CHRISTMAS FUTURE:
Death
InuYasha was too afraid of this. . . *spirit* that towered before him to say anything.
"Come, Foolish One," Naraku said to him. InuYasha didn't hesitate, and watched as the cozy fire glowing in his fireplace died and flickered out, and the stone wall behind it suddenly slid aside, revealing noises of howling wind. A few dead leaves blew through the opening and onto his bedroom floor. Naraku crouched down low and exited the room, and InuYasha followed.
"Goodbye, InuYasha," he heard Sango call from somewhere in the room. "I wish you luck!"
'Luck with what?' he thought, inwardly frightened.
He stepped through the opening in his fireplace and into a dark world. Land of plain, grassy hills spread before InuYasha and the Dark Spirit, and they were as grey as the clouds in the sky. Thunder rumbled loudly and deliberately, and lightening flickered in the distance. Wind from the East blew hard, abruptly tugging InuYasha's thick hair up and away from him.
Naraku began to walk forward, and InuYasha followed behind.
The Dark Spirit finally led him to the largest hill, where there stood a massive black tree, with crooked, sharp looking branches that held a cluster of grey leaves. The tree's trunk withstood the wind, but it's smaller branches could not, and they swayed, just barely holding onto their leaves. "Where are we?" InuYasha hollered over the howling of the wind and the creaking of the mighty tree.
"Do you know who I am, InuYasha, Foolish One?" Naraku yelled back in a voice as mighty as the tree. When InuYasha didn't answer, Naraku spoke again. "I am Naraku. The Ghost of Christmas Future." He paused, perhaps for dramatic effect. "You have been shown your Christmas Past, and your Christmas Present (A/N: No pun intended. ^_~). Both aspects failed to teach you anything about kindness, and giving, selfishness, and greed. So I, Naraku, have been sent here to show you your Christmas Future. . . and I am grim to say, Foolish One, that your future does not look bright. Not if you don't change."
"What does an empty field have to do with my future?!" InuYasha yelled back, aggravated.
"It is not the field itself." the Dark Spirit answered him, "It is rather, what is buried within it."
"Huh?" InuYasha asked now, in a barely audible voice.
Naraku motioned a hand over to point out a spot of land beside the base of the tree. Lightening crashed, and the light revealed a headstone.
"Look closer," said Naraku.
InuYasha stepped closer, and stooped down so he could read the words engraved on the stone. The words read:
"ITO TOKUNAWA BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER MAY SHE FOREVER REST IN PEACE"
"My mother's grave?" InuYasha yelled back to Naraku.
"Look again," he replied.
He did, and InuYasha regretted it. When he looked, another flash of lightening revealed another headstone, buried right beside his mother's. Hesitantly, InuYasha crept closer to the stone, and his eyes widened at the words he read.
"INUYASHA TOKUNAWA SON AND BROTHER RIP"
"Wha. . . what the. . . " InuYasha felt his chest and throat begin to tighten with fear. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe, and he didn't want to believe what he saw. So, naturally, he exploded.
"All right!" he yelled, "The fucking joke's OVER! What the hell is this?! Who are you people, thinking you can screw around with me like this, huh?!"
Naraku replied as calmly and as placidly as before. "This is merely a job we were sent here to do. Do you see what is written on your grave, Foolish One? The wording is not as heartfelt as what is written on your mother's. And it is because of your demeanor towards others." Naraku's voice began to raise in anger. "Towards the people that are trying to love you, and are willing to let you into their lives, they way you were before money poisoned your mind! Do you realize it yet, InuYasha? If you live your whole life in solitude, that is the way you will die!! Alone, and with no one, and nothing but your possessions!"
InuYasha listened intently with his eyebrows drawn together, fear and denial swirling in his eyes.
Naraku continued his lecture. "Your life is not judged by what you have earned, but by the people you have loved, and the people who have loved you back, as well as the kindness you have shown them! Christmas, is not about receiving gifts! It is about His day of birth! His final step in His creation! It is a day on which we remember to show kindness to EVERYONE, no matter what race or creed! It is a day to show everyone the love that is in your heart! You give gifts on Christmas to show the ones that you love that they are worth it! Do you see now, InuYasha? If you go on as you are now," the Dark Spirit pointed sharply to InuYasha's headstone, "THIS will be your fate!!"
"No. . . " InuYasha said weakly. "No. . . "
"What?" came Naraku's voice, cruel and mocking. "You thought that your family would be around you in the end? Foolish One! I've said it once! If you go on as you are now, you will die ALONE! With NO ONE! Is that what you want? To be hated in the end, by everyone? Riches can only make you happy for a little while! If you put them to good use, you will benefit greatly in the end! Do you see now, InuYasha?"
Silence.
"Do you SEE?!"
Then came InuYasha's small voice, just barely distinct above the howling wind. "I. . . I see. . . I see. . . " his voice broke. "I see. . . "
Death
InuYasha was too afraid of this. . . *spirit* that towered before him to say anything.
"Come, Foolish One," Naraku said to him. InuYasha didn't hesitate, and watched as the cozy fire glowing in his fireplace died and flickered out, and the stone wall behind it suddenly slid aside, revealing noises of howling wind. A few dead leaves blew through the opening and onto his bedroom floor. Naraku crouched down low and exited the room, and InuYasha followed.
"Goodbye, InuYasha," he heard Sango call from somewhere in the room. "I wish you luck!"
'Luck with what?' he thought, inwardly frightened.
He stepped through the opening in his fireplace and into a dark world. Land of plain, grassy hills spread before InuYasha and the Dark Spirit, and they were as grey as the clouds in the sky. Thunder rumbled loudly and deliberately, and lightening flickered in the distance. Wind from the East blew hard, abruptly tugging InuYasha's thick hair up and away from him.
Naraku began to walk forward, and InuYasha followed behind.
The Dark Spirit finally led him to the largest hill, where there stood a massive black tree, with crooked, sharp looking branches that held a cluster of grey leaves. The tree's trunk withstood the wind, but it's smaller branches could not, and they swayed, just barely holding onto their leaves. "Where are we?" InuYasha hollered over the howling of the wind and the creaking of the mighty tree.
"Do you know who I am, InuYasha, Foolish One?" Naraku yelled back in a voice as mighty as the tree. When InuYasha didn't answer, Naraku spoke again. "I am Naraku. The Ghost of Christmas Future." He paused, perhaps for dramatic effect. "You have been shown your Christmas Past, and your Christmas Present (A/N: No pun intended. ^_~). Both aspects failed to teach you anything about kindness, and giving, selfishness, and greed. So I, Naraku, have been sent here to show you your Christmas Future. . . and I am grim to say, Foolish One, that your future does not look bright. Not if you don't change."
"What does an empty field have to do with my future?!" InuYasha yelled back, aggravated.
"It is not the field itself." the Dark Spirit answered him, "It is rather, what is buried within it."
"Huh?" InuYasha asked now, in a barely audible voice.
Naraku motioned a hand over to point out a spot of land beside the base of the tree. Lightening crashed, and the light revealed a headstone.
"Look closer," said Naraku.
InuYasha stepped closer, and stooped down so he could read the words engraved on the stone. The words read:
"ITO TOKUNAWA BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER MAY SHE FOREVER REST IN PEACE"
"My mother's grave?" InuYasha yelled back to Naraku.
"Look again," he replied.
He did, and InuYasha regretted it. When he looked, another flash of lightening revealed another headstone, buried right beside his mother's. Hesitantly, InuYasha crept closer to the stone, and his eyes widened at the words he read.
"INUYASHA TOKUNAWA SON AND BROTHER RIP"
"Wha. . . what the. . . " InuYasha felt his chest and throat begin to tighten with fear. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe, and he didn't want to believe what he saw. So, naturally, he exploded.
"All right!" he yelled, "The fucking joke's OVER! What the hell is this?! Who are you people, thinking you can screw around with me like this, huh?!"
Naraku replied as calmly and as placidly as before. "This is merely a job we were sent here to do. Do you see what is written on your grave, Foolish One? The wording is not as heartfelt as what is written on your mother's. And it is because of your demeanor towards others." Naraku's voice began to raise in anger. "Towards the people that are trying to love you, and are willing to let you into their lives, they way you were before money poisoned your mind! Do you realize it yet, InuYasha? If you live your whole life in solitude, that is the way you will die!! Alone, and with no one, and nothing but your possessions!"
InuYasha listened intently with his eyebrows drawn together, fear and denial swirling in his eyes.
Naraku continued his lecture. "Your life is not judged by what you have earned, but by the people you have loved, and the people who have loved you back, as well as the kindness you have shown them! Christmas, is not about receiving gifts! It is about His day of birth! His final step in His creation! It is a day on which we remember to show kindness to EVERYONE, no matter what race or creed! It is a day to show everyone the love that is in your heart! You give gifts on Christmas to show the ones that you love that they are worth it! Do you see now, InuYasha? If you go on as you are now," the Dark Spirit pointed sharply to InuYasha's headstone, "THIS will be your fate!!"
"No. . . " InuYasha said weakly. "No. . . "
"What?" came Naraku's voice, cruel and mocking. "You thought that your family would be around you in the end? Foolish One! I've said it once! If you go on as you are now, you will die ALONE! With NO ONE! Is that what you want? To be hated in the end, by everyone? Riches can only make you happy for a little while! If you put them to good use, you will benefit greatly in the end! Do you see now, InuYasha?"
Silence.
"Do you SEE?!"
Then came InuYasha's small voice, just barely distinct above the howling wind. "I. . . I see. . . I see. . . " his voice broke. "I see. . . "