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What Matters the Most	By : Avarwen Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 55388 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
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A/N: Well I saw the 4th inuyasha movie for the 1st time the other night and it put me in a bit of a pissy mood, so I don�t feel like talking too much right now.
Warning: Vague reference to the third movie in this chap and the glossary. If you don�t wanna know about it... well, you probably won�t notice it in there anyway, but don�t read the chapter, and avoid reading the definition for Ryuukotsusei in the glossary.

~*~

Feathers

Leaves trembled violently and shook from the branches that held them captive-- fluttering weakly to the ground, before being crushed moments later by the very tree�s they had grown from as the ancient wooden giants toppled and fell in a chaotic path of destruction-- breaking away a path for the two blindly charging white inu�s that appeared as nothing more than flashes of silver grey and silver white fur to any mortal eyes that managed to perceive them at all.
Deep, harsh pants were breaking free from their throats as they ran; their split tongues hanging from their lips and whipping sharp trails of saliva against their faces-- dripping down the edges of the pronged crimson appendages before breaking off to be lost to either their fur, or the wind they had created from the speed they ran.
The smaller and younger of the two turned his burning eyes toward the sky, not even bothering to squint against the bloody glare of the setting sun as the aqua slits that were his pupil�s focused intently on anything that dared to move within his range of vision, before finally coming to rest and hone in on a small, fluttering white speck floating toward the earth. The object hovered in the air a few moments just off to the right of the direction the dogs travelled, before being whipped away on a rather violent burst of wind, that made what few trees they had failed to knock over groan and creak in protest as a single thought ran through the inu�s head.

�That is Kagura�s signal.�

Sesshomaru�s bright crimson eyes narrowed slightly as he turned his head toward the side-- offering the one who travelled beside him a small nip in an effort to get his attention, and then emitting a low growl.
Inu Taisho responded with a small snarl of his own that Sesshomaru barely even bothered acknowledging, before suddenly changing directions, catching the elder inu off guard and causing a large wall of dirt to spout up from where his paws skid in an effort to move with his son, watching in something akin to amazement as Sesshomaru raced on ahead of him.
Whatever disadvantages their differences in size had given Sesshomaru before, they had been more than made up for with the youkai�s desperation. Sesshomaru had been forced to remain locked up in the castle all this time with hardly any information at all about his mate. So, when the wind-witch had offered to help show him the way, Sesshomaru had seized the offer in both hands.
Of course, at first he had attempted to sneak off on his own-- not wanting someone to interfere in his quest and hold him back-- and he had nearly made it too. Several leagues had been put between himself and the castle before the other�s caught on, and his father came after him. However, much to the younger inu�s surprise, Inu Taisho had not commanded he return, but instead had simply insisted upon coming with him. Sesshomaru, being too anxious and uptight to argue, and allowed the inu to follow with him. Besides, if he got hurt during the battle that was going to take place, he�d need someone to be there to help Inuyasha escape.
Yet his yoki refused to let him wait for his father, and because of this Inu Taisho quickly found himself losing ground to Sesshomaru and falling behind as his son swiftly tore apart any and all obstacles that stood in their way. He supposed that was lucky, since it had made it that much easier to track his son down, but it really would be hell trying to clean up the cataclysmic destruction they had caused later.
But right now, Inu Taisho really didn�t care all that much. Because really, he wasn�t that much different.
And with good reason.
His son and granddaughter were missing. And they had been kidnapped to be taken back to some sadist�s castle for Kami knows what reason... while he had to stay and watch as his eldest, and once so composed son fell apart in front of him. It was a terrible blow to him indeed, and it was enough to make his blood boil and his eyes bleed red if he thought about it too much. So he tried not to think about it. Because, like Sesshomaru, at the moment he wanted nothing more than to shred the evil kumo that had dared to raise a hand against his family-- make him suffer the most unimaginable amount of pain, and then watch him die, slow and suffering in a pool of his own blood. But he couldn�t. Because Naraku�s death was not his to give. It belonged first and foremost to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. And only they could decide how to punish Naraku for what he had done.
Besides that, thinking about such things... pushed him very nearly over the edge of control. And he couldn�t afford to lose control. Losing control never solved anything, and doing it now would only usurp his already damaged family and just rile up Sesshomaru even more.
And he refused to do that to Sesshomaru. His eldest had it hard enough as it was without him adding to the mix.
Because he knew that, despite everything he was feeling, for Sesshomaru, it was so much worse.
Because Sesshomaru had lost so much more.
He was, not only loosing his brother, but his lover, mate and his only daughter as well. His very reasons for living. And there was nothing of this earth or any other that could have quelled the youkai in his near-psychotic search in his mate.
Not now.
Not after he had waited so long.
Not when his youki finally had a lead as to where Inuyasha might be.
Now that this had begun, he would never stop. He would not allow himself too until he either found his mate and child, or, by some horrible twist of fate, he was finally forced to succumb to death itself. And even that would have to work pretty hard to stop him.
And this feeling his son was experiencing now-- this desperate need to get to his family-- was what Inu Taisho knew was driving Sesshomaru now. Knew it and remembered it, having felt exactly the same way on the night of Inuyasha�s birth, when Ryuukotsusei had been sealed, and that fool of a ningen had attempted to fight him and burn his mate and son alive.
Another feather appeared suddenly, drawing Inu Taisho from his thoughts as it floated almost lazily toward the ground and, miraculously, made it-- landing somewhere directly in front of them, and coming to rest-- almost as if taunting them-- on the other edge of a very large, very deep lake, that was draining in and out of a river on either side.
And Inu Taisho could see immediately that it would pose a problem. Even to two fully transformed inuyoukai.
Sesshomaru, however, remained undaunted, and, ignoring whatever protests his father might have had, leapt-- covering most of the lake in a single bound and doing his best to smash up a log that resided there with one of his large paws in the process.
However, unfortunately for him, in his haste to get across, for the first time in a long time he found that he had miscalculated-- landing a good few feet short of his goal, and conveniently in a place where a large underwater valley seemed to have taken up existence. Of course, this might not have posed too much of a problem regularly, but this valley-- combined with the suction of the river flowing into and away from the lake-- created one hell of an undertow, and Sesshomaru quickly found himself losing his awkward grip on the bank.
Seeing this, Inu Taisho wasted no time. Pausing only a moment to make certain he had calculated the distance correctly, Inu Taisho followed his son across the lake. The only difference was, Inu Taisho made it to the other side. Safe. And dry. And Sesshomaru couldn�t help the growing feel that, if they ever got out of this whole situation, he was never going to live it down.
He couldn�t contemplate this too long though, because the next second their were fangs digging sharply into the back of his neck (earning a loud growl from him) and he was being yanked out of the water in the similar way a bitch might pull out a newborn pup that had fallen in.
The moment his paws hit ground again Sesshomaru was off-- not bothering to shake the water from his coat-- ignoring the startled and entirely canine yip that escaped the elder demon as it quickly moved to follow after him.
So caught up with in his wild running and the sight of the next feather that had appeared only a few yards ahead of him, that he did not even realise when the trees suddenly began to thin out-- parting enough until he was, finally, able to break free of their grip and escape into whatever might have laid beyond.
And here he was forced to pay attention again as a small yelp of surprise escaped him and he was forced to skid violently to a halt, or risk falling off the edge of a very tall, steep ravine. Now, while the fall certainly wouldn�t have killed him, had he not been prepared for it, he may have acquired an injury of some kind that may hinder him when he was battling later. And he wanted there to be absolutely nothing to stop him from wreaking full havoc upon the onyx half demon when he finally located it.
Several moments passed, and Sesshomaru remained where he was, his breathing coming in sharp pants, and his eyes slitted in confusion as they took in the landscape laid out below him.
His eyes glanced toward the sky, then back toward the ground, his confusion and desperation growing with every passing moment.
Because this, seemingly, was where Kagura�s path ended.
No more feather�s were appearing, nor any other signs to further guide him in his path to find his mate, nor tell-tale scents that might give him a clue that Inuyasha or Naraku had been there... Nothing.
Nothing but mountains and hills and more godforsaken trees!
Sesshomaru�s mouth closed and his lips turned down in a close to a frown as he could manage in this form as he turned first in one direction, than another-- sniffing the air desperately from his precarious perch upon the ravine, yet still nothing came to him.
A small whine tore itself from his unwilling throat as he pressed his ears back, his youki nearly frantic inside of him. Dammit! Where was Inuyasha? This was where Kagura had led him. His mate should be here! Why would Kagura lure him out to the middle of nowhere like this? Unless, of course, it was a trap...
A tree crashed to the ground behind him, it�s leaves scattering up and around in a sporadic defiance of gravity as myriads of birds shrieked their protests and fluttered away from the creature that had destroyed their would-be home.
Inu Taisho ignored them as he trampled out of the forest to stand behind Sesshomaru-- the younger inu glancing back and taking in his appearance in slight surprise. He had never seen his father look so disorderly before... shoulders slumped, breathing haggard, ears pressed back, tongue lolling out... much like he himself probably looked at this point in time.
They had covered a lot of ground, after all, in a very short period of time. They had right to be exhausted.

�Inuyasha is probably just as tired as you. Locked up there alone with no one to help him and stop Naraku�s assaults...� Some part of his mind cued in, and Sesshomaru pressed his ears back.
This had been happening a lot lately... these self-produced guilt-trips, and he, for one, did not like them at all. Not only were they distracting but, when he thought about it, they were also quite truthful. Still, it hurt to hear the situation put in such blunt terms... It was his fault after all. Inuyasha and Tsukiko were part of his family. He should have been able to protect them. From Naraku. From Everything.
His self-demeaning thoughts were cut off when his father�s voice sounded in his mind as they used a telepathic communication unique only to their kind. It only worked when they were fully-transformed, of course, so Inuyasha would never experience it. Not that he could say the half-breed was missing out on much. Usually it just proved to be more annoying than anything.

�Why have we stopped?� The dog general questioned, confused by his son�s sudden cessation of movement, and wondering what had possessed his frantic son to waist such precious seconds like he was.
Sesshomaru�s own ears went back more tightly against his head as he glared at the landscape before him. �Kagura�s trail has stopped.� He muttered darkly, his eyes boring holes into the surrounding hills as if it was the fault of the grassy mounds themselves that this had happened.
Inu Taisho�s eyes narrowed slightly at his son�s words as he too turned to look ahead, his keen eyes peering at the dull scenery, before coming to hone in on a spot in the distance, resting near the bottom of some particularly large hills, where he could just barely make out the faint, electric red flickers that made up the dome of a barrier.
He was actually rather surprised that he could make such a thing out... it did not make sense to him. If Naraku were working to hide himself, he would not put up a barrier as faulty as that. Nor, for that matter, would he let his scent seep into the surrounding area in the way he was.

�He�s here.� He muttered to his son, his voice low with suspicion. �And he�s making that much too easy to perceive. There is no reason he should be letting these things happen...�

Beside him he felt Sesshomaru stiffen slightly, though if that had anything to do with his words or not, he could not tell, as the younger inu continued to stare down at the faint flickers of the barrier, a deep, soul-wrenching, heart crushing tug racing through him as he did so-- forcing him to take an involuntary step forward as his youki pulsed to life within him.

�Inuyasha is here as well.� He said on a low growl while his youki thrashed wildly and desperately at the perception of his mate, and he desperately attempted to try and hold back the completely canine howl that wanted to feel his throat-- alerting any and all that, at last, he had found his prey. And there would be no mercy when he slaughtered it. Under other circumstances he might do it-- just to smell the fear leaking off of Naraku at his presence-- but now... he did not want to take that chance. Naraku still had Inuyasha, after all. And besides that, he didn�t think the bastard deserved a warning that he was coming for him-- That he was, in fact, already there.

�Indeed.� Inu Taisho�s voice returned, pulling him from his thoughts as he threw a glance at his father, who was watching the barrier with a rather grim expression on his face. Well, grim for a dog anyway. �But unfortunately, we will need to break through that barrier before we will be able to get to him.�

Sesshomaru stared at his father for a moment-- in which time, it almost appeared as thought the youkai might say something...
But then Sesshomaru stopped, his body going entirely ridged beside Inu Taisho as the inu took a deep sniff of the air. His eyes glowed bright crimson as his youki�s energy pulsed noticeably around his body. His body tensed and hunch low as he fell into a fighting stance-- each and every one of his fine silver hairs bristling in his rage as he lowered his head, his hackles pulling back in a long, low, malevolent growl, that promised unthinkable agony and a slow, tortured death to the one it was directed at.
Sensing the same presences his son had, Inu Taisho too hunched up and allowed himself to slip into a battle position, his eyes narrowing sharply as he searched for the one that presence belong to-- longing to rip them open and rend them limb from limb.
He would, however, have to hold back a little.
Because, once the initial fight was over, Naraku belong first and foremost to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. And, since the former of them was currently incapacitated, it was Sesshomaru�s decision which horrifying agony he wished to induce upon the hanyo to make him pay and kill him.
Inu Taisho would have to-- however difficult-- wait until after Sesshomaru was done to have his turn.
And he would.
Hopefully.
Though, if he didn�t get a better reign on his youki than he had now, he did not know if that would be a promise he would be able to keep...
All these thoughts were driven from his head in an instant when something in the distance moved.
The flickering they had perceived of the barrier intensified-- each time the red electricity waning longer and longer and giving them more and more time to peer into what lay beneath, before, with one final rather sporadic jolt, it disappeared completely, baring the castle hidden beneath to them and all the world.
And at this Inu Taisho tensed up even more.
Because it was quite obvious to him that, whether Kagura had alerted the hanyou or not, Naraku was indeed expecting them.
And the kumo had just all but open the front door and invited him into his home. Which, of course, was never a good sign when one was dealing with an enemy.
And Sesshomaru seemed to sense it too, for he hesitated a moment after the barrier fell, watching the area it had been warily. But that was only for a moment, and then he began stepping almost blindly toward the castle, his huge paws barely connecting with the earth long enough to push him forward. He was driven by his youki alone now and, now that said youki could actually feel the presence of it�s mate and knew where it was, it couldn�t care less if this was a trap of Naraku�s or not.
All it wanted was to get to it�s mate.
That�s it.
And it would shatter and destroy anything and everything that dared to get in it�s way.
Starting with the bastard kumo who had taken him from him in the first place.

�Naraku.� He murmured silently at the hanyou, knowing he would not be able to hear him, since he was currently speaking in his mind, and Sesshomaru possessed no knowledge of the methods of telepathy. �I do not know what it is you have planned by lowering your barrier. But know that you just made the gravest mistake of your life. And I can assure you now, once I find you, you will not have a life by which to make any mistakes such as that again.� There was another of those tugs he had felt earlier deep within his chest-- stronger now than before, and Sesshomaru snarled softly as he, remarkably, sped his pace up a little more-- coming ever closer toward his destination... toward his mate. �
Inuyasha, hold on just a little longer, mate.� He thought, wishing more than anything that his mate could hear him right now so he could let him know that it was alright. �I am coming for you.�

~*~

Glossary (In no particular order, but I�m fairly certain I used these words in this chap)

Kumo - Spider

Hanyou - Half-demon

Inuyoukai - Dog Demon

Youki - A demon�s spiritual energy

Youkai - Demon

Ningen - Human

Ryuukotsusei - He�s the dragon that, along with Takemaru (<-- That�s the right guy, right?), ended up being mostly responsible for Inu Taisho�s death. Inuyasha later fights (and kills) him in the series to unleash his oh-so-famous technique: The backlash wave.
Can�t remember if I used anything else in here. If I did, it�s probably in one of the other glossary�s though, so... If not... well, feel free to ask me what it was, and I�ll see if I can remember. ^_^

~*~

Reviews:
SP777 - Lol, well I�m glad you think so. That chapter was really more because I wanted to have Kagura have at least something to do in the story. It wasn�t much, mind you, but it was still something. Plus, you gotta love her confrontations with Sess! ^_^ You�re right though-- the only one who can fix Inuyasha is Inuyasha... a little help never hurt anybody though, now did it? ^_^
-hiruma - Really? So it has a couple of fairly vile meanings then. �Hell� and �evil spider.� Lol. ^_^ It�s fitting though... ^_^
-Sir Magus - Lol, well I always liked Kagura for some reason, but I suppose she is a bit annoying in this story, neh? Well, I don�t think this was any sooner, but at least this chapter has made progress in the story, neh? ^_^ That�s always a good thing! ^_^
-JuneSpy - Lol, well I�m glad you like it so much (although it really seems to be more angsty than romantic, but hey, that works too! ^_^). Sure, I can send you an alert when I�m posting new chapters if you like. ^_^ The one for this chap should be coming fairly quickly. ^_^
-Incessant_Darkness - Lol, well I don�t know why you bother, I usually don�t say anything worth reading in them. ^_^ I�m sorry I couldn�t make Sess any less depressing. Maybe this chap helped a bit? -- Hm. Yeah, that is true. Can�t have pleasure without pain, can ya? ^_^ Well, I�m sorry I couldn�t offer you more without rushing it... hopefully this�ll help keep you satisfied until the next chap, neh? ^_^
-riddlestar - *winces* yeah, I know, my updates are lagging. With the end of summer drawing near I�m hoping that�ll be able to fix itself (I seem to be more creative in winter for whatever reason) but for now I guess you�ll just have to bear with me... -- Lol, yeah, I always liked Kagura in the series, and I liked seeing her and Sess�s interactions with each other, so I thought I�d put one in here. I�m not sure how successful it was, but it�s there so I�m happy for now. ^_^ -- Hm... you hate being left hanging? Well that�s no good, cause I love to keep people hanging... Well, hopefully this chapter was a bit more satisfying for you, though it still kinda leaves you hanging, doesn�t it? Gomen about that... ^_^
-Reviewer - Lol, yes, it is quite the phenomenon isn�t it? Right up there with Male pregnancies and time-travelling priestesses. ^_^ In real life I know it�s quite impossible for a child to be sired by two different fathers. Which is why I�m glad this isn�t real life. Inuyasha is a fictional piece of work, as is this story. If it weren�t, I�m sure he and Sess would be down here beating the crap outta me for writing something like this in the first place. ^_^ Since they aren�t, I can safely assume that they aren�t real and continue to torment them like this. ^_^ In terms of a real human woman, Tsukiko would be impossible. She would either have not been created, or she would have been Sesshomaru�s daughter. However, in terms of fictional male half-demons (of which no birthing process has ever been recorded) I can bend the rules a little bit, since we really have no way of proving or disproving if they would apply to a half-demon, let alone a male. Lol, I realise it seems a bit far-fetched, but that�s what makes it fiction, neh?
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