Chapter 7 ~ Awakening

____________________________________________

            In a bedroom, in a palace, a hanyou began to stir.  He was alone in the bedroom, and the servants did not know that he was still at the residence due to the barrier that the Great Lord of the Western Lands erected for his safety.  Upon opening his eyes, he had a reaction similar to the reaction that he had the first time he woke up in that bed.  However, this time, he came to his senses much quicker and looked to the side of the bed for food.  No food had been left.  'That's odd.  Last time food was waiting.  What has happened to the level of service here?' "Ah well, no matter, I will just go to the kitchen myself." 

            The hanyou got out of the bed and headed for the door.  "Ah! What in the hell is this?  Who put a barrier over this room? What in the hell is going on here?" Almost on cue, the taiyoukai entered the Jade Palace.  He went straight for his little brother's room sensing a growing rage coming from that direction.  "I bet this was the work of that bastard, Sesshomaru…"

            "Is that any way to refer to your elder brother?  If anyone is the bastard in the family, it would be you, InuYasha…"  Sesshomaru spoke from the other side of the barrier, in the doorway. He decided to stop by on the way back from his morning patrols.

            'I figured that that sleep spell would be wearing off soon, at least it wore off now instead of a day earlier.  If that had been the case, I would be meeting with one enraged half-breed.'  Sesshomaru smirked at the ruckus that the other was causing.  Surprisingly, InuYasha hadn't tried repeatedly striking the barrier with his claws to break it, nor had he used tetsusaiga to do so. 'I wonder why he did not use the sword yet, that fang would have sliced through this barrier no problem.  I am sure he would have used it sooner or later though…" The taiyoukai sighed.  With a flick of his wrist, the barrier dissipated and left InuYasha at a lack of words for more than a short moment.

            "What is the meaning of this Sesshomaru?"  He was angry, however, considering the circumstances, he could have been more angry.

            "I erected this barrier so that no one would be able to sense you and cause undue harm to you while you were sleeping.  I also did not want you to leave before I had a chance to come and talk to you.  Not that I could not have tracked you and hunted you down for a few words, this way was just more pleasant.  Do you not agree?"

            "What is the point of putting up such a powerful barrier for a night when the energy it takes to create one comes from yourself?  Wait, how long was I out for Sesshomaru?"

            "A week."

            "Why was I out for a week?"

            "That is because I placed a spell on you.  I was busy this past week and I did not have the time to deal with you, so I placed you in a temporary stasis." 

            InuYasha just glared at his brother. 'How dare he just put me out for his own convenience?  I will get him back for that later.' "What do you intend to do with me?"

            "I do not intend to 'do' anything to you at this moment.  However, I do want you to start retaining your responsibilities to this land again."

            "What responsibilities?  I have renounced my title long ago, and with it, any responsibilities that came with it.  You of all people should be happy about that."

            "You can not renounce something that you were born with, InuYasha.  In spite of those annoying and embarrassing ears, you have the appearance of your title.  You are an inu-youkai, hanyou or not, and you bear the features of the royal bloodline, the golden eyes and the silver hair.  You have become a blemish to me on 2 levels.  First, you are a lowly half-breed from what should be called nothing more than a false marriage.  Second, your behavior and careless rampages in these lands are a shame to the bloodline that I possess 100% of.  I have an image to uphold."

            "Why would you even want to acknowledge my existence, Sesshomaru?  Why?"

            "I will not answer that question."

            InuYasha looked down for a moment and then looked as cold as he could towards his aniki.  "I can not even remember a time when we were able to get along.  I can not even remember what it means to have a real family.  I don't know why I don't hate you, and it pisses me off that Tenseiga won't let me kill you." He paused for a second and looked down.  "I just don't know what I am supposed to do anymore.  Nothing is clear to me right now."

            'InuYasha.  You were always father's favorite.  He would go easy on you and let you get away with more trouble than I could ever wish to.  There were times when we sparred to test our skills, was not that getting along?"

            "What in the hell are you thinking you bastard?"

            "Are you not better suited to be called a bastard, dear brother?"

            "Sesshomaru! Why you…." InuYasha bared his fangs and started to growl, his anger and emotional reactions starting to kick in.  "You were father's favorite.  You were the one who was to be the heir of the Western Lands.  You were the one who he spent the most time with training.  When we sparred we were not doing it to have fun.  We were fighting over father's attention!  You have always resented me.  I used to look up to you, and wanted to be just like you.  Then I realized that you were not any better than me.  I shouldn't have to bear your resentment.  It is not my fault that I was born!  It is not my fault that I am a hanyou.  It is father's fault, and my mother's fault for not thinking about the future that their son would have to face.  There were times when I don't want to exist anymore. However, that has changed Sesshomaru.  I found friends, who I thought valued my existence and that made me want to live.  Now I just don't know anymore.  So why don't you get your high and mighty, 'I am better than everyone else' attitude out of my face right now before I tear up this palace while trying to beat the shit out of you!" As a testament to his intention he reached for tetsusaiga and unsheathed the sword.  He immediately went into an offensive position, raising his sword towards his brother.

            Sesshomaru stood the same way, with the same expression, that he had been this whole time since he invited himself into InuYasha's bedchamber.  Although he looked like nothing had happened or changed since his arrival, inside he was confused.  He never thought about how the hanyou felt.  Had he really neglected his feelings?  Then again, what were feelings to a youkai Lord?  For the first time in his life, he thought that he might have been wrong.  That in itself was unnerving.  When Sesshomaru regained his inner composure, he reached for Tenseiga. That sword would save him from the tetsusaiga regardless of how powerful the young hanyou would attack.  'There is no stopping him from attacking me short of making him incapacitated enough.  However, there is business that must be attended to, so I must make him listen, one way or another.'

            "You want this sword so bad Sesshomaru?  Well let me tell you something.  This sword was reformed from my fang. That's right.  This tetsusaiga is not the same one that Kagome pulled from father's graveyard. Tetsusaiga has evolved with me.  It holds greater abilities than it originally did, and so do I, Sesshomaru! This sword is truly mine!"

            Sesshomaru's eyes shot open and glowed more golden than before. 'What does he mean it is not the same sword?  It can still create all of the attacks of the original tetsusaiga.  What does he mean evolved?  Now that he mentions it, tetsusaiga was never created to break barriers, yet it glowed red and was able to break through my containment sphere.  If what he is saying is true, then tetsusaiga is now a sword that only he can hold and have dominion over.  I am going to have to rethink my plans.'

            Sesshomaru held Tenseiga in front of himself, being in an offensive position with that would be useless.  InuYasha charged with tetsusaiga in front of him and lunged for Sesshomaru.  Sesshomaru held up Tenseiga to block the attack and when the swords clashed together a great energy was summoned and light enveloped them both, until they disappeared.

                             **********************************************

Like, dislike? As a heads up, I have not forgotten about the Shikon no Tama and I will be including at least a chapter (soon) where shards are looked for.  I will also include a response to reviews in the next chapter, so please review!  Thanks for reading 'The Pact'.