InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Whispered Dreams ❯ Prove To Me ( Chapter 8 )

* Whispered Dreams *

By: Youkai Yume

[A/N]

Yume: Sorry for the long wait. But my grades have been slipping, and I've been spending the majority of my time trying to pull them up…

CF: A lot of success, ne, Yume? {insert sarcasm here}

Yume: I'll say. Anyways, without further ado, here's the next chapter of WD for your enjoyment.

CF: Last time, Sesshy-sama left Kagome behind to find the legendary Tetsusaiga!

Yume: And who would of course barge in, but Inuyasha and his miko (not Kagome, so only one other guess) Kikyo? Will things get ugly?

[Disclaimer]: I don't own Inuyasha, I only borrow them for my own, twisted humor…isn't that great? ^^

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Chapter 8: Prove To Me

A silver streak fell across the sky, and sapphire irises lit up in delight at the sight of it. Kagome let a smile cross her lips.

"Oh! A falling star!" Kagome whispered. "It's beautiful, don't you think Sessho-" The young ghost of a girl stopped in mid-sentence when she was reminded that the demon lord was not with her tonight. In fact, he had not been for a couple of nights now. Her brilliant smile was deepened into a frown, and she allowed a single tired sigh to pass her delicate lips.

'That's right, Sesshomaru's off to find that sword of his…' Kagome remembered, recalling their conversation the night prior about his quest to obtain the fang that could slay a hundred demons. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to float up to a nearby tree, and sat in a transparent haze on the branch.

It was….lonely without him. Already she wished that he had returned. But Kagome knew that her demon lord of a friend would think her rather silly for missing him already. He found most of her behavior silly, and sometimes, she would often wonder if he ever tired of her antics.

Afterall, she still remained somewhat like a child…despite her being older than the taiyoukai himself. But he aged, have grown more mature…there were times when she wondered why Sesshomaru kept his friendship with her-not that she was complaining.

She was thankful for his company…his presence and friendship…More so than she'd ever let him know. Before she found the young demon prince crying against the bone eater's well all those years ago, she was naught but a lonely wandering soul.

One whose cries often echoed in the night that seemed endless without someone to guide her. But all of that changed when Sesshomaru entered her abandoned shrine. There was something that Kagome saw in his golden orbs-since the very beginning-that told her the demon prince would become much more to her than a passerby.

They were both lost souls…and together they guided each other through the empty darkness.

Gazing at the stars once more, she allowed the smile to return, gracing her serene features. Kagome thanked the stars that he very much so was more than that. He came to her on as often nights as he could. Confiding to her his darkest secrets, his inner turmoil, his rare smiles and laughter, his caustic, snide remarks.

And on full moons, his embraces…Kagome blushed. Even if he was only a friend, she could not help the heat from reaching her cheeks whenever he did so. Afterall, she had never been held by a boy before-and no, Sota doesn't count.

'Bad, Kagome! Bad!' She chided herself. Sesshomaru was her friend! She couldn't think of him like that! And he was sort of like Sota-a brother...right? Wrong. Even the ghost of a girl had to admit, she never felt sisterly towards him. They had always been more or less, friends. Yup, just friends. Besides…

'Sessho grew up…' Kagome mused, and into a fine demon lord at that. Perhaps it was because she saw him everyday that she didn't notice the subtle differences…but now atop the tree, the young girl could truly see, he turned from the cute little rebellious boy to the strong, handsome demon.

Yes, she couldn't ignore it…Sesshomaru had grown very attractive over the years. 'He will make some girl the luckiest person on earth one day…' Kagome thought to herself. It was strange, but at the moment, she felt a slight pain jab at her chest at the thought.

A transparent hand came up to cup over her bosom, where her heart long stopped beating years ago. 'And yet I am still able to feel pain…' Perhaps it was because she dreaded the thought of one day letting Sesshomaru go. It had always been just the two of them, and now that he was an adult, the demon lord would soon find a mate.

If, and when he did…what would become of her? Would Sesshomaru forget about her? Would she once again become a lonely ghost faded into nothing but a mere memory? Kagome shook her head, ridding herself of the gloomy thoughts.

She shouldn't be thinking such things, Sesshomaru would never forget about her, even if he has a family of his own…Sighing once more, Kagome raised her head once more to the sky, wondering for what seemed like the millionth time that day,

"Sesshomaru, where are you now?"

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A growl sounded low in the hanyou's throat, his eyes flickering in recognition as his brother stared back in a bored manner.

"It has been a while, has it not, little brother?" Sesshomaru said expressionlessly, his eyes bland as if their meeting wasn't a big deal at all.

"Cut the crap, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha spat. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The demon lord narrowed his eyes at the hanyou's crude form of language and show of disrespect… 'Just like always,' he mused.

"That, is none of your-" Sesshomaru stopped in mid-sentence when he caught the scent of a human in the room as well. That was when his golden eyes traveled from his brother to…

'Kagome?!' He blinked. But it couldn't be. Upon closer examination, the demon lord concluded that it was not she, but a priestess. He noticed the subtle differences: This woman's hair was longer, her demeanor seemingly more mature, and her eyes a deep chocolate brown of a solemn expression-unlike his Kagome's vivid energy and mirth.

But still…the resemblance was striking.

Kikyo, who was well aware of the Taiyoukai's calculating gaze on her, shifted uncomfortably on the spot, but her eyes did not melt it's cold exterior. This didn't go unnoticed by Inuyasha either. He growled, angry that Sesshomaru was suddenly so interested in Kikyo, not to mention the hanyou hated being ignored.

Stomping halfway across the shrine room, Inuyasha approached Sesshomaru, leaving a few yards in between them.

"Hey! Keep your attention on me!" He shouted, causing the demon lord to snap out of his daze and stare at his brother. "Now answer me!" He demanded. Sesshomaru narrowed his gaze at him.

"I do not have to answer you, whelp. But I should ask you the same question," He drawled. He watched in amusement as Inuyasha's hands closed into fists, and the priestess, who was still at the door, gave him a warning look.

"Feh! I was following you. It must be mighty important if you went all the way out to the country. What, don't tell me your reason is that you only wish to grace us lesser beings with your presence," Inuyasha replied, his tone harsh, emphasizing the fact that his elder brother always spoke as if he was better than everyone-and everything else.

The demon lord chose not to comment on the snide remark, but instead calculated it. He had been following him, which meant that Inuyasha knew nothing of the Tetsusaiga…

"Ah, I see. So you are unaware," Was his cryptic answer, causing Inuyasha to ease his shoulders and quirk his eyebrow in confusion.

"Unaware?"

Sesshomaru turned from the two, his eyes settling once more on the sheathed sword that lay on the threshold before him.

"Our father…" He began. From where he stood, he could feel Inuyasha tense, still he did not turn to face him again. "When our great, and terrible father left this world…He left behind an heirloom."

"Our father…?" His brother ushered, amber depths flickering. "Heirloom? What are you talking about, Sesshomaru?!"

"A fang," The Taiyoukai took a step closer to the sword. "Forged into a sword…" The corners of his lips tugged, almost smiling as he reached out his clawed hand once more. "Able to slay a hundred demons in one stroke. Tetsusaiga."

A sharp intake of breath caused him to look over his shoulder at the miko, who has now moved from her position at the door to Inuyasha's side.

"Youkai, you speak of an impossible power!" Kikyo said harshly. Sesshomaru glared at her, his golden orbs narrowing to dangerous slits.

"Human, do you dare to say that this Sesshomaru lies?" He growled, and at the warning sound, his brother blocked the priestess from view.

"Kikyo, don't mess with Sesshomaru," He warned. The woman placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"He is nothing more than another youkai," She said in return.

"He's not those riff-raff demon that you fight everyday, TRUST ME!" Inuyasha warned again. Sesshomaru smirked. At least his brother knew the extent of his power. He frowned when the miko shook her head. Obviously she does not share that knowledge.

"No, Inuyasha. He is but another demon. Just like the others," Her dark gaze settled on him, full of a simmering bitterness beneath those brown depths. Sesshomaru didn't like it. He reviled it. "He seeks power just like all the other youkai do. The most terrible kind of power…" And then she stood with a sudden pride and hatred as she dealt the final blow. "He is beneath me."

Amber eyes widened as a blur of red and silver whipped past him. All he could hear was a threatening growl and a strangled choke. Inuyasha turned around to see his brother pinning Kikyo against the wall by the neck, anger radiating from one, while slight fear leaked from the other.

"Wench! How dare you claim that you are my superior?!" Sesshomaru growled, his grip on her neck tightened, his razor sharp claws pricking at her skin to the point where droplets of crimson blood stained her pale skin. The demon lord ignored his brother's shouting protests and threats. "That I am like every other lesser demon?" He continued, and even so she did not flinch.

"Because you are incapable of feeling," was her strained reply. He wasn't sure why this one response angered him so. Because the truth of the matter was, he was not supposed to feel. It was a fact…

"Little one, can you feel that?"

A memory flashed through his mind…the sound of her achingly sweet voice, the pain in her words as her transparent hand touched his tender cheek…he could feel nothing then…

But that didn't mean he couldn't feel at all…Her wistful smiles, lulling melodies, sapphire irises, offering nothing but numbing kindness…

'I can't feel you…but I feel something for you…Kagome…'

Sesshomaru's thoughts returned to the present, and golden eyes narrowed as he stared into this woman known as Kikyo…a woman cold and hardened from her blinded hate for demons, so much so that not even a drop of compassion could be sought from her. She was the one who could not feel.

His claws tightened around her frail throat.

"You are nothing like her," Sesshomaru breathed.

Before he could decide whether or not to kill her by snapping her neck or poisoning her wounds, he had released her, dodging a feral swipe of sharp claws that his momentarily forgotten brother attacked him with.

"BASTARD! Keep your hands off of her!" Inuyasha growled, cracking his knuckles. Kikyo slumped onto the ground behind him, her slender fingers immediately going up to grasp her slightly bruised and cut neck as she rasped for air.

The demon lord scoffed at his brother's overprotective nature of her.

"I see, a lover of yours," He mused, his remark bringing a slight blush to the hanyou's cheeks. "I must admit, even I thought that you would choose better than this, Inuyasha."

"SHUT UP!" He screamed, leaping up and swiping his claws once again, his ferocity doubling. "It's never good enough for you, is it, Sesshomaru?!" Inuyasha breathed, watching as his brother dodged yet again with ease and landed soundlessly across the room. "Everything about me is inferior to you…I'm so fucking tired of it!"

Sesshomaru looked blandly at him. 'So this is what he is here for…' The demon lord surmised. 'He is trying to prove that he is my equal…' golden eyes narrowed. 'Fool.'

"I have no time for your childish games, little brother," Sesshomaru stepped closer to the still untouched Tetsusaiga waiting for him. "This is what I have come for."

Without wasting another moment, the demon lord brought clawed hands to the sword's hilt on the threshold. His fingertips could already feel its' pulsating power…and he was mere inches from obtaining that power as his…

But upon first contact with the sword, a blinding light and crackle of electricity lighted the air. Sesshomaru growled at the momentary pain that shot through his arm, and he pulled back from the sword. From beyond, he could see his brother staring in awe and confusion, and averting his golden eyes back to his hand, he watched as his hand glowed a poisonous blue, soon dying away.

'Tetsusaiga rejected me.' He stared back at the sword, a heated glare adorning his face. 'Why?'

A cold and mocking laugh brought him out of his thoughts, and Sesshomaru looked up to see the priestess struggling to stand. A triumphant gleam flickered across her deep brown orbs.

"It seems that the demon sword does not want you as its' master…" Kikyo said calmly. "An heirloom, you claim that fang to be? Perhaps it was not meant for the eldest son…" Both of their eyes quickly flickered to where Inuyasha stood.

The hanyou's amber eyes widened in realization. Sesshomaru growled in response, he refused to believe that his father would leave such a sword of destruction to a mere hanyou. His father was not unwise…

"Are you saying that Inuyasha is the true wielder of Tetsusaiga?" He said dangerously.

"You certainly couldn't touch it, Lord Sesshomaru," Kikyo smiled, and then placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "The sword is yours Inuyasha, claim what is yours," She said in a more gentle voice. He turned amber eyes to stare, dumbfounded at her.

"M-Mine?" He pointed a clawed finger at himself, and she nodded. Swallowing, he looked back to where the sword lay, his brother standing in front of it. He could tell from his golden gaze that he was not going to let him waltz over there and take the fang.

"Alright then," Inuyasha didn't think twice before simply charging in with demonic speed, claws outstretched to slash anything in his way. He took a feral swipe at Sesshomaru, who jumped out of the way. Inuyasha, seeing the opportunity to grab the sword reached for it.

But with lightning speed, he felt a fluffy appendage wrap tightly around himself, jerking him backwards and slam him against the wall. He impacted with a heavy "umph!" and glared ruefully back at his brother, who was now directly in front of him.

"Only I shall possess such a power," The demon lord said emotionlessly, his flickering a dangerous gold. Inuyasha grolwed, struggling against Sesshomaru's tail.

"Why? So you can destroy more lives?" He spat, managing to wriggle one arm free and swiped his claws once more, striking his brother's armor with a clang. Sesshomaru immediately leaped back, releasing the hanyou from his hold. Inuyasha fell to the ground, silver hair spilling over his shoulder as he stood up once more, ready for battle.

Before Sesshomaru could make the next move, a shrill voice interrupted them.

"Inuyasha!" The demon lord turned away, anger bubbled in his chest when he saw the miko holding Tetsusaiga by its' scabbard above her head. 'How dare she place filthy ningen hands on my sword?!' The hanyou turned to her voice as well, his amber depths widening when he saw what she was holding.

"Kikyo!"

"Here!" She shouted, throwing the weapon across the dark room to him, "The sword belongs to you! You cannot let a bloodthirsty demon such as your brother obtain such a terrible power!" Inuyasha caught the sword, his grip firm around the sheath.

To both of the inu brothers' surprise, Tetsusaiga did not scorch him. The hanyou lowered it to examine, his clawed fingers grasping the hilt.

"So this is Tetsusaiga…" He muttered to himself.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at his younger brother. How could it be that the sword did not reject him like it did himself? 'What if the Tetsusaiga was truly meant for Inuyasha?" He growled, watching as Inuyasha unsheathed the sword from its' sheath, the blade seemingly rusted and worn.

It did not matter, the fang held tremendous power, should he know how to unlock it, which Sesshomaru was highly doubtful of. 'Father…perhaps you were unwise…Or is it…' The thought brought a twisting feeling to his chest that he had thought been long forgotten. 'Or is it because Inuyasha was your favorite?'

Sesshomuru's eyes began to glow a blood red. Whether or not his father meant it to be for him or Inuyasha he did not care. 'The Tetsusaiga WILL be mine!' He swore in his mind.

The hanyou, noticing his brother's envious glare in his eyes felt a bit of pride swell in himself. For once, he had something that Sesshomaru didn't! 'And he's jealous…' Inuyasha thought he'd never see the day, and it felt oh so good to be the one who was looked upon in envy. He smirked.

"Well, well, Sesshomaru. Looks like Tetsusaiga belongs to me afterall!"

The demon lord growled at this, his aura radiating a dangerous flare.

"We shall see about that, Inuyasha." With that, Sesshomaru sped forward, his claws extended as he lunged at the hanyou. He barely had time to block the Taiyoukai's attack when he swiped poison claws at his torso. He tried to slice off his brother's extended hand with the blade, but when the sword made contact with his brother's hand, all it did was bounce back, not even making a mark on Sesshomaru's perfect skin.

"What the-?!"

Golden eyes flickered with a sense of smug satisfaction at his younger brother's sudden distress.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha? Having trouble with the fang?" He mocked, coming at him again, which Inuyasha barely dodged but not without losing some strands of his silver hair.

"Fang? This thing can't even cut paper!" He shouted, though still holding the rusty katana in front of him as if it could magically save him. The demon lord smirked. 'As I thought, he does not know how to unleash its' potential.'

"Prove to me, little brother…" He drawled, and with a flick of his wrist he had manifested a youkai whip, and lashed it at the hanyou. Inuyasha grunted as the whip hit the blade, throwing him backwards a bit. He looked up to see his brother approaching him still, like a hunter upon his prey.

"Prove to me that you can unleash the Tetsusaiga's true power…" He lashed again, and this time, Inuyasha was knocked backwards, his sword thrown from his hands and landed yards from where he was. He looked at it, then back to Sesshomaru. A look flashed through his amber orbs that shone nothing but contempt.

"Prove to me that you are my equal!" Sesshomaru growled, his claws glowing a bright green, dripping with poison. He gave Inuyasha a look of disapproval before he drove his claws down, aimed at his brother's throat. Inuyasha closed his eyes tightly shut, waiting for the poison to seep through his veins and burn at his skin.

But the attack never came. He cracked one amber eye open, and soon he was staring in shock as his brother seemingly froze in his position. He turned sideways to see an arrow, brimming with pure energy pinned against the wall mere feet from where he was. Turning his attention back to Sesshomaru, he noticed that the demon lord had a slight cut across his striped cheek.

A thin trickle of blood seeped from the wound, and the taiyoukai turned golden orbs to rest upon the miko that fired the shot. Kikyo stared back at him from across the room, her brown eyes cold.

That was enough. Standing up, he sped towards her with demonic speed, leaving Inuyasha in a forgotten heap on the ground. His patience had reached its' limit with this ningen.

"Wench!" He snarled, his eyes shining a deep blood red, already anticipating the gleam of her crimson blood on his fingers. "You will not interfere!" Sesshomaru had every intent to kill the priestess, his claws were glowing with poison especially for her. She was mere feet away, all he had to do was slash her throat and-

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Inuyasha shouted, and at that moment, the demon lord felt a rush of power and energy surge the atmosphere. It beckoned from behind him, and he shifted his feet just in time to dodge the large blade that came crashing down, splintering the wood of the floor in the exact spot that he stood.

When the smoke and dust cleared, Sesshomaru could see the outlines of his brother, his eyes an angry amber, and in his hands was no longer the rusty, useless katana…but a heavy sharp blade-no, a fang. 'Father's fang…'

Inuyasha, lifted the magnificent sword, brandishing it with awe. It seemed as if even he was unaware of the Tetsusaiga's transformation until just now.

"It's pulsing…" He uttered, and he could hear Kikyo gasping at its' magnificence as well. Sesshomaru growled. 'Impossible, how could he have made it transform?' Inuyasha turned to his elder brother with a firm smirk on his cocky face.

"Hah. You said you wanted me to prove to you that I'm your equal, didn't you?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. In an instant, Inuyasha had already gone into a fighting stance.

"Well, here it is!" He growled, a sudden ferocity plagued him that impressed even the demon lord. How could it be, just a few moments ago, he had not been able to use it anymore than he could, but now… 'He fights almost as well as a demon…'

The events played over and over in his mind as Inuyasha slashed the Tetsusaiga with intensity, managing to strike a few blows. However, it was barely enough, and Sesshomaru was still too fast. In blind fury, Inuyasha had slashed one of the walls of the shrine open, and the demon lord took the opportunity to give himself more space to fight.

"Come back here!" His brother yelled, running after him. The demon lord landed in the spacious clearing outside. His golden eyes watching his every move. In the shrine, the miko came outside as well.

"Inuyasha…" She whispered. The hanyou turned around.

"Kikyo! Stay back!"

There. That was it. Sesshomaru's mind clicked as he came to a revelation. 'It was because he was trying to protect the human woman that triggered Tetsusaiga's transformation,' He mused. His father had created a sword meant for defending ningens. Sesshomaru recalled the minute he had felt it's pulsating power when he had charged after the miko, intent of spilling her blood.

He should've been annoyed at such a simple fact, but somehow, the way his brother guarded the miko wench stirred something within him. Perhaps it was the way he looked at this woman named Kikyo, spoke to her in concern like… 'Like I with Kagome…'

In a way, Sesshomaru understood. And though Kagome was not technically a human…she still was born a mortal ningen. The demon lord still cared for her…

A sudden resolve engulfed his being, and golden eyes flickered as his brother came charging at him again. In a blur of silver and a haze of clouds, he had lifted into the air, missing the large blade that came crashing down at his feet. He gave the pair a bored look as he took to the skies.

Inuyasha watched with amber depths of confusion as his brother left the battlefield. 'Could it be?! Sesshomaru's retreating?'

"Well, little brother, it seems that you and I have something in common afterall, besides our father," Sesshomaru said in a deadly tone. The hanyou eased his blade, staring blankly up at the demon lord, unable to grasp what his message meant. "Make no mistake Inuyasha," He continued, "I will be back to claim what is mine…until then, try not to damage my sword too much." Sesshomaru finished, his voice holding foreboding promises…or perhaps threats.

Inuyasha glared after his brother's form, which had disappeared over the clouds with a two-headed dragon that flew after him shortly after.

Could he even call that a victory? Had he finally defeated his brother?

"Inuyasha?" Kikyo's voice inquired, walking calmly over to him. He turned to her, his expression solemn.

"Kikyo, my father left his sword to me…" He started, sheathing the fang into the hilt. "There's no way I'm going to let Sesshomaru have it." He looked up at her with a cocky grin. "Because for once, I have something that that bastard doesn't!"

She nodded, and watched as he stared back at the sky just barely tainted with pink, a dawn of another day.

No, he had not yet beaten his brother. Not yet proven that he was an equal…but until that day came…Inuyasha smiled.

"Just wait until next time, Sesshomaru."

End Chapter

[A/N]

Yume: Agh! Okay, crappy chapter, but hey! I'm in a rush here. Next chapter, Sesshomaru confides in Kagome his frustration on Tetsusaiga. Will she make our Sesshy feel all better?

CF: (nods) And! He learns of another sword that his father left behind. Guess…. (sarcasm)

Yume: THANKS FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! We love you all!

CF: (huggles) please read and review, and no flames please! ^_^

Ja Ne! ^_~