InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Swords of Fate ❯ Dealing with Impossibilities ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

By: Cierah

Chapter Three: Dealing with Impossibilities

The night had fallen, and currently everyone sat around the fire. Rin was chattering with Kagome and Sango, asking all kinds of questions never having been in the company of other women for long periods of time. Jaken grumbled incoherent dialogue that was starting to irritate everyone, including Sesshoumaru who had the misfortune of being seated next to him. Miroku sat beside Sango and Kagome, eying them hungrily, but only Sesshoumaru seemed to notice the monks lingering stare of longing, and he rolled his eyes.

Inuyasha sat outside the ring, pouting. Not a word was uttered by the hanyou, and Sesshoumaru felt himself roll his eyes again. Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru ceased his rolling of eyes, and turned his gaze to the moon, which could barely been seen near the light of fire. All the chatter was hurting his head, and he stood up and wandered outside the fires bright light. Climbing into a tree, he sat on a branch and turned his gaze to the moon again. It was a sliver of blue in the night sky, surrounded by thousands of stars. Sighing, he now felt comforted.

Grunting, he glanced down at himself. His white pants were gone, replaced by royal blue ones, bound at the ankles. His feet were bare, as they had been when he was a pup. Snorting, he was a pup, what was he thinking? His hakama was no longer white, but a cream color with green and blue strips donning the left side. His sash wasn't yellow or blue, but a solid color of maroon.

Lifting his left hand, he stared at it. He was so used to not having use of a left arm that now that it was there, he was uncertain as to what to do with it. Smiling slightly, he had actually missed having it. Wrinkling his nose, he lifted his gaze to the moon once again, and sighed. Pulling his feet closer to him, he perched on his branch, thinking about what had happened.

Both he and Inuyasha were now children. But how had this happened? He knew that his sword the Tenseiga was a sword of life, a sword that could not kill, but he had drawn it regardless. Why? `Because you had no other weapon, you fool.' He mentally scolded himself. Grunting, he inwardly smacked himself for loosing his grip on tokijin in the first place. `Blast you Inuyasha.'

Looking down, his eyes met those of his brothers, as if he knew Sesshoumaru was thinking about him. Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at him, and he smirked. `Very mature, Inuyasha.' He found himself sticking his own tongue out and blinked in shock. `What the hell am I doing?'

Shaking his head, he pulled his tongue back in and turned his head away quickly, scolding himself for his childish behavior. A snort and laughter reached his ears, and he narrowed his eyes, turning his head slowly at his giggling brother. Snarling low in his throat, Sesshoumaru pounced off his branch and landed on his brother.

Inuyasha yelped, and both started rolling on the ground, in a tangle of arms and legs. Sesshoumaru winced as he felt sharp teeth embed into his arm, and he hissed snatching his arm away, planting his feet into Inuyasha's stomach, he pushed, sending the hanyou flying off him, landing on his back a short distance away.

Sesshoumaru hopped to his feet, sitting in a crouch waiting for his brother to react, but he didn't. Inuyasha just lay there, on his back. Crawling forward, Sesshoumaru frowned. His brother wouldn't give up; he knew that, so cautiously, he inched forward on his hands and knees.

Inuyasha lifted his head, and glared at Sesshoumaru. He grunted, and dropped his head back to the ground. `That hurt.' He thought. Groaning, he rolled over and lifted himself on all fours, and struggled to catch his breath.

Sesshoumaru stopped, his brother's eyes actually held pain in them. Pursing his lips, he sat there silently. All eyes were on them, and he shifted his gaze slightly, not turning his head in the slightest.

He heard a step beside him and he turned his head peering at a leg. Lifting his head his gaze traveled up to a set of deep brown eyes, that belonged to his brother's human girl. Blinking, he waited.

“What did you do that for?” Kagome shook her finger at him.

He bit his tongue, still blinking at her. Kagome shook her head and walked over to Inuyasha kneeling beside him. “Are you alright?”

Inuyasha growled at her. “I'm fine.” He turned his glare over his shoulder at his brother.

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes again. “You can't tell me that hurt.”

Inuyasha crawled over to him. “Shut up.” He snarled sticking his nose to Sesshoumaru's

Sesshoumaru inched back a bit.

Rin watched with wide eyes at the two brothers'. She giggled. Both were crouched nose to nose, in the exact same position as the other, in a face off. She bit back her laughter when their gazes dropped on her. The little girl instead smiled and waved at them. They both grunted.

Inuyasha relaxed his glare, and sat back a bit. Whispering to his brother, he was actually intrigued. “What happened to cause this?”

Snorting, Sesshoumaru sat back on his heels as well. “Why are you asking me? Isn't that why you sent for Toutousai and Myoga?”

Inuyasha shrugged. “I feel more like a pup with each passing hour.”

Sesshoumaru grunted.

“You feel it too.” Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. “I have no memories of my childhood, Inuyasha.” Turning away, he sighed. “Not many memories, to be truthful.” Lowering his head, he stared at the ground.

Inuyasha nodded. “I tried to forget my childhood memories.”

Both brothers' now sat with their backs to the fire and the group, whispering softly.

Inuyasha turned to face his brother. “What do you remember?”

Sesshoumaru frowned. “I remember…” His frown deepened. “I…” He fell silent.

Inuyasha watched the play of emotions rush over his brother's face in fascination. He had never seen his brother show any kind of emotion and this surprised him. His brother's face went from confusion, to frustration, to sadness, then back to its original solid controlled face.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. “What do you remember?”

Inuyasha shrugged, figuring he wasn't going to find out about his brother's childhood. “Pain.” He paused. “Mostly.” Shrugging, Inuyasha sighed. “Loneliness, loss.”

Sesshoumaru glanced over at him, surprised. “Why loneliness?”

Inuyasha swallowed. Staring at Sesshoumaru curiously he wondered to himself. Was his brother actually interested? Or was this something Sesshoumaru could use to scorn him more later? Biting his lip, he torn his eyes away and lifted his gaze to the moon. “I was always alone. Especially when my mother died.” He whispered.

Sesshoumaru nodded. He was surprised his brother answered him. Seriously he didn't expect an answer, but he listened for once. Lowering his golden eyes to the ground again, Sesshoumaru remained silent. This was so out of character for him, that he figured it had to do with their current state.

“Why pain?”

Inuyasha lowered his gaze and met his brother's eyes in surprise. “Do you really want to know? Or is this some kind of plot to use against me later?”

Shrugging, Sesshoumaru sighed. “I suppose it is mere curiosity. You don't have to answer.”

Inuyasha stared hard at his brother. “Why pain? Because everywhere I went I was teased, beaten, scorned. I was never accepted.” Closing his eyes, Inuyasha let out a deep breath.

“It made you stronger.” Sesshoumaru whispered.

Inuyasha twitched. “Keh!” `Stronger my ass.' Inuyasha scoffed mentally. “It's your turn.”

Sesshoumaru blinked. “My turn for what?”

“What was your childhood like?”

Shrugging, Sesshoumaru turned his gaze back to the moon. “As I said, I don't remember much.”

“What do you remember?”

Sesshoumaru sighed, lowering his gaze to the ground. “I remember traveling with father, mostly.” He whispered so softly it was more of a breath of air then actual spoken words.

Inuyasha frowned. “What was he like?”

Sesshoumaru shrugged again. “He…well, he always protected those he loved. It was his weakness.”

“Why do you always think that emotion is a weakness? I think its strength.”

Sesshoumaru snorted. Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru looked up at is brother. “Playing with emotion is a weakness, it shows your enemy that you care for something and that something can be used against you.”

Inuyasha smiled faintly, that much was true. Looking over his shoulder he glanced at Rin. “But you hold a weakness in your company.”

Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder and sighed. They both glanced away, staring once more at the moon. Both brothers sat there for a long while before Inuyasha felt a yawn break through his mouth across his face. “Damn, I always hated the feeling of being tired.” He grumbled, earning a chuckle from his brother.

Standing up, the turned around surprised at the silent and sleeping camp. “Hn. Figures.” Inuyasha growled.

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru wandered over to the sleeping circle of humans, and noticed Rin and Jaken curled up close to the fire, much like they did when he returned to camp after battle.

“I wish I still had my pelt.” Sesshoumaru muttered. Curling up under a tree nearby, he closed his eyes, and promptly fell asleep. It didn't take long for Inuyasha to follow suit, and he silently knew that it was dangerous for them all to fall into slumber, but he was so blasted tired, he no longer cared.