The Life After

5/31/07

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters of Inuyasha. I do not own Naraku, Inutaisho, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Jakken, Rin, or Ah-Un. I also do not own Ayame, the Elder, or Kouga. Nor do I own the lunar rainbow promise. I do not own Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, or Shippo. I do not own Kohaku, Hachi, Kaede, or Kikyo or ANY of the characters or happenings from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi is the wonderful creator and owner of said characters, manga, and show. I do not make money off of her characters or this story. Anything that is not owned by her is still owned by the people who own the Inuyasha show and movies. I give them credit for their work as well. I do not make money off of their ideas or episodes. This Disclaimer applies to this and all following chapters.

HOWEVER!!! Riki and Uki are MINE ALL MINE!!! *hugs them* And anyone who tries to steal them away will have Sesshoumaru's wrath upon them!!! XD

P.S. Certain quotes such as *SPOILERS* "What is the worth of this? There is no such thing I would give in exchange for Rin's life." and "Do not think there will be another chance." and "I can't save her, can I?" are direct (as found on eartweek.com's wonderful translations) quotes from Rumiko Takahashi's AWESOME manga. Just didn't want to say it was mine, when it's not. *END SPOILERS*

Author's Note: Hello again!!! It's me. Only 2 days this time, but a much longer chapter. There's a lot of emotion in this one. Mostly Sesshoumaru and Ukiyomaru are very emotional right now… WHAT?! DID I JUST SAY SESSHY WAS EMOTIONAL? Oh, give it up, already. Rin opened up his heart. He is the new improved depressed KIND Sesshy-omaru. XD Alright, well…hope I didn't try to squeeze too many things into this chapter, FEEDBACK PLEASE, PEOPLE! I don't have anyone to thank! :( *points down*

Thanks: No one commented on me :( or told me anything or ANYTHING!!! *cries* I'm lonely…. *sniff* ,-.-,

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Ukiyomaru jumped; startled from his sleep by the familiar pulsing that began to course through him. Riki quickly forced his heavy eyes open, as the demonic scent hit him. If there was one thing that held true, it was that Uki and Riki were always there for each other during their transformations. Also, neither could deny that they loved to watch the human features pulse and then shatter to make way for the demonic ones. Indeed, Uki's whole body was pulsing, suddenly, as the sun finally rose high enough to crash through the window and envelop them, the human's entire body seemed to break into a million glimmering pieces. Left behind was the brilliant silver hair that shone in the early light, the blue moon glistening from between his bangs, and the pink stripes that glowed on his cheeks. Suddenly the once again hanyou boy turned his head to face his friend, a wide smile showing off his fangs.

“Better?” Riki raised an eyebrow, donning a very serious look on his face.

“You know it!” the younger man raised a clawed hand, which Riki instantly clasped, finally allowing himself a big smile.

Without another word, Riki released his hand and hopped off the bed. Still fully dressed in his sleeveless off-white kimono top (once it had been white, but Riki was not a huge fan of laundry) and baggy red hakama, the hanyou raced to the door, pausing only long enough to say, “You know you're just as cute when you're a human, right?”

Ukiyomaru's eyes widened and his heart raced away without him, the previous night's happenings dancing through his mind.

“So don't worry about losing your chances with the ladies.”

The poor young man's heart stopped short, and he slammed face first into it.

“Of course, I'm way sexier than you, so it's not like you have much chance to begin with,” Riki shrugged, giving his cousin a mischievous look out of the corner of his eye.

Throwing him a death glare, Uki grabbed his pillow and pitched it at the doorway. Riki noticed just a second too late, and received a mouthful of pillow. Shrugging again, the older hanyou threw the pillow perfectly back to its spot on the bed and walked out the door, his hearty laugh echoing back.

Uki sighed heavily, falling back into the sheets. What a strange night it had been. In fact, the morning had also been quite odd. He couldn't begin to imagine how the rest of the day would transpire. With no effort whatsoever, Ukiyomaru jumped from the bed, without even sitting up, landing softly on his feet. He shook his bangs out of his eyes, the only part of his hair he grew out, and headed for the door. The hanyou straightened his kimono, white as snow since he washed it the second it got even the tiniest stain. His sleeves flowed long like his father's did, and he tightened the navy bow that matched, as well as held up, his hakama. He paused at the door, as Riki had done, looking back at their rather messy bed. Normally he would've fixed it, but he just wasn't in the mood. Turning to face a candle on the wall that hadn't managed to wear itself out during the night, he blew it out. Slowly he descended out of the room and down the stairs.


Lord Sesshoumaru was slumping in his seat. Rin had told him, oh so many years ago, that they needed a throne room. When asked why, she would only reply, “Because watching you sit still all day would be hilarious.” So, of course, Sesshoumaru had ordered the redecorating of a rarely used room on the first floor into a throne room. There was a long white carpet on the floor, leading up to the thrones, as Sesshoumaru had refused a pure red one. There were two chairs, with wonderfully poofy white seat cushions, and perfectly smoothed red maple wood arms. Rin had absolutely refused to see a sakura tree cut down for her chair, and had only allowed the red maple to fall with the promise of two new ones. The thrones were exactly equal in height and sat side by side at the end of the carpet. As soon as they had been built, Lord Sesshoumaru and his Lady had sat in the chairs the entire day. The dog demon lord had grumped as absolutely no one came except for the occasional chef with a meal. Rin had just held his hand and giggled. She had been quite right about the hilarity of the situation, but she had agreed with her mate that it was not something she should ever want to do twice.

Thus the throne room had been abandoned…until Rin had passed away, however. Sesshoumaru had hoped that perhaps if he sat in the throne room, he would still be able to feel her beside him; hear her laughter. Sadly there was only silence. This did not change the fact that every single day since her departure to the underworld, the dog demon had sat in his throne. There was nothing he wanted to do, anyway. He had not visited his subjects in years. The boys tended to do those things, and they would have to be the rulers of the domain when he died… Oh, how he wished he would die. This stupid immortality. How was he to join his Rin in the afterlife, if he could not die? There had been a single month since her death that he had NOT sat in the throne room. During that month he took on all of the most dangerous and strongest demons he could find. He had hardly even been wounded. He could not die. He was too powerful, and so he slumped. Slumped in the stupid throne room that had taken weeks to build and put together, though it had only ever been used once. The sad Lord glanced down at the empty chair by his side. “What is the worth of this!?” he asked the empty room that only echoed his voice back to him, “There is no such thing I would have -- in exchange for Rin's life!!” A single tear slid itself down the magenta stripes on his cheek.

“F-father?” Uki called softly from outside the throne room, knowing better than to barge in on his dad these days.

Hastily Sesshoumaru caught the tear on his claw, allowing it to slide into his palm. With a sigh, he crushed it in his fist. “Enter.”

“Good morning, Father. How are you?” Ukiyomaru sprinted silently down the white carpet, to sit cross-legged on the floor before the throne.

“I am…alright, Ukiyo,” a smile played on the demon lord's lips. Ukiyomaru, Rin's son, HIS son, was the only one who could bring him any joy. Perhaps it was the way his eyes shone just like Rin's. “You have grown greatly, my son. I am very proud of you.”

“Thank you, Father. But I did have you to learn from.” The two looked up at each other, sharing the same loss in their eyes. It was discrete, but they had grown very close over the years.

“'Sup, Jakken?!” a cheerful voice snapped through their silence. Jakken let out an oomph as he was slapped heartily on the back.

“To you as well, Master Riki,” the frogish demon managed to keep his voice calm, despite the fact that Riki loved to push him to his limits, “I see you have found some breakfast to chew on.”

“Yeah! Mmm! I love toasted bread!” he cried out with his mouth full, the two demons in the throne room were well aware that he had just spit crumbs all over Jakken.

“Indeed…well, no time to waste. There are chores to be done.” With that Jakken mumbled nastily under his breath, rushing away to some task that was not near the older prince.

Riki laughed, bouncing into the throne room and spitting crumbs all over Lord Sesshoumaru's spotless carpet. “G'mornin' Uncle Sesshoumaru!” he smiled, falling onto his butt beside Uki.

The younger prince stifled a smile behind his hand; there was something about Riki's playfulness that warmed his heart.

“Hello…Riki,” Sesshoumaru glared at the crumbs on his floor.

Ukiyomaru could already see where this was going, if Riki kept annoying his father, then he would never find out why Sesshoumaru had summoned him there in the first place. “Uhhh….Riki! I heard the jelly makers just got in some fresh white peaches…it'd go great with that toasted bread of yours.”

“Hakuto jelly?!” Riki's eyes widened, “Bye, Uncle Sesshoumaru! Later, Cuz!” He was gone before Uki had even blinked. The younger boy shook his head, still smiling, and brushed the crumbs off of the carpet.

“How is it you put up with that boy all the time? He is more mischievous now than he ever was as a child,” the demon lord noted.

“Perhaps…but I think we need some trouble and joy nowadays. You know, Father. He lost his mother too.”

There was silence for a while, then, “I wonder how Inuyasha is doing.”

Uki couldn't help but beam at this remark. His father and uncle had gotten along a lot better, with two sons to bring them together. “What is it you called me here about, Father?” the boy suddenly remembered.

“Ah, yes. I had nearly forgotten. I've just…I've just been so sad lately, Ukiyo. I do not feel as though I am being a good ruler…or any ruler at all,” he sighed.

Silence. A gulp, and then, “Perhaps, Father? Perhaps you could retire?”

“RETIRE?! I do not know the meaning of the word!” Sesshoumaru stood from his chair, slamming a glowing green fist against the arm of his chair, intensely careful not to melt it.

Ukiyomaru had expected this response. For when Rin had been dying, she had asked her darling husband, “Watch after our people for me; guide them. Take care of our lands and our forests. I know you are a great lord, my love. Please keep them safe,” and he had promised. He had been on his knees, holding her hand, staring so deeply into her eyes as though he thought somehow that would keep the life in them, and he had promised. This would be a hard thing to get his father to accept, but Uki knew that the much older man needed a break. As old as he was, however, Sesshoumaru looked exactly the same as when Inuyasha had been born. The main difference was that he could turn into an even bigger dog, nearly the same size as his father before him.

“Retire…,” Sesshoumaru hissed again, flopping back down into his seat. That was another difference. The great Lord Sesshoumaru of the past did not flop or sulk, and he was never annoyed. That Sesshoumaru was merciless and ready to kill anyone who “annoyed” him in an instant. This Lord Sesshoumaru was kind.

“Father, please, consider! You are miserable and tired. You need a break, then you can return and rule when you are not quite so sad all the time.”

“And what do you propose could ever stop my sadness?!” he roared at his son, “Do you plan to bring your mother back from the dead?! Because it is impossible! I should know! I don't know how many hours I stood over her, pleading with the Tenseiga to allow me to cut through the demons of Hell! It is useless, ask your grandmother. 'Do not think there will be a second chance.' That's what she said when she saved Rin's life. She died twice when she was a child. The first time I saved her. The second time I…I could not,” Sesshoumaru was unable to stop the tears that were now flowing from his handsome golden eyes, nor did he care to. The sadness was unbearable, “I can't save her, can I? Not this time. Not ever again…”

Instantly Ukiyomaru's arms were around his shoulders, “Oh, Father, please! Please do not cry! I can't stand to see you hurting this much!” he sobbed into his father's kimono.

“Ukiyo…,” He placed a hand on the boy's head, “I am sorry…I did not wish for you to see me like this…it's just so hard! When you've lost the one you care about most in this life.”

The hanyou gulped at that, he had just caught a glimpse of what his own life would be like if it was suddenly devoid of Riki. It was not a pleasant world he gazed upon. His heart broke for the dog demon lord, and he whispered, “I miss her too.”

“Understand this, Ukiyo.” The boy pulled away to look his father in the face. “If I ever lost you too, then it would be truly unbearable. I love you as much as I do Rin.”

“I love you too, Dad.” Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, and Uki stepped back a few paces. “It would only be a few months, Father. A year at most.”

“What would?” the lord was honestly confused.

“Your retirement, Father.”

“WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT THAT?!”

“I know! I know! But it wouldn't be FOREVER! Just a short while! Riki and I will watch over things until you return.”

“And where am I to go during this time?!”

“Uncle Inuyasha lost Aunt Kagome several years ago. Perhaps he can give you some tips on . . . moving on,” the last part he mumbled under his breath.

“I WILL NOT MOVE ON! I LOVE RIN, AND I ALWAYS WILL!!!” Sesshoumaru nearly tipped the throne over in his fury, but managed to calm down for the pure sake of saving his beloved seat.

“I didn't mean 'move on' like that! Of course we'll never forget her! I think about her every single day!! I just meant….if Mom's lookin' up at you from the Afterlife…she wouldn't want to see you all sad, would she? You don't have to forget her! Just learn to live life without her.”

Sesshoumaru growled softly, glaring a hole into the carpet.

“Please. Just give it a chance. A few months in Uncle's village. That's all I'm asking! Your subjects can't stand to see you so sad any longer! It is breaking their hope and their hearts!...and it is breaking mine. If only to keep your promise to Mom, you MUST do this!” Uki, himself, was furious now, and deadly determined to save his father from an eternity of misery.

Minute after minute passed without more than the heavy breathing of the resolute hanyou boy. Finally, “Very well…” Ukiyomaru's face lit up. “BUT! The SECOND I come back, you and Riki are to step down, without a fuss, and hand me back my domain!”

“Yes! Anything! Of course, Father!” he bowed, his sleeves sweeping the floor.

“Well, then, Lord Ukiyo.” the young man gasped, not used to being called something so regal. “You and Lord Riki had better take good care of my domain. Can I trust you?”

“Yes, Father. I will do my best,” his eyes, however, held uncertainty.

“Do not worry so much. I would have trusted you, even if you had said you were going to burn everything to the ground,” with a mischievous wink, Sesshoumaru was gone, actually looking slightly excited at the prospect of a journey. He had not been on one since Rin had fled the castle. “Most definitely,” he thought aloud, “I will have to ask Jakken and Ah-Un to accompany me. Yes. That would be very nice.”


Ukiyomaru fell to his knees in the throne room. Lord Ukiyo? That couldn't be right! He certainly didn't feel like a lord. He'd never even lead anything before. Riki was the one who always held his hand and showed him the way. Wait! That was true…Riki would be right there by his side. Maybe he could do it, if Riki would help him. Suddenly he remembered Riki and his excursion for the Hakuto jelly. Which, in fact, didn't sound like a bad idea. “I haven't even had breakfast yet! Hold up, Riki! Don't let your fat stomach eat up everything! Save some for me!” he called, racing after his friend.