Epilogue

That night Inuyasha sat against a tree, holding Tessaiga close. He looked up through the branches at the crescent moon that hung in the night sky. He sighed softly as his thoughts turned to his brother. He had lied when he said he remembered nothing from his transformation to a child. He remembered everything.

Sesshomaru… he thought, Was that really what you were like as a pup? Open, carefree, and trusting. What happened to you to make you so cold and bitter? Was it Father dying? Did his death affect you that much? Is that the reason you've always hated me? It was... nice… having a brother for a change instead of an enemy.

He continued gazing, unseeing, at the night sky. He and Sesshomaru had been enemies for as long as he could remember, though his brother's animosity had increased greatly when he learned that Tessaiga had been left to Inuyasha. He wondered idly what it would have been like if they'd grown up together. Despite his boasting that he'd defeat Sesshomaru, he had no real desire to kill him. His brother was the only family he had left. He wondered if they'd ever make peace.

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"Lord Sesshomaru?" a small voice came. "Is something wrong?"

He spared Rin a glance from the corner of his eye. "Nothing is wrong, Rin," he assured the girl.

"Oh. Okay. Goodnight, my lord!"

"Goodnight, Rin."

As the girl settled herself by the small campfire, he turned back to looking at the starry sky. His transformation back to a pup had left him feeling unbalanced. It wasn't the transformation itself that had left him so unsettled, rather, the feelings that he didn't want to admit to that were causing him to chafe.

For a time, he and Inuyasha had actually been brothers in more than shared blood. They had recognized one another as family, had laughed and played together, completely trusting in one another, seeking comfort from each other. It was the opposite of the hostile and antagonistic relationship they currently had. Which wouldn't have bothered him except…

It's the relationship Father would have wanted for us.

He got up and went to Ah-Un. A few minutes later he had fixed his clothing, buckled his armor back on, and was tying his sash around his waist. He slipped Tenseiga and Tokijin through it. He moved silently to a nearby stream. Kneeling down at the edge, he scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face. The cold water helped him refocus and clear his mind of the intruding thoughts. He ran a hand over his face, wiping away the water from his eyes.

In the light of the moon he was able to make out his reflection on the water's surface. His silver hair was still pulled back into the high ponytail. He stared at the mirror-like surface for a long moment. Then he reached up and removed the tie, allowing his hair to fall lose around him, blocking the reflection from view. He stood, turning away from the water and brushing his hair back behind his shoulders to trail down his back.

For a brief moment, it had almost appeared as if his father had been looking up at him.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the story! :)

For now it's complete. This is the original ending though I have been giving some serious thought to changing the last chapter and having it go in another direction. So there may be a revision (and several more chapters!) coming sometime in the future.