"Stone? Inuyasha echoed, what stone?" He glanced over at Sesshomaru who had his head down. Sesshomaru was obviously deep in thought as both brothers pondered what Totosai had said to them just now. Neither one had expected such a request to come from the old man. As the silence continued, the two brothers stood next to each other. The wind blew their long hair gently as the consideration pressed on. Neither one spoke for several minutes.
"Uh guys, you still here?" Totosai nervously blinked at both of them. He knew what he was asking of Sesshomaru. He felt ashamed. It was wrong to ask, but it may be the only way.
"No." Sesshomaru said without looking at Inuyasha or Totosai. He began walking away.
Inuyasha felt bad for him but at the same time was annoyed Sesshomaru still harbored ill feelings towards him. When was it going to end?
Totosai wasn't going to give up. "Hey, hold up Sesshomaru, I think that you guys can..."
Sesshomaru held up his hand to silence him. "No. Totosai you have let me down. I can't even look at you." Sesshomaru kept going. He did not look back at Inuyasha.
Totosai's mouth fell. He swallowed loudly and welcomed the words he received from Sesshomaru. They suited him in this situation. He had failed Sesshomaru. Well, to Sesshomaru he had, but that's assuming Sesshomaru alone had to destroy the stone with a sword forged by Totosai and that was the only way to do it.
"Sesshomaru." Inuyasha pleaded quietly. Sesshomaru couldn't hear him, but even if he could, Inuyasha had a feeling Sesshomaru wouldn't stop and hear them both out. It wasn't his style. Though watching him leave, it actually hurt Inuyasha to see his older brother distraught. He longed to help him if he could.
Totosai shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. "Eh, just let him go. It won't be long till he realizes what he's meant to do."
Inuyasha turned and gave Totosai a confused look. "Hey, what were you going to say about us both destroying the stone? What kind of stone is it? Why do you need my help to destroy it? Is Sesshomaru not strong enough?"
Totosai laughed. "In terms of strength and power, no...Sesshomaru doesn't need your help."
"Ouch. You don't have to say it like that. You make it sound like I'm useless or something."
Totosai shook his head. "Not all the time."
This left Inuyasha upset and even more confused. He wanted to ask more questions but Totosai was shooing him away.
"Well, this meeting was much quicker than I anticipated. I guess it's to be expected with a temper and pride like Sesshomaru. Anyway, go spend time with Kagome, Inuyasha. She's back."
Inuyasha watched him go. "What a crazy old man."
….
Sesshomaru didn't go back to Rin. He couldn't face her when he still needed to face himself. Besides, Rin was probably asleep anyway. Instead, he stood by himself somewhere in the middle of a forest in the dark. A couple hours had passed since he left Totosai and Inuyasha. To him, it had been a waste of time to have Totosai say Inuyasha could help him. Though it sounds curious, Sesshomaru was not going to wait and hear how that might be possible.
Suddenly, voices and fast footsteps could be heard coming close to where Sesshomaru was. Sesshomaru perked up and looked to his left to see who was coming. He was surprised to see it was Inuyasha and Kagome. They ended up stopping close to where Sesshomaru stood. Luckily, they didn't see him. Sesshomaru decided to watch them for a bit to see what they did.
Kagome got off Inuyasha who had been running for the both of them and sat down. Inuyasha did the same.
"Thanks so much for going back to get more food for me, Kagome. You really know how to make a guy like me happy." He grinned at Kagome.
Kagome grinned back. "Of course. I couldn't let you starve could I? Though I was disappointed we had to break up our picnic we were having so I could go back and get you more food."
Inuyasha looked sheepish. "Yeah, I know. I appreciate it though."
Kagome gave him a teasing look. "And the walk? We never went on one either."
Inuyasha grabbed her hand. "That's why we came out here. We are gonna do a night walk."
Over the next several hours, unknown to Inuyasha and Kagome, Sesshomaru stood in the dark and watched them. He listened to their conversations and saw they way they held each other and heard the caring words they spoke to one another. Occasionally, they would poke fun at each other, but for the most part they exchanged loving words. It dawned on Sesshomaru that Kagome reminded him of Rin. The two girls shared a lot of similarities. They even had the same hair color.
Very quietly, Sesshomaru sat down and up against a nearby tree. This was getting to be his favorite position for thinking. A couple of low hanging branches brushed against his face. It didn't bother Sesshomaru. He closed his eyes as the voices of Inuyasha and Kagome continued on through the night. As they did, Sesshomaru thought about the present, the future and what life would be like with Rin. He already knew she was going to be in his life forever. Though it was sad to think Rin may still have doubts considering her mortality.
That won't happen Rin. I won't let it. We will prosper together.
Sesshomaru began to imagine not only a forever lifetime with Rin, but also with Inuyasha and Kagome. He and Inuyasha would play and fight evil as friends and as a family. Perhaps they would team up and once again fight a common enemy. Only this time, Sesshomaru would not reject Inuyasha but welcome help from his little brother. Rin and Kagome would blossom into successful and beautiful women who care and love their demon/human men. Their legacy would live on and who knows, maybe even have little ones...but the important thing was, they would all be a family.
Sesshomaru slowly opened his eyes. He wanted to go back and see Rin. His future was with her. After watching Inuyasha and Kagome, he knew what he had to do. He took off in the direction she was at.
Inuyasha heard the rustle in the leaves as Sesshomaru left and glanced where he once was. He saw nothing for Sesshomaru was gone.
"What is it Inuyasha? Did you hear something? What is it? A demon? Is it after us?!" Kagome put her hand on Inuyasha and nervously looked in the same direction Inuyasha was.
Normally Inuyasha would have snapped at Kagome for asking a million questions at once, but this time he didn't. Instead, his concerned expression changed to a more melancholy look. Inuyasha had picked up on Sesshomaru's scent just before he vanished.
What was Sesshomaru doing here? Was he spying on me and Kagome? Did he come here to watch how she and I are with one another because we have a relationship with one another that he will never have with Rin? Was he possibly feeling sad about something happening to Rin because he can't destroy the stone?
So many thoughts were going on in Inuyasha's head. He was starting to feel emotional all over again. He really did feel bad for Sesshomaru. Not only for his ego problem with never wanting anything to do with him, but also for Rin. Now, Inuyasha didn't know the whole story but he suspected something was up with Rin and it had to do with that Meido Stone. He already suspected Rin had fallen ill when he came across a distraught Sesshomaru earlier.
Wait, is the Meido Stone making her sick?
Suddenly, it dawned on Inuyasha what Totosai wanted him to do.
"Hey Kagome, I'll be right back..."
…...
Sesshomaru came back to Rin who was fast asleep in a bed of flowers. Jaken was there too and had been keeping a close eye on her.
"Sesshomaru! Jaken squealed! It's so good to see you!" He leaped for his master but missed as Sesshomaru dodged him.
"Jaken." Sesshomaru said with much seriousness in his voice.
"Yes?" Jaken always panicked a little when Sesshomaru said his name with that serious tone he always seemed to use on him.
"What is with the flowers?" Sesshomaru picked some up, smelled them, and then gasped. He dropped the flowers, then gently lifted Rin up and held her in his arms.
Even though Jaken figured Sesshomaru knew what the flowers were for, he went ahead and began to explain the situation.
"She got sick again, Lord Sesshomaru. A few days ago, I went to get these for her in case..." He clapped his hands over his mouth when he realized he almost admitted he got the flowers in case Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to destroy the stone on his own.
Sesshomaru didn't seem to mind. He held Rin close to him before taking off.
"Leaving again?! Where!" Jaken whined. He watched as Sesshomaru left him.
…...
"There, all finished." Totosai held the sword he just got done forging and admired it. He had finished it just in time for he was about to receive a visitor...any minute now.
"Totosai!" Sesshomaru's voice boomed through the opening in the mountain.
"Ahh Sesshomaru, just in time." Totosai looked up and greeted Sesshomaru with a grin. He held out the sword to him.
Sesshomaru still had Rin in his arms, but gently took the sword with his left hand and looked it over. It was a beautiful sword with a long blade that sparkled and the handle was a metallic silver. He swung it a couple times.
"Are you ready to do this Sesshomaru?" A voice said near the entrance where Sesshomaru came in.
Sesshomaru looked and saw Inuyasha standing there with his Tetsaiga. He nodded at Sesshomaru.
"Wonderful. What perfect timing from both of you guys." Totosai looked pleased.
"So Sesshomaru, where is it? This stone we are supposed to destroy?" Inuyasha went and stood pretty close to Sesshomaru and waited for his response.
Sesshomaru put the sword on the ground and then reached into his pocket. He held out his hand. The stone was there.
Inuyasha wowed at it. He looked to Sesshomaru and gave him an encouraging look. "You ready to destroy it? Together?"
"Not in here boys. Take it outside." Totosai pointed to the exit.
"Let's go Sesshomaru. The sooner the better right?" Inuyasha started to walk out.
Sesshomaru was almost in a trance. He followed Inuyasha outside.
Once outside and on the ground, Inuyasha faced Sesshomaru.
"Look Sesshomaru, I understand you are eager to destroy this thing, so we should hop on it." Inuyasha lifted his sword.
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru spoke with some irritability in his voice. He gently put Rin, who was still asleep, on the ground and lowered his sword. "Aren't you going to ask why you are here?"
Inuyasha lowered his sword too. "I know, Sesshomaru. Rin is sick and it's because of this thing isn't it?" He pointed to the stone in Sesshomaru's hand. "Right?"
Sesshomaru stared at Inuyasha.
"Well, Inuyasha said impatiently, let's do it!"
Sesshomaru said nothing but put the stone on the ground in front of them.
Together, the two brothers lifted their swords and with a might swing, destroyed the stone. Once they did, a male voice spoke.
"My sons, because you have put aside your differences and chose the difficult task of working together, you have awoken a great and wondrous power. The human child Sesshomaru has grown to love will now be spared of this sickness that has overcome her. In addition, her mortality will know no end. She shall live as long as Sesshomaru does. When he perishes, so shall she."
Sesshomaru looked at Rin. Her eyes were finally open. She got up and ran to Sesshomaru, who welcomed her with open arms.
Gone were the days when they had to wonder if they would be able to be together forever.
The End...