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)
A Love Ballad
Chapter 4: Uncertain Future
Sesshoumaru opened his eyes slowly and let them adjust to the lack of light. He looked around, relieved to find himself back in his room. He growled. "These spirits are making me, the Lord of the Western Lands, lose sleep. The next one that comes—"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Get up, I don't have all night…" Sesshoumaru turned to the voice, another young boy with messy black hair. And dressed in strange garments. "Now, pal!"
"Do not order me around, human." Sesshoumaru slowly rose and watched the boy. He looks like…
"Yeah, I am. Now come on." The boy came closer and tugged on the demon lord's sleeve.
"What are you talking about? Who are you?"
The boy grinned. "I'm Kagome's brother Souta."
"You can read minds?"
"Among other things. Now come one. This was a highly unorthodox assignment, and I'm anxious to get home."
"All right then, lead the way." With a nod, the boy clapped his hands.
*****
"Where are we?"
"Oh, sorry. You don't know…" A metal demon raced past them, ignoring the demon lord.
"What magic is this?"
"No magic… Follow me…" The boy began walking across a black road, then into a fenced in forest. He turned to Sesshoumaru and frowned when he saw he hadn't moved. "I thought you demons were much faster."
"What do you know about demons?"
Souta smirked. "From what Kagome said, you were the fastest demon she's ever seen, not counting Kouga. But I sure can't tell anymore."
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Why compare me to that wolf demon?"
Souta laughed. "You really don't know, do you?" He then ran off deeper into the woods, not waiting for Sesshoumaru.
After watching him disappear, Sesshoumaru slowly made his way through the woods. The smells were very different, and he couldn't sense any demons. He spotted many humans dressed as the boy and as Kagome (when did I start thinking of her as 'Kagome' anyways?). He also noted that what he believed to be a metal demon was in fact some sort of transportation contraption. He watched the entire scene in a bemused state and didn't notice when he arrived to where Souta stood.
"Are you sure you want to see this? To know?" At his nod, Souta crossed yet another black road and walked up many steps. Arriving at the top, Sesshoumaru found himself in the yard of a shrine—HER home, if her scent everywhere was any indication.
Sesshoumaru followed Souta into the house and up some stairs. Both stopped outside a door. "After I open this door, there's no turning back. Before I do so, however, I'll give you a choice. Either we go on forward in my time, or we go back to your time. If you choose to go back, you'll forget everything you've seen and heard until now and you'll lose the chance Ayane gave you. If we press forward…" Souta shook his head. "It's up to you. What is your choice?"
"I have one question."
Souta smiled. "Just one?"
Sesshoumaru ignored him. "Just what am I supposed to learn?"
Souta paused. "You mean, Ayane didn't tell you?"
Sesshoumaru deadpanned, "Ayane loved to speak in riddles."
Souta shook his head. "Ayane sure loves to beat around the bush… No matter. Essentially, Ayane failed in only one thing in life. And doesn't want you to repeat past mistakes."
"Ayane never failed me."
Souta waved his comment off. "This was long before you. Don't you know Ayane's past?" Seeing Sesshoumaru pause, Souta frowned. "Kami, you're dense. Ayane had a life before coming to work for you."
"I know that—"
Souta continued as if the demon lord hadn't spoken. "Fine. You want to know what happened? Ayane let the love of her life go. That was her mistake. That's what she sees you doing. Now, you can either fix it, or we can go home earlier than expected. Now choose!"
"The love of—" Sesshoumaru laughed. "I am not interested in any female as a mate! Where did Ayane get that ridiculous idea?"
Souta smirked. "Yes, well, since my sister's obviously alive after several encounters with you…"
The laughter died immediately. "Excuse me? You're accusing me, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, of wanting—even loving—a human?"
"In short, yes."
Sesshoumaru straightened. "I am going home. This nonsense is over."
Souta grinned. "Great! Let's go." He reached for the door and turned the handle.
"Wait! What are—"
*****
"Father! Father, wake up!" Sesshoumaru watched an older Rin race through the castle. He followed, noting that Souta was nowhere to be found.
Rin raced past one hall and down another. "Father! It's not funny!"
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Since when does she call me 'father'?"
Reaching her destination, Rin opened the door and raced inside. "Father, come on! Uncle's here early!"
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "That bastard's here? Why?" He watched as Rin and himself ran past him and followed.
He reached the front hall and frowned. There stood Inuyasha… Or did he? "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?"
He looked at the figure in the hall. No fuzzy ears atop his head, no red haori and pants… "Wait a minute! Why am I—"
"Lord Inuyasha, please…"
Sesshoumaru looked closely at Inuyasha. He was older, more distinguished… And full demon. Sesshoumaru noted proudly how Inuyasha now wore a flowing blood-red robe, complemented with black and blue armor around his torso. The markings on his face reflected his position: the purple stripes on his face, and the crescent moon on his forehead. Except his was a deep crimson and not purple, and was backwards from Sesshoumaru's. He stood looking down at the figure huddled in front of him.
Sesshoumaru turned to look at himself again and cringed. The once silver-white hair was matted and dirty, his flowing robes were stained, his armor battered and cracked in places. "What has happened to me?"
"Jaken! Where's that useless toad?" Inuyasha looked around and spotted the old toad shuffling into the hall. "Where the hell were you?"
"M-M-Master…"
I'll show you!" Inuyasha kicked Jaken into a wall. "Next time you're dead, toad. And there'll be no Tenseiga to revive you."
"Father, don't mistreat Jaken-sama. He doesn't know any better."
"It's time he learns." He turned to Rin. "Where's your mother?"
"At the springs."
"Bring her to me. Now." Rin nodded and fled the front hall.
Sesshoumaru growled. "That bastard shall learn not to mistreat Rin and Jaken…"
Inuyasha turned to his brother. "As for you…"
Sesshoumaru watched in horror as Inuyasha kicked the crouched figure in front of him several times. "I told you once never to return!"
The beaten Sesshoumaru reached out and grabbed Inuyasha's leg, effectively stopping the onslaught. "Please listen! I have information!"
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Why am I reduced to messenger? What has happened?" He looked around once more, but Souta was still nowhere to be found. "You swore we'd return to my home! This isn't what I had in mind!"
"I know." Sesshoumaru whirled to find Souta next to him. "But you had to see this."
"What happened to me? To Inuyasha?"
Souta shook his head. "After Naraku was defeated, things were normal for a while… Until my sister gave the jewel to that baka."
"And?"
"Inuyasha proved to be more cunning than Naraku could have ever hoped to be…"
"No more riddles, human! What happened?"
"Simple. Inuyasha wished to become Lord of the Western Lands."
"Is he mad? Only a full-blooded—" Sesshoumaru paled. "By Kami…"
"Exactly. He essentially killed several birds with one wish, so to speak."
Sesshoumaru growled. "That bastard half-breed—"
"—became a bastard full-breed in one fell swoop. He then used Tenseiga to revive—"
"What is the matter, Inuyasha?" Both turned to watch as Kikyo came in, tying her robe. His face reflected the horror he felt as he noted her face markings, hauntingly similar to Inuyasha's.
"He says he has information."
Kikyo looked down with a bored expression. "Again? How many times is that this week? Six?"
"But, My Lady," Sesshoumaru cringed at his subservient voice, "they've been located."
His expression grim, Sesshoumaru said, "Let me guess, his former allies."
Souta nodded. "You catch on quick."
Kikyo's eyes narrowed. "And the miko?"
Kagome? Sesshoumaru's ears perked up. "Yes, My Lady. She was hiding with a wolf tribe to the north with the fox child."
Inuyasha yawned. "Kill them all." Nodding, Sesshoumaru turned to the door. "And Sesshoumaru?"
Even as he knew what was coming, Sesshoumaru cringed as Inuyasha sliced his other version in half with the Tetsusaiga. "I've wanted to do that for so damn long…"
As Inuyasha and Kikyo left the hall, Sesshoumaru turned to Souta. "So that bastard takes Rin, kills everyone, and takes my position? Is that it?"
"Not exactly." Souta smiled as the world around them vanished in a veil of mist.
"Well?" Sesshoumaru looked around, frowning. "What now?"
"Oh, nothing special…" A horde of demons came through the clearing towards the distant mountains. "This is the part where everyone has one final attempt to save themselves and change everything. But alas, they fail and die. Which left me without a sister, since we never found out exactly what happened to her."
"Did you not hire someone to look for her?"
"We knew when she didn't return from the past that last time."
"What do you mean?" But Souta was gone once again. The mist came again, covering the clearing. Screams could be heard in the distance, but Sesshoumaru was rooted to the spot.
When the mist cleared, he was once again in the little fenced-in woods outside Kagome's home. Sesshoumaru watched as Souta raced up the stairs, and followed.
Souta went over to a small wooden shack instead of the house. Peering in, he pushed the door wide open and went inside. Sesshoumaru went in after him.
The boy was peering into a wooden well at the bottom of the stairs. "Sister? Tomorrow's my birthday, you know… You promised to be back by then, to help Mom with the party…"
A fountain of color burst from the well and cleared. Souta paled and raced upstairs. "Mom! Mom! Kagome sealed the well!"
After a while, a dark-haired woman came into the shack, shaking slightly. She gingerly walked down the wooden steps and peered inside the well. Sesshoumaru watched as her face paled and she fainted. Curious, he peered inside the well and spotted something strange on the bottom. Before he could react, Souta had returned and was climbing into the well. He came out a few minutes later, clutching the strange item from earlier. Souta did something to it and removed the top. Reaching inside, he pulled out a piece of paper. Sesshoumaru read over the boys' shoulder as he shook with silent tears. "Dear Mom and Souta and Grandpa: Inuyasha finally lost it. I fear for your safety, so I'm sealing the well. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself and Shippou. Kouga's taking us in. Sango and Miroku went off somewhere else. Sesshoumaru's disappeared too. I fear for Rin's safety—and for that mean old toad Jaken. If I can find a way to see you again, I will. For now, take care. Love, Kagome"
Souta sobbed hard, kneeling next to his mother and putting his small arms around her unconscious form.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "She was concerned about me? And Rin and Jaken?"
"Sadly, yes. Yet you never noticed that, did you?" Used to Souta's comings and goings, Sesshoumaru merely shook his head. "My sister liked Rin—she even saved her once or twice, right? And yet you always treated her like dirt. Just like Inuyasha."
Sesshoumaru growled. "Do not compare me to that half-breed."
"Prove you're different from him then. Because if you don't…"