Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

The Great Trial	By : WinterDovane Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 22204 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and Co nor do I make any money from this fic.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
VII: Truth: Stranger than Fiction
I
The demon lord stands in this cursed place, watching the sea crash into the shore. It seems nature has decided to echo his foul mood, and the waves reach heights that would frighten humans to fall far upon the sand and rock. While the scene is breathtaking, Sesshomaru is lost in memory; the pain of his past catching up to him in the present.
Before, when his father first revealed the secret of the Great Trial, he had been an impetuous, hardened young demon. His hatred had taken almost two hundred years to dissipate—not too long after Lady Izayoi became his father's mate. She was the pivotal point that truly made him trust in his father, made him respect and adore his father, made his believe in father as a parent and an honorable ruler. Yes, Sesshomaru had learned all the techniques of political maneuvering and governing a large area with diverse subjects even with his signature cold disdain—the mask that kept him from allowing the Inu no Taisho too close to him emotionally. However, the soft spoken human woman, her gentle demeanor, her soothing hands patting his cheek or the top of his head had slowly broken down the icy layers of mistrust. She knew him to be hardened and powerful, and still, she gave him nothing but tenderness.
Meeting her had sharply contrasted the meeting of his blood mother. The cruel Arikura had been his father's first mate. She was not someone that existed in his memory until the day his trial ended. Going to her to find out more about the Medio Zengetsu was a desperation move; after their first meeting, he would have preferred never seeing her again...
In the large library, the young inu demon narrowed his eyes in mistrust—his instincts on the very edge for when the four seated demons would turn and lunge. His hands and feet were tingling in anticipation. However, the demoness—the one with the half moon on her forehead—stood first and came to the edge of the dais.
"Sesshomaru, son of the Inu no Taisho and the Killing Perfection, welcome to the Sanctuary of the Demon Elders. It is time for your exile to end and for you to take your place as a Prince of the West."
The inu turned to his hated tormenter and spat, "what matter of trickery is this? Another plot to eradicate me from your precious bloodline, Lord of the West?"
"No," for the first time in his memory, his father voice is soft, almost gentle in a strange way. "Your father tires of hunting his only offspring. It is time the burden is lifted from both our shoulders."
The inu glanced at the strange woman while keeping his back pointed to the wall rather than his sire or the four powerful demons, "You have my ear, woman. Do not waste it."
"I am Arikura," she replied stiffly, her expression taking on a colder mask then his own. The truth could not have been more obvious. "I speak for the council and am also the one that birthed you two hundred years ago. You will show respect, Lord Sesshomaru. It is by our hand that you have been trained in the wilds of the North, South, and East. It is also by our hand that you will be free."
"And what must I do for such a kindness?" The sarcasm wasn't lost, nor the fact that he hadn't moved closer as requested.
"Merely allow us to tell you the story of The Great Trial and remove the marking scent of a banished one. Come closer so your mother might see you."
"Mother? No woman that would abandon a child is a mother." He replied, "tell me this story so that I may be on my way."
She gave a nod to the Inu no Taisho, whom turned and walked out through the open doors after a sympathetic look to his only son...
After the four spoke of the trial as training for nobility and the small ceremony to remove the taint from his very scent, Sesshomaru had left without even bidding her farewell. She was no mother to him, and the only reason he had referred to her as such was to assure her cooperation gaining his attack. It also helped that he would need her later on to bring Rin back from the Underworld, a feat which amazed him simply because she was a woman that despised humanity and probably thought having humans in his pack made him weak. However, since that very episode, he had to wonder if she really (in some twisted way) had a bit of affection for the child of her womb. Why else save the child if not for Sesshomaru's sake?
Shaking his head in the here and now, Lord Sesshomaru—far from being the young pup of that long ago day—considers what his next move will be after InuYasha emerges from the council chamber.
Yao Xin is already organizing the mass of troops into regiments and attack squads. Surely the dragon soldiers from the North had arrived as planned and hordes of two- headed aerial tactical transportation would give them excellent advantage over the land-bound invaders. The East dispatched 2,000 soldiers back when the Sesshomaru's head advisors-in-charge of making decisions for the military, of lawmaking, balancing the coffer and the budget (the few that stayed loyal to the bloodline when Sesshomaru took his father's place) made the decision to send messengers for him in the forest outside Edo and also the head lords of other three kingdoms. Of course, he expected his immediate allies—Northern Lord Ishiro and Eastern Lord Daichi—to respond with military aid. He had not, however, expected the Southern Lord, his closest opposition, to offer weapons or soldiers at the Western Land's request so the palace may be fortifies. His own had spotted spies making it to the main land (that would certainly put the South at risk and is enough of a motivation for him to be cordial). Thus, back at the Western Palace, Shin and Matsu Shikazu kept one thousand troops on two constant shifts. Spies and lookouts with speed or explosive powers had been in place for three moons—lightening, fire balls, powerful ki blasts are quite visible in a pinch.
So, they need to be present for the actual attack in less than two days when everything would come to fruition... that is if InuYasha would continue to follow him after this little meeting with the interference of the demonic world. With the younger being so volatile, the demon lord has not been able to plan whether or not the Wind Scar, Backlash Wave, Barrier-breaker, or the Dragon-scaled power vacuum, or Adamant Barrage would be a main attack in battle. Rather, he planned only his own soldiers—should InuYasha decide to join them, he could put his younger brother out front to take out large sections of enemies. A perfectly acceptable political move. One that makes him feel like a complete ass. The last thing he wants is to perpetuate the "this Sesshomaru needs your hanyou ass for Tetsuaiga" idea already in his little brother's head.
What would Father do? My acceptance of him did not come easy, yet he took every moment with patience and love that I have never known during the trial. As much as I despised him in those first years, each lesson, each sword strike, each meeting with Lords and advisors were all conducted with respect of my position in the kingdom...
"Mi lord," the voice from above bring a small sigh of irritation—politics.
"Tengu," the mask slides effortlessly in place, and an unshakeable assassin waits as the flapping and swirling wind settle. Iridescent blue-green feathers and sharp green eyes sets the Elder aside from the ordinary birds of prey. "Is there news of the impending battle?"
II
The year 1280: Kamakura bakufu rules Japan for the humans; the demonic world is not gathered under a single, ruling body. Mongolians tried an invasion of Japan for the second time and failed.
Inu no Taisho, Lord of the Western Lands, stared at the oncoming Mongolian invaders from atop the sandy shore on Kyushu. His large paws had sunk to the ankle in the loose shore (but also, the immense weight of his true form, a massive white inu) and somehow managed not to squash the elemental demon standing at his side. The tawdry vessels carried over 40,000 humans and what he could only assume, due to the overwhelming stench of other worldly, were demons—weak and useless demons being destroyed while his golden eyes looked on. His air troops and boats were backing off for the final blow. The same trick as nearly fourteen years prior: three of his best water elementals teamed up to bring the Kamakazi Mae Shi: Divine Wind of Death. Let the humans of his lands think it was merely some kind of natural disaster. What they did not know wouldn't hurt.
His eyes narrowed, watching with keen eyes as his son (in bi-ped form) delivered one final group of invaders from living before the young demon formed his ki cloud and jumped off the flimsy boat. Long of limb, even in his late stages of adolescence, Sesshomaru was certainly going to be a demon one would hesitate to contend with; his speed and technique had improved considerably in such a short time back in the Western Lands. Once Sesshomaru truly trusted him, then they could break the secret to his own true form. Once? Perhaps if is a better question.
The general sighed from his stance at the top of the battle, and his old advisor, Yao Xin merely glanced his way. Only Yao would understand the general's depressing thoughts in this moment of victory. His son was the one regret in his long life—merely watching the boy fight is enough to give Touga an aching chest. Yes, Sesshomaru was incredible in battle; yes, his swordsmanship has improved greatly over the last few decades, but the coldness in his son still bothers the father. Certainly, the fallout from his own Great Trial had been followed by monumental distrust and doubt of his sire; yet, the general had soon found his sire worthy of trust and from there, he could forgive and learn. His sire was no ruler, had not conquered any lands to call his own, but was only part of a small pack of dog demons. However, that small pack was his father's center. Every move made was based on what was best for the small 'family.' In this respect, Touga had no choice but to learn to trust his sire's decisions since his father's true self was one that cared for family over himself. Touga had seen this selflessness and respected it.
As it stood, Sesshomaru had no such desire to see the man inu no Taisho was. Even now, the younger inu stands down with the foot soldiers on the shore, watching the elementals gear up for the final attack while allowing the home naval forces to return to shore. The lone figure in white (while the rest of the soldiers wear traditional uniforms and armor) stood out from the rest as the sky darkens in impending doom for the foreign invaders. Rather than stand at his side, Sesshomaru stayed close to the fighting.
Touga raised his head, throat opening for the fearsome howl that tore through the ranks of his men. Slowly, his empire (the one he would one day leave for Sesshomaru) came together—this war another defining factor in whom would support him in administrative power. In another few decades, he could establish himself as ruler of the West and have a bit of ease. Perhaps one day he could find another mate, mayhap one that would not leave him, and have another child. First, however, was contending with his first-born. Touga was determined his son would eventually stop looking at him with loathing and distrust
At the sound of the howl, the elementals cried out and released power into the wind and water—cumulating the waves bigger even than the inu no Taisho's full dog form. Shouts of fear and dread from the invaders as they were crushed, cries of victory from the soldiers, the massive crash of water meeting water, all fight for supremacy and made the battlefield that much more triumphant. His sea demons ('water gods' from what the humans believed) were already out to save his soldiers still in the water and kill any surviving invaders.
It seemed months of planning came to a successful fruition. Touga's eyes moved to his son, stillness surrounded by chaos; however, some things would still need his personal hand. The great general moved closer to his men, simultaneously reverting to his two legged form, battle armor and all. He walked through the droves of his cheering men and came to stand by Sesshomaru in the midst of it all. He looked over, hoping to see something other than cold disdain on his son's face...
Yet their eyes met, for Sesshomaru was looking at him as well. In all the goings-on in the victorious aftermath of battle, Taisho could only hope the road to acceptance would be less unstable, uncertain. He hoped Sesshomaru would eventually be able to confide in him rather than just learn from his techniques. But, there had to be a starting point. Slowly, the general let the corners of his mouth lift in a small smile. Surprisingly enough, his son—the coldest demon Taisho had ever known—returned the gesture.
III
Back in the Sengoku Jidai (three hundred years later)
"—and so, you know why your own sibling has forced you from your father's lands and home. He may not truly recognized your rightful position in the Western Kingdom until this council decides you have proven the honor of your bloodline and releases you from exile." Lady Kujimunna sips her tea delicately, "we have had difficulty agreeing on your behalf, Lord InuYasha. Please do not think we have taken your life from you on a whim."
"..."
Open mouth, suck in a breath, close mouth.
That's about as far as InuYasha can think at the moment. The personal turmoil of the last few days (hell, the last few decades) semi-prepared him for a whole rigmarole of reason why he just wasn't fucking good enough to live in the high-class demon world. Reasons that, as a matter of fact, might be good enough to drive him to seppuku with the dishonor he caused the great demon general just by being his half-blooded offspring. He'd walked in this room with a whole head-full of notions that this whole "answer my questions" bit was going to be the longest put-down of his life. Possibly be the end of his short stint on this world—'cause really, why else would Sesshomaru get so nice all of a sudden and insist they come here first if not for some kinda beat-down waiting? But this crap was not at all what he'd been expecting. Not some "every demon of royal blood goes through this unbearable shit."
To top it all off, his limbs are starting to get stiff and he's hot enough that sweat is making a thin trail down his ramrod straight spine. The more this whole story goes on (dating from the first tribe of shiro inus), the sicker he begins to feel. He had passed the last couple of days of heat and nausea off as consequences of the human night (he always suffered some physical aches and pains before and after humanity) and the freezing cold working its way out of his human form. Demons did not suffer human sickness but as a half-breed, anything was possible. Maybe the reality made him ill because Sesshomaru might not be jerking him around this time—maybe the bastard actually wants to be a family? Strange, but the evidence is starting to pile up. After driving back the invaders (and his 'usefulness at an end), he'd see how all these sentiments would change. Regardless of the what-ifs and after-the-facts, the room is too hot and his stomach is playing some kind of rolling game in his abdomen; both good reasons why his attention is waning. But this, this trial to make some sort of angry warrior out of him was a huge load of bullshit. Their reasons and excuses just piss him off even more.
"...So Lord InuYasha, it is a customary and necessary protocol for those in power of the land," Goryo the Wise continues and fixes the ruined eye on the younger hanyou, now at their table with his hands in his sleeves and the power of his rising anger flaring his youkai. "The Great Trial is one of the best kept secrets of the purest bloodlines. You happened to be the last Prince born, and the final one we have agreed to put through exile."
This time, the youngest (with surprising calm) holds up a hand for attention. His anger is palpable, but his control is hard won in the last five years. "Let me just get this straight," he begins slowly. The four demons give him their consideration, and the interest is a little unnerving.
"So, you're telling me that, basically, Sesshomaru cast me and my mother out of our home and the Western Lands after my father died saving our lives because of your order in this traditional training period for upper-class brats. That, without going through this hell like my ancestors did, I wouldn't have been accepted as a Prince of the West and the other three nations wouldn't recognize me at all. It could have caused a civil war."
Kujimunna smiles gently at the slightly sardonic tone. "In a condensed version, yes, Lord InuYasha. The history is to assure you of how important this tradition is to many rulers and explains why your blood kin would try harming you time after time. He was put in this position by our compliance to this custom. Family must be the ones to hunt an exile, to train that exile. Sesshomaru, as your sibling, was our only option even though he has expressed his wishes many times over the years that you should not have been subjected to the trial as the second son. He has wanted you to stand at his side for quite some time." She gestures to his untouched tea, "should you like to see proof, we have many of his missives over the span of your life to appeal our decision."
Uh-hu, what the fuck ever. "Then why the hell was I forced into the trial if I'm just supposed to be his advisor? I'm not even going to be the damn Lord of the West."
"As a hanyou," Lady Arikura continues, "you will be met with prejudices from the other rulers of this land as well as the people. Your very birth was threatened by a human that kidnapped your mother with the intent to kill you both, and, unfortunately, that kind of hatred you have also experienced in the demon world, young one. The trial will give them the proof they need of your strength and prowess, your worthiness to lead. However, the Council needed to be certain of your strength before we could remove the tainted scent and return to you your title. This means that you may not rule while your brother lives and if he produces an heir; yet, if he dies in battle, you are next in line. To avoid an uprising should this happen, the trial is a necessary evil to assure the people you will lead them with strength and honor." Her tone turns snide at the end, and InuYasha can definitely see her real opinion of him.
The gears in his mind work now that some of the shock has worn off. All this was so I could live in the West without the people bitchin' and complaining about a half-breed? Well, fuck... It's not like I asked for it, and it's not like I want a goddammed title anyhow!
"That would make sense if I wanted a part in the rulings of the West, which I fucking don't."
Lady Kujimunna nearly chokes on her drink of tea at this admission. Goryo gives her a gently rap on the back as she coughs delicatey. Once her throat is clear, the three stare at him in a state of shock—not want to rule? Unheard of! No other exile, two thousand years of the Great Trial's existence, had ever refused title and power once they knew the truth of their birth and origins. This hanyou is certainly setting a new precedent.
"Look, I'm the sword-swinging guy, the beat down guy. Because of the hell I went through my whole life, there's no way I could do a damn thing to help Sesshomaru except be in his army if I chose to stay in the West. I fight to repay my father's memory and because he gave up his life to save my mother from death. Don't give a flying fuck that he saved me. Hell, it woulda been better for everyone if I hadn't been the stain on his bloodline. But, I will respect his sacrifice and take up for the weaker ones in his lands. That's the honorable thing to do." He stands from the table without bowing, hands still in his sleeves and close to his sword. The young half-breed steps down from the dais to regard the three stricken members of the council. "I don't want shit, not the birthright, not the title, and not Sesshomaru's fucked-up approval. Thanks for telling me the truth an' all, it explains a lot of the questions I had." He gives a little half wave before turning away.
"Wait, hanyou!" Lady Arikura stands, her cold expression even icier to proclaim her intense displeasure. "You would defy your father's wishes and ultimate sacrifice to stay in the demeaning position of a solider? An exile? You are a disgrace to his blood, a weakness that should be purged after all!"
The air changes in the blink of an eye. Her anger swirls her youkai in a pressing pulse against his skin, a living heartbeat in the room.
"Lady-!" Goryo is also on his feet, glaring murder at her.
Another temper peaks. "Keh! So that's the real story, eh?" The hanyou shuts down, his eyes empty and cold. "I am the weakness, the taint of his blood? Am I the one that put a child, Kami know how many children, through hell? The reasons don't matter, but you decide to torture fucking children and I'm the disgrace?" How many others went through what I did? How many died in the wild because they had to prove themselves to these fuckers?
In a move so fast, even the angry hanyou is shocked at himself, he is up on their little table with sword pulled, extended, and pointed directly at the angry Lady Arikura, the tip pressing oh so gently against the moon on her forehead. A slow dribble of blood eases down her pointed and delicate nose; he has to give the frigid bitch credit, she doesn't even flinch. The other three do not move. He doesn't care; his senses are heightened in his anger. He could hear flies fucking right now, and he'll know if one moves to attack. At the moment, he's going to give this frigid bitch a piece of his mind!
"Tradition be damned," he roars at her, "The only thing this stupid Great Trial will do is make royal assholes! Look at the daimyo's in the past few centuries. Gods dammed, the demon world is a mess. Being hated and hunted and isolated don't make a ruler that will do his best for the people, it'll make him heartless and cruel. The demon rulers sit in their big, fucking castles and do nothing. They let murderers run free and slaughter peasants for fun." Golden eyes narrow and the scalding heat of his own youkai turns up a notch and his body heats beyond measure, "you wanna talk about dishonorable, lady? Mothers abandoning their young is dishonorable. Marking an innocent child as a taint to his bloodline is fucking dishonorable. Letting someone hated his whole life rule over those that hunted him is dishonorable!"
His childhood memories claw through his mind's eye in a grotesque slideshow of agony and aching loss; in reaction, his power lashes out without his conscious knowledge and the books, parchments, and sketches tremble with his anger and the ghosts of past pain. His hair flows around him in the pressure from his own power surge, and his clenched jaw shows elongating fangs. His eyes flicker from red to gold while the hand remains stone steady. His inner demon paws at his insides, aching to get out and ravage these fools.
The young inu has never wanted to kill someone more than he does right now. Sure, he wanted to rip out Naraku's vicera while the bastard was still alive ('cause all the people he screwed over), but knowing these fuckers had a personal hand in the shitty way the demon world ruled just makes his skin itch to shove the blade right through her skull. "Elders, my fucking ass. Why the hell would I want to be part of this shitty system you've got going here? The demons and humans need strong rulers, not brutal assholes that only know about survival. How fucking stupid can you be?" Without moving his sword, he leans closer to the narrowed-eyed female, "but what's worse, what's really fucked up? You didn't throw me out of the West 'cause I'm a hanyou, did you, bitch? You put me out just 'cause you fucking hated my mother, and that shit is pretty fucking dishonorable now, ain't it?"
In that moment, the woman's eyes went from cold to pissed off. Oh yeah, he touched a nerve. The power crackles sharply and her features twitch.
That's fine, you fucking bitch. Transform! I'll carve you the hell up...
"This is not the place-!" Hakuzosu is too late to stop the backlash.
Her power sends the room into chaos. The initial pulse of power sends the hanyou flying as well as flings bound tomes and parchments flying every which way in mini tornadoes of power. The entire tower and floor rumbles dangerously with her dissatisfaction as the hanyou catches flawlessly himself in mid-air and redirects his landing. In mid-air, his hand hovers over the hilt; he's ready to pull the Tetsuaiga and give as much good ole' beatdown as he possibly can against the wall of power he knows he's probably no match for. Well, that's nothing new. He might not have a chance in Hell of beating her outright, but he could certainly do some pretty fucking impressive damage—for all the others like him, that got beat and left alone as children, he could take some form of revenge.
He softly lands, balancing perfectly on one of the shelves, watching the female inu's eyes burn crimson and her fangs elongate. C'mon, bitch, let's see that ugly face!
He should pull the sword!
He should use the Wind Scar to demolish this fucking place to rubble!
He should give a little payback for his lifetime horror show!
But, no weapons. She had no weapon, only her power and true form. His inner sense of right and wrong rails against him for using a weapon against a woman, an unarmed woman at that. However, an invisible wave, the sound he catches in a heartbeat, flows through the room and he barely darts away in time to avoid being cut in half.
Her power is like a sword! He glances at the destroyed shelves, appearing as if a giant sword had cleaved into it. She's using her youkai like Tetsuaiga's Wind Scar.
Lady Arikura stands from the table, her hair floating gently with the raw youkai pouring off her in waves. Her face controts, eyes red with her inner demon, "you dare to demean the Elders, pup! You believe we much such choices so lightly!" Her jaws elongate, fangs sparkle deadly, "you dishonor yourself and your noble lineage with these accusations." The medallion around her neck flashes momentarily and she whips out a hand and flings a trio of more deadly, invisible waves. Behind her, Goryo shields Kujimunna from the backlash.
In a snap, InuYasha tries to leap out of the way as more parchment flies. The first two miss him by a hairsbreath and the third hits him full in the chest like a wall of stone. His body hits the shelves with a sick thud; he spits blood and the air in his lungs on impact, his body making a three foot deep gash in the wall. Paper flutters over him like sakura blossoms and the hanyou is still, his hands flop lifelessly.
Hakuzosu turns on the angry inu, "you've killed him! A hanyou cannot withstand an attack of a daiyoukai."
"Then he is unworthy to stand beside the Lord of the West," she dismisses with a sniff. "He dishonored himself by his own words."
Goryo, standing infront of Kujimunna, lets loose a deep hiss of displeasure. "You've forgotten yourself, Arikura. This is no way to deal with an exiled one."
The inu lifts her lip in a snarl, ready to retort in justification of her actions—
"Keh...," eeks from the hole in the library wall. Goryo's eyes widen; Kujimunna gasps, and Lady Arikura merely blinks. The fox, however, merely grins. Of course, they have all heard the stories and rumors of the hanyou's undeniable luck in battle as well as of his uncanny ability to stay alive against the worst circumstances, but face to face battle with a full demon elder should have signed his death warrant. The hanyou's bones should be crushed!
Crumbling noises echo sharply as the body moves, the limp hands clasp the sides of the wall, and muscles move as the hanyou pulls himself out of the crater. "Just goes to show you assholes really are...ugh...fucking stupid if you think...uh...one measley," his ears appear, "pox-ridden," his arms strain, "bitch," his bloody face, scowling and angry, "could take me out that easy!" He pulls himself standing with relative ease, sneering at the surprised female inu.
"You might be some kinda powerful, bitch, but I haven't even started yet." Swish. Tetsuaiga transforms as it slides from the sheath. If she's going to use her power like a weapon, then I guess it's on!
Instead of getting angrier, Lady Arikura lifts her head and lets out a full-throated laugh.
IV
Sesshomaru and Tengu both look to the closed council doors in a single, smooth motion. The tower rumbles under their feet in an unnatural quake. The feel of power eminates, raising the hair on the back of the demon lord's neck. The feel is similar to his own. Mother does this thing. The disrespectful bitch...
A feathered hand on his arm starts him since so few would dare touch his person without fear of losing the appendage. Tengu draws back immediately,
"You are...growling, Lord Sesshomaru."
He has also moved a step toward the door without being conscious of it; his body is twisted to make his way to the entrance and blow the doors right off the hinges. Quickly, with Tengu looking on, he takes his left hand away from his pulsing sword. It reacts accordingly to his own need for battle and ("Sesshomaru...do you have something to protect?") need to come to his brother's side. The lord's own lack of control is actually embarrassing. The vibration of his chest eases and Sesshomaru forces himself to calm. Bursting into that room right now is not an option; as he has been InuYasha's whole life, Sesshomaru is prohibited from giving aid. Until the scent is removed, the Lord of the West is sadly powerless.
V
The room itself must have some kind of magical spell thingies to keep the destruction from getting too bad (or so he is guessing); his attacks haven't destroyed the outer walls or other shit like the table and dais. Keh, demon made shit just stands up better to an all-out brawl.
InuYasha holds up Tetsuaiga to block another intense ki attack, the force still shoving him back several feet and leaving gouges to mark his tracks— for fuck's sake! The Dragon Scaled Testsuaiga still can't cut through the blasts. He's only able to hold the wall of youkai from slamming into him, keeping him away from getting up close and personal with the beating. Worse, the bitch isn't generating enough youkai to create the Wind Scar, and the Adamant Barrage didn't even touch her. Whatever fucking spell is going on made the shards of diamonds disappear completely. Finally, his normal slice and dice, cut through the wall of power, is sadly ineffective. Her last attack caught on the edge of his blade, but the sword cannot cut it. He is frantically thinking of what to try next while keeping the doggie bitch at bay. She doesn't seem interested in up front attacks like Sesshomaru, but her ki blasts are similar to the attacks from Tokijin...
"Give in," the lady pauses, not even winded. "Admit defeat and you may walk out alive."
Sweating from exertion, InuYasha curls his upper lip in a sarcastic smile, "Keh! As if, ba-ba. Why don't you take the kid gloves off and give me a real fight?"
Yup. That was a good one. Lady Arikura's hands wave again, and the hanyou makes a fast caluculation, no time to swing... he holds Tetsuaiga in front of him side-ways and hopes to the Buddah... "Bakuryuuha!"
Regardless of loss of momentum, the sword bursts into light as her wave of power hits the sword first, and his youkai wraps around it to form the swirling vortex of wind. With a warcry to deafen the god, the hanyou shoves the sword forward, willing with all his might that his power would drive hers back.
The look on her face is fucking priceless as the twin twisters spin back on her. The other three demons dive out of the way just in the nick of time. Lady Arikura, facing her own demise, seems unconcerned while she is silently bracing for the blow but knows she will be saved by her own magic. The medallion around her neck throbs a beat of power and the twin twisters respond, bypassing her by mere inches. On the tail of those thunderous attacks, however, a certain hanyou is in mid-leap with sword extended in front of him and murder in his eyes. He's timed it perfectly, for his up close and personal jump to be hidden by the swirling youkai—she didn't even see him coming.
He brings the blade down with a cry, his target not to shove Tetsuaiga straight through her breastbone to the other side. Nope. He makes a precise swipe and severs the necklace holding her medallion! The magic disc goes flying, spinning to hit the shelves and fall out of her reach.
While the hanyou did in fact suprize her three times in one attack, the lady does not phase out of the way but stands still when he plants his stance and instantly swings to bring the tip of his blade back around a breath from her eye. He disarms her without bloodshed.
Again, the stare down is silent for long, painful moments with only the breathing of the three other elders echoing.
Finally,"not bad for an old hag."
"An adequate beginning for a rude, half-blood bastard. You might actually prove a challenge to any ordinary infant should Lord Sesshomaru acquiesce to train you to use that sword."
InuYasha sputters, "why, you-! I did more for this sword than my old man ever did!"
"Then why not use one of the new attacks more effectively rather than try the Bakuryuuha, as if I would not have seen it with my own eyes on many occasions? Not a smart move, son of my former mate."
Fuck. She has a point. "I could have broken the barrier in here with red Tetsuaiga and blasted your ass...but then all the books woulda been destroyed." He blusters off the top of his head.
One of her finely sculpted brows rise under his sword, "ah, so the spell on this room deterred you? Excuses, excuses, half-breed."
"Not excuses." He snarls, "Bottom line, bitch: I might be a disgusting, filthy, bastard half-breed, but I'm sure as hell not a cold-blooded murderer," his head jerks toward the other three elders, "no matter what kind of royally screwed-up system you've got going on here or how much ya might have it coming. I might hate you for what you did to me, for what kinda hell I had to go through, but I gotta have a better reason than that to kill you outright. Just because you're all cruel and sadistic sons of bitches doesn't mean killing you is the honorable way to stop you, even if yer making more murderin' assholes with this stupid trial shit. My luck, I'll be the one to clean-up after your messes anyhow. You got any idea how many crooked, blood-thirsty bastards I've had to kill in the last hundred years? That's the end results of your Great Fuckin' Trial crap."
And in those words, the lady still under his blade loses some of the cold disdain in her eyes.
Kujimunna breaks the tensions with a sigh, looking at him with her calm air and small smile admist the mess of their meeting room, "what you say has weight, Lord InuYasha. Is it cruel for us to damn children to the wilds? Absolutely. We have no illusions about the wrong of our actions; however, at times, the greatest evils are necessary to achieve the greater good. Do you or does your brother meaninglessly slaughter innocents? Did you not spend the last seven years defending the weak and helpless?"
"Don't be stupid. I killed Naraku for the Jewel and power. I just killed those bad guys 'cause they pissed me the hell off. Besides, Sesshomaru only wanted Tetsuaiga for power and kicks anyone's ass that just happens to piss him off. Not very fucking honorable, now ain't it?" Well, like me, for example...
"Do not lie to us, Lord InuYasha," Lady Arikura speaks from behind the blade, "why did you really kill the half-demon Naraku?" Her voice has changed to something softer.
"I wanted to be a full demon! That's what I would have wished for if the girl hadn't taken the wish for herself!"
"You lie," Goryo interjects, catching him in the untruth. "Why kill the demon Naraku?"
"I wanted the jewel for power, so I wouldn't be anyone's prey ever again!" The sound of his back molars grinding is the next indication of the hanyou's anger at being challenged. His youkai starts radiating in a wave of heat.
"You lie," Kujimunna parrots."The truth, InuYasha."
"I wanted to be a full demon. I wanted Sesshomaru to claim me as his brother so he'd stop trying to kill me!" His temper hits another notch.
"Lies," Hakuzosu interrupts with a mad smile, muscles tightening as the young one's aura fills the large hall with scalding, stifling waves. "The demon Naraku would have made a deal with you to give you enough of the jewel to become a full demon if you had made a deal! Why kill him? The truth, hanyou!"
Arikura presses her forehead a little further into the blade, "Why, InuYasha? Why did you make the final strike at the demon Naraku! Why have you continued to fight for the last five years even though your human priestess is gone?"
Finally, the truth breaks free of him, his self-imposed chains shatter. The hanyou's former fire flares along with a blast of youkai, "because he slaughtered everyone! He stole other demons to use for his sick plots. Gods dammed! He used human corpses to kill their own families. That fucker deserved to die so there would be no more victims!" The echo fades and he is breathing a little harder than necessary—daring any of these older-than-crap, snarky demons to demean his logic. "I could only get my honor back after I killed him. There was no other way."
The cat slowly takes up his forgone tea cup, delicate in his scarred paws, "you wanted to save the innocents, InuYasha. That is why you fought him so long. So others would not suffer as you had suffered, regardless of the hatred and discrimination you suffered at the hand of humans and demon alike." The one good eye regards the inu, "and you are the product we hoped for that would come out of the Trial... You would make a fine ruler." He gives the hanyou a half smile as Kujimunna smiles widely at his answers.
Shock makes his eyes stay gold and widen a bit at the compliment. His heart is pounding, the heat making his face flush. For a moment, he is unable to retort but soon finds solid ground under the reality crumbling at his feet. In a second, he pulls his former mantle of behavior around himself.
"K-keh, no one would follow a fucking half-breed. Anyway, I'm here to follow my brother into war, not to take some ranks with elitest fuck-heads." Slowly, the Tetsuaiga reverts back to its' rusty form, pointing harmlessly at the demoness' forehead.
"Your great-grandfather was half human and not of royal human blood," Lady Arikura replies smoothly, not even reacting to the blood dripping down her face. "He was well-respected in his tribe."
Finally realizing that he's been trapped in some elaborate test, the hanyou pulls his weapon back. The sword is re-sheathed without his gaze meeting any of theirs, and he steps away from Lady Arikura. The moment of calm helps to ease the red staining his cheeks, his body cools down as his temper eases.
The lady moves to retrieve her medallion, the small nick on her forehead already healed. "He was the ancestor that eventually begat your father, Touga. And, much of his strength, his innate sense of what it right rather than what is easy, has come to the fore in you. So it seems at the present. You are hardly out of adolescence, still a pup with much to learn. With the knowledge your lord brother could bestow, you may grow to be a force to be reckoned with, Lord InuYasha."
He glances over his shoulder at her, cheek still red and heated, eyes with a dull glaze in them. His guffaws would do him no good here; being merciful is not a weakness in the eyes of the three watching him struggle to come to terms with so much so fast.
"Even as a ruling heir to the West, would you return to you mother's kin and slaughter them for casting you out? For the torment they caused her?"
"They ain't worth the wasted stroke of my sword." Proudly, his throat is working again.
"Of course," and the ice lady actually gives him a small half-smile as if her point had been made.
"InuYasha," Kujimunna speaks his name gently and the hanyou catches a breath at how much she sounds like Mother. "While this may be difficult for you to believe, we do not make these decisions easily. Nor do we make them without suffering."
She makes a gesture he doesn't see and a pinpoint of light appears a few feet from his face. It spins and grows while he watches in numb silence, and it becomes an orb the size of his head. In the glow, he sees Sesshomaru carrying the unconscious human him through the night to the Western Palace, and the look on his brother's face is so sad the hanyou can't even conceive the demon in the orb and his brother are one and the same.
"But there is more you should know, Prince of the West." The orb glows and goes white. All of a sudden, another face appears. One he's only seen in a blurry projection: his father's face. "It is not actually our decision to send any children through this ordeal. Actually, the families of exiles are the ones that ask us to continue the tradition." She comes forward enough to touch the hem of his sleeve, "in your father's final papers, he wished that you would go through the Trial as he did before you, and hopefully, would aid in lending you strength he did not live to lend you."
What? But...why would he.. How many fucked-up tests did he set up for me before his death? This revelation stings, but InuYasha sucks it up and just breathes as the image of his sire fades and changes again. This time, the orbs shows a very familiar backdrop: a dark forest covered in snow...and a small child in the fire rat robe running frantically from predators trying to kill him. Blood and bruises cover his face and hands, but it doesn't keep him from running full speed to escape the monsters tracking him by scent.
"All the pain, all the trials you have face, we have wittnessed," Goryo states, explaining the image in the orb. "Many young ones have turned pitiless and vicious during the ordeal...and most of those have fallen to their own gluttony and cruelty before reaching maturity. In their very hearts are the seeds of evil. However, those that survive to adolescents, such as you, understand the problems and strife of your people and make an effort to protect the weak. Ones like you gain the insights of an honorable ruler, and that is why demonic royalty damn their young to exile. Now that you have passed, you may ask the lords of the North, South, and East of their own trial."
"No one else," Hakuzosu interjects, "only those of the highest bloodlines know of this tradition."
For the love of the Gods... InuYasha looks up as the orb goes dark once again and loses its image. He scans the faces of the four elders, and voices his primary concern:
"...And Sesshomaru?" The hanyou asks hoarsely, "how do I know this isn't just some fucked up plan of Sesshomaru's to earn my trust so's he can get what he wants?"
"Simply said, time, Lord InuYasha," Kujimunna answers softly as the kind look on his brother's face fades as the spinning orb shrinks as it grew and returns to nothingness. "Only time can give you the assurance you so desperately wish to have."
Scratching the back of his neck, the hanyou mumbles "yeah, figured ya might say something like that. Couldn't help but try, I guess" makes Goryo hide a chuckle under the semblance of a cough.
How naïve this seemingly seasoned inu still is, and the scent of his impending heat fades to less than even distinctive now that he was calming a bit. However, the full blown adult initiation will undoubtedly cause problems with this little invader issue that most the other nations seem to be incredibly interested in. Of course, only Sesshomaru could talk the North, South, and East into a nation-wide collaboration, but too bad the young hanyou on the edge of heat and personal revelation would be stuck right in the middle. Goryo wonders fleetingly if they should have issued the young one be presented after the combating rather than before. But Lady Arikura took care to make him come before, just to watch the outcome.
"So," the hanyou sighs, "that's all of it? Anything else I should know or—I dunno, do before I go?"
Kujimunna gives a small nod, "your scent must be purified before you leave, milord. We will remove the mark of the exile, and then you are free."
Free...sounds kind of nice, actually. "What is removing the mark going to take?"
"It will be painful, Lord InuYasha, that is for certain. However, I think you are strong of heart—well, at least enough to survive."
VI
The door to the main council chambers opens with a silent swoosh, and the demon lord picks up the nearly nonexistent noise. Day has bled into night and removing the scent could take several hours. He is still paying attention to Tengu's information, mentally cataloguing the weapons count, but his ear is cocked slightly toward the noise. Four separate patterns of footsteps echo off the walls as his younger brother is taken to the cleansing chamber where his scent will be purified.
For the first time in many years, the elder brother is able to fully breathe. The world is suddenly not simply blurring out of focus—a semblance of living.
It is over. The trial is finally over...
The bird of prey cocks an eyebrow at the Western Lord, waiting for an answer to his question.
"The West thanks you for your information. Even now, the army is moving into position for the defensive, and attack measures are in place for the palace and further down the coast at vital entry points." Another door swings shut down the hallway, and voices fade.
"I take it, then, that you would not need more air support?" The wiley bird, his beak lowered a bit so his eyes regarded the lord.
"The dragon-riders are many, and the other lords have provided soldiers and weapons to the cause. Should you desire to send your birds of prey, they would be welcome among the forces granted they do not turn on the warriors once the bloodlust consumes the weakest."
"A known risk to dealing with my less civilized brethren," the bird replies in a bored tone, "any I send will have keepers. Kindly tell your men not to slaughter them on first glance." With a shake, Tengu's arms seem to simply flow naturally into great, gleaming wings.
"This Sesshomaru will spread word, yours are not to be harmed."
"Then, we shall meet again two days hence. Should Lord InuYasha be somewhat...indisposed...I shall see him at his Introduction Ceremony at the Western Palace."
"If he decides to join us in battle, you will see him." The demon lord now raises a brow. Indisposed?
Tengu gives a coughing snort, "not what I mean, Lord Sesshomaru. You shall smell soon enough. Good day!" With speed of most demons, he is streaking toward the sky with a thundering beat of his powerful wings. He will return to the high nests and get the troops ready to immobilize.
The inu merely watches with a calculating gaze; his sense of smell is his most honed weapon and Tengu's barb is not amsusing in the slightest. As one of the elders, however, the bird will have some reason for his snark. The truth shall reveal itself eventually, and Sesshomaru has far more on his mind than the bird. If he were not so controlled, he would sight for the trials yet to come.
VII
"Miserable, thrice-damned cold," trying to stay warm in the harsh wind off the sea, the long, ebony length of Xin's fu man chu has little icicles dangling off the tips. Of course he is used to extreme climates and conditions in his native land, but it is customary to keep the cold away by movements of battle or hunting. Just standing around with his thumb in his arse is getting a little irritating. Not only have the main generals arrived ahead of the main forces, but nothing can be done until the rest arrive two day hence.
To make matters worse, Matsu Shikazu, head general of the ground troops, isn't even shivering. The young human is one of the few in Sesshomaru's armies and the only one with any rank. While the demon lord has little respect for humanity, he has seen a few with potential and allowed those few to join the ranks of the Western demons rather than pledge fealty to one of the constantly warring human shoguns. If the humans survived along side demon soldiers, then their prowess is that much more established and respected. Shikazu is one of the elite.
"It is the perfect time for attack," Shikazu replies offhandedly while scanning the horizon for any tiny indication of the invaders or spies. "The bitter cold will prove an obstacle in their favor."
"How so? Even if they reach the shore, the water will be a frigid death trap."
"If one falls in, of course. But, our men face the same possibility when we send ships out to meet them."
"Hn. Demons will survive, but our spies tell us the majority of them are human. Fewer are demonic than when the General held against them."
"True, but they are more in number, or so I have been told."
Behind the two, in the canopy of trees far from the shoreline, the awaiting soldiers prepare. Separate camps are scattered for twenty miles; with allies from other nations, this battle would be a historic conflict. Lord Sesshomaru had many great legends spun about his skills in battle, yet he had only led his full standing army into two skirmishes before now. Both victories for the young lord who (as is usually unheard of) commanded his soldiers from the font lines, throwing himself head-first into the fray. The lord, like his father, preferred to take personal action against previous interlopers or threats to his people. He usually only sent troops in time of natural disasters—but not with the threat of bloodshed. The motto of an honorable ruler: show prowess and power when you have something to protect.
"We will fight bravely regardless," Xin finally states, "the will of the Gods be with us." He raises a brow at the human, "but while we wait for our two lords, tell me: do you play Go?"
A half smile cracks the human's somber face, an unwilling smirk. "Do not even tempt me to beat you, demon. You have no wish to shame your ancestors."
"Brave words for a little bag of bones like you, human! Let's say we make a wager or two..."
VIII
"Breathe," Goryo whispers from the hanyou's right hand.
Gee, thanks. Not helpful. InuYasha thinks because speaking is too much effort at the moment. Besides, the floor seems like the perfect place to get some rest, at least until his fricking body decides to get with program and start—hm—moving and stuff. He spits out a mouthful of blood on the nice, clean stone and clenches his teeth against the second round hum of power. The first wave had crashed into him like falling into a stone wall at full speed. It had felt like his body was being torn apart at the seams...
Time has lost meaning. He could have been here for a few minutes or a few hours. The only consistency is the pain, wracking him with uncontrolled spasms. His fangs have already sliced through his lip and tongue.
The main part of the final ritual in the "path of the exile" is to get the scent marker removed from his natural smell, or so Lady Bitch told him. After his mother was kicked out of the West, Arikura came to her with Inu no Taisho's last wishes and to magically bind the marker to his natural scent. Even though most the population of Japan detested half-breeds regardless of bloodline, apparently most people didn't have to put up with the kind of shit he is accustomed to—you know, life threatening fights and shit. The whole marker thing kind of explained why so many people tried killing him, in every village and glen. No matter where he journeyed throughout the island, there were those that enjoyed being unnaturally cruel.
Well, Kujimunna let him on the little secret of how the scent affects everyone. Human and demon alike. The fact he had a pack at all was nothing short of a miracle—especially with a monk and demon slayer in the mix. The council attributed his little pack's loyalty to his natural abilities as a leader and one that would make the right choices. While Arikura prepared everything for the ritual, he'd tried to bluster again—repeating his claim that he'd wanted the fucking jewel to become a full demon and that's all there was to it. The humans knew it, every fucking person they met along the way knew it, and even Kikyo knew it after she was raised from the dead.
The fox didn't believe him. The cat just smirked like an irritating bastard. He wanted to go into the history of why he wanted the jewel in the first place (not that it would probably matter to these guys), but everything was ready—Arikura gave a Sesshomaru-like sniff and came at him with a knife.
Naturally, the ritual to remove the marker is complex and requires not only some heavy magic but also a bit of blood. He didn't mind donating to the cause, giving Lady Arikura enough to draw a complete circle with him as the epicenter. Her chanting had started out slow and whispered, but she had picked up speed and volume when the others joined in—with that chant the circle itself started to hum around him with a soft, silver glow. With that magic, the hanyou's hair stood on end and his skin crawled in revolution.
At the climax of the spell, the circle closed in on him. He had only a few fleeting moments to wonder if he'd been fooled and walked into a trap anyway before the magic slammed into him full force. The raw power seems to cover him, itching and burning his skin under the robe of the fire rat, and then the pulling sensation started. Like two giants trying to pull his arms and legs off, the magic feels like it's trying to pull his body in half without the physical sensation of his skin tearing. The spell is trying to pull the scent from his body and youkai maybe? Fuck, does it matter?
Even though the process is an excrutiating trial on its own, he refuses to scream or give in to the nausea (he'd never live it down if he threw up rabbit all over the floor). In between waves of pain and magic, he can hear speaking but not really make out who is talking or what's being said over him. The only thing that gives him strength to keep conscious is his pride. He's spent god's knew how long writhing inside the circle; his body twitching and spasming with each new wave of magic. The burning doesn't go away.
"Once more, young hanyou," Lady Arikura's voice seems so far away, yet he can't be bothered to raise his head to see where that bitch really is. "We have left you too long. The marker is stubbornly resistant."
Story of my mother-fucking life!
The hum rises to vibration marching along his spine, growing more intense that it rattles his teeth, sinks into every cell of his body. The magic is changing, alters in a different method. The only thing he can really see is the winking glow of Arikura's medallion in the distance.
"Again!"
The magic rakes him like metaphysical claws, scraping the scent from his skin. Behind clenched teeth, the hanyou cries out.
IX
Night has bled into day and day into afternoon. It has been so long that the demon lord's relentless pacing only pauses when other council members come and go at their leisure. He has not eaten or slept, not while the pulses of magic still reverberate throughout the tower. He passes the time switching between meditating and pacing. He also focuses on what the future might eventually hold—for the West, for InuYasha, and for himself. The winds of change are stirring.
It is a few hours after he should have taken the mid-day meal when slight noises make his ears perk. That sounds like...
A second noise sends an uneasy vibration down his spine. The third is an audible cry. It's not a cry of being struck, not a cry of landing with a victorious swipe. It's not a cry of being chased or needing help. It's a sound Sesshomaru has never heard his younger brother make. Even when he ripped the pearl out of InuYasha's eyes, even when he burned his claws into a small wrist, even when he shoved a whole hand through meat and viscera, the soft noises of agony without the hope of defense makes the previously controlled instincts of the demon lord rise to the fore. He feels the overwhelming need to barge in and demand they cease!
The young inu sneers as his precious lifeblood spills into an ancient bowl; blood that will be used to mark a circle of power around him. He glances at his sire, standing in the corner with arms crossed, merely watching the preceedings. This could still be a trap, a final attempt to erase him from the Inu no Taisho's bloodline. Removal of a scent marker could just be an excuse.
"This will be quite painful," his so-called mother informs him as she traces the ring around him.
He doesn't give her the honor of his words, but merely scoffs at her much too late concern. Pain? It matters not to him. He has lived his entire life in pain, dealing with agony on multiple levels—physical and emotional. He has honed his control over his features and actions in all the time he's been exiled, and the young inu would be damned if they broke him now...
Brave words when he is writhing on the floor in the worst pain of his life. Worse than countless beatings and battles, worse than having his own sire despise him; worse than having his arm cut off. He is crying out loud in less than an hour after the process began...
Now, it's InuYasha... InuYasha is in there, suffering more and more.
From out of nowhere, the elder Byakko simply appears out of thin air to wraps two burly arms around the moving dog. The tiger merely hefts the younger demon off his feet to keep the red-eyed Sesshomaru from breaking down the council door. However, the hanyou inside utters another muffled cry, audibly in agony, and the animal in Sesshomaru—unable to give into its' own instinct—finally snaps.
He becomes a clawing, kicking, fighting savage in the arms of the tiger elder that is twice his size and strength. The dog's jaw cracks sharply with the attempt to bite the tiger (who is actually straining for the first time in a few centuries!) holding him back from his kin in pain.
The animal howls in rage, ending on a throaty growl that sounds somewhat clear... "Yyyyaaaashhha."
X
Just when he can't take it anymore (is actually ready to beg for the pain to stop), his own youkai roars and rejects the spell that has been placed on him for the majority of his life. His power, and not the elder's spell casting, is what frees him.
The power in the circle abruptly splinters, exploding in a conflagration of blinding light. The pressure of it is enough to heave the hanyou's broken upper body off the floor for as long as a breath before it vanishes, and he smacks back down on the stone—chest heaving in painful gulps of air. His spine is on fire while hands, arms, legs, and feet tingle strangely.
Is this what dying feels like? It's not like being pinned to Goshinboku when the arrow struck; that wasn't painful...it was calm.
Rustle of kimono and Kujimunna's knees are in his spotty sight, her face wavers in his vision.
"Lord InuYasha?" Something is wrong with his hearing. Her voice is distorted, and his ears give a twitch to try clearing out the sound.
"InuYasha?" Her soft hand touches his exposed cheek gently.
"I-...is it done?" His own voice is hoarse, but the sounds in the room are becoming clearer—someone is running out of the room and a growling outside echoes through the open door.
"It is, milord. It has taken most of the night and half this day, but you have survive the ritual and your scent is purely your own."
She keeps talking, but the inu on the floor is zoning out, waiting for his senses to stop being numb and pick uo sight and sounds again. He glances up at the elders, ignoring the gray spots eating up their faces. All four are looking over him. The roaring in his ears finally dies down enough that he can hear some crazy shit—something like Sesshomaru growling at him. The ruckus draws his attention to the doorway, is that bastard coming in here to take Tetsuaiga while I'm powerless?
The hanyou barely moves his head so he can see the source of the noise. His eyes widen, his weak and trembling arms try to push his upper body off the floor.
This isn't cool, disdainful, asshole, lord-of- the-fucking-West Sesshomaru; this is ready-to-change-into-a-man-eating-dog, insane-as-shit Sesshomaru. Eyes crimson, the elder struggles against Goryo and the huge white tiger trying to hold him back. The dog's snapping jaws come perilously close to Goryo's jugular before the cat darts back. Already, even though he couldn't fathom moving two seconds ago, his body knows bad news and scrabbles backwards less than a few inches into the circle before that's enough. His rubbery legs aren't working, but he bares his own fangs in aggression.
"Yyaasha," the demon growls, red eyes glowing at the still form on the floor. The lord's chest heaves, arms caught in the tiger's hold.
Sesshomaru's not pissed?
InuYasha fails to rise but lifts an unsteady hand out to Sesshomaru, mouth open but no sound coming out. He wants to tell his brother to calm the hell down but still can't manage speech.
Get to him! The demon roars in the back of the lord's mind, and he heartily agrees.
His arms and shoulders heave, legs give way to fling the tiger over his head with full strength. Byakko doesn't expect the move and is thrown head-first into Goryo. It is the first time in many years the two elders are taken by surprise. The white blur passes them (in a huddle on the floor) and comes to the blood circle on the floor. When the demon lord should not have been able to pass through the remaining magic creating the circle, he takes a single step inside and moves to kneel by the hanyou.
The demon gives a single whimper/huff for the waves of pain coming off the re-born youth.
Lady Arikura stands watching in a state of stupefied shock. Her golden eyes are comically wide while she watches her offspring reach out to ease the hanyou into his lap. His crimson eyes indicate he is fully demon and should have been repelled by the hanyou's blood and her own spell weaving the magic's intent. No one, human or demon, should have been able to interfere... especially her own offspring. Sesshomaru should not have been able to breach that circle of magic. He should have been repelled across the room. To her knowledge, her son had not taken his own heritage into account and practiced demonic or human magics even though he certainly had the potential. Rather, he relies on the power of his youkai, his claws, and his sword to give him prowess in battle. This, this, is unheard of!
"Ah, so now you see, milady," Kujimunna whispers from her right.
"See?" The lady has to visibly straighten herself, "all I observe is my son's ability to break my magic. This does not prove his prowess as a ruler or that he may someday surpass his sire. That still remains to be seen."
Lady Arikura scowls even more as she catches Hakuzosu grinning madly on her other side. But, the three merely watch the elder brother gently lick the younger's cheek and nuzzles his nose against the triangular puppy ears. Another low whine echoes in his throat.
"S-ess-ho-maru," reassured his brother isn't going for the Tetsuaiga, one hand covers the hilt just in case... But, as he has wanted to do since puphood, InuYasha just allows himself to lie against his brother's armored chest, giving in to the demon's ministration. For some crazy reason, he can feel and is soothed by his brother's heart beat—even through the armor. With his own pulse slowing, their hearts are crazily beating in rhythm...
"Dammit... ya ass...gotta calm down. Going demon ain't gonna help nothing." The hanyou closes his eyes with a sigh. The intense aura around his brother gradually eases to a tolerable, non-fatal level.
A nose snuffles along his hair, forehead, and face to scent him.
"Keh. Wanna make sure I'm clean now?" InuYasha asks sarcastically without bothering opening his eyes.
"Yes," but the tone is strained. "The marker is no longer mixed with your natural scent."
"Gee, fantastic. I need a minute, then we're outta here. Time to kick some invading ass back to their own lands."
"Soon. Our armies are not expecting us for another two days. There will be time for war once everything is in place, little brother." Sesshomaru murmurs against the half-demon's hair.
Calmer, he silently curses Tengu for not telling him the problem plainly. InuYasha only has a few hours before his maturity cycle would start the first stages and in less than three days from hence, he would have to mate (either take a partner or be taken until completion). If they go into battle with the younger reeking of Heat, both sides of the army would fight one another for him. The effects could be disasterous, both for the success of the West and for the reinstated Prince.
The low growl in the base of his throat is stifled before the younger can hear it. Just the thought of some invading soldier holding a weakened InuYasha on the ground and taking his pleasure is enough to make the demon lord's careful control bend precariously once again. He pulls the younger even closer to his body, gently rocking to soothe while looking at his mother, Kujimunna, Goryo, and Byakko over InuYasha's puppy ears. They give him a shallow bow (seemingly ignoring the murder in his gaze) and leave him with the hanyou to conquer the next step alone.
A/N: Edited chapter
Thanks to my reviewers!
Correction—the Mongols under Kublai Khan attempted to invade Japan twice (1274 and 1280) but forces were wiped out. ("The Secret History of the Mongols." /01_mongolian_art/gallery_comic_secret_history_.html
- 7
- 8
- 9
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Great Trial