Inuyasha: The Tail of Three Princes

A/N: Just wanted to take the time and thank all the wonderful people who have been feeding the plot bunnies by giving feedback. I don't ever want to use it as leverage, but it is wonderful to get it. If you want to know what is going on in my head leave an email addy! I always try to respond if I can.

Chapter 5


There was the normal recovery time and then there was the ‘Inuyasha just pissed Sesshoumaru off’ recovery time. That meant that Inuyasha, despite having gained a new mate was on the move and out the door before the afterglow was off. He was fairly experienced at this, and he was probably half-way through the territory before the bellowed “INUYASHA!” came from the bathhouse.

“Shut up! I have a headache!” Kouga whined.

Sesshoumaru’s hand actually stroked through his new mates hair, prompting a sigh before he realized what he’d done. The hand curled into a fist and he had to fight his urges as he refused to give into the instincts telling him to soothe his mate. He had no intentions of ever completing a full bond with the wolf. He already had a mate, and if it wasn’t for that little…!

Sesshoumaru calmed the frantic pace of his thoughts and found his hand stroking through the wolf’s hair again, against his will! How dare it disobey his will! The bond was already coursing through his body making him do things he swore privately that he’d never do! His head thumped against the stone wall while the other half of his frustration snuggled in for a gods-be-damned nap. There was a simple solution; he’d have to kill both of them for his own peace of mind.

Wait, had he actually gone silent on command? That little… mmm, a nap did sound good.

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Inuyasha wasn’t quite as far as Sesshoumaru assumed. He was only in the manor house trying to chew off his iron tipped claws. He wasn’t getting all that far, but the worry had him committing acts of desperation. He was used to pissing Sesshoumaru off. In fact, if he didn’t do something every so often his mate grew this gigantic stick and shoved it up his ass, and since Inuyasha wanted the area unoccupied he had to cut the stick down. Besides, he smiled wickedly, Sesshoumaru liked his ‘stick’ better.

The smile didn’t last for too long. He knew damned good and well that the biggest reason Sesshoumaru was going to be upset was because and for him. The stupid prophecy rearing it’s ugly head again, like he didn’t have enough tragedy in his life! Luckily, unlike ‘Giant Stick Man’ he had every intention of completing the bonds with his new wolf plushie.

There had been no mistaking the look in Sesshoumaru’s eye when he came from the room earlier unfortunately. That was why he had to force the issue, and he was going to get an ass kicking for it. Sesshoumaru was going to stomp him up one side and down the other. Hopefully he wouldn’t realize that now there was another warm body to fuck, because that was the only thing that kept him from permanent damage sometimes. It was only a few good natured practical jokes. There was no way that he could know the stuff would turn Sesshoumaru’s hair pink!

He sighed, sometimes it seemed nature was out to get him. His demon and human sides had been at war for so long he could actually start to feel the strain on his body. Sesshoumaru was frantic to fix it, but until Kouga came along there had been nothing he could do. At least now he had a fighting chance. It had been sheer luck and a lot of bribery to get the monk to give up the scroll. Until they saw the writing that said two demon mates could strengthen a half-demon’s body, and extend their lives he’d thought that Sesshoumaru was going to suicide when he died.

Now that Inuyasha had the two of them, once he completed the bond with Kouga, they would live without worrying that the next battle would be his last. There was that concern since the scent of danger had come the air. Someone kept sending demons to fight, and it was taxing to say the least. On the other hand, it had made them both freakishly strong. There had been more than one person overheard stating that they were truly their father’s sons. Didn’t that just ignite a glow… deep in the old cockles?

He lay down on the bed in their room, all this brooding was going to make him look like Sesshoumaru. He snickered, not that it didn’t look totally sexy on him, but Inuyasha wasn’t ready to look that old yet. He was going to take a nap, it had been a busy and stressful morning. He yawned and snuggled in to the Sesshoumaru scented pillow. Thank the gods there wasn’t going to be a next time for this fiasco.

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Kouga awoke to find himself completely tangled in a sea of silver hair. He eyed his claws and the closest hank until a rumbled, “Don’t you dare.” made him look at a pair of sleepy, annoyed eyes. A yelp, jerk and wince later Kouga found himself sailing through the air to the pool. He surfaced to see Sesshoumaru grinning… grinning?

“Attempt to shorten my hair again, puppy, and I will shorten your lifespan.”

Oh, his mistake, make that a menacing ‘baring of teeth’, not a grin. There was no way that kindness could have come into play. It almost made him wish for Inuyasha to break the tension, but his ass was really sore, and all that jackass thought about was making it worse!

“My ass is twice it’s normal size, dickhead! Not to mention the fact that you actually have enough hair to drown in!” He glared. “A few inches here and there would only make a fashion statement.”

“Once again you test my patience. I shall have to have our mate discuss the consequences of such rash actions.”

Kouga paled at the reminder that he was stuck with the two of them for the rest of his life. “Why am I here again?” He snarked to the elder.

“To stabilize our mate.”

“Why does he even need to be stabilized? For that matter why would I even care? He’s perfectly healthy.”

“You would do well to reign in your tongue! You are part of us now and what affects one, effects us all. I cannot bear Inuyasha’s troubles alone, and that is why you are here. It is the only reason you live for that matter.” He looked at the wall blankly, the fact that he could not aid his mate alone tore at him. This new bond was wrapping him in it’s bond far more quickly than the last. Perhaps Inuyasha’s desires for a whole unit had infected him because his mouth ran more freely than it had in the past. There was the dull hope deep inside that they could finally save him.

“Inuyasha and I are sons of one of the most powerful and feared warlord demons. The liaison between my mother and father was brief and only occurred to conceive an heir. They fought constantly and he was more than glad to see the back of her when the time came, as was she with him. The affair was one of the heart for Inuyasha’s mother and our father. They wished to have father fight their wars for them, and he did for a while, but there came a time when the humans became greedy. They took the princess they promised and hid her away not realizing they had consummated the agreement. She was cast from her lands when it was discovered that she bore a demon lord’s pup. She came to the manor barely alive clutching Inuyasha to her breast.

“It took a full year of care before she was well again. Father used the time to destroy the family that had been so callous to her and his son. There was only Inuyasha and I for nearly a year. I had to take care of him as a squalling infant who did not seem capable of surviving each night. Pureblood fanatics broke into the house when he had been here a month. They took him into the woods to die. I tracked him and found him in the blackest, deepest heart of the forest alert and smiling as he chewed on the remains of a small animal. I lost my heart to him on that day.

“A fortune teller came to rest on our land soon after, and offered tales of the future in exchange for lodgings. I agreed and became amused at the wild tales of riches and fame she granted the servants, but I was not prepared for her to lay eyes on him. I believe it was the only true fortune she uttered in her entire life. She came to the nursery to bless him, but as soon as she saw him she threw her head back and started talking about how he was a child of misery and destruction. His life must be forfeit unless controlled for he inner demon would ‘rend the world with his anger’ before he died.

“This tiny infant that barely fit in my palms was already the cause of so much disruption, but I was unwilling to let him go. It was discovered that the demon side of Inuyasha is too powerful for his mortal body. I did not know at the time that he was my mate, but I did love him. I have protected and fought for him far more than anyone understands. I will not lose him to the petty whims of fate or the machinations of men nor demon!”

“I thought you were joking when you said that! That doesn’t explain why I am here.”

“I have stabilized his mind and increased his lifespan by mating with him, but it was not enough to stave off the eventual madness and destruction. There had to be a third who was also fully demon and able to raise the level of his life to that of a pure demon’s longevity. As I said once before, you are the first to have raised an interest in my mate in 50 years you were ours from the minute he scented you. He is a noble fool, however and he delayed a full mating with you in order to make sure I bonded completely with you first. The time draws near and he must complete and stabilize his bond with you or we are both in grave danger.”

“What the hell are you talking about.”

“The power of Inuyasha’s inner demon is stronger than you realize. I am Lord of the Western Lands I bow to no one, but the true demon inside him makes me feel fear. The time of prophecy draws near, too close for sweet words or wooing.”

“The rumors were true, then.” Kouga mused. “What makes you think that I will be your best solution?”

“Because Inuyasha’s little trick showed me what he sees in you, and that makes me see salvation at long last.”

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Inuyasha was covered with sweat. He had not slept without Sesshoumaru in the fifty years since they mated. The nightmares were relentless and dragged him closer to his ‘untimely demise’. This was something he would rather avoid given the choice, but wouldn’t anyone? It didn’t really matter as he twisted and turned, they never gave him a choice…

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(100 Years Ago)

Inuyasha was never the most stable of half-demons, everyone around knew this, but his pack link to his brother kept him fairly calm. Lately, however, more and more of the people around the keep had noticed an incredible calm coming over the young lord. Rumors were flying fast and furiously that he had met a potential mate.

Inuyasha snuck past the guards on the southern wall headed toward the village a few miles distant. Kikyo, his love and future mate, was waiting for him. They planned to picnic with her younger sister in the woods today. The anticipation of seeing the one woman who loved him regardless of his mostly outcast status was a sweet burn in his gut. She was also a priestess of considerable power and status. He hoped that Sesshoumaru would find her acceptable when he took her for a mate.

The clearing where they had agreed to meet was empty. He continued on to the village considering that sometimes her spiritual duties kept her longer than planned. He figured on meeting her at the dock by the river where they usually met. A strange scent was on the air making him pause and scent his surroundings. The smell was odd and it was intertwined with Kikyo’s scent. So was the coppery smell of blood.

Ice ran through his veins as he ran as quickly as he could toward the village. He could see it was under attack, but there was no sign of the priestess. He screamed her name as he slashed and killed the lower level demons invading the village. They infested the area like maggots infesting a corpse. It only took him ten minutes to clear the village, but by then the villagers were so panicked they were just as willing to kill him. He ran frantically scenting the air. He caught her scent and he looked around desperately only to be stopped in his tracks when she yelled his name.

He turned to see the woman he adored pointing her bow at him, arrow tip glowing with power. His heart plummeted to his stomach when she screamed the accusation that he had attacked her and his village. He didn’t have time to even voice his denial before she loosed her arrow and pinned him to a tree. The last thing he saw was her fall to the ground. There was nothing he could do as he watched the woman he loved, the woman who shot him with her mystic arrow, die in front of him.

The villagers vowed to never let him down. They accused him of drugging the priestess and then killing her. It wasn’t until two days later he found out what happened. The great Lord Tekken himself deigned to come down and gloat. He was told of the brilliant plan lure him away from his brother by drugging the miko with a love potion.

It seemed that Lord Tekken wished to distract Sesshoumaru from any focus on his current activities and the best way to do that would be to play “Hide the Brother”. His love was all a joke, and he was proving himself to be the weak link for his brother. Tekken had no intention of letting him down from the tree, after all a half-demon wasn’t worth his consideration and he’d be hard pressed to find another priestess strong enough to break Kikyo’s powers. The more that Lord Sesshoumaru was distracted the better off he’d be. The bastard turned and walked away after that.

He’d given up on his brother finding him after ten years. He’d been too secretive about his love, or Sesshoumaru didn’t care that he was gone. The first twenty years were hell. The villagers, determined to never forget would make pilgrimages out to the tree in order to torture him. They would throw stones and anything else that could hurt him. He spent the next two decades sleeping. The entire event that got him in this position played again and again in his head. He watched the priestess walk by and pin him to the tree. He watched Sesshoumaru walk past as though he didn’t exist, or worse yet taunt him about how he wasn’t worth rescuing because of his inferior blood.

The last ten years were the last straw as far as sanity was concerned. Inuyasha had become somewhat of a legend in village lore. The teens began to seek out the tree where he had been pinned, making it into some bizarre rite of passage to find a way to torment him in any way they could find. There were rocks thrown, idiots camping beneath him like he was the boogeyman, jumping up to touch his foot, mostly stupid activities for a year or so, but one decided that the half demon needed a real lesson.

There was no real memory of what happened in Inuyasha’s mind. Only vague blurs and flashes of a failed attack, but the results stayed vivid. His attacker lay dead at the foot of the tree and this priest working a spell that left him as helpless as a human. He had no sight, no hearing, no strength nothing that made him who he was. The raging beast inside, the one his brother and father worked to repress wanted freedom. He wanted to rend, to shred and he was doing his best to do just that to Inuyasha’s mind. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t, for ten long years.

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He bolted upright in the bed, sweating and shivering. He’d spent half a century pinned to the tree before Sesshoumaru found him. He was never quite sure how he was released all he knew was as soon as he regained consciousness the demon got loose, and he nearly destroyed the village that haunted him for so long. The old woman who claimed to be the priestess’ sister had gotten his attention first; her claim to be Kaede was the only thing that had stopped him long enough for Sesshoumaru to render him unconscious.

He next awoke in a room of his brother’s keep, bonded with only a fragile grip on sanity. The years he spent on the tree having nearly damaged him beyond retrieval, but his brother bonded to him, unwilling to surrender him to madness. It was only Sesshoumaru’s iron grip on his emotions which allowed Inuyasha to retain his balance. Inuyasha also got to destroy legions of Tekken’s soldiers which helped.

Ironically, the years bound to the tree strengthened the half demon beyond the scope of all but the strongest of demons. The madness lurking under the surface lending itself to an incredible strength and martial ability rarely seen among the youkai, and when leashed to his brother’s wisdom and ability a fearsome foe emerged.

Kouga was all they needed to complete the package. There would be no more sadness lurking in the recesses of Sesshoumaru’s eyes. He never wanted anyone, Wolf Prince or not, to come between the two of them. He would risk Sesshoumaru’s anger if he could keep that from him with a simple trick.

EWWW! Nightmare sweat always made him feel disgusting! Stretching always gave the first indication. It looked like he had to go face the music earlier than usual. Unless, of course, they had left, but he was always up for another round if they hadn’t! He grinned cheerfully, grabbed the glass of water by the bed, and drained it dry. He had his men to molest!

His eyes rolled back and he collapsed backward. He never saw the men come into the room, never felt being wrapped up and never felt being taken away.