Blood Legacies
Kage
Prologue-
The wind blew gently through the trees as the cherry blossoms swayed in the breeze, a small bushel of the already blooming pink flowers were lifted into the air swimming playfully in the setting sun. A tall figure appeared over the western horizon the setting sun hiding who he was as he walked towards the cherry blossom trees. Stopping next to one near the edge of a cliff that over looked the land below. The figure gazed to the land below as he stood there. He looked to the land that once seemed beautiful and safe, now it was cast in perpetual myst. The forest in the center of this corrupted land seemed to be the source of the plague that darkened the once peaceful land. He sighed heavily as he watched the myst below swim in the place referred to by humans and demons alike as the "Dark Lands." In the feudal era of Japan the man slumped some against a tree as his eyes looked off into the coming darkness as the sun slipped further behind the western horizon.
He was tall and well built; his long silver hair fell down past his waist near his ankles slightly softening his hard well experienced appearance. His face was long yet masculine; his cheeks bore purplish marks common to a youkai or otherwise know as a full demon. His eyes were hardened by the life he lived their iris the color of gold, they seemed to glow in the soft orange light of the setting sun. His snow white kimono stood out under his black plate cuirass commonly worn by the samurai of the era, the sleeves bore a beautiful red pattern as another gentle breeze blew past him and the blossom tree. The large, what seemed to many as a large furred scarf that was draped over his right shoulder rippled as the wind blew across it. He took another deep breath as his long pointed ears flicked some, some often wonder how odd it was that his ears looked elvish instead of canine, but then again in these time many did not question the facts.
He sensed another presence approaching as he slowly stood from his slump and turned his head slightly to see a young girl who wore an orange and white checkered kimono, her long black hair wavering in the wind as she ran to him. She smiled her warm toothy grin and hugged him burying her face in his waist some, she seemed about eleven or twelve as she then looked up to him and spoke in a small but soft voice, "Lord Sesshomaru why do we come here?" He smiled softly, a rare event, and then replied in a calm yet soft voice, "Hello Rin…" he sighed when he heard her question and continued, "We have been coming here for four years now and I have yet to explain to you why we continue this tradition." Rin smiled some and then sat next to him and asked in her small child voice, "Lord Sesshomaru will you please tell me why we come here?" she looked up to him a he smiled and sat next to the human girl, why he chose to care for this human orphan escapes all but Rin and him. "Here is where I stood as he was cast into darkness…" he sighed and looked to her with sad eyes as he continued his voice matching his eyes, "Even though I loathe him for what he is, what he has done, and for his capability to love, he is still of my father's blood and here is where I stood as I watched unable to help what had befallen him… so here I return to remember my failure as blood." He turned his gaze to the dark lands that were being slowly swallowed by the darkness of the night. "You mean your brother, Lord Inuyasha don't you Lord Sesshomaru…" she said in a soft tone as she hugged him. He took a deep sigh and then looked to the small sweet child that comforted him as he thought to himself; I was unable to do anything to prevent him from becoming what he is now…Few remember him as he was. His thoughts were cut short as Rin nuzzled him, "What is troubling you my lord?" her sweet voice pulling him away from his memories, "just reminiscing about days gone past…" he slowly stood up and ruffled her hair as she pouted playfully. "Come on Rin let us return to the castle." He said in a soft calm tone as he walked into the almost sliver of a red sun in the western horizon turning to take one last look into that eternally dark land of sorrow and regret. A gently breeze swirled around the tree lifting another beautiful dancing petals into the air as they danced around him and Rin, squealing happily as she ran to Sesshomaru and played wit the flowers eventually catching one she smiled her toothy grin and handed it to him. He smiled a warm gently smile and placed the flower I her hair and continued to walk into the setting sun, into his lands of the west.