InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Memories of you ❯ Chapter 23

It was harder to say which of the brothers was more surprised by Sesshomaru’s continued presence. Inuyasha went on with his daily routine of going out with the village fishermen during the day, leaving Sesshomaru to his own devices. Evenings were spent sharing a meal, discussing everything and nothing. So many unasked questions hung heavy between them, neither willing to deal with any of the underlying emotions. Inuyasha, in his own brash way, denied feeling anything. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, simply buried his under a layer of ice. They were civil with one another, but they were a long way from truly being brothers.

On the fourth morning of Sesshomaru’s stay, Inuyasha didn’t go out with the boats. Instead, Sesshomaru found him sitting on the shore, watching the sky change colors with the dawn. For a long period of time, there was only stillness, broken only by the sounds of the waves and the call of the gulls. Finally, Inuyasha broke the silence by asking the question he had been longing to find out the answer to.

“What happened with you and Rin? We all assumed you would come back for her once she had become an adult.”

Sesshomaru sat on the sand next to his brother, allowing his gaze to be captured by the sea. Another long moment of silence passed between them. Inuyasha was beginning to think he had only imagined asking the question. He was, however, rewarded for not pestering his brother by a surprising answer.

“I chose position and power.”

Inuyasha could only turn and stare at his brother. At times like this, it was hard for him to completely understand Sesshomaru’s devotion to duty. He could respect the choice Sesshomaru made – it had to be a hard one – but how did he go on living knowing there is no turning back from his decision?

“Do you regret it?”

Sesshomaru shifted his eyes towards his brother, but never responded. Inuyasha caught a brief glimpse of something lingering in his gaze, sorrow perhaps, but it was gone so quickly, he wasn’t completely sure he hadn’t imagined it. He knew that he wouldn’t get anything further from Sesshomaru, not that he had really expected an answer.

Sighing, Inuyasha wasn’t surprised to hear his stomach rumble. He hadn’t eaten before coming to the beach. He was overwhelmed with his memories of the past and current decisions and just needed to go somewhere to think in peace. Standing up, he brushed the sand off of his hakama and extended his hand to Sesshomaru, who was still sitting.

Sesshomaru stared at the hand, his impassive face never betraying his surprise at this simple gesture. He couldn’t help but wonder if they had actually reached the point in their relationship to even offer assistance to each other. When fighting Naraku, helping each other out was done out of necessity, not of familial bond. Now, with the passing of centuries, they had no one but each other. Had both of them changed enough to recognize it would take both of them, assisting each other, to survive?

His thoughts were interrupted by Inuyasha’s irritated huff

“Are you coming or not? I’m starving.”

Sesshomaru chuckled at his little brother’s impatience and took his hand. Standing, their eyes met, and a flash of understanding passed between them. They hadn’t forgotten the mistakes of their shared past, but both began to see the possibilities of forging a new chapter in the shared future.

Walking side by side, they returned to the hut. Neither spoke again until breakfast was prepared. While they were eating, Sesshomaru determined he had a question of his own for Inuyasha.

On the day of Naraku’s demise, your miko and the jewel vanished. Why was that so?”

Inuyasha looked sharply at his brother. He knew that he was giving off waves of sadness as he thought of Kagome. For so many years, he had put her out of his mind. It had to be that way – it was the only way he could survive and keep his sanity intact. There were times when he couldn’t recall her face or the sound of her voice. But when he would sleep and dream of her, he could see her so clearly, feel her touch and be overjoyed at the laughter in her voice. Those were the dreams that drove him to the sea. He had to find somewhere that wouldn’t remind him of her. For a moment, he thought about ignoring the question. Sighing, he knew not telling wouldn’t change what had happened and if they were truly on a new path, Sesshomaru had the right to know what had happened with their mutual enemy. Without preamble, he began talking.

“We followed Naraku’s trail up into the Northern Mountains…”

Sesshomaru had never heard him talk so detached about a subject before. Even without any emotion from Inuyasha, he could see how hard the retelling of this story was. He was impressed with the miko’s bravery and her willingness to sacrifice herself for the others. Very few humans made any type of impression on him. In fact, the only ones he had met that had his grudging respect were those friends of Inuyasha. He was stunned, however, as Inuyasha relayed the story of his meeting with Midoriko and the wish he made on the jewel.

“Are you telling me your miko is going to be alive in the future?”

Inuyasha nodded. He knew sooner or later Sesshomaru would have to be told about Kagome’s time traveling. As he related the story of the Bone Eater’s Well and how they used it to travel across time, he realized how crazy the whole story sounded. If this were anyone else, he wouldn’t have breathed a word of the girl from the future.

Sesshomaru found himself captivated with the story. He was further awed with the nobility in Inuyasha’s choice. It would have been easy for him to make so many other wishes on that jewel, but the idea of giving the one he loved her life back – with no attachments– he found heart rendering. Even in his letting Rin go, he never was completely out of her life. He silently marveled at the sacrifice of his brother, and his hope to live long enough to be reunited with his miko.

Inuyasha felt drained at the end of his story. He wasn’t sure how Sesshomaru had taken the tale, his impassive façade, as ever, giving away nothing. He hadn’t discussed any of this with anyone since Miroku’s death, in fact…

Inuyasha could smell the sickness that surrounded Miroku. He knew his friend wouldn’t be long for this world. The children had left the hut, allowing them privacy to talk.

Miroku was insistent with Inuyasha. “Promise me, old friend, that you will not give up.”

Inuyasha sighed. It was hard enough to watch the last of his loved ones die without being pressed about other matters. Sitting with his back against the wall, he watched over his friend, keeping vigil.

“I can’t promise that, Miroku.”

Miroku struggled to sit up. Inuyasha quickly went to him and helped him up. Miroku could only stare for a moment at his closest friend, seemingly untouched by time. His face, although it had lost some of the boyishness, was still young. His hair and body also retained their youthfulness. Miroku’s hair had long gone gray, but his blue eyes had lost none of their devilish gleam. Focusing his steely gaze on Inuyasha, he reiterated his statement.

“Promise me, Inuyasha, you will be there for Kagome when the time comes.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “Stubborn old fool…I promise, okay? Now will you lay back and rest before one of your girls comes back and beans me for helping you sit up?”

Miroku smiled and lay back down. He was glad to get the promise out of Inuyasha. He knew that would keep his friend honor bound, well aware Inuyasha would never go back on his word. Miroku understood that his time was short and he wanted to find some way to bolster his dear friend for the lonely years ahead.

“Who knows? Maybe the kamis will allow us all the come back. Sango and I can finally get a chance to see this magical world of Kagome’s.”

Inuyasha had to smile at Miroku’s optimism. “From your lips to the kamis’ ears, my friend.”

Inuyasha didn’t realize until later what Miroku had done, but he kept his promise. He hadn’t given up, but it was hard sometimes. He was so lost in his own thoughts that Sesshomaru actually punched him. The blow was enough to get his attention, but not truly cause any pain.

“Hey! Why did you hit me?” Inuyasha bellowed, rubbing his head.

“I needed your attention. Calling your name didn’t work,” Sesshomaru coolly replied. He couldn’t contain the small smile as Inuyasha scowled and gave a pout.

“Well you have it now. What did you want?”

Looking thoughtfully at his little brother for a moment, he repeated himself.

“I asked the same question you asked of me. Do you regret it?”

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment.

“Never. If there is even a possibility that we can be together again, I want that chance.”
He paused, running his fingers through his hair. In a quieter voice, he resumed.

“But even if we can’t be together, I want to at least see her have a chance to be happy.”

ooOOoo

The dawn found Inuyasha sitting back at the shore. He knew Sesshomaru wouldn’t stay here forever and it was time for him to make a decision. For so long, he had been hiding from the world. By keeping his contact with humans minimal, he reduced the risk of being hurt by the loss of another friend. He knew Kagome would not be happy with him living this way. She always stressed how important family and friends were to their lives.

She had been the one pushing him to try to become closer to Sesshomaru. It was hard to make her understand that it’s hard to feel a family bond with someone who has tried to kill him for the majority of his life. But after Naraku’s death, he could sense a shift in their relationship. It was tense but respectful.

Sesshomaru’s appearance at the fishing village surprised Inuyasha. The idea that his brother would actually seek him out was a stunning revelation. The fact that he wanted Inuyasha to come live with him was an even bigger shock. It was hard for Inuyasha to deny he was lonely. True, his heart was safe but he was alone. Kagome would tell him to give Sesshomaru a chance. After all this time, he finally had a chance to be part of a family again. Standing up, Inuyasha dusted the sand off his pants and took a deep breath of the sea air. As much as he loved the shore and the peace it bought him, it was time to tell Sesshomaru he was coming home.

ooOOoo

The next morning, Inuyasha rose at dawn and began packing. Sesshomaru watched in silence as he gathered his meager possessions. His old fire rat robes, a set of beads from Miroku, a gold locket, and Tessaiga were the only things that really mattered. Everything else was left behind. Mentally, he reminded himself to stop by the old fisherman’s hut and tell him to get whatever he needed from the things left behind.

Standing upright, Inuyasha took one last look around the hut by the sea. It had served its purpose for time he needed it. It was time to move on and begin another chapter in his life. Even though he didn’t know what was going to happen, he knew this would get him one step closer to being reunited with Kagome.

Sesshomaru moved closer and laid his hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder.

“Shall we leave?”

Inuyasha sighed. “Yeah.”

He turned and walked out the hut, never looking back on what was, his sights set firmly in the future.