In writing this chapter of the story, I actually was -almost- brought to tears as I wrote it. This is a key part in the story, so pay good attention. There are still many many chapters to come. Sesshomaru is my favorite character in any anime and manga i've ever seen, so when I wrote this I had to restrain from beating the hell out of myself. To all of you Sesshomaru fans, I feel your pain. And, we shall have an odd time skip next chapter, so, Read, and remember. I do not own any of Inuyasha or it's characters.
Read Carefully.
"The wolf demon you rival against has kidnapped Rin and Jaken, as well as Ah-Uhn."
-Inuyasha almost stumbled at his words. Sango slanted her eyes in dissaproval as well. But that wasn't it, no, Inuyasha had a totally different thought in his mind. Was Sesshomaru actually worried about the human girl, imp, and dragon? Inuyasha snickered softly, knowing Sesshomaru could hear as well as Sango. Speaking of which, Inuyasha lifted his hand. He placed it on his blade and drew the sword slowly, and then put it in front of Sango's face. She blunk in confusion, then her eyes moved to the black blade. In the polished jet black sheen, she saw her reflection and gasped. Two black ears perked atop her head, her canines long and much sharper. It was now she noticed her senses had peaked, she could hear the rushing water of the river outside, and smell the fish even below the surface.-
-Inuyasha smiled at her reaction and spun the blade. He slowly sheathed it into it's holster and lifted his chin up to gaze out at the night before him, the cavern lit up with the just rising lavender moon of the night. Sesshomaru paused, and spoke, pointing.-
"Brother, look."
-Inuyasha lifted his head in curiosity, and there was where he saw it. Past the lavender moon, was a crescent shaped red moon, blood red, pulsing with radiant light. Inuyasha could not help but to swell with anticipation. The red moon. The red moon gave the white dog clan it's fullest potential, making them nearly unstoppable. Kouga would not survive this night. Inuyasha gripped his blade and leapt forward to the young ones about the cave. He placed a solid barrier about it, removing the one meant for sound so Inuyasha and Sango could later continue their...playing, and replacing it with one they would not be able to leave the room with. Inuyasha gripped his blade intently, looking up into the night as he breathed in softly. He exhaled lightly, and looked back with half lidded, murder lusting eyes-
"A storm is approaching."
Kouga, a mile or so off, let his feet pound against the ground, his wounds healed by The touches of Kagome's purifying arrow. She had learned how to heal with her arrow a year or so back. He saw Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru, both leapt out and looked behind him. Kagome rode on Miroku's back, and Shippo ran alongside them, keeping up despite his size. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru landed down, Sango and Kilala not long after, as Kouga came to a stop. Inuyasha shook his head. How ironic. The one place for a clash between the two forces. The bone-eaters well stood before them, sitting in front of them as if it was the center of the ring.-
"Hey there, mutt. You and your Mutt-brother ready to finish this?"
"No."
-Miroku whispered as he saw the red moon above. He looked to Sango as she gave back a hateful glare, her eyes slanted as her ears twitched slightly. Inuyasha growled lowly. Sesshomaru was 'not' pleased by being called a 'mutt.' He looked upon Kouga in a deep hatred as his eyes, as well as Inuyasha's, began to pulse crimson red. Kouga's own demonic aura began to swell as Kagome nocked a sacred arrow at her side. Miroku grabbed the beads upon his wind tunnel and Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu. This would be the clash that determined who was the superior force. Light, or darkness. Kouga started it off by rushing at Inuyasha, and Miroku followed suit upon sesshomaru. Sango thrust her Hiraikotsu at Kagome. Kagome was Sango's friend, so she purposely missed.-
-Inuyasha ducked under Kouga's fist as purple stripes formed upon his cheeks. His pupils turned blue and his fangs lengthened, his claws becoming sharp and malicious as he leaned to his right and bowed his head, Kouga's heel flying past. Inuyasha latched onto the wolf's furred leg and dug his claws into the flesh, and brought Kouga up into the air with a thrust. An after image of Inuyasha formed as he moved at an incredible speed in the air. Using his tail as a distraction, Inuyasha spun in place, the black fur covering Kouga's face momentarily, and when he swung back around, Inuyasha brought a powerful fist to Kouga's left cheek, sending him flying and crashing into the ground next to Kagome.-
-Sesshomaru brought up two fingers and they glowed majestically. He lashed out and two whips of light were thrown at Miroku. The monk ducked under the first whip, and brought his staff against the second. The whip wrapped around the staff and Sesshomaru used it to his advantage. He pulled on his hand and rushed forward, cutting the whip from his fingers. His hand was covered in a green mist as he thrust poison claws at Miroku's stomach. The monk thought on his toes, and looked up.-
"WIND TUNNEL!"
-he pulled himself upward into the air using the force of his tunnel, Sesshomaru flying past below him. The white dog skidded to a stop, and grabbed his Tokijin. He leapt into the air as Miroku quickly closed his wind tunnel, and they began a mid-air clash of sword and staff, moving in a blur of bronze and silver. Below, Kagome had an arrow locked on Inuyasha, who was falling towards the ground from his mid-air battle with Kouga. She only had two arrows to her name at the moment. She released the string and the purple light flew at Inuyasha. He saw the arrow tip and turned in place. He growled under his breath as the arrow's purity tore at his tail. He landed on the ground swiftly and grabbed his blade. He drew his Tetsuuga and stood up, spinning it as he watched her.-
-Sango was enraged at Kagome's attempt to kill Inuyasha. She grabbed her Hiraikotsu and spun it above her head to gain speed, and then threw it violently. Kagome yelped and dove to the side as the bladed boomerang tore up the ground where she had been previously standing. Sesshomaru and Miroku landed down on the ground and Miroku was breathing heavily. Sesshomaru lifted his blade and shook his head.-
"You have lost, to this Sesshomaru."
-in a blaze, Sesshomaru brought up his foot and slammed it into Miroku's side, sending him crashing into the still-recovering Kouga. Miroku, now carrying several broken ribs within him, grunted as he tried to stand up, but to no avail. Kagome locked onto Inuyasha once more with her last arrow, as he was distracted with Kouga.-
"Hit the mark."
-she released the arrow and it flew forward towards Inuyasha. He saw the arrow, but was in mid-run, and didn't have enough time to move. Sesshomaru's eyes went wide and he looked to Inuyasha. He moved rapidly, slamming his shoulder into Inuyasha and sending him flying to the side. The arrow slammed head-on into Sesshomaru's heart, and he flew back against a tree, ricotched off, and landed on the ground with a dull look in his eye, on his back. Noone moved. Not a breath escaped a single person as Inuyasha stood wide-eyed, his brother on the ground. He couldn't be...-
"Sesshomaru! SESSHOMARU!"
-Inuyasha dropped his sword and rushed to his brother's side. He wrapped his arm under Sesshomaru's neck and lifted his head onto Inuyasha's knee. Inuyasha's amber eyes, now dissolving from the red they once held as the red moon fell and the sun began to rise, gazed into Sesshomaru's dull and near-lidless ones. Sesshomaru looked up to Inuyasha and a smile actually crawled it's way onto his features.-
"...Know, little brother...Inuyasha...that I do care for you...as my sibling...and I always will...take care...of Jaken...and Rin...do...do not let the dog blood in you...do not let it...do not let it die..."
"Sesshomaru!"
-Sesshomaru looked up into the air and at the blue sky above him. His thoughts drifted to the flute, and the woman who had played it so meaningfully for him just to show her feelings. Perhaps they would meet, in the netherrealm. Sesshomaru's eyes closed slowly, and slowly words, though all in the clearing could hear, slipped from his mouth-
"Know...that you will live on...without...This...Sesshomaru..."
-Sesshomaru's eyes closed and the color in them faded, turning from their bright cold amber to a dull, rounded gray. Inuyasha's eyes widened and Sango looked to the side, clasping her hand over her mouth as she covered her ears knowing what was about to happen. She could still hear it, just not enough for it to hurt.-
"Sesshomaru!"
-he shook his brother's lifeless body. The grass around Sesshomaru's body turned a bright white, starting from the tip and going towards the bottom of the grass blades. Silver roses and white tulips began to sprout around Sesshomaru, his aura affecting the grass about him. Inuyasha began to weep, and he put his face in his brother's chest and whispered the word 'no' as many times as he thought he could. Even Miroku, and Kouga, were feeling pity for the young demon. Inuyasha looked into the air and cried-
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
-Kagome felt the most shame. She had killed his brother. Perhaps she could do, or say something, that would help Inuyasha with his loss. She was about to speak when Sesshomaru's body dissapeared slowly into the ground. Inuyasha's tail turned a bright white, and his clothing, as well as his hair, both changed to a very bright white. Noone could see his eyes, for they were covered by white bangs. Kagome spoke first.-
"Inuyasha?"
-A growl was all that was returned to her as Inuyasha looked upon her. She cried out and leapt back, falling on her bottom as she crawled away behind Miroku. Kouga backed up as well, and when Sango saw she could not help but be a bit scared by his eyes. his cheeks were covered by three purple stripes, serrated and jagged like bolts of lightning. His fangs were far past his lower lip, and his eyes were entirely red. His only pupils were small emerald dots in the center of his eyes, and they were both focused on the three before him. Inuyasha turned away from them, and lifted up the Tenseiga, and the Tokijin. He slipped them into his belt and looked to Kagome and her pack. A demonic voice spoke from his throat-
"Where are Jaken, and Rin."
"Kaede's village, in her hut. Inuyasha, I-I didn't mean to-"
"TO WHAT!? KILL MY BROTHER!?!? I KNOW YOU DIDN'T!! YOU WERE TRYING TO KILL ME AS WELL! SESSHOMARU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!! YOU COWARDLY BASTARDS STOLE RIN AND JAKEN FROM HIM! HE WAS TRYING TO RECLAIM WHAT WAS STOLEN FROM HIM UNJUSTLY, AND YOU CUT HIM DOWN!!! SO NOW, I SHALL DO THE SAME FOR YOU ALL!"
-They had no Kilala to help them escape this time. Inuyasha lifted his Tetsuuga into the air after he drew it, and it began to swirl with purple energy. He moved it in a circle above his head, and began to launch the dragon twister. He brought his sword back as purple streaks of wind flew out about his body, and he prepared to send them all to hell. He brought his sword down with a roar, but froze, just before the tip hit the ground. He looked to the white tulips, and silver roses, as well as the patch of snow white grass upon the ground. Inuyasha closed his eyes, and looked away. His eyes returned to their normal amber, and his facial features returned to normal, the jagged streaks remaining the same.-
"I will not kill you. None of you are worth it, and Sesshomaru would not wish me to disgrace the family name. Sango...we're leaving."
"...Yeah."
-Sango turned in place and walked behind Inuyasha, stepping on his tail. It began to glow bright pink, and swirl down his shoulder. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and they were lifted into the air. Kagome was rushing to Kouga and Miroku to help them, and Shippo was emerging from the trees. Sango looked to Inuyasha from behind him, and saw the tears that were streaming down his cheek. She turned him around and gazed into his eyes. With her thumb, she brushed the tears away and kissed his lips tenderly, placing her hands around the back of his head. She pulled him down and he placed his face on her own shoulder, and wept into it silently, a brief gasp every now and then escaping his mouth. They were silhouetted in the moon, as this night, the cycle of June, thirtieth day, would be remembered as the night the Great White Dog Demon left the land of the living.-
-And even as they flew on, Inuyasha had no doubt in his mind, Sesshomaru would not be sent to hell. He had no doubt in his mind Sesshomaru would be recognized as a god, for he deserved that much, if not more. He placed his hand on the Tenseiga and lifted from Sango's shoulder, looking up into the sky. He looked to the moon, and a howl from a white wolf far off told Inuyasha for sure, Sesshomaru would forever live on, and forever be, the greatest Lord Of The West, this land will ever know. Below, on the ground, Miroku saw the kiss Sango gave Inuyasha. She had never kissed Miroku before, not once, not like that.-
-He would not have it. He would not have the woman he cared for be betrothed to a worthless demon. He gripped his beads and unwound them, and opened his wind tunnel. He arched his arm and held onto his wrist as the black void shot out at Inuyasha and Sango. Inuyasha had been off-guard, so he was easily pulled forward. Sango dove after him quickly, rushing to grab him. Pieces of the bone-eaters well were collapsing, soon, the well would be no more. Kagome leapt in the way-
"No! Not Sango!"
-She was right. Miroku pulled his wind tunnel closed after swinging his arm, Kagome flying through the air current it caused and over Inuyasha's body. She cascaded through the air and slammed heads with Sango. Their eyes both drifted closed as they went unconscious, and they fell. Directly, into the bone-eaters well. Miroku dove after them just in time to make it inside. Sango blunk once in confusion and looked at the top of the well as she fell. She saw Inuyasha's hand lunge for her, but all too late as the stone, dirt, and wood all collapsed upon themselves. She shouted his name as the well glowed bright blue and they fell, directly, into Kagome's time.-