Inuyasha: The Tail of Three Princes

A/N: Just a note to remind people that there is an AU/AR note on this story! So, if Inuyasha sounds formal (as was so bluntly pointed out my szaugg-a-lama-ding-dong *LOLOLOLOL*) it's because he was raised formally as a lord's son, and some things do affect his sense of honor.


Chapter 6


Kouga sat nursing his sore jaw, and wondering where the hell the other part of this little triumvirate was. He had no explanation for Sesshoumaru going crazy like that. There had been no warning, just blank eyes and a horrible sound before he began to thrash uncontrollably. He’d used his agility, but had still managed to catch one on the jaw before it ended. It wasn’t like he was light either. Kouga had used quite a bit of strength to haul the demon from the pool and into the house. He put his head down on his knees. Sesshoumaru was still unconscious, and it was starting to scare him.

This was so confusing, in the last two days he had been berated, taken, teased, abused and mated against his will. Now he was being beaten, albeit unknowingly, but he couldn’t leave. There was no where he could hide from the two of them, even if the bonds would let him, it seemed there was something like a tracking scent planted in his head and he could feel Sesshoumaru very clearly. Now the most important question was where was the nut-job? If he could feel Sesshoumaru this clearly, why couldn’t the whelp?

There was no way he was going to sit around just waiting for something to happen. There had to be some servants or something in this dump that could help him. He wasn’t going to walk around the place naked however, he realized with a blush. The closet was making strange sounds and deserved some investigating.

He slid the door back and saw the green thing from earlier there on the floor worshipping something furry. At least that’s what he hoped it was doing…

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked loudly.

“Waah-hah!” The thing jumped and whirled to face him. “I was just putting things away for the master!” He babbled, eyes on the ground.

“Dog-boy told me all about you. You aren’t doing anything creepy in here are you? I want to actually wear some of those clothes.”

Jaken looked up quickly ands grimaced. “Oh, it’s you. Don’t you have anything better to do than pester a loyal servant? I merely wish to spend time caring for my master’s moko moko sama. It was a gift from his father, and requires vigilance. Now go away.”

“Look you little lizard freak, I need clothes and you’re in my way. You have two options at this point. You either get out of my way or you become my new shoe when I plant my foot up your ass!”

“How dare you speak to me that way!” Jaken howled. The kappa was actually hopping in his rage. “I am the might Jaken, feared in all my lord’s provinces. Many tremble…”

“In disgust when they see you comin’, yeah, yeah. Move.” Kouga booted him to the side.

“You defile my lord’s clothing with your presence? You have no right! I shall report you immediately!”

“I have every right considering ‘your lord’ tattooed one of my shoulders with his teeth!” Kouga growled.

“He would never touch anything so base as you! Especially not with the other one finally gone!”

“What did you say?”

Jaken looked scared and then resolute. He lifted his chin, “Lord Sesshoumaru would never waste his time on a mongrel like you when there are more worthy candidates. HE wasn’t any good for him either, and that’s why he’s gone.”

“Do you refer to Inuyasha, Jaken?”

Both whirled and realized that Sesshoumaru was awake and very interested in the current conversation.

Jaken paled to a sickly pea green and began to plead, “M-m-milord! I did not see you there! Of course I would never presume to speak of your mate. This interloper was in your closet and I told him that he didn’t belong in there, but he wouldn’t leave so I had to say that…”

Kouga reached down and backhanded him across the room. “I had to knock some sense into him.” He answered at the other male’s raised brow.

“Indeed,” A tiny smile touched the corners of his mouth. “I did not ask you to waste my time. Where is my mate?”

“My lord, I have ever been your faithful servant,” Jaken began to crawl back.

“And you enjoy my mercies at the moment. Do not try my patience. I can feel that something has happened to Inuyasha. What have you done?”

“He wasn’t worthy of you, milord! He used you to advance in the world. He was merely shadowing your glory and taking you to shameful places in demon society! And then he brought this one to you, who is only marginally better since he is a full demon, but still the dregs of our world, and forces you to take an interest in him! They laughed at you and mocked you! I was thinking of your reputation!”

Kouga raised one hand at Sesshoumaru’s open mouth, “I believe this one is mine.” He waited for the nod, and a vicious smile crossed his face. “Let me introduce you to a game, kappa. Don’t worry I excel in this particular arena. It’s called “Punt the Runt” and I’m a master. Just close your eyes and answer truthfully. This won’t hurt me a bit.”

Jaken looked to Sesshoumaru, who had begun to lean back weakly, with eyes that were wide with fear, “Please, master, I am loyal and faithful. You would not allow him to do this, would you?”

“If you have harmed my mate in any way you will be glad that it is the wolf dealing with you and not I. Then again, I would not wish to sully my claws on a traitor.”

The desperation was beginning to show through, “I did n-nothing to him! I only gave HIM the powder she gave me! I have not betrayed you!”

A solid kick sent the toadie flying back into the wall. “What have you done?” Kouga raged.

A flurry of kicks made it impossible for the kappa to answer. Kouga for no discernable reason had lost any semblance of cool as he began to knock the smaller demon around the room, bouncing him off of walls, furniture and the ceiling as well. It seemed that the bite from Inuyasha was starting to come into effect.


/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/


The floor was hard and cold, his mouth was dry and there was a small Toutousai repairing iron pots in his head. He remembered fantastic sex and a bad nightmare, but it didn’t usually lead to waking up in a strange place. His arms were weak as he attempted to push himself up, so it was slow going. The low masculine chuckle definitely got his attention.

“Inuyasha, how nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard about you for so very long.” The voice was dark and silky. It echoed from above like he was in a cavern of some sort.

Whatever they had gotten into his system, it was really fucking him up. He couldn’t focus to see anything, and sound was coming into his ears like waves on the shore. He shook his head sluggishly. Whatever was going on it definitely wasn’t good. He felt like he was wrapped in cotton batting but something really bad was waiting for him on the outside.

“You’re not feeling talkative? How disappointing. I’ve been told that your mouth is one of the things I would most enjoy.” He chuckled. “Perhaps I should come back later when you are feeling more like yourself.”

“Water,” Inuyasha managed to croak.

“Hmm, I think we can manage that. Come, brat, give my new pet some water.”

There was a grinding noise that only a stone door makes and the outline of a young male appeared in the doorway.

“How may I give it to him, master?”

The voice was clear and high pitched, the voice of a boy who had not yet reached maturity. It was a pure sound in the dark.

“He is a dog, brat. How do all dogs drink?”

The sound of a wooden bowl hitting the ground and water being poured were the only clues that Inuyasha got, but he was far from caring. He had managed to drag himself to the sounds before they had finished, and plunged his face into the bowl trying to inhale the water. It was stale and warm, but ask a starving man what week old bread tastes like and he’ll tell you heaven.

The laughter floated through the room again, “Careful not to get too close, brat. You’ll ruin your fetching price. You are indeed an animal, Inuyasha, but a magnificent one.”

Inuyasha finished what he could from the bowl and rolled over to his back. There were no more concerns for him at this time. All he wanted was sleep. He didn’t hear the door open and close, nor did he hear the low laughter turn vicious in the room. He was sunk deep into drug ridden dreams…

The second time he woke far more lucid. His ears lay against his head as he realized he was collared and chained to the middle of the room. The fact that he was trapped again had not escaped his notice. There was light in the room… no, make that pit where he was being held, and there was no visible way out, but for the opening at the top of sheer walls.

He drained the wooden bowl of the water that was left, grimacing at the taste. There was more wrong than he’d realized before. His bonds to Sesshoumaru had been severed, but oddly enough he could still feel him through the dominance bond with Kouga. His love wasn’t doing so well, and neither was he. He could feel the demon rising within. Before, he’d had his mate to stave off the transformation, but without the mutual ties of a mating bond the restraints were far more tenuous. Whoever had done this to them hadn’t known about the wolf joining their little pack. How interesting. It didn’t really matter in the long run, he mused as he began to play “Break the Chain and Get the Fuck Out”. If he couldn’t get out, or they didn’t find him soon he would have to suicide to prevent his mates from following him into madness and death.

It was the perfect time for his host to return.

“I doubt that you will break the chain. It is far stronger than you realize.” The voice was attached to a face this time. Long, silken brown hair fell around dark eyes and a face that was surprisingly delicate for the baritone voice.

“Nah, I’m getting ready to see if I can jump rope if I stretch this thing far enough.”

There was that chuckle again. A ribbon of moonlight on a pond in the woods, it was far too pleasant for someone who was chaining him to a floor. “I knew that you would entertain me eventually. I’m so glad you have regained your senses.”

“Yeah, funny how snapping a permanent bond does that to a body.” He drawled sarcastically.

“Now don’t be mad. I’m only getting paid to do a job.” He pouted as he leaned over the side of the wall. “Not when we have the rest of your life to get to know one another.”

Inuyasha batted his eyes and bared his teeth in a feral grin, “I don’t kiss on the first date. Why don’t you come down here and introduce yourself.”

The demon threw back his head and laughed. “I’m afraid I’m only good at the long distance relationships, and I apologize for the lapse. My name is Naraku.”

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed, “My mate will come for me, and when he does your little dreams for an empire will be no more than chaff in the wind.”

“You no longer have a mate, Inuyasha. I took him from you as you once took mine away.”

“I have taken no one’s mate from them. The only one I have ever been with is Sesshoumaru and Kouga.”

“Fifty years should have taught you a lesson, half breed.” Naraku spat. “The priestess was mine! I loved her! You killed her!”

“I did not! I was as much a victim as she. That soulless bastard Tekken fed her a potion to mimic love, and she pinned me to that tree smelling of blood that I never caused!”

“You killed her the minute she chose to go to you rather than come to me.” He hissed in rage, “The blood you smelled was raised by your own claws.” He laughed insanely transforming himself into Inuyasha’s twin. “You killed her!”

Inuyasha went still. Power began to rip around the pit. His claws began to elongate, purple stripes showed faintly high on his cheeks and his eyes began to bleed the red of rage. “YOU KILLED KIKYOU!” He howled.

Naraku’s laughter stopped and he looked at Inuyasha. A quick indrawn breath and a miasma of poisoned air flooded the pit knocking the half demon out were the only reactions. He nodded to the boy. It was up to him to make sure the other lived. Inuyasha was far from having paid for his crimes.