Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha or related stuff, Rumiko Takahashi does.

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! Much thanks to everyone who reviewed, your support means a lot to me (even if I've done a horrible job of showing it). I am especially grateful to "The Great Susinko", whose all-powerful "author poking stick" inspired me to update this fic, which should have been updated forever and a day ago (seriously, it's been just shy of 3 months. That's sad even for me.)

"Speaking" Inu Yasha Thinking Sesshoumaru Thinking

Ch. 19- His Father's Son

Rin skipped cheerfully into the room, smiling brightly as she stared in curiosity at her lord and his little brother, who was still tied with a ribbon and belly down on the floor, complaining loudly. Sesshoumaru stood up and spoke calmly.

"A new toy. Do not untie him. Otherwise do as you wish. JAKEN!" The green one scuttled into the room, stuttering, and "Shut up Jaken. Watch Rin, and write down any questions Inu Yasha asks of me."

"Who are you calling a toy you-"

"Yes Milord!" Rin chirped, happily ignoring the smaller inu's protests.

"Where do you think you're going, we had a deal, you-"

Sesshoumaru left, ignoring Inu Yasha. Rin turned to Inu Yasha, staring intently at his oh so squeezable fuzzy puppy ears. Inu Yasha's eyes went wide. "Don't even think it, brat!"

"But… Lord Sesshoumaru said Rin could." Rin pouted.

"He had no right!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru has ALL rights, you lowly half breed!" Jaken screeched.

Rin bounced over to Inu Yasha and sat down next to him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru said Rin could, so it's allowed." She said firmly, and without further ceremony proceeded to pet and tweak his ears.

…

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Royokan shouted, delighted. He rushed over to the demon lord and fell to his knees, bowing at his feet. "Please allow me the honor of-"

"No. Leave."

"B-but."

"Leave."

"At least tell me-"

"No. Leave."

…

Rin sighed. "Rin is bored." She mumbled. Inu Yasha sat in horror, his face covered in sloppily drawn flowers she had hand painted with the finest make-up to date, his hair a braided, twisted, tangled, ribbon filled mess, clothes covered in imaginary tea from when dolly had been offended and poured her drink on him, and still belly down, tied up.

Finally I thought she'd never give up!

"Hmm… I know!" Rin ran off.

"Rin! Where are you going!"

"The gardens to pick flowers for Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Wait, you fool, Lord Sesshoumaru said for me to watch you!" Jaken started to run after her, and stopped. He ran back to Inu Yasha and started dragging him by the collar.

"HEY!"

…

Royokan bowed sadly, eyes downcast. As Sesshoumaru turned to leave, he heard the faintest of whispers.

"Inu no Taisho would have at the very least answered."

Sesshoumaru's back when rigid and he stopped, mid step.

"Royokan."

…

"HEY! STOP!"

"I only take orders from Lord Sesshou-OUF!" Jaken collided with Rin, who was staring wide-eyed into the entrance hall. Inu Yasha couldn't see what was going on from his position on the floor still tied with that ridiculous ribbon, but he could hear voices from the entrance hall.

"Royokan." Sesshoumaru's voice was laced with venom, his every word dripping with anger and resentment.

"Y-yes, milord?"

"Why do you wish to follow me?"

"Because, milord, you are a brilliant leader, one I can follow confidently into battle, and-"

"Follow me into battle? You've done that; you know I can't lead an army. The one battle I lead resulted in the vast majority of my forces being slaughtered. You, a small handful of others and myself were the only survivors on my side. Do not say you can follow me into battle with confidence, because you cannot. So, why do you follow me?"

"I follow you because you are noble."

"Noble? You know that is not true. I am ruthless, cold- some even say beautiful, but that does not make me noble. I save those whom are useful, and watch others die- slaughter the innocent for no better reason than they are in my way, I am many things, but I am not noble."

"You are powerful."

"But my power is useless to you. What do I do for you? Do I protect you? Do I teach you? Do I fight for your cause? No. I fight for myself, sacrifice for myself, do all for my own gain. My power is useless to you. So, why do you follow me? And this time, the truth, or I will lick your blood off these poisoned claws."

"Y-you're still young, perhaps, one day…"

"I will never become my father. If that is what you are waiting for, I suggest you move on."

"But-"

"Go."

"That isn't-"

"LEAVE!" Sesshoumaru snarled, and Royokan didn't answer. The last Inu Yasha heard was the forest guardian's rushed footfalls and Sesshoumaru's harsh breaths.

Sesshoumaru stormed away, ignoring Inu Yasha's gaping stare as he passed.

"Sesshoumaru! What was that!"

"I have no patience for fools who want only to follow my father's son."

…

Wow, I haven't seen him so pissed at someone who wasn't me in a long time. Maybe I should leave him alone for a while… Gah, forget that, I'm wasting time!

Inu Yasha ran forward, fully intent on chasing Sesshoumaru, when suddenly, he tripped over something small, green and squawking, and did a face plant. He peeled himself off the floor and glared at his older brother's minion.

"Watch where you're going, half breed!" Jaken squawked indignantly.

"Shut up!" Inu Yasha barked, "I don't know why he even puts up with you anyway!" Inu Yasha jumped over the now fuming imp, ignoring his indignant screams about his usefulness.

…

Remain calm. The questions are fine so long as I do not allow him to get under my skin. I can answer honestly and openly every question he can ask regarding my outburst without making this situation worse, so long as I remain calm.

Inu Yasha leapt into the room far more dramatically than was needed. He was huffing out of breath and glaring angrily.

"You!" He shouted.

"Me."

"What the hell do you keep a useless demon like him around for anyway?"

He must mean Jaken.

"Who do you mean?"

"That green thing!"

"That would be Jaken. He has his uses."

"Which are?" Inu Yasha growled, not at all happy about having fallen face first onto the floor of his brother's castle.

"He can wield the staff of two heads, he takes care of Rin, he runs errands, he follows my every command regardless of the risk to his life, he-"

"Anyone could do that, why him?"

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment, but really, really didn't like the only answer he could come up with.

"Well?"

"Inu Yasha… Jaken is small, and weak, he is very loyal but more capable demons than him have thrown themselves at my feet. But Jaken… I have faced a great many opponents, some of which were larger and stronger than me. It was difficult, and is difficult, but since Jaken started following me… It is… difficult, to doubt, when someone so helpless is so confident in your power that they run in front of you and taunt someone that is a great deal larger than yourself, even more so than him."

"You're saying that this Jaken guy makes your already huge head bigger!" Inu Yasha growled.

You would see it that way, wouldn't you pup?

"Jaken follows me for my own merits, to Jaken, I am Lord Sesshoumaru, to most, I am "son of the great dog demon".

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru got a wonderfully cruel idea.

"Inu Yasha?" Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Inu Yasha barked.

"Sit boy!" Sesshoumaru commanded sharply, his twisted smile growing at the sight of his little sibling flinching. "What power does that human hold over you that you flinch so at those words? Hm. At the mercy of a human woman… you truly are father's son."

"Is that why you were so desperate to convince that lesser demon that you would never become our father?"

Sesshoumaru glared. "Watch it pup."

"I asked you a question, Sesshoumaru."

You sound like HIM.

"No, but it's true that I will never allow myself to stoop so low as to be controlled by a human."

"Then why?"

"Because, Royokan only wanted to follow me because he hoped I could substitute for my father."

He doesn't see me at all. It's only when I reek of blood that his old followers see me at all. All they see, all they want to see, is their master's son.

…End chapter…

Yay! Oh, if only you knew how horrible this chapter was before tonight! I had originally had it finished, but it was just so bad, so horribly horribly bad, that I couldn't bring myself to post it. I kept telling myself over and over, that I'll fix it, I'll fix it, right after this… but there always seemed to be another story, another project.