A/N: This will be a historical work, with much of the researched facts included. Thus names and places are historically accurate for the Sengoku Jidai, Nihon.
Explanations will be provided at the end of each chapter. Any names or places indicated will be of my own creation.
Disclaimer: I do not own nor make any profit from the aforementioned Characters or Historical sites of Japan.
Inuyasha is a product created by Rumiko Takahashi.
*
~o0o~
Miscathus and patrinia, grasses and flowers,
Growing in the desolate garden of the hermitage.
Delicate as the dew, subtle as a phantom,
All is dispersed by the wind.
~o0o~
*
Deep In the warm summer night, crickets sang a melancholy tune while fireflies danced on the breeze.
Night encompassed the forest, weaving it in serene stillness.
Light of the waxing moon seemed to gather upon one form that stood at the edge of the western lands, overlooking the fire dotted valley below.
Immaculate silver hair flowed freely about, as hard golden eyes surveyed the land.
For far too long he had been on this path, in a search to gain even more power than he held presently. He had forgone the dictatorship of his lands, preferring to roam freely.
He glanced at a most annoying creature to his right, that had still not ceased in his mutterings. Perhaps that is why he withstood the kappa youkai that followed him.
To stave off some of the quiet solitude from years past. Not being one to give voice to such things, he endured.
Sesshomaru swiftly picked up a stone and launched it. The green irritation fell silent, unconscious.
Being a merciless killer, one mustn't show one's emotions.
He learned at a young age to reign all those unnecessary things in.
Father teaching him to be stoic, Mother teaching that emotions, love, was a fickle dream the weak used to escape reality.
Nothing was certain in this world but death.
These feeble ningen, raising war, ignorant in their pursuit to power. He scoffed at them.
"Like horseflies, life for these creatures is but a moment."
The centuries he had lived so far showed him much of these mortals and their useless existence.
No use thinking on it.
He turned away from the overview, fading into the night while below, the human encampment of soldiers and samurai slept before the coming battle near dawn.
*
~o0o~
*
Mist hung heavy in the valley, providing sufficient coverage for the army of Yamana Mochitoyo, ningen daimyo of western Nihon.
Today they would launch yet another attack on their enemy Hosokawa.
In reality this burgeoning war began as nothing more than a conflict between the two powerful daimyo.
It only escalated from there due to Yamana's attempts to increase his own families rank within the shogunate.
Hosokawa Katsumoto, daimyo in the east, was at that moment readying his own force to combat the red monks advance.
The previous spring had brought nothing but destruction when the war had finally begun.
May 1467 the conflict had left Kyoto burning, with the civil war being fought in trenches, dug from the rubble left of the capital.
In light of Yamana's retreat in order to regroup, now was the time for Hosokawa to strike.
Sending in his own advance of ashigaru and samurai cavalry to the enemy encampment in hopes to reduce their number, even marginally.
With the Shogunate seat in question and a fierce war raging, neither side had much time to think on the demon population residing in the area.
Of course Yamana had approached the Lord of the western Kuni in hopes to gain his favor before the start of his campaign.
The Daiyoukai was not moved, however, resulting in the deaths of Yamana's strategist and personal retainer who'd sat on either side of him.
He had barely registered the green whip of light arching above him, or the smell of burning flesh, as the daimyo awaited the youkai's answer.
Which he got in the form of the rolling heads of his men.
Fortunate in leaving the Lords Shiro, he would never again hope to come into contact with the icy cold glare of Sesshomaru tono.
"Demons care not for the wars of man." The youkai had stated in a low steely voice, sending chills down the hardened daimyo's back in remembrance.
"While you may win you're petty battles for meaningless human power, never forget This Sesshomaru lords the western province. Having personally overseen these Kori for a mere two hundred years, this one will not tolerate your filthy ningen squabbles."
Striving to keep distance from the Western Shiro had led Yamana to push on to Kyoto, where began the Onin no Ran.
In the same manner, Hosokawa got no further with the Lord of the Eastern tribes.
Being less stoic than the Inuyoukai, Kouga the Ookami prince, allowed the daimyo to leave with his subordinates still breathing.
He had laughed in the mans face, believing him a fool for thinking a demon lord would support a ningen war.
*
~o0o~
*
The summer was reaching it's zenith when Sesshomaru encountered the first band of ashigaru from the East.
On a quest to gather information about a supposed inheritance left by his Inu no Daiyoukai father, when he came upon the filth setting fire to a village within his lands.
The ningen were looting the homes and store houses, burning what was left behind. The helpless farmers striving to defend the crops, their only source of livelihood, while being cut down by odachi weilding samurai on horseback.
A few of the village women were being raped in the dirt streets.
Sesshomaru's visage held a rare expression of disgust as he wrinkled his nose.
A low growl erupted from him, capturing the attention of those close by.
They had the chance to at least see their death as the sharp crack of burning acid split the night. Others had no warning as their heads rolled from bodies, spewing forth blood upon the soil.
Villagers rushed to the aid of their fallen, as few tried in vain to smother the flames overtaking their homes. Others still, fell to their knees before the western Lord in gratitude.
"Take your surviving to the next village south of here. This Sesshomaru was headed that way. They will be informed of your plight. It is my responsibility as the Lord of these lands." He stated with a gesture of his hand, as he walked away, leaving the stench behind him.
*
~o0o~
*
The stifling heat of August folded into autumn, heralding a change in the overall moral among the soldiers.
Late in September Yamana was joined by a powerful warlord, Ouchi Masahiro, and the fighting turned to carnage.
The Western daimyo began to feel he had won already. Letting the rush of accomplishment go to his head, he foolishly ordered an army of eight thousand to storm the Western Tono's Shiro in hopes of capturing the dominate post.
Not one man came back from the operation.
With such a massive loss, Yamana retreated into the Kyoto region, frightened of a retaliation from the Inuyoukai.
Sesshomaru took no joy from rendering those soldiers limb from limb.
The foolhardy attempt pissed him off greatly, but he had no intention of going after the idiot daimyo.
No ningen force could ever hope to conquer Sesshomaru's lands. He felt Yamana a waste of his time.
*
~o0o~
*
Nothing came to fruition by the end of 1467.
With no clear winner the two sides settled in for a protracted political and military fight.
Attacks on villages became fewer, and further in between, as all men were directed towards the ruined capitals surrounding areas.
In turn the Edo region became quieter on the human side of things.
Sesshomaru had taken to wandering once more for any information of his father, the kappa readily following.
Days became monotonous and dull.
A famine had come and gone, leaving a blight upon the earth.
Many would die in the coming winter for lack of sustenance.
Farmers struggled with autumn harvests, while villagers stole from each other in a bid to survive.
Mothers mourned their loss when children perished of malnutrition.
Mikos' of villages fortunate enough to have them, were kept busy in healing maladies while trying to keep peace from within, as well as slaying crazed, rouge demons that set upon their boarders.
*
~o0o~
*
A shift came early one summer, as the last visage of spring gave way to the suns growing warmth.
Mallow plants danced in the breeze while thrushes flew about, calling in song to one another.
The peace of the day was shattered when a jettison of pure energy burst forth from an old well that sat in a clearing of forest near Edo.
The resounding shock waves sent the birds from their perch with fitful cries, as they circled overhead.
Soon the sounds of struggling breath came from within as the vines climbing along side and into the well grew taut under weight.
A young girl emerged, levering herself from the old structure with a perplexed look in her cerulean eyes.
Kagome Higurashi had finally arrived in the Sengoku Jidai.
This era would never be the same.
…
…
A/N: I know the story was in short bursts, but I didn't want to bore anyone with the numerous historical references.
Sengoku Jidai: Warring stated period 1467-1615 AD
Nihon: Japan
Daimyo: Feudal (local) Lord
Shogun: General
Shogunate: Government
Onin no Ran: Onin War of 1467-1478 AD
Ashigaru: Drafted foot soldiers who wore light armor, and was of lower-class families or commoners.
Samurai, at this period of time, did not follow any Bushi-do, or samurai code. They were often times very cruel and deceitful. That isn't to say there weren't noble samurai.
(Uesugi Kenshin was renowned for his honor in battles.)
Yamana was known as the red monk, or Aka-nyudo, due to the Buddhist monks' quick temper and scarlet complexion. He also took the name sozen.
Kyoto was, at that time, the capital of Japan. Some, even to this day view it as such. In this time period it was called Kyo, but I used Kyoto instead.
Kuni: Countries or provinces. (Before the prefecture system Japan was divided into tens of Kuni with each one ruled by a Shogun).
Kori: Districts. (Each Kuni was divided into Kori ruled by the Daimyo).
Shiro: Castle
Daiyoukai: Great demon (apparition), literally. Dai means great in Japanese. Tai on the other hand means fish, red snapper to be exact.
So get it right, nobody want's to picture Sesshomaru as a fish! ~_o
Tono: Lord
Odachi: Literally, a great big sword. The average odachi was around 65-70 inches long. (5'5"-5'10") Couldn't be used in close combat, but found effective while on horseback.
Most have religious inscriptions on the blade.
Edo: Tokyo in the Sengoku Jidai. In this age it is still an old name for Tokyo.
Kappa: Water demon. No one can really tell what Jaken is, so I refer to him as such because it reminds me of the episode where Sesshomaru used him like an outboard motor to propel the boat he was in. ^_^
…
*The top paragraph in italics is an excerpt from a Japanese writing A fairy of the Basho, I can not remember from where I got it.
...
More to come! Please read and review. I hardly ever get those. -_-,