InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waning Moon ❯ Evil ( Chapter 23 )

23. Evil

“Sesshomaru!”

The demon Lord doesn't hesitate to turn his head slightly to the left, so that Inuyasha is just within his feild of vision, and watch with little care as a now forty-five year old Inuyasha bound across his home's fields, trampling the saplings barely free to the sun. Inuyasha now looks thirteen and his mother is nearing death; she is nearing seventy, which Sesshomaru finds astonishing in itelf; humans rarely live to be sixty. Sesshomaru's countenance does not falter, even with his latest decision returns to his mind, temporarily lost as his brother comes to a halt in front of him.

“What are you doing around here? Didn't you have to beat the shit out of some crazed demon terrorizing your lands?” Inuyasha asks, his arms crossing over his skinny chest. His brother is decked in a red fire rat kimono, designed and made by the human woman now laying sick in bed. He has two sets, if the slightly newer smell of this one is anything to go by. Sesshomaru is glad; he won't have his brother living in one kimono.

Sesshomaru doesn't comment on his brother's language, no matter how much he disapproves of it. He never has, and he will not need to listen to it for much longer. “I have completed that task.” Inuyasha looks impressed, his still large eyes widening slightly, before they begin to glow with pride.

Sesshomaru doesn't understand why Inuyasha feels proud as he does; Inuyasha hadn't trained him, just as he wasn't an older family member who could bask in his accomplishments as things to compliment the role he has played in bringing the demon Lord up. The half-breed is still very much a mystery to him. Or perhaps it is the human in him; Sesshomaru finds that demons are easier to understand.

He dutifully ignores the affection shining in his brother's golden gaze.

“Really? So you decided to visit your younger brother because you have some spare time?” Inuyasha grins, “Thank the gods! You wouldn't believe what Aikoko has me doing! Or how little she has doing! She won't let me handle anything my mother would have, were she healthy. It's been so boring lately!”

Sesshomaru watches, more than listens, as his brother begins a loud rant about how his mother's servants have been treating him like an immature child and how he isn't allowed to train or practice any fighting with any of the other villagers ("Even the ones that are supposed to be strong, like the hunters! Mother says it's because they're afraid of me."). It is vaguely surprising for the demon to find that Inuyasha's very animated hands remind him of his father's almost instantly. How can one learn the habits of a deceased father? Sesshomaru wonders as he sees that there is something else that reminds Sesshomaru of his father: the way in which the half-breed's face is open, showing Sesshomaru just how glad he is to see him. Their father had always possessed an emotive face.

Sesshomaru almost feels sorry for having to do as he plans to his little brother, but he must. He had promised himself he would upon hearing about his father's demise: he will not forgive his half-breed, foul-mouthed, half-brother. Sesshomaru does not break any of his promises, whether they are to himself or a lowly human.

“Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru watches coldly as his brother turns to stare up at him, ears perked on top of his head, his expression of happiness turning to one of confusion at the Lord's too serious expression. His hands fall limply to his sides mid sentence, “I will no longer be visiting you. You will no longer call me `Sessho' or any other disgraceful name you've given me through time.”

Inuyasha's eyes are large, very large; they are almost double their original size as his brother's icy tone freezes him to the spot. Sesshomaru continues, his tone almost bitter, “My name is Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Plains. When we next meet, half-breed, you will die.”

Sesshomaru's amber eyes scan Inuyasha's form. The half-breed is shaking, from confusion and from fear. The realisation that Inuyasha is afraid of him makes a sadistic sort of gladness bleed from Sesshomaru's chest until it is dwelling in every part of him, even his figners and toes. This would not be as effective, should Inuyasha have been immune to his intimating tone or his expressions.

The demon Lord thinks it is befitting; Inuyasha should feel the fear he'd felt when he'd discovered his father was dead. He should feel the fear and the nerves he had and does feel because he was given his title long before he should have. His father had given him a long-winded lecture on the time he would take his job from him. Sesshomaru hasn't forgotten it, and he won't. He was a mere pup when he received the Western Lands, only slightly older than his brother is now. He has endured many lectures of passing his title to a more mature, a more experienced family member. Sesshomaru has not made any huge mistakes when it comes to his Lands and he doesn't plan to allow Inuyasha - his father's biggest mistake - to live in his lands.

Inuyasha's eyes blink, once, twice, “You'll really kill me?” He asks shakily. Sesshomaru sees his hands twitch, before they're clenched by his sides, “Why?”

“Surely your pathetic human mother told you of our father's miserable death; you are the reason for it. I, Sesshomaru, claim your life to do with as I will. Only I will kill you, half-breed, if you allow anyone else to do so, I will personally see them killed before I deal with you.”

Sesshomaru turns, unable to stand the sight of his too weak, too ignorant, too human half-brother. He will return and then Inuyasha will die. He will no longer need to worry about what damage Inuyasha is causing, what disgrace he is bringing upon their family.

He hears Inuyasha call out to him, “Why now? Why didn't you kill me off when I was a kid?”

“There is no honour in killing a child. You are now capable of protecting yourself, I have seen to that.” Sesshomaru's strides stop as he reaches the forest, “Train, half-breed, perhaps then you will last more than five minutes in a battle against this Sesshomaru.”

He hears an angry growl come from Inuyasha as he once again starts his lazy strides towards the green forest, “You bastard! Don't walk away! You haven't answered anything! Fuck! What am I supposed to do without you; you've always been there?”

He can smell salty tears in the air as he disappears into the forest and Sesshomaru feels nothing. He doesn't feel smug for making his brother cry, the brother who had spent many afternoons curled up against him after a long day's training and stubbornly sniffled and held his tears back every other time he felt his eyes sting hotly.

Sesshomaru remembers refusing to promise to always be there for his little brother.

“Mama says that not all demons are evil.” He remembers a much younger Inuyasha explain to him, “She says that they have things they must do just as humans do. She says that not all demons will kill for the sake of killing.”

He doesn't bother attempting to work out the inner workings of a human's mind, but he knows of what the human woman speaks. Sesshomaru must rid himself of the burden his brother creates, he must rid the world of his father's disgrace. He must kill Inuyasha if he is to be in the possession of the Tesseiga.

His brother is a nuisance. The world will not miss him.