Sesshoumaru’s claws curled to loose fists at his sides, his gaze slanting sharply toward a pond nearby. “Jakken—show yourself.”

On the far side of an arched ruby bridge, the nintoujou jutted shakily above the pale crest of a boulder. A few crystalline pebbles skittered into the pool, the reflective surface rippling as the imp scurried forth with lowered eyes.

“F-forgive me, milord, I could not help but overhear.” Sesshoumaru supposed he could not, from the hiding place he had chosen. At the demon lord’s scathing glance, the imp spluttered on, “Please, milord, s-should you choose to heed your noble mother’s wisdom, know that you need not lower your gracious self to perform the distasteful act. This Jakken would gladly ensure that the deed is carried out, swiftly and painlessly—”

The imp yelped as the heel of a boot came forcefully down upon him. Fangs bared, Sesshoumaru ground his irksome retainer into the earth.

“You will do no such thing.”

“…Hu-hai, Sushoumaru-suh-sama,” the imp managed to wheeze out around a mouthful of gravel.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to expend a little more of his simmering frustration, Sesshoumaru sent Jakken face-first into the garden path again for good measure. As the imp groveled and squirmed, a winged shadow appeared overhead, the pressure of Sesshoumaru’s boot relenting at last as a giant grey falcon landed in the courtyard before him.

An extremely nervous-looking young sentry toppled down from the beast’s feathered back. It seemed to the Lord of the Western Lands that his tyrannical reputation preceded him. Already pale-faced and shaken, the sentry whitened further at the sight of the weeping imp pinned and begging for mercy beneath Sesshoumaru’s heel.

“M-my lord!” the young demon gasped in fear as he fell nearly prostrate upon the ground himself. “I have come to tell you that the half-br—Inuyasha-sa—y-your broth—” Panic-stricken over the proper address to use, the sentry abandoned the pursuit altogether, blurting out instead, “Ryouken-sama bids you come at once!”

Gritting his fangs, Sesshoumaru took to the sky, flying ahead of the messenger back toward the palace gates. Even before he touched down at the edge of the barracks, he could hear the roars of his half-brother snarling and cursing from on high. Ascending the grass-veined steps in irritation, Sesshoumaru glanced about at the bloodied, battered guards who sat sprawled and panting upon the stair, appearing as though they had just narrowly returned from battle.

At the top of the wall, Ryouken stood haggard before the closed door of a storeroom. A broad streak of blood slashed across his left cheek, the evidence of a deep cut recently healed. Sesshoumaru frowned at the flask of sake clutched in his elder cousin’s burly hand, yet chose not to remark upon it. Much as he disapproved of Ryouken’s many vices, he had never found fault with his abilities.

“We had to restrain him,” the captain said shortly, taking another swig from his flask as Sesshoumaru approached. “Bastard damn near routed us before we could string him up. Now he refuses to stop with that infernal howling—”

“SESSHOUMARU,” a feral voice bellowed presently from within. “SESSHOUMARU YOU FUCKING BASTARD! LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

Strangling the flask his claws, Ryouken growled, his eyes flashing red as he glared toward the storeroom’s rattling front. Seething in anger himself, Sesshoumaru stalked forward, the wooden door blasting open before him.

Bound in adamant chains, Inuyasha hung thrashing from a hook in the ceiling. Red-eyed and enraged, he swung toward Sesshoumaru in full-demon form, the jagged stripes on his cheeks fraying further as his mad gaze seized upon Tessaiga.

“WHERE IS SHE, YOU FUCKING THIEF? IF SHE’S DEAD, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU! I’LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER, YOU—”

Furiously, Sesshoumaru advanced, wrenching Tessaiga from his hip and shoving it sideways between his brother’s insolent jaws. Inuyasha’s fangs gnashed sparking against the sheath, the heat bleeding slowly from his eyes as the sword’s magic subdued him.

“Kagome is alive,” Sesshoumaru informed him coolly. “She is here, resting.” The demon lord fixed his brother with a forbidding glare. “If you can compose yourself, you may see her.”

Muzzled by the sword, Inuyasha stared vehemently back, his chest heaving as he nodded stiffly in assent. Turning on his heel, Sesshoumaru swept from the room, his eyes cutting to Ryouken.

“Unchain him.”

“Yes, sire.” Stowing his sake away, the captain straightened, barking out at his troops, “Up now, you layabouts! Take down the whelp.”

The weary guards trudged back into the storeroom, Tessaiga clattering free as Inuyasha hit the stone floor with a grunt. Grimacing, he shook off his loosened chains and retrieved his sword before walking up to Sesshoumaru.

“Alright, take me to her.”

“In the morning,” the demon lord decided, dismissing his brother’s disgruntled look. “You have tried my patience enough this day.”

Inuyasha’s ears flattened. “Quit talkin’ down to me. How the hell was I supposed to react, waking up alone in this weird place, with all my shit stolen and a bunch of creeps leerin’ at me?” Ignoring the sentries bristling around him, the hanyou stepped closer as he barreled on, “Speakin’ of which, give me back the Jewel already—I can sense that you have it on you.”

Reaching into his haori, Sesshoumaru extracted the glowing purple orb, studying it briefly in his palm before he settled his gaze on his brother. “The Shikon no Tama does not belong to you. It belongs to Kagome, and until she is well enough to bear it, I will hold it in her stead.” As Inuyasha’s expression darkened in challenge, the Lord of the West chillingly resumed, “Attempt to defy me in this, little brother, and I will cast you from these lands forever.”

Hackles raised, Inuyasha returned Sesshoumaru’s fierce stare, before backing down at last with a scoff. “Feh. Carry it then, if you want to so bad. We’ll see what Kagome has to say,” he added in a softer tone, crossing his arms as he turned slightly away, “when she’s feeling better.”

Slipping the Jewel beneath his collar once more, Sesshoumaru turned to leave, Ryouken muttering to him aside.

“The Shikon no Tama, eh my lord? Now there’s a pretty sight.” Rubbing his chin with his claws, the captain smirked. “You could rule all four lands, with a power like that.”

“Hey, shut the hell up!” Inuyasha snapped as he wedged between them, thrusting his snarling face into Ryouken’s. “You don’t get a say in this.”

The captain’s smirk broadened with a glint of fang. “You have a bold tongue on you, pup. Though I suppose for a half-breed you are passing strong, to land a strike upon this one’s cheek. Let us see if it was a lucky blow indeed.” Seizing Inuyasha by the scruff, Ryouken began to drag him off toward the training grounds, with a parting nod of respect to his lord. “…Did you know that your father and mine were brothers?”

“So what?” the struggling hanyou choked out as Sesshoumaru turned away once more, toward the lone distant tower barely discernible through the mist.

Behind him, Ryouken chuckled. “It means that we are cousins.”

“…I KNOW what it means!”

---

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Long messy chapter, but I’ll clean up later as necessary- hope y’all enjoyed the change of pace. Have a fun weekend! 💕

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