The Life After

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Ukiyomaru was flustered. It was becoming quite a common occurrence of late, but he did not enjoy it very much more than he had the first few times. They had finally arrived, just outside of his uncle’s village. Riki was still fast asleep, even though it was afternoon by that point, and the younger hanyou could not bear to wake him up. Especially since staring at his gentle features was much more enticing than trying to wake up the dead. The older man had never been easy to wake up, though lately Uki wondered if a kiss would cause his post-sleep anger to subside. Now, however, the younger dog had placed his cousin gently against a tree, ironically the same one Riki’s father had been pinned to oh so many years ago, having dispersed his cloud.

The older demon’s ears twitched atop his head, and the younger could not help but reach out a hand and run his claws along them. They were amazingly soft, and the boy could not help but take both hands and rub them softly over the dog-ears atop his best friend’s hair. He had been doing this for several minutes when a strange sort of purr escaped Riki’s lips. Ukiyomaru had jumped back, startled that he may have woken his cousin, but the other simply murmured in his sleep, “Dun’t stop it… feelz nice…”

Sesshoumaru’s son’s brown eyes widened, and he gulped before slowly kneeling in front of Riki. He reached out and began massaging the fuzzy ears again. It was definitely a purr that escaped the older hanyou’s control this time. Uki was absolutely transfixed with his friend’s face at the moment and did not even realize he was still running his hands over the fur. He continued staring at Riki, following the trace of his lips, watching the gentle flutter of his eyelids every now and again. It was completely involuntarily that the younger man leaned forward, slowly closing the distance between them. The instant before their lips met, Ukiyomaru suddenly realized that he was no longer looking at closed eyelids, it was bright golden orbs that reflected his own startled eyes back at him. There was nothing else for it, the younger demon let out a horrified scream, falling backwards onto the huge vines that snuck up the trunk of Inuyasha’s tree.

Riki, as to be expected, screamed as well, “What the hell, Uki?!”

“I… I… I…,” but he seemed to be only capable of stammering incoherently at the moment.

“What were you all up in my face for anyway?” Ukiyomaru was extremely glad he had not actually succeeded in kissing the strong man, what had he been thinking? “Oi! Are we here already?! Awesome!” Riki, as usual, was easily distracted and had forgotten everything. He stood up, stretching his well-muscled arms one at a time, “I tell you, Uki. Aidunno what it was, but I just had the best sleep ever.” His dog-ears layered back against his head for a moment as he flexed, then straightened up as he relaxed. He turned to his cousin again, “D’anything happen on the trip?”

“N… n… n…,” Dammit all, he still couldn’t get any words out.

The older man accepted the answer, “Good. Well, let’s get going. Dad’s gonna freak out.” He had already jumped off of the vines and started walking towards the village, before he realized that his usual shadow was not beside him. He turned back, “Uki?” There was no answer, as the younger man was staring, eye twitching, at absolutely nothing. “Uki? Oi!!!” he leaped gracefully back onto the vines, snapping his fingers in front of his cousin’s eyes.

Finally noticing that Riki was close to him again, Ukiyomaru jumped about a foot in the air, “G-g-get out of my face!” he whimpered, pushing his best friend back a step, “Scare the crap out of a guy.” Not that he was one to talk, after his recent assault of the older demon. The younger hanyou hoped the other man would not realize he had turned away to hide his blush.

“What are you daydreaming about anyway? Did you see some hot girl on the way over here?! Didn’t even wake me up? Wanted her all to yourself, eh?” Riki was smirking, an eyebrow raised, “Tsk. Tsk. I’m hurt, Uki, hurt.”

“Oh, like you’d wake me up,” the younger boy shook his head, shoving the other demon backwards off of the vines, before jumping off himself.

The older hanyou managed to keep his balance, even having been shoved, and he chortled and shoved Ukiyomaru playfully as they began to walk the final distance to the village, “You really need to get a funny bone, Cuz.”

“I’m certain you have enough for both of us,” it was completely emotionless, as was the glare.

“Damn, that was pure Uncle Sesshoumaru right there. No sense of humor at all.”

The younger hanyou heaved a sigh, rubbing at his half moon.

Suddenly, Riki’s arms were around his shoulders from behind, “Lighten up. You know I love you.”

Uki’s brown eyes widened again, and he completely stopped breathing, “R-Riki, I…”

“So stop acting like that emotionless man I call Uncle, and let’s go see Dad!”

It occurred to the smaller hanyou that it was possible his cousin was being platonic, his lip quivered for a moment, before he sighed again, this time shoving Riki forcefully into a tree. The older demon actually left a large dent in the plant, and he was staring in shock at such a violent response from his innocent little cousin. “You’re such a jackass. You know that, right?” The older boy just blinked, still surrounded by splintered bark. “Brother,” Ukiyomaru added with a wide grin, holding up a hand.

Riki roared with laughter, clasping his cousin’s hand. The younger man pulled him easily from the bent tree. “But I make you smile, ne, Brother?”

“Yes,” and they had started walking towards Inuyasha’s again, “Yes. You will always be the one to make me smile.”

Sesshoumaru had finally finished telling the story, even including everything he had seen in the bubble.

“Ah, yes. I understand perfectly now,” Enmei nodded, smiling brightly.

“Would you be so kind as to explain it to me? I haven’t hurt you, have I? That was not my intention,” the taiyokai pushed himself up from the clay, brushing off his armor and hakama.

“Not at all. You see, the Katta-ukiyo does not change time. That is why everything that had happened up until now was pressed backwards before the point that you cut. Basically, what the technique does is change the age of the body, but it does not erase any of the experiences the soul has encountered. I am a bit surprised that you were able to see pieces of my past, however I am relieved to know you could not touch my future. Some things we are not meant to know,” the swan sighed softly, but not sadly.

“Tell me, could I not see the ends of your timeline, because of the great extent of your life?” this was something Sesshoumaru really wanted to know. If he were to use the technique to bring out his Ukiyo’s life, would he be able to see the exact point at which he would die? As much as he did not want to know such a thing, he certainly wanted to attempt to prolong his son’s life as far as possible. If he had warning, perhaps he could change the timeline. Riki, too, of course, and anyone else the taiyokai happened to actually care about.

“That is why you could not see my entire past, yes. Younger creatures, especially short-lived ones like humans, should be simple to see their entire past. I doubt, though, if you can see anyone’s future. Not just the lack of dates, but the end. Every soul’s end is a mystery, so the possibilities are timeless until something happens to change such a thing. Do not look so sad, Lord Sesshoumaru, You have what you desire,” a small chuckle seemed to radiate about the swan demon.

“I do not know how I activated the technique,” the dog demon lord was greatly confused, his fine eyebrows knitted together, “Certainly screaming the name did nothing. Though it works well enough for my brute of a brother,” Sesshoumaru could not repress the arrogant smirk at memories of Inuyasha wildly waving his sword and screaming out every attack at the top of his lungs. It was no hard task to avoid something you were warned of beforehand. His own whispered ‘Now, die’ seemed to be a much better choice. “It was your allowance,” he added, “that seemed to unleash it.”

“You are wrong.” Normally such a statement would have had the taiyokai’s claws at the man’s throat, but Enmei said it with no contempt, “It was your belief that released it.”

“Is that so?” Sesshoumaru ran a clawed hand through his silken, silver hair, past his pointed ears, “Tell me, Enmei. Are only the important dates the ones that are circled?”

“If, by that, you mean ‘Was my introduction to Naraku an important date?’ then I suppose the answer would be yes. Though I believe that all meetings are important. I assure you, if you return tomorrow and view my life, you would see today’s date circled as well. There are many other questions I am sure you are considering asking. Did I know who he was? Was I aware of the trouble he was to cause our world? Did I not desire to stop him? Those were things I wondered as well, but it is not my choice. I am not like everyone else. Creatures like Naraku are a threat to others, but he is no inconvenience to me. No one is a danger to me. I, therefore, find it not to be my choice whether to allow someone like Naraku to continue existing. Also, if you have not noticed, I am completely unable to harm another being. So though your heart tells you that, had you been in my place, you should never have allowed the man to leave, I do not have the same morals. No one is good or evil to me; therefore I take it upon myself not to judge others. Naraku was doing what he thought was best. In turn, that is what you are doing now. Are both quests not equally selfish, Lord Sesshoumaru?” Enmei never stopped smiling; his voice never ceased being kind.

“Don’t be foolish! I am doing this for Rin,” it was said with steel, in a voice that could hardly be arguable.

“Are you really, my lord? Has Rin asked you for such assistance?”

“She cannot possibly enjoy being dead!”

“Why are you doing this?”

“For Rin!” a pause, but the dog demon decided he must support his reasoning better when the other demon did not respond, “For Ukiyo! For the lands that I rule!” He stopped suddenly, his lips forming a pair of words that he did not wish to speak.

“Finish,” the swan offered kindly.

“That is all,” Sesshoumaru’s eyes would not meet his.

“Finish,” Enmei tried again.

A deep breath and then, “For… for myself,” he looked up slowly, golden eyes shaking, “I need her.”

“To me it is all the same. I hold no more stock in your quest than Naraku’s. It is easy to see which one is considered less evil, but I do not believe in evil or good. It was important that I met Naraku. I learned many things in those brief minutes I spent in his presence. I have learned just as many things from this time spent with you.”

“I do not wish to be like Naraku,” the dog wanted this to be known.

“That,” Enmei smiled brighter than ever, “is why you are not.”

“Oh…,” he blinked his pink covered eyelids, “I see.”

“Carry on, Lord Sesshoumaru. Even one as strong as you does not have eternity. Finish your task and think not of good and evil. Simply believe in your errand, and it will be completed,” Enmei had turned, striding out to the center of the lake where he had previously been swimming back and forth. He paused, looking over his shoulder, “One final thing. I would not advise looking at your own timeline. It would be quite easy to become lost within the memories. Do not waste away your life looking back. It is always better to look forward, though there is far less certainty to see.”

“I… I appreciate your help,” Sesshoumaru had turned as well, but seemed unable to summon his cloud at the last moment, and stood silently. The demons did not move for quite some time, only the breeze making any sound. Neither looked back.

Finally, Enmei sighed, “If it is any consolation, my lord. It can hardly be said I offered assistance to Naraku. However, I have spent a good part of the day assisting you.” There was the sound of feathers flying then, and the demon lord knew that if he looked back there would be a white swan swimming right or, perhaps, a black swan swimming left.

“You are right, of course, Enmei. Naraku acted out of greed. I do so out of love. There would be the difference. I will not forget you or anything we have spoken of today. If you were to see my timeline tomorrow, this date would be circled as well. ‘Met Enmei… Saved Rin,’ ” the dog did not look back, but summoned his cloud and flew off a ways to where he could safely open the Meidou. There would be no turning back after that. He had already made his choice anyway. Memories of Rin from the moment he met her to the moment she faded away flooded his mind. He smiled softly, fully understanding what the swan demon had meant about getting lost in one’s own life. Sesshoumaru knew now, more than ever, that he needed Rin’s return. The smile on his face was enough proof of that. “Rin,” he whispered softly, “You will always be the one to make me smile.”

Far below and fading into the distance, a black swan paddled across Hakuchou Lake. Perhaps he was discussing existence with the fireflies. Perhaps he was simply enjoying life.

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8/23/08

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: Technically it's the 23rd, right? I mean it's 1:50 the freak am. *passes out* Lookit, guys! Nothing for a year and then TWO chapters? CRAZY, man, crazy. *giggles* I hope you luff it. *shnuggles Enmei* Isn't he a beautiful immortal?

Thanks: No one's had TIME to comment. ^^; Oops?