In a Blue Moon

Chapter Fourteen

Setting Moon

“Inuyasha.”

He and his companions never noticed my approach. Fools. Were Naraku not dead, they might have been.

They are eating a casual lunch. I can see they have looked long and hard for me. This reminds me that I have not eaten in better than two weeks, and should likely do so soon.

My brother looks unexpectedly pleased to see me, and hops up. “Sessho-maru!”

They all surge to their feet, apparently gleeful at my continued existence. Ah, yes, I had nearly forgotten; I was the pet of their merry band.

“Sessho, are you all–”

“Sessho-maru,” I correct him flatly; he freezes and blinks owlishly at me, stunned to hear it after all this time. My name, however, is Sessho-maru.

I take the opportunity to hold up the rather large bag I have been carrying in my one hand. “I come bearing you a gift, brother.”

Blankly, he reaches out a hand and takes it. I am certain he can smell the blood inside, but he looks anyway. I am not certain if I can classify the emotion that crosses his face as glee or disgust, but I believe they are both there.

“Is there a jewel shard in there?” his human girl asks. Jewel shard indeed…

“No,” Inuyasha says, “there’s most of the jewel in here!”

No to mention Naraku’s mutilated head.

She makes a happy noise that threatens to make my ears bleed, though I show none of it, and takes the bag from him without asking; after a glance inside, she shrieks and promptly shoves it back into Inuyasha’s arms, backing away with a hand over her mouth. A good place for it, I believe.

“You actually killed Naraku…?” Inuyasha asks, apparently nonplussed. Indeed – since he and his band of misfits could not do it, surely no one could…

“Yes. Consider it repayment for helping to open my eyes. I have no use for the jewel.”

Having said my piece, I turn to walk away while they are all stunned. The way in which I am accustomed to leaving: in the midst of silence and stares. It feels good to be myself again… only better.

“Wait, Sessho…” I look back at my brother, waiting for him to get it right. “…maru… Where are you going?”

“Home, Inuyasha.” I might have thought that was obvious.

“…You’re not coming with us?” With me…? I can see the question in his eyes, the set of his ears nearly against his head.

“No, Inuyasha, I am not coming with you; you have on already who loves you. Farewell, brother.”

I turn and truly do walk away this time, letting them all think about that. If he cannot see the girl for himself, I imagine one of the others will set him straight. Or he will exist in the limbo of the clueless, I suppose.

“Where are we going, Lord Sessho-maru?”

“Nowhere in particular. Rin, keep up.”

My servant and my human girl follow happily enough in their own ways, Rin singing to herself and Jaken complaining to no one in particular. The morning is crisp and bright, the sun newly risen, the moon newly set. It is a good day to start again.

We start down the road.

A/N:

The End!

Sorry it took me so long. Sorry they don’t end up together. Sorry the whole thing was so pathetically OOC until the end. Thank you for sticking with it until the end, though, and getting past all the pathetically OOCness. ^_^