"Lord," a small voice came from the entrance of his room. "I'm not sure if you'd care much, but it seems as though something has happened to your half-brother."

This made Sesshomaru look up from what he was doing, eyes going wide for a moment before retiring to their typically glare. "What is it?"

The small green imp looked off to the side, not sure how his lord would take this. Laughing? Anger? Surprise that he was taken down by a woman but not him? He couldn't be sure.

"W-well it seems as though," Jaken looked up at his lord with a gulp. "He's been killed. Trapped upon a tree in a forest near the village where his supposed lover, Kikyo, lives."

Sesshomaru raised to his feet with a harder glare than usual. He seemed more affected by this than Jaken thought he would be. And he didn't look mad, happy, or even annoyed. He looked unhappy, maybe even saddened.

"I'm leaving," Lord Sesshomaru said hastily, walking past the small green imp.

Jaken gasped and scurried after him. "L-Lord! I shall come with you!"

"Don't. I'm going alone. Stay here if you wish to continue to live." Then he slammed the door in the small creature's face.

_Line Break_

Small winds blew through long, silver hair. Hair that was never tamed and had two same-colored puppy ears popping out the top.

The ears, which normally twitched every now and then from the cold wind or just on instinct, were now completely still.

His chest was impaled by a thin arrow, holding the young demon in place so that he would not fall from his place, hung high in the tree for anyone to see. It was like he was a decoration and that did more than anger the half-demons elder brother.

Sesshomaru stepped close and raised a hand to the boy's shoulder, shaking him. He got no response.

The Lord frowned deeper than he already was and stared at his brother's pale, emotionless face. Seeing him now, he seemed peaceful. His lips hung open only a bit and his eyebrows weren't narrowed. The untrusting and angry look that the Hanyou ran in the family and the elder of the two was not unhappy that his brother resembled him in that way- not that he didn't resemble him in any other way.

His hair, thin body, yellow eyes, pale skin, anger- all of it was alike to him. He liked it, honestly. It made him feel close to his brother.

Sesshomaru sighed and placed a hand on the Hanyou's cold cheek, letting his thumb run across his cheek bone gently.

Perhaps, if he were to pull the arrow out? Maybe it was only a spell. He must have the power to pull it out if it were a spell.

But he thought about it. If Inuyasha saw him...he'd attack him. He's be confused why his brother would help him.

Sesshomaru would be forced to fight him. He didn't want to. Especially not right after seeing his brother dead. The elder would want to embrace his young brother, not hurt him.

But if he didn't...he'd be hurt here forever.

"You must never let your brother know."

His father's words rang through his head as a memory came to him, right after Inuyasha's birth.

"Father," a younger Sesshomaru said to the back of his father as he were walking to go somewhere, possibly to get some food for his wife. "I feel unclean."

The older demon turned towards him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"My brother," he spoke, motioning his head towards the room where the human woman had given birth to the baby Hanyou. "He is blood, is he not?"

"Half, yes. Why?"

"I'm afraid I may have become attached to him."

His father stared at him. "As you should. You should protect and love your young brother."

"That is not what I meant," Sesshomaru said with a hidden question in his voice, as if to ask what he should do.

His father quickly understood what his son had meant and nodded, grabbing his son's shoulder. "You must never let your brother know."

"Why?"

His father sighed. "Your brother must first be strong before he can engage in any mating or romance."

"-what about after?" Sesshomaru cut in quickly, seemingly on end get from not being able to let his brother know when he is older. "Surely, then, there is no problem."

"That would be up to you, my son."

The Lord sighed and combed back his hair. He couldn't just leave his brother here. He just wouldn't feel right about it.

So, his clawed hand reached forward and grabbed the arrow lodged in the other's chest. He pulled and was shocked when it didn't even budge. He tried again. And again.

It wouldn't move. Not even a shake from the force when he released it.

"Inuyasha," he spoke gently, cupping his brother's limp face in his hands. "You just couldn't be satisfied could you?" He said, referring to the attempted theft of the sacred jewel.

The Lord knew though that it was he that put those thought in his head. The thoughts that he needed to become a full demon to be anyone. Even though he did it only to stay distanced from his brother, not wanting to lose control around him.

"He's not going to budge," there was a voice from behind him that he hated with a passion. "Only I can remove it and lift his death."

Sesshomaru turned around and grabbing Kikyo's neck, pulling her towards her brother. "Then remove it. Or I will personally kill you myself."

"Go ahead. I'm dying already," the woman said simply. "But Inuyasha will never live again. He's to stay there for eternity."

"Release him and I will make sure he stays away from the jewel and this village. You have my word."

"I'm afraid not, Lord. Though I am touched and confused about your love for your brother," he eyed him in confusion. "He is not safe. His want to be a full demon is too strong. He'll never get over it."

Sesshomaru sneered and slammed his fist onto the tree, next to Inuyasha's head. Ye force caused his head to move to the left, resting against his older brother's hand. Sesshomaru froze at the look of his brother leaning against his hand in his death.

"Goodbye, Lord."

Then he was left there to stare at his brother emotionlessly, not even sure what to do anymore. He set demons around the Forrest to protect his brother.

"I'll be back when you are once again revived, brother."