Disclaimer: If I owned these characters … well … let's just say the storyline would be a little … different, shall we? (cough)MoreNekkidSesshyAngst(cough)… what?

Authors Note: (hands behind head) Ah… heheheh… there will be a rant at the end of this chapter iffin' you're curious to what's been going on. As for up here, let me just say (glomps) I LOVE you all for the great reviews I've gotten and KEEP getting! But I must say this. This story is divided into 2 parts, really, pre-Kagome and Kagome. We still have a little bit to go with the pre-Kagome part. I've said all along that this was an experiment to see what Sesshoumaru would have to go through mentally to reach a time where he could even CONCEIVE of having "relations" with a human. That hasn't changed. So, although I love you all, saying "hurry up and get to Kagome!" … will actually NOT make me do thus. I'm determined not to change the idea I had to begin with. Just … you know… bear with me, I guess. We'll get there. Promise!

May You Never Be Alone

Chapter 8

I'm not gonna worry wrinkles in my brow

'cause nothin's ever gonna be all right no how

No matter how I struggle and strive

I'll never get out of this world alive.

-I'll never get out of this world alive

-Hank Williams

The sun breaking over the horizon washed the world with an unusual tint of red. It almost seemed like the entire planet was on fire. Bright orange and yellow spots of color danced over the clouds still in the sky after the late night showers. It really was one of the most spectacular sunrises he had seen to date, however it did not bring the sense of wonderment it should to the taiyoukai sealed within the great boulder on the hill. It brought quite a different reaction altogether.

Some strange worrisome feeling had blossomed within Sesshoumaru's gut with the rising of the sun this day. It seemed that the world itself was telling him to expect something big. It would, of course, be more appreciated if said gut feeling would decide between excitement and trepidation. Alas, at this point any change in the routine would be welcomed.

His days were passing slowly of late. Mostly spent staring at the far hills, which now showed signs of human habitation. It had been so long since he had become entombed, that Sesshoumaru couldn't remember if there had previously been a village over the hilltop that perhaps had grown… or if some humans had recently decided this area would be a nice place to settle.

He wished he could smell. It would be nice to still have that one sense with him. He was a dog demon after all. To be able to smell the distant fires warming the villagers dinners would be a treat and a torture at the same moment. Though he'd long ago pushed the niggling need for nourishment aside, the youkai was certain he would give what was left of his lands away just to dip his face into a cold, crystal river and drink until his hearts content.

The unsettling feeling tingled within his stomach again and tore Sesshoumaru's thoughts away from things he couldn't have. His mind and his thoughts had become more scattered and tangled than ever. Truly, being a frozen, silent observer to the world did nothing for his sanity. Sometimes he had to stop and remind himself that the voice in his head was not actually Inuyasha, but some strange splintering of his own self.

It's because you've finally started to come to terms with the way you chose to live your life in the past.

Do tell.

Look, its simple really. You were a bad person out there. In here you are becoming a better one.

What? … Wait………… WHAT?

It's true.

Are you saying this is some kind of punishment or retribution for what I did before?

Well, it depends.

On what?

On whether you believe that everything in life happens for a reason. That everyone already has a path laid out before them. A fate.

And this Sesshoumaru's fate was to become a sentient rock?

…

…

My gods.

What?

Did you just make a joke?

Never mind that… just tell me, then, why my fate is here. What kind of path could be laid out for me frozen in this place for all of eternity?

Who knows? Maybe we'll be freed some day.

I am afraid that thought refuses to instill a great, joyous feeling in my heart.

It was supposed to give you some hope.

This one's hope died out long ago.

I know.

Truthfully, well … if he were actually to BE truthful with himself on the subject, Sesshoumaru would admit that his hope really perished when he realized, some time back, that too many years had passed for it to be conceivable for Rin to still be alive. She was a human, after all, and all humans lifetimes had a bit of a cutoff date.

And so one day, perhaps ten years ago, this thought had simply struck him dumb for a couple days at least.

Rin was dead.

Rin was dead, she had to be, and she'd never come back to visit him. Nor had any of Inuyasha's former companions. Although, he supposed, they were surely all dead as well. Perhaps not the kitsune, but the humans most definitely. For nearly seventy years now Sesshoumaru had been without a friendly face. A face that knew him in some way. A face that, just maybe, missed him a little.

Many people had passed by through the years, mind you, some even stopped for a moment to read the inscription on his stone. Usually they bowed deeply afterwards and walked away quickly. None of these humans actually knew him for who he really was. They had probably never even heard of Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. For all the once grand taiyoukai knew, he could have been completely forgotten by the entire world by this time.

What a wonderful thought, why don't we just give up and destroy ourself then?

We have already tried that.

It was no lie. Several times in the past ten years or so Sesshoumaru had attempted to burn himself out as he had long ago when the kitsune had visited. Still, all it would accomplish was an extreme sense of annoyance that he could not even have this one iota of control over his own life. The decision to end it. It was no surprise, he supposed, that he was suffering a bout of depression. His thoughts kept lingering these days around the subject of death and those that had passed.

At one point, in his mind's eye, he had seen a vision of his father, mother, brother and Rin gathering for a meal in a lush garden landscape and discussing his own predicament. Inuyasha had laughed and said something snappish about how foolish he was to be sucked into a rock. Rin gently smacked the hanyou on the back of his head and defended him by saying something supportive about how sneak attacks were never beneath Naraku and that Sesshoumaru-sama had simply been protecting her. At that point Rin had actually seemed to meet his observing gaze and she gently whispered that he only needed to stay strong and not give up.

Those words had snapped him out of his vision. The whole thing had been so real, it had him fairly upset for several days afterwards. He tried to imagine it again and again, to see if he could recapture that sense of realism, but it was never the same after that one time.

The sensation in his gut suddenly hit a fevered pitch and Sesshoumaru's mind was snapped back into the present yet again. The sun had long ago finished its assent into the sky, and now heavy black clouds were making themselves known to the west. It seemed that the storms from the previous night had not quite loosened their grip on his hillside.

The surrounding atmosphere slowly turned gray and electric, and a giant clap of thunder signaled the return of the rains. Sesshoumaru gave an inward sigh. This would do nothing to help his mood. He was about to let his mind free to wander again when a dark shape shot across the far hillside.

His attention was instantly grabbed and the nagging in his gut disappeared. It seemed whatever he'd been waiting for this day had finally arrived. Several larger shapes suddenly crested the far hill and quickly followed the first one.

They were all heading straight towards his boulder.

TBC…

Rant: GAH BUNNY SMASH! I must say… it has been SO long since I had a regular 9-5 type job that I completely forgot how it tends to just SUCK the creativity right outta me! sigh … I know it's no real excuse, I just get so TIRED, and when I get home I don't feel like writing. Or drawing. Or anything. And the weekends fly by so quickly it's almost depressing. Anyway, I said I would NOT abandon this work, and I MEANT it. There may be gaps between postings, but there WILL eventually be a posting. Thanks to everyone for sticking in there with me. Y'all make my day!

And if I haven't plugged it lately, let me do so again. I do have a Live Journal (username: bunnymaccool) and a Deviant Art account (username: bunnymaccool). Original innit? Anyway, lately I haven't been using the LJ account as I've wanted to, but I'm going to try and start to use it for my stories and artwork soon. So, iffn' you're interested, feel free to check it out and friend me.

Okay… I think that's all I wanted to say today. Any guesses on what's heading toward the boulder? Cookies to those who guess right!