Title: The Guardian
Author: Demitria Miriam
Rating: T+...ish, or more soft R?
Pairings: Sesshomaru x Souta, (mentioned: Inuyasha x Kagome, one-sided Sesshou x Inu)
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha and make no money off this piece of fiction.
Note: ...yeah, I know. Very strange pairing for ME to be writing, huh? Though it came to me while re-watching the first season of Inuyasha, and it intrigued me so I decided to try it out (don't ask how the hell it came to me, it just did XD). Anyway- I call this "sorta canon-AU" since it starts with the canon plot (from the ending of the manga series) and then flows into my own alternate universe... well, it made sense to me anyway XD This should be really short... I actually probably could have made it a one-shot but I'm too anxious to see what people think of the pairing -cough- so yeah. Hope you find it as interesting as I do!

Summery: Kagome lived out her life with her husband, the half-demon, Inuyasha, back in Feudal times. Now that Inuyasha and she have passed on, Sesshomaru intends to follow through with a pact he promised to fulfill upon his comrade's deathbed. And his promise was to watch over and protect Kagome's little brother in the future. AU/AR (sorta). Shonen-ai. Sesshou x Souta. Short chapter fic.

The Guardian
Chapter 1: In Memoriam

It had been 510 years ago to this day that he had made an unbreakable promise to her. One that, even if he could get out of it, he would not have tried to.

Over five centuries ago was when he had promised his brother's mate that he would watch over and protect that which she held so dear to her heart. The treasure she spoke of was a person she had to leave behind in her own time when she chose to be with her heart's companion, his little brother, Inuyasha.

He had been visiting Rin, who had been living in his sibling's village with her husband, Shippo, for many years now. They often visited him during the winter months for Rin's health as did their three children. However, on this particular day that he arrived, six months after the previous visit, the news of his brother's human mate's declining health came to him. The news, while not directly affecting him from its source, was still quite the shock, an odd emotion he'd come to name as "compassion" encompassing his being. Especially when he had followed Rin to the hut where his brother and the miko barely moved from.

The miko, Kagome, had had learned, would soon pass on from a human disease, her physical body having just turned forty-two. On her death bed, still smiling sweetly even through her pain and mild consciousness, she had said in reassurance, while holding her hanyou husband's hand, "I have no regrets, Inuyasha. I... My decision to come be with you here... I have no regrets. Our life together has been more than I could have ever dreamed for... I just... I just wish..." Kagome struggled with her breathing slightly. "I just wish I could be like you... to live for however long I wished... so I could see my brother one more time, to make sure he's okay and... to make sure he's happy."

He had heard her words before he entered the hut, and upon his entry, she turned her faded eyes to him, smiling.

"Sesshomaru..." she whispered hoarsely, Inuyasha at her side, his eyes never leaving that of his wife's face.

He nodded his respects to her, remaining silent. "Sesshomaru... you... once said that owed me a debt of honor for the times we've helped you... even if you didn't... need it," the woman rasped, taking a moment to breathe deeply. "I never intended to collect on that, because... you are... family."

Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitched, her emotion starting to affect him.

"However... should Inuyasha fail to-"

"Kagome, please..." her hanyou husband whined painfully from her side, his eyes glassy and looking down.

"Should Inuyasha... be unable to... fulfill this request... I... was hoping maybe... that you could."

He looked at her, his silence his agreement to listen to her proposition.

"My brother... aside from my family here... is the most important thing in my heart. But he's 450 years in the future... should either of you live that long... I was hoping... you would look after him for me, make sure... he's safe. You...don't need to meet him, merely watch from afar if you wish... just... please... I..."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and turned, pausing at the wooden door frame.

"Very well," he said in his deep voice, a slightly trace of emotion lacing his tone. He then said softly, "Rest well... Kagome."

And with that he left his brother to mourn, for his wife was sure to pass within the next day.

When he'd returned two weeks later he was told by Rin that the miko had passed away half a week after he'd left, Inuyasha staying for her burial and then having disappeared and hadn't been seen since.

Sesshomaru suspected his brother, regardless of his half-blood, was like any other canine, animal or demon, and wandered away alone to die.

The daiyoukai excused himself from his ward's presence for the rest of the afternoon, traveling to a small meadow not far from the village to think. In retrospect it was probably his own way of mourning the loss of a... companion? Friend? Confidant? Family... member? In this line of thinking, he realized that he thought of both the miko and Inuyasha as... his. They were his companions, his family and confidants, whether he liked it or not.

And as the years turned into decades, lives of those few humans he seemed to care for distinguishing, and those decades into centuries, he finally came upon the era his brother's wife was originally from. He had found her family the day she was born... It had been strange to see her in such a tiny form, but refreshing. He decided that since she had made it to the point of when she'd married his brother that she wouldn't need him for another ten years, at which point she would be older, have met his brother through the magic well, restored the Shikon no Tama and had made her decision to leave her world forever.

Until then he had decided he would travel for half that time before establishing permanent residence in Tokyo.

Until the day he would start his watch over his new ward, a 17-year-old Souta Higurashi, and fulfill the honor debt to his brother and sister-in-law.

Author's Note: Eep. . I'm... starting... to like this... pairing *croaks at such a sin* Nooo, my inusessssttt! Hehe. I had trouble deciding if I wanted to turn this somewhat "shonenai" (like elude to it) or something... iono. Anywho! Whatchya think?