InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ours ❯ Inuyasha ( Chapter 25 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
"Come on, talk to me, will you?" Seiko was nagging Hiroshi again. He didn't respond; he wouldn't even look at her. "Big bro? Big bro? Listen, I'm sorry. I'm not sorry for my decision but I'm sorry I didn't break it to you in an easier way. I should've...told you first or something."

Hiroshi closed his eyes. "Leave me alone."

They've been doing this for two days now. Worst part of it was that I had to sit here and listen to it! This "sticking together for safety" thing really grated my nerves at times.

Ever since I woke up, Miroku and Sango wouldn't let me out of their sight. It's not like any of the people or demons that know about us will be able to get me anyway. I mean, I can understand Kaede, but I can take defend myself. And how come Sesshomaru and Kagura don't have anyone bugging them? How come they can go off doing whatever they want?

Kaede was huddled up next to me. Obviously I wasn't the only one suffering.

"Inuyasha." She spoke. "Let me take your place."

I scoffed. "What are you yapping about now, hag?"

"I want you to live on. Me, I've lived long enough. My days are numbered anyway." Her voice had a scratchy tone to it, like she was struggling just to breathe. "But you're young. You should live out the rest of your life; I'm sure that's what Kagome and Sister Kikyo would've wanted."

Her words shook me; it was like she'd lost the will to keep living. She didn't want to try anymore. But then, I remembered the fire that had destroyed her hut and the woman who had started it.

"No. I can't do that." I replied. "No matter who dies, the effect is still the same. Kikyo and Kagome are meaningless to the strangers who don't know them or us. But you still have people to live for."

The old bat slowly turned her head away from me.

"Listen, Kaede. Even if it wasn't you-if I don't do this now, it means that someone else will have to die and then their friends and family will have to mourn and the cycle starts all over again. I'd rather do this myself than put the burden on someone else."

Kaede whipped her head around to look at me again, then turned her gaze to the sky. "You are an admirable person."

"Well, we've all learned a lot." I shrugged. "I just wish I had thought more about this before now."

"People don't like to think about their own deaths." Kaede said. "But everyone needs to. It's not like if this hadn't happened, we wouldn't have died. All of us would've died regardless; just later on. And you never know if that's tomorrow or years later."

I nodded. Up until now, we'd only been thinking about our current mission. Day to day survival. Animals tend to do that as well; they're thinking about how to get food. Sometimes, we get too caught up thinking about how to get by that we forget about everything else.

Except children. During childhood, however long that may be for you, you have guardians to take care of you. You don't need to think about survival. And that's when we get a chance to consider things that others might call stupid; things that have nothing to do with working society. Adults would tell you to think like you're in the "real world", but that's just an excuse they use to deny that they've lost the ability to think.

Children's thoughts are actually very important.





The Goshinboku. The sacred tree that started it all, where I slept for fifty years. It almost hurts to look at it. But this is where I feel most at home right now, so this is where I'll stay.

I finally managed to persuade everyone to let me go off by myself just once. It's my choice to do whatever I want with my last moments alive. I do wish I could've thought of something better than sitting here by a tree, though.

My nose twitched. I could smell my half-brother in the air. Surprisingly, I don't care.

"What, did you come to see me through to death or something?" I sneered.

Like the ice block that he is, he just silently walked up to me, halted, and stared at me. I didn't bother to look at him.

"Or did you come here to call me weak for 'sulking over humans'?" I laughed bitterly at the last part. "Don't try to say you didn't do the same thing over that little girl, Sesshomaru. Or is she not a human?"

He narrowed his eyes at me; that had pissed him off. I scoffed. "Just get away from me. I don't wanna deal with you."

Just then Sesshomaru threw something at me. Startled, I prepared to yell at him, but stopped when I recognized the iterm.

Tetsusaiga.

My eyes widened. "How-? When did you-?"

"You dropped it in the cockpit." He answered boredly before turning around and walking away.

Now I felt like shit. Complete shit. "You know, you can't just walk in here and try to be a brother now!" I shouted at his back. "It's too late for that."

Dammit. Why'd I have to be the one in the wrong? Why couldn't he have just given me reason to keep hating him so I wouldn't feel so damn guilty for being bitter?





I asked to be buried near the Goshinboku tree. It is my turn now. After trying in vain to find Kagome's killer, my turn finally came to me. All I knew was that they had used an arrow and run away after killing her, leaving her body. I couldn't even avenge her.

The cockpit is so empty. Ten of us have died. Only five are left. Eleven, if you count Jun. It's hard to look at all these empty chairs and not visualize them occupied by the people who they belonged to. And when I do that, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach and feel the need to vomit.

So empty.

The battle after Kagome and Kikyo's was fought by Seiko. Zearth called for her soon after she signed herself up. Hiroshi refused to talk to her until the very last minute, and now, she was gone, and he was almost completely withdrawn. He came along, watching us, doing everything he could to help. I guess he found himself unable to distance himself from us now after everything he'd seen. Same with Kaede, who now requested that she stay with us until the end.

Sesshomaru returned Tetsusaiga to me. He had it right there in his hand, holding it by the sheath...and yet, he didn't try to do anything with it. He just gave it right back. I don't know what to make of that. I guess that's the closest thing to an apology I'd ever get from him. Or a farewell or whatever.

Speaking of him, I wonder-when his turn comes, would he care enough about the rest of the world to try to save them, knowing that he was doomed to die no matter what happened?

He'd better.