UnBound Memories

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Chapter 13

Suffering from bloodlust?

Sesshomaru stood outside of Miroku’s bedroom door, talking to the monk, feeling afraid what would happen once the blood bond was gone. He had spent so much of his life alone, distancing himself from everyone, and suddenly, to know that the one person who had managed to explore his head would be out of it forever was almost physically painful. He couldn’t deny that he enjoyed the monk’s company, and that thought truly troubled the inuyoukai. He was growing attached to someone whose fleeting life was already promised to someone else.

He needed something to distract him. He had hardly ever expressed any form of emotion, and today, he felt like his entire world was gradually being turned upside down.

A distraction came in the form of a tiny and irritating bite on his neck. Swatting the source of the discomfort, Sesshomaru watched as a tiny flea began to float down to the floor. Eyes growing red, he snatched the nuisance in his fist.

“Lord Sesshomaru,” Miroku said, putting a hand on Sesshomaru’s arm, “that is only Myoga, a friend of your father’s and InuYasha’s guide of sorts.”

“I know who he is.” Sesshomaru plucked the flea from his clasped hand with his index finger and thumb, pinching the flea youkai between them.

“I am truly sorry I bit you, Lord Sesshomaru,” Myoga said. “I sensed a daiyoukai power so strong, I thought your father had returned.”

“And rather than greeting what you mistook for an old friend, you decided to drain his blood?” Sesshomaru’s fingers squeezed. “Why should I not kill you this instant?”

“Lord Sesshomaru, what are you doing? He is a coward and a parasite, but--”

“Well, thank goodness there is a but,” Myoga muttered before Sesshomaru squeezed harder.

“He has been a help to InuYasha over the years and has offered sound advice and knowledge of the demon world. Would you kill him for a simple bite?”

Apparently, having heard the commotion in the hall, InuYasha and Kagome came out to see what was going on.

“It is Lord Touga!” Myoga said as InuYasha exited Kagome’s room, hair pulled on top of his head into a pony tail that fell to the top of his legs. Though he was intently focussed on killing the flea, even Sesshomaru had to admit the resemblance was uncanny.

“No, you dumb flea,” InuYasha said, looking up at Sesshomaru, whose eyes still glowed red. "Are you planning on killing him? It isn't easy. I've swatted and squashed him a dozen times. It doesn't work."

“Master InuYasha?” Myoga asked, looking up at the younger inu's forehead. “You bear the heir’s mark.” The little bug-eyes looked back to Sesshomaru. “Oh no!”

“Chichi-ue,” InuYasha said, it seemed the word was still strange to his lips, “I was only joking. Why are you trying to kill him?”

“Tell me, InuYasha, how do you think Father and Izayoi knew for certain I was pregnant?”

Now, even InuYasha’s eyes grew red. “All this time, you knew?”

“Your father, um grandfather, made me promise not to tell. He was afraid if you knew the truth, Master InuYasha, you might hold back in battle, when Lord Sesshomaru obviously would not, and there would be no convincing him of the truth once he set himself on the idea that you were his brother. He wanted to heal your pain, Lord Sesshomaru, but a day never passed that he didn’t regret what he’d done.” The grip around the flea lessened a bit, and he was able to see Tenseiga at Sesshomaru’s hip. “At the end of your sword, is that…”

“It attached itself to my sword. I do not know why or how it is even possible that it has stayed purified attached to my father’s sword.”

“I can’t answer the why, but I know the reason it isn’t being corrupted. If you’ll just release me, I will tell you.”

The fingers tightened. “You will tell me, or we will find out just how much pressure it takes to make your head pop.”

Very quickly, Myoga flew into an explanation. “Tenseiga’s power comes not only from Lord Touga, but also from Lady Izayoi. Imbedded in the hilt are three strands of her hair and a small amount of her blood. Her spiritual powers combined with Lord Touga’s demonic ones made Tenseiga what it is. That is why the jewel can imbed itself where it is, right at her contribution to the sword.”

Sesshomaru released Myoga, who looked around him for a person or demon who looked least likely to kill him, as all were giving him death glares at the moment. He chose Kagome, hopping on her head. “If you grab Tesseiga,” Myoga said, “I think you will find something quite interesting.”

Sesshomaru looked at InuYasha, who simply said, “You kill me with it, and I will come back and haunt you.”
A little more timidly than he would have liked, Sesshomaru wrapped his hand around Tesseiga’s handle, remembering that the pain from the sword had been the only thing to ever bring him to his knees. This time, the sword did not reject him. Sesshomaru pulled Tesseiga from its sheath, looking down at the transformed weapon.

“Lord Touga put a protective barrier on the sword so that no full demon could touch it unless they were from Master InuYasha’s direct line as either ancestors or descendants. This meant that until Lord Sesshomaru realized who he was, the sword would reject him.”

Sesshomaru willingly relinquished the sword to his son. “I have very little need for that sword, but it is a good bit of information to know."

As InuYasha returned the sword to its sheath, Sesshomaru couldn’t help but notice the sidelong glances between his son and Kagome. “Is there something you wish to tell me?”

“You said you would support me, and chichi-ue, I want you to know that I plan to marry Kagome, and she wants to stay here with me as my wife.”

Sesshomaru smiled, hugging his son, then flicking the flea off of Kagome’s head before embracing her as well. He tried to only show his happier emotions at this moment, since the engagement was a joyous occasion. Unfortunately, it signaled that the son Sesshomaru never got to watch grow up was a man. The time Sesshomaru had lost was unrecoverable.

********

Dinner might have been pleasant, might have been enjoyable. Miroku was being treated like family by the two inus and Kagome. He was staying in a beautiful palace, eating the best food he’d had in his life, and wearing clothes he would never have dreamed of wearing in his old life.

However, he was receiving the cold shoulder from Sango and could sense a tension between the demon slayer and the newly resurrected Hitomi that made him curious, yet made him fear what it might mean.

The part that was nearly making his heart break was the fact that his link with Sesshomaru was fading. Miroku couldn’t explain the reason for his feelings. He only knew that with each passing moment, as he could feel the blood bond disappearing, it made his chest ache. Occasionally, he would look up at the royal demon to find the yellow eyes intent upon his own. Miroku didn’t even understand his own thoughts at this moment. Something almost instinctual was telling him to open his own veins so that the demon could feed and to sink his own teeth into the inu’s flesh. That mere thought made him shudder. How could he possibly be suffering from bloodlust?

Miroku had to admit the thought grew stronger as the bond grew weaker, and his focus on Sango, even the conversation that involved him traveling to Kagome’s time for the wedding all seemed to fade. Once again, he looked up at the demon, who seemed to be breathing as heavily as he now realized he was.

“Excuse me,” Miroku said, rising from the table. “I need to excuse myself. I suddenly do not feel very well.”
Miroku stepped out of the dining room, feeling disoriented and traveling to the east wing rather than the west. He moved toward Sango’s room, hoping she wouldn’t smack him if she found him asleep on her bed. Lately, she had been more violent toward him, and he was growing tired of it.

Tired.

He was getting very tired. He made it to Sango’s futon, climbing under the sheets, almost immediately falling into a deep and unnatural slumber.

When he rallied, he heard voices, “Kagome said he’s starting to rally. Kouga knows something, but isn’t saying. He said that this was to be expected.”

Miroku’s eyes fluttered open. Were they talking about him?

“Kouga swore that Lord Sesshomaru would be fine.”

Sesshomaru? Miroku tried to stir, but his body wasn’t responding.

“I just wish Kouga tell me what he knows that we don’t.” Miroku finally recognized the voice as Sango’s. “Lord Hitomi, what is it?”

“I have to confess something to you, Sango, and I want you to listen without arguing. While I was a spirit, I never entirely moved on, trying to make certain you were safe. The only time I really wished I was truly dead was when you promised yourself to the monk. I have loved you for the longest time, demon slayer, and I wish only that you could feel the same about me.”

“Lord Hitomi, please, don’t.”

Miroku laid on the bed, praying the same thing.

“You may strike me. You may have me killed for disrespect. I do not care. I must do this, or else coming back from the dead would not have been worth it.” Miroku began shifting on the futon, finally able to move, but not soon enough, as he saw Hitomi kiss Sango, and heard Sango moan in return, grasping the back of the lord’s head.

“Sango,” Miroku said, weakly. “How--”

“Miroku!” She said breaking off the kiss, her cheeks flushed, as Hitomi turned around, not looking like he felt entirely guilty.