A/N: I'm in my Computer Science class right now - it's the only reason I've been able to keep uploading this old thing.One chapter a day, 'til the 24th, mah peeps! Do enjoy (even though none of you has reviewed yet. So sad ...).

When Inuyasha awoke later, it was nighttime, the sky as black as pitch, what he could see of it from his window, in any case. He glanced around irritably, trying to discern what had awoken him. From outside, the great city bell tolled, loud and melancholy, the hour – ten 'o' clock.

A great flash of light appeared that instant, so bright as to be blinding. Inuyasha yelped and covered his stinging eyes. When he finally opened them, there was a shining figure standing before him by the window.

It appeared to very young, and yet not so much a child as an old man, if one judged by the expression upon it's face, or the wisdom in it's gaze. Its long mane of hair was white as if with age, though hair color was no real indication of age – Inuyasha's hair was pure white, and he was only twenty-eight! Its face was youthful and smooth, if somewhat aloof. In one hand it held a branch of fresh green holly, and from its head there came a shining, clear light, by which all this was visible.

Inuyasha tried to recover his dignity, most of which had been lost when he'd cried out. "Are you the spirit, sir," he asked caustically, "that my former partner warned me of?"

"I am!" the spirit answered coldly, matching Inuyasha's tone exactly.

"Who and what are you?" the irate hanyou demanded.

The spirit eyed him with an unnerving expression, almost as if it was deciding it was worth answering Inuyasha. Finally, he responded, "I am Sesshoumaru, the Ghost of Christmas Past."

"Long past?" asked Inuyasha, confused.

"No!" snapped Sesshoumaru, "Your past! The things you will see with me are mere shadows of things that have already been." Then, behaving as if Inuyasha was an annoying toddler, he continued infuriatingly, "So do not attemptto talk to anyone. They won'tperceive you. Now, come!"

"Wa – wait a moment!" sputtered Inuyasha as the spirit strode to the window. "What is it you want with me?"

Sesshoumaru turned slowly and looked down his nose at Inuyasha. "Generally, nothing," he responded calmly. "But I am here tonight for your welfare, heaven knows why. Now. Come." He held out his hand, clearly meaning for Inuyasha to follow him through the window.

Inuyasha stepped forwards, then halted.

"What now?"

Inuyasha glared at him. "I am mortal," he informed the spirit, "and am liable to fall."

Sesshoumaru nearly sneered at him. "Half-mortal, anyways," he corrected Inuyasha. "A touch of my hand, and you will fly. Do try not to test my patience much further." With that, the spirit reached out and grabbed Inuyasha's arm, and soared out over the city.

They flew for what seemed like miles, over rooftops, chimneys, streets and factories, and yet they never seemed to leave the city, or even the general neighborhood. Just as Inuyasha started to puzzle this mystery, they began to descend.

They landed in front of a great, emptied warehouse, where there was apparently a great party. Outside, children bundled in snow gear shrieked gleefully and ran about pell-mell, hurling snowballs at one another. Sesshoumaru led him closer to a small group of children, saying, "This is Master Myoga's annual ball."

"Master Myoga?" Inuyasha repeated, bemused. "But, he's been dead for years . . . ever since I was sixteen!"

"I told you," Sesshoumaru said condescendingly, "I have brought you to your past. Look," he pointed towards the children near the lone stand of pine trees.

Inuyasha walked closer, and suddenly realized who the children were. "That's . . . that's me . . . but barely more than ten . . ." he said, awed.

"My, aren't we quick on the uptake," said Sesshoumaru snidely. Inuyasha ignored him, lost in memories.

His parents had always taken him to his godfather's annual Christmas ball, before they had passed away when he was seventeen. He had played with the other children, then . . . before business had become his life.

He watched his ten-year-old self gambol about happily, shouting and laughing with the rest. He even smiled a bit at the sight of his old childhood friend – Kagome Higurashi. She was only a few years younger than he was. As he watched, he wondered suddenly what had become of her. He had buried himself in his family's business after his parent's death – become hard and cold and uncaring. He hadn't heard of her in years.

Sesshoumaru watched Inuyasha, amused, as sudden understanding hit the hanyou. "Higurashi . . . Sango Higurashi . . ." he breathed. "That woman . . . that was Kagome!" Why hadn't he recognized her?

The spirit answered his question as if he'd spoken it out loud. "You no longer remembered her," he said. "You wore quite a different heart when you knew her. She, too, has changed. For the better, unlike you," the spirit couldn't seem to resist adding.

Inuyasha's ears drooped as he realized he had come face-to-face with an old, cherished friend, and not even recognized her. His heart, which had gone so long without feeling, began to hurt slightly once more. Sesshoumaru watched on with a slightly self-satisfied air.

They stood there a while, before the ghost beckoned once more. "Come – my time here grows short," he said imperiously, grabbing hold of Inuyasha once more.

"Wait!" Inuyasha cried hurriedly. "Where are you taking me this time?"

The spirit did not answer, and Inuyasha was pulled once more through that strange, in-between place he had already traveled through once before.

They landed by the factory once more, but this time they were inside, surrounded by garlands, candles, and other people. Inuyasha realized that it was the second ball after Myoga had died – the first after his parents had died.

Inuyasha quickly found himself again – seventeen or eighteen, tall and strong. The younger him looked sad; oh, unbearably sad, but very preoccupied.

Inuyasha watched with growing apprehension as an older version of Kagome approached the younger him. She walked up and said, "Inuyasha, I'm so sorry . . . I know that your parent's passing has been hard-"

The young Inuyasha looked up as if he'd only just noticed her. "Oh . . . hello, Kagome," he said distantly.

Kagome seemed taken aback, but only for an instant. "Inuyasha, please listen to me! Your parent's deaths were hard, I know, but that's no excuse to bury yourself in your work and forget everything else, including - "

"Are you quite through?" he asked indifferently.

"Including our friendship!" she finished. "Inuyasha, you're avoiding me, why? You're not the same anymore, you're different, you're . . . freezing over!"

The younger Inuyasha snorted. "Feh!"

Kagome glared at him, tears in her eyes. "Maybe you've forgotten, but I haven't – but if you continue to act as though we were never . . . Fine. You've changed . . . too much, I think. In the name of and my love of the one you once were, I release you from our friendship, until you see fit to start it again. Goodbye!" she ended fiercely, and stormed away. The younger Inuyasha stared after her for a moment or two, and then returned to his depressed musings.

"Spirit!" Inuyasha barked suddenly, "remove me from this place!"

"I have told you," Sesshoumaru snapped, "these are shadows of things that have been. They are what they are, do not blame me!"

"Remove me!" Inuyasha snarled. "I cannot bear it! Leave me be, haunt me no longer!"

As he struggled with the spirit, he suddenly became quite exhausted, and became aware of being back in his bedroom moments before being overcome by an irresistible drowsiness. He toppled over onto the bed and knew no more.

TBC ...