Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Inuyasha. Thank you.

Hello! Back again with another update. I want to thank all of you kind enought to review, and just tell you to enjoy the story. It's finished! Yeah! I just have to type all 19 chapters on the computer and upload them. This is only the sixth... Anyway, on to the story. Also, I upped the rating because of this chapter. It deals lightly with the subject of suicide, and I don't want to upset anyone. Also, language is teeny bit worse.

Chapter Six: O Brother, How You've Changed

I'll paint it on the walls

'Cause I'm the one at fault

I'll never fight again

And this is how it ends

-Linkin Park "Breaking the Habit"

He ran; he ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He wanted to run away from everything- run away from all that he felt. Some things, he had decided, were too much to bear. A human had bested him, and had transformed him into that which he despised. He, himself, was now a human, and it made his blood boil with rage to even look at his own body. At the shore of a small blue lake he stopped. That was the perfect place for his plan; no one would be there to do anything about it.

It was late in the afternoon when Kagome finally decided that it was time to stop. "Inuyasha!" she yelled to the half demon running ahead of them, "We're tired. There aren't any jewel shards nearby, and we've been looking for three days. It's time for a break."

"Feh!" Inuyasha said grumpily. "I'm sure Naraku is near. We only need to look a little further. I'm not giving up yet!" "Come on," Shippou whined, "Kagome is right. You just don't want to admit that you're tired." "Why you-"

But Inuyasha never got to finish that sentence, because upon noticing his fist precariously raised above a certain little kitsune's head, Kagome chose that moment to yell...

"OSUWARI!" And BAM! he hit the ground with a resounding smack. Miroku held back a snicker and said, "Perhaps you'll listen to Kagome now. You really shouldn't threaten innocent children."

So the rest of the group walked off peacefully, looking for a spot to relax, leaving an irritated Inuyasha behind. "Wait for me!" he yelled. They went on through a calm forest, not really meeting with anything of interest. It had been slow going lately, for there was not any trace of a shard, or the evil Naraku. All were eager for a chance to build up steam, or a good fight, in Inuyasha's case especially.

Soon they came upon a clearing between two large stretches of forest. It appeared to be nothing more than a lush meadow, and a small crystal lake. The whole group cautiously walked through, on the lookout for any danger. They didn't see any however, and so happily made their way over to the sparkling water.

"Oh no, look!" Kagome cried, "There's a man in the water. It looks like he's drowning." "So?" She glared daggers at the hanyou. He grumbled, and not wanting to once again awaken her wrath, he trudged over to the poor bather. "Hey," he said, nudging him with his foot, "are you alive?"

The man didn't look to be injured, other than the fact he was lying motionless, facedown, in a deep pool of water. It appeared as though they were too late. Just as the others came up to Inuyasha, a low growl was heard. The man slowly raised himself up out of the water. He started to speak, when his voice was caught by the sight of those standing over him. It seemed his day was only getting worse.

Sesshoumaru stared angrily into the face of his younger half-brother. Obviously they did not recognize him, and it must seem to them that he was just an ordinary, pathetic human. But he had proven just moments ago, that he was not an ordinary mortal at all. He had stayed the night at the lake, wondering how to break the curse. He half imagined going after the old woman for answers, but the thought of begging a human for help utterly repulsed him.

He glared up at Inuyasha, a tell-tale expression on his face. A flicker of recognition crossed in his brother's eyes, but it was not enough to start a flame. "Are you alright?" a young girl asked him sincerely. She was the girl that followed his brother everywhere, and he knew that she was the reincarnation of a powerful priestess.

"I do not need your worry," he said scathingly. "I am fine." He stood and walked a little further away from them. Then he sat himself down, underneath another tree. "You almost died," Inuyasha said briskly. "Don't you care?" The only answer he got was a glare.

Shippou, having wandered away from the group for a moment, suddenly came upon something surprising. "Kagome! Inuyasha! We need to get out of here! I found something!" He ran over, and accidentally bumped into the man. He was puzzled for a moment, and then it all clicked together.

"AAH!" he screamed, trying to scramble away. "Run everybody, run!" But he was caught and pulled back. He felt a jerk at his neck, and felt his feet being pulled off the ground.

"You recognize me now, do you?" Sesshoumaru whispered quietly. "I see. You must have found where I had hidden my swords. I am not the same any longer, as you can well see. It would be more difficult to kill you. However..." he let the last words hang in the air.

All the others soon noticed poor Shippou's predicament. "What's your problem?" Inuyasha asked. "Let Shippou go." He dropped him, and Shippou scurried over to hide behind Kagome. "You are not a normal man, are you?" Miroku asked. "You intended to die."

"Houshi-sama," Sango said, "what are you saying?" She looked over at Sesshoumaru. "Such a strange face. Why do I feel like I've fought with you before?"

Shippou looked around at everyone in turn. "Stop being stupid!" he said. "Don't you know who this is?" They all just shook their heads. "It's-" "That's enough." Sesshoumaru interrupted. "My scent has changed, and they never spent time memorizing my face. I am not looking for your acceptance or your pity; I will pay no heed to whatever you think. But it is truth that I am not who I seem."

"Then who the hell are you?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. "Cut the crap and spill it." Kagome looked curiously at him for a long moment, and then gave a strangled gasp. "Oh..." her eyes widened, and her mouth was hanging open. "It's a human," she said in a whisper, "but it's... it's... Inuyasha, it's Sesshoumaru."

Wanting to prove that his adoptive mother was indeed correct, Shippou rushed over to where Toukijin and Tenseiga were hidden. With some effort, he pulled them out. "Look!" he commanded. "This is evidence. It really is Sesshoumaru."

They all stared at the man- speechless. No one could utter a sound. He finally sighed and said, "Well, little brother, care to gloat?" He walked slowly past them to stand at the shore of the lake. "I angered an old run-down hag, and she chose to turn me into..." he looked down at his own body in disgust. "...I'm a worthless human now. And yes, I was hoping I would drown..."

Inuyasha stared at him in blatant disbelief. "Are you serious?" He suppressed a desire to laugh at his now helpless older brother. It was a cool breath of revenge to see him squirming in a form that he could not bear. But suicide... that was a little overboard for Inuyasha to really be rejoicing at.

Sesshoumaru whipped around to face him with an expression of pure rage on his face. "Why would I joke about something like this? Do not say such foolish, stupid things. You see that I am powerless now; I cannot even control my own sword." He cast an involuntary glance toward the bundle Shippou still held. "This is not how it was meant to be. It must be such fun for you, to see the half-brother who has always looked down upon you, and ridiculed your inferiority, to be reduced to a state such as this. I hate myself now, Inuyasha! Go ahead, say one more word."

But he wouldn't. It was unnerving to see Sesshoumaru so upset. His features were contorted by his anger, and his new, ebony-dark hair lay in disarray all around his face. He was almost unrecognizable as the same collected demon they had fought many times before. Kagome felt a surge of sorrow swell up in her heart, as she saw a desperate look enter his eyes.

"Here is your chance, hanyou," he whispered. "I am sure I am granting your fondest wish. Take the sword at your belt," everyone cast their eyes to the famous sword. He said the next part in a tone so low the humans had to strain to hear him. "And strike me down."

They all looked at him in shock. "You don't mean that..." Kagome said softly. "Stay out of this girl," he retorted. "I am going to die right here, and right now. It puts an even more poignant twist on the tale, that the sword I have always desired, is going to be the one that will end my life. Do it Inuyasha."

Time stood still. Every being there waited for the deciding moment to come. But imaginary seconds just ticked away. "What are you going to do Inuyasha?" Miroku asked him, breaking the fragile, tangible silence. "This is a decision you have to make now." "I know that you stupid monk!" he spat back. "But it isn't as easy just to do it."

"Any why not?" Sesshoumaru asked him coolly, stepping closer. He spread his arms wide, leaving his broad chest a target impossible to miss. "I don't deserve to live. Think of all the things I've done. I do not regret them at all; wouldn't you love to be the one to finally defeat me? This is an open chance. Take it now, damn it!"

Almost reluctantly Inuyasha drew the sword. "No, you can't!" Kagome cried. "He may have been horrible in his past, but this is a new chance for him. Everyone deserves a second chance." Her eyes started to squint up. "Even Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, even he needs another chance. He's depressed and angry right now, and killing him would only put blood on your hands. Don't..."

As much as he would like another chance to fight his brother, he knew the girl was right. It didn't matter if Sesshoumaru was begging him or not. He couldn't kill him, not when the fight was this much in his favor. "I... you're right Kagome. I won't kill him." Sesshoumaru looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Why? End my suffering... this is not what fate was supposed to deal me."

"You said it yourself," Inuyasha replied. "Your past sins were great. This is how you must atone." It was a mark of just how intense the occasion was, for even the usually abrupt and blunt hanyou spoke with a solemn and deeper air. There was nothing any of them could do for the once proud demon. He would have to live- somehow.

"This is a punishment worse than any I could have imagined," he said stonily. "And my efforts surely would have been fruitless in any case. I could not drown, so why should a sword be able to cut me down. I am going, and I... I do not know if I shall ever live again."

It was difficult to watch him defeatedly trudge away. Suddenly, a flash of memory came to Kagome. A certain conversation with her cousin and the man she was engaged to came to her mind. "Sesshoumaru," she called after him uncertainly, "I was told to tell you that... that you will be happy. One day, you will find your sun."

He shook his head. "No." All his hopes were gone, and any sanity or pride left was crushed against the rocks of imminent immortality. The words of the curse struck him as he recalled the day in his mind. He couldn't die... There was only one place he knew to go- the village with the absurdly trusting girl. Perhaps there he could regain his bearings, or find a way to lift the unbelievable burden placed upon him. Nothing mattered to him anymore, and he parted from his brother for one final time, leaving both his weapons behind. Toukijin was evil; Inuyasha was instructed to destroy it. Tenseiga never served him well anyway, and he saw no point in keeping it. A tinge of guilt, because of the new humane part of heart, was felt at leaving his father's last gift, but his mind told him to ignore it.

There was nothing left for him anymore, and in an instant he became numb. His soul gave up on everything. Everything became nothing...

A/N: Well, this chapter took a while to write. I am so pleased at how this story is going, that I just had to stay up and finish. But I am so tired. Oh, and I feel a little guilty. I stole an idea! The intense conversation between the brothers was inspired by another show. (My favorite of all time!) I did change the words (a lot), but I don't own that either.

This may be my favorite so far... but it's kinda sad. Review if you wanna.

Love and Peace! -A.D.D.