Always

I implore anyone having difficulty with the implied rape to read the comments to feedback at the end of this page

Chapter 7 end-recap


“I do not know if I can ever forgive you for what you have done.” He declared to its ashes, “Just know, where ever you are that from this day forth, you can never hurt me again, you are no longer in my thoughts. I banish you, forever.”

Inuyasha stood proudly, brushing off his fire rat koromo and turned towards the path that would lead him back to Miroku and Sango’s home.

His eyes widened and a small yip could barely be heard from the back of his throat where his heart suddenly leaped….
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Chapter 8
“Sesshomaru…” Inuyasha whispered, unable to move… nay, afraid to move… lest the spell be broken and the aristocratic assassin vanish before him like a puff of smoke.

His eyes scanned the glorious being at the edge of the clearing, the eyes shining brilliantly and so intently into his own, his silver hair in a ceremonial topknot like he saw their chichiue wear in so many portraits that hung throughout the palace.

~so much like oto:san, ~ he thought.

InuYasha, afraid to move, afraid to even breathe, drank in his aniki’s mien like one would do a fine wine… slowly, delicately, from the gaze that bore into his very soul to the arms that folded across his armored chest. His powerful legs standing slightly apart and Mokomoko draped over his shoulder only swaying slightly with the breeze. Inuyasha’s knees weakened with such desire and need, it frightened him, if not just a little.

Sesshomaru was the picture of perfection and omnipotence and suddenly, Inuyasha felt very insignificant.

~I do not deserve him.~he lamented… he was just a hanyo after all… his aniki warranted so much more.

Sesshomaru, who had been absorbing every miniscule move the hanyo made, noted the depressive turn in Inuyasha’s demeanor and knew he could not allow his ototo to sink within that realm. Slowly he lowered his arms and held them outwards, beckoning his koi… “Come to me Koishii… come to your Untenshi.”

Like a puppy who had been locked in a never-ending nightmare, Inuyasha whimpered in Inu and raced to his aniki. Once reaching him, he buried his head into the firm chest and mighty arms enveloped him, chasing the monsters away. Tears ran unabashed from tormented eyes as Sesshomaru’s grumbling voice soothed him, “Shhhhh…. my koi… be at peace now… I am here.”

Sesshomaru lifted a moistened chin and peered lovingly at his ototo, “It is time my Untenshi… time to come home where you belong.” Leaning down, he kissed the ruby bowed lips that he had missed for so long, pouring all the ki he could muster into the caress.

Inuyasha literally melted into the older demon’s embrace and it was if all the agony he’d felt all his life slithered like miasma into the very ground he stood upon, finally releasing him.

Sesshomaru caught his ototo and cradled him, lifted his slackened body and carried him back whence he came, continuing to sooth him in ‘inu’.


Miroku stepped off the porch of his family’s home with trepidation, lifting his hand as a helpful gesture as Sesshomaru approached with the hanyo cradled within his arms. “Sesshomaru-sama… is everything…?”

Before he could finish, Sesshomaru nodded towards the hoshi and answered the anticipated query, “Inuyasha will be fine. He needs to rest before I take him home. Would it be agreeable to you and your wife if he stayed within your care while I go back to his yakata to collect his belongings?” He came to a halt in front of Miroku, his gaze intense, hugging Inuyasha possessively.

Miroku’s eyes made a quick scan of the half demon, then locked onto the DaiYoki, he stepped aside, making a sweeping motion towards the yakata he shared with his wife Sango and their children, “Of course Lord Sesshomaru, you can lay him upon the sofa in the sitting room…” he paused for a moment as Sesshomaru moved towards the porch then added, “But it really would not be productive to go to Inuyasha’s home, he burned it down the day after…” His voice trailed off when he saw the demon’s whole frame tense with the prospect of Kagome’s name being uttered. “Inuyasha’s been staying with us ever since… when he’ is not off somewhere…”

Miroku stood watching the Lord carrying his sibling up onto the porch and through the door before he followed. When he entered, Sango was already showing Sesshomaru where he could lay Inuyasha onto a sofa that sat before the huge hearth within the sitting area, handing the demon a blanket to cover him with. He noticed the tenderness Sesshomaru displayed as he tucked it around his ototo carefully, making sure to caress the hanyo’s hair and cheek as he did so. It was a gentleness the hoshi had only witnessed from the great Lord when he was around his sibling and the human child Rin. A rare sight to behold indeed, he thought, and felt honored to be one of only a very few to witness such emotion from the demon.

Noticing the faint trace of concern on the demon’s face he took a great leap of faith and the holy man gently rested his hand on the broad shoulder of a creature he should fear and softly intoned, “He will be alright now my Lord Sesshomaru… you are here… he has been waiting, unfortunately at the price of sleep. I am sure he is exhausted.” Before the demon Lord could protest his touch, he removed his hand and moved towards the galley of the great room where Sango stood watching.

Miroku made to sit down on one of the cushions at the table where upon Sango had placed a bowl of food and extended his arm in invitation for the DaiYoki to his right, “Come Sesshomaru-sama, break fast with my wife and me.”

Sesshomaru lightly brushed his lips against Inuyasha’s, combing long clawed fingers through errant strands of hair from his eyes, to kiss his petite nose, whispering so only his ototo could hear, “Rest koi, I am not far.” He rose and strode to take his seat.

When Sango moved to fix another bowl, Sesshomaru waved, “No need Sango-chan, tea would suffice.” Sango turned and an eyebrow lifted in question, “Are you sure Sesshomaru-sama? There is plenty, the children have eaten already and there will still be enough for when Inuyasha awakens.”

Sesshomaru gave a slight bow, “I am certain. I do not hunger. But thank you for your hospitality.” Turning his head towards the hoshi he added, “You say that Inuyasha burned down the dwelling he shared with the miko?”

Miroku, having a mouthful of food, quickly swallowed, nodding… “Hai. After Kagome died, he took whatever he wanted to save and set it aflame. Said there was to much bad Ki within its walls.”

Sango who took to kneeling across from Miroku nodded in agreement, placing a cup of tea in front of the Lord, “Hai. The malevolent miasma was inescapable, it permeated the entire dwelling. I do not blame Inuyasha’s decision.” She took a sip of her tea glancing at her husband who had not entirely agreed with the decision.

Hearing the tone underlying Miroku’s words and Sango’s glance, Sesshomaru asked, “But you did not agree Hoshi-han?”

Miroku sighed and set down his bowl, turning to look directly at the demon Lord, “Not entirely Sesshomaru-sama. Yes, no doubt there was an air of malignancy, but I still stand by my assertion that it could have been exorcised… the dwelling was sturdy, it could have housed a needy family in these hard times.”

Sango, who was all to willing to continue this difference of opinion with her husband since he was still of mind to bait her chimed, “We both know that would not satisfy Inuyasha’s ki… and that is and was more important, do you not think so my husband?”

Sesshomaru almost allowed a small grin to grace his usually stony disposition ~it was nice to see that some things did not change~, he bemused. The hoshi and the taijiya still fought together in their own subtle way.

Miroku merely harrumphed, knowing that, like the first time they argued this point, he would lose, so chose not to comment further.

There was a long stretch of silence before anything else was said and it was Sesshomaru who broke the silence. “What was the cause of the miko’s demise?”

“Kaede called it the Great Dying.” Miroku offered.

Sesshomaru’s eyes widened, “The Black Death…” he hissed. “Did Kaede-chan isolate the miko?” Sesshomaru knew all to well about the plague, having lived as long as he had, he had plenty of knowledge how it swept across great lands, leaving desecration in its wake.

Miroku lightly blew across the top of his cup to cool the tea some before he took a sip, “You know of this illness?” Sango had stilled looking at the Lord expectantly, concerned with the look on the otherwise stoic visage of the DaiYoki… especially concerning the mention of isolation.

“Hai.” Sesshomaru answered, looking to his teacup. “It is a great plague that has been around for many centuries, the wind seemingly carrying it across great lands. It is a horrible and emanate death. I have known it to destroy families, whole towns, even cities.” He paused for a second, not paying attention to the alarm he was conjuring within the two that were sitting, raptly listening before he continued, “Was there a great decrease in the rat population within the area before hand?” He looked to Miroku.

Miroku thought for a moment and whispered, “hai.”

Sesshomaru nodded.

Sango was dually alarmed however… “You ask if Kaede-han isolated Kagome… Sesshomaru-sama, is there a reason she should have been?”

Sesshomaru turned his head slightly to look into the taijiya’s concerned gaze and nodded, “The illness is highly contagious. There is some speculation that it transfers from the rats to humans, but uncertain how. The transference from human to human however is thought to be through spittle from the coughing the victim does.” Again Sesshomaru asked, “Was the miko isolated?”

The DaiYoki could feel the fear rolling off both ningen so strong, it actually was unpleasant to the demon, which was rare for ningen emotions to elicit such a strong response as a yokai’s could. He usually did not take the time to alleviate a ningens fears, but thought it might be in his best interest, as well as Inuyasha’s if he made this exception for two he had grown to think of as ‘friends’. Lowering his lids just a bit, Sesshomaru sighed, “I do not think Sango-chan that you or your family has anything to worry about. If you had indeed been touched by this illness, it would have already done its damage.” He looked up at the female and watched her finally let go of the breath she had been holding.

Then as an after thought, Sesshomaru added, “it is a good thing that the yakata was burned to the ground.”

All three nodded in assent.

A few moments again passed in silence, “But it does not explain why the malevolent aura you claim was present,” Sesshomaru presented as he secreted a glance at the two.

Sango, quickly averting her gaze, just as quickly rose and excused herself, claiming that she needed to check on the children and made her hasty retreat.

Sesshomaru returned to his tea, looking at the tea leaves floating at the bottom, mentally making note of each slivers position. This time, it was not fear that predominate the scent rolling off the remaining ningen, but that of anger.

He was patient.

Miroku nervously cleared his throat, feigning interest in his own teacup. “It was not a happy home these past 5 years Sesshomaru-sama.” He hinted.

“I already know this Hoshi.”

The near violet eyed ningen locked gazes with the demon. “Kagome made Inuyasha’s life a living hell, especially after the baby died.”

After a few moments, Sesshomaru prodded the hoshi, “Continue.”

Miroku set his now cold tea onto the table in front of him slowly. “I am afraid Sango and I are left confused Sesshomaru-sama.” He shook his head as if to clear any befuddlement, “I mean one day they seem…” Miroku searched for the right word… “I do not know, resigned? On the marriage, but after, it was like all the 7 levels of hell were released.”

Again Miroku shook his head, “If I were a more fanatical hoshi, I would swear that Kagome became possessed right after the vows were taken. She became extremely hostile toward Inuyasha. Belittling him every moment, over reacting to any infraction she perceived in…” This time he shook his head in distress.

Miroku continued, “Sango and I guessed that the only reason the two actually married, was not for any love for one another, but most likely due to the pregnancy.” He lowered his head and his voice, “What confuses us is how the two conceived to begin with.”

Sesshomaru nearly rolled his eyes… “Hoshi, honestly, you have three children of your own…”

Miroku interrupted lifting his hands in capitulation, “That is not what I mean… if they did not love one another, why did they copulate in the first place?”

Sesshomaru raised one eyebrow nearly to his hairline and Miroku, glancing at the Lord at that moment, turned beet red. “Surely you do not think that the only requirement for copulation is love?”

“Well, iya…” Miroku answered, “But we always thought in the beginning that their relationship was leaning towards love… that is until you and Inuyasha began repairing your relationship.” He again conspiringly leaned towards the demon, “Do not think we did not notice the change within his relationship with your Lord’s.” Miroku sat straighter yet kept his eyes locked on the demons, whose visage did not change, even minutely. “It is why none of what transpired at your palace made any sense the week they married.”

Miroku again shook his head in disbelief, but remained mute for a few seconds.

“On our way back to the village is when Kagome started in on Inuyasha. It was as if he could do nothing right. She would call him baka or yaro, pakimono, even okama , or any other curses, some that even made me blush when explained to me what they meant. She would throw things at him, hit him and if those accursed beads had still been around his neck, I am sure he would have sustained substantial injuries.”

The ningen rose and took the tea kettle from the pit and prepared him self another cup of tea, first holding the pot up towards Sesshomaru in silent questioning, who in turn nodded his assent.

After replenishing their tea and setting the teapot back on the tripod over the fire, he returned to his seat and continued, “A few weeks after returning to the village, Kagome complained of abdominal pain and demanded Inuyasha take her to the well so she could go back to her time. Of course Sango and I could not understand Inuyasha’s refusal to go back to Kagome’s time with her, especially if there could have been something wrong with the baby. But he was adamant.”

“I forbade Inuyasha,” was all that Sesshomaru would offer.

Miroku looked at the demon Lord in surprise. “You forbade it?”

“Hai. I forbade Inuyasha from ever going through the well again.”

“Why?” Miroku asked.

“I did not trust the miko not to trap him in her time.” Sesshomaru answered matter-of-factly.

Miroku let his jaw drop, “Why?”

“I have my reasons Hoshi.”

The ningen nodded, “Well after all that has transpired since, you might have had good reason to worry.” Miroku waved his hand, “Any way, apparently there was something wrong, terribly wrong and a few days later, Kagome came back and said she had lost the baby.”

“Yes, I am aware of the fate of the pup.” Sesshomaru took a sip of his tea.

“I did not think things could get worse,” Miroku intoned, looking his hands that held his teacup, “I was wrong. The absolute hatred that rolled off Kagome intensified. She began accusing Inuyasha of all kinds of evil acts, and got nastier with her belittling… saying how they would never have another because he was not man enough, going so far as announcing to the whole village once how Inuyasha had not even touched her since the night of conception. That even when she tried to excite him, he could not get it up. Basically she publicly castrated him.”

Miroku looked upon the demon, a tear in his eye, “And the amazing thing Lord Sesshomaru… not once did Inuyasha defend himself against her tirades, the insults, the abuse. Not once. Even when she would accuse him of fucking with you when you did grace him with a visit.”

Sesshomaru cringed with the tone of the wordgrace, as if it were an accusation of some slight on his part. He had his reasons for keeping his distance, but he was not going to explain his actions to the Hoshi, that friendly they were not. Besides, what mattered was that Inuyasha knew those reasons and understood, and ultimately, that is all that mattered to the DaiYoki. As for the word fuck, Inuyasha had educated him on that a while back.

Miroku continued, “Sango and I tried to intervene, we even suggested that they separate, that maybe they did not belong together… that maybe Kagome did not belong in this time and it was causing her behavior.” He stared off into space for a moment, “well, you can see how far that went.”

“Then came the ugliest of allegations…” Miroku looked to the demon, “of course Sango and I did not believe a word of it… but Inuyasha turned deathly pale.”

“And what was that?” Sesshomaru asked.

“We were in town, shopping for some things and a merchant from your village mentioned missing seeing Inuyasha at the palace… well, just the mere mention of you and Kagome was off on another tirade… yelling that the only time he could ever get it up was either by fucking you or rapingyoung women.”

“Sango and I tried to calm Kagome down, but she would have nothing of it.” Miroku went on… “A crowd was beginning to form around us and it seemed to spur Kagome on. Sango tried to pull her away, but Kagome spun out of her grasp and started to address the growing audience, pointing at Inuyasha, screaming how being a demon gave him the right apparently to violate as he pleased… that no young maid was safe around him.” Miroku shook his head, “Inuyasha just stood there, saying nothing… and the crowd looked as if they would string him up any moment… Sango and I knew we had to get them both out of there and quick. But suddenly Kagome just walked away from it all and mumbled, you’ll be begging to come back to my era by the time I’m through with you hanyo.”

Sesshomaru’s eyes became slits as his yokai began to surface, the instinct to kill boiling to the surface. The great Lord began breathing deeply through his nose as the Hoshi pushed on.

“Of course we followed Kagome, dragging Inuyasha with us he was so stunned. We heard some of the villagers talk about filthy demons and how the world should be wiped clean of them…” Miroku startled a bit when he heard the cracking of knuckles and looked over at Sesshomaru’s clenched hand, smelling the poison that began to emanate from their claws. Drawing his sleeve up to his nose, he continued… “Kagome rambled on about how Inuyasha raped her the night she and he fought before they were married. How she was glad that the baby died because she did not want itgrowing up knowing how itwas conceived. How Inuyasha was not fit to be a father and how if she still had the jewel, she would wish Inuyasha human, getting rid of the evilness inside him. That night we convinced Inuyasha to stay with us.

Miroku shook his head for the umpteenth time, still having trouble believing the tale he was unfolding.

It became so quiet, you could hear a feather drop.

“The next morning, she became ill… and two days later… she was dead.” He drank the rest of his tea and placed it ceremoniously onto the table. He then looked up at the demon Lord and implored, “You must take Inuyasha back with you tonight Lord Sesshomaru. When the villagers find out that Kagome is dead… which I am surprised they do not yet know…” He looked over at the hanyo of which he spoke, not noticing the change in the hanyo’s position, “I’m afraid they will come for him,” he finished.

Silence.

“It’s all lies you know.”

Both beings turned to the source of the comment of which only Miroku was visibly startled, looking at Inuyasha, who was now sitting up, his hands clasped between his legs.

“All of it. Lies.”


Translations: which are all in Japanese unless otherwise stated

chichiue / oto:san -father
hanyō/hanyo/hanyou -half demon
koibito/koi -lover/love
koishii -dearly beloved
ototo -younger brother -also: kei
aniki/ani -older brother
tsume/ Untenshi -mate
san/han -most commonly used courtesy honorific/han is used in the west
kun -used for males, usually older>younger or =, sometimes from f>m between friends
chan -usually >child or a f. sometimes used for pets, lovers or intimate friends
sama -used lower ranked>higher
yakata -house
yōkai taijiya -demon slayer
ningen –human, man, person
baka/aho -idiot (east/west)
pakimono -freak!
okama -homosexual/fag
ki -life force
iya -no


Feedback for Feedback

Ladykaa:
I was always taught in any writing course I’ve taken that one of the keys to success is not only grabbing your audience… but keeping them coming back *smile* Hopefully I don’t over-do it. Thank you for voicing that your not finding that the case *another smile*

Demitria:
Glad your enjoying it *smile*
*turns to evil grin*
Could I tempt you to update some of your stories?????
*runs before being beaned with something that would really really hurt*

Ayla:
I wish I could say “sorry” about that… but… *points to Ladykaa’s feedback comment*

Nikkie
Thank you *smile*
Ask and ye shall receive…

Polka dot
Yes, rape is unforgivable… to us in the modern era. But in medieval times women and children were chattel. They had absolutely no human rights. Even today, a raped woman in some middle eastern countries would still be held more responsible than a man and in some cases stoned to death.

That does NOT mean I condone the act I do not. However, with that said, I am trying to write a story that would be somewhat historically correct. And if you look at ‘demonology’ in any religious beliefs… they are not the norm… in fact, most are pretty evil.

In my eyes, the Yokai in Inuyasha’s world follow more of animalistic behavior as well as unconventional. There is reason why Sesshomaru does not see what Inuyasha is ‘accused’ (btw) of is not seen as abhorrent… it is actually a mode of discipline/domination… it is why he nearly ‘takes’ Inuyasha on the study floor.

Anyway… please don’t take this as a tirade on your comment… it’s just that I’m sooooo surprised at how some have read that part… remember… she accuses him, there is no admission of guilt, nor proof… so all I ask readers is to hold their condemnation.

I am certainly glad your hanging in there tho… however, it makes me kind of wonder who I may have lost because of that one itty bitty… vague part.