Always Doesn't Last Forever
Chapter 11: Follow Your HeartDisclaimer: I own nothing off Inuyasha! Just the plot and any original characters!
Hunter was wandering about Sesshoumaru's royal chambers when he heard someone enter. He listened instinctively to the footfalls to identify the person but couldn't place them at all which meant that there was an intruder in the rooms. Quietly he stepped into the shadows and waited for the intruder to come to him. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long before the intruder came within his range. It was a female youkai, a very beautiful one for that matter but still an intruder.
All of a sudden she stopped and removed a small dagger from her clothing and laid it on a nearby table. Then, fast as a lightning strike, she moved from the table, to him, and grabbed him about his throat. Her small, yet obviously deadly, claws dug into his flesh causing his blood to flow but he stared coolly into the blazing red-eyes of the she-youkai. Although her skin had previously been un-marked she now had two light blue stripes upon each cheek and upon her arms. On her forehead was the same crescent moon that Sesshoumaru had except a tiny gold star was placed upon the center of the moon. "Who are you?" She growled.
"The same could be asked of you." He retorted.
She laughed softly and increased the pressure of her claws. "Yes, but I don't have to answer."
"You will once Lord Sesshoumaru learns of your intrusion!" He hissed.
A surprised look came over her face and her eyes faded from their blood red color to amethyst. "You know my cousin?" She asked in surprise, promptly releasing him from her grip.
"Cousin? You are related to Lord Sesshoumaru?" He asked.
"No, he's related to me." She answered with a grin, obviously deciding not to harbor a grudge against him. "I am sorry about that but you should have said that you were Sessho's servant." She reprimanded him and placed her hands back over his neck and a soft blue glow touched his flesh briefly, healing his wounds. "So who are you? Do you know Kagome and the children? Have you been here long? Where is Kado?" And so her questions continued as Hunter just stared at her in a mixture of shock and horror. This wench asks more questions that Rin! He thought to himself.
"May I have your name Lady?" He interrupted.
"Of course. I'm Aislinn, and you are?"
"Hunter." He replied and now that he was looking was able to see that she and Sesshoumaru resembled each other very much.
"Wonderful! Now, come and answer my questions…"
Kagome felt the same hot tingling of pleasure that she always did when Sesshoumaru touched her or kissed her. And while she was perfectly content to stay in Sesshoumaru's embrace for as long as she could she also needed to know what had caused the rift between him and Inuyasha. But it wasn't just because she was curious. She could feel the deep sorrow and hurt that Sesshoumaru held within himself and wanted to heal him of that. She wanted to heal his heart…
"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome whispered softly.
"Yes?"
"What caused Inuyasha to hate you so?"
Sesshoumaru almost sighed but stopped himself. Instead he merely closed his eyes for a moment and gently pushed Kagome from him, certain that she would soon despise him. He turned to look at the painting of himself and Aislinn holding Inuyasha and began to speak. The memories still fresh and crystal clear…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Flashback ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The death of Inutaisho had been hard for Sesshoumaru to accept. Although he had hated Inutaisho, the demon lord had once been the person he thought of as his father. Despite his inner turmoil Sesshoumaru truly mourned his father although he never showed it to anyone. Kado, his father's servant and now his own, tried helping him in any way that he could but Sesshoumaru knew the truth. He was not yet ready to become the Lord of the Western Lands. Still considered young by demon standards, he would be the youngest Lord to ever assume such responsibilities. Despite what the others at the castle believed and thought, it was a responsibility he didn't want.
"Brother?" Asked Inuyasha in a sad soft voice. "Is Father really gone?"
Sesshoumaru looked down at his younger brother and silently wished that Aislinn was back with him again. Now that Inutaisho was dead there would be a large number of youkai who would try to take his inheritance form him and Sesshoumaru wished for the support of one he trusted completely. But she wasn't and Sesshoumaru had only himself to rely upon.
"Yes Inuyasha," he answered. "Father is really gone."
He nodded and then suddenly rushed to Sesshoumaru, throwing his arms around the taller youkai's knees. "You won't leave me will you brother?" He asked.
Sesshoumaru smiled softly and gently lifted the small boy into his arms. "No. I won't leave you Inuyasha." He answered and felt a fierce protectiveness sweep through him when Inuyasha wrapped his small arms around his neck. There would be many who would want the boy dead because of his mixed heritage, and it had now become Sesshoumaru's duty to ensure Inuyasha's survival.
From the shadows Kirei watched the young demon lord and her son and silently faded back out of the room…
Later, after Sesshoumaru put Inuyasha to sleep, he made his way to the Great Hall only to stop as he stared in shock at the horrendous sight before him. Kirei was locked in the embrace of another youkai lord! And if the sounds she was making were any indication she wasn't being forced but rather quite willing. Sesshoumaru, sickened and angered by the sight of her ardor, moved to interrupt the soon to be lovers when he realized they were speaking and their conversation was about Inutaisho!
"Is he dead?" He murmured as he nuzzled her neck.
"Quite so," she answered and tipped her head back. "The funds you gave me, added to what I received from Inutaisho allowed me to create an elaborate plot to see him dead."
"So I heard." He answered with a chuckle. "A dragon my love?"
"What better way to kill him?" She whispered back.
"What of his heir, Sesshoumaru?"
"He will also die soon. Inuyasha can replace his father as the Lord of the West so Sesshoumaru is not needed."
He nodded and smiled dangerously. "Good. That young pup is too much like his mother, it is a stoke of luck that the bitch, Aislinn, isn't here otherwise he wouldn't be neatly as vulnerable."
"Yes, but plans for her have been set into motion as well." Kirei replied seductively.
Sesshoumaru listened to all of this and felt his anger grow into something tangible. Unfaithful whore! He seethed, unaware that his eyes were now blood red in color and that his body was changing to that of a great white dog demon.
Kirei and her lover jumped apart when they heard the roar that filled the entire Great Hall and both trembled in fear when they saw the huge white dog that stared down upon them with hate filled eyes. "Inutaisho!" Kirei screamed before whirling around to flee. Neither of them ever had a chance. Sesshoumaru, swept up in the rage of transforming for the first time was basically running on his instincts and couldn't have stopped himself from killing Kirei and her lover even if he'd wanted to.
That was when he heard the sound of soft sobs and whirled around to kill this new enemy and saw… Inuyasha crying for his mother. It was that sound which brought Sesshoumaru back to his sense and he began to return to his normal shape. Inuyasha watched with growing horror as the terrible demon became his brother and a burning hatred filled his heart. His beloved brother, whom he loved even more than his father, had just murdered his mother. Too young to understand what had been going on Inuyasha believed only in what his eyes were telling him. Sometimes the thousand words that a picture shows us are the wrong ones.
"I hate you!" He screamed. "You killed mother! You're a murderer! You're not my brother! I hate you! You're not my brother!" And with that he ran out the Great Hall, bent only upon escaping his brother.
Sesshoumaru, feeling as if he he'd been stabbed in the chest around the vicinity of his heart, could only watch as his body, unused to such transformations as of then, failed him and he slipped into the black abyss of un-consciousness.
When he awaked he was told that Inuyasha had run from the castle and couldn't be found. From that day, Sesshoumaru had changed. He found every member involved in Kirei's betrayal of his father and killed them all without mercy. Then he began to search for Inuyasha, wanting to bring the boy back home. Such was not to be though; for although he came close to him many times, the moment Inuyasha scented him he would run. Finally, Sesshoumaru realized that Inuyasha would never be his brother again…
That didn't stop Sesshoumaru from watching out for Inuyasha as much as he could though. He sent a warning throughout all the lands that any youkai who dared to kill Inuyasha would face the wrath of the Lord of the West. A threat that many knew was not idle and meant with the utmost sincerity.
And so, time passed and then one day he'd heard that a miko woman named Kikyo had killed Inuyasha. The same woman that the spies he sent to watch after Inuyasha had informed him of his brother's love for the miko. Traitorous human bitches! He'd thought. He'd gone to see Inuyasha then, pinned forever to the God Tree, which would keep him suspended in time, never to grow older in death. It was then, that the last of the young lord's heart was frozen in ice. To care for others only brought pain and suffering and he wanted no part of it anymore, it simply wasn't worth the pain…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ End Flashback ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome listened to Sesshoumaru's story without interrupting him once and her heart went out to the youkai lord. Although she could not see his eyes she could sense the deep sorrow that he hid from the world as well as the goodness he sought so much to deny. "Sesshoumaru." She said softly.
"Do you now despise me, Kagome?" He asked softly.
"No," she answered. "I don't despise you."
"Why?" He asked without turning around.
Because I could never hate you ever again much less despise you for what wasn't your fault. She thought but aloud she said, "it wasn't just you. You weren't in control of what was going on around you and you couldn't have stopped what was meant to happen."
"Could I not?" He asked sardonically. "I could have forced Inuyasha to listen to me tell him the truth but I never did."
"Would he have believed you?" Kagome questioned.
"No." He answered honestly.
Kagome shook her head sadly and moved behind the demon lord. For a moment she hesitated, unsure of what his reaction would be, but then she slid her arms around him and rested her cheek against his back. Silently offering him comfort.
For a long moment Sesshoumaru froze, surprised that she would even want to touch him now, and placed his hand over her own. "You're not alone anymore." She said quietly.
He turned then and looked into her hazel eyes seeking to find any false truths hidden within. There were none. Her eyes only held compassion and a soft understanding; there was no pity or fear in them. "Would you stay?" He asked.
"Stay where?" She questioned softly.
"With Rin and… me. Would you stay with us?" He asked.
Kagome could sense the deeper meaning in the question but knew that it was too soon to deal with the unspoken question. "Yes," she answered. "As long as you want me I'll stay."
Then stay forever. He thought but didn't say. Instead he nodded and cupped her cheek in his hand. I wish I had my other arm back.
"You do?" Kagome asked in surprise.
Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise, he hadn't realized that he'd voiced that last thought.
"Every now and then." He admitted.
Kagome nodded and smiled at him and gently moved her hand over to where the stump of his arm was and slipped her other hand into his own. A soft green light flowed from her hand and together they watched as his arm slowly grew back. Like his other it had the same stripes and such, it was as if his arm had never been gone.
"How?" He asked.
"I just convinced your body to repair itself a bit faster, that's all." She answered a bit wearily.
"That's all?" He repeated and raised one eyebrow.
"Mmmhmm." She answered with a nod and closed her eyes for a moment. "Sesshoumaru, I hate to ask you this but do you think you can catch me?" She asked right before she fainted.
Sesshoumaru caught her easily and felt a very strong urge to roll his eyes at her question as he swept her into his arms. It felt a little odd not to be using his tail but Sesshoumaru knew he would readjust soon enough. "Silly girl." He said softly before walking out of the room, silently calling for Aislinn.
Lady Fate watched in curious amusement as Hunter sought to outwit Sesshoumaru's lovely cousin and merely became more tangled in her rapid fire questioning. With a glad smile she watched as Sesshoumaru tenderly carried the girl back to her rooms and knew that her time for interfering was nearly over. She'd gotten them to come together but the trials that they would face they would have to depend upon one another and those they called friends. "Follow your hearts dear ones." She whispered into the wind. "And you will always be led true."
~ Hey everybody! Sorry it took me so long to update but I was in Washington D.C. this past week and didn't have any time to update. I hope everyone likes this chapter! Let me know about what you think of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's reason for no longer being siblings. Don't forget to review! ~