Conciousness slowly returned and brought with it all of the aches inherent to the force with which he had struck the ground. His eyes slowly opened and with great difficulty he turned his head to take in his surroundings. All he could see from his vantage point where he lay was the hole his impact created. Slowly pushing himself into a sitting posistion, he looked down to see hands he didn't recognize. Gasping slightly, he raised them and tried to turn this hands to look at his palms, but found that they literally would not move in that way. Instead of the hands he was used to seeing, he was staring down at massive, white paws and arms covered in the same white fur. He cried out in suprise but even his voice was changed. Though he was still able to speak, the sound was far rougher than the voice he had known in the plane of existence he had previously known.
Had previously known. He turned his head up to the sky from which he had fallen. Perhaps this form was the punishement he would suffer for his rebelliousness. If that was the case, he could endure it. His reasons did not align with those of the rebellion's leaders, but he shared some of their goals and shared some of their outcome, apparently.
"So, I see you have finally awoken. The adage about our Supreme Diety working in mysterious ways appears to be true."
He turned to face the familiar voice addressing him, but found someone looking far different than what he was expecting. He stretched his massive neck and began to try to grow accustomed to this form he had been handed. "It appears that mine was not the only battle which was lost, leader."
The second smiled slightly, not missing the sarcasm of the title he had been addressed by. "Indeed. The war in Heaven is ended. We still fight for our cause, but we may only do so on this plane and lower. We have been banned from planes above."
"And which plane is this?"
"This is what It chooses to call 'Creation.'"
"If I remember correctly, It gave time much significance in this sphere, did It not?"
"Indeed. It is a few millenia after Creation began at this point."
"Time must flow oddly here. I thought it was only a few centuries old when we started our fight."
"It was. And it was only a few centuries old when it ended. You should know you did not fall with the majority of us. The main of the revolution fell with me at the beginning into what his 'chosen' pets have taken to calling 'Sheol.' My guess is that he did not know what to do with some of the lesser mutineers like yourself, and so postponed your punishment."
The first appraised the latter carefully. "I do not know which of us fared worse physically. It would seem," he said gesturing with his paws, "that I am simply a giant dog, but you..."
"Had all of my brilliance and beauty stripped away. Fear not, your mentioning it cannot anger me, as I spend every day in loathing over it. Take heart, though, for because we dwelled in that plane we retain the ability to change our shapes."
The giant dog considered this and then focused his thoughts inward. With concentration changed his form into a one closer resembling that which he was used to, and which was close enough to the form of man that he could probably walk among them if he so chose.
"So there are ways around some of Its punishments, except that we cannot cross back into that plane to copmlete our task."
"For the most part. There is one other punishment which none of us can avoid. Tell me, what is my name?"
"Your name?" The first laughed. "That's simple. It's... it's..." His voice trailed off.
"You see? The 'Supreme' Deity` stripped away our individual knowledge yet left our collective. When we were thrust into these lower planes our names were stripped from us, as was all knowledge of our individual strengths. The first of us allowed man to name us, but to those like yourself whom he withheld from throwing out until a later time we have been giving names. As such, you are Inutaishou."
"Inutaishou?" The first echoed, curiosity in his voice and his eyebrow raised. "And why have I been given this name?"
"In the tounge which man has created in this reigon 'inu' is their word for dog.
"And what name do you go by?"
"I go by Satan or Lucifer, primarily. Some have called me Beelzebub, though among ourselves we have given that name to another."
"Very well, Lucifer. And so now what is it you desire me to do?"
"Frankly, I do not care. There are those still in heaven who secretly sympathize with us, and we believe within this millenia It will incarnate Itself into this plane somehow. As such, my energies are focused into putting myself in a posistion to take greatest advantage of this situation when it presents itself. As such, I will not be remaining here. I give you this land. There are many others of our kind here who would take it from you. You will have to fight to defend your territory. Do not expect aid from myself. You are useful but too insignificant right now to be of use to me in my purposes. Strengthen yourself, and strengthen your claim on these lands. That is how you can best aid me now."
The being now known as Inutaishou smirked slightly. "I see that I was right both to resist Deity as well as to not align myself wholly with you."
"Hmmph. Serving none but yourself. I suppose I of all cannot argue with your sentiments, though if you continue to ride this fence you will make nothing but enemies, both in planes above and planes below. You should choose your friends wisely and hold them close."
"And my enemies closer," the dog demon retorted. "So, if you have nothing else, I have one question left."
"I am, so what is your question?"
"What are we called here?"
"Youkai."
**********
Well, that's it. I've been re-reading Milton's Paradise Lost and just felt like looking at one possibility of Inutaishou's history as well as a possiblity for how there came to be so many freakin' demons wandering around Japan. Don't really intend to continue with this unless you guys think otherwise. If anyone else has already done this, let me know and I'll pull this. I couldn't find where anybody had explained Inuyasha with Milton, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist :)