was only by chance that he had come upon the men working at
the carts. The sight only made him feel worse. These men were working so hard
for their master during the crisis and here he was, whiling his time away.
He was about to disobey his Master, disobey Sesshoumaru-sama who had done so
much for him. He had been a slave all his life and he could not even do that
well. Truly well-behaved slaves never went against their Master’s orders. It
was not their job to think; only do as they had been commanded.
Inuyasha flinched at the memory and the sack he was carrying in his arms
slipped ominously from his hands. Inuyasha quickly shoved those dangerous
thoughts away and concentrated on getting delivering the goods that he was
supposed to.
That was what the slavers had always taught him; do only what you’re told and
don’t hurt your brain thinking. They had also told him how he had never been a
very good slave. No matter what they did, they could not mould him into a good
slave. He had never been good at learning anything, so here he was; weak,
dirty-blooded and completely useless to everyone.
But he would not give in to his weakness this time. In this time of crisis, he
would not be the added burden that undermined his Master’s authority. If the
soldiers and the people of the kingdom came to know he had harboured a human
pet in his chambers, he would surely be a laughing stock. This way, the others
would deduce that the demon Lord had kicked him out for his weakness, though
Sesshoumaru-sama was too kind to really do that. Kindness was often perceived
as weakness and Inuyasha would not make his master’s weakness.
“Inuyasha,” Kouga said hesitantly, breaking into his thoughts, “there are men
here paid to do that,” Kouga said, barely restraining himself from taking the
giant load from the boy’s arms.
“P-please, Kouga-sama,” Inuyasha panted, voice hoarse from the strain on his
body. “I-I have nothing else to do. I may as well be of s-some use…”
The tension, the anticipation of the coming night was excruciating; it almost
made him wish the day would just hurry up and end so the dreaded night would
finally come.
Yet, at the same time, even a passing thought of how he was going to spend his
human night alone in the wild made Inuyasha break out in cold sweat.
The wolf prince glanced silently at the south entrance for the hundredth time
that day. It didn’t help that Sesshoumaru was busy bullying some weak-ass
guards. If there was anyone who could jar the kid out of his misery, and make
him see sense, it was the boy’s master. Kouga was sure Sesshoumaru would have
his head for allowing the puppy to hurt himself like this but there was nothing
for it. There was something bothering the brat and only Sesshoumaru would be
able to get the kid to blurt out whatever was going on in his mind.
Worriedly, he turned his attention back to Inuyasha.
In the meantime, it was up to him to keep the kid from dying of exhaustion.
===============================================================================
 
Years ago, in a small deserted village at the fringes of what would soon be
claimed by Inu no Taisho as the Western Lands, a pyre was lit for a priestess.
She carried a sparkling jewel in a chain between her fingers held in the
traditional triangular position.
The entire village turned up to mourn for the young, heartbreakingly beautiful
powerful young priestess whose heart had been filled with kindness and
compassion for all mortals, except youkai who sought to harm others. The young
woman, barely out of girlhood, had shouldered a great burden -  a weight too
heavy for anyone’s shoulders - and it had led to her early demise.
A small girl, hardly 7 or 8 years old with an eyepatch over one eye watched the
pyre burn with tears flowing freely over her cheeks and fists clenched at her
side. Even at the young age, it was apparent that her beauty was nowhere near
her elder sister’s whose body was now burning to ashes on her funeral pyre.
“Kaede,” someone whispered from the crowd, placing a hand on her shoulder,
gently trying to stir her away from the scene. But the girl watched unblinking,
letting the fire burn away all compassion, all weakness for the despicable
youkai that took her onee-chan’s life. 8 year old Kaede watched her dreams of
family and children and companionship burn away with the flames rising to the
sky.
Somewhere in the darkness of the adjoining forest, ruby-red eyes watched the
scene, the body of the young woman who had tended to him with such
compassion…and the young girl who would be so like her sister when she grew up,
except for her sister’s compassion…without her sister’s weakness.
The face, still wrapped in bandages watched young Kaede’s anguish, the fire
reflected in her eyes, the bitterness that would remain with her till the end
of her days…and smiled.
Now, an old, hunched over woman in the garb of a priestess with an eyepatch
over one eye hobbled resolutely towards the castle of the Lord and Lady of the
Western Lands.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
***** The Face of Evil *****
 
Chapter 30 – The Face of Evil
Early in the morning, while Inuyasha was being molested by Sesshoumaru, the
Lord and Lady of the West had an unusual visitor.
“My Lady...my Lord...”
Inu no Taisho did not move; Lady Tsukiko turned around, eyebrows rising at the
sight before her.
It was a hunched old woman, with an eye-patch over one eye garbed as a miko.
She carried a long bow in her hand- a bow that was taller than she was. She did
not seem too pleased to be here either; her gaze cautiously roved over the
youkai gathered in the room and her mouth was set in a thin grimace.
Inu no Taisho’s administration was civilized enough to allow mikos and humans
and youkai and hanyou to all coexist peacefully without the ruling kind –
youkai – attempting to overwhelm the others. But even so, miko and youkai were
natural enemies and they attempted to interact minimally. Therefore, for a
human priestess to voluntarily set foot in a youkai castle was either for a
very grave cause, or because she wanted to give grievous insult.
Looking at the woman, Tsukiko somehow did not think she went to all the trouble
of insulting them. She did not seem suicidal.
“My lady,” said the old woman in her rasping voice and peculiar village accent
and bowed her head.
Tsukiko inclined her head in acceptance of the greeting.
“What brings you here, miko?”
“I am called Kaede,” she said, then glanced at the guards who had escorted her
in. “I have information of the dark hanyou Naraku that my lord and lady may
find useful.”
Tsukiko’s eyes narrowed and Taisho’s brows drew down in a thunderous frown.
“How do you know of Naraku?” Tsukiko asked, voice hard. While officers at the
palace had been told about the dark hanyou for security purposes, the news
should not have spread beyond the palace walls. Their subjects panicking at a
time like this would only make matters worse.
The miko raised her one good eye to meet Lady Tsukiko’s. The lines of her face,
the bitter hardness of her mouth, the pain in her eyes all spoke of a life
lived in disappointment – a life lived for duty, and no pleasure.
“He killed my sister.”
Her voice remained steady as she said this and the tightening of her hands on
her bow was the only sign of the intense emotion that she felt.
For a long moment, no one moved. Tsukiko stood still as ice and stared down at
the miko. Kaede stood gazing into the distance, seemingly far away from where
they stood.
“Come,” Tsukiko said finally, turning away. “This is not a talk that should be
conducted here.”
Kaede followe
===============================================================================
 
 
The morning breeze turned subtly cold as it blew over one particular house in
the Western Kingdom. Kagura, the wind sorceress, flicked her fan minutely,
effortlessly adjusting the speed and temperature of the wind to her Master’s
satisfaction.
In his luxurious room, Naraku turned his face upto the cool, gently blowing
breeze and watched the sun climb high in the sky with a slight smile that made
his features all the more handsome. It was finally time.
 He would come. Young Inuyasha would come to him, just as all those weak
mortals eventually fell into his clutches. That is, after all, what came of
having a fatal flaw – a heart so riddled with kindness, it cared about others
before itself. I demon would not make such a mistake; a demon would look out
for its own interests.
His expensive kimono parted at his throat as the hanyou leaned forward and
Naraku ran light fingers over the skin of his chest; this flesh…this oh so
mortal flesh encased the soul of a true demon. He had the misfortune of having
a beating heart within him but his soul was demon.
Purple eyes darkened in remembrance and the elegant fingers on his own chest
tightened briefly.
His soul had slowly become less and less human with every blow against his
humanity, against every blow that he endured that no living creature deserved
to endure. Kindness burns away when it is thwarted again and again. Goodness
and compassion in his nature were poisoned slowly by the indifferent cruelty of
the people who called themselves human. Now, all that remained was suffering
and darkness and the red red glow of tears that turned to anger.
The beautiful smile twisted into a wild grin. A high, wild chuckle resounded
oddly in the refined room. Loss of humanity was no loss at all. Who needed the
weakness of a vulnerable heart, the uncertainty of a mind ruled by emotions,
and the endless, endless pain? This was better…this darkness, this evil
swirling in his body instead of a soul.
Outside, Kagura stiffened as she felt a sharp pain through her chest, a very
literal tug on her heart.
Naraku felt her discomfort and laughed.
Yes, Inuyasha would walk willingly into his clutches as all humans eventually
walked willingly to their ends.
===============================================================================
 
It was afternoon by the time Inuyasha exhausted himself enough to leave the
strenuous work he had taken upon himself and rest.
Even covered in sweat and tired to the point of passing out, Inuyasha was
tensed, every muscle in his body rigid. It was with difficulty that the wolf
prince convinced the hanyou to get out of the hot sun and take a break.
Inuyasha agreed reluctantly, turning away from the workyard under the gaze of a
worried Kouga.
Things like shields and spears and rough-hewn swords were not items of great
enough value to be packaged carefully. As such, there were points poking out of
the packages at times -  splinters from coarse wooden boxes, bent nails, sharp
iron filings. While thick-skinned workmen were used to the minor injuries and
knew how to guard against them, Inuyasha did not. His arms and legs were
covered in small scratches, where the wood or coarse cloth had dug into his
skin from awkwardly carrying huge packages.
Inuyasha knew his rate of healing would be slowed down today since his human
night was so close and having bloody scratches all over his body was a sure way
to get himself killed. Fresh blood was like a beacon to predators; he would not
be able to run from all of them if they could follow his scent with ease.
The day was short and getting shorter and the thought that kept floating into
his mind uninvited, was that he might not get to come back here again. Even if
he survived the night, Sesshoumaru-sama may not forgive the insubordination and
decide to cast him out. If that happened, all he would have were his memories.
The gardens – one of the few places his master had given him permission to
visit unescorted – was where Inuyasha had originally intended to go when he had
left his Master’s chambers that morning. Sesshoumaru-sama had spent many days
there with him and the beauty of the carpets of flowers, the warm sunlight,
swaying trees and his master’s reassuring presence nearby had made for some of
the best times in his life.
Despite his aching limbs and the injuries on his body and the pain in his
heart, Inuyasha felt his spirits lift at the sight of the flowers that were
thriving on the strong sun and the gardener’s loving care.
Near the warehouses, where he had spent his day, the sun seemed to beat down on
him relentlessly but here, even sunlight seemed to be mellowed before it landed
on the lush green grass and the gently swaying flowers. The air was heavy with
the mingling scent of the flowers, of fresh, damp earth and the scent of
sunlight itself.
Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath, turning his face to the sun,
willing the shadows in his mind to evaporate under the pure sunlight.
I may never come here again.
The thought made him cold, even under the warm afternoon sun. It almost made
him afraid enough to give up this whole venture and hide in the palace. But he
remembered everything that had happened the last time he had remained in the
castle; he remembered Sesshoumaru-sama having to clean his wounds and nurse him
back to health. He had no intention of putting the demon Lord though that
again. He would go.
“Inuyasha-san!”
Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts and turned in the direction of the shrill
cry.
The dim, pony-tailed silhouette of Rin was visible at the far end of the
garden. She was waving at him with a huge smile on her face. Inuyasha turned
and headed towards her.
Rin did not seem to notice the wounds littering his body. She smiled at him
happily, holding out a bunch of small, purple flowers.
Inuyasha hesitated, throwing a quick glance at her face, then slowly reached
out and accepted the flowers.
“They’re beautiful,” he mumbled, staring down at it. “What are they called?”
Rin smiled brightly, cocking her way in a way that made her lopsided ponytail
wobble.
“Rin does not know,” she declared happily. Inuyasha blinked at her in surprise.
Rin clasped her hands behind her back. “They bring Rin happiness. Rin thought
Inuyasha-san needed them too.”
The hands that held the flower tightened minutely and Inuyasha lowered his
gaze. Hidden as he was behind his bangs, Inuyasha did not see the smile slip
off her face. She stared at him quietly.
“What is it?” she asked quietly.
“I- it’s nothing,” Inuyasha told her, voice trembling.
His head snapped up in surprise when warm soft hands landed on his own. He
looked up and met those big brown eyes that were somehow childlike and wise at
the same time. With a sinking feeling, he realized that Rin had understood more
than he had wanted her to.
“Don’t hide all the time, Inuyasha-san,” she told him simply and Inuyasha’s
resolve slipped. Impulsively, he grabbed Rin’s hands, as small as his own, in
his and met her gaze.
“Rin-chan,” he said quietly. “I am very glad to have met you.”
Then he ran off, leaving a troubled Rin staring after his retreating back. Her
feet twitched, itching to run after the hanyou but the property mark on his
neck and Lord Sesshoumaru’s possessive behaviour towards him stopped her from
being too familiar with the boy. Personal slaves were different from other
servants or retainers. Masters many a times did not wish for their slaves to
become acquainted with or attached to anyone but themselves and remembering
Sesshoumaru-sama’s extraordinary kindness to herself and her parents, Rin did
could not bring herself to do anything that could be seen as impertinent.
Had she obeyed her instincts and followed Inuyasha, a strange sight would have
greeted her eyes; the dirty and exhausted hanyou and the old lady gardener,
engaged in quiet consultation. The gardener, skilled as she was in her art, was
not of a nature to engage in idle chatter. Her harsh tongue usually did away
with all annoying passers-by who stopped to talk.
Had Rin followed her heart and chased after the fleeing hanyou, she would have
seen a small dried plant pass from the hands of the gardener to Inuyasha.
But she didn’t.
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha only made it a little way outside the castle grounds. Tsukiko’s
protection only extended as far as the castle. He had barely taken a few steps
outside the grounds before Naraku made his move; with the powerful magic no
longer able to protect the young hanyou, the wind saw her chance, swooped down
over the hanyou and carried him back to her master.
===============================================================================
It was late in the afternoon by the time Sesshoumaru finished his work with the
guards-in-training and headed back to the palace to report to his parents.
The day had been a long one; it had been some time since he’d been forced to
deal with the military imbeciles. He’d almost forgotten how annoying they were
capable of being. The only thing that made the day more tolerable was the fact
that he had his pet to ravish at the end of it.
While he walked back towards the palace, he was accosted by a most determined
messenger; Rin ran up to him and stood in his path, staring up at him
fearlessly.
The demon Lord halted, amused at the little girl’s nerve.
“What is it, Rin?”
Rin looked up at him solemnly. “It’s about Inuyasha-san.”
===============================================================================
 
The guards at the front gate of the palace were some of the toughest
individuals in the force, unlike the soldiers Sesshoumaru had been training.
They had to be, in order to be able to meet and handle any emergency that came
up, like attacks or someone trying to sneak in. Such deceptions and attacks
were not infrequent and it was a credit to them that no one yet had succeeded
in getting in or out without permission from the master of the castle. More
than one demon had had their skulls split open by these guards while attempting
to force their way in; more than one youkai had had his heart ripped out while
trying to escape from within.
These guards flinched and exchanged frightened glances as their prince’s
enraged youki burned through the corridors, singeing the hair off their limbs.
Sesshoumaru was furious; how dare the brat of a hanyou even think about leaving
the castle without his permission. What had he been denied in the palace? Had
he not offered his protection to him on the night of the new moon? Hadn’t he
sheltered the boy in his chambers and kept him safe? It was his fault for
spoiling the pup with too much latitude, too much leniency. When he caught him,
the little puppy was going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble.
The scent of the flower that the hanyou had used to put them to sleep while he
escaped still lingered in the corridor. It was not powerful enough to affect a
taiyoukai but the guards had fallen unconscious almost instantly. They had just
begun to stir when Sesshoumaru sped through the corridors into their midst and
had had a rather rude awakening under the demon Lord’s whip.
It was a rare plant; too rare for the hanyou to have just stumbled across it or
even know it’s usage even if he had managed to find it. There was no doubt that
the hanyou could not have procured the drug himself. Someone had to have helped
him. Whoever did was going to pay and pay dearly. Everyone who had the
slightest hand in letting Inuyasha escape was going to pay.
At the back of his mind, there was the nagging voice that said that this was
his fault, that he had not taken the time to tell Inuyasha about Naraku, about
the danger that lay lurking outside the castle walls. It was unlikely that the
dark hanyou Naraku would want anything to do with a hanyou slave but Inuyasha
was still in a lot of danger. Naraku may not pose as much of a threat as random
youkai might. The thin stick of a hanyou would not be able to defend himself in
the face of real danger.
The youkai covering against the corridor walls trembled and whimpered as
another blast of pure, concentrated youki burst through their midst. They had
not seen their Lord so close to losing control in a long time. For many of
them, their knees gave out and they hit the floor, staring up at their prince’s
darkened eyes in horror. Many fell to their knees voluntarily and bowed low,
not daring to so much as raise their heads. For many moments, there was not a
sound except the guards’ ragged, frightened breathing.
When Sesshoumaru finally spoke, the soft, low voice all the more mellifluous in
anger, sent fresh shivers down the spines of the terrified youkai;
“Find him.”
===============================================================================
 
When Inuyasha’s eyes slowly fluttered open, the first thing that occurred to
him was that he was human. Besides the obsidian strands of hair he could see
falling over his shoulders, further proof was that even sitting up in bed
required a small effort; he could feel the muscles in his body working as he
moved. As a hanyou, the movement was more or less automatic.
The next thing that occurred to him was that he was in a bed; a soft, warm
extremely comfortable bed. The past few days, he had gotten used to waking up
in a soft bed but this one did not contain his Master’s scent.
The last thought made him sit bolt upright in bed and he looked around wildly,
heart hammering in his chest. This wasn’t Lord Sesshoumaru’s castle. He had
succeeded in escaping. The last thing he remembered was walking out of the
castle. But what had happened after that? Had he been captured?
But he did not seem to be a prisoner. There were no shackles on his hands and
feet and this was certainly not a dungeon. On the contrary, it was a beautiful
room overlooking the residual colours in the sky that remained after the sun
had set. His human eyes could not see very well in the darkness but there was
no need. There were lanterns strategically placed around the room and the place
was suffused in a warm, comforting light. The room was spacious and sparsely
but beautifully furnished and Inuyasha was surprised to find a cup of water on
a small table next to his bed. It was a luxury that youkai would not need or
desire. He reached out and sniffed the glass cautiously, then finding himself
parched, drank gratefully.
“Inuyasha.”
The sound of his name made him start violently enough for the cup to jerk in
his hand and the water in the cup to spill over the front of his robes.
It was a man’s voice, a young man by the sound of it. Inuyasha squinted and
just made out the shape of a chair and half the outline of a man sitting in it.
He had not noticed him before because the man was half hidden in shadow and
Inuyasha’s attention had been occupied by the rest of the beautiful room.
Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak but his voice would not come out. He closed
it.
There was a low, warm chuckle from the young man.
“Lord Sesshoumaru has trained you well, I see.”
“S-Sesshoumaru-sama?” Inuyasha asked in a small voice, thinner and more boyish
now that he was human.
The man stood up and walked towards him. Long curly black hair fell elegantly
over his shoulders and he walked with a grace that was uncommon among the
rough, war-accustomed human males of the age. Yet, this young man, no more than
16 or 17 at best, did not seem anything but human.
“Mmm your Master, Lord Sesshoumaru, yes,” came the answer. “Do you know who I
am, Inuyasha?”
The hanyou shook his head watching him carefully as he came closer. From his
clothes and bearing, the man seemed like a Lord himself. So far, he had done
nothing to harm him except bring him here. He had no aches and pains so he had
not been hurt while being brought here. He was almost sure that this man was
the one who had brought him here; there was something in his demeanour that
spoke of authority.  But he did not know the man’s intentions yet.
“I see,” the young man mused. “It seems Sesshoumaru-sama did not see fit to
share that with a slave.”
He watched the boy’s reaction carefully, observing how he barely even blinked
at the comment. Obviously, the hanyou did not expect his Master to confide in
him. That meant the boy was probably little more than a toy.
“But it is what we hanyou have learnt to expect,” he added seemingly casually,
watching surprise flicker on the hanyou’s face.
Inuyasha recoiled back a little into the blankets as the young man walked to
the edge of the bed and looked down at him with a slight smile. Was he telling
the truth? Could this elegant young man really be hanyou...like him?
“I am Naraku,” bowed the young man and Inuyasha almost jumped in surprise. No
one had everbowed to him before.
Inuyasha let out the breath he’d been holding. This man seemed nice.
Inuyasha looked searchingly into the man’s violet eyes. “You- brought me here
by force,” he said quietly, thought it was more of a question than a statement.
His host bowed elegantly again. “Forgive me,” he said. “It was necessary. There
are those out there who would do you harm and introductions would have taken
more time than we have.”
“You- you know Sesshoumaru-sama?” Inuyasha asked uncertainly.
“I know the Lady the of the West,” Naraku replied.
Inuyasha nodded slowly, still looking into those beautiful, clear eyes. He was
almost unaware of what it was that he was agreeing to but it didn’t matter. His
gut told him that this man, this Naraku would not harm him. Naraku was
trustworthy.
 
***** The Important Things *****
Chapter 31 – The Important Things
 
"If it rusts, it can never be trusted
If its owner fails to control it, it will cut him
Yes, pride is...
Like a blade.”
-Bleach manga
 
Inu no Taisho looked up with a frown as the huge, heavy antique doors of the
courtroom slammed open and crashed deafeningly onto the stone walls behind
them, crumbling into bits like paper. His son and heir appeared through the
rubble, eyes cold as steel.
“What is the meaning of this, Sesshoumaru?” he demanded, glaring at him as the
advisors who were in the meeting with him, went silent.
“May I speak with you, chichiue?” the young prince asked, voice tight.
 Sesshoumaru’s youki crackled unsteadily; he seemed to be maintaining his
control with difficulty.
Inu no Taisho quietly took in his son’s agitated demeanour and dismissed his
advisors from the room.
The latter filed out slowly, casting curious glances at the obviously
distressed prince. It was bad form for a person of such high birth as
Sesshoumaru to indulge in such vulgar displays of emotions. While it was
unusual for young youkai Sesshoumaru’s age to exhibit the level of control that
tradition demanded, Lord Inu no Taisho’s first born had always been admired as
someone with supreme command over himself. To see him slip up like this, it was
obvious that something must have been terribly wrong.
“What is it?” Inu no Taisho asked brusquely, preparing himself for the worst.
“I need a weapon,” Sesshoumaru told him without preamble.
Taisho’s eyebrows went up.
“You have the impertinence to demand a weapon from your sire?”
 A youkai did not receive a weapon of power till he proved himself to the
alpha, till the alpha deemed him worthy of it. It was unforgivable breach of
protocol for a son to demand it of his father.
“There are extenuating circumstances,” Sesshoumaru replied shortly.
“What circumstances?”
Taisho’s eyes narrowed as Sesshoumaru averted his gaze for a split second.
“Inuyasha has run away on his human night.”
Inu no Taisho waited for him to continue. The prince remained silent and Taisho
frowned, wondering what this had to do with his strange request.
“Men will be sent after him,” Taisho said at last, trying to understand where
his son was going with this.
Sesshoumaru took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he had to say.
“I wish to go after him myself.”
The words dropped in the empty room like lead.
For a few moments, neither said anything. Both stood still as statues –
Sesshoumaru, waiting for his father’s response, Taisho, astounded that his
child was capable of a thought as foolish as that one.
“Have you taken leave of your senses?” Taisho inquired, his voice low and
dangerous. “What absurdity is this?”
Sesshoumaru met his father’s gaze dead on. “The hanyou will be dead before the
night is over. Your men cannot hope to find him by then. I wish to go retrieve
him myself.”
Taisho slowly turned fully to face the boy. “Were you not present when your
mother and I briefed you about our situation? About Naraku and what he is
capable of? For you – for anyone of the royal family to venture out of the
castle alone and without protection would be suicide. It is what the dark
hanyou wants; to draw one of us out of Lady Tsukiko’s protection.”
“That is why I require the weapon,” Sesshoumaru argued.  “Surely you cannot
think me so weak as to be defeated by a hanyou even with a weapon like tessaiga
or so’unga-”
“Tessaiga and so’unga are not yours to wield, Sesshoumaru,” Taisho ground out
through gritted teeth. “I had hoped we were past this squabble after the last
time you threw a tantrum about not being allowed to begin your training with
tessaiga.”
“I am strong enough!” Sesshoumaru insisted, barely managing to keep from
raising his voice. “I have trained hard since that full moon night. I am strong
enough to wield tessaiga, father.”
“A weapon is only as strong as the person who wields it,” Taisho reminded him,
repeating the lesson that had been hammered in his and Sesshoumaru’s skull a
thousand times.”
“Father, I am! I-”
“Your mother and I will be the judge of that,” Taisho responded coldly. “Do not
take us for fools. Invincible and all-knowing that you think you are, you are
not ready to fight a foe like Naraku.”
“He is hanyou,” Sesshoumaru pointed out contemptuously.
Taisho smiled without humour. “You have yet to learn, boy, that there are many
kinds of strengths, not the least of which is evil and cunning and the desire
to win at any cost. Were I to give you tessaiga and so’unga both, they would
not be enough to allow you to return safely should Naraku decide to use you
otherwise.”
The remark stung like it had meant to and Sesshoumaru felt his face burning
with the humiliation.
Father, you think me so weak that I would lose, even with the most powerful
weapons in the world?
“This discussion is over,” Taisho announced, turning away from him. “I have
more important matters to deal with than your ludicrous schemes.”
For a moment, Sesshoumaru stood staring at his father’s turned back, anger and
humiliation holding him immobile.
Then the humiliation hardened into resolve. If his father did not consider him
worthy of tessaiga, he would just have to prove the Lord of the West wrong.
 
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha’s every comfort was looked after in Naraku’s mansion.
Water appeared on his nightstand as soon as he had finished what he’d been
given, even though he had not seen any servants around, except for the guards
posted around the castle and outside his door, and a young girl all in white
carrying a mirror in her hand who appeared from time to time and said something
to Naraku in a low voice that he could not understand.
Naraku had offered him platters full of the most succulent food Inuyasha had
ever come across – food that smelled tangy and sharp and amazing. Even the food
provided by Sesshoumaru paled in comparison.
At first, the hanyou had been too wary to eat anything offered to him but his
human body wasn’t as equipped as his hanyou one to ignore hunger.
Eventually, Naraku’s kindness the gentle comforts he was surrounded with did
their job and Inuyasha hesitantly accepted the meal.
He’d intended to eat only enough to get by but the first morsel of the
delicious meats and mouth-watering desserts made him ravenous. Inuyasha quickly
devoured everything offered to him, blushing all the while as Naraku watched
him eat.
From time to time, Inuyasha also furtively raised his eyes to study his captor.
The older man was dressed in a simple, but graceful loose haori and hakama.
Dark curly hair fell over his shoulders, contrasting beautifully with his pale
skin. His purple eyes were knowing and too old for his face. True, the man had
brought him here against his will but there was nothing at all threatening in
his demeanour.
Once his hunger was satisfied, Naraku offered him a warm bath in his
hotsprings. His body rejoiced at the thought but despite everything, Inuyasha
didn’t trust the stranger nearly enough to undress in his home, so he refused.
He was gratified when Naraku didn’t press him and instead asked what he would
like to do for the rest of the night. Besides being the first time anyone had
asked him what he would like to do, it was also the first time someonehadn’t
asked him to go to sleep on his human night and it made Inuyasha look at Naraku
in a different light; for the first time, someone understood him, understood
all those unnameable fears that he couldn’t articulate even to his master, that
couldn’t be explained to a demon Lord who had never known what it meant to be
him.
All the while, Naraku kept him company, engaging him in pleasant conversation,
telling him stories about the places he’d travelled, the things he’d seen and
Inuyasha listened, spellbound. He had never before met a man who had travelled
across the seas, further than the borders of the Western Lands. Inuyasha had
never about the fact that there was a world outside this one, a world that was
different from the one he knew. Naraku told him all about it; about what those
lands were like and about the strange people who lived there. The food that he
had just eaten, Inuyasha learned, was cooked from recipes he had found there
and the bed sheets that he was sleeping on were made from fabric he had brought
from there.
Inuyasha listened to all of it with rapt attention, all the while marvelling at
the fact that all these stories, everything Naraku was saying, was for him.
There was no one else listening; all these wonderful tales were all for him.
Never before had anybody ever talked to him – reallytalked to him- like he was
a person, not just property.
Naraku did not seem to mind his endless questions; in fact, he seemed pleased
by them and asked him about himself in return. Inuyasha was surprised but told
him readily enough about his life, about Sesshoumaru-sama and how he’d been
rescued, and whatever little he knew about Lady Tsukiko. He was afraid he may
have rambled on for too long about his Master but Naraku seemed absorbed in
what he said and it gave Inuyasha the courage to continue.
 
===============================================================================
In the darkness of the moonless night, Sesshoumaru stole into his father’s
chambers like a shadow.
There, in plain view, were tessaiga and so’unga along with tenseiga. The two
most powerful swords in the world, tessaiga and So’unga, lying in disuse while
an enemy like Naraku threatened what was his.
He reached out reverentially, heart beating at the impudence he was about to
commit, and closed his fingers around tessaiga.
Electricity as strong as lightning, crackled through the handle of the sword,
burning Sesshoumaru’s hand, forcing him to let go.
Sesshoumaru examined his hand in disbelief, the burn still smoking. Tessaiga,
his father’s sword had rejected him. The sword that he had always thought would
be passed down to him some day, the most powerful weapon in the world had
rejected him.
He glanced at So’unga, but he didn’t even need to touch it to feel the strong
dark barrier surrounding it. His father had really made sure his own son could
not so much as unsheathe his swords.
Eyes flashing red with betrayal and fury, Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and
walked out of the room.
Inu no Taisho did not want his only son even touching his swords. And that was
just fine. There were other ways of procuring a weapon.
 
===============================================================================
Kaijinbo’s cave was surrounded by an aura of evil that repelled decent living
beings. The ostracised disciple of the master swordsman Totosai liked that just
fine; the peace of darkness and shadows was better than having to live under
the thumb of someone like the old fool Totosai, who did not appreciate his
genius, who was too afraid of the darker side of life to reap and enjoy the
rewards it could give.
The visit of the illustrious Lord Sesshoumaru in the middle of the night made
Kaijinbo grin. The nature of demons was one and the same everywhere after all;
treachery and deceit and bitterness had permeated even the great House of the
Western Lord.
No one ever came to him unless they had something malevolent in mind,
especially since Inu no Taisho had the services of that wily old bastard
Totosai who had somehow managed to conceal some of the secrets of his trade so
that no matter how powerful Kaijinbo became, he could never equal some of his
feats in being a swordsmith.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” Kaijinbo greeted. “What can I do for you?”
“I need a sword,” Sesshoumaru told him.
Kaijinbo inclined his head. “What kind of a sword does my Lord desire?”
“A powerful sword,” Sesshoumaru answered. “Give me the most powerful sword you
have ever created.”
“Ah,” Kaijinbo answered. “I have just the thing. But…”
He trailed of and turned away from him and Sesshoumaru frowned impatiently.
“But what?”
Kaijinbo raised his wide, red eyes again. “It is something that will control
the wielder, make him do it’s bidding, drive him insane and ultimately destroy
him, if he is not strong enough.”
Reverentially, Kaijinbo reached into the dark shadows thrown by the fire of his
furnace and brought out a long, straight blade, glowing crimson.
Sesshoumaru smiled contemptuously and grabbed the sword by its handle, lifting
it to his eyelevel to examine it. The crimson aura surrounding the blade
increased, then swirled around the blade and eventually died down.
“Just what do you take me for?” the demon prince asked.
Kaijinbo bowed his head low to hide the grin that had broken out on his face.
“That sword has taken the lives of many who sought to possess it,” Kaijinbo
told him. “My Lord is the first one to be able to tame.”
Sesshoumaru disregarded this and threw a bag full of coins at the swordsmith.
“Does it not have a sheath?” he asked Kaijinbo who hadn’t so much as looked at
the money.
“No,” Kaijinbo answered, eyes fixed on the demon Lord. “That sword cannot be
sheathed.”
 
===============================================================================
After Sesshoumaru left, Kaijinbo allowed the cackle that had been building up
inside him to burst out.
The man had spoken the truth. Sesshoumaru had indeed come for the sword. Even
he had been hesitant when the man had commissioned a sword of such power and
evil, even if only because there would be nobody powerful enough to wield it.
When he had been Prince Sesshoumaru would come to collect it, he had laughed in
his commissioner’s face. The hanyou was clearly insane. But insane or not, he
paid well; Kaijinbo cared nothing for money. It was power that he was after.
One thousand heads of demon children who had died in agony, with their life
force still trapped inside them…from them, he would forge swords of unequalled
power. Many of his clients had attempted to cheat him of his just rewards by
lying to him about the material which he received in payment for the job. But
when Naraku told him he had overseen the torture and death of these children
himself, Kaijinbo believed him. The evil emanating from the dark hanyou sent
the most delicious shivers down his spine.
Tokijin was his most evil creation yet; it contained untamed evil. Kaijinbo
hoped that if Sesshoumaru did not survive the confrontation with the man who
had commissioned the sword, Naraku would find it in his heart to let him have
Tokijin.
Then he laughed out loud at the thought; Naraku, the dark hanyou who had
commissioned this great sword, was even more heartless than he was and Tokijin,
made from the bone of Naraku himself, would eventually overtake Sesshoumaru and
anyone else who was arrogant enough to think they could use evil to their own
ends.
Tokijin would become the most powerful sword in the world someday and he,
Kaijinbo would become immortal as the creator Tokijin. The fame and respect
denied to him because of old Totosai would finally be his.
The grisly mass of heads stacked in a corner of his lair made him ecstatic and
the sound of Kaijinbo’s crazed laughter echoed in the quiet night. Right away,
he would begin working on the most evil sword ever, forged from the evil born
of innocence destroyed in the most horrific way possible…after Tokijin, of
course.
 
===============================================================================
 
“Why are you here now?” Tsukiko asked Kaede.
They were seated in one of the rooms kept for informal meetings. The chair
Kaede was seated on was cushioned and luxurious but the old priestess sat at
the very edge of it, back ram-rod straight. She had yet to relinquish her grip
on her bow.
“To tell you things about that bastard that no one else can,” Kaede rasped.
Tsukiko raised an eyebrow on hearing the holy woman cursing.
“How did you know about Naraku?” the Lady asked.
Kaede laughed, though she didn’t sound at all amused. “If he hid at the other
end of the kingdom, I’d still recognize that slimy spider’s ki anywhere. Naraku
is back in the Western Lands and he is close by.”
“Why should I believe you, miko?” Tsukiko asked dispassionately. “Everything
you have told me so far could very well be lies spun for some ulterior motive.
Kaede didn’t seem to be surprised by the accusation. “Because I can tell you
things about him that no one other than you, who fought him to the last, can
know.”
She stared of into the distance and began: “Naraku has the ability to
disintegrate into innumerable fragments and still remain alive. You can strike
him with power enough to annihilate a kingdom, yet is not destroyed.”
Kaede took a deep breath and met the eyes of the Lady of the West.
“Within Naraku, beats the heart of a human.”
Tsukiko took a sharp intake of breath.
“Alright,” she relented. “Tell me what it that you have come so far to say.”
===============================================================================
 
Hours had passed; Inuyasha wasn’t sure how many but he was sure it was way past
midnight.
Then there was a flash of bright light outside that lit up the night sky like
the sun, and the sound of an explosion somewhere close by.
Inuyasha’s eyes widened in fear but Naraku didn’t seem at all perturbed. He
glanced in the direction of the disturbance as if things exploding in his
castle, was a fairly regular occurrence for him.
Sesshoumaru walked through the door, through the debri and the dust, Tokijin
dripping with blood and Inuyasha’s heart skipped a beat.
“Sesshoumaru-dono,” Naraku greeted as if the demon Lord hadn’t just destroyed
half his castle. “So we finally meet.”
“Naraku,” Sesshoumaru growled, voice tight with anger. “You should have known
better than to lay a hand on what is mine.”
Naraku laughed. “You will forgive me for my methods, Sesshoumaru-dono. But had
I requested a meeting with young Inuyasha here, I hardly think you would have
acquiesced. But as you see, Inuyasha has not been harmed.”
A quick glance over the terrified hanyou sitting amongst silk and furs on the
bed told Sesshoumaru that Naraku was telling the truth. Inuyasha had not been
hurt. But Naraku still had to pay for thinking he could just take what belonged
to him.
“Prepare to die, Naraku,” Sesshoumaru said icily, raising a clawed hand that
glowed with poison.
“S-Sesshoumaru-sama,” came a small voice from the bed and the demon Lord
glanced at Inuyasha who seemed even more terrified. “P-Please don’t hurt
Naraku-sama.”
It took a lot of effort for Sesshoumaru to not let his surprise show on his
face.
“N-Naraku-sama has been nothing but kind to me,” Inuyasha pleaded. “Please,
don’t hurt him.”
“That is not up to you,” Sesshoumaru answered coldly, eyes fixed on the gently
smiling dark hanyou.
The clawed hand drew back, preparing to snatch Naraku’s neck in a fatal grasp
and Inuyasha cried out, falling forward on the bed in his agaitation.
Sesshoumaru paused despite himself, glancing in wonder at his puppy. “This
vermin kidnapped you,” Sesshoumaru spat angrily.
“If I hadn’t, Inuyasha would have been dead by now,” Naraku answered smoothly,
unperturbed by the poison dripping hand aimed at his throat. “Inuyasha is the
one who ran away from you; I did not enter your castle and steal him away. If
my Lord doesn’t know what happens to hanyou on their human night, I can assure
you that they weaken even more than humans and fall prey and die.”
The hand that had been so far poised in the air hesitated minutely.
“I would not dream of challenging the claim of the prince of the Western Lands
but I would not forgive myself if I watched this hanyou’s life end simply
because I was too cowardly to rectify my Lord’s…oversight.”
Inwardly, Sesshoumaru flinched. Isn’t that what he himself had been afraid of?
That Inuyasha would die before he could get to him? Wasn’t it his
responsibility that the hanyou had managed to escape him?
“Tell me, how is Lady Tsukiko?” Naraku asked conversationally, looking benignly
up at Sesshoumaru.
“You dare ask that after you tried to kill her?” Sesshoumaru seethed, fury
rekindling.
“Is that what you have heard?” Naraku asked, raising and eyebrow. “As I
remember it, it was she who tried to kill me.”
Inuyasha gasped, glancing from Sesshoumaru to Naraku.
“Certain transgressions warrant nothing less than death,” Sesshoumaru told him.
Naraku inclined his head smiling and Inuyasha couldn’t help but think he looked
old, worn out under heavy burdens.
“Yes, the Lord and Lady of the West are unforgiving of transgressions,” Naraku
reminisced. “Land and power and honor…those are the things worth fighting and
killing for but life...a worthless hanyou life like mine…that is worth nothing
at all.”
Blood drained from Inuyasha’s face and his small hand reached out unconsciously
towards the other hanyou.
“You took many lives,” Sesshoumaru reminded him. “You killed and pillaged and
perpetrated unspeakable crimes.”
“None worse than those of the Lady herself,” Naraku thundered, blazing eyes
snapping up to meet Sesshoumaru’s. “Yes, I killed; for a hanyou of the lower
orders alone in the world, it is either take lives or forfeit yours. Yes, I
pillaged; I did not know another way. And as for unspeakable crimes, I never
understood that term. You and I are grown ups, Sesshoumaru. After all we have
seen of the world – “ his hand gestured towards Inuyasha “-after all that even
this child has seen of the world, what really is unspeakable?”
Naraku’s outstretched hand trembled and he clenched it in a fist and withdrew
it into his lap.
“The only unspeakable crimes, Sesshoumaru-dono, are the ones we are too ashamed
to speak of. Do not ask Lady Tsukiko; instead, ask her men who worked with her
all those years ago, what unspeakable really means. They will tell you…that it
means those crimes which they dare not speak of if they do not wish to be
slaughtered like sheep.”
Inuyasha could see the effort it took to Naraku to keep his voice steady. That
kind, calm face was raw with emotions now and Naraku looked old.
Sesshoumaru remained silent and at length, Naraku raised his eyes. They were no
longer furious and blazing but resigned and tired.
“You know, when I heard the rumors about Lord Sesshoumaru, about Lady Tsukiko’s
heir, I expected someone as cold as her.” He glanced smilingly at Inuyasha and
his eyes gained some warmth. “But Inuyasha has told me different. That the heir
of the Western Lands showed such kindness to a hanyou…it has made me happier
than I have been in years. That the son of such a cold-hearted woman would be
so-”
“You shall not speak ill of the Lady of the West,” Sesshoumaru bit out, cutting
him off.
“Speak ill?” Naraku sounded incredulous. “I said she is cold. Is that an insult
for the ruler of a land? Would rather she were weak and easily moved?”
Before Sesshoumaru could answer, he continued.
“Cold…isn’t that what you aim to become yourself, Lord Sesshoumaru? Cold and
powerful and perfect, like the ruthless, matchless Lady of the West. But I
cannot help but wish that you do not succeed, that you remain as you are now, a
strong ruler with a compassionate heart. Because if you ever succeed in your
quest for perfection…than it will mean the end for Inuyasha…and all the hanyou
that belong to neither worlds.”
A resounding silence reigned. There was only the sound of Inuyasha’s harsh
breathing and the sound of the wind rustling the leaves of trees in the
distance.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” Naraku said, using the honorific for the first time. He
sounded subdued, no longer like a nobleman but like a common peasant. “I beg
your forgiveness for what I had to do today. Know that I despise such methods,
that I am no longer the man I used to be. I own that it is unfortunate that
Inuyasha is already claimed, that I have no hopes of ever contesting the claim
of one such as you but it is what it is and I have made my peace with that.”
A tender glance in Inuyasha’s direction.
“When I brought him here, I had no other thoughts than to save a hanyou child
from the fate that I have seen visited on many like him, a fate that I myself
barely managed to escape. But these past few hours I have spent in his company
have shown me his untainted heart, a heart that no hanyou has any right to have
after having undergone what he has. They have made me attached to someone I
have no hope of being close to. I only beg that you allow him to spend the rest
of this human night here, where I assure you he will be will want for nothing.
Sesshoumaru-sama is of course welcome in my home anytime though I fear that is
an honor I should not presume to hope for.”
He turned to face Inuyasha, smiling tiredly as though he had no real hope of
getting what he was asking for.
“Inuyasha, I hope you will forgive me for saying so but it was an incredibly
stupid thing you did today, running away from your Lord, from Sesshoumaru-sama
who has been to you what no hanyou has the privilege of having – a kind Master
who protects and cares and does not break. A life such as yours  - shining and
bright and unblemished even by the horrors it has endured – it does not deserve
to be thrown away as you have thrown it away. Inuyasha, don’t forget to forever
be grateful to your Master.”
Tears ran down Inuyasha’s cheeks and he nodded, grabbing Naraku’s hand and
kissing it impulsively. Naraku was startled and stared in disbelief from his
hand to the hanyou child. Then he turned his face away, hiding his eyes under
his bangs but his trembling hand betrayed the emotion he felt.
Inuyasha looked pleadingly up at Sesshoumaru, though he no longer dared to
voice his requests after the reprimand he had received from the demon Lord.
Sesshoumaru glanced at him once than turned his eyes away to the steadily
darkening sky outside.
Without turning to look at either of the occupants of the room, he declared:
“We will stay the night.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
***** A Prison and Prisoners *****
 
Chapter 32 – A Prison and Prisoners
“I have seen sights and travelled in countries you cannot imagine. I have been
afraid and I have been in danger, and I have never for one moment thought that
I would throw myself at a man for his help.”
― Philippa Gregory, The Queen's Fool
Kanna circled the grounds slowly, her silvery mirror glowing as she chanted an
ancient incantation.
Youki of undead demons leaked from the silver prison and out onto the grounds,
forming an impenetrable barrier. Youki; that force which could neither be
destroyed nor created. Warped by the evil and the magic in the puppet girl’s
mirror, the corrupted demonic energy scorched the earth it came into contact
with and hovered in the air menacingly.
One night; that is all Naraku and Kanna needed to complete the barrier.
Sesshoumaru assenting to staying the night made it possible for the Dark Hanyou
to secure his plan. Not that Tsukiko’s young boy was strong enough yet to
withstand Naraku by himself if it came to that but now, the plan had been
foolproofed. Not even the mother would be able to break the barrier that held
her precious son and his slave boy imprisoned.
The invisible youki rose from the ground and slowly formed a dome high in the
sky, sealing the castle off from the outside world.
Tsukiko had power and skill and Naraku had magic and everyone knew which was
more powerful.
No matter how strong the armour, it would not withstand a stab to the back.
===============================================================================
 
Inside the castle, Naraku was amused.
As soon as Sesshoumaru took a seat opposite him near the bed, the now human
hanyou lost no time in bounding off the bed and kneeling at the demon Lord’s
feet. That the unfortunate child would prefer the cold wooden floor to the
luxurious bed didn’t surprise the dark hanyou; it was a testament to how well
the demon Lord had him trained. Tsukiko’s son would obviously know how to keep
hanyou in their place.
He didn’t fail to notice how Sesshoumaru’s hands automatically found the furry
flickering ears to play with, nor how the preoccupied touch made the hanyou
blush with happiness. Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru really had the little boy trained
like a dog.
Naraku was the perfect host, polite and engaging and unfailingly attentive but
even as he engaged in pleasant conversation with the man, Sesshoumaru’s senses
were tingling. There was something off about this place.
The inhabitants of the castle were…odd. The servants scurrying about, the
guards he had killed…there was something not quite right with the picture but
he couldn’t tell what it was. The castle was blanketed in Naraku’s scent. It
was as if the man took a hundred rounds of the place every day which was weird.
And then there was the woman; the woman with the ruby red eyes watching them
from the shadows. Her face was concealed behind a fan but there was no
mistaking the cunning look in her eyes. Naraku, however, ignored her presence
so good manners dictated that he did too.
And having Inuyasha at his feet again made him realize just how much he could
have lost tonight. He made a solemn vow to give the hanyou a punishment he
would never forget once they got home. He would keep the idiot chained to his
bed if that was what it took to keep him safe.
The night passed.
It was close to damn when the ruby-eyed girl finally stepped out of the shadows
and came to stand before Naraku. Sesshoumaru watched as she waited respectfully
for Naraku to finish talking and acknowledge her presence. He deduced she could
be nothing more than a servant or a concubine at best but something in her eyes
wasn’t quite congruent with those roles. Her eyes were too defiant.
When Naraku finally turned towards her, she bowed slightly. “It is done.”
Naraku blinked, then smiled, eyes growing cold. “Good.”
===============================================================================
 
Tsukiko listened to what Kaede had to say with intent attention. The last
chapter of Naraku’s human life…the last bit of misfortune that was too much,
that pushed him over the edge and into the abyss.
The human woman whose love had made Onigumo lose his soul.
“She was beautiful,” Kaede reflected, gazing into the dark star-studdend night
sky visible from a window and in her mind’s eye, reconstructing Kikyou, with
her long flowing hair and porcelain skin and deep, sad eyes.
“She is sad because she is a priestess,” a travelling monk once told little
Kaede. “Beauty like that is meant for palaces and princes, not the burden of
duty and the solitary life of a holy woman. She would have been happy if she’d
been born in a palace, where her beauty is a blessing, not a curse.”
Little Kaede had not understood then what he’d meant. She understood years
later, when she saw covetousness and lust in Onigumo’s eyes, when she saw tall
flames lick her sister’s funeral pyre.
“Every day, while she tended to him, oblivious of the evil in his mind, he
watched her and desired her with that depraved mind of his that had long since
forgotten to love, that only wanted to destroy all that was good and pure and
unsoiled.”
Kaede looked down at her own gnarly fingers wound tight around the long bow
that had been her sister’s, that the other priestess had wielded with such ease
and grace and power which Kaede herself had barely mastered even after years of
rigorous practice and even now, aged more than 50 with almost half a century of
practice behind her, she was nowhere near as skilled as Kikyou had been at 15.
“I wish I could say that he wasn’t human, him with his foul rotting breath and
his evil, evil eyes. But he was. He has a human heart that beats inside his
chest, the same twisted heart that made him sell his soul to the demons who
gave him everything he ever wanted – life and power.”
Tsukiko assimilated this information, adding it to what she already knew of the
dark hanyou.
“It makes one wonder,” Tsukiko said at length, “If Kikyou hadn’t been kind to
the vile human that was onigumo, would the monster Naraku never have been
born?”
Kaede and closed her eyes and the scene swam before her eyes. The dark, dank
cave where Onigumo had lain paralysed on the floor; the hard rocks on which
Kikyou had knelt and fed him with her own hands. Onigumo’s eyes had lingered
hungrily on Kikyou’s delicate wrists, free from her haori when she reached
forward to feed him spoonfuls of soup.
“Kikyou should have let the devil burn up inside his own skin and starve to
death. It’s what he deserved; I could see it in his eyes. But Kikyou could
never do that. She could never let well enough alone. On top of the crushing
responsibility already on her young shoulders, she tried to save everyone. She
couldn’t bear to see anyone suffer and then it didn’t matter what the cost was
to her.”
Tsukiko inclined her head. “It was a tragic loss for you, Kaede but it does not
help us to reminisce about it. While Naraku roams free, the crime perpetrated
on your sister –“
“Do ye think I don’t know that?” Kaede demanded, eyes flashing. “Do ye think I
came here to garner sympathy from demons? Kikyou died and with her, died great
power…power that could have defeated Naraku.”
Tsukiko decided to overlook Kaede’s rude outburst.
“Mikos are usually not powerful enough to kill demons of a higher order and
certainly not strong hanyou who have human blood mixed with their youki,” she
said carefully.
“Kikyou was,” Kaede snapped. “There was no one who could rival her in power
save perhaps midoriko-sama herself.”
Tsukiko frowned. “You said she was only 15 when she died.”
“Yes.” Kaede said simply.
Tsukiko remained silent for a moment.
“Be that as it may,” she said at length. “The priestess is dead and-“
“Have ye heard of the Shikon no Tama?” Kaede asked softly.
Tsukiko’s sharp intake of breath was answer enough for her.
“Does ye know-“
“Shikon no Tama will grant its possessor, their heart’s desire,” Tsukiko
intoned in a voice without inflection.
“Yes,” Kaede agreed. “That is why, hanyou and demons alike have sought it for
centuries. But there is a curse upon he who wishes on the jewel with
selfishness in his heart. He will get what he wished for but tragedy will dog
his steps. Shikon no Tama brings nothing but misfortune to those who wish on it
and every time a wish is made, the Shikon no Tama will be lost and will have to
be sought once again.”
Reaching inside her haori, she brought out a small, dusty box.
“The Shikon no Tama was rumoured to have suddenly disappeared from this earth
soon after Midoriko’s battle,” Tsukiko said, eye riveted on the small box. “No
one has so much as felt the presence of the sacred jewel for centuries.”
Kaede smiled. “’Tis the secret of mikos. The jewel never disappeared. It was
hidden.”
Tsukiko’s eyes widened. “You mean-“
Kaede held the box steady in front of Tsukiko and watched her eyes. “Kikyou was
not simply the miko of a village. She was charged with the protection of the
Sacred Jewel of the Four Souls. And with her power, she sealed it inside this
box that shields the world from the energy of the Shikon no Tama. As long as
this box remains closed, the presence of Shikon no tama will be hidden from the
world.”
Tsukiko stared at the small, inconspicuous box in the old woman’s hands. “This
– this is truly the shikon no tama?”
Kaede watched the demon queen’s eyes for signs of covetousness and greed but
there was no sign on either though there was some emotion in them which Kaede
couldn’t identify.
“Yes,” she replied finally. “This is the Shikon no Tama.”
===============================================================================
 
It was too late by the time Sesshoumaru became aware of the faint youki
permeating the air.
In a moment, he was out in the grounds, furious eyes tracing the burned line
circling the castle. This energy, it did not seem…alive.
His eyes swept the open grounds for the source of the foul energy and landed on
the white clad little girl, standing inhumanly still. She didn’t move or flinch
even as the demon Lord appeared inches away from her.
Kanna’s placid, emotionless eyes gazed up into Sesshoumaru’s furious ones. The
demon Lord’s poisonous hand twitched but did not strike; enraged as he was, he
wasn’t foolish enough to strike at a mirror. A mirror, however realistic, only
reflected. The true source of the reflections was elsewhere.
Turning away from her, Sesshoumaru raised Tokijin straight above his head and
struck the thin, dark line on the ground with power enough to fell a hundred
demons in one blow.
The barrier glowed for a moment and then the sword’s power was absorbed.
Naraku appeared in the doorway of his beautiful castle, smiling dementedly,
followed by a frightened looking Inuyasha.
“I hope you do not mind being my guest…my Lord.”
From the shadows of the castle, Kagura watched her master fight the white-clad
Lord.
She could not seem to take her eyes off of him. In her hollow chest, there was
a feeling she hadn’t known she could have. This man…this man was what she’d
been waiting for though she hadn’t known it herself. Ruby red eyes followed his
every movement.
“What have you done?” Sesshoumaru hissed, turning angrily on the smirking
hanyou.  Inuyasha stumbled out from behind Naraku and ran to his Master.
“The power of youki from the other world,” Naraku smiled gesturing at Kanna,
watching the frightened Inuyasha amusedly. “What goes into the void is lost
forever. If you look into the mirror, you will lose your soul. The youki of
demons who were lost now encircles my castle. You may try to break it if you
wish but Sesshoumaru-sama must know that what does not belong in this world
cannot be hurt by weapons of this world.”
“Why?” Sesshoumaru asked neutrally.
Naraku’s smile widened. “You can ask your mother that when she gets here.”
“Haha-ue and Chichi-ue do not know where I am,” Sesshoumaru told him.
Naraku laughed. “They will know when I tell them.”
===============================================================================
 
The frightened guard at the palace gates clutched the feather he’d been given
tightly in his hands and ran to the chambers where Lady Tsukiko has ordered she
was not to be disturbed under any circumstances.
On trembling legs, he stood outside the doors of the chamber, debating which
would be worse for him – disobeying his lady’s commands or failing to deliver
the message of the strange woman who had showed up at their door.
He imagined Lady Tsukiko’s fury if anything happened to their prince, and
decided it would be the latter.
===============================================================================
 
Lady Tsukiko frowned as the doors of her chambers were hesitantly opened and a
boy who looked ready to wet his pants appeared in the doorway.
“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded imperiously.
The guard flinched. “F-forgive me, my lady, but it is about Sesshoumaru-sama.”
===============================================================================
 
“The fool!” Tsukiko cursed, slamming her fist into the arm of her cushioned
chair and making a hole clean through the wood.
“It is a trap, milady,” Kaede said, watching her carefully.
“Of course it is,” Tsukiko snapped. “But I don’t have a choice, do I?”
Kaede stood up. “Take me with you.”
Tsukiko turned to her sharply. “What?”
Kaede held up the box. “I can be of use.”
Tsukiko turned away. “Don’t be foolish,” she snapped. “The wishes made on
Shikon no Tama never did anyone any good. You said it yourself.”
“I do not intend to wish on it,” Kaede whispered.
Tsukiko looked up from where she had been adjusting her sword at her waist.
Kaede met her eyes.
“Wishing is not the only thing the jewel can be used for.”
“No?” Tsukiko asked disbelievingly.
“The battle that rages in the heart of the shikon no tama has generated power
that can destroy whole kingdoms, if awakened,” Kaede told her. “I doubt the
beating heart of Naraku will fare much better.”
“And how do you intend to get it into Naraku’s heart?” Tsukiko asked amusedly,
discreetly looking the hunched old woman over, a look that was not missed by
the miko.
Kaede reached back and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. “If Kikyou were
alive, she could have destroyed Naraku with only her own holy powers. But alas,
these old hands aren’t cursed with such power. My power is only that of a
simple village miko, but if my arrow has the power of the Shikon no Tama behind
it, my miko powers will ensure that it lodges in the vile beast’s heart.”
For a moment, Tsukiko watched her. She was a priestess but she was human and
old and old humans generally never amounted to much. But she could see the
other woman’s resolve, the rage of unfulfilled revenge in her eyes, and the
lady of the West knew.
Tsukiko inclined her head. “Come then, and we will go find my hot-headed son.”
===============================================================================
 
Inuyasha felt his heart stop for a moment when the Lady and Lord of the Western
Lands arrived at the barrier, decked in battle armour, eyes flashing. They
looked like enraged gods come to reign justice on reprobates.
Naraku laughed.
“Welcome Lady Tsukiko,” he mocked, “I am flattered that you remember me. And
Lord Inu no Taisho, I presume. The legends do not do you justice.”
Tsukiko and Taisho ignored him, instead surveying the land with an experienced
eye.
“Sesshoumaru,” Tsukiko said sharply, and the young prince looked up at her,
face expressionless.
“The mirror,” he replied simply and Tsukiko let her eyes rest on the pale girl
standing motionless behind her master.
Inu no Taisho unsheathed tessaiga and touched the tip of it to the barrier. It
crackled and sparked angrily.
“Undead souls,” he whispered. “You blocked the path of so many innocent souls
simply to furnish this barrier.”
“Pardon me for not having my Lord’s sense of compassion,” Naraku smiled, eyes
sparkling dangerously. “I only take what I need. After all, it is the nature of
demons, is it not?”
He glanced slyly at Tsukiko.
“I am sure my lady would agree.”
The blast of energy Tsukiko directed towards the barrier made no impact on it
at all except to make Naraku laugh.
“Try all that you wish,” Naraku invited. “This barrier cannot be broken.
Sesshoumaru-dono’s fate is…unenviable.”
“Everything that is made can be broken,” Inu no Taisho stated, sheathing
tessaiga slowly. “Regardless of my son’s foolishness and ineptitude –“
For once, Sesshoumaru’s face betrayed his surprise, fingers tightening over
Tokijin’s hilt, an action that Inu no Taisho’s watchful eye did not miss.
“- despite my son’s ineptitude, this ends here.”
The young prince watched as, for the first time in his memory, his father
unsheathed the other blade at his waist, the thin, ordinary looking blade
called tenseiga.
Naraku smiled. “A weapon of the other world to fight other worldly opponents;
it is an admirable strategy, but I am afraid it won’t work.”
Before anyone could blink, Taisho had slammed forward with tenseiga into the
barrier. It was a powerful blow, one that would have cut through several layers
of steel but the barrier seemed to liquefy and then absorb the impact of the
sword, leaving no indent. The place where Taisho’s hand came in contact with a
miniscule portion of the barrier, his skin sizzled, leaving a dark burn.
“And why is that,” Inu no Taisho asked almost conversationally, his calm tone
belied by the slight breathlessness in his voice.
“Because,” Naraku answered, smiling condescendingly. “Your opponent isn’t other
worldly. The souls form the barrier but I am the one who owns them. I separated
the souls from their bodies. I forged a barrier out of the strongest force on
earth – pain and discontent.”
Tsukiko’s searching eyes found Kanna, standing motionless and impassive. “A
mirror child,” she said disgustedly, looking back at Naraku. “Have you truly
fallen so low, Naraku?”
Naraku smiled deprecatingly. “Not everyone can be as perfect as you, my lady.
Some of us have to make use of…less savoury means to get what we want.”
“You always were drawn to the unsavoury, Naraku,” Tsukiko smiled coldly. “But
it is all that can be expected of a half-breed, I suppose.”
Next to Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha clutched reflexively at his Master’s hakama and
flinched.
“I’m sorry,” Inuyasha whispered, tears brimming in his eyes.
Sesshoumaru glanced down at Inuyasha.
“I’m sorry…this is all my fault,” Inuyasha bowed his head, forehead touching
the demon Lord’s boots. “Forgive me I-“
“Be quiet,” Sesshoumaru ordered harshly, looking intently at the battle taking
place above their heads. “This does not concern you.”
Inuyasha gasped, recoiling as though he’d been struck. “Yes, master,” he
whispered blankly, bowing his head.
“So here we are,” Naraku continued, looking serenely up at his opponents. “Each
on different sides of the battle, just like old times, ne Tsukiko-sama?”
When the king and the queen remained silent, Naraku looked from them to
Sesshoumaru.
“Won’t you ask me to let him go?” he asked. “You cannot get in and they cannot
come out. Won’t you beg for the lives of your only son and heir…your highness?”
Tsukiko smiled coldly. “It would seem you do not know me as well as you claim
to.”
Naraku raised an eyebrow. “You would abandon your son for the sake of your
pride and victory?”
Tsukiko blinked. “It would serve him right for being a disobedient brat.”
Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth. “I did not ask you for help. I am perfectly
capable of defeating vermin like this one.”
“This does not concern you either, Sesshoumaru,” Tsukiko answered, “This is my
fight, something I left unfinished a long time ago. And you were irresponsible
enough to allow this man to use you as a pawn.”
“It became my fight when Naraku took what belonged to me,” Sesshoumaru told his
mother. “I am nobody’s pawn. For laying a hand on what is mine, this man has to
be punished.”
Tsukiko tsked impatiently. “Your little slave is not all that this dark hanyou
had in mind when he trapped you here, you stupid boy.” Tsukiko’s long, razor
sharp sword flashed warningly a she unsheathed it in one flawless movement.
“Now step aside and let me finish what began so many years ago.”
Sesshoumaru slowly raised Tokijin, pointing it in Naraku’s face, all the while
looking into his mother’s eyes. “No.”
Above them, Taisho’s eyes narrowed.
“That sword…where did you get it?”
Sesshoumaru glanced up at his father. “If my Lord did not have so little faith
in his son’s abilities as to seal tessaiga off, I would not have had to procure
this myself.”
“You are spoiled, used getting whatever you desire” Taisho answered coldly. “It
is high time you learned you cannot always have what you want. Tessaiga is not
yours. You are not strong enough to wield a weapon of such power.”
In the pre-dawn darkness, the blade in Sesshoumaru’s hands glinted a dull red.
“Tokijin is stronger by far than tessaiga.”
Tsukiko raised an eyebrow. “Tokijin? You do would go against the commands of
your father and I and do something as moronic as coming out here tonight; you
would wield a blade called Tokijin. You have disappointed us, Sesshoumaru.”
The slight widening of his eyes was the only indication of Sesshoumaru’s shock.
“Every moment since birth, you have trained me to fight,” Sesshoumaru bit out.
“As the future Lord of the West, I need to be strong, that is what you said.”
Purple stripes elongated as Sesshoumaru lost control. Tokijin glowed a brighter
crimson with every word.
“Being defeated is not an option. Losing is not acceptable. This is what is
ingrained in every fibre of my being and now, when I fight, you tell me I
cannot. I have fought in wars on your orders, and now, when I chose to fight
this man, you tell me I will lose.”
“You are not strong enough, Sesshoumaru,” Tsukiko said sharply. “You have taken
on a fight you are not powerful enough to win. Do not expect somebody to come
to your rescue each time you blunder.”
“What makes you certain it was a blunder?” Sesshoumaru demanded. “Was it all
for nothing, everything I have prepared for all my life? Was it all a farce so
that when the time came, I would shirk from a fight like a coward?”
“You can win, Sesshoumaru,” Taisho said, “You can and you have won battles. But
not this one, not one you are not prepared for.”
“You cannot pick my battles for me,” Sesshoumaru whispered, his anger swirling
around him darkly.
Kagura felt the powerful energy on her skin and shivered. Yes, she had been
waiting for this man. She had known and fought a million youkai, all who fell
to her dance of blades within seconds and never had she felt youki as strong as
this. She could feel his power thrumming through the air, she could taste it on
her tongue.
He tasted like freedom.
Tsukiko raised an eyebrow at Sesshoumaru’s display. “So arrogant,” she mused.
“Do you think you can do this on your own, whelp, with that insolent attitude
and a second rate sword?”
Inuyasha felt the hurt and anger in his Master’s aura intensify and reached out
hesitantly to touch him.
The kick in his chest sent him skidding to the other end of the ground. Human
Inuyasha clutched at his chest, gasping for breath as the force of his Master’s
kick pressed crushingly on his lungs. A black bruise was already forming and
Inuyasha found himself unable to sit up from where he had fallen.
“I didn’t ask you to come for me,” Sesshoumaru said, voice deepening as his
youkai surfaced. In his hands, tokijin glowed brightly. “I want no favours from
you, mother.”
Naraku watched the gasping child, then turned amused eyes back on Sesshoumaru.
“Well, not such a kind master after all, then.”
Tokijin was pointed between his eyes and the demon Lord’s eyes were called. “I
have never claimed to be kind.”
The blast from Tokijin pierced Naraku’s chest where is heart should have been.
The body and robes covering it blew to smithereens but the smiling face never
changed.
Sesshoumaru’s face remained impassive, even as debris of flesh and bone and
blood rained around him. “So it is true then. You have no heart.”
Naraku laughed; his body was already beginning to regenerate. “A heart is only
a weakness. I rid myself of mine a long time ago.”
Tsukiko glanced discreetly behind her at the dragon hovering a distance away
carrying the priestess on its back, out of Naraku’s range of sight and smell.
It was a good thing they had an ace in the hole or this battle was as good as
lost.
Below them, Sesshoumaru continued to blast the rapidly regenerating body of
Naraku. An entire layer of bit of flesh was being formed on the ground.
Sesshoumaru himself was covered in the gore from head to foot, his silk robes
ruined.
Naraku’s eyes were fixed on Sesshoumaru’s enraged ones. The young man’s fury
and outside, Tsukiko and her mate’s helplessness were like water to his parched
soul. Yes, it was only right that they feel a little bit of the anger and the
injustice of what he had suffered all those years. After losing everything, it
was only right that he won the one battle that was most important to the cold
hearted bitch.
“When you lose,” Naraku whispered, eyes boring into Sesshoumaru’s. “When you
lose, everything that was yours will be mine.”
“I will not lose to the likes of you!” Sesshoumaru snarled, eyes beginning to
bleed red.
The pieces of flesh on the ground trembled, and Sesshoumaru glanced down to see
his feet ensnared in the pulsing flesh that was inching systematically up his
legs. He sliced through it with Tokijin but it reformed, undeterred.
Sly eyes slid to the hanyou child. “Inuyasha will have a better master. I look
forward to breaking that undefiled body and spirit. Inuyasha’s screams as I
take him…will be beautiful.”
“No,” Inuyasha whispered, “Lady Tsukiko and Inu no Taisho are the most powerful
beings in the world. Sesshoumaru –sama can’t lose with them on his side.”
“They will lose.”
Inuyasha turned around at the bell-like voice to see Kanna standing next to
him, watching the fighting impassively. The girl had no scent and no aura.
Inuyasha was frightened.
“What?” Inuyasha asked. “What did you say?”
Kanna looked at him impassively. “Tsukiko and Inu no Taisho’s time has come.
This is a fight they cannot win. They will lose and Sesshoumaru…will be no
more.”
“No!” Inuyasha shouted, stumbling to his feet. “He can’t…he won’t lose.
Sesshoumaru-sama has never lost to anyone.”
But even as he said it, he remembered the night at the sea when Tsukiko and Inu
no Taisho had taught him how to fight. He had barely been able to make a
scratch on the two demons.
“Tsukiko-sama and Taisho-sama won’t let anything happen to him,” Inuyasha
repeated desperately.
“They will lose,” Kanna repeated. “They will try and try and they will risk
everything and fight with all their strength and they will lose. This battle
belongs to Naraku.”
 
 
 
***** The Battles You Lose *****
 
Chapter 33 – The Battles You Lose
                                I can’t hold on
                   To what I want when I’m stretched so thin
                         It’s all too much to take in
                                I can’t hold on
                     To anything watching everything spin
                      With thoughts of failure sinking in
                       -Linkin’ Park lyrics “By Myself”
 
“What can you give us in return?”
The voice, too dark and evil to be mortal, reverberated around the cave where
Onigumo lay dying. From somewhere, came the sound of dripping water, along with
little Kaede’s laughter and Kikyou’s calm, melodious voice.
“Whatever you want,” Onigumo offered eagerly. “You can have whatever you want,
as long as I have my life…and that girl with hands as soft as snow.”
The demonic presence in the cave grew stronger, more tangible.
“Power,” the voice almost hissed. “Power is the only thing worth desiring. If
your fragile human heart can bear evil and hatred, drive away the kindness that
makes you weak-“
Onigumo laughed harshly. “My heart has not known kindness for many years. All I
want…is to survive. …And that girl.”
“Make a pact,” the voice demanded. “You will have your life and your lover and
in return, your body will be ours, to work endlessly to grant us power.”
“Agreed,”Onigumo whispered, and everything went black.
___________________________________________________________________________
Having an opponent whose limbs regenerated was more troublesome than it would
first seem, Sesshoumaru realized half way through slicing Naraku’s body – which
had conveniently erupted in tentacles after the first few slashes.
Tokijin was as powerful as the sword smith had predicted. He could feel the
sword’s powerful energy fuelling his own. The cuts were clean and precise but
of course, no sword, not even the tessaiga could help it if one’s opponent’s
body had the power to regenerate at will.
Sesshoumaru wondered what Naraku had endured to replace his own body with a
teeming mass of minor demons. It would be like being cut open and put together
again differently a thousand times over. And though the demons that formed part
of the dark hanyou now had barely a will of their own, it had to be taking
considerable will to control their individual and combined consciousnesses.
Naraku was perhaps a bit more powerful and skilled than he’d first anticipated.
Then the flesh around his feet began to act like errant demon vines and
Sesshoumaru decided Inuyasha would be unable to walk or crawl for at least a
month in punishment. Of all the times to run away, what had made the little
idiot choose this one?
Sesshoumaru spared a glance at said hanyou, who was now safely out of the way
of the fray, thanks to his kick- and if he had any sense, the idiot would
remain there. The mirror girl stood uncomfortably close to his slave but right
now, with Naraku’s body twining around him irritatingly, there wasn’t anything
he could do about that.
“Is something the matter, Sesshoumaru-sama?” Naraku asked amused. “Perhaps your
sword arm grows tired.”
“Never,” Sesshoumaru growled, slashing anew at the wriggling mass of tentacles
trying to envelope him. Was it just his imagination, or were the wriggling
things getting thicker and faster?
Naraku laughed at his attempts.
“I am afraid this is one foe you may not beat, even with our prodigious
strength, Sesshoumaru-sama. Their will is stronger than yours.”
Sesshoumaru’s anger surged at the insult, eyes wavering red. Dare the foul
hanyou call him weak willed?
The demon Lord’s aura flared, pulsed and in the few moments that his sword was
idle, the tentacles surrounding him wrapped snugly around his body till the
waist. Without looking down, Sesshoumaru could feel them pulsing with his own
heartbeat.
He raised furious eyes up to meet Naraku’s who was watching him with a cold,
implacable smile. Naraku’s wavy black curls blew delicately in the wind.
“What is it that you hope to accomplish, hanyou?” his impassive voice betraying
not the slightest hint of the anger coursing through him. “What do you want?”
Naraku’s smile wavered, red irises dilating. “I want…”
Thousands of tiny consciousnesses teeming like insects at the back of his mind.
Power…you are doing this for power.
Hissss youki…ssso strong…
Pure…blood…
Naraku shut his eyes tightly to drown out the voices in his head. “I want…yes,
power. Youki of one of pure blood.”
Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed. Something is not right, he thought.
Naraku continued, this time with greater assurance in his voice. “I only want
what every other being on this god forsaken planet wants, but have not the
means to obtain -  power.”
The answer made Sesshoumaru pause in his struggles, for the moment, forgetting
the appendages that wound ever higher up his body. The flesh wound around his
arms, around the hand wielding Tokijin and immobilized it. Struggle as he
might, Sesshoumaru couldn’t free his hand to slash at the offending things.
Suddenly, Naraku was closer, close enough to touch. One pale hand landed on his
cheek, caressing it with a butterfly touch that sent a shudder of disgust up
Sesshoumaru’s spine. Elongated fangs snapped at the hanyou’s hand and Naraku
withdrew it, laughing.
“Yes, this. This is what I want. This power that flows through your veins like
molten gold.” His voice held strange echoes, as if many different people were
speaking at once. “The power of pure blood, of Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko.”
The names were pronounced mockingly, as Naraku’s beautiful face twisted in a
sneer his eyes didn’t reflect. His eyes were blank.
“You, a spoiled little princeling who have wanted for nothing, endured nothing
all your life, you deserve none of the good fortune fate his heaped upon you.
The youki that sparks with almost inexhaustible energy, this blood that makes
you near immortal…I hate it!”
So close, Sesshoumaru could see the veins swollen on the hanyou’s face, the
empty red irises of his eyes. His voice had changed, from smooth and suave to
high pitched and unstable. For the first time, it occurred to Sesshoumaru that
Naraku was not entirely sane. The realization made him size up his opponent
differently. Madness gave one unnatural strength.
“Do you hope to drain the blood from my veins, then?” Sesshoumaru asked with no
inflection in his voice, discretely testing his bonds, trying to find a weak
spot in the flesh engulfing him. The flesh yielded and moulded itself to him
again, like a second skim.
Naraku laughed and this time, there was definitely an edge of something
unstable in his voice. “Nothing so crass,” he assured the demon Lord, voice
different again, deeper. “Although it would give me great pleasure to see
Tsukiko’s son suffer before her impotent eyes –“ he glanced up at the barrier
beyond which he knew the King and Queen stood. “- it would be of no use to me.
No, I want something much better. I want your life force, your youki.”
The flesh around him pulsed at the words, enveloping him tighter. The
appendages had now wiggled upto his chest and around his throat, making him
unable to even turn his neck. The restraint infuriated the demon Lord who had
never been bound in his entire life. He tugged at the bonds uselessly, brain
struggling to comprehend the fact that his physical strength that had never
failed him so far, was insufficient today.
“This flesh of mine that now surrounds you, like a cocoon it will enclose your
entire being and drain your youki, your life and pour it into me. When I am
done, you will be as dust and I – I shall be invincible.”
Naraku’s red irises flickered. The appendages around Sesshoumaru grew stronger.
 “No!” came a despairing shout and at the edge of his vision, Sesshoumaru could
see Inuyasha struggling to get to his feet.
The demon Lord gritted his teeth. Fool, he thought silently, willing him to
stay away. The last thing he wanted was to turn Naraku’s attention on him.
Naraku seemed amused. “Your little toy cries for you, Sesshoumaru-sama,” he
said, voice once again suave and smooth. The dark hanyou turned and floated to
the boy struggling to remain standing, clutching the purpling bruise on his
chest.
“Tell me, Inuyasha, didn’t anyone ever teach you that slaves should hate their
masters?”
“I don’t hate Sesshoumaru-sama!” Inuyasha shouted, though the effort made him
collapse on the floor. “You leave him alone.”
Naraku’s impassive face twisted into sheer hatred, looking more like the bandit
Onigumo than the nobleman Naraku. The voices in his head quieted.
In front of him, the little hanyou’s face melded into his own at that age,
abused by innumerable masters. Before Inuyasha could blink, Naraku landed in
front of him and backhanded the hanyou across the face. Stunned, Inuyasha
clutched his cheek and looked up at his aggressor.
“Don’t you dare,” Naraku spat, “Don’t you dare fall in love with him, you
little shit. Your master deserves nothing but your rage and hatred. It is fools
like you, who willingly enslave your hearts to wretched monsters like this
spoiled prince that have kept us under the heel of those tyrants.”
“Let him go,” Inuyasha replied stubbornly, unafraid of the violence and evil
that he could feel emanating from the other man. What had he to fear from the
dark haired man? He was trying to kill his master. There wasn’t anything worse
he could threaten Inuyasha with. “Sesshoumaru-sama is the only good thing I
have known. A hanyou like me…can ask for nothing more-“
“You can ask for everything,” Naraku snarled down at him. “You – we can have
their power, their strength, their kingdoms. We can enslave them, like they
have enslaved us and rule the world.”
“I don’t want power,” Inuyasha shouted, tears brimming in his eyes. “I don’t
want any of that. That would not make me happy. Happiness is Sesshoumaru-sama-“
Naraku’s roar of rage filled the clearing. The dark hanyou’s fist shook as he
tried to bring himself to strike the wretched boy at his feet but the tear-
stained eyes and the scrawny body and the bent back – they were the same as
his, and his hand would not rise to strike against the boy who was not him.
To be free of this human heart at last, Naraku thought bitterly, glaring at the
fist that refused to obey him.
“Picking on children now, Naraku?” came Sesshoumaru’s taunting voice, haughty
and regal despite the bonds that restrained him. “I thought it was power you
wanted. Or is it enough to intimidate the boy instead?”
For a moment, Naraku did not move, standing frozen as stone. Even the wind had
died down, leaving the place frozen in time. Nothing moved, not a sound could
be heard and then Naraku turned slowly on his heel.
With a measured, leisurely pace, he stalked towards his captured prey.
Sesshoumaru watched him approach, his expressionless face hiding his
satisfaction as the dark hanyou moved away from Inuyasha.
“Tell me Sesshoumaru,” Naraku whispered. “Is Tokijin to your satisfaction?”
A slight frown marred Sesshoumaru’s features.
“It should be. It is the most powerful sword in existence. Even tessaiga cannot
match it, for evil is always more powerful than good. Evil is unafraid.”
Naraku’s lips twisted in a smile at the perplexity on Sesshoumaru’s face,
though his eyes remained blank. “You can feel the evil with which it was
forged, and yet, you would use it to serve your end. You and I may not be all
that different then. We both make use of any means to achieve our ends.”
Naraku’s eyes glowed the same colour as Tokijin. “It is a part of my body that
you have wielded so skilfully, Sesshoumaru-sama.”
In his shock and disgust, Sesshoumaru dropped the sword which he had so far
been clenching stubbornly in his grip. The tentacles that had stopped at his
wrist reached up and swallowed up his hand.
Naraku laughed and the tentacles rose speedily to engulf Sesshoumaru’s head
leaving only his face bare. Tokijin rose slowly in the air and rushed into
Naraku’s hand.
“Don’t be so proud, little prince,” sneered Naraku. “Nothing that you are, none
of it is yours. Your blood and your power are Inu no Taisho and Tsukiko’s. The
weapon -  and with it, its power -  is mine.”
In Naraku’s hand, Tokijin’s red glow subsided and it crumbled to dust in the
dark hanyou’s grasp.
“Your strength and skill may far surpass the little weaklings you have had the
good fortune of fighting but in a real battle, they are next to nothing.
Beneath the silk and the royal trappings, you are but a spoiled child. This
arrogance, your contemptuous eyes…they annoy me. Don’t be so proud,
Sesshoumaru, for you have nothing to be proud of.”
The grip of the flesh engulfing him suddenly turned crushing expelling the
breath from his lungs. Sesshoumaru didn’t flinch, but he couldn’t stop the
frantic beating of his heart, the unfamiliar fear and powerless anger. Again
and again, he tried to throw his youki outwards, against the fleshy barrier
that imprisoned him but it didn’t make a dent.
Golden eyes unwaveringly met Naraku’s even as the flesh rose up to engulf his
mouth and eyes, melding with the tentacles rising up from behind the demon
Lord’s head.
 “The power vested in you by your blood and birth,” Naraku whispered, eyes
burning with demonic fires. “It will be mine.”
The darkness grew. It was becoming difficult to breathe. Thoughts would no
longer form clearly in Sesshoumaru’s head, try as he might. His mother and
fathers’ words came back to him, louder than his own thoughts.
Were they right?Sesshoumaru thought blearily. Should I not have come here? This
battle that I am losing, should I not have begun it? This feels like death.
Inuyasha.
Was it worth it?
__________________________________________________________________________
Naraku raised his head up, looking at Tsukiko’s figure looming over them.
The image of another woman, with a heart as cold as a demon’s, rose before his
eyes. A woman with porcelain features, piercing brown eyes and flowing black
hair.
I would break him,thought Naraku, clenched fist shaking.I would have you watch
him die by inches just to wrench a tear from your cold, cold heart.
The voices in his head grew louder, more insistent.
No! Revenge will serve no end if you destroy the boy who is the receptacle of
such power, the child of she who almost defeated us. His youki, flowing in our
veins…immortality…
Naraku stepped back from the pulsing cocoon.
___________________________________________________________________________
“Kaede now!” Tsukiko ordered, as she watched her son’s head disappear under the
tentacles.
The priestess pulled the arrow she held ready taut, aiming with her one good
eye. This was it; the final battle, the one mark she must not miss.
In her mind’s eye, she saw Kikyou, who had been a perfect marksman and had
tried to pass the knowledge on to her sister.
“Calmly,” Kikyou had said as little Kaede scrunched up her eyebrows and
concentrated with all her might on the target pinned to the tree trunk.
Next to Tsukiko, Kaede took a deep, slow breath, willing her frantically
hammering heart to calm down.
“Shoulders straight and concentrate,” Kikyou instructed.
Little Kaede had nodded, every muscle in her arms taut. The arrow trembled
slightly, despite the eight year old’s best efforts to hold it steady.
At the head of the arrow, the Shikon no tama glittered brilliantly.
“Breathe while pulling the arrow back, release it as you exhale.”
Kaede took a deep breath, praying to kami to let her get at least this one
right; kikyou had been trying so hard to teach her for so long. Failing now,
once again, would really disappoint her.
“Good, now watch the target, aim and let go,” Kikyou instructed.
Kaede had tried her hardest for her sister and still missed by miles.
But this wasn’t the time to miss. If there was ever a time when she needed to
get it right, it was right now.
So Kaede put all her years of rage and sadness and will and shot the arrow
bearing the Shikon no tama at Naraku.
Tsukiko and Taisho held their breath as the arrow sped towards the barrier
flaring bright pink along the way.
This was their only hope, their final ace in the hole. Even if it failed to
kill Naraku, if it could break the barrier, she and Taisho would take care of
the rest. Tsukiko didn’t credit the jewel with all the powers legend credited
it with but it had to at least be strong enough to break the dark hanyou’s
barrier. It had to.
The arrow reached the shining orb that kept Tsukiko from her son.
Tsukiko held her breath as it lost momentum as it hit the barrier and came into
contact with the undead youki energy. The youki resisted the intruder, holding
it vibrating in place. For a moment, it seemed it would fall before the
barrier.
Then the Shikon flared brighter than ever and the arrow was through, speeding
towards the stunned Naraku.
Hope and rage and bloodlust blossomed in Tsukiko’s heart as the sacred arrow
cut a straight path through the corrupted air. It was done. Naraku would die
for daring to lay a hand on her child. She didn’t know what would become of the
Shikon no tama after or what trials they would have to endure for putting the
cursed jewel to use but Sesshoumaru’s life was unquestionably worth it. Once
her son was free, she knew she could take care of the rest.
Then, before the arrow reached Naraku, it dimmed, the scared energy surrounding
it wavering. Naraku stood stock still, staring in disbelief as the arrow lost
momentum and flickered out, falling harmlessly to the ground a few feet from
him.
 The Shikon no Tama rolled to the dirty ground and twinkled there dully.
___________________________________________________________________________
Kaede felt herself go numb.
It hadn’t worked. The arrow had fallen short of it’s target. Her one chance,
her one chance at getting this right and she had failed. A lifetime of training
and preparation, all destroyed in a moment.
“What have you done,” Tsukiko breathed next to her, face pale.
She had effectively handed their worst enemy the most powerful weapon in the
world.
“I thought- I thought it would – it was supposed to hit. Just this one time, it
was supposed to work…”
“You are useless,” Tsukiko snapped.
Kaede bowed her head, staring at her own trembling, age lined hands, calloused
with the hours and years of archery practice. “I know,” she whispered.
“Forgive me, sister,” she thought. “Forgive me for I have failed you. Even with
the Shikon no Tama, even with the most powerful force on my side, I could not
win…I could not win even this one time for you…”
Her only consolation was that these demons would not let her leave here alive.
Tsukiko and Taisho would kill her for failing to save their son and she would
get to see Kikyou again. How would she face her, after what she had done?
She had wanted to carry on her sister’s legacy, had sought to fill the yawning
chasm between their abilities but she had failed. The difference was still as
much as it had been when she had been 8 and kikyou 15.
___________________________________________________________________________
Naraku stared in disbelief at the jewel at his feet. It seemed fate really was
on his side today.
Bending down, he hesitantly closed his fingers around the shining orb. It
didn’t repel his touch but the voices in his head grew faint, waiting at the
edge of his mind.  He could hear himself think again. Naraku was exuberant.
But he already had Sesshoumaru, already had ultimate power in his grasp.
Sesshoumaru’s youki, melded with his own evil and strength would be enough to
defeat Tsukiko and Taisho. The last time they had met, Tsukiko had barely been
a match for him. With her own blood running through his veins, Naraku would be
invincible, would have his revenge on the world that had wronged him so.
What was left to wish for?
He closed his eyes. What was it that he wanted at this moment that he did not
have?
And the answer came, incandescent as the hatred in his heart.
Suffering.
That was what he wanted. Tsukiko’s suffering. Tsukiko, who had mocked him and
defeated him and taken away everything he had gained so many years ago, had
taken away his revenge when it was within his reach.
A pale, delicate wrist exposed carelessly as the woman leaned forward to feed
him a spoonful of soup. The scent of sakura blossoms and snow.
…Blood, staining the white haori of a miko’s robes crimson.
Naraku closed his eyes.
Sesshoumaru’s death, absorbing his power…that was the pact he had made with the
demons. Power, for life, for Kikyou. But power wouldn’t quench the hatred
burning in his human heart. He would have strength and power and the death of
his enemies which is what demons without a heart want. The human Onigumo, whose
heart had been broken too many times, wanted more.
Thump, thump of his still beating human heart.
Kikyou smiling.
Kikyou with strands of hair blowing about her face.
Kikyou with an arrow pointed at his heart.
Kikyou, incandescent with purity and kindness.
Kikyou, who had rejected him, Kikyou with her warm brown eyes.
The pain in his heart was now more than the pain of Sesshoumaru’s sword slicing
through his tentacles. Rage welled up, against the hurt, against the weakness
of feeling human emotions.
I cannot wait till this ends, till I no longer feel anything.
Mocking eyes, contemptuous eyes, laughing eyes, lustful eyes, uncaring eyes-
the eyes of all the people he had ever known, human and demon, swam in his
vision until they were replaced by inscrutable golden ones. The voices in his
head were pushed further back in his mind as rage and hurt swelled to fill all
his thoughts.
More than happiness, I want her to suffer, he thought. I want her to break as I
did.
He looked at the jewel blinking innocently in his hands and then slowly raised
his eyes up at the pulsing cocoon that would soon be ready to absorb the energy
he required.
__________________________________________________________________________
The Shikon no Tama reflected the stunned eyes of the young prince of the West,
whose face and hands were now uncovered. Naraku smiled, intoxicated with
victory.
Sesshoumaru raised his eyes up to search the dark hanyou’s, hardly daring to
believe what his eyes told him he held in his hand – the sacred jewel of the
four souls.
__________________________________________________________________________
 “Naraku,” Kagura had asked him once as he prepared the plans to strengthen his
magic. “Tell me, was it worth it?”
Naraku paused, long enough to glance at her once.
“Kikyou,” Kagura’s lips formed the words she had heard her master moan during
his human night. “Was she worth your soul?”
A lopsided smile twisted Naraku’s features. “Worth my soul?” he repeated. “That
woman was worth so much more.”
“Why?” Kagura wondered. “What can ever be worth giving up your life and your
freedom – your soul.”
Naraku laughed
“That is the way it is when one makes a pact with devils and demons; they find
a way to trick you. They take everything and give nothing in return. But in
this case, it was the demons who got the hard end of the bargain there. My soul
was never worth anything at all.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Living…living is worse than death, Naraku thought, the glowing jewel driving
back the oppressive presence in his mind that would never have let him make
this choice. Suffer as I have suffered, Sesshoumaru. A cursed existence.
Sesshoumaru’s wish might allow him to escape the situation and the demons he
had made the pact with would be furious but what more could they do to him now?
He had already endured pain past the limits of sanity; he no longer had a soul
to lose. The demons could not kill him or they would have nowhere to go, no
body to inhabit.
No good had ever come of wishing on the Shikon no Tama. The sacred jewel was
cursed; it would bring its curse on anyone who made a wish on it.
The thought of Sesshoumaru, this near immortal being spending an eternity in
misery…it was more intoxicating than the thought of infinite power from
Sesshoumaru’s body.
To watch that would kill Tsukiko slowly from the inside. His death, she might
be able to get over but the helplessness of watching him suffer for the rest of
his life, unable to do anything to alleviate it…it would slowly wear down
Tsukiko’s strength till she would be no more than a shell of herself, unable to
live with herself and her weakness, and unable to die.
Prolonged suffering did that to people. Onigumo knew that better than anybody.
In front of him, Shikon no Tama sparkled reassuringly.
Of course, there were rumours that a selfless wish could destroy the jewel but
many people had tried it over the years – priestesses and men far more pious
than the spoiled prince of the Western Lands. No, Sesshoumaru would not wish
for anything selfless.
Sesshoumaru does not know the meaning of the word ‘selfless’,Naraku thought
disdainfully, watching the still regal stance of the demon prince.
And even if he did, a selfless wish would not help him out of his predicament.
Even if the scared jewel of the four souls could be destroyed, Sesshoumaru
would not be able to free himself. Either way, it was he who would win this
time.
Given that, what was the harm in toying with one’s prey?
 “What is it that you will wish for, Lord Sesshoumaru?” Naraku asked, “What is
it that you want most in this world?”
___________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Well, what did you think of this chapter? Any guesses as to what
Sesshoumaru will wish for?
***** A Mirror's Flaw *****
A/N: This story is now complete.
Thank you to all those who read this story and a special shout out goes to
everyone who gave be feedback because when I wrote the first chapter of this
story almost 3 years ago, I had no intention of writing more than a couple of
chapters.
It is thanks to the interest you have shown in reading more of this, - and the
shouts, demands, puppy-dog eyes, cookies, smiles, cheering with pompoms – all
through reviews, of course – that has spurred me on to continue this story for
so long.  So THANK YOU to you all!!
I hope you enjoy the last chapter!
___________________________________________________________________________
 
Chapter 34 – A Mirror’s Flaw
 
“If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose, then I'm crazy. That's the way history is
                                   written.”
                          ― Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl
 
___________________________________________________________________________
It had gotten darker. Inuyasha could barely make out vague silhouettes that
were Sesshoumaru and Naraku. The earth on which he’d been kneeling for so long
had grown cold. He could feel it seep through his clothes and into his bones.
Beside him, Kanna, in her white yukata and white hair stood luminous. Her bare
feet didn’t seem affected by the cold.
“It's in Naraku's hands; both life, and death."  Kanna said in her bell-like
voice. “Now, the battle is decided…”
Inuyasha felt cold pour in his chest.
“No…” he whispered, glancing desperately up at her.
Kanna glanced down at him then returned her gaze to the battle.
“He has tried his hardest to hold fast to his youki against Master Naraku’s
attacks. Now, his strength is exhausted and Naraku is stronger than ever.”
A little distance away, Kagura watched from the shadows with pity in her eyes.
Ruby red eyes followed the battle clearly. Kagura knew first-hand how ruthless
and indestructible those tentacles were. Weaponless and bound, the demon prince
had never stood a chance. And now that Kanna had foreseen his end, there was
nothing left to hope for.
She pitied the little hanyou who clearly wished so desperately for his master
to survive.
A bitter smile stretched her lips.
I wonder what it would be like to have a master one didn’t despise…
But no, she could not think like that. The boy was born a slave and she was
born to be free.
I am the wind; I will have my freedom.
Whether she wished it to be so or not, that was the way it was. It was a hard
learned lesson but the wind could have no master.
Even so, I wish…I could have belonged to him.
But Kanna was never wrong.
 “Poison in your heart, poison in your veins,”Kanna had said, many years ago,
before Naraku came to these cursed Western Lands, when Naraku had asked the
mirror girl to read her fortune.“You will have your heart and the pain that
comes with it. The day you have your dearest wish, is the day you will die.”
Kagura clutched at the empty space in her chest, eyes wide. In front of her,
Naraku seemed amused.
“Well, Kagura,” he drawled. “Do you still want your heart?”
Kagura glared at him through venomous eyes. “You bastard,” she whispered.
“Youtold her to say those words. That is a threat, not a prophesy.”
“It seems you do not yet understand the nature of the Void,” Naraku mused.
“Kanna, like yourself, is an independent being, free to contradict me – “
Naraku smiled mockingly. “- and betray me. I do not ask her to lie, nor would
she even if I should I ask.”
“Fate is like a mirror,” Kanna said, staring impassively at Kagura. “It is what
it is. It will do you no good to deny it.”
Kagura stared, entranced, at the swirling white shadows in the mirror.
“A cruel fate,” she breathed. “So cruel…”
“You are not meant for happiness,” Kanna told her, and the shadows in the
mirror solidified into shapes.
Kagura saw herself, kneeling in a valley of flowers, with a smoking, bloody
wound on her chest.
The wind demoness’s breath hitched.
“No,” she gasped, voice choking. “No, that is not me.”
“It will be,” Kanna predicted. “Not now, not today, but it will be. Prepare
yourself for your fate, Kagura.”
“Freedom,” Kagura whispered, “Is there no way-?”
“It does no good to fight against mirrors and fate,” Kanna replied.
_________________________________________________________________________
The man she had pinned her hopes on…he had lost. A fitting end to a foolish
hope. Things were never that simple, after all. She, of all people should have
learned that by now. How many times had Naraku dangled that same false hope
before her eyes?
The hole in her chest where her heart should have been…that was the reminder
that fate was not in her own hands.
“Life and death in Naraku’s hands… and who are you to say that?” Inuyasha
demanded, voice choking with tears that wouldn’t reach his eyes.
“I am a mirror,” Kanna told him. “I reflect what is.”
Fists shaking at his side, Inuyasha’s head snapped up to glare at her. “Stop
saying that! It’s not true. Sesshoumaru-sama won’t lose. He won’t.”
“For him who has fought so valiantly, victory is not to be.”
“Why not!” Inuyasha shouted. “Sesshoumaru-sama will win. He always wins.”
“Strength equals strength. Power equals power. The eagle that soars the heavens
caught in a spider’s carefully woven web. Strength equals strength; the spider
was better prepared.”
“The sacred jewel will set him free!” Inuyasha announced.
Kanna looked down at him then and Inuyasha thought he saw sadness in her
impassive eyes. “Wishing never set anybody free. Wishing is the trap.”
Inuyasha didn’t notice the tears that flowed down his own cheeks as he watched
the cocoon that imprisoned his master. Blunt human nails dug into the earth as
Inuyasha clenched fists full of dirt.
It felt like the cold had spread through his body. Every part of him ached for
his Master’s touch. Inuyasha felt his heart beat faster, louder, painfully.
When he closed his eyes, he remembered being enclosed in his master’s embrace,
remembered the warm, reassuring weight on top of him, remembered soft kisses
and pitiless fingers around his neck.
Inuyasha resolutely kept his eyes open to keep the memories at bay.
My destiny is to watch, he thought dazedly. The world will end now and I can
only watch.
“The eagle thrashes, entangling itself in the web even further,” Kanna
murmured. “There is no escape. Wishing…makes everything worse.”
___________________________________________________________________________
“What do you want?”
Through the haze of pain and dizziness, of loss of vital youki, Sesshoumaru
heard the voice echo all around him. The barriers he had tried to erect around
himself, to keep his youki from seeping out of his body, were crumbling.
Erecting barriers by his own power was not something he had been trained for so
far and the crude barriers he did manage to put up had at best, slowed the
youki trickling away. Now, even those were almost gone and death was coming on
its slow sure feet.
Once indefatigable limbs tugged weakly at the bonds.
A few seconds ago, all he’d wanted was to get out, to get away from the
decaying, rotting flesh that imprisoned him, threatened to consume him. Like a
swimmer drowning in the sea, he wanted…needed to get out, to be able to
breathe. But like a swimmer gone too deep in the ocean, he could no longer tell
which way was up.
And then came the Shikon no Tama. This was the chance to get anything, anything
at all. Sesshoumaru tried to think, of what he should do, of what he could do
but the lack of air and loss of youki clouded his mind and his judgement.
Before him, Naraku watched, already glowing with the energy he had gained. The
ruby red irises watched him intently.
Sesshoumaru wanted to tear those eyes out of that hateful face.
The anger came, and the hatred but the thoughts wouldn’t form, the words
wouldn’t form. If he could think, he would have wondered why someone like
Naraku would give him the jewel, would give him the chance to win. Naraku was
insane but he wasn’t stupid.
But his brain seemed lethargic, drugged and the only thing that passed through
his head was that Naraku needed to die, needed to not exist anymore. But
something at the back of his mind niggled, told him it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t
the most important thing, wasn’t the only important thing. What else did he
want?
He wanted tessaiga  - he wanted the sword made out of his father’s fang, the
most powerful sword in the world.
-memories-
Of blows struck, the strikes he wasn’t fast enough, strong enough to evade. The
people he wasn’t strong enough to defeat. Future stretched out, long and
arduous and interminable. How many years would it be when he was strong enough
to defeat the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands? With the jewel, he could have
the strength, the power to defeat them right now, in this instance.
- a bowed head with snow white hair and flickering puppy ears; trusting golden
eyes looking up at him shyly-
In the back of his mind, doubt raised its head. Something…something was not
right here...why-why would Naraku give him-
The pink jewel sparkled brilliantly, reflected in Sesshoumaru’s dazed golden
eyes.
That wasn’t important, his brain told him. Thinking wasn’t important, only the
knowledge that this here was the most powerful object in the world. It could
give him whatever he wanted.
And for the first time, he realized, that power could be his just by wishing
for it. There would be no endless training, exhausting lessons repeated
hundreds of times, over and over again, no boring lectures on the right method,
the correct way to strike, evade, block, cut, parry, deflect-
Sesshoumaru had never been one for wishing; it just wasn’t something that came
naturally to him. But this was the Shikon no tama – the sacred jewel of the
four souls that could grant him the world, if he wished for it. He just had to
know what he wanted most.
He could be more powerful than Tsukiko and Inu no Taisho combined; he could
extend the boundaries of his kingdom to all the world. He could ask for
immortality, invincibility…
Sesshoumaru felt the cold, bright jewel, saw it sparkling brilliantly through
the wall of flesh that wanted to swallow him whole, looked at the man he had
come to fight, the hanyou he had come to fight, the little hanyou he had come
to fight for, the fight he was losing. From the corner of his eyes he could see
his parents above, waiting for a chance to rescue him.
In his hand, the sacred jewel continued to sparkle innocently.
___________________________________________________________________________
High in the sky, Tsukiko watched her son’s fist close slowly over the sacred
jewel of the four souls.
It was an impossible choice to ask a boy to make. Priests and priestesses had
lost their lives and worse in trying to do this nigh impossible task that was
almost a paradox in itself – to wish for something selfless. How could any wish
be selfless? The mere fact that you wished for it made it something you wanted,
something you desired, be it for whatever reason – the good of the world, the
good of humanity – and therefore something selfish. It was not fair to ask a
mere youth, a spoiled prince at that, one fighting for his life and sanity, to
make a choice like that.
For the first time in her life, Tsukiko looked away from the battle.
Once this was over, she would tear Naraku limb from limb and feed his entrails
to the dogs but that would not bring her son’s life back, her son who would
either die or be cursed for the rest of his life. And he would carry the weight
of the choice he made, forever wondering if he could have chosen different, if
he could have done it better. Naraku…that despicable monster was making her son
choose the way he would ruin his own life.
There was no right answer here. Whatever he wished for, it would be wrong
because even if in some corner of the world there was a demon capable of being
selfless and weak, Sesshoumaru was not it. Tsukiko had made sure of that.
The Lady of the West had no illusions about herself. As sure as the thin blade
she carried at her hip and the matchless poison running through her veins,
Tsukiko knew she wasn’t a kind or nice person. She hadn’t done kind and nice
things in her life; for failing in her task, the priestess would die. Strength
and nerves like steel got you through life. Kindness and niceness got you dead.
I thought I had seen everything,Tsukiko thought. But this is too cruel. Even
for one such as me.
___________________________________________________________________________
“Well, what will it be?” Naraku asked gleefully, “What is it that you wish for,
Sesshoumaru?”
The demon Lord closed his eyes and his fist tightened over the glowing jewel.
The power of the priestess warrior Midoriko, waging the eternal battle against
evil in the heart of the jewel, melded with Sesshoumaru’s own remaining youki,
permeating his being, feeling for the desire deepest in his heart. The jewel
pulsed in conjunction with the demon’s heartbeat.
Make a wish to win the battle I am losing,Sesshoumaru thought bitterly.A wish
to win, a wish to have the strength to win, a wish for my opponent to lose, a
wish for my opponent to die –
 -the sacred jewel, coveted through the centuries for its power to grant
wishes.
“What do you want?”
The wind picked up. Naraku’s robes fluttered in the slight breeze.
“What do you want?”
-Tessaiga, glinting majestically in the sunlight, held triumphantly aloft by
his father-
-the ocean at the borders of the Western Lands and the faint outline of lands
beyond the horizon
-the most potent poison in the world unfurling as a glowing whip around him and
his mother’s flashing eyes
-Ryukotsusei pinned with a large fang through his heart
- “A weapon is only as strong as the person who wields it,”
-Full moon on the sea; Taisho’s blade poised above Inuyasha’s head.
-"I will be yours even if you release me, Master."
- Run away when you are losing…do you know who does that? Thieves and whores!”
- knee crashing to the ground, absorbing the impact of Inu no Taisho’s blow
- dark hair and clawless fingers; blood and sweat and tears
-“If you allow tiredness and pain to rule you, you are nothing better than the
foot-soldiers who fight other people’s battles for a few coins!”
- weakness, in his limbs and mind; swirling thoughts, muddied and sluggish
- blood, flowing through gashes on his body
- Naraku; glowing red eyes and ironic smile
The wind seemed to come from the ground, whirling swiftly, cutting circles
around the prince. Sesshoumaru’s eyes flashed red in tempo with his heartbeat.
-“If you are a conqueror… act like one!”
The sacred jewel glowed brighter. Sesshoumaru bowed his head.
“Nothing,” he whispered, every fibre of his being rebelling against what was
being asked of him, making the arm clutching the jewel tremble. “I. don’t.
want. anything!”
There was a pulse of brilliant pink light that shook the earth. Naraku, Kanna
and Inuyasha all stumbled from the force emitting from Sesshoumaru’s hand.
After that one pulse, the clearing was as calm as before but the pink light had
been blinding. To the demons, hanyou and humans watching, it took some moments
to be able to see again in the almost nonexistant light. When their eyes were
adjusted to the darkness once more, they saw Naraku stood frozen in his spot.
Kanna and Inuyasha were near the edges of the clearing. Sesshoumaru was still
bound head to toe by the fleshy tentacles and the ground was littered with the
pieces of flesh that Sesshoumaru had hacked with Tokijin.
Nothing had changed except for one thing; Sesshoumaru’s palm was empty.
“Y-you – it’s destroyed,” Naraku whispered. “The sacred jewel is gone.”
He looked, stunned, into Sesshoumaru’s eyes. A moment ago, those furious golden
eyes had been flashing red, but now they were tranquil.
Naraku smiled.
“Very valiant, Lord Sesshoumaru,” the hanyou applauded.  “You knew the jewel
was cursed and choose death over a cursed life. You are more knowledgeable in
these matters than I would have anticipated. But that only means you will
succumb to the fate I had chosen for you before your mother decided to pull out
this magnificent ace in the hole.”
The flesh surrounding Sesshoumaru wiggled to life and enclosed all of him,
except the face. 
“Youki of a pureblood,” Naraku said breathed, red eyes beginning to become
glazed again. “It is truly intoxicating. And this is hardly half your power,
Sesshoumaru. I wonder how it will feel…to have all of it inside of me…”
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, feeling his heart beat slowly, evenly. The wind
had almost died down again till it was little more than a slight waft. The
ground was hard, cool under his feet. The darkness of the night weighed heavily
in the clearing trapped inside the barrier. Some distance away, he could feel
Inuyasha and the Void and another presence – the servant girl from before. And
beneath it all, an almost imperceptible scent, a strange, almost familiar
fragrance.
When he opened his eyes again, they were placid, no longer tumultuous.
Naraku’s smile widened. With the jewel gone, the voices in his head were
returning. But Power was close now, and the demons were happy.
“Accepting your death stoically, like a true nobleman,” the hanyou bowed his
head slightly. “Your parents must be very proud. But I am afraid your time is
up. That body, that strength, that power…in a second, it will all belong to
me.”
Sesshoumaru watched him calmly.
“Yes, it will,” Sesshoumaru replied, slowly allowing his eyes to fall shut.
 “What is gone can never be gained back,” Kanna whispered. “And what you have
wished for, you must accept.”
The wind died down completely. Sesshoumaru’s breathing grew even slower,
fainter.
“Goodbye, Lord Sesshoumaru,” Naraku said solemnly, “It was an honour knowing
you.”
The layer of flesh surrounding him got thicker and tighter. Sesshoumaru’s
closed eyes were the last to be devoured.
Everything stood motionless and silent for a moment as Sesshoumaru finally
stopped struggling. The cocoon of flesh became still and Naraku threw his head
back and basked in the glorious power that he had longed for ever since his
meeting with Tsukiko.
This…this was his victory. This was his revenge.
The fleshy cocoon pulsed rhythmically and power pumped into him in thicker
torrents now, faster than before. Soon, the demon prince’s body would be
exhausted, reduced to skin and bones. It wouldn’t be long before his strength
was sapped now but Naraku intended to wring every drop of youki out of him.
 “Sesshoumaru-sama,” Inuyasha whispered, as though the name itself would be
enough to keep the man back in this world.
___________________________________________________________________________
No more air, light, movement.
He was losing youki swiftly, systematically. It wouldn’t be long now, before it
was all gone.
Pouring all his strength and will into it, Sesshoumaru made one last ditch
attempt to re-erect his barriers.
The last remnants of his power flickered and went out. Exhaustion hit him like
a blow; if it hadn’t been for the flesh imprisoning him, the demon Lord would
have fallen over.
A final thought floated through his mind as his eyelids grew heavy: Is this all
there is?
Sesshoumaru felt cold.
___________________________________________________________________________
“The battle lost,” Kanna said, the mirror in her hand shaking. “He is not
strong enough.”
“The battle lost,” Kagura repeated, turning away. Delicate fingers clenched
lightly around the fan in her hand. Kagura thought that she would have shed
tears that day, if she had had a heart.
___________________________________________________________________________
Life, ebbing away.
Mortal weakness and defeat – losing -  what he had been so afraid of for so
long. Were they truly so frightening? All the battles and victories and
defeats, fought so hard, for so long, extinguished just like that. All the
lessons and memories and oaths and promises, dissolved. Ambition, fire, anger,
longing desire, right, wrong, good, bad, evil, gone, gone, gone.
Yes, thought Sesshoumaru, this is all there is.
___________________________________________________________________________
Inuyasha’s gently blowing black hair turned slowly silver.
The fingers digging in the dirt grew claws. Slowly, without thought, his right
hand came to rest on his chest where he could feel his heart beat. Claws
scratched the skin, drew blood, went deeper, tore flesh-
With his last conscious will, Sesshoumaru withdrew the constraints he had
placed around his youki, allowing it to flood out of him.
___________________________________________________________________________
A slow rhythmic beat.
Inuyasha; blood and tears and grief…for him. His pet was grieving for him.
At the centre, a warm burning core.
Naraku with his youki. Defeat.
Darkness, cool and inviting. A place without chaos and stain. Perfection…so
close…
…outside, his mother and father; watching, waiting for him to lose.
___________________________________________________________________________
The cocoon ignited.
A silvery green light beamed impossibly bright, blinding the ones who watched.
Inuyasha closed his eyes and brought his arms up to shield his eyes. Where it
touched him, the energy left a lingering warmth. Inuyasha gasped, suddenly able
to breathe freely.
The incandescent energy from the explosion expanded outwards, gaining
brilliance as it reached out to the borders of the barrier, till all Tsukiko
and Taisho could see was the entire dome lit up like a ball of fire.
The dragon bearing Kaede, along with the King and Queen, were all thrown back
as the barrier exploded with a deafening sound. The dragon tumbled through the
air, thrown many feet back.
Tsukiko was the first to regain her vision. Sword drawn she peered at the
grounds that had been a battlefield. The dust was still settling and the rays
of the sun highlighted the swirling dust particles. The light of the breaking
dawn bathed the clearing in a warm, soft light.
There was Inuyasha, looking around wildly.
There was Kanna, her white robes covered in dust, with the mirror in her hand
shattered.
Tsukiko’s eyes widened, the sword slipping in her grasp.
There was Sesshoumaru, standing unharmed in the spot where the cocoon of flesh
had been.
There was no sign of the fleshy bindings anywhere now, not even a bit of it
remaining on the ground that had been covered in it moments ago.
And there was Naraku, with a sword through his forehead.
Tsukiko and Taisho were beside him in the blink of an eye. Sesshoumaru was
staring intently at the unconscious body of Naraku on the ground.
“You wanted my power,” he said. “You can have it.”
Tsukiko knelt gracefully on one knee, sword at ready, and examined the body
swiftly, along with the sword sticking out of the hanyou’s forehead. Her heart
beat wildly, with joy and relief and pride but there would be time enough for
celebration and sentimentality later, when their enemy was destroyed.
 “He is alive,” she said sharply. “He may return to consciousness at any
moment-“
“He won’t,” Sesshoumaru interrupted quietly. “His mind is destroyed.”
“How do you know,” Taisho asked hoarsely, wide eyes staring from the katana in
Naraku’s forehead, to his son.
Sesshoumaru met his eyes steadily. “Because I felt it shatter.”
___________________________________________________________________________
“You said he would lose!” Kagura glared accusingly at Kanna. The mirror girl
remained impassive.
“When I said that, he had lost,” Kanna said.
Kagura balled her hands into fist, barely keeping herself from striking the
other girl. “Don’t talk in riddles! You said he would die. You said he didn’t
have the strength.”
“At the time,” said Kanna, “He did not have the strength. He would have died
and then, so would they all.”
“At the time? What the hell does that mean? It’s barely been a few minutes
since-“
Then her gaze landed on the mirror in Kanna’s hand and her eyes widened.
“Your mirror,” Kagura breathed incredulously. “The mirror that could never be
broken.”
Kanna didn’t reply. Kagura thought she saw pity in the emotionless girl’s eyes.
“My fate-“ Kagura said, shakily. “You said my fate was like the mirror. That it
couldn’t be altered. And now-“
Kanna’s clear, impassive eyes watched Kagura.
“Now, do what you must.”
For a moment, Kagura stood stock still, staring sightlessly in the distance.
Then she turned and walked back into the castle
___________________________________________________________________________
Taisho’s fingers twitched, “You felt it shatter-“
“His human heart needs to be destroyed,” Tsukiko interrupted, placing a warning
hand on her husband’s arm. “We have to find it and quickly.”
“It is here.”
They spun around.  Kagura stood, holding two glass jars in her hand. “This is
it. This is Naraku’s heart,” she glanced at the other one. “And that one is
mine.”
The Lady of the West scrutinized her from head to toe.
 “Wind sorceress, you would betray your master?” Tsukiko asked her impassively.
Kagura smiled humourlessly. “He betrayed me first.”
For a moment, she stared blankly at the heart she held in her hand and then
violently flung the jar against the ground. It shattered immediately. A dully
beating heart remained, surrounded by a pale black glow.
“A barrier,” Taisho surmised. Unsheathing tessaiga without taking his eyes off
the small glowing dome, he struck the barrier with all his might. The blow
resounded with a ringing sound but it didn’t make a dent.
Tsukiko stepped forward, prepared to add her power to her husband’s.
“Let me,” Kaede announced, clumsily guiding the dragon to land beside them. She
dismounted awkwardly and stumbled forward, coming to kneel beside the heart
fallen on the ground.
Gnarly, trembling hands closed over the shining barrier.
Kaede closed her eyes and prayed.
I have already lost everything I had to lose, she thought.
The old priestess knew she had no more than a few moments to live before the
demons killed her for failing in her task. She had failed the one thing she had
trained for her whole life – revenge for her sister’s death. Kikyou would not
have been proud of her. None of it mattered now.
 In her chest, she felt a warm tingling, something she’d never felt before.
 Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands over the barrier and concentrated
all her power on that tingling. Slowly, pure pink energy emanated from her
hands.
She poured all her prayer onto the power flowing through her hands. A few
moments later, when she took her hands away, there was no trace of the heart
except for a few drops of blood.
Behind them, the unconscious body of Naraku disintegrated, turning to dust. A
gust of breeze scattered the particles of dust.
For the first time in many decades, Kaede smiled.
Taisho’s eyes were glued to the sword lying in the dust. "What is- where did
that come from-“
“Naraku wasn’t strong enough to hold on to what he had stolen, his son replied,
staring at the place where Naraku’s body had lain moments ago.
Sesshoumaru walked over and picked up the sword that now lay in its place.
“This,” he said, holding it up to the sun. “Is bakusaiga.”
___________________________________________________________________________
 “Will you- “
Kaede looked up. The woman with the ruby red eyes, a wind demoness, stood
looking down at her hesitantly.
Before attempting this insane undertaking in the company of Taiyoukai, the
priestess knew she would have seen no more than an evil creature in a woman’s
form. But now, she could see bewilderment and pain and a host of other emotions
swirling in those ruby red eyes. If she didn’t know any better, Kaede would
have sworn she seemed no different from a human.
Her fingers were clutching the remaining glass jar nervously. Kaede understood.
“If you are willing to bear the pain,” she said quietly. “I would be honoured
to.”
Kagura held out her heart in her hands, Kanna’s prophesy and her fate weighing
heavily on her, made her hands to tremble.
“Please,” she breathed, almost inaudibly. “I am not meant for happiness but
still, even for a few moments-“
Kaede nodded sharply, gently taking Kagura’s heart in her hands. For a moment,
the wind sorceress seemed apprehensive. Then Kaede closed her eyes and muttered
the incantations, and the heart glowed pink in her hands. Kagura gasped,
stumbled backwards, feeling a warm glow in her chest.
The pink light grew more intense till it surrounded Kagura as well, and then
slowly died down.
Kagura opened her eyes hesitantly and pressed a hand to her chest. A steady
beat, blood pumping through her veins.
Tears formed in the demoness’s eyes and overflowed.
___________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, Inuyasha had not moved from his place beside Kanna.
While his parents and the miko were preoccupied with the wind sorceress,
Sesshoumaru spotted his pet and walked towards him.
Inuyasha had his head bowed, sliver bangs shielding his eyes from view. When
Sesshoumaru came to stand in front of him, Inuyasha remained still as a statue
for a moment. Neither said a word.
Then the hanyou bowed down slowly, forehead touching the ground. When his
master did not kick him away, the hanyou shuffled closer on his knees and
brought his lips to his master’s boots.
Tears that had been restrained for long broke their bounds and flowed freely.
Sobs wracked the small body as Inuyasha smothered his Master’s boots with
kisses, thin arms winding tightly around the demon Lord’s ankles.
Sesshoumaru allowed him a few moments to cry and then Inuyasha was picked up by
his haori like the puppy he was and brought to his Master’s eyelevel.
“Your punishment for this debacle…is not something you will ever be able to
forget,” Sesshoumaru promised, looking amused.
Inuyasha couldn’t help the watery smile that tugged on his lips as he was
dropped to the floor.
Winding his puppy’s leash around his palm, Sesshoumaru turned his eyes on Kanna
who had stood motionless so far.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Kanna met his eyes impassively. “I am the mirror.”
Sesshoumaru frowned. “Do you have a name?”
Kanna blinked. “I am called Kanna.”
“Do you grieve for your Master, Kanna?” Sesshoumaru asked, piercing golden eyes
searching impassive lavender ones.
“No,” Kanna replied without hesitation. “Naraku is dead and the world is not
the worse for it.”
“But you said he held life and death in his hands,” Inuyasha gasped. “You had
no doubt he was the strongest, that he would win.”
Kanna turned her impassive gaze on the hanyou. “A mirror can only see what will
be, not what should be or could be.”
“What will you do now?” Inuyasha asked curiously, puppy ears flickering as the
collar around his throat tightened as he was tugged closer to his master by a
tug on the leash.
“Nothing,” Kanna answered softly.
“Why is that?” asked Inuyasha.
“Because the mirror that could never be broken has shattered,” answered Kaede,
walking towards them. Lady Tsukiko and Kagura joined her, while Taisho gave
orders to assemble servants of Naraku’s household.
Kagura glanced at the miko sharply. “How do you know about-“
Kaede was looking at Kanna. “I little girl like you should not have to carry a
mirror. You have learned cruel truths sooner than you ought but let go of what
is broken now, and move forward.”
Kanna averted her eyes, clutching the frame of the broken mirror tightly. “I- I
do not know how.”
Snowy white puppy ears lay morosely flat on Inuyasha’s head. Sesshoumaru
glanced at them and then back at Kanna.
“You will accompany us back to the palace,” he ordered. “If you truly hold no
allegiances to the dark hanyou, you will have a home.”
Kanna glanced up at him, startled. “A…a home-?”
Golden eyes found ruby red ones and locked on them. “Wind sorceress.”
“Kagura,” she replied, head held high. “I am Kagura.”
“Kagura,” Sesshoumaru repeated. “You have shown great courage, turning against
your master.”
“It was not valour,” Kagura assured him bitterly. “You do not know how long I
have waited for this moment, to be free from that monster.”
Tsukiko had seen that hard, bitter look in too many eyes to not recognize it.
“You have suffered much,” Tsukiko said softly. “The Western Lands could use one
as strong as you.”
“I have been used enough,” Kagura answered laconically. “My gratitude for your
kind offer, my lady, but I must find my own way. What could not have been has
come to pass and now I must learn the world once again.”
She stole a glance at Sesshoumaru, marvelling at the blood rising to her
cheeks, then turned to gaze in the distance at the rising sun.
“My fate, likened to the mirror...the wind, bound forever. Now my jailer is no
more and I am…happy.”
Kagura held out her palms in front of her, looking at them wonderingly. “I who
is not meant for happiness, the mirror that was never mean to be broken, the
dark hanyou that could never die…I wonder…”
Kanna looked up at the woman who was her sister in flesh and blood. “Kagura…”
When she looked back at them, Kagura’s eyes were no longer full of shadows. She
smiled her ironic smile at the victors.
“I cannot be a slave once more. Kill me if you must, or else let me go. I am
the wind and I will be free.”
Tsukiko inclined her head. Sesshoumaru took a few steps towards her, noting
that she did not hold Naraku’s foul, decaying scent anymore. Kagura now held
the scent of wild forests and summer.
Kagura’s proud eyes betrayed no hint of the exhilaration in her heart that made
her want to flee at his closeness.
“Wind sorceress Kagura,” Sesshoumaru said. “I hope…that our paths cross again
someday.”
Blinking away the tears that sought to form in her eyes, Kagura imprinted his
words, his voice on her heart. That was all she would have of him, after all.
“Goodbye, Lord Sesshoumaru.”
___________________________________________________________________________
 “It is a sword made out of pure youki,” the sword smith Totosai declared,
running one finger over the blade covered in runes. “And the most powerful
youki I have ever felt.”
He didn’t seem to notice Taisho frowning irritably behind him.
“Where did you find such a weapon?” Totosai demanded, rounding on the both of
them.
“It’s Sesshoumaru’s,” Taisho said grudgingly. “It was forged during battle.”
Totosai turned to look at the younger man with newfound respect in his eyes.
“This sword can destroy thousands of demons in one strike. The perfect killer.”
Knowing eyes searched the young man’s. “A cruel weapon, Sesshoumaru.”
Sesshoumaru held his gaze. “Can you make a sheath for it?”
Totosai smiled approvingly. “Of course.”
The old swordsmith turned his eyes back to the blade in his hand. “It is imbued
with the power of your dokkosu, Sesshoumaru. Flesh cut with this blade will
never regenerate.”
Totosai stole a sly glance at Inu no Taisho. “You know, this blade has at least
20 times the power of tessaiga already. At its best, Tessaiga can slay a
hundred demons with a single strike. This sword can easily vanquish two
thousand.”
Taisho glared at him darkly, to the intense amusement of his son, and Totosai
wisely stepped out of reach of the peeved demon King to put bakusaiga
reverentially on a work bench. “You may collect it in 3 days.”
Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to go. Taisho followed.
A few steps and Inu no Taisho halted, turning back to look at the thin sword
lying innocently on the rock. The Lord of the Westen Lands reached out and
closed his fingers around the hilt.
It zapped him.
He whipped around to glare at his son, cradling his sizzling hand.
Sesshoumaru smirked over his shoulder. “It does not belong to you.”
Totosai’s booming laughter echoed through the small cave.
___________________________________________________________________________
“How did you know about the shikon no tama’s curse?” Tsukiko asked him,
watching Kanna and Rin playing in the palace gardens.
“I didn’t,” Sesshoumaru told her. Below, Rin stealthily snuck a bright crimson
flower in Kanna’s hair.
Tsukiko glanced at him sideways. “Then there is truly nothing you want?”
Sesshoumaru smirked. “Nothing I need to ask a jewel for.”
Tsukiko laughed. “Arrogant whelp.”
Sesshoumaru turned to face her. “If father and you had not been there with the
miko, the battle might have turned out very differently.”
Tsukiko accepted the apology with a bow of her head. “And you are far more
capable than what we gave you credit for. All’s well that ends well.”
“Leaving alone without allies was folly,” Sesshoumaru conceded.
“True,” Tsukiko agreed. “But you would not be such a pain in the ass if you
were that sensible and you would not have fought and won that battle.”
For a moment, they remained silent, listening to the two happily chattering
little girls below.
Rin had been delighted to have a new playmate, though the other girl was quiet
and solemn.
“Who are you?” Rin had asked curiously.
“I am a mirror,” Kanna had replied.
Rin had laughed. “Don’t be silly. You aren’t a mirror. You’re a person.”
Kanna had blinked in surprise and was soon dragged off to play.
 After just a few minutes with the well-behaved, reserved little girl, Rin had
announced that white did not suit her at all and proceeded to drag her off to
her wardrobe.
Kanna had followed, bewildered and helpless and submitted to her persuasive new
friend’s whims. The result was, Kanna now had her hair done up in two adorable
little pony tails and was dressed in a bright ochre yellow yukata and garlands
of flowers. The girl who was once a mirror, did not seem very displeased by the
change.
Tsukiko turned back to her son. “You will continue your training as before.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head.
The Lady of the West cast an amused glance in his direction. “And where is your
little toy?”
Sesshoumaru carefully kept his face absolutely expressionless. “He
is…indisposed.”
Tsukiko stuck her nose in the air regally. “I would have broken every bone in
his body for the brat’s idiocy but if you insist on being more lenient, make
sure he remains…indisposed…for a long time.”
Sesshoumaru smiled slowly, fangs glinting in the morning light.
___________________________________________________________________________
A/N: And that is officially the end of this story!
There will be an epilogue dedicated to Inuyasha’s punishment – the long lemon
you all have been waiting for.
Any questions, inconsistencies, mistakes, you may notice, opinions, comments
regarding this chapter or any part of the story, are all welcome.
 
***** Epilogue *****
Warnings: This chapter will contain explicit lemon, yaoi, shota, violence,
humiliation, D/s. If you don’t like it, leave.
Epilogue
The journey home was quiet and swift; Kaede was ordered by Lady Tsukiko to
return to the palace. Inu no Taisho, Tsukiko and Sesshoumaru, along with
Inuyasha, made the journey swiftly in the form of energy spheres. Kanna and
Kaede followed on Ah Un.
Sesshoumaru landed in his chambers and transformed back into his usual self.
The battle seemed to have left no mark on him; he did not seem tired, drained.
Instead, his eyes glowed with more power than before.
Inuyasha had tumbled onto the carpeted floor when the demon Lord landed.
Sesshoumaru didn’t spare him a glance as he walked leisurely to his favourite
arm chair by the fire and sat down in it.
Inuyasha followed him with his eyes, feeling strangely panicked and bereft. He
tried not to get up, tried not to move until ordered to do so but in a few
seconds, he had stood up and hastened after his master.
Sesshoumaru was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. The fire gave a
warm, serene glow to his features; he looked contented.
As if his mind wasn’t entirely in control of his body, Inuyasha felt himself
walk towards him and kneel slowly- first the left knee, then the right-  and
instead of bowing low and touching his lips to the ground in front of
Sesshoumaru in repentance like he should have, he felt himself shuffle forward
slightly on his knees and circle his arms around the prince’s ankles. His head
bowed until his forehead touched Sesshoumaru’s boots, his dirty matted white
hair covering the demon Lord’s feet.
Inuyasha waited breathlessly for his master’s anger, for the prince to kick him
away.
Everything was still for a few moments, except the flickering shadows cast by
the burning fire.
And Inuyasha was suddenly lying flat on his back on the floor, a booted foot
pressing down mercilessly on his throat.
Inuyasha lay there waiting, looking up at his Master, revelling in this
punishment, in the feeling of being close to his master and of being crushed.
Sesshoumaru also seemed to be waiting for something. His eyes were trained on
the hanyou under his foot but there was no anger, no emotion in those eyes.
They simply watched. Inuyasha didn’t struggle, didn’t so much as bring his
hands to his throat to try and free himself.
The pressure on his throat increased and Inuyasha gasped. The hanyou body
twitched and writhed. Small whimpering, pleading sounds escaped Inuyasha but he
didn’t struggle. Teary eyes looked up worshipfully, gratefully at the demon
prince crushing him under his foot; Sesshoumaru-sama had not kicked him away.
The demon Lord’s eyes changed. He seemed to have found whatever it was that
he’d been watching for.
Sesshoumaru pushed down casually on the hanyou’s throat. Inuyasha’s eyes closed
slowly as he passed out.
___________________________________________________________________________
Inuyasha thought his heart might beat right out of his chest from fear. The
wind played with his hair and the sun shone warmly on his face but there was
nothing his mind registered except the gaping chasm before his feet. One step
and he would fall…
A pleading cry escaped him and Inuyasha shut his eyes. But that was worse; the
deep wide chasm undulated behind his closed eyes and he swayed dizzily. He
heard a few rocks give way under his feet. He hastily opened his eyes.
He was going to fall.
“Master,” he whimpered.
“What do you see, Inuyasha?” Sesshoumaru asked calmly, sitting on a rock some
distance away from Inuyasha from the brink of the chasm where he’d ordered
Inuyasha to stand.
Inuyasha tried to look, tried to see what was around him but all he could see
was empty space.
“E-emptiness,” answered Inuyasha shakily, the word reverberating like a death
sentence. “I see emptiness.”
Sesshoumaru stepped down gracefully from his perch, satisfied with the terror
he saw in the hanyou’s eyes.
There were clawed fingers around his neck and Inuyasha felt the wind on his
sensitive skin as his collar was removed. He shivered; it had been so long
since he’d been without a collar. The emptiness around him came closer, touched
his skin, threatened to invade his insides.
Terrified, he tried to hold on to the demon lord’s hand but Sesshoumaru stepped
back, out of reach. Inuyasha took a step forward, away from the cliff towards
his master-
“Don’t move,” Sesshoumaru ordered harshly and Inuyasha froze. “You will remain
here until I give you permission to leave. You will not move from this spot
till I say you can.”
Panic blossomed in Inuyasha’s chest as he thought of spending hours in this
place without his Master. There was no living thing in sight.
He wished his Master would chain him in place or put a leash on him and tie it
on the spot. At least then, he would have some anchor that would not let him
fall.
“I – I can’t. Master please I can’t-“
“You will do it,” Sesshoumaru stated simply, golden eyes flashing with power
boring into the hanyou’s frightened ones. “You will do it or you will leave.
You bear no mark of mine.” Inuyasha’s eyes were drawn irresistibly, longingly
to the black collar in Sesshoumaru’s hands. “I have no use for a disobedient
slave.”
Inuyasha shuddered, waves of fear rolling off of him. He would do it. He would
do it if it killed him.
He would rather fall into the gorge than disappoint his master.
________________________________________________________________________
The wind rushing against his body made it hard to breathe. He was falling,
falling straight down and the immense space closed in on him, swallowing him
up-
Then Inuyasha blinked and he was standing on the precipice again. Inuyasha
tried to take deep slow breaths but the came out shuddering and uneven. Silence
beat on his ear drums with insistent pressure.
It was strange, to not hear the sounds of any birds, animals, demons. The
silence was unnatural. Below, in the valley, there was a lake of some sort, a
body of still water that looked like molten gold in the sunlight. The water
winked in the sunlight, blinding anyone who happened to be looking at it for
the moment.
All around, there were immense, tall green mountains. Inuyasha imagined the
pitch darkness under the trees of the mountains; they grew so densely together,
no ray of sunlight would penetrate under them.
And in between the mountains, between the sky and the lake below was this vast,
terrifying emptiness, a feeling that there was nothing that tethered Inuyasha
to this world, to his place in the world and that at any moment, the cosmos
would win and blow him away, tear him apart into nothingness…
Inuyasha whimpered and the sound was muted in the heavy silence of the place.
The guilt and the horror that had been eating away at his insides since their
journey home finally found a home in the vast emptiness that intensified every
feeling, spread his pain till it filled up every corner of the vast space.
He could feel his heart in his chest, beating painfully, laborious, every beat
strenuous.
Run, run, ran, ran away…I ran away…I ran…
Thoughts slipped through his mind, too fast, too vague to catch. Soft, elusive
fears that were all the more dangerous because they couldn’t be confronted,
couldn’t be fought.
He’d run because he didn’t want to be a burden on his master. He’d been
presumptuous enough to think that he could save his master’s life.  But was
that it? Was that the truly the only reason he’d run?
The sun was close to its zenith; it was almost noon. The severe expanse drawn
with rocky lines and illuminated with the unforgiving sun, allowed for no self-
deception. Secrets couldn’t remain here; there was no darkness for secrets to
hide. The sun warmed everything, even the cold, damp thoughts in Inuyasha’s
heart that he never wanted to see, never wanted to touch.
I am afraid it will all end, Inuyasha realised with startling clarity. I have
never wished for anything to not end before. Nothing had been worth preserving
until Sesshoumaru-sama. And I am afraid it will end because I don’t deserve
this.
I don’t know how to deserve this.
Heat rose off the hard rocks on the dry hard ground. Inuyasha felt it burning
the soles of his bare feet but he didn’t move. The heat, the burning pain felt
good. Inuyasha revelled in the punishment. If only everything were as simple as
that. If only all there was a punishment for every crime.
But there wasn’t. In his deepest of hearts, he had committed crimes for which
no punishment would suffice except maybe to lose the thing that meant the most
to him. That might be enough. It was a start.
Sunlight winked off of the pool of light below, the flash blinding Inuyasha for
a moment. And he was back so many years ago on the street Sesshoumaru-sama had
found him. Everything was so much easier then. It was easier to live, easier to
breathe. There wasn’t this ever oppressive weight of happiness, of having to
endure being happy, of having to strive to deserve being happy.
With the slavers, living on the streets on nothing but scraps – sometimes
nothing at all -  degradation and beatings and fear…he didn’t have to work for
those. The slavers were more than happy to give him the punishment he deserved
– needed.
Even in the heat of early afternoon, Inuyasha shivered, wanting badly to be
away from this place, inside, underneath. But he didn’t move, couldn’t move
because Sesshoumaru-sama had ordered that he stay here, like this.
It was too difficult, the most difficult thing he had ever done being alone
with thoughts like this in a place without walls, without boundaries.
The sun slowly lowered in the sky, the melancholy light of late afternoon
bathing the clearing in orange, nostalgic colours. Dangerous thoughts came; of
Naraku, of the moment when Sesshoumaru-sama had almost lost, when he’d almost
been the cause of Sesshoumaru-sama’s death-
It wasn’t safe, those thoughts weren’t safe. He didn’t want to think them. But
the sun was beginning to set and the thoughts came anyway.
 Death. His Master’s death.
Hanyou aren’t strangers to death. They have seen too much of it to be affected
by it anymore.
And still-
Blood pounded in Inuyasha’s head, in his temples, from all the thoughts he
wouldn’t let his heart feel.
Without his Master...he wanted to say he would die, but what if he didn’t? What
if he lived? He might become food to some youkai, if he was lucky. Or another
master might take him.
Inuyasha had never had a master before Sesshoumaru. In all the years travelling
with the slavers, no one had ever expressed a desire to own the hanyou, even
though he was the cheapest slave they had. The more beautiful ones, the humans,
the obedient ones were all bought one by one. Inuyasha had watched them all
find a home.
He had moved on with the slavers. If Sesshoumaru-sama hadn’t bought him, he
knew the slavers would have soon left him in a forest to be devoured by youkai
soon. It didn’t make sense to own merchandise that they wouldn’t profit from.
Sesshoumaru-sama, who had rescued him from that life, kind, wonderful
Sesshoumaru-sama  could have died because…of his stupidity. He should have
listened. The slavers always said he didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut,
didn’t know what was good for him. If he wasn’t such a coward, he would beg
Sesshoumaru-sama’s forgiveness.
If he wasn’t such a coward, he would have killed himself and saved everyone the
trouble.
The cold night came and brought with it came the cold thoughts.
I want to go home.
Dawn came again, with its pure, beautiful light and fell on the ugliness that
was Inuyasha. Inuyasha felt his skin crawl with ugliness, with the weight of
his weakness, with the dark dirty secrets laid bare by the pure sun rise and
the deceptive wind.
His eyes burned with all the tears he’d cried, the skin on his arms and legs
was dry; it stretched uncomfortably. His lips felt thick and alien.
And through it all, his painfully beating heart. Maybe it would be more
merciful on his poor body to just cut it out and let it rest.
At midnight, Inuyasha thought, I am a slave. I want to be nothing else. Then
why do I always make the same mistake?
The night was quiet and nothing out of the ordinary. It would have been easier
it there had been something going on outside – a storm, rain, fire -  to
reflect the turmoil he felt inside. But there was nothing.
Standing on a cliff at night held a different kind of terror. There were
mountain-shaped gaping holes in the ink black sky. The millions of stars,
strewn everywhere except below him.
If he fell, would he even notice?
Good slaves don’t disobey their master.
Another whimper, swallowed up by the night breeze.
The night went on forever.
Dawn came.
The day passed. Night came again.
With the dawn’s light creeping under his feet, Inuyasha wondered when he’d
started to crave degradation. He never had with the slavers. He’d never wanted
to be beaten, humiliated, mistreated.
But he wanted it now. He wished for it, as fiercely as the burning sun beating
down on him. In the day, he itched to go back, away, anywhere but here. In the
night, he dreamed of Sesshoumaru.
With his eyes open, he dreamed of a booted foot on his throat, of being stuffed
with his master’s cock, of being fucked while he bled and screamed, till his
master was satisfied.
For three days and three nights, Inuyasha stood at the place Sesshoumaru had
left him. Innumerable times, he had waking nightmares, about falling, about his
body crashing into those rocks, about fading into oblivion in the darkness of
the abyss.
Not once did the thought of moving away from the ledge come to mind.
Not once did he notice the golden eyes watching him steadily from far above.
At the dawn of the fourth day, when Inuyasha was beginning to feel lightheaded
and dizzy because of the lack of water and food and the unnatural stillness of
the place, Sesshoumaru appeared before him.
“You see freedom,” Sesshoumaru told him quietly. “If you run away from me, you
run towards freedom.”
He walked up beside Inuyasha and turned to stare at the open valley. “This is
freedom.”
Inuyasha followed his gaze. It was a terrifying place. He wondered what the
purpose of such a place was, why the Lord of the West allowed it to exist.
“Do you want to be free?” Sesshoumaru asked.
The word sounded like a death knell and Inuyasha trembled.
Pushed to the limits with hunger and thirst and fear, Inuyasha’s eyes slowly
turned opaque. Thin, weak arms came up to wrap around his own body and Inuyasha
stood staring at the deep, deep valley; Sesshoumaru-sama had not permitted him
to look away from it.
When he answered, his voice sounded alien to his ears; raspy and broken. He
wished everything about him wasn’t so ugly. But his master had asked him a
question and the words had to be said.
“I want…to be of use to Sesshoumaru-sama. Sesshoumaru-sama must have what he
wants. Would it please Sesshoumaru-sama to set me free? I will be free if
Sesshoumaru-sama wishes it.”
 “Bare yourself,” Sesshoumaru ordered and Inuyasha’s hands obediently went to
his clothes, stripping them away methodically.
The wind beat harshly against his bare body and Inuyasha stood shivering, eyes
haunted.
A large hand pushed him down on the hard, rocky ground and Inuyasha stumbled to
his knees. Brambles and pebbles scrapped his knees and hands. Inuyasha didn’t
even notice.
Sesshoumaru’s weight landed on his back and Inuyasha gasped. This feeling –
warmth and security and safety -  it felt like he could breathe again.
Recognition slowly returned to dull eyes.
His trembling arms couldn’t bear the demon Lord’s weight for long. Inuyasha
collapsed on the cold ground. A large, warm hand landed heavily on his back and
Sesshoumaru hiked up the little ass under him; the hanyou’s thin hips were
small enough to fit in the palms of his hands.
The cool silk of the demon Lord’s hakama was soft and inviting against the hot,
sensitive skin of his ass and thighs. Inuyasha felt the warmth of the demon
Lord’s body radiating into him, warming him.
“Remember this,” Sesshoumaru said as he looked down at his massive cock against
the small insignificant ass and thrust deep inside the twitching little opening
before him.
Inuyasha had not been prepared; he hadn’t been taken by his master in days and
his master had not used any kind of lubricant.
Inuyasha screamed, his agony echoing in the vast valley.
“Remember freedom.”
Sesshoumaru’s voice sounded harsh, less human. Inuyasha revelled in the sound
of it, in his Master’s cruelty and his punishment. Sesshoumaru pulled in only
half-way, half his length buried in that tight little ass and thrust in
forcefully.
“Remember enslavement.”
Inuyasha closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing, on imprinting the
moment on his heart, of being stretched wide around his master’s girth, impaled
and torn open for his master’s pleasure.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the weak, sweaty body in front of him. The skin
under his palm was thin and dry; Inuyasha’s spine would break if he applied
just a little more pressure with his hand. His eyes glowed red with pleasure
and fury.
Inuyasha’s pupils dilated; he could feel the insides of his anal muscles
tearing. The intruder inside his ass was growing bigger – thicker and larger.
Inuyasha felt his most intimate muscles twitching helplessly, forced to give
way under the irresistible pressure by the exponentially stronger opponent.
The claws on his back were sharper and harder. Was it just his imagination or
did it feel more like a paw than a hand?
“Remember who and what you belong to,” Sesshoumaru commanded and tore into the
hanyou anew.
 Inuyasha whimpered. That voice -  it sounded gravelly, so deep, it did not
seem to belong to this world. The cock inside his ass pulled back and it felt
like his insides were being pulled with it. Inuyasha moaned, tried to wriggle
to get more comfortable. The hand – paw – on his back pressed down in warning,
held him immobile.
It didn’t feel like a fucking anymore. It felt like his master was stabbing
him, stabbing deep inside his body, reaching into places nobody had a right to
except the person to whom the body belonged.
The tight ring of his anal muscles quivered around the giant appendage.
Inuyasha could swear he felt the head of that monster cock in his stomach,
tearing him up, forcing him to make place for it where no place should have
existed.
The hanyou felt his consciousness narrow, centre on his ass and the muscles
inside it, on the large cock that was ripping him open from the inside. His
cock hardened from pleasure that was not of sensuous caresses on his skin but
of the moments when his Master’s blunt cockhead breached the inner-most walls
that protected him.
His legs gave out under him, splayed wide helplessly. Terrified, Inuyasha
turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder.
The achingly beautiful face of Sesshoumaru-sama was transformed into something
wild and predatory, mouth widened in a snarl that showed a row of ruthless
teeth that could tear anything to shreds.
They could tear him to shreds, devour him, Inuyasha realised; his cock was
painfully hard. This…this being fucking him right now, this monster punishing
him, was this the true form of Sesshoumaru-sama?
The demon Lord saw his victim turn to glance at him. Sesshoumaru lifted his
hand up from the hanyou’s back and slammed it down on his neck, grinding him
into the ground. Inuyasha gasped, his breath knocked out of his lungs.
The cock inside him found Inuyasha’s prostate and stilled against it.
Inuyasha’s back arched in a silent cry.
What was this feeling…this feeling of something pressed so intimately against
the bundle of nerves that gave him pleasure? It was against nature, for
something to penetrate so deep that it could rest against that spot inside of
him without having to move, without having to exert any kind of effort at all.
Sesshoumaru’s cock pressed casually against his prostate, as if he had every
right to open Inuyasha up this way and rest inside of him.
Weak hands scrabbled helplessly on the dry rocky ground. Inuyasha’s body
shuddered under the force of pleasure that threatened to make him fall apart.
Suddenly there was hot breath on his ears, on his exposed cheek. Inuyasha’s
eyes widened. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the glint of razor
sharp, ravening teeth.
“I want you like this for the rest of your life…Inuyasha.”
It was definitely not human, this voice that sounded like the earth and
thunder, settling itself in Inuyasha’s bones. The hanyou trembled; his eyes
flickered red. His own demon was making an appearance now. On the brink of
transformation, Inuyasha distantly thought that he could not remember a time he
hadn’t felt rage fill his entire being when his demon took over.
But he couldn’t feel it now. The beast within him was awakened but it was
docile, content to be dominated like this by the stronger male.
The demon Lord moved -  a slight, lazy, grinding movement inside the too full
ass. Amused, Sesshoumaru felt the body under him grow taut; he saw the hanyou
cum hard on the dirty ground.
It was a strange sensation, to feel both himself and his demon half; to feel
the presence of his beast and still be able to think.
Inuyasha’s last thought as darkness overtook his consciousness was, I can never
run away again.
He’d come so hard, he passed out, Sesshoumaru noted detachedly and pulled out
of the tight, hot heat under him. He allowed the limp body to fall into the
puddle of its own cum and sat back against a rock. Lazily, he spread his legs
and gripped his raging erection in his own hand; the small, thin form of his
hanyou was lying between his legs. Eyes trained on the tortured face in front
of him, Sesshoumaru revelled in his victory, in the breaking of his victim in a
way that the hapless boy would never be whole again.
He stroked the cock in his hand in firm, languid strokes, savouring the
pleasure, the blood pounding behind his eyes, the scent of the hanyou’s
distress, Inuyasha’s soul at his feet.
He came hard, allowing his cum to spurt all over his broken little slave.
___________________________________________________________________________
When Inuyasha came to, the first thing his sleepy mind registered was the
soft…something…on which he was sleeping, the flickering light of the fire and
the delicious heat it provided.
The hanyou stirred slowly without opening his eyes, conscious of every muscle
screaming in protest. He felt cosy and drugged with comfort and pleasure.
Sesshoumaru-sama’s scent was heavy in every breath he took. It was dark outside
and he was entirely too comfortable to move but his mind felt refreshed, like
he had slept soundly for a long time and he couldn’t help opening his eyes.
The arch of his puppy basket was the first thing he saw.
Wincing, Inuyasha sat up. He was grateful for the closeness to the fire; he was
naked under the sheets except for cold, heavy metal that he could feel around
his neck and throat.
Gingerly, he stepped out of the little basket that was his bed and looked down
at himself.
Black, green, blue, brown bruises littered his body. His knees and elbows were
scratched and bloody. Dirt from the hard, dry ground on which he’d been taken,
clung to his body. He was badly in need of a shower but he didn’t want to take
one.
Inuyasha blushed bright red; his body was still covered in his Master’s dried
cum. It had dried on him, all over his body and face and hair. Inuyasha limped
closer to the fire and revelled in the feeling – the degradation of being
covered in another’s spunk, the honor of being marked by his master, the safe,
secure feeling of being away from the hellish place.
His clothes were draped over the side of his basket and slowly, careful of the
still raw injuries, Inuyasha dressed himself. The stretch of his skin under the
clothes where the dried cum remained was his secret thrill.
The massive doors to Sesshoumaru’s chambers opened and the demon Lord walked in
calmly.
Inuyasha hastened to kneel and bow as Sesshoumaru seated himself in his
favourite huge arm chair and opened up the pile of papers he had to look
through for the day.
After a few moments, Inuyasha sat up; the rug under him was soft but there was
still a sharp, throbbing pain in his ass when he tried to sit on it.
Unconsciously, Inuyasha’s fingers went to the metal band around his throat.
“It is your new collar.”
Inuyasha looked up at the sound of his Master’s voice. Sesshoumaru’s eyes were
on the papers he was slowly leafing through.
Inuyasha moved his head experimentally. It was heavy; it made itself known with
every movement he tried to make. It took an effort to raise his head up. The
collar threatened to bring his neck low if he did not expend the effort to keep
it up.
“Thank you, Master,” Inuyasha whispered head lowered. He felt content and
ecstatic and light and frightened all at once.
The demon Lord continued his work without bothering to acknowledge the thanks.
Everything was silent for a while except the soft sound of the embers in the
fire. Inuyasha tried to remain silent, tried not to bother his Master. There
was something he wanted to ask, needed to ask but he didn’t want to interrupt
the demon Lord. Restlessly, he fidgeted with the hem of his red fire-rat haori.
“Master,” he blurted out finally, when the question wouldn’t remain in anymore.
“M-master is not angry with me? Master is not going to throw me away…?”
His answer was a boot on his back. Inuyasha gasped in surprise as he fell
forward on his stomach, the demon Lord’s boot pressing him casually into the
floor in punishment.
“Don’t be stupid, puppy,” Sesshoumaru murmured, not looking up from the sheet
of paper in his hand.
Under his boot, Inuyasha turned to look at him and laughed.
He was still after that, content to remain on his stomach and idly trace the
shadows thrown by the fire while his master finished his work. The weight on
his back was soothing, comforting. The knowledge that he was being of some
slight use to his Master as his footrest, while he worked, without being a
hindrance was a source of joy and contentment. Inuyasha smiled widely, chin
propped up on his one hand while the other played with strands of the rug.
As for Sesshoumaru, he found the paperwork was significantly less tedious today
with the warm, squirming puppy under his boot.
 
THE END
===============================================================================
 
A/N: The sequel to this story is Kintsukuroi, where Inuyasha is grown-up and
the age that he is in the anime.
 
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