Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Inuyasha show. Rumiko Takahashi is the one who owns them. I do not own Inuyasha fandom either (strange isn’t it?) This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.

Prologue

The cold winter wind was chilling the two demons that stood near the shore of the ocean. Its stormy waves were crashing on the sandy beach and the wind was picking up with each passing minute. The two beings stood still, only their unruly hair swayed in the troubled wind. Their white mane, which was illuminated by the moonlight, was shining with an ethereal glow, making the two beings even more inhumane.

The older demon was standing with his hair tied in a high ponytail and with his back turned to the younger demon, whose white loose strands danced in a frenzied way about his stoic face. The younger youkai shifted a little and tried to position his crazily flying hair behind his pointed ear. The attempt was futile as the strands were freed from their prison even faster than one could blink. Golden eyes now locked on the older demon’s back and his swaying ponytail. The wave crashed on the shore and the teenager noticed for the first time that it was snowing. Soft snowflakes were lazily descending from the black sky to just be blown away by the gusts of chilly wind. One cold snow petal managed to land on the young demon’s nose and the youkai fought the urge to brush it away.

“Are you leaving?” The youngster was pulled out from his thoughts and from the snowflake, which had already melted in a puddle of water. The demon answered the question with a question of his own.

“Are you going to stop me?”

“I am not going to stop you,” The demon Lord answered after a slight pause.

“I appreciate it,” The pup looked up at his father and when the right words formulated in his mind, he continued, “Before I leave, however, I would like the fangs, Tenseiga and Tessaiga to be handed over to me.”

The Lord was silent for a minute but then hesitantly started, “If I say that I won’t give them to you… Would you kill your own father?” Inu Taisho held his breath while waiting for the answer.

“Who knows...” A smile was tugging at the corner of the younger demon’s lips, which in the end was denied.

Inu no Taisho snorted, “Do you desire power that much?” The older demon’s face became somber and his voice hardened. “Why do you seek power?”

“I must travel round the world as well as the path of conquest… And in order to walk that path, power is a necessity.” The words were spoken with such certainty that the Western Lord was left wondering.

“Conquest, huh?” Inu Taisho lowered his head in contemplation. “My son, is there something you want to protect?”

“Something to protect?” The demon boy echoed his father’s words as if tasting them. His eyes narrowed. The teenager mulled over the words and their meaning, finally answering his father, “Yes, there is something I want to protect.”

Inu no Taisho, the great Lord of the Western Lands, suddenly changed into his true form and howled into the dark night his sorrow. Turning one last time to look at his teenage son, he leaped into the air and disappeared into the all-consuming darkness.

It was the last time the father and the son had seen each other.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Inuyasha show. Rumiko Takahashi is the one who owns them. I do not own Inuyasha fandom either (strange isn’t it?) This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.

Warnings: Eee… Not too sure yet…

Summary: Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are engaging in one of their never-ending battles over Tessaiga, when all of a sudden a demon interrupts them. And why the devil is Sesshomaru so stunned? What is so unique about this demon?! Huh? Another demon with silver hair?

A/N 1: Ok… For those, who doesn’t know, Sesshoimaru’s name means The Killing Perfection.

A/N 2: Now, there is an OC in this story. His name is Taromaru. I’ve made his name from:

                  Taro – Japanese name meaning "great son," or "eldest son." It is usually given to the first-born son.

                  Maru – perfection.

A/N 3: In the future I may change the title of this story because I thought it up on a spot… But who knows… Maybe I won’t. ^_^

A/N 4: Sorry for the mistakes. I am not a native speaker, so please bear with it.

Chapter 1 The Beginning of Sesshomaru’s Nightmare

Loud sounds of metal clashing against metal could be heard all around the small forest clearing. The birds that had been singing their happy song just a few minutes ago were now fleeing away from their comfortable branches. The animals that were in the range of the unwelcome noise were also in a rush to abandon the place. The forest was becoming much quieter, well, except for the scraping sounds of metal, accompanied by a few grunts, growling sounds and curses.

There was an especially loud curse and a huge sword come flying from behind the higher bushes. It flew past the tall tree and landed on the ground with its tip firmly set in the hard surface. The fang-shaped sword vibrated for a few seconds after the impact and stilled. The sword hummed and shrank to its normal size.

A few seconds passed and a red clad figure burst into the very same clearing the sword was resting in. The red dressed man jumped towards the firmly set sword and attempted to once again grasp the weapon tightly in his hand. However, it was impossible, as a green poisonous whip slashed just a few millimeters away from his outstretched hand. The red-dressed figure cursed and withdrew his hand from the sword.

“Bastard!” He spat at the demon that emerged from the very bushes the sword had flew in, a few moments ago.

The whip returned to its original master’s fingertips. The green glow not ceasing, the demon narrowed his eyes at the hanyou standing before him.

“The great sword is not to be used by the likes of you, hanyou,” the hateful voice informed the growling half-demon.

“Keh! You can’t hold it so what use does it have to you?”

The fire-rat’s robe fluttered and the white haired half-demon lounged at his half-brother in an attempt to slash him down, “Sankontessou!”

The attack was futile like it had always been. The white-dressed demon avoided the attack with ease and even managed to slash the half-breed a few times with his poisonous whip. Inuyasha landed in a crouched position, his right hand’s claws digging into the dirt, while his left arm was covering his sensitive nose with the sleeve of his red haori.

“At least I have enough time to produce an efficient attack,” the answer from Sesshomaru was.

“Feh!” Inuyasha huffed and crouched as if readying himself for another lunge.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara entered the clearing and stopped in their tracks as the two brothers engaged in another series of blows.

“Why did Sesshomaru sheathed his sword when he knocked Tessaiga out of Inuyasha’s grasp?” Miroku asked in confusion after noticing Tojikin safely tucked behind the purple-yellow sash around Sesshomaru’s waist.

“You are right. I wonder why…” Sango answered the monk with a frown of her own.

“Maybe he is not as bad as we thought him to be?” Kagome suggested, nervously biting her lower lip.

“I bet it’s his honor thing…” Shippo drawled while sitting on Kagome’s shoulder, when three pairs of eyes set on him. “What? The demon Lord is too honorable to fight an unarmed being.” The kit shrugged in an all-knowing way and fixed his eyes on Inuyasha, who was currently lying on the ground and cursing.

The half demon scrambled to his feet and readied his claws. He dug them into his wounded and bleeding right upper arm and attacked his brother with renewed strength, “Hijinkessou!”

“Hm, I guess you are right, Shippo,” Miroku answered the fox kit. “But still…”

“I don’t know…” Kagome stood with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Each time we meet Sesshomaru, it’s always the same pattern: Inuyasha screams about his brother being a bastard and lunges himself at him, while Sesshomaru goes on and on about Tessaiga being too good for the likes of the hanyou.” The girl tapped her finger on her chin. “The outcome of the battle is always the same as well: Sesshomaru leaves without Tessaiga and Inuyasha ends up all bruised and in a mess.” She looked up at her companions and asked, “Isn’t that so?”

“Yes, I guess you are right, Kagome,” Sango answered and turned to the two inhuman beings battling for the umpteenth time before their eyes.

“You know, I think it’s how Sesshomaru shows his brother that he cares about him. Don’t you think so?” The girl lifted her brown orbs and met her two friends frowning. “You don’t?”

“Well, it’s hard to say what Sesshomaru is thinking,” Miroku said with uncertainty. “He is a demon, Kagome-sama, he is not a human being. We cannot simply assume that he has human emotions. Have you ever seen him showing some kind of emoti-…”

“But look, we do not interfere in their fights anymore and why is that?” Kagome reasoned. “It’s because we know that Sesshomaru won’t kill Inuyasha. We know that he will only beat a little sense into his stubborn head and the fight will be over. Look, even now, Sesshomaru can calmly walk over to where Tessaiga is embedded and take it. But no, he chooses to fight Inuyasha.”

A loud yelp rippled through the clearing and the small group concentrated on the battle. Inuyasha was once again on the ground and glaring at the demon lord, who was hovering above him and flexing his deadly claws. The fingers crackled, when bones adjusted to the soon-to-follow attack, and once again glowed green.

“Inuyasha, rash like always and without a single thought about such thing as tactics,” the monotonous voice teased the fallen hanyou and a small smirk eased its way on the stoic face of the taiyoukai. “The absence of thought will lead to your death.” The hand rose as if to strike the half-demon, when all of a sudden Sesshomaru stiffened. His eyes widened.

Inuyasha saw an opening and attacked. The blow took Sesshomaru by surprise, knocking the demon down on the solid ground.

“Keh! To hell with the tactics, bastard,” Inuyasha growled with a satisfied grin on his face. He was standing with his full height and their positions were reversed. Inuyasha beamed with glee that he was able to land a full blow on his half-brother, when he noticed that Sesshomaru was still sitting on the ground and not moving an inch. His brother’s golden gaze was fixed somewhere behind the small inu-group. “Oi! What the hell are yo-”

Kagome saw Sesshomaru look up their way and stiffened, “I-is he looking at us?” She stammered and gulped down the nervous laugh.

“It seems so…” Miroku answered in a hushed voice.

“I don’t like that…” Shippo shivered and tried to hide behind Kagomes black hair.

Kagome was about to break the uncomfortable silence and tense atmosphere, when an unfamiliar youki flared behind the three humans. Kagome’s eyes widened. The youki she was feeling, was overwhelming. She slowly turned around and managed to catch only a flash of something white pass her by. She instantly swirled back and saw something she had never dreamed of seeing.

Sesshomaru was up on his feet now and in a fierce hug of another man. The demon Lord’s eyes were wide in astonishment and surprise. Kagome had never seen Sesshomaru to look so out of character. The miko cast a glance at Miroku and Sango, who were standing on her right. Their expressions were very similar to hers. She once again fixed her gaze on the two beings entwined in the center of the small clearing. Inuyasha was standing just a few feet away from them and looked as surprised as everyone else were. He was gaping at the two demons before him with his mouth open.

“What a hell?” The hanyou mouthed but didn’t move from the spot.

The question seemed to snap Sesshomaru out from his daze. He blinked. Once. Twice. Then he turned his head a little to the side and mouthed a name that was unfamiliar to the company that was present.

“Ta-ro-maru..?”

“Uwah! So you do remember me, huh, pup?” The happy sonorous voice filled the now silent forest area.

The demon pulled away from Sesshomaru at arm’s length, his hands on Sesshomaru’s shoulders, and took a better look at the arrogant demon Lord. His gaze was evaluating as well as calculating. The demon tipped his head to the side and his silver hair that were tied in a low ponytail, followed its suit. He made a thoughtful face. One hand left Sesshomaru’s shoulder and landed on the demon’s chin.

“But you have grown since the last time I saw you…” The demon drawled and clacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Oh well, whatever!” The demon smiled and his sharp, white fangs flashed in the sunshine. He grabbed the still stunned Sesshomaru into yet another hug and lifted him from the ground. To everyone’s surprise he started circling Sesshomaru around himself. He held the demon lord as if he were some small pup.

Inuyasha was stunned into silence. Yeah, he could understand that someone could be stunned momentarily or dazed or stupefied or whatever… But for god’s sake! His brother was rendered immobile… He couldn’t understand how his arrogant bastard of a brother, was letting himself being handled like that. He cast a glance at his pack.

Inuyasha’s amber eyes were wide. Too wide for Kagome’s tastes but she could understand the poor hanyou. She was as stunned as everyone else. She couldn’t grasp what was happening anymore. One moment the half-brothers were fighting their ‘routine’ battle, when all of a sudden this… this unknown demon barged into the clearing and flung himself onto Sesshomaru. Am I going insane or what? She wondered. Maybe I’m dreaming? Yeah… I might be dreaming. Kagome tried pinching her arm. It hurt. Ok… Then it’s not a dream. She focused on the strange pair, which now stopped swirling. She noticed that Sesshomaru was trying to place his cool mask into place. His eyebrow twitched.

The stranger released the demon Lord and smiled, oblivious to the people around him. “I’m so happy to see you again, my li’l brother!”

To the horror of Sesshomaru, Taromaru pressed a sloppy kiss on the demon Lord’s forehead, exactly on the crescent moon that adorned his pale brow.

Hell… That is the worst day of my life… Was the first coherent thought that entered Sesshomaru’s mind after the two crushing hugs in one day!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Inuyasha show. Rumiko Takahashi is the one who owns them. I do not own Inuyasha fandom either (strange isn’t it?) This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.

A/N 1: Ok… For those, who doesn’t know, Sesshoimaru’s name means The Killing Perfection.

A/N 2: Now, there is an OC in this story. His name is Taromaru. I’ve made his name from:

                  Taro – Japanese name meaning "great son," or "eldest son." It is usually given to the first-born son.

                  Maru – perfection.

A/N 3: So it seems I’ve changed the title…

A/N 4: Sorry for the mistakes. I am not a native speaker.

A/N 5: *Bows* I am sorry that it took me so long to update the story. I am pretty busy nowadays and I am not even sure when the next chapter will be up.

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Chapter 2 And so the Nightmare Continues

By now Sesshomaru’s eyebrow was twitching like crazy. He was angry. No, even that was an understatement. He was furious. Yes, that’s a more suitable word.  It was the first time Sesshomaru had been so embarrassed, and what’s more, it happened in front of his half-brother and his pack. Were it not for his status as the Lord of the Western lands, he would have blushed… and cursed, and killed whoever had seen him in this vulnerable state.

His older brother was standing in front of him, his hands on this Sesshomaru’s shoulders once again, with a happy-go-lucky grin plastered on his face. When their golden eyes met, the grin widened, exposing the sharp fangs that protruded from behind the thin lips.

“Oh! That’s right! Sessh, where’s our father?” Taromaru concentrated on his younger brother and tilted his head to the side. “I couldn’t locate him since I returned… Is he abro-”

“Our sire has left this world,” Sesshomaru finally composed himself and answered the question without stammering or some other difficulty. He sounded like his natural self, cold and impassive.

“Left…” Taromaru drawled as if poking the word and looking into what it would materialize. “Do you mean to say that he is dead?” Arriving at the conclusion, the demon furrowed his eyebrows, the smile fading from his face.

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Two hundred years ago.”

“How did it happen?”

“He died while protecting his mate,” Sesshomaru almost spat the word ‘mate’ like it was some kind of four letter word. (No pun intended.)

Taromaru’s eyes widened, “He had taken a mate?”

Sesshomaru turned his head away and soon regretted doing it, as his eyes landed on Inuyasha, who was listening to every word that was being spoken between the two brothers. Taiyoukai’s golden pools narrowed in irritation.

Inuyasha saw his half-brother glowering at him and before he could stop it, he ‘keh’ed’ like he always did.

The small sound attracted the older demon’s attention and it seemed that only now did he notice the pack that was standing in the clearing. His eyes caught a sparkle of interest. Taromaru turned to Sesshomaru and the demon lord suppressed the urge to groan. His brother was intrigued and it didn’t mean anything good.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Taromaru delicately inclined his head towards Inuyasha and a little group of humans, while a questioning look was directed at his stoic younger brother.

“They are not worth your concern,” Sesshomaru answered and turned away from the people intending to leave. “We should take our leave.”

“Oh?” A silver eyebrow rose and Sesshomaru almost cringed at the tone of voice with which the sound was produced. “But then again… You befriended a hanyou and a bunch of humans. That’s unexpected.” Taromaru drawled, watching how Sesshomaru’s shoulders became a bit stiffer and he stopped walking. “Or is there something you are not telling me?”

“This Sesshomaru has no friends, and especially not this filthy hanyou,” he held his cool but did not dear to turn and face his brother. Damn why the hell Taromaru had to show up after such a long time? Why now? Why here? And why is he here at all? Why is he in the lands he once disclaimed?

“Huh? Isn’t that Tessaiga over there?” This time Sesshomaru flinched. It was a good thing that he was turned away from his half-brother’s group. He composed himself and spun around.

“Yes, indeed it is.”

Taromaru’s eyes didn’t leave the fang, in its battered form, that was imbedded in the ground, “Sesshomaru, are yo-”

“What the fuck is going on?” Finally, Inuyasha overcame his shock and snapped at the unfamiliar demon before him.

“Oh?” Taromaru’s eyes rose to rest on Inuyasha’s red-clad form and lingered there a little longer this time. After a few seconds of staring and scrutinizing, his eyes narrowed a fraction. “Isn’t that our father’s Fire-rat haori and hakama?” The suspicion growing even more, Taromaru frowned. “Who are you, hanyou?”

“What the hell are yo-”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome decided to interfere. She had heard every word that had been spoken between the two demons and knew that it wasn’t wise to let Inuyasha start a fight right now. “I apologize for Inuyasha’s behavior,” She said to the older demon and bowed. “He doesn’t know when to shut up.” A nervous giggle rose in her throat but didn’t pass her lips.

“Apology accepted.” Taromaru now turned to the young human girl, who dared speaking. He could smell the nervousness coming from her but there was no fear, only curiosity and uneasiness.

“Are you… Sesshomaru’s older brother?” Kagome was glad that her voice sounded pretty normal. She didn’t stammer and the voice didn’t waver. Maybe the question was a stupid one but it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Yes, I am. I’m Taromaru.” He slightly bowed to the young girl and asked, “And you are?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Kagome Higurashi. I’m a shikon miko.”

“A miko, huh?” The demon raised an eyebrow in wonder.

“Yes. And here is Miroku,” She introduced, when she saw from the corner of her eye the monk approaching. “He is a monk. And here is Sango,” Kagome motioned towards the girl. “She is a demon slayer. And here,” The girl detached Shippo from her shoulder and held him in front of her, for the demon to see better, “Is Shippo, a fox kit. Oh, and on my right is Kirara, Sango’s fire-cat.” Kagome smiled.

“I see… A pretty interesting group you have here.”

“Hehe, I guess so.” The smile on Kagome’s lips widened, “But they are very good friends.”

“I see.” Taromaru’s lips formed into a small, sincere smile.

“Oi!” Inuyasha frowned at the miko. “Haven’t you forgotten someone?”

“Ah! Right, right. This is Inuyasha,” Kagome motioned towards the aforementioned hanyou, “He is Sesshomaru’s younger half-brother.”

“Hmmmm…” Taromaru hummed and slowly his eyes slid to rest on the aforementioned hanyou. Half a minute later, his golden eyes snapped at Sesshomaru, who was silently watching the group with a disinterested expression on his face. “I thought that I smelled our father’s blood in him but…” His eyes focused on the half-fledged demon again and his feet started moving in his direction. “…but I refused to believe it.”

Inuyasha stiffened. He saw the demon approaching and was at a loss of what to do. Of course the confusion was soon replaced by wariness. He crouched into a defensive position and waited to see what the hell the second half-brother (as if one was not enough) wanted from him. Inuyasha repressed the urge to growl at the stranger.

Taromaru stopped when he was about one or two steps away from the hanyou and tilted his head. He said and did nothing. He just stared at the half-breed.

“What?!” Inuyasha finally snapped when after a minute or so the demon was still hovering above him, staying silent.

“You’re kinda cute!”

“Wha-?!”

Sesshomaru, were he not Sesshomaru, would have slapped his own forehead and rolled his eyes. His older brother once again turned his playful mode on, and to tell the truth, he hated that side of him…

“Well, I’ve seen a lot of hanyou during my journey but I must say that you look relatively good. I’ve seen only two or three that equaled you in appearance. And those triangles on your head are quite tempting too.” Taromaru reached forward and was about to touch Inuyasha’s ears, when Inuyasha ducked and skidded a little way further from the demon.

“Sh-Shut up!” The hanyou sputtered and inclined his head downward, letting his white mane cover the burning face. Only his honey eyes never left the stranger.

“Hm? Did I embarrass you?” Taromaru’s lips curled into a grin and his golden eyes caught a mysterious glint. “Hey, Sessh, we have a cute lil’ brother, don’t we?”

Sesshomaru’s head was starting to buzz. It was big an indication that the headache was rapidly forming. Neither did he want to nor had time to deal with all this shit right now. The fact that his elder brother has just returned from the absence of four hundred years, was enough a shock for him. However, he knew better what it meant to deal with his brother, especially when he was curious about something (or in this case about someone).  Yes, it seemed that his elder brother was going to be a real pain in the ass…

The Lord of the West let a little sigh escape his lips and averted his eyes from the person, known as his older brother, and decided not to answer. Intending to finally leave, not caring whether his brother followed or not, he started walking away from the area for the hundredth time this day.

“I know!” Taoromaru clasped his hands together. “Hey, Sessh! How about we do a banquet? We can all gather and talk freely to our hearts’ content. I need to get to know our lil’ brother! ” Eyes sparkling, mode – ‘good puppy’, where you could almost see a wagging tail behind the demon, he grinned and expectantly waited for the answer.

Sesshomaru stopped dead in the mid step. He had underestimated his brother. The nightmare… No, he didn’t want to finish this thought. Letting once again a sigh escape his lips he turned on his heel and marched towards his brother with a scowl on his usually emotionless face. Stopping a few steps away from him, he grounded through his clenched teeth a determined ‘no’, grabbed his half foot taller brother by a collar and actually started dragging him away from the clearing.

A minute or so it was very silent in the area, except for the shuffling of grass, as Taromaru’s feet softly brushed it. And then it was broken.

“Thank you, O’Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru-sama, for your hospitality.” Taromaru snickered at the sound of all these honorifics and sarcasm that dripped from the words. But he couldn’t help himself. He just wanted to annoy his little brother even more… Little? One silver eyebrow arched on its own accord. Maybe he wasn’t the little one now? Inuyasha is younger than Sesshomaru so that makes the hanyou younger and… Taromaru shook his head: I will leave it for another time. The decision made, he chuckled inwardly and suddenly remembered something. Stopping to a halt and almost bringing Sesshomaru down by the suddenness of the movement Taromaru cleared his throat. “By the way,” he chirped happily and flashed an innocent smile. “I forgot to introduce someone to you.” He lifted his hand up and motioned for somebody to come up. “Come here, Thisso, darling.”

Everyone’s eyes turned towards the same spot, Taromaru had first emerged from, to see who the ‘mysterious darling’ was. What they saw, however, made everyone think about some different things, as the approaching person was a man and a hanyou.

“Sessh, this is Thisso, my companion.” Taro introduced the male to the lord and Thisso bowed respectfully to Sesshomaru.

“I hope he is allowed to come along?” Taromaru asked his younger brother but a cold vibe in the question left no doubt that the boy was coming despite the answer.

“… Do as you wish.” Sesshomaru said in an off-handed manner but felt a chill pass his person.

“Good.” Taromaru smiled. “See ya another time folks,” He waved to the little group consisting of humans, demons and a hanyou.  “And you, Inuyasha,” He looked at the boy who was huffily standing near the miko friend. “You and I need to talk. Oh, and I will bring Thisso with me so you can chat a bit.” He winked and turned to leave.

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TBC…