The Library

By Anonymous Malink

Disclaimer, I do no own any Inuyasha like subjects in copyrighted form.

Part Fourteen - Procession of Changes

'Uggggh… room spinning, head hurting… never again.'

"Inuyasha…"

"WHAT?!"

"I'm about to get the air horn."

"Wait… what?"

Inuyasha looked out from underneath his barricade of pillows he had strategically placed to block out noise during the night, and blinked twice, unearthing the portrait of a business attired Sesshoumaru, and a slightly disgruntled yet smiling Rin. Her hair was frazzled as if she just woke up, however even though her lack of makeup said otherwise, she seemed like… well like Rin.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and pulled the covers off of him. "Inuyasha, get up and get decent. It doesn't take more than a second thought from me t-…"

"Ok… jeez." Inuyasha turned to his side and pushed himself up. He looked at the alarm clock, which read 7:21. He wiped at his brow, and then tossed the remaining sheets off of him and slipped his feet off the bed. "But if you want to keep your eyes in their sockets-…"

"Leaving."

Sesshoumaru and Rin quickly scuttled out of the room just as Inuyasha began looking through his drawers for something decent. He was going back to his mother's house for what would seem like the last time. Sesshoumaru had told him many times that living with his mother would create an atmosphere that would eventually lead to chronic depression like his mother, ergo Inuyasha would live with him and Rin until he graduates and is able to live by himself. His mother waved the green flag, agreeing that it would be a better living environment.

Inuyasha threw on a nice shirt and some long pants, hoping it would keep him warm in the cold that awaited him outside. For the entire week he had stayed at Sesshoumaru's little ranch like apartment in the middle of nowhere. It was almost reminiscent of the huge backyard he used to play in as a kid at his grandmother's house. It was full of dirt, with no fences, a creek running through the perimeter almost, and a forest in the back. He would always go to visit as a small child… in the autumnal seasons.

Autumn was passing fast. Only two weeks officially left of the wonder-filled season, and in those two weeks, the final event was scheduled to pass. The official 'rain' date of Sesshoumaru and Rin's wedding was to take place the in three days, when it was supposed to be a nice autumnal day. It would be directly followed by a reception, and following that they would leave to 'be alone' on the ranch, meaning Inuyasha would have to live with his mom for the remaining days of autumn.

Inuyasha opened the door to his room and went out into the hallway, following it down to the kitchen. Sesshoumaru and Rin were already sitting down, speaking tactlessly of the events of the next few days.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru interrupted, looking up at the young boy. "I have arranged for another trip for us today."

Inuyasha blinked twice, and then turned and exited the kitchen.

Sesshoumaru sighed and followed Inuyasha out the door, giving Rin a quick peck on the cheek before doing so. "Inuyasha… wait."

Inuyasha continued walking until he got to the foyer, out of the earshot of Rin. There, he turned to look out the window. "First you make me get up super early to launch rocks at your neighbor's fence. Then you drag me down to the Library to check out book after book about… about psychology stuff. After that, you decide, hey we haven't been to Ms. Isarugi's in a while, so we drop by for a 'surprise visit.'" He turned momentarily to look Sesshoumaru in the eye. "By the way, I'm not ten. Anyway, why should I trust you? Hmm? Why?"

Sesshoumaru rubbed at his nose and took a deep breath, exhaling with a nervous cough. "Look," he began with, catching Inuyasha's full attention. "Don't listen to me. Fine. Go back to bed."

Sesshoumaru walked on past him to the door... Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something but Sesshoumaru seemed to have sensed him and stopped him with his own voice. "Inuyasha, understand that it doesn't….ugh… it doesn't matter what you do, or what you say in this world. You realize that right?"

Inuyasha growled and rolled his eyes. "Come on Sesshoumaru, I don't need the guil-"

"Do you realize it?!"

"…Now. Now I do, I… I suppose."

Sesshoumaru never looked back at Inuyasha. He fumbled with the lock until the door was open, but never turned the handle. "Remember that. It doesn't matter what you do, or what you say!"

"Then what does matter?"

And then… silence filled the small space. Nobody moved, nobody spoke a single word. Inuyasha closed his eyes and braced himself for anything Sesshoumaru was about to say. Anything. He was prepared for the topic to turn to answer his question indefinitely. He then heard a noise. Sesshoumaru took a deep breath through his nose, but it sounded funny… sounded like he was… crying. However, his voice did not respond to the false inherency of his nose.

"Life is like… a funeral, Inuyasha. In the end… you're left with nothing, and you leave someone… with nothing."

Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru finally summoned the strength to leave, and then without care or remorse left him alone in the foyer as the light flickered above him. And slowly, gently, he heard the clicking of the fan in the kitchen… slowly going around… and around… and around…

Summoning the courage to walk, he found himself encouraging the squeaky fan, striding toward it, listening to it get louder and louder until he was at the peak of the noise, and once again in the kitchen.

Every time the fan went full circle, it squeaked. Squeak… Squeak… Sque-, wait. Hasn't this happened before?

"Do you want something to eat before you leave, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha looked up to see Rin washing the dishes, and looking back at him simultaneously. "I have some leftovers, seeing as you like them so much."

Inuyasha cringed, but nodded, sitting himself down at the table directly beneath the fan. Rin searched the refrigerator for a moment before pulling out a sandwich, wrapped in a loose plastic-like substance. She took it out, placed it in front of Inuyasha, and resumed washing the dishes.

He looked at it carefully and was about to take a bite when the irritating creak came back for the umpteenth time. Rin looked back at him and saw him gnarling at the mouth, looking up at the fan like it was the bane of his existence. "Oh… that."

Inuyasha put down the sandwich and muttered resentfully, "I-… wh-… Is that the same fan?"

Rin nodded without hesitation. "We did get a new one… but it wasn't the same. I'm not that fond of change Inu." She looked out the window. "Most people aren't. Sess for instance will never admit it, but he secretly wanted the old fan as well."

Inuyasha sighed and put his head on his hand. "I guess I see what you mean; if it doesn't drive you crazy…"

Rin shook her head. "Oh no. We've grown accustomed to so much, so very much. Change isn't easy Inu… sometimes its for the best though."

Inuyasha took a few breaths before blurting out, "Where did Sess want to take me today?!"

Rin dropped the dish she was holding, not breaking it but scaring her nonetheless. "Today… he was going to… visit… her grave."

Inuyasha swallowed embarrassedly; embarrassed of how he had acted. Sesshoumaru just wanted to help him, it wasn't his fault. If anything, Sesshoumaru was the one suffering, and it was three days to his wedding.

With contempt ruining his appetite, Inuyasha stood up.

"Knowing Sess he's probably still in the car. You could probably-" Rin turned around and saw Inuyasha as he closed the door to the kitchen behind him. "Still catch him."

Rin smiled and continued to wash the dishes carefully. She finished the last one she was doing, and then went to the door, and switched the fan off, listening to the far of screech as it made on last turn around the room.

YAY... wow the Line thing is working again. I'm so very happy. I'm hoping to finish this off with my new 'work adjusted to anon' help schedule. I'm always happy to post ahead of schedule too, so don't be smitten with the schedule. By the way, the schedule is at the very bottom of my Profile, so you can skip all the boring stuff and go straight to that for an idea. Happy Summer, and Happy Reading! - Anon Out