Inuyasha flew through the trees as if this were nothing for him. His feet confidently reached every tree branch and his eyes stayed ahead of him in concentration. He hopped to the ground easily and looked about him to survey his surroundings. He was in a quiet clearing lined with humungous trees. Inuyasha had seen Sesshomaru camp here with his companions before, but now no one was here and there wasn't a trace left of his brother. Where else could he be?
Maybe the lord was hiding from him. After all, they both knew what tonight was and it was already getting dark. He had to get back to Kaede's village soon as well because Kagome was waiting for him. He just had to tell Sesshomaru the news before he left for good. He frantically craned his neck to the ground as he sniffed for his brother's unmistakable scent. His eyes narrowed, as he smelled his brother not far from where he stood now.
In the moonlight I felt your heart…
He sped off once again, praying his demonic powers would stick just until he found the youkai lord. A smirk crept to his lips as up ahead he saw his brother in another clearing positioned in the middle of it, as if knowing Inuyasha were coming. He looked as if he may be waiting for him, too, which was the strangest part. Inuyasha stopped his fast feet movement just in time to get right in front of Sesshomaru. This caught the demon's attention.
"Inuyasha." He started as he always did when they saw each other. Instead of saying the other's name, he only nodded in response. The major feud between them had long ended now that Naraku was gone. Things had been getting a lot better actually ever since the fateful death. Not to say they were friends or anything, but they weren't complete enemies either. They had at least stopped trying to kill each other though.
Quiver like a bowstring's pulse…
"I have something I wanted to talk to you about. It's really important and I don't have a lot of time." Inuyasha started off in a desperate, out of breath voice. He was actually a bit afraid of telling Sesshomaru what he was going to have to. He knew of his hidden feelings for the demon, more than a brother should have type of feelings, but he also knew of the lord's attraction to himself. In the end, neither of them had decided to make a move on this and now it was too late.
"I'm listening." Sesshomaru's hair blew around him in small waves of silver silk. It shown it's radiant color against the sun's dying rays beautifully. When Inuyasha only stared instead of continuing, the lord sat down on a nearby rock and pushed Inuyasha down onto it as well. "What is it you have to say, little brother?"
In the moon's pure light, you looked at me…
"Oh yeah…Well, I'm going away. I'm going to the Present Time with Kagome because, well…there's nothing left for me here…" With those words Inuyasha could tell it upset his brother more than a bit. In his eyes flashed a stroke of pain to his heart, but then after that, he looked as icy as ever. What Inuyasha also knew was that he lied. He had so much here. His whole past, and Miroku and Sango and Shippou. He had Sesshomaru. He had everything here, but Kagome had pleaded with him to go with her so here he was.
"What do these plans have to do with me?" Sesshomaru's voice was fixed on coldness and it felt worse than before. Suddenly Inuyasha felt his powers begin to drain. He looked up and saw the last bit of the sun's light go down under the horizon. He closed his eyes tightly.
Nobody knows your heart…
"It doesn't really have anything to do with you, ya bastard. I just wanted to tell you in case you decided you really cared and wanted to miss me. Just a thought, okay? Sorry to bother you." He was about to jump away now. He knew Sesshomaru hated humans, that would never change. And now he was about to be one. The New Moon always came just when he didn't need it!
An iron grip took hold on his arm though before he could get his behind off the rock. "Inuyasha, you can't just-" A gasp. He'd never heard his brother sound surprised. It was interesting. "The New Moon has taken its toll on you I see…" He cleared his throat. His hold loosened a tad. Silence, and then…
When the sun has gone I see you…
"Inuyasha, you can't just tell me this and run away like that. Why are you doing this? What's in the Present for you? Do you really think you can fit in there? You are a demon. You can never fit in with the miko's people." His voice was now softer. Maybe even a bit concerned for his brother's welfare. But it also held a familiarity of disgust for his human side. He decided to ignore the rudeness for now. Inuyasha stared at him again. Did he want him to go?
"What would it matter to you if I went anyway?" It was a whisper. And then the hand let go of his arm. Inuyasha's blue hair fell over one of his violet eyes, only to be brushed back by a clawless hand. It was Sesshomaru's turn to stare emotionlessly. His eyes narrowed before he said something.
Beautiful and haunting, but cold…
"Don't you see? Are you that blind as to not know why I'm being this way?" He paused to see if he could answer, but somehow his vocal cords wouldn't work. "You truly are the half breed I thought you were then. I guess I thought too highly of you." This made Inuyasha growl menacingly. He thought to bare his fangs, but then remembered he didn't have any right now.
"I don't care if you think I'm stupid. Just tell me whether you care or not." Inuyasha was dreadfully annoyed, but for the sake of getting answers, he tried to keep it out of his voice. He peered into Sesshomaru's eyes with curiosity, trying to find any hidden answers in the valleys of gold. But found nothing until the voice of the owner rang in his ears.
Like the blade of a knife, so sharp and so sweet…
"You want to know if a care about you?" A stiff nod came from the hanyou. This was starting to scare him. A thin chill ran up his spine, stopping to tickle the middle for a moment and then continuing. "Inuyasha…" A strained voice harbored the air, making it thick. "At the end of the day, there's no changing the fact that we are related. That we are brothers…Well, half brothers. And for this reason, I care." Inuyasha's eyebrows shot to his hairline.
His jaw wanted to drop and his mouth wanted to say, 'Really?', but he knew better than to provoke the wrath of this lord. So to make up he only uttered a, "Thank you."
Nobody knows your heart…
Then his mind sped backwards to the questions his brother posed for him before. Before he called him stupid… "Sesshomaru, I know there may not be much for me in the Present, but there is Kagome." His words seeped weakness and blind joy of what may come, but also held a tone of despair. He couldn't go back on this now.
"So then…you do love this human. How fitting." He was referring to his human side again. Sesshomaru stood to leave then, but was caught at the back of his haori by Inuyasha. The grip was fierce and the youkai thought to turn around and just slash his brother to ribbons. But something prevented him from doing so.
All of your sorrow, grief and pain…
"I'm going because she asked me to and there could be something there." Inuyasha gulped a sigh at the next thing he was going to say. "I waited long enough for you…" This made the full demon turn around, but he didn't harm his brother in any way. He only glared. But then at seeing his brother look at him with such depression and remorse, it lightened to a mere glance.
"I know." Sesshomaru spoke honestly. "And I'm sorry." Inuyasha's eyes widened at the words. They weren't good enough. They were just stupid words, god damnit! He felt his human emotions race through his heart and lace it with feelings. The next thing the half breed knew, he had his arms thrown around Sesshomaru's neck and pulling him close to his body tightly. "Inuyasha?" The query brought him out of the stupor.
Locked away in the forest of the night…
"Oh…uh…woops…" The arms slipped away a bit. His incoherent mumbles were forgotten though when he felt a pair of equally strong arms wrap around his waist. He had returned the embrace. "I…I know I want to go with her…" He felt the arms grow a bit limp. "But I also know part of me wants to stay here with you." With you… The words floated in the air like butterflies for what seemed like forever in the quiet. And yet in his min it was nothing but calamity as it screamed to get away from Sesshomaru. But his heart shouted in a voice even louder. It told him to stay with his brother. And then…
"I want you to stay, too." Sesshomaru sighed. "And yet I know you must go. So…go." The grab he had on Inuyasha slackened until it had released on him. Inuyasha felt ashamed and didn't know where to go from there. So he turned around and looked back at the path he'd come from so confident and boldly. Now he went back stricken with grief and sorrow. He felt a hand on his lower back pushing him forward and a whisper in his ear. "Go. I can wait."
Your secret heart belongs to the world…
Inuyasha stumbled forward like he was surrounded by darkness. Then something popped into his mind. There was one thing and one thing only that would make him stay for his brother. He not only wanted love, but acceptance. "Sesshomaru? Do you accept me even as a human?" No response, but he knew the lord was still behind him. "If you do, I will stay. If you do not, then this is goodbye."
Then he heard his brother's voice, but it was not what he wanted to hear. "No. Goodbye Inuyasha." Then without further thought, he rushed forward back to Kaede's village. Sure, tears stung his eyes and threatened to fall, but he would never let them get the better of him. Sesshomaru even said he could wait just as he had.
Of the things that sigh in the dark…
It was settled. He would go to the Present with Kagome and try to live. If things didn't turn out well, then his brother was always the next option. Right now, all he could do was concentrate on Kagome. It was just bad luck that she couldn't ease his aching heart like he knew his brother could.
The priestess' smile greeted him as well as her large yellow backpack when he got back to the village. He felt like breaking down, but he wouldn't do that to Kagome. She hugged him, but it didn't seem that same. "Let's go, Inuyasha."
The last thing Inuyasha saw of his home before he disappeared into the well was a pair of yellow eyes half hidden in tree branches. Glimmering with hope, and maybe even tears? Or maybe it was love. Blue and purple lights drowned out the image then.
Oh the things that cry in the dark…
-PL
Nobody Knows You Heart from Princess Mononoke