Hi!

So this is my new fic. I have a writer's block in the first one so I'll be working on this for a while. This one is very very loosely based on Live and remember by Valentin Rasputin. Seriously, that is one of the best Russian novels I've ever read. It's not that long but it has such a deep message... I really like how the author describes the main characters' (Andrei and Nastia) love towards each other. Anyway it's really worth reading it even just once.

And one more thing: each chapter's title will come from a song. I'll try my best to choose such a song that has some kind of connection to the chapter (e.g. expressing lyrics or rhythm). But I won't choose only English songs, please remember this. Though I'll try to give also translations if it's possible. For the prologue I used REPLAY by VAMPS.

Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha. Still.

Enjoy reading! ^.^

Live and remember

Prologue - REPLAY

"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked Inuyasha while he tried to catch up his half-brother. Sesshomaru didn't say a single word he was just walking forwards.

The silence of the night was broken by short songs of cicadae as the two of them were approaching towards a cave. Sesshomaru stopped in front of its entrance and he sniffed into the air. His amber eyes narrowed as soon as a certain scent reached to his brain. It made his blood boil and all the anger and hatred he held back this far was about to explode in him. Yet this kind of inner storm deep within the dog demon's soul remained invisible for anyone else. Inuyasha stopped next to him and he looked at him a bit suprised for the first time but then he got it. Sesshomaru's scent changed: the determination and the will of vengeance was so strong in him that it turned his scent into his dog form's.

"So this is the place" said Inuyasha and stared for a short while at the cave's mouth. It was a bit hard to imagine that the demon that attacked the village was hiding in such a pitiful place. Either way the power of the suprise was on their side and he had his brother by his side. This demon will be a piece of cake for them. He confidently unsheated his Tessaiga and he pointed towards the darkness. "You will pay for everything..."

Inuyasha grumbled loud. Sesshomaru turned towards his brother. His face was expressionless as usual yet something in his eyes told that he felt a kind of pity for Inuyasha.

"Don't do anything unnecessary" he said to his half-brother.

"Yeah, I know. Is she inside?"

"Without any doubt - I followed her scent."

Inuyasha put both his hands on the Tessaiga's hilt. He tried to calm down but everytime he told comforting words to himself he got pissed off. It wasn't because he couldn't find appropriate word. It was because he was standing right in front of the lair of the demon who killed his mate. And his anger made his demon blood go insane - wanting to burst and it made his human heart remember. He remembered the very night that was never meant to happen. If only he would have been there to give the Fire Rat's Robe to Kagome...

"Have you finished blaming yourself?" Sesshomaru's question was as hard as his punch. "We're going." And with this the dog-demon entered the cave and Inuyasha followed him.

Inside the cave it was pitch dark. The further they went from the entrance the darker it got. Inuyasha was about to ask Sesshomaru about his whereabouts when a faint light appeared in the distance. Even though the brother's barely saw each other they faced each other and nodded. They knew it was that demon and it also knew about them - though Sesshomaru was trying hard to hide both his and Inuyasha's demonic aura and scent. Sesshomaru grabbed Bakusaiga which was the sign to go. They began to run towards the light but right before they could have reach it a pillar of fire appeared from nowhere and it nearly hit both of them. They jumped in different directions so they managed to dodge the attack. The fire hit the stone in the middle and so the inner of the cave became filled with light. In front of the brothers a huge demon was sitting - its skin was as gray as a mound of ashes. Those red eyes were glowing in the darkness like some kind of lantern during a festival. It reminded Inuyasha a bit of Goshinki - Naraku's incarnation, who managed to break his Tessaiga. However, his wrath towards this demon was stronger than to remember. In front of his eyes only one thought was fluttering: to take vengeance. That was the only thing that counted. And Inuyasha didn't need to blink at his half-brother to know that he feels the same - even though he doesn't show it.

"So you came..." The demon's deep voice echoed in the cave. "How beautiful... the Taisho's two sons fight together..."

"Meido..." Inuyasha began but Sesshomaru threw his poison whip at the blade of the Tessaiga. "I told you not to do anything unnecessary."

The demon was about to throw another fire pillair, which Sesshomaru noticed immediately and threw his brother into a corner and he jumped away.

"But if you just escape, you can't attack!" Inuyasha came forward and ran towards the demon. Sesshomaru bounced back from a rock and he unsheated Bakusaiga and attacked. The Tessaiga's protective barrier merely managed to appear around Inuyasha, when the rocks began to fell.

"Hey! Watch your aim!" Inuyasha yelled while keeping up the barrier.

"Where is Rin?" asked Sesshomaru.

"Heh... so that girl IS the weakness of the great Sesshomaru..." An evil smile appeared on the face of the demon, showing his knife-sharped teeth. Among them there were man-sized gaps. And in one of the gaps Sesshomaru noticed the bracelet of pearls he gave to Rin for her last birthday.

His eyes turned into red, his face began to convulse - just like before all his transformations. Inuyasha also felt the huge amount of demonic energy that was about to blow up in his brother. He wanted to stop him telling that his true form might crush the whole cave. But then he caught a familiar scent.

"Sesshomaru! Rin is still alive!" Sesshomaru blinked back at his brother but his eyes were still red. "It's a bit faint, but I can feel her. She is behind the demon."

"Curse on you, hanyou!" The demon reached towards Inuyasha, who tried to counterattack with Iron Reaver Soul Stealer while backing.

Sesshomaru used this moment and he got behind the demon. Rin was lying there next to a stake - the flames were about touch her fingers. The dog demon immediately lifted her and he was about to jump when the girl began to move. Her voice was shaking and was very faint, but Sesshomaru heard all the words she was saying.

"It hurts..."

Sesshomaru looked at her from top to toe. Rin's body was covered by heavily burnt wounds. Even though it made her blooming beauty fade, he could still recognize beneath them the little gril with whom he used to travel. He was about to take her out when Inuyasha's scream caught his ears. He stopped midway and looked in the direction of the voice. His half-brother was smashed to the wall of the cave, his arms were full of cuts - most likely because of Blades of Blood - and he was barely holding onto Tessaiga. He also seemed to lost his consciousness.

"Now what will you do, Sesshomaru?" asked the demon. "Your brother or your little girl?"

Yes, he had the chance to get Rin out of here but something deep inside him stayed. After all Inuyasha was his half-brother even though he hated him. He murmured a "Stupid Inuyasha, you always stand in my way..." and he looked at the mouth of the cave. It wasn't too far away. Maybe with his velocity he may manage to get Rin outside in a few seconds and get back here to save Inuyasha's ass. But what if by then he will find nothing but Inuyasha's dead body and with coming back to him will cost his life, too? Sesshomaru couldn't believe that a lower demon like this managed to catch him.

"One of them will die." said the demon and he reinforced his gasp around Inuyasha. The half demon was about to let go of the Tessaiga and even the Coat of the Fire Rat began to tear because of the claws. "But which one? The honour is all yours, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru was hesitating. And he was the best suprised about this.

"Go, you idiot!" Inuyasha yelled and he caught Tessaiga before its fall. "Don't make my mistake!"

"Don't decide instead of this Sesshomaru!"

"There is nothing to decide! Hurry and take Rin outside! She is your irreplaceable mate! You can't choose me over her!"

Inuyasha held the Tessaiga with all his strength, that was left. Its blade began to transform - it was covered by adamant. Sesshomaru knew well what that meant.

"Hurry and take her!"

Sesshomaru looked back at him one more time like he was trying to say something - even just with his eyes. But in the next second he flew out of the cave with Rin and he let her lay down beneath a tree. Rin didn't regain her consciousness, so he just stroke her face gently and he whispered to her ears: "Now it's alright, Rin. He won't lay a finger on you. Never again. Wait for me here."

Sesshomaru got back at the very moment, when Inuyasha finished shouting Adamant Barrage and large diamond spears attacked the demon. This caused the demon letting go of Inuyasha, who landed in front of Sesshomaru.

"You stupid! Why did you come back?" Inuyasha asked, while Tessaiga changed to black.

"To save your ass, you bastard!" Sesshomaru, who took Bakusaiga and pointed towards the demon.

"Meido Zangetsuha!" "Bakusaiga" they shouted together and the two attacks reached the enemy at the same time.

Some kind of light appeared from both of the swords. Whether the attacks hit the demon or missed it was unclear - everything melted into one in that white fog. Suddenly the cave exploded - blinding all the surroundings. Among with the rocks also two motionless body flew out...

"Your lives were sacrificed, your last will's justified

And I will let your lost souls through heaven's gates

Replay"