Complete the Circle
Chapter Twenty-Five: Possession
He exited the school, calmly walking to the car where Jaken was waiting for him. He wondered briefly what caused the old youkai to even stay with him this long, but he wasn't complaining. Heaven knew that his solitary quest to be the strongest, to be the best, to be better than his father were things that drove friends away. A youkai can only endure so long supporting a friend's endless quest before they left.
"Sesshoumaru-sama," croaked the age old youkai. "To Hayashi-sama's, correct?" Sesshoumaru nodded in reply as he got into the car. There were some things that he wished to discuss with the man who used to be a lord under his father.
He watched the scenery around him pass by and his mind began to drift. When was the last time that he had had a true friend? That's right, before Hikaru met his wife. He couldn't believe it when Hikaru had told him that he was the reincarnation of his father, and that his wife was the reincarnation of his mother.
He remembered the day they told him. Musashino had been born, and he nearly let an emotion slip out when he first saw the child. The child's soft silver hair and pale dog like ears reminded him too much of his hanyou half-brother who had died near five hundred years ago. And it didn't help to have Tamako whisper the name "Inuyasha" as soon as she had seen him.
He propped his head up with one hand, still looking out of the window. Inuyasha… A half-brother that displayed great emotions of adoration to him when he was still a child, yet seemed to forever hate him when he was a teen. He had felt uncomfortable around the small child Musashino for the first few months, but for some reason or another, the little Musashino insisted on seeking him out as a playmate. He had to admit, those were the most embarrassing times of his life, but he wouldn't trade them for anything else in the world. He felt a smile sneak into his face as he remembered that Musashino always wanted to have a piggyback ride on him. He hated to admit it to others, but he always felt himself feel happy whenever he got the chance to play with him.
His felt his smile leave when he remembered that as a child, Inuyasha had acted the exact same way towards him, too. He couldn't get rid of the hanyou whenever he was at his father's house. Back then, he had despised the small child, and had tried his best to stay away from the boy's tainted blood. But as time wore on, he grew slightly fond of the child, but he was never able to do anything about it for soon his father died, and his father's wife and child were hidden away from those that would do them harm.
Sesshoumaru knew that his father's wife had returned to her father's castle, but never went to find them. He had his own problems then. His father's lords were starting to bicker among themselves about who was to be the ruler while the heir was still too young for the job. Sesshoumaru had felt indignant at their comments, but refrained from killing them, and decided to go on a quest to search for more power. He remembered that Hayashi-sama had told him to not worry about his power and take the role of Lord, but he had refused the old man's advice. They were right. If he was ever to be half the ruler his father was, he would have to be as strong as his father.
So he spent over a decade looking for power, losing friends and allies because he lost contact with them, until finally the only one left was Jaken. He had heard that his stepmother had died long ago, leaving her small son alone in the world, but had never really gone out to look for his half-brother. At times, he had felt guilty for abandoning his half-brother, but he had always managed to convince himself it was for the best. It was hard enough acquiring enough power to convince the lords he was capable of ruling, much less running around frolicking with a hanyou.
So when he had heard that his brother had been killed, he had been more than shocked. Someone with the blood of his father, even if it was tainted by a human's, should have never been killed while they were still so young. He had rushed to the place where Inuyasha was rumored to have been killed, and was shocked once again with what he saw.
His half-brother was pinned to a great God tree, his expression peaceful in death. He had cared for Inuyasha, even if he had never really shown it that well, and to see his brother look so peaceful in death hurt him more than words could. To think that his brother was so tired of his life that he sought peace in death was something that pained Sesshoumaru. For the first time since he left Inuyasha, he felt that perhaps he should have done things differently. Perhaps he should have found Inuyasha while he was still a child. Screw the council and the lords. His brother was more important to him than the position as a lord. It was something that Sesshoumaru realized too late.
But he wasn't an unreasonable type. His brother had died, but that didn't mean that he had to end his life, too. So he began his quest for power with renewed vigor. This time, he would not settle for being equal to his father. This time, he must surpass his father. He would not make the same mistake that his father made by going soft on his subjects. If there was one fault that his father had, it was that he was too soft. His sympathy for others was the root cause of his own death as well as the deaths of his wife and son. Had he ruled with an iron fist, perhaps his human wife and hanyou son would never have had to run away and hide from his subjects for fear of being killed, and perhaps the dragon would not have been able to even come close to injuring him. Had he been colder, then perhaps he never would have had the problem of having a human wife.
So for fifty years he searched for power, until finally he heard of a treasure sword that his father had had. Tetsusaiga, a sword that could kill a hundred youkai in one swing. Surely if he had that sword, he would be at least equal to his father in strength. So he began searching for his father's grave, knowing that the sword must be hidden there. And in the middle of his search, he heard that Inuyasha had returned to life. It was not possible, yet when Sesshoumaru went to confirm it for himself, he saw his brother alive and well, bickering with a human girl.
He decided to leave his brother alone, until Jaken suggested that perhaps his half-brother knew where their father's grave was located. So he followed along with Jaken's plan, not really believing that Inuyasha would fall into Mu-onna's trap. He had been surprised and saddened when his brother did fall into the trap, realizing that Inuyasha really had no one in the world. He had no one except his mother, which was why he had fallen so easily. When the girl had broken the spell on Inuyasha, he decided that he would kill his brother. The dead should stay dead, and Inuyasha didn't really have anything to live for, anyway. He would just retrieve the sword from his father's grave, then be done with his brother.
But the sword refused to acknowledge him as master, and then Inuyasha defeated him with Tetsusaiga. He could not understand how his brother was able to even injure him, much less cut his entire arm off. He rubbed his arm absentmindedly. It had taken a couple hundred years, but his arm had finally grown back.
He realized that Inuyasha had only unlocked the power within the sword because he wanted to protect the human. He decided to investigate the matter and discovered that the human girl looked like the girl that Inuyasha once loved. He had thought that Inuyasha had only lived for this girl, and the thought alone had caused Sesshoumaru to pity his brother. To live only for another person was a sad life indeed, so he became more determined than ever to end his brother's life. Tetsusaiga, if he could ever wield it, would just be a bonus.
But the longer he observed his brother, the more uncertain his decision to kill him was. His brother never showed much of his emotions except for irritation and anger, so he could never really understand what his brother was thinking. Then, in one particularly desperate battle for Inuyasha, his brother released the cutting wind while unconscious. He knew then that there was something else his brother lived for, and it was not just to protect his woman. He could have run off with that girl anytime during the battle and escape, yet he had stayed. Was it because his brother refused to abandon his other companions?
He never really understood his brother, but understanding came a bit closer when he met Rin. He finally understood why his father might have loved a human and why his brother hung around them.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, we're here," Jaken said, jerking him out of his reverie. He got out of the car and entered the large house. Mr. Hayashi was there to greet him.
"It's been some time since you've last visited," Mr. Hayashi said, inviting him inside. "Rin was about to call the police for fear that something had happened to you."
"I don't understand why she was so worried about me," Sesshoumaru replied in an emotionless voice.
"You know they're both fond of you. I suppose children can better intercept and understand the feeling they get from you," Mr. Hayashi said, gesturing for him to sit down.
"What do you mean?" asked Sesshoumaru, taking his seat.
"You have an aura that seems very friendly, if you ask me," Mr. Hayashi said.
"You are kidding, correct?" questioned Sesshoumaru, wondering if the old man was mocking him.
"I'm just taking guesses. Who knows why those kids love you?" Mr. Hayashi said lightly.
They probably only like me because they met me in their past life, Sesshoumaru thought. But that doesn't really explain Inuyasha, does it?
"We're here!" the two adult youkai heard two voices shout, running around the house. Inuyasha entered the room they were in first.
"Rin! Onii-chan's here!" he shouted down the hallway, getting another pair of pattering footsteps to arrive at the room.
"Onii-chan! Rin was very worried about you," the little girl said, running to Sesshoumaru and hugging him tightly. "You didn't even call Rin or tell Rin where you were going."
"I'm sorry, Rin," Sesshoumaru said, patting the girl lightly on the head. Mr. Hayashi was giving him "I told you so" looks.
"Musashino, take Rin and go prepare some tea for us," Mr. Hayashi said. "And don't break anything this time!" He could hear the two kids running off towards the kitchen.
"Hayashi-sama, the reason I'm here is because—" started Sesshoumaru, but Mr. Hayashi interrupted.
"Because of Miroku, isn't it?" asked Mr. Hayashi. Sesshoumaru nodded. "You suspect that that particular youkai had something to do with it, don't you?"
"I have more than suspicions about that," Sesshoumaru replied. "After all, everything happened on his territory." Mr. Hayashi was about to say something when they both heard Rin screaming. The two adults rushed out to the hallway, only to find Rin unconscious on the floor with Musashino standing near her. The illusion of the girl's black hair soon disappeared, and her original silver hair appeared. Sesshoumaru could feel the illusion spell on Rin being sucked, as well as the girl's youki. The only person he knew who could do that was Musashino.
He had been in the kitchen, putting the tea in the teapot when he had suddenly felt strange. He felt like his mind was being blanketed and the next thing he knew was throwing the teapot at his little sister.
"Nii-chan?" Rin had said, scared. He felt his body move forward without his command to hit the girl, but she promptly ran out of the kitchen, screaming. It was a good thing Rin was a smart kid, or else she would have been hurt.
He felt himself follow her outside the kitchen, all the while trying to get his body to move the way he commanded it to. Suddenly he saw his hand grab Rin's hand, and a moment later, she was on the floor, unconscious. He could feel her youki and the power of the spell being drained into him, and tried to get himself to move away from her, but couldn't. He saw his sister's familiar silver hair return.
"Musashino! What do you think you're doing?!" asked his grandfather, shocked by his grandson's behavior. I don't know what I'm doing! I can't even control my body right now, much less do anything! Inuyasha wanted to say, but couldn't.
"Hayashi-sama, if we don't get Musashino away, Rin will…" Inuyasha heard Sesshoumaru say. Was he killing Rin? He tried to get even one of his fingers to twitch, but nothing worked. He felt suffocated by his own mind.
He saw his grandfather move towards him, and wanted to warn him away, but he couldn't make a sound. His grandfather grabbed his wrist and was about to pull him away when his grandfather suddenly collapsed, the contact with his skin causing his youki to be drained faster.
Ojii-chan! He wanted to scream.
Sesshoumaru quickly pulled the old man away from Inuyasha. Inuyasha could feel his feet moving of their own accord and following Sesshoumaru.
"Who are you?" he heard him ask, but he wasn't sure if Sesshoumaru was asking him, or if he was really asking someone else. Inuyasha felt himself charge at Sesshoumaru, trying to grab him to drain the dog youkai of his youki. Sesshoumaru dodged the attack and backed up, keeping some distance between him and Inuyasha. Inuyasha could see that Sesshoumaru didn't seem to be looking too well. His illusion of being a human soon fell away and he saw the pointed ears and blue stripes that ran across his "Onii-chan's" face. Sesshoumaru raised one hand and Inuyasha saw a glowing whip-like thing appear. He brought the whip down on Inuyasha, but Inuyasha evaded the attack.
He could see that with every minute that Sesshoumaru spent in his presence, he was getting more and more tired. Inuyasha could feel a sort of emptiness in his mind increase with every burst of youki that his body absorbed. He fought the emptiness, trying to expel the youki that his body kept on acquiring.
Sesshoumaru kept on backing up until they were now both in the large garden in the back of his grandfather's house. There he saw Sesshoumaru collapse on one knee, breathing with difficulty. Inuyasha fought against his body with new strength. He was not going to allow Sesshoumaru to die because of him.
He was surprised when he felt him hand twitch slightly.
"I have no choice but to destroy you…Otouto," he heard Sesshoumaru say. What did he just call me? Little brother? But we're not related by blood, and he's never called me that before…
He saw Sesshoumaru transform into a large white dog.
"Kill him," he heard an unfamiliar voice say. Or was the voice really unfamiliar? He felt as if though he had heard of this voice somewhere…
His body jerked forward and ran to Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha knew that if he didn't do something soon, one touch with Sesshoumaru and his half-brother would die.
Half-brother? What…?
Don't remember! You must not remember! That voice was different from the voice he heard before. It was…his own voice?
He felt something in him crack and open slightly.
No! I must not remember!
Inuyasha put all his strength into his right leg, kicking it sideways, causing himself to trip. As soon as he fell on the ground, he could feel whatever it was that had been controlling him be sucked into him. The opening within him that he had felt earlier disappeared. He heard Sesshoumaru breath a sigh of relief as he got up shakily, glad that he was controlling his body again. Sesshoumaru transformed back.
"I'm glad you're back…Musashino."