Aphiopsyduck: Hello all! I got this idea after watching A
Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart the other night. I haven't seen
this particular take on the story before, though... Anyhoo. I hope you
guys enjoy this! :o)
Chapter 2: Past Transgressions
Sesshoumaru made his way back to his room, putting his encounter with his retainer out of his mind altogether. He changed into his sleeping clothes and slid into bed, falling asleep almost instantaneously.
Someone shook him awake, which annoyed the hell out of him. "Who dares interrupt my rest? Jaken?"
"Feh, that lame toad sleeps like a fucking log." Sesshoumaru bolted from his bed, concentrating in the figure in front of him. He took in the red and white outfit and the long silver hair. Twin fuzzy silver ears stuck out from atop his head.
"Leave me be, half-breed."
"Wish I could, asshole, but I owe Ayane a favor. Come on, I don't have all night…"
"No."
The figure sighed. "Damn, you're difficult." It reached over and yanked Sesshoumaru from his feet, dragging him out the window. "Let's go, we have much to do and not much time…"
*****
Both landed in a snowy field near a mansion. Sesshoumaru yanked his arm from the apparition. "How dare you touch me, you half-breed?"
"Name's Inuyasha, nice to meet you. I'm the ghost of your past."
"I have no past."
"Oh, really?" Inuyasha smirked and pointed at the mansion. A huge white dog was running around the yard, barking like mad. A child's giggle could be faintly heard.
Sesshoumaru turned towards the sound and frowned. He followed Inuyasha, who was moving towards the walls surrounding the house. Reaching the wall, Inuyasha didn't stop and continued through. Sesshoumaru paused, choosing instead to fly over in his cloud. He frowned at Inuyasha's amused look, concentrating instead on the scene in front of him.
A dark-haired baby sat giggling on a blanket, clapping his pudgy hands at the white dog's antics. From a distance, a young woman watched, a smile on her lips.
The dog had stopped running around, changing instead into a young silver-haired boy of no more than ten. "See? That's how you do it! Wanna try?"
The baby gurgled and chattered, holding out its little arms. The boy frowned. "Again? Okay, but you asked for it." Hefting the baby onto his shoulders, the boy transformed once again into the dog and ran around the garden. The baby laughed and giggled as he bounced all over the back of the dog.
Sesshoumaru smiled. He remembered this scene; it was a familiar one from his childhood. "Wow. You can smile." The smile vanished. "Never mind, it was a trick of the light…"
"Why are we here?"
Inuyasha watched the scene. "No reason. Oh, wait, that's not true."
Just then the dog stumbled on a gopher hole, sending both him and the baby flying. The young woman screamed. The dog recovered, catching the baby with his tail before skidding to a stop. Transforming again, the boy held the baby close as the young woman ran over and snatched the baby from his arms. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The boy watched as the young woman took the baby away.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "She did not have to overreact. I had the situation under control."
"And you never were allowed near the baby again, huh?"
"She said I was dangerous… And Father agreed…"
Inuyasha shook his head. "Come on, we have another stop to make." Placing his hand on Sesshoumaru's arm, they took off, leaving the downcast little boy alone in the yard.
*****
The pair landed outside a faded two-story building. Flowers bloomed around its walls, and children played outside. Except a silver-haired boy who stood off to one side watching everyone else from under a tree. A tall deer demon came over and pointed at the other children, yet the boy shook his head.
"I remember this place. Father brought us out to interact with the other children. Said something about cooping up two kids under one roof not being a good thing."
"Nice of him to do so."
"Not really. Those low-class brats were inferior to us."
From one of the groups of children another silver-haired boy, with fuzzy dog-ears atop his head, approached the taller boy and yanked his arm. The older child smiled and let himself be led into the group of children, who welcomed him into the group with cheers and greetings.
"That was nice of the little kid…"
"He only did so because the other children dared him."
Inuyasha frowned. "You thought so little of his intentions?"
"Watch and learn." Both turned to the scene. The group of kids began playing, when suddenly one fat bear shoved the younger silver-haired boy. When the older one threatened the bear, he tried to punch him. He was rewarded with a poison claw through his chest and a smirk from the older boy. The rest of the children ran screaming.
The older boy glared at the younger one and walked away to stand under the tree once more.
"So you blamed him for what happened?"
"He had no right to use me."
Inuyasha sighed. "This is harder than I thought. Come on, one more stop…"
*****
Inuyasha landed first, waiting for Sesshoumaru to catch up. He walked towards a clearing with a wooden well in the middle of the woods and waited. Sesshoumaru followed closely, frowning slightly. "Why are we here? This does not belong in my past."
An arrow whizzed by them, striking the well wall. A blur of red and white flew past them as another arrow gained flight. "Don't be so sure…"
A young woman appeared, holding a bow in her hands. Her shoulder was bleeding heavily, if the coppery stench was any indication. She kept walking in the direction of the blur, wavering once and leaning heavily on her bow for support.
"I know this woman…" Sesshoumaru looked at her closely. Her miko garb was one of the many things he had seen before. Her heart-shaped face, her long flowing black hair… "What happened to her?"
Inuyasha didn't reply, watching him closely instead. "What?"
The young woman kept walking into the woods. With one last glance at Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru followed her.
He spotted her once more, in front of the God Tree. She'd pinned the red and white blur onto it, a silver-haired half-demon. "You betrayed me! I'll never forgive you!"
"I didn't… betray you…" He reached out towards her, but she turned away from him. That's when he noticed the wound. "Who…"
She whirled around again, one more arrow ready to strike. "How dare you ask that! It was you who did this to me!" Her eyes rolled into the back of her head then and she collapsed, the blood loss finally catching up with her.
The half-demon struggled in his bond but failed. With his last breath he whispered something: "Sess-houmaru…"
Sesshoumaru frowned. There was something familiar about the half-demon… "Who was he?"
"You're very dense, huh? And they say I'm an idiot…" Inuyasha shook his head. "That was your brother, wasn't he?"
Sesshoumaru frowned. "I have no siblings." Even as he said that, the memory of holding a silver-haired baby with fuzzy ears atop his head invaded his mind.
Inuyasha threw up his hands. "I give up. Either you're stupid, or you've lost your mind." He turned towards the well clearing again. "Kami, Ayane owes me big time for this… I never thought I'd be stuck with such a weak-minded simpleton…"
Sesshoumaru snapped out of his reverie to follow the spirit. "Who are you calling a simpleton?"
Inuyasha whirled. "Gee, since there's only two of us here, and I was
the one talking… You do the math. I'm gone." With that, he jumped straight
up into the air and vanished, leaving Sesshoumaru alone in the clearing.