Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Sedition	By : BlackberryPatch Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 5561 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and no money is being made from this fan work.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
4 - I Hear the Voices Say

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Inuyasha stepped beyond the treeline, his senses already alert. He was aware of what was ahead of them, but hadn't alerted his companion; when Taian, walking in front of him, saw the three demons in the clear area before her Inuyasha smelled the sudden spike of her fear. She pushed past it and fell into a battle ready state easily, drawing her wakizashi while her other hand lingered on the hilt of her katana. Inuyasha touched the hilt of his own sword but let his hand fall away from Tetsusaiga for the moment, his eyes already taking in the potential of the situation. He paused beside Taian. "Stay with me," he murmured as he moved past her, taking the lead.
His eyes were drawn to Sesshomaru, where the demon stood locked eye to eye with a female demon who had a powerful aura. Inuyasha could feel the tendrils of the energy that licked around the pair and spread out, over the clearing and up to the edges of the trees, and he was decidedly not pleased to have returned to be caught in the middle of this behavior he had seen echoed before. He remembered, uncomfortably, his and Sesshomaru's first meeting with Chernobog and how that particular game of words and conduct had turned against him.
But... something was different this time. His brother was tense and held himself sharply, as if he couldn't quite suppress the anger boiling out of himself, and there was a sudden and inexplicable knowledge breathing in the back of Inuyasha's mind, a connection to something larger than himself, and somehow, he understood – understood far more than he had that first time, and more than he would have given himself credit for understanding even with the experience he had now.
Of the two strange demons, the female demon was the only threat – the one who stood eyes locked with his brother. She had come here eager for blood, but was patient and would wait upon opportunity; there would be no tripping her up in this game. Inuyasha's attention drifted to the other demon and he was certain, without knowing how, that the demon with the silver-blue hair, who stood close and watched the pair, would side with Sesshomaru. His support wasn't enough to make the female back down, but at least he wasn't a potential threat. The blue haired demon was looking at Inuyasha now, interest in his expression. Inuyasha was sure he'd never met the other demon before; there was a spark of familiarity but Inuyasha's attention drifted back to the female as he paced around the trio. He could feel her power; her strength wasn't quite matched to Sesshomaru's, but she was old and with that age came cunning. That made her more dangerous.
He was circling around them, Taian close behind him. The young human's fear was apparently gone, except for the fingers of her hand showing bone white in their grip on her short sword.
He knew Sesshomaru had seen him, knew he was there, but his brother hadn't actually looked at him yet. There was something brittle about the way Sesshomaru was standing, as if something had been eating away at the cool strength he usually projected. The demon appeared close to dropping the facade of disinterest he normally prized, and from that Inuyasha knew his brother was more deeply affected by recent events than he'd let on. Inuyasha felt anger flare in himself in response to the situation; the anger covered his concern.
The clearing was deathly silent, even birds and cicadas having removed themselves from the vicinity. The demon with the pale blue hair was looking him up and down unabashedly and finally broke the silence. "Inuyasha," he said, a grin pulling at his mouth and dancing in his silver eyes. "You must be Inuyasha."
The female demon snarled softly at the words, her lips rising to reveal impressive teeth. She looked like there were a few things she would have liked to add, but her eyes were locked with Sesshomaru's and she remained silent. Sesshomaru's own fangs were bared to the root as if in challenge to her silence and his fingers twitched, glowing with poison.
"Yeah," Inuyasha finally answered the blue haired demon. He would have been cautious to speak, but his understanding threaded through him. He let his eyes flicker away from his brother and the female demon to settle on the third demon. "You are?" he demanded.
"Hotaru," the demon answered. He nodded politely, but continued to stare rather impolitely until Inuyasha caught his eye and held it until the other demon looked away, stepping back in submission.
"You are more craven than I had thought Hotaru, if you answer to such as that." The female demon finally spoke, her voice dripping with acid. Sesshomaru snarled; she took a half step back, but her hand came up defensively and she held her ground.
Hotaru grinned, the expression full of irreverence. "Is it craven to acknowledge you recognize those who are your betters? If that is true, then you Nanshoku have most certainly never been craven." He slipped behind Inuyasha so that Inuyasha was closer to the tense pair, and about halfway between them as he circled from the forest toward the fortress.
He was connected to the world that whispered around him in a way he'd never felt before, and Inuyasha marveled at how he could tell by the way Taian tensed behind him that Hotaru was giving her a look over as well. He shifted slightly, reaching back to place a hand on her shoulder, his eyes never leaving his brother. Hotaru was an ally, for what that was worth, but he wasn't enough- there was something above the other demon going on here, and if it wasn't stopped things were going to get bloody, fast. The half demon could feel Sesshomaru's patience worn down to the quick and burning with focused rage. Inuyasha felt suddenly another powerful demon still within the trees, watching them; his own eyes were fixed on Sesshomaru so he saw his brother's head come up slightly, his eyes narrowing intently, as if he had only just realized that particular bit of information the same moment that Inuyasha himself had.
His thoughts followed over each other quickly; Nanshoku was still responding to Hotaru's comments, her voice dripping with scorn and her manner suggesting she was unaware of their watcher. "You think I too should bow to this dog and his human toys?"
Hotaru laughed. He had stopped looking at Taian, shifting his attention back to Nanshoku. "Far be it from me to cast aspersions upon those who keep such company. I leave it to yourself, and others convinced so devoutly of their superiority."
The tension increased until Inuyasha thought his head might explode from the weight of it. Sesshomaru was so still he might as well have been carved from stone; Nanshoku was tense as well, muscles standing out all along her body. At this point any movement was a response to the situation and would be responded to in kind.
The knowledge was whispering in the back of his head and Inuyasha continued to pace steadily around the pair. He was making a descent sized circle around them, but as he got closer to Sesshomaru the circle tightened until he was standing behind his brother. His fingers curled around Tetsusaiga's hilt – he was angled to the left so that if he drew the sword across his body it would sweep over the female demon first – and he looked past Sesshomaru's shoulder, his gaze meeting Nanshoku's eyes.
She stepped back.
Nanshoku snarled suddenly, her eyes flashing redly, as if she had moved without realizing that she had done so, but it was too late. Sesshomaru relaxed, the tension visibly leaving him, and dropped his hand from its ready position to smirk at her. "Go, Nanshoku," he advised her, speaking for the first time.
She hissed in defiance but retreated another step, then another. Inuyasha stepped up, closer to his brother, and Sesshomaru turned to him, reaching out to place his hand possessively against the back of the half demon's neck, his fingers curling in Inuyasha's hair as he lightly pulled the half demon toward him and murmured, his voice soft and wondering, "Inuyasha." Unsure as to what caused that precise tone in his brother's voice, Inuyasha was about to respond when something thrilled along the knowledge in the back of his mind and pulled his attention back to the rest of the world. Whatever it was, Sesshomaru felt it too; his hand fell from Inuyasha's neck and he leaned back, giving them both more room to move in preparation for an attack.
Two shapes materialized at the edge of the forest, moving toward where the group already stood, their movements determined. Inuyasha eyed them; neither was the powerful presence he had felt watching earlier. As they came closer their features became clearer and Sesshomaru snarled as the wind changed and brought the pair's scent toward the group waiting. Inuyasha's gaze flickered to his brother questioningly.
"The girl – Sango's girl," Sesshomaru responded, his voice filled with disgust and anger. "The taller one, he is responsible."
Inuyasha felt his own lip curl. "Sango said her name was Yoko. And Chiyo, Kirara's kin."
Nanshoku had drifted back to the edge of the trees but she lingered, watching the approaching pair. The powerful demon that Inuyasha could sense but not see had drifted closer, to the other side of the clearing from Nanshoku, and Inuyasha looked surreptitiously in that direction hoping to catch sight of the demon.
Sesshomaru followed his glance in the direction of the powerful aura and identified the demon to Inuyasha. "Gaiko," he observed dryly. "He is from the south, and is the least of our worries." Inuyasha snorted at that declaration and Sesshomaru smirked, real amusement in his expression for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to the approaching pair.
Of the pair, the taller one walked before his companion. He was fair haired, broad shouldered, and carried a glaive in one gloved hand. The polearm was roughly the same height as he was; though the height of such weapons was variable, it meant he wasn't only tall but probably taller even than Sesshomaru. The closer he got the more obvious it became that he was extremely pissed off about something. He halted across from them and raised his free hand to point a shaking finger at Sesshomaru, ignoring Inuyasha. "My Hina," he said, His voice shook as well, with repressed anger, and his accent was strange. "You killed my Hina."
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow laconically. He was much more laid back that he had been in the confrontation with Nanshoku, his own anger more tightly controlled than his opponent's, and Inuyasha wondered why. For some reason the knowledge in the back of his head wasn't being as helpful with this guy as it had been with Nanshoku and while he could feel that this demon was perhaps more physically powerful than the female demon, that certainly wasn't telling him why Sesshomaru seemed more confident going in to this interchange.
Sesshomaru hadn't responded to the accusation for long moments, but finally moved himself to speak. "I do not know anyone called Hina," he replied, boredom in his voice.
The demon snarled in rage. "She was beautiful, my Hina! A powerful seer. Two nights ago one who commands the power of this realm crept up upon her, sneaking like a human powerless to attack in the open, and my Hina was slain."
Inuyasha realized suddenly that this demon must be talking about the demon Ros had killed the other night. That meant there was a good chance that this demon was another of Idachi's lieutenants. Sesshomaru's suddenly amused smirk said that he had realized the same. "Ah yes," he said, his voice smooth now and dangerously silky. "You may consider your Hina taken in repayment for the ones called Yoko and Chiyo."
The demon obviously did not recognize the names but he was beyond caring. "I, Idachi, challenge you, murderer, for the right to rule this land."
Inuyasha blinked. This? This was Idachi, the ringleader? He frowned and tried to catch his brother's eye, but Sesshomaru was looking only at Idachi and there was a glint of red rage in his eyes that made Inuyasha's blood run cold. "If you are Idachi," Sesshomaru said, his voice as cold as the smile that spread slowly across his face, both belied by the hot rage Inuyasha could feel emanating from him, "then there is more than the dead unfinished between the two of us."
Idachi's shadowy companion made himself know for the first time since following the taller demon into the clearing by his sudden movement in his attempt to put some space between himself and the brewing battle. He slunk back to the treeline where he, and Nanshoku, hovered, the two demons sparing moments to eye each other warily.
Inuyasha growled under his breath. He didn't like this; there was something going on here, something more than Idachi's stated motive. That, on top of Sesshomaru's nearly unbridled rage worried him. His brother turned to him and briefly met his eyes and the knowledge in the back of Inuyasha's head flowed with a sudden rush of insight. He realized that Sesshomaru was aware of what Inuyasha suspected and was prepared for possible surprises. It occurred to Inuaysha for the first time that somehow Sesshomaru and the sudden font of knowledge were connected. He pulled back from the impending battle himself, slightly more at ease with the situation. Sesshomaru's nearness to losing control still bothered him, but there was really no way of stopping this fight without doing more harm than good.
He fell back to where Taian had retreated near the door to the fortress, her back against the rock face as she watched the demons around her warily. Hotaru had retreated with her but they had been joined by two other demons: Ros and one whose name Inuyasha didn't know but who must be one of her soldiers. Taian looked relieved when Inuyasha came to stand near her and he smirked inwardly.
Ros was shaking her head in disgust as she watched the two demons circle each other in the suddenly cleared area. "Months of hunting for the damned rebels; he shows up and not a day later they're throwing themselves at his feet. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered."
Inuyasha laughed shortly, his attention mostly on his brother. "Like Jaken would have let you get away with that. And to be fair, he's here because you killed his girlfriend."
She chuckled softly. "Well then," she said, mollified.
She didn't offer to introduce the silent soldier at her elbow and Inuyasha didn't ask. Idachi made his first move and all of the half demon's attention was suddenly focused on the battle before him.
He wouldn't have really said he was worried about his brother. To worry would have implied that he was actively considering that Sesshomaru could do anything other than win this fight. But the combination of the hot rage and the cold glint in Sesshomaru's expression, plus all the watchers' eyes he could feel focused on his brother, was enough to make him restless. Inuyasha could feel the violence emanating from the watching circle echoing back from his brother's icy face and he had a hard time staying still as he also watched.
The pair had circled each other for a short moment but soon stopped, each demon standing across from the other in the long grass. Idachi's glaive rested easily at guard, held in a loose and confident one handed grip at the demon's side, as if Idachi was waiting for Sesshomaru to draw his sword and strike so that the other demon could parry it with his own weapon. Sesshomaru meanwhile stood easily, relaxed, his attention on his opponent – but almost lazily so, as if Idachi represented some strange curiosity that he should find interesting but couldn't bring himself to care why.
Finally impatient, Idachi struck first. He moved forward quickly, stepping to the side and taking the glaive in a two handed grip to swing the butt end of it at Sesshomaru, forcing him to move, sidestepping the heavy handle of the weapon and stepping into the path of the blade as Idachi twisted the weapon around, switching the leading end of the pole weapon with inhuman speed.
Though inhuman, his speed was still no match for Sesshomaru, who sidestepped the blade with a suddenly awakened energy, placing his own hand on the long pole of the handle and yanking it toward him, pulling Idachi off balance. His eyes were narrowed into slits and bright with revealed rage as Sesshomaru raised his free hand and stabbed two clawed fingers straight up through the bottom of the other demon's lower jaw, curled them forward and ripped Idachi's jaw from his face.
Idachi stumbled back, eyes wide in pain and shock, blood coursing down his chest as he gasped for breath. His hands spasmodically released their grip on his weapon and it fell to the ground as he stumbled again and fell to his knees. Sesshomaru advanced on him, expression intent, and, gripping the remains of Idachi's jaw in his other hand, ripped the demon's head from his body with a quick, powerful jerk. The squelching tear of vertebrae parting echoed through the silent clearing.
Sesshomaru held the dripping head for a moment before he dropped the macabre trophy where he stood and turned away. He swept his glaring eyes over the forest edge where Nanshoku and Idachi's companion had lingered, though both demons had disappeared from sight, and walked back to where Inuyasha waited, with the demons and humans grouped silently there.
Inuyasha watched his brother's face carefully. He heard a soft human voice exclaim in fear behind him; his nose told him that Rin had joined the audience, but it was Taian's voice he had heard. Rin was silent. Inuyasha turned to her. She was still wearing his haori and her face was undisturbed as she watched Sesshomaru walk toward them. She felt Inuyasha's eyes upon her and turned to give him a quick smile before her eyes rested curiously on Taian.
"Rin," Inuyasha said casually. His own attention was back on his brother. "Why don't you take Taian inside. Find her a room; she'll be staying with us awhile."
He felt Rin nod and heard Taian's whispered oath, denouncing him for getting her into this mess, and they were gone.
Sesshomaru was standing before him now. The demon exuded an unfiltered rage; his eyes were bright with golden-red fire, and his breathing was slightly ragged. His eyes passed over those who waited and the other demons immediately dropped their own eyes. Hotaru slipped away; Ros bowed her head, her body stiff as she refused to raise her gaze from the ground but also refused to bow further, and the soldier beside her dropped to his knees. Lastly, Sesshomaru turned his burning gaze on Inuyasha challengingly, but Inuyasha only stared back at him insolently. He felt the anger in Sesshomaru burn at him, but it was the same anger he'd felt from his brother yesterday and this time he was prepared for it. He knew it wasn't directed at him – he shared it; and there was the knowledge in the back of his mind telling him that Sesshomaru needed someone to check him, to give him a guided outlet for the emotion before it evaded all control and exploded into senseless violence, such as lesser demons were given to. Sesshomaru's rage at finding his authority challenged so underhandedly was just, and his annoyance with the sudden overabundance of nosy neighbors was also justified; what he needed now was Inuyasha to temper him. There wasn't anything Inuyasha could think of that he wouldn't do for his brother, so he held the demon's gaze.
The demon's burning eyes softened and he sighed, stepping closer to Inuyasha and merely standing beside him, breathing in his scent.
Ros and her soldier both relaxed slightly when Sesshomaru did, but Ros suddenly tensed again, her eyes on something behind them, and both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru turned their eyes to the forest edge. A huge black stag stood there, watching them. He was obviously demonic by his size, though the redly glowing eyes also revealed the presence of a transformed demon. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the other demon; this was the Gaiko he had felt earlier, that Sesshomaru had named the least threat. And when the stag saw that they had noticed him, he only shook his broad antlers. His eyes seemed to rest on Inuyasha for a moment, his manner evaluative and contemptuous, before he turned and disappeared into the forest.
Sesshomaru snarled under his breath; his hands curled again into fists and he turned and swept into the fortress without a word.
Inuyasha sighed softly and moved to follow him, but Ros touched his arm and he turned back to her.
"I'm leaving," she said without preamble. "I've discussed it already with Sesshomaru and my troop is already formed up around back. This is Radomir; he's staying." She gestured unnecessarily to the demon kneeling at her side and he bowed his head to Inuyasha. Ros turned to leave but hesitated again. "Call for me, if you need to." Her eyes flickered to the doorway Sesshomaru had disappeared through. There was a look in her eyes that said she knew more than a bit about what was pissing her cousin off so much, but she turned again and walked away before Inuyasha could work up the desire to question her about it.
"Get up," he said to Radomir tiredly and gestured vaguely toward the fortress. "Find yourself a room. Whatever reason you're here for will have to wait till later."
Radomir stood but bowed his head to the half demon. "As you say, my lord."
Inuyasha felt his skin crawl at the address; he wanted to challenge it, but there was something about the knowledge in the back of his head that told him not to, and, most importantly, all he wanted to do at the moment was find his brother. He forgot about Radomir and followed Sesshomaru into the fortress.
He followed the echo of frustrated rage more than his brother's scent and traced it easily back to one of his own favorite retreats in the fortress – through their own room to what the half demon had come to think of as the sunrise porch. He slipped out of the enclosed stone stairway and stepped out onto the small balcony, leaning against the stone wall for a moment to regard his brother.
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Sesshomaru stood at the edge of the stone, feeling it and air beneath him, both equally firm beneath his feet. Power swirled up through him, all of it brought by and focused around his anger. He raised his face to the late morning sun, and let its warmth fall over him. He tried to let it wash away the rage that burned inside him, but found he could not let it go. It would fade away, then rebound against something deep inside him and be back full force.
He shivered with the power of it licking over his skin. He used to have more control.
He stood still in the sunlight and tried to let his thoughts quiet, but, gradually, became aware of a soft, steady thrumming in the back of his mind. He prodded it mentally and was unsurprised when it filled him with a sudden flow of warmth. He opened his eyes and turned his head to find Inuyasha leaning against the rough hewn rock face behind him.
His brother was watching him with deceptively lazy eyes which became more focused as Sesshomaru turned to meet Inuyasha's gaze. The demon's rage had simmered lower but was still present, and perhaps hotter for it. He moved toward Inuyasha with a sudden motion and reached out to touch his brother's hair. Really, they should talk; there was so much they needed to speak on – the truth Ros had revealed to him seemed just the tip of it. It was difficult to remember that, but as Sesshomaru felt the soft flare of caution over the anger that threaded through him darkly he pulled back, reluctant to touch his brother.
"Inuyasha," he said warningly, but his brother looked at him from under half lowered lids and Sesshomaru found himself leaning closer and scenting along his brother's neck despite his reluctance. "Inuyasha," he tried again, "There is... much I need to tell you." Inuyasha leaned into him slightly and Sesshomaru growled softly. "I find that my... desire is not for words." He leaned closer, baring his teeth against his brother's shoulder and said almost desperately, "Inuyasha."
The half demon chuckled, the sound dark and deep in his throat. "Give it to me," he said, his voice heavy with knowledge. "Whatever you want."
Sesshomaru shivered. He didn't know how his brother seemed so attuned to what the thing that filled him said it needed, but he stopped trying to hold himself back and seized his brother by the nape of the neck, pushing him face first to the floor. The demon growled and felt the power ripple up through him, his anger at being defied and challenged focused on the body beneath him and he spread himself over it, dominating, biting fiercely into the half demon's unprotected shoulder, his teeth sinking though cloth and into flesh. This was his, and no one would tell him what he was to do with it or take it from him.
Inuyasha made a soft sound of protest beneath him but didn't struggle and Sesshomaru pressed himself down, claws tangled in silver hair as he jerked the half demon's head back to expose his throat. He snarled around the flesh in his teeth, and pressed his groin against the hips beneath him. They were still separated by layers of clothing, but this was his and he would do with it as he pleased. Claws tore through cloth and into flesh and there was nothing to separate flesh from flesh, nothing between himself and what was his. His.
The rage pounded in his ears, but under it he could hear the soft thrumming, like the wings of an unfamiliar insect – omnipresent, insistent in that omnipresence, and intriguing. It represented something, reminded him of something, and he released the flesh from his teeth as he turned toward it.
He reached for the sound mentally and even that act of reaching relaxed him. He reached for it again, deeper in his mind, suddenly desperate for the clarity of mind offered, and felt his physical body pull back from Inuyasha. Inuyasha...
Sesshomaru shivered. He opened his eyes and looked down at his brother. "Inuyasha," he called, softly.
His brother's eyes opened and he turned his head to look up warily. "Sesshomaru?" he asked, sniffing the air experimentally. "It's not gone. Why'd you stop?"
Sesshomaru shook his head, shivering, and pulled back further until he was sitting on the floor. "Inuyasha, stop. You cannot fix this in that way." He curled his hands into fists. They really should have talked; but he could still feel the anger beating at him. He closed his eyes, but felt Inuyasha move, sitting before him and reaching out to touch his face. He pulled back from the touch, ashamed of how he had almost lost control and mindful of the power that still licked over his skin.
"You're sick with it," Inuyasha said, his voice somewhere between sullen and annoyed. "That's not hard to see. It's telling me you need to get rid of it. Let it out, in a way that won't make you more crazy."
Sesshomaru glared at him. "You think that doing that to you will fix any part of me?"
Inuyasha's chin came up defiantly but he remained silent.
The demon shook his head in vehement denial. "No. Not on you." He shivered. "The power should bleed away, but..." He shook his head again, slowly. "It won't. Something's... feeding it."
After a moment of silence, Inuyasha swore under his breath. "I... I think it's me. I'm feeding it."
Sesshomaru looked up at him sharply.
"I can feel you," Inuyasha continued, "at least I think it's you, in the back of my head." He stared blankly for a moment as he searched his mind. "I don't know how to turn it off."
Sesshomaru frowned; his self disgust at what had almost happened and the very evenness of the discussion were doing their part to take the edge off the never waning flow of rage, and he could see the truth behind Inuyasha's suggestion – the thrumming presence in his mind was undercut with their shared anger. Sesshomaru marveled at the feeling of Inuyasha inside of him in this way, a way that he never had been before. He felt for the strands of the demonic magic that bound the land to him and took a deep breath as he searched though them for the ones that bound him through the land to Inuyasha. He felt along the magic, tracing the individual strands. His father had set the ward that tied the lord to the land and Sesshomaru had only dealt with the aspects of it that had concerned him previously. That there was room in the spell for someone else was something he had never considered before, but the evidence was before him now; he could still feel the traces of where Ros had wormed her way in, and he looked now directly at the web of multiple strands that bound Inuyasha into the magic as firmly as it bound himself. Emotion flowed between them strongly, the shared anger only a part of it – but with Sesshomaru's own anger so potent the extra bit of it was the tipping point. They needed to discuss this and it couldn't wait until he was entirely clearheaded.
"When Father took these lands for his own," he began without preamble, "he set a ward spell so that he would know what was happening throughout his own realm, wherever he might happen to be." His eyes were closed as he still watched the spell strands mentally and he frowned. "I have been... negligent with maintaining some of its more delicate elements," he acknowledged, "for far longer than I care to admit. But, the base was well laid so the spell is still strong." He paused, and opened his eyes to look at his brother; he wanted to see Inuyasha's reaction to this. "I had always thought that Father set the spell and kept it alone. It... was not a topic on which we held much conversation; there is much about the spell that I appear to be still discovering. Ros has recently informed me that my mother shared equally in that keeping." He was suddenly unsure how to segue that into the next part, so he said baldly, "The ward spell is what you are feeling, what has... connected us." He fell silent and watched as Inuyasha worked though what he had said to the obvious conclusion. His eyes rested on Sesshomaru with a question, and Sesshomaru dropped his eyes as he answered it without his brother having to ask. "It is because I... I have claimed you in my heart as my mate."
There was silence for a long moment, and Sesshomaru fought the rise of the anger. It wasn't as though he was truly worried about Inuyasha's feelings for him; the spell would not have bound him without the feeling being reciprocated. He looked at the strands spread between his mental fingers and was sure of that.
"Is... is it going to keep making you crazy?" Inuyasha said finally.
Sesshomaru looked up at him quickly. "No. I was... unprepared, so I did not think to examine it for what it was. I will not be caught so again." He smiled sardonically. "You seem to have had less trouble with recognizing it. Though," he frowned and made an abortive reach for his brother's wounded shoulder, "this is not something that should have happened."
Inuyasha looked away. "It told me that you needed an outlet; that keeping all that inside of you was going to make you crazy, and you didn't seem to be getting rid of it on your own." He shrugged, his eyes still on the floor. "I didn't even notice the spell until this morning, but it was like a... not even a voice, just a presence in the back of my head. It kept telling me things I couldn't know, so I knew it wasn't just me. Mostly it seemed to make sense, so I stopped thinking about it. But it always felt... comfortable." He shook his head, and Sesshomaru remembered him making the same observation when they had first crossed the ward boundary. They sat in silence for long moments, before Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and looked up. "So? What next?" Sesshomaru looked at him curiously as he continued, "You're waiting for something." He dropped his head again, but resolutely met the demon's eyes. "There's something about this that you think isn't right."
Sesshomaru dropped his eyes to his hands. Behind his closed eyes he could see the strands of the spell; each strand was different and bound the pieces – Inuyasha, himself, and the land – in a different manner. "I did not mean to trap you into this, Inuyasha. I can... remove the spell, if you would like."
"You take it back?" Inuyasha's voice was rough, and Sesshomaru looked up again. His brother was looking at him fiercely. "You're saying you can take it back, that we're not," he faltered. "Mates."
"No," Sesshomaru responded softly. "I did not mean that, and I would not do that. I meant that if you wished it I could remove you from the ward spell's notice. It would not change anything between us, except that we would no longer feel each others powerful emotions as has happened today; and you would not be tied to the land and so the information contained in the spell – that, as you say, told you things you could not know – would no longer speak to you. I... it is not something I would wish; the right is yours twice over. But, as I said, it came upon you without your consent or knowledge."
Inuyasha's eyes softened and he moved closer. His lips were against Sesshomaru's when he said, just as softly, "Well, I do not wish it either, so shut the fuck up." He leaned in closer and caught the demon's lips in a kiss.
Sesshomaru leaned into the kiss lightly; it was Inuyasha who nipped him possessively and the demon opened his mouth to his brother fully. He brought his hands up to touch his brother's face, almost forgetting the events of the day as he lost himself in the pleasure of simply being in his lover's presence. But his forgetfulness vanished as he touched Inuyasha's shoulder and felt the cloth of his brother's kosode heavy with blood. He pulled back, even as Inuyasha flinched, and met his brother's eyes. "Do not let me do that again," he warned. "If I wanted someone to grovel to me I would not be here with you." Inuyasha glared at him defiantly and Sesshomaru sighed, annoyed. "You do not have to listen to what this voice in the back of your head is telling you."
Inuyasha's chin came up stubbornly. "No one ever said I had to do anything. I wanted to." His expression softened. "It just told me that you needed to let out the anger in a controlled manner or it was going to eat you up inside." He looked away and shrugged. "I wasn't sure how exactly – you're the one who started humping me. If I'd figured out earlier that I was feeding it to you, I could have stopped thinking about it or something."
Sesshomaru sighed, leaning against Inuyasha briefly. "We shall have to be more careful for the immediate future."
Inuyasha's arms came up around him as the half demon chuckled. "That's not likely to be a possibility considering the mess we keep uncovering here." He nuzzled the demon's face.
Sesshomaru sighed again. "Indeed." He turned toward his brother, catching the half demon's lips in a quick kiss before he pulled back. "If you would," he said, his voice quiet but intense. "Go inside? I will join you in a moment."
Inuyasha regarded him for a long moment before he nodded. He kissed the demon's forehead as he stood and went back down to the bedroom.
Sesshomaru frowned and felt a chill run over his skin even in the midday sun. He was uncomfortable with how the morning had progressed; not that he had been sexually violent with Inuyasha, but that Inuyasha had allowed it without reciprocating in kind. He sat in the sunshine and closed his eyes, examining himself thoughtfully. As Inuyasha had observed, the need to drain the emotional intensity that filled him could have been fulfilled in multiple ways – he was the one who had initiated a sexual overtone to the violence and it bothered him. While violence as a part of sex wasn't a new part of his and Inuyasha's relationship, he did not want to think that, even in near-madness, he would become so low and desperate as to force himself on an unenthusiastic partner. He did not want...
Sesshomaru paused in his path of thoughts. I wanted to; he remembered Inuyasha's words of before, and several things began to fall into place.
He opened his eyes and realized that the recently omnipresent anger had left him completely. He found himself possessed of an entirely different focus and rose to make his way down to the bedroom.
He found Inuyasha, naked, twisting around as he tried to examine the wound in his shoulder. There were long gashes along his hip as well from where Sesshomaru had torn his hakama. The wounds had stopped bleeding but Inuyasha looked up at him with a sardonically raised and expectant eyebrow as the demon entered the room. Sesshomaru went to him and, his arms loosely encircling his brother's waist, began laving the abused shoulder with his tongue. Inuyasha stood silently as he did so, the half demon leaning into the presence of the body standing just behind him. There was something expectant about his silence, and as Sesshomaru raised his attention to a long red welt along Inuyasha's neck also brought out by the demon's rough handling, he gave voice to the conviction that had filled him while he sat in the sunlight. It was something that Inuyasha should hear, if he was not already aware of it.
"You love me," Sesshomaru said, mouth close to his brother's softly perked ear and voice low. "That is why you were willing to let me abuse you." Inuyasha's jaw clenched slightly. "In order to help me," Sesshomaru allowed, and Inuyasha inclined his head, still waiting. The demon did not leave him waiting long. "I love you," he continued. "That is why I would not do it." Inuyasha inhaled sharply, turning to look at the demon, who couldn't repress the proprietary smirk that spread over his face. They had confessed to each other before, but it was pleasant to have words so spoken supplemented now by action and almost instinctual response. "I chose that path, because I knew that I would stop myself." He leaned close again, humming softly along with the thrum in the back of his mind.
Inuyasha turned toward him quickly, his arms snaking around the demon's waist and pulling them roughly together as Inuyasha buried his face in Sesshomaru's kimono and shivered. Surprised, Sesshomaru wrapped his own arms around his brother's bare shoulders, holding him close and stroking his hair comfortingly.
"Sometimes I think I'm going crazy," Inuyasha muttered, and only demonic hearing could have caught the words. He pulled away enough to turn his head and look up at his brother. "You... everything you are, everything we have... I never thought I would..." He stopped. "I never thought I would sacrifice myself for someone," he said finally. "My life sure, but my self...." He held Sesshomaru's gaze with his own. "I would, for you.
"But," he continued, silencing Sesshomaru's protest, "you don't want me to, and that's the most amazing thing I can think of." He searched the demon's face. "You want to give me as much as I want to give you."
Sesshomaru stared at his lover, his mate, and smiled. He didn't speak, but then he had already said his piece. He pushed Inuyasha toward the bed and, shedding his kimono, followed. Tumbling his mate onto the soft surface, he curled around the slighter form and continued his attentions to the long scratches over Inuyasha's hip and outer thigh. When finished, he tangled himself more tightly around his mate. Inuyasha sighed contentedly and they lay together for awhile.
Inuyasha made the first move, deliberately licking the demon's nipple, but from Sesshomaru's quick response he knew it was only Sesshomaru's lingering guilt over how close he'd come to seriously hurting the half demon earlier that had kept him from initiating. Inuyasha bit the demon's arm aggressively and his eyes flashed with humor at Sesshomaru's growl. Thankfully, Sesshomaru didn't seem to be planning on holding on to his guilt any longer; the demon surged over him and pressed him into the mattress with a fierce kiss.
Still, as they wrestled around, Inuyasha easily ended up on top. He tried to push the morning out of his mind and concentrate on this particular moment instead, trailing long, sharp-clawed fingers over the demon's chest and lower, sprawling between his lover's legs as he devoted his attention to licking the demon's stomach. He slowly worked his way lower, Sesshomaru not rushing him. The demon lay back and moaned softly, playing absently with Inuyasha's hair and shivering in anticipation.
Inuyasha couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips and he kept his attention on the flesh beneath him in an effort to hide it from his brother. His tongue worked its way languorously toward its goal, until he swept it down the length of his brother's cock in one long sweep. Sesshomaru shuddered, but Inuyasha turned his attention to his lover's thigh and purposefully kissed his way down the inside of the demon's leg. Sesshomaru growled warningly and Inuyasha glanced up at him, amused. He teasingly licked his tongue over the very tip of his brother's cock before pulling away again, but his own desire was making teasing the demon impractical. He growled himself, giving proper attention to the waiting flesh. Sesshomaru moaned appreciatively, his hands tightening in the half demon's hair and his eyes meeting Inuyasha's as the half demon rose up on his knees suddenly. Inuyasha reached for his brother and, hand on the back of his neck, pulled the demon forward into a kiss even as Inuyasha straddled his lover's body beneath him. He felt Sesshomaru's hands on him, relishing in soft touches, guiding them until they fit together. This – this was familiar and good, and the new ripple that echoed in the back of his mind was pleased as well, making Inuyasha's own pleasure swell. Mate... mate was a thing that was his forever, and would not leave him and in this case – he felt the power that rippled through his brother's body as Sesshomaru tipped forward, pressing Inuyasha down to the bed as the demon leaned over him, within him – would not be taken from him easily. Inuyasha wasn't stupid enough to believe that they were invincible or unable to be touched by death but it was going to take a force greater than what the world had yet produced to separate him from what was his. He kissed his brother, deeply, tangling hands in silver hair as he angled the demon's head, moaning as Sesshomaru moved inside of him.
He broke the kiss and Sesshomaru pulled back, watching him. "Save your thinking for later," he growled. His expression softened and he leaned in to nip lightly at Inuyasha's neck. "There is still a great deal I need to tell you, but talking and thinking shall come after." He snapped hard against the half demon and Inuyasha moaned heartily, his toes curling as he felt Sesshomaru so deep within him as to pierce him through. "Yes," he consented unnecessarily, and gave himself over to enjoying the pleasure of touching his mate, and being touched.
He stopped forming coherent thoughts, but his emotions still rebounded against his mate's, doubling in intensity until he almost couldn't touch his brother without the intensity of the pleasure driving him mad.
All too soon, and after an eternity, Inuyasha felt his climax building in him. It exploded over his fingers, and Sesshomaru pressed hard against him, exploded deep within him. The feeling continued to explode through him, through them both, as Inuyasha shuddered with pleasure, riding the slow wave to its end. Sesshomaru was pressed against him, and Inuyasha felt full and warm and more complete than he had yet ever in his life. His brother made a soft noise of contentment and, echoing the sentiment, Inuyasha wrapped arms around the demon and let the weariness of emotional turmoil, and two days without rest, carry him to sleep.
-----
Rin let her eyes casually roam her new companion as Taian grumbled softly to herself. They were checking the furnishings in the room Rin had found for the other girl; it was a room not far from Rin's own. She had reasoned that such an arrangement made sense for several reasons, but she found herself filled with curiosity about this young woman. She had come here with Inuyasha, willingly venturing into a place full of demons. Rin knew why she would have done so, but why would this other girl?
"Lord Sesshomaru is not going to hurt you," she said, believing that to be the source of Taian's apparent distress. "Inuyasha did not bring you here for that reason."
Taian sighed loud enough that Rin's eyes immediately went to her face and stayed there. "I know," the hunter said. "I just..." She sat down on the chest against the wall and buried her fingers in her thick hair. "I thought I... knew everything I needed to know. About... demons. I..." She hesitated, but continued, "I'm quite good at slaying them. I suppose I knew there were demons who were much stronger than any I'd faced, but..." She hesitated again. "To be so strong, and so... casual, about life."
Rin frowned as she finished laying out the futon. "Lord Sesshomaru is not... casual. He is, however, very strong. He is the strongest demon I've ever met, which should be obvious since he has defeated all of his opponents in battle. But, why do you find his killing demons so distasteful? It is something you do as well."
Taian blinked. "I suppose it just surprises me that he does it so easily. His power is great. And... though I have seen it before, it still surprises me when demons kill their own."
Rin was shaking her head. "I am more Lord Sesshomaru's own than the one he killed," she said with a disdain for the dead that made Taian blink. "You are thinking like a human," she reasoned. "I have seen that humans such as Sango, and you since you have been trained by her, value all other humans and their lives. Demons are not that way. They value only what belongs to them."
"There are humans who are that way as well." Taian eyed her carefully. "I would know; my family was mostly that way. They were not... pleasant people. If your Sesshomaru is like them, then perhaps I was right to be wary."
"Lord Sesshomaru is unlike anyone you have met before," Rin said plainly, "human or demon."
Taian raised an eyebrow at her sardonically. "That has become quite apparent."
Rin grinned quickly and stood. "Enough talking. I've not had breakfast. Come, let us go find something to eat."
Taian hesitated, but nodded, and the two girls ventured out into the still depths of the fortress.
-----
It was late in the afternoon before Sesshomaru stirred from the comfort of his bed. He nuzzled Inuyasha, but the half demon only murmured absently and curled resolutely away from the interruption of his sleep, and Sesshomaru chuckled softly. He rose and pulled on a yukata as he made his way from the room. He wasn't sure what he was looking for; he was neither hungry nor desirous for company, but a restlessness drove him toward the dining hall. He found his ward there, presiding over a council of war.
Rin sat at the head of the table. She was wearing the fire rat haori and had matched the rest of her outfit to the vibrant red. Her hair was unbound and she sat in the huge chair at the table's head with her feet drawn up under her, her attention focused on the demon seated to her left as he spoke. Seated to Rin's right, across from the demon, was the human girl Inuyasha had brought back with him. Sesshomaru hadn't taken much notice of her before but he examined her now. She was of Sango's training, he could see easily; though she was tired she was tense in unfamiliar surroundings and her eyes roamed incessantly. It was no surprise that she was the first to see him as he paused in the doorway to observe the council taking place, her eyes locking on him and staying there – as if she was still deciding whether she should regard him as one predator regards another or if she should give up all pretense and simply quail as the rabbit does before the stooping hawk.
"It only makes sense that chaos would be the goal," the demon was saying. "It would serve him well, if you are correct in assuming the final outcome he desires."
Rin nodded. "You are the one who assumes he is the mastermind, but yes, I maintain that there is only one reasonable goal, taking into account the actions that have already been taken." She suddenly became aware of the other girl's frozen stance and shifted her attention to find Sesshomaru standing in the doorway watching her. She grinned. The demon rose suddenly, as uncertain as the girl as to how to expect his manner; Sesshomaru remembered him vaguely, standing with Ros, and assumed that this was the offered Radomir.
"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin greeted him with a regal nod, her eyes dancing with amusement, and he couldn't repress an answering grin seeing her so animated. "May I present Radomir," she nodded to the demon, "and Taian?" This was the other human girl, who, in spite of her fear, stood and managed a bow. "You appear much better this evening, my lord," Rin grinned impishly.
Sesshomaru bared his teeth in answer and came to sit at the foot of the table, across from her. "I passed the afternoon in pleasant company," he answered. "And I see that you also did not let the time go to any waste."
Her grin widened when he didn't chastise her, and she answered, "Yes, my lord. We have been combining our information. Taian and Radomir have both been invaluable with providing perspective on the situation." She paused, but her companions sat dumbstruck, so she continued. "I will summarize. Firstly, I should inform you that the demon who professed himself to be Idachi, we have decided cannot have been the true demon of that name."
He narrowed his eyes at her and saw Radomir flinch. "Why do you say this?"
Rin met his gaze unwavering. "Radomir says that he has seen this demon before, and that if Idachi is the ringleader then he would have been too intelligent to have let himself be seen – which Taian insists the ringleader is – or to have come here and challenged you openly."
Taian and Radomir were tense, waiting his reaction to this news, but Sesshomaru only sighed. "I had not thought on it as of yet, but your reasoning is sound."
There was a collective sigh as everyone around the table took a breath. Rin rolled her eyes at them and continued imperiously, "The second thing, is that you must tell us about Eikoseisui." Sesshomaru narrowed his glare at her again, but she continued to ignore him. "Taian said Inuyasha mentioned him, but you must tell us more about this demon." She rested her chin in her hand and looked deeply thoughtful. "I believe he is the secret ringleader, but I cannot know for certain without all the information."
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow as he regarded her. What had caused Rin's sudden interest in demon politics? He wondered if their last conversation had any bearing, or if it was something else – his eyes settled on the human Taian. Whatever the reason he was reluctant to quiz Rin on it in mixed company, and, with a halfhearted attempt at a long-suffering sigh, he gave her what she asked for.
-----
"Well?" The tall demon brushed dark hair behind his ear and regarded his kneeling companion with sharp eyes, the evening dark around them. "You were traveling with Slager when last you reported to me. What news do you have for me now?"
The kneeling demon lowered his head. "Slager is dead, my lord."
"What?" The tall demon regarded the kneeling one with sudden anger. "Idachi, things have been going so well. Do not tell me that you have managed to bungle my well-laid plan."
Idachi shook his head. "No, my lord, it was a part of the plan." He raised shifting eyes to glance sidelong at his lord. "A part that I added. Slager was worthless after the death of his bitch, Hina; he did nothing but moan for her constantly. I thought to use him to draw out whatever was commanding the land in the absence of its previous lord, but we were surprised. My lord, Sesshomaru has returned."
The tall demon's eyes widened in surprise, his expression widening further with sudden pleasure. "Truly? Well, if he is back then there is little benefit to drawing this out further."
Idachi nodded. "Yes, my lord."
The tall demon frowned suddenly. "Did he see you? He was devilishly clever about certain things, I remember."
"My lord, he thought me no more than a lackey. Slager gave him my name in the challenge; I told him he was guaranteed to not be refused that way and he would have his vengeance." Idachi smirked. "I think perhaps I needn't have; the dog seemed already keen to fight Slager for some slight, but it's always nice to throw in another bit of confusion." Idachi's eyes flashed and he shook his head in admiration. "The dog is fast. He fights with ice and precision, and only releases his anger when he is past making mistakes. He will be difficult to take. Though, he is not without weaknesses."
The tall demon snorted in derision, stepping into a deeper shadow of the descended night as he waved to Idachi dismissively. "That tells me nothing I did not already know, though it is good to know that even after centuries he has not changed. Go, and be ready."
Idachi bowed his head. "Yes, my lord Eikoseisui."
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