The Life After

7/17/07

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, Kikyo, or Urasue, 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

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long…it's been an awful month. I'm still kind of out of it so I make no promises that this is a great chapter, specially not after how awesome the last one was! O.o So sorry if it's not great, but I did my best, and I hope you all like it. Not much Uki and Riki in this one, just a smidge…but Sesshoumaru got jipped the last chapter, so I figured he needed the spotlight for a little bit! Can't promise when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully soonish…

Thanks: animegirl007 Huh…what do you mean? I'm confused…I don't remember Uki having a secret from Sesshoumaru? But they didn't tell anyone about the waterfall. Can you imagine how their moms would've freaked? It's their special secret. Glad you liked my chapter. LOL And you'll just have to wait and see if Riki's gay. Right now all we know is Uki is pretty much gay, and that OF COURSE they're insanely close for cousins. They're pretty much the only friends each other has had over the years. It's always just been them. So they're real close. Is Riki gay? Just wait. I'm not there yet. But someday Uki's gonna have to face up to his fear, tell Riki how he feels, and get SOME sort of response! :)

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Sesshoumaru's silken boots padded silently against the dewy grass as he all but flew towards the next village. It had only been a hundred years, surely SOMEONE still knew of Urasue! The dog demon lord let out a groan of frustration, a cloud appearing at his feet and sweeping him even faster towards his next destination.


The hanyou princes lay silently in their sleep in a castle many miles away from its owner. They were unaware of Sesshoumaru's newest venture, and were completely worn out after dealing with all their subjects throughout the day. It was their first full day as lords, and neither of them could have guessed all the trouble Sesshoumaru went through every day. Even after the speech which had terrified Uki, there had been so much to do. They had to read all the scrolls, and tend to each of the issues in order of importance. There were smallish demons ruining crops, and human bandits killing children. Then they had to write a response to the panther demon tribe's scroll. The Elder of the wolves had even called and asked for help with some nasty two-headed bird demons. It was dusk by the time they had finally waved goodbye to Elder Kouga and his wife, Ayame. It was quite hard work, and now they both just rejoiced in the big bed they shared together. Ukiyomaru was cuddled up against Riki's chest, and the older hanyou had an arm wrapped around him. They hadn't gone to sleep in that position, but, somehow, their dreams had brought them to it. In the morning, they would wake up on opposite sides of the bed, completely unaware of how they currently were. In fact, they tended to cuddle together most nights, but only the waning candles on the walls saw, and it was a secret they would never reveal.


“Can't you go any faster, Ah-Un?! We'll never catch up to Lord Sesshoumaru at this rate!” Jakken clung to the dragon's reigns, and the creature lowed angrily, one of its heads turning to nip at the frogish demon. Jakken yelped, pulling his hand out of harms way, “I'm sorry, Ah-Un! It's just been an entire day, and we have been unable to find Lord Sesshoumaru! He could have gotten into all sorts of trouble by now! He could even have brought back that demon Inuyasha was talking about. I just don't know what we can possibly do! Perhaps it is time to ask the boys for help? We certainly aren't getting anywhere.” Ah-Un nodded his heads, before turning completely around and flying back towards the castle.


“You! Mortal! Tell me quick, or I shall kill you! What do you know of the demon Urasue?!” glowing green claws dug into the poor traveler's kimono.

“W-w-who?!” the poor man was trembling so bad that even if he had known he wouldn't have been able to spit out the words. Without any hesitation at all, the man was dropped unceremoniously into the dirt, and the aggressor was gone. “W-w-what the hell!” the only thing the flustered man could remember were the glowing red eyes that bore into his own.


The door to the kyabakura crashed against the wall, and all conversation ceased. The hostesses all stopped serving drinks, and every single demon turned to the entrance. Silken boots stomped heavily towards the bar, but the wearer did not choose a stool and order a drink. Instead, he turned back to the patrons, crossed his arms, and began to speak, “I have very little patience, fools.”

“Who does this guy think he is?!” a rather large lizard demon slammed his hands on his table as he rose, “This is OUR bar, and he thinks he can just waltz in here and call us fools!?” A chorus of “yeah”s followed his observation.

“I assure you, I never waltz. Also, you would be insanely foolish to take me on. I merely have a question, and I advise you not to get in my way,” the intruder tapped his forefinger against his arm.

“Why should I be scared of you, punk?! I'm two feet taller than you,” the lizard had skulked right up to the new man and was getting face to face with him.

“You have exactly five seconds to step away from me, or you will die.”

Laughter roared across the bar. Incredulous cries of who was this strange twig, lacking any muscles, who dared to take on the lizard demon who all but ran this bar. “I'm not moving. So whatcha gonna do about it?” the lizard raised an eyebrow.

“This,” glowing green claws slashed through reptilian neck without any hesitation. The demon's head bounced across the floor and one of the hostesses screamed. The attacker had not one drop of blood on his white and red kimono. “I've had enough of this! I had hoped the mortals would have information, but none of them remember anything. Therefore I must turn to the demons who were actually alive during the time I need to know about! I had hoped not to have to deal with the likes of you, but here I am. Now, unless all of you would like to lose your heads, tell me, NOW!” he paused.

Every single eye was upon him, and several demons were actually whimpering in fear.

“WHERE IS URASUE?!” the great dog demon narrowed his eyes that glowed red in anger.

There was a silence.

“Do NOT make me repeat myself.”

“S-s-she's dead, though. R-r-right?” one brave demon dared to whimper.

“Yes, I am well aware of that. Where are her REMAINS?”

“U-u-umm….,” the poor demon who had chosen to speak had absolutely no idea of an answer to the second question.

The owner of the bar, who had been standing silently just polishing glasses, cleared his throat, “Urasue lived up on top of the mountain near the Northern wolf demons, the one with lots of clay. Urasue used clay all the time in her practices. I dare say, find Mount Tsuchi, and you will find Urasue's remains.”
“You have my gratitude,” and Sesshoumaru was gone with only three gold pieces spinning to a stop in front of the bar owner and a headless lizard as proof that he had ever been there. The frightened demons and hostesses stood silent, until the lizard demon's body suddenly fell from where it stood to join its head on the ground. Suddenly everyone began laughing, chattering, and drinking again. The bar tender swished the gold silently into his kimono, wondering why Lord Sesshoumaru would be searching for Urasue, a demon at least a hundred times weaker than himself. He continued polishing his glasses, hating every demon in his bar for being so foolish as to not know of the great dog demon lord.


“Mount Tsuchi…,” Sesshoumaru actually smiled, as the cloud he had been riding on disappeared, and he dropped down near a cave that smelled of ashes. A separate pile of ashes lay outside on the ledge, “Urasue, I presume?” without another word he drew his sword. Tenseiga pulsed, and suddenly a couple of very confused looking demons of Hell appeared. As they looked up to see the sword of their undoing wielded above them, they both began to whimper. “You are the two who took away Urasue's soul to the afterlife, are you not?” They nodded. “Bring it back.” They looked at each other, then back up at the only weapon on Earth that could possibly cause them any harm. “Now!” Sesshoumaru offered, and they both fled. Moments later they reappeared with fragments of soul. As Urasue had been reduced to ash, so was her soul. “I suggest highly that you move,” Sesshoumaru pulled Tenseiga back, and the demons had barely a moment to disappear before he slashed through the soul fragments.

In a huge gust of wind, the ashes were pulled back from where they had scattered and combined with the pieces of soul, slowly forming a very baffled Urasue. “What is this? I am…alive? That is impossible,” as she turned her face up to her savior, she gave a chuckle, “So you have revived me? And what do you possibly hope to gain from this? I owe you nothing.”

“You owe me your life, and I can take it back at any given moment,” Sesshoumaru sheathed Tenseiga, thanking it silently for its help.

“And how do I know you won't just kill me as soon as I help you with whatever it is you have revived me for?”

“You do not.”

“Exactly. Now if you'll excuse me,” she turned, quite rudely, to return to her demon kiln.

“But you ARE aware that I will kill you instantly if you do not obey me.”

Urasue stopped in her tracks, turning her ancient demon face up to the silver-haired man before her, “And what is it you desire from me? Surely a demon with such great power can have no use of an old and weak demon such as myself.”

“I need you to revive a human for me,” he admitted, without a single emotion passing over his face. Until his Rin was returned, he was determined to be the uncaring, merciless Sesshoumaru of the past.

“And how did said human die?”

“Of old age. Does that matter?”

“It does indeed,” she turned away from him again, “You see, I can only revive souls as they were when they died. She may be able to live forever, but she will be old and weak and fragile nonetheless. Is that what you wish for her? Though I can't see why you care about a human's life at all…”

“But you revived Kikyo, and she was fine!” Sesshoumaru wondered.

“Kikyo? I suppose that's how you found out about me. She was not fine at all. She was revived with the same hole in her heart that killed her. Immortal as she was after being revived, it did not destroy her …but it was there all the same.”

“So what must I do to make it possible for you to revive this human at a reasonable age in her life?”

“Why do you care?” she hissed, smiling evilly up at him.

“What business is it of yours? This human is to be returned to me, and, if you are unable to do so, I will kill you.”

“Atleast tell me your name, demon, and then I will tell you what I know,” she leaned heavily against her scythe.

“I am Lord Sesshoumaru.”

“I've heard of you, my LORD,” she hissed, “You are the son of Inutaisho, are you not?”

“I am losing my patience, and, if that happens, you will also lose your head.”

“Very well. I see you have the sword, Tenseiga. It is indeed a powerful sword. I envy its powers. Can you not travel to the Underworld with it?”

“Yes.”

“And just what else can your Tenseiga do?” she smiled greedily.

“If you're thinking of stealing it, you're thinking of killing yourself. Fool. I can bring a soul back only once, and I have no power of what age the soul returns,” Sesshoumaru's eyes were beginning to glow red again.

“You know the maker of the sword?”

“Of course. Totosai.”

“Your Tenseiga is not at its full power. I will admit that it is close, but the Tenseiga DOES have the power to cut away the years from any soul of its choice. Totosai can tell you how to master that technique. Once you have, you must travel to the afterlife and retrieve this soul you desire. Before you return her to this world, you must use your new technique to cut away her years until she is the age you desire. Then use Tenseiga to return to this world. Bring her soul to me, and by then I will have rebuilt my kiln and begun forming her body,” she cleared her throat, “and then you will spare me my life?” she peered up at him out of the corner or her huge eyes.

The dog demon lord stared at her coldly for a minute, then, “If my Rin has been returned to me, exactly as promised, and if she is indeed as immortal as you say, then, and only THEN, will I spare your life. However, you must promise to stay away from my domain, or I will not promise to let you live.”

“Very well, after the girl is alive, I will leave Japan, forever. Is that far enough away from your domain, oh great Lord Sesshoumaru?” she placed her scythe over her shoulder.

“Quite.”

“Then off to Totosai's with you, for I have a kiln to repair and a body to create,” she waved her hands at him.

He turned on his heel, and was about to take off on his cloud when he paused.

“Yes?” Urasue sighed.

“Rin…Rin would have liked for me to thank you. So…thank you,” and he was gone.

“How interesting,” Urasue wondered aloud, “Not only does he desire the return of a mere human, but he is grateful for it. He is right, though. It is no business of mine,” and with that she turned to fix up her demon kiln.