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Fragments of Broken Pride	By : Areitus Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female Views: 10085 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

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Fragments of Broken Pride

Chapter 5

The hanyou slept well past noon, and was startled to see his brother�s face gleaming down on him as he awoke. He sat up with wide eyes as he stared at the youkai, �Sesshoumaru�when did you get up? You should have woke me.� he said as he visually examined his brother for any lameness, but was pleased to see none.

Sesshoumaru remained calm and spoke dryly, �I didn�t want to disturb you. You looked as if you were in need of a good rest.�

�Are you feeling better?� asked Inuyasha as he turned himself toward the demon lord, pulling his legs under him.

Sesshoumaru nodded then changed the subject, �Your miko had an incident this morning��

Inuyasha�s ears went up and his eyes, once again, widened, �What do you mean. incident?� He stood up intending to go see Kagome.

�She�s fine.� came the impassive voice of the youkai as he remained sitting where he was while the hanyou had begun to leave. Inuyasha turned back to Sesshoumaru with a look of mixed confusion and concern.

�I saved her.� purred the smooth voice as the youkai lord looked away from his little brother. �I still feel indebted to you, but I�m afraid I will have to leave soon.�

Inuyasha�s eyes dropped to the ground, �Yes, I understand�I knew we were going to go our separate ways after you healed, but I don�t think our time together was entirely fruitless��mumbled the hanyou.

Inuyasha�s head was snapped up as a hand forced his chin up and his golden eyes met his brother�s mirrors, �It was not fruitless at all.� said the gallant youkai as he stared into the eyes of his little brother. �As much as it has pained me, I have learned a great deal from my defeat, and I have learn a great deal from you as well, Inuyasha. I will align with you in your struggle against Naraku, and I will protect you and your humans against any foe that you are unable to defeat alone. You have my sword any time you need it.�

The hanyou didn�t know weather to be happy or disappointed. He was glad that his brother appeared to gained a respect for him, but he wanted for the youkai to see him as a brother, not just another an item to protect when it became flimsy. He lifted his head free of the demon�s hand and stepped back, giving a small nod, �Thank you. I value your alliance. Excuse me now, I�m going to see Kagome.� The hanyou then walked away and left the taiyoukai alone in the small room.

Sesshoumaru�s mouth fell open a tiny bit as he appeared confused. Why had the hanyou withdrawn? �Isn�t this what he wanted?� thought the demon lord. He lowered his head and let out a sigh.
* * *

�Inuyasha! I�m alright- for the sixth time! Would you just calm down already?�

�We were very fortunate to have Sesshoumaru awaken when he did. We�d be in a much more grim situation if it wasn�t for him. We really must thank him.� said the taijiya as she stood up, giving the monk a small kick to let him know she meant him too.

The hanyou�s rant continued, despite Kagome�s verification of her being perfectly okay, �But, Kagome It�s all my fault. I�m sorry. I should have been with you. I should have known that-�

His words were hushed by her placing a finger over his lips, �Inuyasha, I�m my own responsibility, not yours. I don�t blame you for anything. Now just drop it, okay? I�m tired of talking about it.�

Inuyasha�s ears drooped slightly as Kagome turned and walked away from him, following the demon huntress and the monk. The little kitsune hopped up onto the hanyou�s shoulder, �it�s alright Inuyasha. Kagome�s still a little upset over it. I think She�s still in shock. We should just not talk about it with her for a while.�

The hanyou nodded and moved to follow the others, still feeling disappointed in himself. But he wanted to thank his brother as well.

* * *

Sesshoumaru had departed from the doctor�s little abode whilst the humans and his brother argued, feeling he was not welcomed in a human village to begin with. He had avoided the clamorous group as he�d left, wanting to be freed of their imprisoning sentiments. He had a feeling the group would be upset by his sudden disappearance , but he was anxious to return to his old life, and his Rin. He hated how much the little child had entwined herself in his heart, but he had missed the whelp more than he thought possible. He first planned to retrieve his sword from the battlefield then head back to the place his servant and his ward resided.

Upon finding his soiled blade lying upon the sun-baked mud, his senses were assaulted with the stench of rotting meat. He sneered as his eyes fell on the form of his long defeated adversary, as the maggots crawled abundantly over her decaying flesh. He turned away from the gruesome sight and left the scene with haste.

* * *

Inuyasha and the others were surprised when they found the youkai lord gone, without so much as a �goodbye.� The hanyou had expected as much, but he was still slightly angered by it. �Jerk.� he muttered and left the room.

Miroku frowned at his friend, �It seemed like they were getting along too, and now this. Perhaps we were hoping for too much with the youkai lord, after all.�

Kagome shook her head, �No. I don�t think any time was wasted. I learned a bit about both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. I think He and Inuyasha have learned about each other as well. And, I�ve learned that Sesshoumaru does have a heart of some kind, and its not at all black.�

Sango smiled to her friend, �Yes, I agree, Kagome-chan. He is indeed a mysterious being though. I hope our next meeting will be a friendly one.�

Kagome smiled, �I�m sure it will be, Sango-chan.�

Inuyasha sat down on the front porch, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked out at the falling sun. He was mad that his brother had left without saying goodbye, but he also felt slightly lonesome now that the youkai had gone. He had hoped that they might stay together a while, though he knew it was unpractical, and foolish to even wish for.

His mind wondered back to the demon lord�s words of loyalty to him, and he thought he should be happy for that, but he couldn�t help feeling unsatisfied. He didn�t want an alliance with Sesshoumaru. He didn�t want a partnership, or a war buddy or a protector. He wanted a brother. Ever since he was young he remembered the feelings of inescapable loneliness that consumed him. He�d always felt that way since his mother had passed away. Kagome had eased it sometimes, but when his brother had been there, and Inuyasha had been caring for him, his loneliness has been lost. His own flesh and blood had caused the raw solitude that impounded his heart to finally disperse, and for a time the hanyou had forgotten it was ever there. But with the youkai�s depart Inuyasha�s contentment had also gone.

He placed a hand over his face and sighed solemnly. Would the demon never understand? Inuyasha was growing tired of begging for the attention he wanted so desperately. He just wanted to be loved by his own family� but he was growing skeptical of the desire ever being fulfilled. And his eyes grew darker with every passing thought.

* * *

Sesshoumaru frowned as he sniffed the stale air. There hadn�t been a decent breeze in days, and he couldn�t find even the smallest scent of his group, though he knew he was very near where he had last left them. He moaned in annoyance as the sky began to grow darker. He�d been hoping to find them before nightfall, but with the way things were going that might not be so simple.

He�d just about given up for the night when he felt a soft breeze catch his hair and he turned into it, inhaling the scent of blood. His eyes widened as the scent registered in his mind. �No�� he muttered as his feet jolted him into the air faster than his mind could follow. He thrashed through the forest at his top speed, his heart feeling as if it were caught in his throat the entire time. The scent grew stronger and his heart grew heavier. Finally he slid to a halt as his eyes fell upon the decapitated and impaled form of his faithful two-headed dragon. It dangled limply in the air, hinting that it had not been dead very long. He saw that it�s claws were broken and bloodied, indicating that it had fought hard against it�s killer.

The demon lord rushed past the dead carcass following the trail of blood. He growled audibly as his nostrils detected the scent of settling masma. He stopped in his tracks as he saw another dead figure. �Jaken�� he muttered as he walked over to the headless little body and knelt beside it. The hanyou knew to remove the heads to prevent him from reviving them with Tenseiga. He bowed his head as he bit back the heartrending roar that was building inside of him. He stood again feeling as if his own chest had been torn open and Naraku was playing with his heart like a ball of putty.

He was afraid to look for the third body. He knew She could not have escaped from the perilous murderer with no one protecting her, and his heart screamed at him for failing to protect them. His acute sense of smell caught the third and final victim, but suddenly his eyes went wide. He heard� crying� He immediately ran toward the source, but grew frustrated when he couldn�t locate it, �Rin!� he cried out, feeling panicked that he couldn�t find her, �Rin, answer me!� he shouted again.

The tiny voice squeaked as she heard her master�s heavenly voice, �S-Sesshoumaru-sama?� came a shaky reply.

The youkai lord located the little girl after hearing her speak, but he was strongly disheartened by what he found. �Rin�I�m here now.� he said as he fell to his knees before her. He�d never in his life felt the strong urge to cry as he had right now. ��Forgive me�� he said as he reached out to touch her bloodied face. She seemed so happy to feel his warmth that she discarded the thought of her condition to throw her arms around his waist, and cuddle her body into his heat.

Her clothes lay shredded at her side, and her nude body was thoroughly beaten and maimed. Blood coated her inner thighs and vagina, making it blatantly obvious to Sesshoumaru what had occurred between Naraku and his adopted daughter. He was so overwhelmingly angered and broken by the thought of all that had occurred. And not for the first time in the past two weeks he felt utterly helpless in the face of her injuries.

Around her head was a crown of horrifyingly sharp thorns, and the demon lord was in doubt, with the way they sat across her eyes, that she would ever be able to see again. He cut gently through the thorny vine with his claws and removed it from her head. Rin whimpered as the wound was disturbed again. He picked up her clothes and tore off a strip of material then tied it snugly around her eyes. He felt his heart sink with every sniffle she made, and had to swallow down a sob of his own. He picked her up, after removing his kimono top and placing it around her shivering body, and settled her securely in his protective arms, �Don�t worry Rin. I will take care of you.� he then set off back to the village from whence he�d just come.

* * *

It was pitch black as the demon lord hiked through the eerie forest, carrying his slumbering ward. He had never felt that he�d failed so terribly before. His other companions had died, and his child had been raped and blinded for life. He would have thrown his head back and howled somberly to the blood-tinged full moon, but he would not stop until he reached the doctor�s residence.

As he gazed down at the bruised visage of his beloved child his anguish grew heavier and heavier. He would never be able to see her pick flowers again. He would never see her chasing the butterflies through the fields. He would never see her running merrily along the river banks. He would never see, because she could never see. Never again. And he blamed all of it, not on Naraku, but on himself. It was his responsibility, his duty, from the moment he adopted her so long ago, to be by her side and defend her from danger, and he had let that responsibility slip away from him. He had forgotten her, because of his own pride for battle. And he had nearly lost her completely. �I will never abandon you again.� he murmured to the child, though he knew his words fell on deaf ears.

The forest slowly opened up into the artificial form of houses, and from there he easily found his way to the only house that had accepted him before. He knocked on the wooden door frame and entered through the bamboo flap, �Doctor.� he said with a surprisingly cool voice.

Inuyasha�s eyes flew open as he heard an all too familiar voice. He flew up from the floor, nearly tripping over Miroku�s sleeping form as he dashed into the other room.

Kagome sat up as she heard Inuyasha thunder out of the room, giving Miroku a, none-to-pleasant awakening in the process. She pushed her covers from herself and climbed out of the futon, heading in the same direction the hanyou had gone. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo followed, with a sorely limping Miroku at the latter.

The old man waddled into a room full of dumbstruck people as they all appeared to be staring at the newly returned Demon Lord of the West. Sesshoumaru said nothing to the humans and hanyou that stared at him like he had a third leg, he only approached the doctor and held the young girl in front of him, for the man to survey. �She needs medical attention. Will you help her�� he said before adding a soft, ��please�� at the end.

The doctor nodded, �Of course I will. This way. Follow me.� He said leading the Demon and his unconscious ward into a more private room.

Inuyasha didn�t know what to say or do. He was just shocked. �Why does he have the little girl? She seems familiar, but�Who is she? And why would he bother to rescue a stranger?� The more he thought, the more questions arose. He was strongly tempted to follow them into the room, but he told himself that was not appropriate. He sat down around the newly lit fire, that his friends had started while he had been lost in thought.

Kagome touched his shoulder, �Are you alright? You look upset.� she said concerned. The others were looking at him as well, and he quickly shook it off to cover himself, �Keh! I�m fine! Jeeze, I just woke up, you know.�

Kagome sighed and backed away, �This was certainly a peculiar turn of events, wasn�t it?� But before anyone could answer the taiyoukai came back into the room, looking rather downhearted, for his usual impassiveness.

Inuyasha stood and walked over to him, �What�s going on? Could you tell me? Who is that girl?�

Sesshoumaru snarled at the hanyou, causing him to jump back in surprise, �It doesn�t concern you, or your friends, hanyou.� He then seated himself against the wall beside the door, assuming a guard-like position.

Inuyasha was taken back by the drastic change from earlier and returned to his former position beside the miko. He frowned, �And after I worked so hard trying to get him to like to me��
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Fragments of Broken Pride