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And You, My Brother	By : Arianawray Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 15027 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
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Chapter XVI: Let him fear this
For the first time in a long while, Shippo was alone in an unfamiliar forest, frightened and miserable. Every fibre of his little demon being screamed out to his brain to turn around and go back to the village, even as he raced further and further from it. He was not a naturally brave kit, and his eyes kept filling with tears of apprehension as he alternately dashed along the ground or took to the trees, but he refused to beat a retreat from the task he had set himself.
He was going to find Sesshomaru.
He was nowhere near as fast as Inuyasha, but he was developing an excellent nose, and could track scents better now than he had been able to a year ago. Sesshomaru was adept at disguising his scent and youki when he chose – or to let himself be detected from miles away when he swung into "intimidate and terrify" mode – but he nonetheless had distinctive signature vibes that Shippo was very familiar with. He told himself that he would find him somehow.
He had made that decision after Kohaku arrived, when he realised that with Kirara unable to fly, none of his human friends could possibly track the taiyoukai. It was up to him. He could not tell them, or they would try to stop him. And he wanted them to know too that he could be as brave and resourceful as Kohaku. So he had left a badly scrawled note tied to the tree in which he and Inuyasha often rested, and slipped away from the village.
The kitsune had been on his own for two whole days now, and already dodged a few beasts looking for easy food deep in the forests. He curled up inside hollow logs to sleep for a while on both afternoons, but went on his way once the sun began to set. The hours of darkness were an important time to stay alert to avoid becoming someone else's meal, for demon activity was much higher at night.
He was starting to pick up Sesshomaru's scent more strongly now, as he moved towards the eastern coast. The dog demon had obviously spent a lot of time on the ground investigating scents and tracking leads. The clearer trail helped him pick up speed, and he soon figured that it was leading north-east. Although he lost the trail a few times, probably when Sesshomaru took to the air on Ah-Un or on his own steam, the general direction of his passage was clear, so he pressed on.
I'm so scared, he kept hearing his own voice say in his head, though he tried to ignore it. I wish this was back in the past when everyone was around, and Kagome would always protect me even when she could barely protect herself. And Inuyasha may have hit me a lot, but he always kept me safe from real harm, so I can't just let him disappear like that without trying to help… but I'm so scared….
Still, he reminded himself that if this were the past, that would mean Naraku wouldn't be gone yet, and they would all be fighting to save everything they held dear from corruption. I mustn't make such wishes, he reminded himself. We've learnt that wishes do come true, so I mustn't make them carelessly….
He could smell reptiles now. He guessed he must be out of neutral forest territory and getting close to the lands which, if he remembered correctly, were claimed by some of the lizard youkai clans.
Shippo did not like lizards. Or dragons, although Ah-Un seemed safe enough. Or snakes. Or… oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, what was that…?
He froze as he sensed something near him, something large, and looked around frantically to see which way he should go to avoid it. Nothing in all directions on the forest floor, so….
With a mounting sense of dread, he looked up, and directly above him against the darkening sky was an enormous snake demon draped over a tree, viewing him hungrily through a pair of red eyes.
"Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr!!!!" Shippo yelled in fright, leaping aside as it came striking down towards the ground, just missing him.
The kitsune fled for his life, running as fast as his little legs would carry him, using his small size to his advantage by ducking through, under and around thick brush, fallen branches, trunks and anything that could provide cover. He tried distracting it with a few hastily thrown tricks and a burst of fox fire, but the snake was quick and flexible, seemingly impossible to shake.
He whimpered as he ran on, dodging the great slithering shape behind him, his mind choked by the terror of venomous fangs, forked tongues and slippery scales, barely knowing which direction he was tearing in now – it would be his sheer dumb luck if he was still heading the right way – he couldn't keep up this pace – he was going to die a horrible death alone – why had he ever come out here – who did he think he was that he could find Sesshomaru, who was terrifying enough all by himself anyway, and….
The snake towered over him – he saw the looming shadow each time he glanced back – ready to strike. Shippo let out another loud cry, more tears streaming down his face, and tried to pick up speed to make it to that next clump of undergrowth just over there –
Something else loomed up ahead, and for a moment, he wasn't sure if he ought to be just as scared of it despite it being the object of his mission. It was Sesshomaru, sword drawn, glaring coldly at the scene, seemingly as displeased to see him as he was to see the snake. But better the devil he knew, Shippo thought, and shamelessly dashed around to hide behind the taiyoukai's legs as the snake surged forward. Further back, he could see Ah-Un and Jaken watching from among the trees, but couldn't find the strength to run over to them.
He crouched on the ground behind Sesshomaru, chest heaving, heart racing, as the dog demon slew the snake in one easy stroke, without even moving his feet from the spot. The reptile youkai, slashed open from neck to midsection, reared back one last time before collapsing bonelessly onto the forest floor.
Once it was dead, Shippo started sobbing in sheer relief, and also because he remembered why he had come. He truly didn't know if Sesshomaru would bother to help Inuyasha, as his experience of the taiyoukai for ever so long had been that of a being who thought himself too superior to care about others; the kinder personality Shippo had seen recently had not been in force long enough for him to believe deep in his heart that he had changed that much. His wild imagination was already playing scenes of Sesshomaru coldly asking him why he should be troubled if his stupid hanyou half-brother chose to get himself tossed into wells.
What Sesshomaru asked as Shippo stared up at him through his tears, however, was: "What are you doing here? Are you by yourself?" He sounded angry.
Shippo saw the taiyoukai sniff the air to determine that no one else was nearby, but he could not speak, because he was crying so hard.
"No one is with you? What made you come all the way out here alone?"
"I – Inu – Inuyasha's disappeared!" Shippo finally pushed the words out between his choking sobs. "Th – the apparition pushed him into the well and h – he's disappeared – he's been taken by the warlock!"
Shippo could not see any change on Sesshomaru's face – the taiyoukai looked as annoyed as he had at the start – but he saw those golden eyes flash with a reaction that might have been anything from irritation to rage, and for a few seconds he had no idea whether he was angry at being bothered by such a small matter, miffed that his sword was dirty with snake youkai blood, or absolutely enraged that Inuyasha was missing.
"Miroku caught the apparition, but it can't answer their questions, and no one knows where Inuyasha is," the kitsune went on in sheer desperation and panic. "It's been five days since he fell into the well…"
Shippo suddenly felt himself scooped up clear off the ground in one sweep by a single pale, long-fingered hand and carried over to Ah-Un in a second, even before he registered what was happening. He was sure Sesshomaru had never so much as touched him before, much less lifted him up. That was when he knew that he was going to help – that he cared about Inuyasha, and was furious that someone might harm him. In fact, he could have sworn the taiyoukai was all but panicking, if it was possible for one such as him to panic.
Sesshomaru deposited Shippo behind him on the dragon, while Jaken, who seemed to have the good sense for once to hold his tongue, sat further behind, clinging to the length of white fur.
"Hold on to my sash unless you want to fall off and fly all the way back by yourself," the dog demon told the fox.
"A – All right," Shippo stammered, gripping Sesshomaru's yellow and purple sash where it crossed his waist at the back.
As Ah-Un soared skyward, Sesshomaru questioned Shippo. "This happened five days ago? The day after I left?"
"Yes. Only Inuyasha knew how to track you, so we waited and hoped you would come back soon. But when you didn't return by the third afternoon, I set off to look for you." Shippo started crying again as he thought of how he had warned Inuyasha not to follow the apparition.
"Stop crying, kit," Sesshomaru ordered firmly, in a tight voice. "You did well to find me."
Does he really care about Inuyasha? Shippo wondered as he stifled his sobs. Is that why he's so upset? Or is he just furious that all this happened while his back was turned?
He didn't know. But Ah-Un was going very fast now, and surely all this speed and haste could only be for the sake of someone Sesshomaru cared for. A lot.
** *** **
"He's not going to be any good to me dead, you know," Kinrin told Tatsuya, as he looked at Inuyasha curled up and coughing in the cage, dressed only in his hakama. "Your spells have suppressed his half-demon strength so much that he's probably not healing as he normally would. You'd better make sure he stays warm."
Inuyasha, feeling like something the cat had dragged in, eaten and regurgitated, didn't care at this point if he sickened further, as long as the pervert kept his hands off him. Fortunately, the state he was in seemed to have deterred the demon from trying to touch him again.
Kinrin left the den in what looked very much like a foul mood, immediately after which the sorcerer used his staff to shift the cage to a warmer part of the den, stuffed the rest of Inuyasha's clothes back in through the bars, and lowered the intensity of the spells which kept the hanyou in check.
With no daylight ever visible in the den, and his having slipped in and out of consciousness so many times, Inuyasha had no idea how long he had been held here. But it had been days, surely. He was feverish, and his entire body ached from the illness taking hold of him. Everything hurt as he slowly pulled on the nagajuban and suikan that had been returned to him. The hakama underlayer would have to wait, for the effort of donning his upper garments alone left him prone on the slab, breathless. He had also not put on his hadajuban yet; it remained clutched in his right hand.
He did, however, gradually start to feel a bit better as he got warmer and the spells were eased – though he would rather stay ill if it meant that Kinrin would leave him alone. The demon had not molested him since he had stroked, pinched and probed him as he lay chained to the cage, for he had fallen much sicker after that. Feeling safer now with more clothes on, despite knowing it was a false security, he tried to focus on how to get out of here.
But the sorcerer was at his cage, shoving some meat and water at him. He sat up and forced himself to eat and drink, knowing that he must keep his strength up if he was ever to escape – or better yet, slice the heads of these two twisted bastards off their bloody necks. Tatsuya also tossed a few herbs into the cage.
"Eat those. They'll help you feel better. Don't worry, I wouldn't dare poison you – not when Kinrin-sama wants you as healthy as possible."
He chewed the bitter herbs and swallowed, and Tatsuya even gave him more water to help him wash them down.
"Don't think you'll put him off for long with your illness. If he hasn't been here much in the last two days it's because he's busy with his plans, and besides, he hasn't been very well himself," the sorcerer murmured. "Oh, I can see it in your eyes – your disgust with him – but he's been through a lot, you know."
Oh, that's hilarious. Telling me your scummy master has been through a lot when he's the one keeping me in a cage and groping my butt, Inuyasha growled inwardly. Yet, it would be useful to learn about any weaknesses of Kinrin's, so he listened quietly as Tatsuya went on, indulging his love of hearing his own voice.
"He was a powerful half-dragon demon, among a small number most likely to succeed Ryukotsusei," Tatsuya said. "You must have heard of Ryukotsusei."
Inuyasha kept a neutral countenance, but his spell-clouded mind cleared a little at the mention of the taiyoukai dragon his father had sealed to a cliff so many years ago, and whom he himself had fairly recently slain after Naraku undid the seal. Obviously, neither Kinrin nor Tatsuya had any idea that the hanyou they held prisoner was the one who had put Ryukotsusei to the sword, or they would have mentioned it, considering Kinrin's ties to the ruling dragon youkai.
"Things held steady for two hundred years while Ryukotsusei remained under a seal, and the dragon youkai shared power while trying to find ways to undo the seal and bring Ryukotsusei back. Kinrin-sama was among the leading lights of the clan, despite his lizard blood, and I was his secret weapon for the last twenty years, giving him spells and power that offered him an advantage. But one day, word came that Ryukotsusei had not only had the seal on him removed, but had been slain for good. An internal power struggle broke out. Kinrin-sama was betrayed and so badly wounded that he nearly died. Fortunately, I was able to save him. I had to put spells on him just to keep him alive. His body was ruined, and the only thing keeping him going was his desire for revenge. The only spell I could craft quickly enough to not only save him but also restore his strength required him to consume spirits that fed on emotions, so I trapped several and used them to sustain and heal him. Somehow, the spirits that worked best in harmony with the spells at repairing his broken body were the ones that fed off despair and unhappiness, and after he recovered, we found that he had developed a need for the essence of despair. He has almost fully recovered his strength, but I believe his need for the potions will go on for a long time yet."
"Need?" Inuyasha muttered. "You mean his addiction."
Tatsuya said angrily: "Until you have been that broken and found the only thing that would make you heal, then ended up dependent on it, don't judge him."
"I'll judge him as I please. So he's addicted to some stupid misery drug. What the fuck has that to do with his touching me like the pervert he is?"
The sorcerer seemed torn between defending Kinrin to Inuyasha, and taunting the hanyou about his impending fate before settling for the latter by saying nastily: "That's another kind of need, or preference, shall we say. I humour him whenever I can, because I know he always turns back to me when he's tired of his playthings. He'll weary of you once he's broken your spirit – he will, I assure you. And he'll only release you when you're dead or mad. I suppose I'll see the back of you then, and you of me. Before he amuses himself with you, however, he'll be wreaking his revenge on the dragons. Once we've put that in motion, he'll have all the time he likes to do whatever he wants with you, half-breed. So you'd better stay alive and healthy until then. I would hate to see him disappointed if you should die before he has his fun with you."
He got up and left the den, and Inuyasha knew that he would have to get out of here quickly before that grimy-souled demon turned his attention back to him. The sorcerer was telling him things he had previously insisted were none of his business, and clearly not caring to keep too much secret any more. That could only mean that he did not expect Inuyasha to leave alive, or at least not in any condition in which he would be useful to anyone else, ever again.
Inuyasha had never been one to give up even when all seemed lost, but the sickness and magic were getting to him, making it hard to maintain his usual brashness and bravado. He had tried, but nothing had worked. Whenever he'd been left alone and conscious in the den, he had attempted to damage the cage bars, reach for objects to use as tools, and summon Tetsusaiga to him, but nothing had cracked or moved. The sword had failed to respond. The spells were suppressing his half-demon strength, his ability to communicate with Tetsusaiga, and the healing processes of his body. He felt even weaker than he did on new-moon nights. Kaede could probably thrash him in a fist fight right now.
Languishing like this was unacceptable. He imagined the earful Sesshomaru would give him – in all likelihood along with another dose of the whip – if he saw him like this. He would have to find the fight in him again quickly, to make it out of here. Only it all looked so hopeless that his battling spirit felt swamped by pessimism.
He clutched the lapels of his suikan and pulled them tightly over one another, as if wrapping himself up more snugly could ward off danger and harm. He still had not put on his hadajuban; it was one of the two Sesshomaru had given him, and he just wanted to hold it for a while. The other undershirt was back at Kaede's, wrapped in a cloth bundle along with a few things Kagome had left behind. He wished he was back in the hut now; he wished he was safe in Kagome's time, in her room; he wished he was safe in Sesshomaru's arms.
Inuyasha curled up on his side again, pressed his face to the undershirt, and soon drifted into a natural sleep, drawing comfort from the fabric which was suffused with Sesshomaru's scent mingling with his own.
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And You, My Brother