InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Are You? ❯ Chapter Thirteen: Time's Up ( Chapter 13 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter Thirteen

Time's Up

There was nothing to do now but to wait. I watched the events unfold in Kanna's mirror, with only minimal interest. Inuyasha took the bait like a good mongrel and left the rest of the group, sending Kagura and some other reincarnation to deal with the others. I quickly lost interest and walked away. Naraku had to draw this out—make sure that his reincarnations had enough time to kill them. If he quickly withdrew, or wasn't careful, Inuyasha would rush back to the others, or realize that it was a trap. Naraku loved traps; that was probably the only reason he had consented to this. That, and I was the one who suggested it. But I think that only made the entire idea sweeter.

I wandered off, into the surrounding woodlands. Inuyasha, being the daft fool he had always been, probably wouldn't even consider what was taking his friends so long. He would just be intent on “defeating” Naraku.

Too bad, Inuyasha. Today, I was going to kill you, and I was going to kill Naraku afterwards.

I'm an awfully arrogant bitch, aren't I?

It seemed I had lost track of the time. I could smell Inuyasha. But he wasn't headed toward Naraku… He was trying to find me. Time for Plan B. I looked at the insect that had accompanied me and nodded. It flew off to tell Naraku.

I didn't like Plan B. It involved Naraku coming to us. Ah, well. The result would be the same. I could wait for his arrival. He had better be fit for another fight. This had to be believable.

I stopped walking when I could hear Inuyasha as well as smell him. He was crashing through the forest. Tensaiga called out to Tetsusaiga. That was so annoying—announcing each other's arrivals. One day… One day that wouldn't happen any more.

He stumbled before me, panting heavily, sweat and dirt caked to his skin, with a look of sheer desperation on his face. It wasn't the face I was used to—the one usually so full of fire and burning passion. This was just… desperation.

The opposite of life isn't death, you know. Death was reversible, either through Tensaiga or reincarnation. Life was what was permanent. So, the opposite of life was… desperation. That moment in one's life where they are desperate, willing to give up anything for that one thing, even if it was one's own life, because the act of desperation was more extreme than death. Particularly in humans, and Inuyasha was, after all, a stupid hanyou. I had never experienced the emotion of desperation. I probably never would. While it existed in both humans and demons, demons only very rarely felt it. In that respect, it was a lot like love.

“Sesshomaru…” he said, looking at Tensaiga. “I… Kagome… Miroku, Sango, Shippo… You have to…”

“I don't care,” I informed him, then began to walk away, slowly heading toward the castle. He must really be desperate if he was coming to me for help. I liked that. He was learning the meaning of ultimate suffering—when everything you know and care about is no longer there beside you. But it still wasn't enough.

“No!” he wailed. I paused, bemused. “Look, I'll…” Then he realized something. The one thing that might entice me. He grabbed Tetsusaiga, holding it tightly in two hands in its sheath. “I'll give you the Tetsusaiga for Tensaiga.”

I was intrigued. Inuyasha coveted the sword more than his own life. Even when it meant I might kill him, he would still rather not relinquish the sword. But the death of his companions had brought him to this. Was he so desperate that he wasn't willing to risk losing to me, because if he lost, then that would mean it was the end for his friends as well? Fascinating. But I was also angry. He only was willing to give it to me when I no longer desired it above all things. I turned around. A glimmer of hope reflected in his eyes. I longed to crush it. “Father left this useless sword to me.” As his useless child. Damn that voice. It would be gone once I destroyed Inuyasha. And I would destroy Tetsusaiga. I couldn't wield it anyway, and it was better than human or maybe even half-demon taking it. “I cannot wield Tetsusaiga anyway. It is worthless to me.”

I turned away again. I wanted to hear him beg me. I wanted to hear the proud Inuyasha stoop even lower as the desperation and panic set in strong. He gave me what I wanted. “No! Sesshomaru!” he wailed. I glanced at him. I wanted to see his face. His eyes were watering. Delicious. I wondered how much I could make those eyes water—from pain. “I'll…” He hung his head in defeat. “I won't fight you. Kill me, but please bring back Kagome!”

This idiot was willing to forfeit his life for a mortal? I should laugh myself sick. The girl would be dead in a few quick years anyway. So would Rin. “I am intrigued, Inuyasha,” I confessed. “But I can kill you at any time and take your sword. There is nothing you can give that I desire.”

It wasn't within his power to give it to me. I wanted Father's approval. The reality of that hit me like a tsunami. I really did want Father's approval. Just once… But it was never to be. The most I could ever receive was his scorn, his hatred, and his disapproval. Where was Naraku? He really should have been here by now.

Speak of the devil, and he will appear—Naraku chose that moment to make his overly dramatic entrance. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as he immediately attacked Inuyasha. I made a show of pretending to fight him as well, then another point of pushing Inuyasha to the side and attacking Naraku. I tilted my head slightly, looking out of the corner of my eyes at Naraku. I raised one finger off of the hilt of my sword. That was the signal. He nodded. Now, we would both attack Inuyasha, injure him, and then Naraku would leave, feigning fleeing because of wounds.

Time's up, little brother.