Standard disclaimers apply.
Please Enjoy!
Title: Life's question
Rating: T
Paring: Sesshoumaru x Inuyasha, in a brotherly fashion. So those who aren't Yaoi/Incest fans can let out a sigh of relief… I might throw one in later though. Hehehehe…
Warning(s): ...Eh, not really. Does an animal's death count? Doubt it. -.- Its there anyways, just in case.
Summary: "It's everyone's destiny to depart this world at some point." Innocent amber eyes blinked up at him, curious and afraid. Thin pink lips trembled. "Will I die too?" The older child stared back without a word.
Extra note: I was listening to the Goo Goo Dolls while writing this. "Iris" was the name of the song. It helps create a sense of setting and emotion, so listening to it while reading this would certainly help. :D Only a suggestion though.
Second Crane: Life's question
The soft crackling of the fire's flames licking the air echoed off the four walls enclosing the rather large room, following along with the rain's soothing melody as it came crashing down to earth. The thunder roared, shaking the earth with its force. However, none of these factors seemed to have any affect on the silently working Taiyoukai as he wrote in scroll after scroll.
The soft scratching of pen against parliament came to an abrupt halt, and the clocks that hung on the walls chimed simultaneously, signaling midnight was upon them.
Leaning back against his chair, the stoic demon brought up his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. With eyes closed shut tightly, and brow furred together, he fought back a headache that was threatening to disrupt his peaceful night. Though the gods were obviously against his wishes as a loud knock caused him to rouse from his thoughts and glance at the door. Without coming inside, the figure on the other side of the door spoke.
"I don't mean to interrupt sir, but the young master is outside and refuses to come back indoors."
Ah, just the cherry to his day. Resisting the urge to growl in annoyance, he dismissed the servant and placed down his pen. The young master, otherwise known as Inuyasha to himself, had been acting rather strange as of late. There were times when the younger boy would simply sit there and stare off into nothingness, the pages in his books left untouched. Of course, InuYasha was never one to sit and study silently.
Rising from his chair, all the wrinkles in his kimono soothed out and returned to their rightful place as he made his way to the door. Never noticing out the breeze of the door closing behind him blew out the small light of the lamp on his desk, leaving the room clouded in darkness, he glided down the hallways and toward the place he knew Inuyasha would be at.
The garden.
For some reason, the hanyou seem to spend more and more time there as the days passed. As much as he tried to interest him in his studies, nothing came of it. Sending him to his chambers no longer seemed to have any effect, as the boy merely stared out the window with a blank face and no longer protested.
The Taiyoukai was even starting to consider physical punishment. Perhaps then, the halfbreed would come back to his senses.
The rain created a screen of white above the ground where it slowly seeped into the dirt's greedy lips. The breeze was a bitter cold that wasted no time in nipping his exposed porcelain skin the moment he stepped outside. The fact that the rain starting soaking him down through his clothes was of no importance to the Taiyoukai as he walked down the dirt paths.
His vision pierced through the white fog with ease, and his keen hearing picked up on faint wailing. It was Inuyasha's, no doubt. Subconsciously, his pace picked up as he weaved around the massive trees and down the fields of flowers toward his brother's scent. It didn't take long to reach the mound of crimson and silver that later took the form of his sibling when white, damp ears perked.
Amber met. It was faint, but the scent of death reached his sensitive nose, and breaking eye contact, his eyes flickered down toward the small black figure just in front of his little brother.
On closer inspection, he realized what it was. A crow. Its broken body lay before the small hanyou; life long since departed its dark eyes.
Stepping closer to Inuyasha's small form, he knelt down next to the child, taking note of his shivering. "Morning it's death won't revive it," Sesshoumaru spoke softly, his cool expression never changing when Inuyasha's small hands latched onto his kimono and he cried into his arm. Such an insignificant thing, this animal's death. And yet the hanyou persisted in putting himself in harms way to merely weep its loss. It was almost laughable.
A crack of lightening lit the dark stretch of sky, causing the small boy to flinch. Staring down at his younger sibling, Sesshoumaru watched silently as his wailing slowly began to fade down to a mere hiccup. He had so much left to learn, he mused. Yet he was moving slowly at his own pace, taking in things little by little. This was one of those things.
"It's everyone's destiny to depart this world at some point. Both demons and humans alike."
Slowly, moist amber eyes lifted to meet his gaze. Such remorse and a hint of fear were held in this child's eyes, yet the Taiyoukai couldn't seem to understand why. Thin pink lips trembled. "Will I die too?" The inevitable question. Silence stretched on between the two brothers, only the thunder and clashes of lightening meeting their ears.
"You've been out here much too long, little brother. Come inside," with ease he evaded the question, ignoring the hanyou's curious gaze. Rising to a stand, he extended a clawed hand, grasping the smaller boy's forearm and hoisting him back up to his feet. The boy followed without a word, never glancing back at the small body of the dead crow.
