Chapter 2
Brother
"Master Sesshomaru! Over here, Master Sesshomaru!" It was the voice of that stupid little imp Jaken! What the...?! Had I fallen asleep? How long had I been out here? I was still at the foot of the sacred tree, tears trails dried on my cheeks. How could I have let my guard down like that?! I already knew the answer: Because it didn't matter anymore. Nothing did. I felt completely empty inside and at the same time as though every single spot in my chest had been stabbed through over and over. I also knew that this pain would never cease.
"Over here, Master Sesshomaru!" Jaken continued to call. "I found Inuyasha at the foot of that tree, Master!" Just then, Sesshomaru and his two tag-alongs emerged through the surrounding bushes. Sesshomaru normally looked bored to anyone who didn't have much experience with him. Utterly bored, uncaring, cold, and distant. I guess that's probably how he would've looked now if i didn't have the misfortune of knowing him better. His eyes were alert, wary, and there was an emotion that I hadn't ever seen in his eyes. No, I must be imagining it. He looked me over suspiciously. I probably looked terrible. Sleeping here for all that time, however long it was, I had leaves in my hair and dirt all over my clothes. It didn't matter.
"Inuyasha. I have questions for you to answer. Where has Nuraku gone? His scent has completely vanished. Why is that?" At first I couldn't answer. Kagome! She was too involved with my entire life. What was I going to do? Sesshomaru was watching every reaction that played across my face. Irritated by my lack of response, he decided I needed prompting. "Inuyasha, if you refuse to answer my questions, I'll just have to torture them out of you before I kill you." His whip extended from his fingernails and cracked sharply across my face. The poison started to burn my skin but I didn't move. This seemed to startle Sesshomaru. He stood in front of where I sat motionless on the forest floor. The little girl I had to help him save a few times, Rin I think her name was, ran to Sesshomaru's side.
"Master Sesshomaru, what's wrong with him? He looks like he's broken." Sesshomaru looked at her again with that same look that he had before only now it was more prominent. "Rin, what do you mean?! What's this broken thing?" She looked at me critically. Her eyes seemed to search my soul as if she knew what I was experiencing. How could she though? She was just a little girl. A stupid little human. I didn't care. It didn't matter. "Master Sesshomaru, that's what daddy looked like when the bandits stole mommy away from us forever. I asked him why he did notice anything that ever happened. He told me, 'Daddy's broken. Mommy's gone and Daddy's broken without her.'" Sesshomaru's head jerked his head back up to stare at me. I just stared back. His eyes seemed to harden in moments.
"My stupid little brother!" he said with such fury and yet underneath the fury I heard something different. He started cracking me with the whip over and over. Not even the burning of the acid could effect me. She was gone. That stupid little girl was right. I was broken. "How could you have let this happen again! How could you have let that human hurt you worse than the first! Didn't you learn anything?! You are just as stupid and useless as our father!" His whip hit the hardest with his last words. I still hadn't moved. I didn't try to block or run or avoid. I just let it hit me. I didn't care. His eyes looked fearful now. He looked back at Rin who looked just as afraid. Jaken's mouth was hanging open at the sight before him. Sesshomaru was not the type to just hit an opponent over and over. If Seshomaru faced an enemy that didn't respond, he normally just killed them. Even I knew that.
The rustling in the bushes from the direction of the village made everyone turn. Everyone but me. I had a good guess who it was. Miroku emerged with Sango and Kirara looking for none other than me. The scene before them seemed to surprise them: Jaken looking dumbfounded, Rin clutching to Sesshomaru's pant leg, and Sesshomaru appearing for once in his life lost. Not to mention, all three of them was showing signs of distress and fear. Sesshomaru struggled to pull himself together. He wasn't used to being taken aback. "What has happened here. Nuraku's scent is still lingering slightly here but is no where else. Why?"
Miroku looked at me with alarm in his eyes. So did Sango. "Inuyasha!" She exclaimed and rushed over to my side. It looked as if Miroku would have stopped her dreading Sesshomaru would attack. Sesshomaru only adressed him again, "What happened!" Rin was startled by Sesshomaru's harsh tone. With a little whimper, she looked as if she didn't know whether to run or clutch to him tighter. He looked at her sensing her fear. Turning to her and crouching down, he stared into her eyes. "There is no reason to fear. I am just trying to retrieve the information we need." She nodded still looking a tiny bit timid but determined to be brave for her 'master'. If I wasn't so far gone, this would've surprised me. It did Miroku. I couldn't tell if it affect Sango or not. she was to busy examining the wounds Sesshomaru had given me.
Sesshomaru stood again looking back to Miroku. "First, I have a few questions of my own. If we agree to tell you will you come with us to a better place to discuss this?" Miroku said. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed just a bit but he nodded. Continuing, Miroku asked, "And will you agree not to harm any of the villagers? It's the closest safe, secure place for us to go over this." After one more uneasy glance at me, another solitary nod was all that Sesshomaru replied with. Miroku, not wanting to draw anymore attention to me, carefully kept his eyes on the path in front of him. I knew that he'd lead Sesshomaru the long way around so that Sango and could get back in time to get Kohaku away. Just in case. Oh well. I hope he kills me after we tell him. I don't care. The tears was starting to come back. This alarmed Sango more.
"Inuyasha, does it hurt that bad?! Is it the poison?!" All I could do is shake my head. The only poison that was hurting me was that of love lost. She suddenly understood. "Oh Inuyasha. We'll figure out some way to get her back." Her words made me look up. The pain and sadness in her eyes was lined with the tiniest bit of hope. "I know that Miroku and maybe even you too think that she'd be better off in her own world, but," I squeezed my eyes shut, "But! But, even though I know you're right we have to! We have to get her back! We'll find a way! We have to..." She trailed off, her own tears returning. Being unable to finished, she hugged my crumpled body and we both began to weep.
