When the Play Is Over

Dark clouds were circling the sky. The air was heavy and hard to breath. It did not seem to be able to reach the lungs. Rain had washed the ground just moments earlier and it was wet and muddy everywhere. Light was hiding under the rocks and behind the trees; at least there was no light present there.

Naraku blinked and tried to get his eyes to focus. Catching his breath seemed like a task impossible to accomplish when the air around him obviously did not want cooperate. His limbs felt numb and it took all he got to stay up and standing.

He could see Inuyasha's red figure standing there in front of him holding his sword ready to make the final attack. His companions were standing in line right behind him. The monk was holding his hand, eager to get rid of the void in his hand. The demon slayer looked even more pleased to see Naraku in the lousy state he was in. Kagome just looked worried. Naraku had no idea why. Was she just generally worried for Inuyasha and all her friends, or did she have some sympathy in store even for someone like Naraku, so twisted and evil.

Not that any of it mattered.

Naraku did not see him. He was so sure he would come. Now that his end was so near, he really should have been there. Naraku thought he would want to see it. Hell, he had thought he was the one who had wanted to give him the final strike.

So where was Sesshoumaru?

There was no way he did not already know what was going on. First of all, he was always aware at least in what direction Naraku could be found. Especially so during the past year or so. And more importantly, Naraku had done his utmost to send every hint he could to draw Sesshoumaru there.

One last time.

He wanted to see him one last time. He had to.

After their little competition he had not seen Sesshoumaru. Not even the tiniest glimpse. It was like he deliberately tried to stay away from him. Actually in Sesshoumaru's case that was very likely. Naraku had pushed it a little too far the last time. It would take a lot of time before Sesshoumaru's pride could recover from it.

Unfortunately time was something he did not have.

Even so, no matter where Sesshoumaru was now, it should be clear to him what was happening to Naraku. He was dying, very soon, and the one killing him was not going to be Sesshoumaru, but Inuyasha, the one he really did not want to be killed by. And Sesshoumaru had promised to be the one…

Then he saw it.

An angel on the hilltop.

There he was, standing tall and proud, looking straight at him. He was glowing his own white light in the dark night when even the stars and moon were covered. He was so still that first Naraku thought he was hallucinating, seeing a beautiful vision from a dream. But there he was.

He had come to kill him.

Surely…

Naraku waited, forgetting the presence of the annoying pack of nuisances. His blurry vision only held the sight of Sesshoumaru.

Time stood still and all he could do was to wait for Sesshoumaru to make his move, to deliver the final blow like he should. That had been the plan. He was the one who was supposed to kill him, no one else. In their case it was kill or be killed. Naraku would never allow anyone to kill Sesshoumaru if it was not him and he believed Sesshoumaru felt the same way. Even if there were no other guarantees of anything else between them, that was something certain.

Naraku's plans had gone badly wrong but at least he could die in a way he wanted. After all, everyone should be able to choose their own end. That was only fair, right? Not he had given that chance for too many though…

He did not particularly want to die but the idea of dying in Sesshoumaru's arms did not seem like such a bad idea. It might even be bearable. At least he would take him down with a single blow and not just wave his sword around idiotically hoping he would hit, like his stupid little brother did.

Naraku's expression grew hopeful as he watched Sesshoumaru. His hazy head vaguely registered Inuyasha shouting something. He did not really care what it was. The only thing that troubled him was the fact that Sesshoumaru was not moving.

Then he finally realized what was going on. It hit him like a huge wave hits the shore, wiping away everything that is in the way. This particular wave of realization washed away his very soul.

Sesshoumaru was not even going to move. He would just stand there, watching how his life would come to an end. How someone Naraku loathed would take his life and save the Earth from his evilness. How pathetic of an end that would be…

It was painful. No wound he had was anything compared to the pain that held his chest in its tight grip when he realized that Sesshoumaru did not even care enough to finish the job himself.

No, not care enough. More like he was cruel enough to do that to him.

A raspy laugh escaped his throat. "Well Sesshoumaru. It really does look like you won", he managed to say.

Inuyasha and the others packed away a little, shocked by his actions. They could not understand what he was getting at and once again Naraku could hear Inuyasha shouting something. Once again he did not care enough to listen. All his focus was fixed to the white figure at the edge of his vision.

"How cruel of you. And here I thought that this was the only thing that could ever be certain between us." It was getting harder and harder to speak. He was not even sure what to say anymore. Was there anything to say?

With great difficulty he turned fully to face Sesshoumaru. He straightened his posture and one last time his eyes challenged Sesshoumaru to attack. Only this time it did not work.

There would not be a last attack. No last kiss. No goodbyes.

Sesshoumaru was a creature still so very far away from his grasp. He had foolishly thought he had somehow managed to grasp at least some part of him, but now it was clear, he had only been hoping.

Sesshoumaru had sworn to kill him, to destroy him. They both knew now he would not need any weapons to do that. This was it. The worst thing he could do.

Naraku gave him a weak smile. "You said you'd do it when I least expect it. Congratulations, you did it."

A blade cut the thick air and hit the target. Naraku let out the final sigh, his eyes turned empty, and when the tired body hit the ground it was already over.

Inuyasha held his sword above the person who had caused so much grieve to him and his friends. Still, there were no cheers of joy. Everyone's attention was fixed to the person slowly walking down the hill. He stopped in front of the body his face as expressionless as it always was.

Finally Inuyasha could not take the silence anymore. "What the hell was all that about?" Inuyasha shouted at his brother who silently studied Naraku's lifeless body. The loud words did not reach him though.

Silently Sesshoumaru stepped over his dead lover. One last time he looked at the face he would remember as long as he would live. Now the image that would top all the others his face had held was going to be the mask of death that had now spread on Naraku's face.

He walked away without looking back. He could hear Inuyasha coming after him, apparently he wanted his answers, but Sesshoumaru really did not want to give them to him. He raised himself to the air, flying away and leaving the battlefield behind him.

He flew to a very familiar place. It took him awhile before he realized why he had come there. Somehow he had flown there unconsciously. The grass was as green as it had been then, but it no longer held the evidence of their nights together. The grass was untouched and the windless night made it look like little needles on the ground instead of that image of a soft lying place he had carved into his memory.

He lay on the ground and gripped the grass in his fist. The clouds on the sky were beginning to disappear and stars were shining between them.

Sesshoumaru had won. He had had his revenge. After all the pain he went through he had finally managed to come up with something that truly made him the winner of the game. It was something Naraku had not seen coming and it was something that no other battle, strike or plan could ever top.

Naraku was gone, dead. Sesshoumaru was the one who had survived, he was still alive. So why did the victory feel so hollow?

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and his heart clenched.

It really was over.

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Yeah well... I did as I pleased once again... Was it bad? I seriously need your opinions now. If you want I can redo it or make an alternative ending if there are many reguests for it. I was in a kind of a dark mood and that's how I came up with this. Blame my moodswings... I hope you liked it anyways! ^^

Love, Val