Salvation

Disclaimer~~~~~~~~~~ Don’t own original Inuyasha characters, do own others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nearly two weeks later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Father! No! Please don’t! I didn’t mean it!” The cries fell on deaf ears as a young Inuyasha was curtly jerked up by his arm, nearly tearing the joint from the socket. He wailed at the pain in his shoulder and elbow. Tears fell in torrents down his cheeks as he gazed pleadingly up at his father.
“Love, please,” he heard his mother plead as the great inuyoukai flung open a door leading to the courtyard. “Please, he is but a child.” Her voice wavered, signaling she was on the verge of tears. Inuyasha hiccupped as he was pushed roughly into a tiny windowless hut.
“He is old enough to know better, Izayoi.” he growled as he glared at the tiny pup in the middle of the hut. “He must learn, there will be no exceptions. Especially with the act he nearly forced upon Sesshomaru.” His golden eyes remained fixed on his son as the boy continued to cry and gaze at his father with sorrow and confusion.
“Please…” he whimpered out as he gazed at his parents. His mother looked close to tears herself as she looked from him to her husband. “Daddy, I didn’t mean…it was an accident.”
“Inutaishou, must he suffer so?” his mother pleaded one final time. His golden eyes now fell upon the beautiful woman. Inuyasha sniffled through a nose he could barely breathe through.
“Izayoi, he must be punished. I cannot let this go unattended to.” His voice was full of sorrow and remorse, letting her know that this was the last thing he wanted to do to his youngest son. Inuyasha choked out a sob as the doors were slid shut.
“I’m sorry…” he whispered out, just before the light disappeared completely.

“NO! SESSHOMARU!!” Inuyasha shouted as he sat up abruptly. He was gasping for breath and sweating from head to foot. His whole body trembled as he looked around in the darkness, trying to figure out where he was.
‘Damn, it was a dream,’ he thought wearily. A door in front of him slid open sharply, letting in a little moonlight to see by. Sesshomaru’s outline stood in the doorway.
“What? What is it?” he asked with something akin to concern in his voice. Inuyasha continued to pant and tremble as he stared at the silhouette.
“It’s-it’s nothing. I…had a bad dream.” he admitted reluctantly. He looked around and, with the help of the light from the door, observed he was in a very lavish bedroom. He was completely naked under the silk covers and he smelled of sakura blossoms. He heard his brother scoff and the light fled as the large door was closed, and Inuyasha’s trembling intensified. He jumped when he felt the end of the large futon sink down.
“Quiet mutt, it’s me,” The deep voice was right in front of him. He felt a claw be placed on his chest and was pushed back into the soft futon. Sesshomaru moved to where he was laying beside him. He was in a silk robe and smelled of clean water and soaps.
“What are you doing?” he asked timidly. He felt his brother shift around and heard the whistling of silk as he supposed that robe was tossed aside.
“You are in my room,” came the curt reply. “And in my bed. I still have to sleep and watch over you.”
“How long have I been here?” Inuyasha asked quietly. The other settled down in the sheets beside him.
“Nearly fifteen days,”
“What?! Have I been asleep the entire time?” he asked in shock. There was no way he could have slept for that long. And why is it that he suddenly had more energy than he’d had in months? Sesshomaru turned his handsome face to glare at him in the darkness.
“Yes, you have. And now, you need to go back to sleep before I make you.” he growled at him. Inuyasha rolled onto his side and laid his head on the shoulder beside him. To his surprise, he wasn’t shoved off like he normally would be. Instead, he was pulled against the warm, powerful body.
“I feel better, did your healers fix me?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“No.” His heart fell to his feet. He was still sick. “But they have developed an antidote to stave off most of it.” Well, that was better than nothing. At least he could keep living, if that’s what you wanted to call it.
“So…who’s been taking care of me?” he asked out of curiosity. He figured it would be the servants, but wanted some conversation. He wasn’t ready to go back to sleep.
“Rin’s children, Shikon and Rainen,” he responded. Inuyasha’s head snapped up to look at him, not that he could see him. As soon as he did, though, Sesshomaru’s lips met his salty forehead.
“Now, be quiet and go to sleep. I’ve had a long day and I want a little time to rest.” That stopped all of the questions that were about to pour out of his mouth, and he fell silent. He nestled his head back onto the shoulder beneath him and closed his eyes. Soon, he was back asleep, thankfully with no dreams this time.

He awoke hours later as Sesshomaru was dressing in a formal black silk kimono. Inuyasha sat up groggily and rubbed his sleep-filled eyes.
“Have I slept for another month?” he grumbled out. Sesshomaru didn’t even look at him to answer.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped. Inuyasha flinched as he watched him tie the sash holding the robe closed. He looked over at the hanyou with nothing less than annoyance on his face. “If you are hungry, the kitchen is down the hall and right.” With that, he walked out of the room and snapped the door shut.
‘What’s he so pissed at me for?’ Inuyasha thought sourly. ‘I didn’t force him to take me here or put me up in his room. So what the fuck is he so pissed at me for?’
He sat up and looked his feet at the end of the futon. To his surprise, he saw a very beautiful black and silver casual kimono laid out on the covers. A silver dragon curled around the left shoulder and draped along the back. He fingered the soft material and smiled as he stood to dress himself.
Almost as soon as he was finished, there was a soft knock at the door. He looked up to see a middle aged demon with silver hair and brown eyes gazing at him. She was beautiful beyond nearly all comparison to any female demon he had ever seen. The scary part was, she looked almost just like Sesshomaru. Her silky silver hair fell to the back of her knees in an elegant hair style while a single maroon line on each cheek accented her gorgeous face. She did not wear the garments of a servant, but rather those of a lesser lady or mistress of the palace. Light blue silk with snow flakes blended beautifully with her creamy white skin and flawless features.
“Hello, I’m Sakura.” she explained with a bow. “I was sent by Lord Sesshomaru to assist you in navigating the mansion.” The dumbstruck hanyou stared at her before giving his head a quick shake and plastering a smile on his face.
“I’m Inuyasha,” he replied stupidly. He couldn’t think of anything else to say to her. She smiled and nodded.
“Yes, I know. My Lord has told me all that I need to know about you.” she responded with a gentle smile. “You must be hungry, Lord Inuyasha. Please, allow me to show you to the kitchen. The cooks will prepare you anything you wish.” Inuyasha’s stomach seemed to hear the offer, for it growled loudly at that very moment. The young youkai’s smile widened in amusement and she stepped out of the room to wait for him. He immediately walked out and began to follow her.
“Hey, um, Sakura?” he asked. She turned her beautiful head to look at him, still smiling warmly. “Can I ask you something?” She chuckled, her voice sounding like small bells.
“Anything you wish.” He looked at her for a moment before quickly looking ahead down the hall they were walking. It truly was fit for a king, or a powerful lord.
“Um, who are your parents? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.” he added quickly. She smiled and also looked ahead.
“My father is Rainen, my mother has passed on.” Inuyasha flinched, feeling guilty at possibly having opened up some wound. She seemed to have noticed the look.
“Oh, please don’t think anything of it. It has been many years ago, and she died honorably.” He looked at her curiously as they rounded the corner and walked into a large dining room. “She died in battle, beside my father. She was a warrior, as am I. All of us have been trained in the way of the sword.” The hungry hanyou looked at her in wonder for a moment before hearing a shout that made him snap his head up.
“Father!” Kaichi tackled into him and his arms went around him tightly. Inuyasha’s own gripped his son. “You’re well! Thank the gods!”
“Yeah, I feel a Hell of a lot better.” he muttered against his head. His golden eyes flicked up to see Roko at the table talking to Sakura. “How have you been? Are you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been with Roko the whole time. Father, this place is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.” He was beside himself with excitement and was eager to tell of everything he had seen and done. Inuyasha was dragged over to sit with the pair. Sakura bowed and left to go see to it that Inuyasha got some food. The boy eagerly began to tell of all the adventures he had had with Roko and all they had done while Inuyasha had been recovering. Inuyasha listened and ate ravenously when his bowl of noodles and chicken was brought to him. He ate nearly five bowls as he listened.
“Wow, you must have been really starving father.” Kaichi remarked. Said youkai sat back and belched lightly. Sakura giggled from her spot by the door but immediately quieted as another demon approached. Roko looked up and stood. This got the attention of the other two and they looked over.
“Hm, so it’s true.” The older demon looked to be in what would be considered his mid thirties, so about one hundred years and change. He had short silver hair and piercing blue eyes, he was wearing armor nearly identical to Roko’s and Sesshomaru’s with a dark blue silk kimono to compliment his eyes. He stood a full head taller than Sakura, but they looked almost identical. He had a light blue line on each cheek and a U shaped crescent moon on his temple to match. Inuyasha blinked and marveled at how handsome he was.
‘He has to be another of Sesshomaru’s kids.’ It was a solemn thought. The youkai’s blue eyes fixed onto his golden ones.
“So, you’re Inuyasha?” he asked coldly. Oh yeah, this guy was kin to Sesh.
“Yeah, so what? You must be another of Sesh’s pups. You look just like him, and you’re obviously an inuyoukai.” he growled out. The demon’s gorgeous eyes scrutinized him and sized him up. He supposed his looked pretty scrawny from having eaten only enough to keep his ass breathing for the last two weeks. The youkai scoffed lightly.
“For your information, I am far older than you think. Second, my breeding is none of your concern.” he retorted. Inuyasha growled. Sakura laid her hand gently on the other youkai’s arms, keeping her head bowed respectfully.
“My Lord, please. Let there be no fighting.” Her voice was so soft and quiet, Inuyasha had to strain to hear it. The youkai’s eyes softened and he nodded for a moment before looking back over at the trio.
“Roko, Lord Sesshomaru wishes for you to practice your swordsmanship this evening.” Roko nodded.
“Yes, I understand Rainen.” Inuyasha blinked. So, this was Rin’s son? He didn’t look a thing like her, he was all youkai! So, Sesshomaru had lowered himself to mate with a human after all. His fists balled up, his claws piercing the skin of his palm. How dare he hate him! How dare he try to kill him for being what he is! That goddamn hypocrite! The fucking asshole son of a bitch!
“Father?” Kaichi’s voice didn’t penetrate the shell of hatred that had encompassed him. He growled, low and dangerous. His vision suddenly sharpened, as did the rest of his senses. He was becoming full demon…he was in kill mode.
Rainen’s hand fell to his side where his sword rested. Sakura’s slipped into her kimono where hers resided. Kaichi frantically sought to bring his father out of the full demon state he was in.
“Father it’s me! Kaichi!” He reached up and carefully rubbed the soft dog ears on top of Inuyasha’s head. He shuddered and closed his eyes, holding in a moan. He quickly pushed his son’s hand away before opening his eyes, they were once again golden. Kaichi sighed in relief and everyone slowly let go of the sword hilts they’d been holding. The hanyou snapped his head to Rainen.
“Where is your father?” he demanded. Rainen glared at him in response.
“What makes you think I would even dream of telling you, half-breed?” he retorted. Inuyasha’s eyes flickered red for a second.
“Like you’re any better!” he shouted. “Who the Hell are you to be callin’ people that?!” Rainen’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
“How dare you,” he growled. “I am a full, pure demon, unlike you, mutt.” Inuyasha started screaming.
“Bullshit! I knew you mother! She was a full, pure human!” he mocked. “You’re half human like me! So don’t you DARE go throwing those words around me when you’re no better, you damn whelp!” Now Rainen did draw his sword, his blue eyes blazing.
“You’ll pay for that you heathen half-breed.” His voice was dangerously low and quiet. Inuyasha reached for Tetsaiga, only to realize it was missing.
“Lose something, little brother?” That silky smooth voice made him snap around to face the other entrance to the dining room. Sesshomaru stood there, watching the proceedings with interest. His golden eyes were fixed on the hanyou’s.
“Where the Hell is my sword?” he yelled at him. Sesshomaru merely gazed at him. “Tell me dammit! Where’s my sword Sesshomaru?!” The powerful Lord was in front of him in a second with a iron grip on both wrists and his hair. Inuyasha was forced to crane his head back as Sesshomaru twisted his wrist.
“It’s safe, mutt. I have it locked up, and until you show a little courtesy towards my family, you won’t see it.” His voice was right in his ear. Inuyasha couldn’t hold back the shiver that wracked his body or the shaky breath that escaped his lips. He pressed closer to the warm body but was quickly thrown back.
“Father, please.” Roko’s voice cut through his muddled thoughts. He sounds….
Inuyasha straightened up, his demeanor calm and subdued. He looked over at Rainen and Sakura. She looked sad while he looked ready to fight. He sheathed his blade but continued to glare at him. The half-breed then looked to Sesshomaru who was now a few feet away.
“Why Sesh?” he asked solemnly. “Why do you hate me for having a human mother when your own children do too?” Sesshomaru glared at him now. Maybe Inuyasha was seeing things, but he swore he saw a smile grace that beautiful mouth.
“They don’t, their mother was full demon.” With that, he turned and exited the dining room, leaving Inuyasha completely confused.
“What?” he muttered out.
“There, you heard it from our father’s own mouth. So don’t you dare accuse us of being what you and your son are.” Roko bristled at that.
“Quiet, Rainen.” The warning was clear. Roko may not have been as old as Rainen, but he could certainly take him on in a battle. He looked at Inuyasha this time.
“Our mother, Rin, was a full demon.” The confused hanyou turned to look at him now.
“How? She’s human.”
“Was human.” he explained. “Father found a way to turn her into a full inuyoukai. It was after that that he mated with her.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened.
‘Turned her…into a…full demon?’ The thought invaded every crevice of his brain. ‘Full demon.’ It echoed over and over. He looked at Roko, feeling completely hollow.
“How…?” he whispered. Roko gave him an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know how he did it.”
“Well where’s Rin, maybe she can-”
“She died.” Rainen cut in. Inuyasha glanced at him. He turned his icy blue eyes onto Roko. “Giving birth to him.” Roko looked away and Kaichi hugged him lovingly. Inuyasha glanced down.
“Sorry to hear that, she was a nice kid.” he muttered. Memories of her flashed in his mind and he felt more sorrow than he expected.
“What’s going on?” A new voice entered from the entrance Sesshomaru had been in. Inuyasha looked to discover another inuyoukai, this one seemed to be the oldest. His silver mass of hair was pulled up high into a pony tail like what Inutaishou had worn. His eyes were dark grey, giving him a wise look beyond his years. The kimono was also a dark grey which faded to white at towards the bottom. It blended beautifully with his creamy skin, the same skin that all of the inuyoukai seemed to share.
“What is going on?” he asked again. There was great authority in his voice, signaling he was the eldest of all the children. Roko had no right to speak, so it was Rainen who answered.
“I was meeting our hanyou uncle, and then he accused us of being half-breeds ourselves. So, we had an argument. Nothing serious.” He looked at Roko now.
“Is that what happened, oni?” His voice was soft, but powerful.
“Yes Shikon, that’s what happened. It is over now, everyone has settled down.” The one call Shikon nodded, then looked to Inuyasha.
“So, you must be Inuyasha. Welcome to the Palace of the Western Lands. I am the eldest son of Sesshomaru, Shikon. I take care of the mansion during his absences.” Inuyasha gave him a smile, liking the youkai’s friendlier manner. To his surprise, the boy smiled back.
“Please excuse my brother, he has a hot temper that no one can seem to calm.” He glared at his younger brother who looked away indignantly. Sakura smiled at her uncle who gave a warm one back.
‘Rin must have had a long time to imprint on this kid, he’s too polite for a full youkai.’ he thought interestedly. ‘Maybe that’s what Sesshomaru looks like when he smiles. Not like I would know.’
“Are there anymore of you guys?” he asked. Shikon shook his beautiful head.
“No, just us three sons.” Wow, what kind of luck can a guy get? Three sons and no daughters.
“Damn, he just has all the luck.” he muttered under his breath. Shikon leaned his pointed ear towards him.
“Sorry? Do you mean our father?” he inquired. He chuckled without receiving an answer. “I suppose you have a point. But Kaichi has been absolutely perfect, despite his sad choice of a lover. He’s managed to keep my youngest brother out of trouble.” Roko looked at him and gave a small smile. Kaichi grinned and snuggled closer to his lover.
“Speaking of which, you and I have a sparring match to get to.” he murmured into the young lord’s ear. Roko shivered and growled hungrily back as he nibbled on his neck. Kaichi bid his father and the others a quick farewell before walking out of the dinning room.
Inuyasha looked away and fixed his gaze on Shikon. His grey eyes looked back and traveled over his body. Inuyasha felt naked under that gaze and was forced to look away. Shikon chuckled warmly.
“Well, enjoy your stay Inuyasha. I have things to attend to.” he said. Rainen scoffed from his spot by the entrance.
“You mean you have Kouga to attend to,” he practically spit out. Shikon looked at him sharply, narrowing his eyes dangerously.
“Watch you tongue, Rainen. I am still the lord of this house and I still retain some control. Don’t think you can walk over anyone, especially me, simply because father is here.” There was no room for discussion. Rainen fell silent and looked at his daughter.
“Sakura, keep our guest from wandering where he shouldn’t.” She nodded and bowed respectfully as her father departed. Inuyasha saw this as a good time to cut in. He looked at the remaining brother. Shikon looked deeply irritated at his brother’s additude.
“Hey, Shikon, right?” The youkai looked at him and arched an eyebrow. “This Kouga I heard that prick mention, he wouldn’t happen to be a wolf demon, would he?” Shikon blinked in surprise.
“Why, yes. He is. But how do you know that?” Inuyasha smirked.
“He’s an old…acquaintance of mine. We’ve known each other long before you were born.” Shikon looked at him with mild surprise before smiling.
“I see, would you like to speak to him?” he asked politely. Inuyasha’s smirk widened and he nodded.
“Yeah, I need to give that old fleabag a good what’s-for.” he answered. Shikon chuckled.
“Very well then, follow me.” He turned and walked out of the dinning room and proceeded down a long corridor. Inuyasha kept his gaze forward, but he could still feel Shikon’s eyes traveling over him. He deliberately avoided looking at him and concentrated on remembering which paths led where in this place. He jumped when a clawed hand was laid on his shoulder.
“He’s in here, would you like to go in first or shall I?” he asked. Inuyasha pondered this for a moment before looking at the young lord.
“No, you go in and then have him come out.” Shikon smiled and nodded.
“I can do that. But be warned,” He turned to look at him with a dangerous glint. “If you harm him, I shall harm you tenfold.”