The Life After

Comments & Disclaimer at End cuz this website hates me

Sesshoumaru stood, staring intently at Hakuchou Lake. Of course, he had been doing so for the past hour. Only one thing had become clear to him: this was obviously not the home of a vicious demon. The absolute only occurrence was the very rare passage of a white or black swan across the lake. It was a little strange that only one swan was on the lake at a time and instantly disappeared into the brush on the opposite bank after having made its passage. Aside from that, however, there was nothing interesting about this place. The dog demon lord let out a yell suddenly, screaming out all of his frustration. The white swan that was currently swimming to the right across the water’s surface stopped in surprise, squawking and ruffling its feathers. Sesshoumaru did not notice this, though. He was far too busy cursing and kicking rocks and twigs. “There is no demon at this lake! Here I have stood for ages and there is no Enmei! There is nothing at all, but these infernal swans!!”

The only response was the affronted honk of the black swan that was crossing the lake to the demon’s left.

This infuriated Sesshoumaru. Why was the only thing in this whole lake swans?! No, he paused, it was more than that. Why was there only one single swan at a time, and why did all the white swans swim one direction and all the black ones, another? There, finally, was something the dog demon could latch onto, a sort of clue, perhaps. Summoning a cloud, he floated across the mirrored surface until he came upon the white swan that had decided to go right like all the ones before. “Well, well,” and the bird stopped moving, but did not turn its head to gaze at the great taiyokai, “ ‘It is said that he is as white as snow, but it is also rumored that he is as black as soot,’ ” Sesshoumaru quoted Totosai flawlessly, “Enmei?”

A ruffle of feathers, and then the swan was looking up at him. This beautiful bird, no, demon, seemed to be cut right down the middle. One half of him was entirely white: half his face, his neck, his body. The other half was black. His bill was quite normal, mostly reddish/orange, but there were strange markings of black and white upon it, ironically opposite of his black and white sides. Suddenly, the feathers flew, and before the dog demon could easily have stood a human. He had no fangs or claws, no pointed ears, simple black depthless eyes. No shirt, and only a loose white hakama that was not even tied to his waist. Yet this man’s long hair was half black, and half white as it flowed past his shoulders, and there were strange markings, identical to the ones on the swan’s bill, on his cheeks and chin. The most amazing thing about him was that he stood quite easily atop the water, something even Lord Sesshoumaru would have been unable to accomplish.

“So, Enmei is a swan demon?” Sesshoumaru asked simply.

“No. Enmei is the swan demon. Search as long as you like, Lord Sesshoumaru, you will find no other,” the demon was smiling kindly, as if he had never once in his life experienced fear or malice. As if he had no reason to be anything but friendly.

“You know me?”

“I know most things. Not everything, not hardly. I do not feign such a claim; none know everything. However, eternity gives you so much time to learn. Don’t you agree?”

“I suppose,” the taiyokai was currently thinking of what he should do next. This demon was not dreadful or evil. He was not hurting anyone, not doing anything wrong. Rin would hate him for hurting such a gentle creature as this, and, yet, he was supposed to defeat him. No, he had to defeat him to save his Rin. Sesshoumaru heaved a deep sigh, his drawn Tenseiga hanging limply in his claws. He sheathed it silently.

“You wish to defeat me.” It was not a question.

“I do not suppose you could tell me how to do such a thing without killing you?” the dog demon requested weakly, moving his sad golden eyes to meet the endless black orbs of Enmei.

“No one can kill me. Would you like to try? I will not be offended.” The dog demon highly doubted if this man ever stopped smiling so gently.

“I… I cannot.”

“Then I will show you, myself,” eyes still shining brightly, Enmei suddenly let out the strangest, most melodious echo that the dog had ever heard. Almost instantly a guardian demon of the lake appeared. “I can cause no harm, will you show my power?” The demon, quite fishlike, full of scales and gills, seemed completely unsurprised by the request and unleashed a terrible water attack upon the swan. The blow hit him straight on, and he took the whole force of it, allowing not the tiniest bit to pass him and touch Sesshoumaru. When the attack was over, the guardian receded, and Enmei turned back. He was unchanged, unharmed. The taiyokai knew then. This man could not die. He had no attacks, no way to defend himself, but he did not need such things. As immortal as Sesshoumaru was, he could still die. It was possible. For Enmei to die was unthinkable. The swan could not even be hurt.

“It must be quite lonely,” the dog mused sadly.

“Surely it must,” but the demon was not really answering, just being agreeable.

“So, what now?” the great demon lord sighed, floating back to the bank and dispersing his cloud as he fell gently into the clay, “I could not kill you, even if I wished to. I am really not going to get her back.”

Enmei walked calmly across the water, stopping, still standing easily on top of the shallow water, in front of his fellow demon, “What do you know of this task set before you, Lord Sesshoumaru?”

“I cannot kill with the Tenseiga. I do not wish to kill… to kill you. Rin would not like it… I do not like it.”

“What can you do, if you cannot kill? If I cannot be killed?” the smile was still soft, those amazingly deep eyes still dancing.

“I will have to think on that.”

“Think on. There is all the time in the world.”

The swan stood silently, smiling on, as the dog delved deep into his brain, whilst sitting upon the bank of this demon’s lake.

“You’re kidding?! Totally fucking with us!!!” Riki yelled.

“You are… just joking… right?!” Ukiyomaru’s eyes searched for the answer in the messenger’s face.

“I am completely serious, my lords. There is no work for you today,” the poor human was not sure how to make himself any more clear.

“But we had all that crap to do yesterday! Took all fucking day! And you want us to believe there ain’t nothing today?!” Riki was pacing furiously.

“Yes, m’lords. You see, Elder Kouga wanted to repay you for all your kindness, so he has taken on all your tasks for the week.”

“Is that allowed?” Riki turned, shocked, to the silent Uki. His cousin just blinked for a moment and shrugged in response.

“Of course!” Kouga seemed to have suddenly appeared behind them, speed still coming easily to him, and he slapped the boys on the back heartily, “As long as it’s done, who cares who does it?”

“Elder Kouga,” Ukiyomaru bowed politely.

“ ‘Sup?” Riki simply jerked his head.

“You both helped me out a lot, saving my Pack yesterday. So I owe you. Take the week off. Have fun. You’re still kids.”

“I don’t know. We promised Father that we would watch over his Domain, not just hand it over to the first willing friend,” the younger hanyou rubbed his silver head.

“Uki,” Riki whimpered, “Dad really has been lonely. Can’t we maybe just go visit him? Maybe not the whole week? Maybe just a little?”

Those shimmering golden eyes tore right through Ukiyomaru’s heart. Who was he to argue, “Fine. We thank you deeply, Elder Kouga.”

“Yeh, thanks!” Riki beamed, and before Kouga could open his mouth, the two were gone, the elder boy dragging his cousin by the sleeve.

The wolf shook his head, laughing, “Those two never change. I don’t think they’ve been alone a single moment since Ukiyomaru was born. They deserve some time off.”

The human messenger cleared his throat, still standing nearby, “Now for today’s tasks, Elder Kouga.”

“Done,” Kouga tossed a scroll over his shoulder and into the shocked man’s hands.

“I was looking everywhere for my list, this morning!”

“I stole it last night and finished everything early this morning. You’ve no idea how easy these things are when you apply a little speed,” the wolf laughed heartily, jewel shards glowing brightly in his legs, though only Riki would have noticed.

“O-oh… Alright,” the poor human had no clue how to respond to that.

“Now,” the demon clapped his hands together, “Where are Lord Sesshoumaru’s fabled hot springs?” his teeth shone brightly through his smile as he was led off to a very relaxing week.

Riki stretched his arms wide over his head, fangs bared in a large yawn, before leaning backwards, arms crossed behind his head, laying against the back of his best friend’s legs. They were currently floating on one of Ukiyomaru’s clouds, headed towards Inuyasha’s village. The younger man was standing, easily supporting Riki’s upper body, as his cousin leaned against him. “Are we close, Uki?” it was half a yawn and quite garbled, but years of time together made it easy to understand the missing bits of speech.

“Nope. Not at all. Go back to sleep if you please, …Brother,” the last word was paused, tacked on at the end as if the shorthaired man had to think long and hard before uttering it.

“Sum’in wrong?” the older boy’s fingers played through his ponytail, loosening the ever-present knots. His eyes were shut tight; sleep already luring him away with its sweet curtain of calm.

Almost, for just an instant, almost Ukiyomaru allowed every thing he’d been worrying about for quite some time now to slip forth. Instead, he reached behind him, gently running his claws through Riki’s bangs, “Not really,” he lied with a gentle smile.

“M’kay…,” a soft snore and then silence followed this.

The younger hanyou winced, holding his half moon adorned forehead. He removed his hand finally, blinking his brown eyes at the sun rising ahead of them. It was quite high in the sky now, only a few pale pinks and oranges smudging across the pale blue sky. “Father,” the young demon whispered, “I certainly hope you’re having better luck with your love, than I am.” Uki turned his thoughts back to the cloud he controlled, guiding them ever closer to his uncle.

“I do not want to kill you,” Sesshoumaru said again, for at least the sixth time.

“I see,” the swan smiled.

“I cannot kill you,” it was also something he had spoken several times.

“You cannot,” it was an expected answer.

The taiyokai tore to his feet, his boots squelching in the damp clay of the shore, “Then what, dear Kami, am I supposed to do?!” He was glaring daggers at the other man’s face.

“I will not tell you that.”

“Why not?!” the dog moaned, a gentle breeze blowing through his silver hair and Enmei’s own white and black strands.

“I do not know that. I am unfamiliar with the Tenseiga. Elsewise, I would be absolutely thrilled to offer my assistance,” the man floating simply upon the lake smiled steadily.

Sesshoumaru drew his sword again, wielding it towards his adversary. The two demons stared quite intently at the blade, almost willing it to do something on its own. One of the demons seemed amused; the other was swiftly losing what little patience he possessed. The taiyokai shook Tenseiga once, stared for another moment; shook it harder. “Do something!” he raged, waving it all about in the direction of the swan demon.

Enmei tilted his head, his hair falling gently over his shoulders.

The dog hung his head miserably; his heart shattering again, constantly reminded that he might not really save his precious Rin.

“You are trying too hard,” it was quite nearly a laugh.

Biting his tongue, the great demon lord managed to look up and deadpan, “How would you go about it?”

“I would not,” he paused long enough for the dog to open his mouth, but swiftly interjected before he could argue, “I have long since accepted that I will lose people during this life. That is the way of things.”

“I do not accept that. This sword can change death. That, alone, states that nothing is set in stone. I can do this.”

“Do you believe this?”

“I do,” Sesshoumaru did not need to think this time; he was certain.

“Then use your technique, Lord Sesshoumaru,” Enmei held out his arm gently, encouragingly.

“I cannot figure it out!”

“You do not need to ‘figure it out.’ You simply need to execute it.”

“But how--…”

“Use it, my lord.”

“I don’t…”

“Use it.”

“I can’t…”

“Use it.”

This was too much. That same statement, repeated over and over in that perfectly content voice, was driving him insane. With a shriek and a wave of his sword, Sesshoumaru cried out, “Katta-ukiyo!!!”

“I will allow it,” the swan smiled, “if you truly believe.”

“I do believe. I believe for Rin,” the taiyokai did not notice the tears that streamed over his magenta stripes. He looked up slowly, golden eyes shaking.

Then Enmei’s smile froze. The wind across the lake had also stilled. Not even the water lapped at the clay shore or Sesshoumaru’s feet. The dog looked left and right, before, without warning, a huge flash erupted from the swan demon’s chest. He had not torn open; it was more like a strange jumble of kanji had burst from his very soul. Now, before the demon lord’s very eyes, lay a sort of timeline. There was no other way to describe it. It started back, so far back, that he could not see where it began. Turning the other way, he also could not see where it ended. Directly in front of him was the word ‘now.’ It was marked off every 10 years, and there were important words under certain circled dates.

The lord walked through the silent unchanging scenery, stopping several steps away from Enmei. Gently reaching out his claws, the taiyokai touched a circle that stated “Met Naraku” beneath it. Another eruption of light spewed from the date, and there was a little bubble, about the size of a window, that appeared to show the instance. Sesshoumaru leaned forward, taking in the images and sounds that moved magically within the bubble of light.

Naraku stood at the edge of Hakuchou Lake, his tentacles waving about as he floated easily on the air, “Come forth, Enmei. I implore you. Become a part of myself. I can certainly use yourfine gifts.”

Enmei slipped forth from his swan body, turning brightly to this new man, “I know you, Naraku. Sadly, for once, I must decline. I have no desire to become a part of you. I certainly hope that is alright.”

“Not quite. I, in turn, hope you will forgive me for taking your soul anyway.”

“But of course,” the timeless demon nodded softly.

The malicious hanyou’s tentacles swept from him, completely enveloping the gentle demon. However, they drew back suddenly, as if burned. “I cannot touch you?!” It was rather calm, much like Sesshoumaru’s own stoic demeanor, but there was unreasonable fury behind the words.

“Of course not. You see, I cannot die. Being absorbed is quite similar to death, therefore it cannot happen to me. Is there anything else I can do for you? If not, I was quite occupied discussing existence with the fireflies,” the demon tilted his head in the carefree way Sesshoumaru was coming to expect from him.

“This is unacceptable!” Naraku fell upon the swan, tearing him apart, or so it appeared. After several minutes, the horrid demon withdrew, cursing and fuming. The ancient swan was still untouched.

“You are wasting your time, Naraku. Not mine, of course. I have plenty to spare, but do you really wish to throw away your own limited moments?”

“I… I do not need you,” the foul creature turned away, refusing to admit he was beaten, “You are not worthy of myself.” He floated away, probably to blame Kagura or some other incarnation for the failure.

The taiyokai blinked as the bubble faded away. That must have been a long time ago, for it was over one hundred and fifty years before that they had defeated that wretched man. “This technique allows me to see a soul’s entire lifetime? Perhaps, even their future,” he mused, swiftly reappearing past the “now” part of the line. There were no circles here, however. No words, either. Poking at these dates did nothing. “So I can only bother a person’s past. That is reasonable,” he had returned to his spot across from Enmei. “I want to cut away some years… so I must go to the past and cut?” he reappeared around a hundred years before the “now.” The dog demon was shivering slightly. He was terrified of the consequences of being wrong. He had no desire to hurt the swan. Taking careful aim at the mark of a century ago, he slammed his pink eyelids shut and slashed Tenseiga through the date.

Cautiously opening one golden eye, the dog demon watched in awe as the timeline seemed to tear itself away at the “now” point as well as where he had sliced. Suddenly it shot backwards, shrinking close together and squeezing itself all before the date he had cut. Then a new piece of timeline, unmarked as the future bits, stretched itself from the cut line to the previous “now” date. The mark where he had used Tenseiga wavered for a moment, before lighting up with a “now.” Before Sesshoumaru could ponder or explore this strange technique anymore, the timeline lit up and spun itself back within Enmei, just as time began itself again.

The swan opened and shut his mouth a few times without speaking. “I find myself, suddenly, quite younger. It appears you have mastered the Katta-ukiyo.”

“Have I?” the dog demon certainly did not claim to understand any of what had just happened.

“Tell me everything,” Enmei smiled, seeming unconcerned at being younger, though he certainly looked no different.

Sesshoumaru sat down upon the shore again, gazing up at the water-walking swan demon, and telling him everything.

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8/22/08

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, Totosai, 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. Also, please note that the manga was not finished when I'd started this, so um I didn't know a lot of crap and just made stuff up. So let's pretend this is a magical world where Inuyasha ended very differently. ^^; BESIDES we ALL know that Sesshoumaru SHOULD have taken Rin to the castle.

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: HO SHIT GUYS! It's been another year. What is it with me and being all mean and waiting a freaking year before uploading? I'm soooo sorry. Hopefully the next chapter should be up within a week instead of a year. ^^; So sorry. I'm just all lonely and a bunch of emo shit you don't wanna hear. T_T lolz. But thanx so much for all the kind comments that encouraged me to carry on. And sorry all this crap is at the bottom. For whatever reason, if I tried to do it at the top, it would ONLY show up to the thanks and not post the story. WTF!? Anyone know what's up with that? T_T

Wanna see my sketch of Enmei I drew a freaking year ago?
http://skryntarr.deviantart.com/art/Enmei-95726239
Go for it. =D

Thanks: animegirl007 you've been there since the beginning. Thank you. Khris Liles lolz I know that college English thing. Sorry for being gone so long. plz forgive me if you happen to find your way back to this story after a year. ^^; serena221 thanx. sorry for the wait. gerigirl SO KIND! T_T Sorry for making you wait so long! Vampire_Aireanna dang you have some serious patience. I so couldn't sit and read the whole thing without my eyes falling out of my head. Sorry for the wait. Orran Ainmire Sorry! So sorry! Lamica Thank you!!! =3 Archfiend You? You I thank the most. Reading your comment a few days ago nearly brought tears to my eyes and I slipped my fingers onto the keyboard, opened up word, and typed away for the past few days to bring you this chapter. I hope you find it and enjoy it, because it is certainly for you. Thank you so much for the encouragement! <3 May the chapter be up to the previous ones' standards.