Chapter twenty one: Proposition
Lady Izanami was sitting on her throne, her eyes fixed on the tiny figure standing in front of her. The little girl hadn't spoken a word yet but it looked like lady Izanami didn't care anyway. She was observing her, making it look like she could see right through the girl. There was complete silence around, the silence of hell.
"I want you to choose, child," lady Izanami said all of the sudden and her voice was like the voice of earth itself. But Rin almost didn't look up. Her face was blank. Her eyes were dead.
"You are still alive," lady Izanami continued. "And the spell Mizuchi cast upon you has already been broken. Together with Sesshomaru's heart."
Rin jerked when hearing the name, tears glimmering in her wide opened eyes. An expression of utter horror spread across her face.
"You've eaten an apple Mizuchi gave you," lady Izanami said, tilting her head on side a little bit. "He deceived you. He's never planned to let you go because he knew I wouldn't allow that."
Lady Izanami smirked briefly but a cold, deadly flash appeared in her all-knowing, silvery eyes.
"Foolish demon," she whispered with wrath. "Believing he could outsmart me..."
Her eyes moved back to the girl quickly.
"Your soul belongs to me now," she said. "But as you are still alive, I have a proposition for you."
A hint of interest appeared in Rin's eyes.
"I see I have your attention now..." lady Izanami said. "Listen to me, then. I will want you to do something for me. And in return, I shall give you back your soul and allow you to leave this place."
Rin listened closely but shook her head afterwards, sadness returning to her look. Lady Izanami raised an eyebrow.
"You don't wish to be saved?"
"I wish to save lord Sesshomaru," she said finally. Her wish was simple but her voice was hollow. Lady Izanami watched her, her expression not revealing anything. She didn't start talking her out of that, though, nor did she start reminding her how impossible that wish would be.
"I've seen many strong bonds among people, even among some demons. But your love for him is something very rare..." she said, more to herself. Then her face hazed and she said very silently: "I remember my husband's love was as strong as yours... He too came to the deeps of hell for me. But he failed... His love for me betrayed him..."
Lady Izanami wasn't dreaming for long and returned her glare to Rin.
"I can see right through your heart, girl. I can see the love for Sesshomaru, it's like piercing white light to my eyes."
The goddess narrowed her eyes then.
"But don't you think I would hesitate to kill you. I bear no mercy. Compassion has no place in my heart. I can't feel it for anybody anymore. Pain, misery and death is what feeds me. But I must admit I wouldn't be happy to see this light die out. Something so unique... Something so pure in the heart of hell..."
Lady Izanami stood up then in all her magnificent height. Her black hair was floating behind her but this time no crows were flying from it. She approached Rin and the little girl didn't even back off. That fact impressed the goddess even more.
"Not afraid of me? Very well... There is something in hell I long for every single second of this eternity. It's well hidden and even I can't reach for it. When my husband expressed his love for me, we exchanged small pieces of our souls. After he came for me to hell to save me, he lost the piece of my soul on his way. And I want it. I miss it. But I can't see it. There is only one thing in the whole world I can't see with my eyes and that's my own soul."
Lady Izanami got silent and closed her eyes for a little while.
"I want to feel it in my breast again..."
She breathed in deeply, running a hand across her chest.
"I sent all the demons of hell to search for it but they all failed. The piece of soul is invisible to their demonic eyes. But you are different. You are a human girl, innocent. You will see it. And if you bring it to me, not only I'll let you go. I'll give you back the thing you want the most. Sesshomaru."
Lady Izanami waved her hand and suddenly, a ghostly figure of Sesshomaru appeared standing next to her. Rin widened her eyes.
"I will do it! I will do it right now!"
Lady Izanami smiled and the apparition of Sesshomaru disappeared.
"Good. Take this..."
A long, bony arm spurted from lady Izanami's back, stretching to Rin. There was a sharp black nail on each finger.
"Take one nail," lady Izanami continued. "This nail opens paths of various parts of hell and closes them again. And if you draw a circle, it'll take you back to me. But don't lose it or you will never find your way and you'll be lost in hell forever."
Inuyasha didn't know how long he'd been sitting on the ground of Sesshomaru's and Mizuchi's battle, next to his older brother's dead body, but it felt like eternity. He couldn't move or think, he was just sitting there, with the knowledge of utter defeat. How could he even go back when he lost everything he was about to save? His brother's life and Rin's soul... It was all gone. He failed. As he couldn't imagine Sesshomaru dying but promised to look after Rin, losing her soul made this whole journey not only pointless but catastrophic. Even if he found his way out, would he be ever able to live with this?
He remembered the odd feeling he had when Sesshomaru touched him and hugged him. It was the first time he actually felt close to him like to a brother. He could somehow know Sesshomaru cared for him and he cared a great deal. Although Rin would always be the most important thing in his life, Sesshomaru didn't forget he had a younger brother. And at that moment, Inuyasha simply knew Sesshomaru loved him as well.
Inuyasha didn't almost notice a single tear crossing his face. He wiped it with the back of his hand, closing his eyes.
"Inuyasha..."
Inuyasha looked up and met the yellow eyes of nobody else but his father. Shock overwhelmed him. He wasn't able to say anything but stare at him. His father was just standing there like it was a normal thing to do. Was he a ghost? An illusion?
"I found you, my son," his father said then, giving him a small encouraging smile.
"You're not lost. You can still find your way out."
"Father..."
Inuyasha gulped.
"But I... must save them... Rin... and Sesshomaru... He's dead, father. He's dead..."
Deep sorrow ran across his father's face. He looked away, searching for Sesshomaru's battered body laying next to them, closing his eyes afterwards.
"I know. I felt his death..."
He walked over his first born son and knelt down, touching his cold forehead. Despite no tears were visible in his eyes, the terrible grief over the death of his child was apparent in the demon's face.
"My dear child..." he whispered.
"What if..." Inuyasha started silently, "what if I tried to persuade lady Izanami to give Sesshomaru's life back?"
His father shook his head.
"She won't give it. To give a life back is something lady Izanami has never done for anyone. She only tricks people into thinking that. That's something she did to Mizuchi when she promised to revive his family. She didn't actually revive them at all and their souls suffered a great deal in Jigoku Gyou. But she knows how to deal with desperate people. Or demons. She knows offering just a piece of hope is sometimes more powerful than promising all the treasure of the world."
Inuyasha stared at his father and then at his dead brother.
"So she can't resurrect anyone?"
"I didn't say that. Only that she has never done it before. Listen, Inuyasha. She's the goddess of the dead. She craves for death. Death is the only thing she can feel. Giving a life back steals that from her, therefore she wouldn't do it. That's why she so hates the Tenseiga. She spoke to me about that sword, expressing her loathing for the weapon. But on the other hand she was very impressed with it so she allowed the sword to stay in the world above..."
Inuyasha shook his head. He couldn't understand her. But then - she was a goddess, and a powerful one. Could he actually truly understand someone like that?
"She's death embodied..." his father added after awhile. "But she used to be the goddess of life and creation, long time ago. She used to be full of love and affection..."
His father breathed in deeply and stayed silent for a few seconds before returning his glare to Inuyasha.
"But you are not dead, Inuyasha. So you must get up."
"I can't just leave," Inuyasha objected. "With nothing."
"You will not," his father assured him. "Although Rin's soul and Sesshomaru's life is beyond your reach, there's still a task for you. You must stop Mizuchi from escaping."
"Why should I?" Inuyasha uttered. "It doesn't matter anymore. He won."
"Not yet," his father replied with sincerity. "I can say he's still here. If he could go away, he would already be gone. There's something that holds him here. Something he's waiting for. Something he needs to escape. It's not only the Tenseiga, there's something more. You must find him before he escapes."
"Why?" Inuyasha asked. "Why not let him go? It won't bring them back."
Inuyasha's father gave him a long look.
"You can never know that Inuyasha. Mizuchi must be stopped. Not because of revenge. But because he would do no good outside. He's too consumed with hate and soon he'll realize killing Sesshomaru won't bring him his peace of mind. He's dangerous."
Inuyasha listened and heard the truth in his father's words. Suddenly he felt something strange in his chest. He realized it was his heart beating. Yes, he was still alive. And he had a task to do. Mizuchi can't escape. His place is here. This thing has to be done.
His father gave him a hand and Inuyasha grabbed it gladly, getting up. He saw a hint of smile in his father's face.
"You make me very proud, Inuyasha. Every day," his father said and Inuyasha couldn't bring himself to say anything. His father squeezed Inuyasha's shoulder before withdrawing, giving him a serious look.
"Now listen closely, my son, what you need to do. Mizuchi's waiting for something and you must find him as soon as possible."
"But how?"
Like an answer to his question, the red bird landed on Inuyasha's shoulder, spreading it's wings.
"You have a guide here," Inuyasha's father said a Inuyasha slowly nodded.
"You're right, father, I'll do my best. Sesshomaru's death will not be in vain."
OK, I'm not planning to drop this fic, I'm just really, really, really busy a lot these days. Here's another one, hope you like and thanks for all the reviews!