13 – Brothers

It was all quiet in the room of the Taisho family. Inuyasha was standing at the doorway, and on the floor sat his mother and father... and his big brother Sesshomaru.

"What the FUCK are YOU doing in here?!" the boy barked.

"Try to behave, son", Inutaisho tried to calm the situation. "You know how these things go. As I have told you, everyone's time comes, and..."

"Fuck the times! This is ridiculous! I have been dead for about two months and now even

the last member of the Taisho family is dead! This is outrageous! So incredibly SAD!"

"Inu-"

"And I will NOT share my room with that dickhead! Give him a tent so he can sleep in the garden!"

"As his big brother, try to understand", Inutaisho whispered in Sesshomaru's ear. "He's just upset, that's all." Inutaisho turned at his younger son, sighed, got up and walked to him. He placed his hand on his shoulder and tried to act happy. "Believe me, you two will learn to love each other in time!"

"I'm outta here!" Inuyasha snorted and stormed out of the room. Everyone stared after him in deep silence.

"...Well that went well", Izayoi sighed quietly.

"Remember, he's just a teen", Inutaisho said as he pet Sesshomaru's back.

"But not a negative aged brat", Sesshomaru said with his cold, calm voice. Inuyasha's words didn't offend him. They never had. In fact, almost nothing could offend him.

.

Inuyasha marched through the castle's corridors, mumbling curse words. He was looking for his friend Zaki, so he could share the news with someone he trusted. Sometimes, Zaki was almost like a psychiatrist to him. He could always talk to him.

He sniffed the air, trying to catch Zaki's scent. It took a while, when he finally found him – swimming in a lake with some other spirits.

"Zaki!" Inuyasha shouted and jogged to the lakefront.

"Oh, hi, Inu!" the dragon boy smiled and waved his hand. "Wanna join swimming?"

"No. I've got some news for you."

"... Right", Zaki nodded. "Well, just a minute, I'll get my clothes.

Zaki got dressed up pretty quickly. He walked to Inuyasha.

"So. What have you done now?" he grinned humorously.

"Nothing. I am the victim this time", Inuyasha growled. "You see, I have a brother – half-brother – and we didn't really get along back at the world of living... And now that idiot is here! Can you believe it?!"

"Hehe, your family has just died out", Zaki grinned.

"I know this day would happen sooner or later... But not THIS soon!"

"Considering the fact that you will be here together for quite a long while, you should really try to talk to him. You can form brotherly love in time."

"You don't know him", Inuyasha shook his head, eyes closed. "He hates me", he sighed, sounding actually a bit sad.

"But what about you?"

"Well I... I don't hate him", Inuyasha mumbled. "I always wished he would be there for me when I was little, after my mom had died. I remember looking for him, and how after months of searching, I found him... And he rejected me completely. He said only a few words: 'go away'. And ever since then we grew apart. And when me met, we almost always fought. He Did have his chances to kill me a few times... but he never did. But I admit I have done something that's a good reason for him to hate me... I chopped off his left arm."

"Whoa... But you don't need to worry about that. He got his arm back after coming here."

Inuyasha nodded.

"But now I really think you should try to accept him. Tell him about your real feelings towards him, tell him what you just told me."

"What if he rejects me again?"

"Don't worry, you can't fight here!" Zaki winked.

Inutaisho and Sesshomaru were walking the corridor towards their room. They had just been to the King. It was time for Sesshomaru choosing his protege. This question was maybe even more silly than Inuyasha choosing Kagome – of course Sesshomaru would choose Rin.

"How can I protect here as much as possible?" Sesshomaru asked his father.

"You can follow her as an angel. But as you might already known, we spirits can't control the time of our protege's death. All we do is to prevent them of committing suicide and get badly hurt."

"But where will she go? She is out there all alone with just Jaken And Ah-Un with her. How can she manage when I just suddenly died?"

"Hm... Maybe Jaken is wise and good-hearted to find a village for her", Inutaisho thought out loud. "You remember the village where Inuyasha and his friends lived?"

"Yes. But still, I do not think Jaken would be able to something that complicated."

"Then ask your little brother. I think he can help you out."

When the dog-men got to their family room, they saw both Inuyasha and Izayoi sitting on the floor. Inuyasha was leaning against his mother, and she stroke his head.

"Honey, you had something to tell your brother", Izayoi smiled and stopped stroking.

"You too", confirmed Inutaisho, looking at Sesshomaru. "We'll be leaving."

After the room's door was shut, the brothers looked at each other, all quiet, Inuyasha's ears drooping. Sesshomaru sat down opposite him. They looked in each other's eyes.

"Well okay I'm sorry", Inuyasha said fast.

"... About what?" Sesshomaru asked.

"About your arm. I shouldn't have chopped it off", he shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry."

"No. I am sorry", Sesshomaru said, calm. "I should have helped you out when you would have needed me. And how I treated you like rubbish all your life.

"So, maybe..." Inuyasha's eyes lit up. "...We can call it quits and wipe the slate clean?"

"Yes", Sesshomaru nodded and raised his hand towards his brother. Inuyasha smiled and so they shoot hands

For a while they just sat there. They would have so much to say, but didn't know where to start. When finally...

"I have something to ask you", Sesshomaru said, turning at Inuyasha. "A favor."

"Huh?"

"Father said you could help me out with protecting Rin."

"How could I help her?"

"Father told me you, unlike almost all of us in here, can turn material for a while every now and then."

"Yes."

"Could you perhaps go to Rin and lead her to the village where you and your friends used to live?"

"Well, yea, I guess..." Inuyasha rubbed his left ear. "I'm pretty sure they will accept her. It wouldn't even be the first time Kaede had met Rin..."

"Then please do it as soon as possible", Sesshomaru said, looking very serious. "She is in grave danger out there."

"I have saved my spiritual powers for meeting Kagome..." Inuyasha said, his ears drooping. Then he sighed. "But I guess this is more important."

Inutaisho and Izayoi had left the boys and gone to the dining room for some lunch. After eating, they headed back to their family room. They opened the door and stepped in...

"Sesshomaru, where is Inuyasha?" Inutaisho asked. "Did he run away again?" he sighed.

"No, no, it's okay", Sesshomaru said calm. "We got to talk a bit. More than ever before. And now he's back there in the world of the living to lead Rin to safety."

"Whoa! He actually agreed to do that?"

"Yes. We don't hate each other anymore, but even if we did, he knows Rin is just a little, innocent child, and has nothing to do with our relationship."

Inuyasha had just arrived at Kagome's house yard. He knew Kagome was at school. He had planned to go with her right before he saw his brother, but now things had gone a bit hard. He flew and landed on the bottom of the magical well, flew up and started looking around.

'She is there... behind the forest... at the field of flowers...' Inuyasha thought and got on his wings.

He flew for a while. He could sense Rin's presence stronger and stronger in every flap of wings.

When finally he saw her – sitting on a huge field of colorful flowers, with the two-headed dragon and a small frog-like creature next to her.

"Oi!" Inuyasha shouted out, waving his hand from the heights. Rin startled a bit and dropped her flower bouquet. Slowly, Inuyasha landed in front of her.

"Hey! Aren't you Sesshomaru-sama's lil' brother?" she asked, eyes wide. "I didn't know you had wings and you can fly..."

"Heh, things change, you know... But I am here to take you with me."

"Stop!" the frog-creature shouted out and ran between them. "Why do you care? We are waiting for Sesshomaru-sama to come back to us and..."

"He is dead."

Rin and Jaken stared at the dog boy.

"What? Dead? How?!" Jaken screamed. Rin stared at the flowers with a sad face, finally starting to cry.

"H-hey... Don't worry", Inuyasha said, holding his hand on the little girl's shoulder. "I am here to take you to a safe place to live in. Sesshomaru sent me."

"Wh-why didn't he come?"

"He can't. He simply can't. But now, let's not waste time! You get on that dragon, and follow me! If we fly fast, we'll be there in no time!"

It took no more than maybe fifteen minutes before they arrived at Kaede's village.

"Remember that village?" Inuyasha grinned at Rin while they were flying high above buildings. Rin smiled and nodded. They landed.

"Wait here", Inuyasha said and walked to the door. He knocked... And Miroku opened the door.

"OHMY-!" Miroku almost fell back after seeing his head friend standing in front of him. "Inuyasha! It's really Inuyasha!" And he hugged him with one arm. Inuyasha hugged back.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Sango. She, too, hugged her tight. "You have been gone for a while!"

"And I won't be here for long this time either..." Inuyasha said and revealed Rin and others behind his back. "Sesshomaru, too, just died – can you believe it? - and Rin needs shelter. I promised him to get here to you. Now, will you take her in?"

"Wait a sec", Miroku said and peeked into the hut. Soon, an old lady came out.

"Inuyasha..." she wondered. "You have really embraced the role of a guardian angel, leading a lost child here."

"Will you accept her?" Inuyasha asked.

"Of course", Kaede smiled with a nod, and looked at Ah-Uh and Jaken. You two are also welcome to stay."

Inuyasha would have some spiritual powers left to stay for a little longer with his Feudal friends, but now that the main thing he went there was complete, he decided to return to the Afterlife. He wanted to spare as much power he could for meeting Kagome.

Inuyasha found his way straight to his family room – he knew his big brother was there following his scent. He had his good news.

He knocked the door. All others were in, sitting on the floor.

Sesshomaru got straight to the point:

"How is Rin?"

Inuyasha walked to them and sat next to him.

"I got her to the village. He got taken in", Inuyasha smiled a bit. Then something unexpectable happened – Sesshomaru reached his left arm – the one that Used to be cut off – over his brother's shoulders and hugged gently.

"Thank you", the man whispered in the boy's ear. "Thank you so much."

The parents looked at each other, completely dumbfounded. They smiled. This atonement happened faster than any of them would have expected.