The night was cool and the sound of crickets and the smell of blossoms made their way into the window opening of a young demon's room. Inutaisho set the young Sesshomaru on his knee and smiled down at his first born son. He was only four years but was already very mature for his age.
"What story do I get to hear tonight father?" The young boy asked with an enthusiasm that only seemed to come out with the prospect of stories and fighting. Inutaisho chuckled at his son.
"I am going to tell you a poem tonight Sesshomaru and the story is a real one." Inutaisho took the scroll off of his son's shelf and unrolled it across the furs in front of them as Sesshomaru made himself comfortable in his father's lap.
The moonlit corridor holds the key
Freedom from ancient misery
Behind cherry there is a test
If passed the key will end its rest
Something lost, is now found
Rising from long undisturbed ground
Warrior and Key must travel far-off
To find that which has been lost
All three swords will come together
The evil will fall in icy weather
All will then fit into its rightful place
The life that is lost will not be a waste
"Father, I don't understand this poem." Inutaisho knew that his son was far too young to understand the seriousness of the poem but the younger he learned of the prophecy the longer he had to prepare for what lie ahead of him.
"All you need to know right now is that every fifty generations there is an evil that comes to kill all that we know in this world. You, Sesshomaru, are the fiftieth generation since the last attack. You are the warrior my son."
Sesshomaru's young face turned serious, an expression that seemed so out of place on the pup, and he nodded to his father. "Then I shall do battle with the emanee. How will I know when to find the key?" Inutaisho smiled inwardly as his son showed his willingness to take on the burden even when he could not even correctly pronounce enemy.
"You will know Sesshomaru." A soft voice from the door floated toward the two males. "My son it is far past your bed time." Sesshomaru's mother entered the room and took her son in her slender arms, "You keep him up far too late with your stories my Lord."
Inutaisho looked up at his mate and sighed, a half smile on his face. He wished to look at her with the love one should feel for a mate but all he felt for the beautiful demoness was respect and friendship. Their union was one of necessity and not emotion. Together they tucked their young son into bed and whispered soft goodnights.
Many years later Sesshomaru stalked through the long corridors in restless frustration. For weeks the old seer had been predicting the return of an evil being from decades past and he had been cursed with a restlessness that plagued his days as well as his nights. There was no sense to the poem. It was a full moon and all of the corridors were filled with moonlight and where the hell was he going to find a cherry. It was full blown winter!
These thoughts plagued him as he recited the poem over and over in his mind. 'The moonlit corridor holds the key…Freedom from ancient misery…Behind the cher…' As Sesshomaru passed a particular patch of wall he had passed over seven times already something new caught his eye. As he moved closer the Western Lord realized that a small patch of wood was not like the rest. It was cherry wood. He was sure of it. Peculiar that he had never noticed that before now. It stood out like a sore thumb against the pale wood around it.
This had to be it. Sesshomaru punched through the dark red wood and the wall opened up to reveal a long stairwell. Growling slightly out of frustration he made his way down the dark stairwell and into what looked like an abandoned tomb. In the center of the room was an old phoenix demon perched upon a golden pillar.
"It took you long enough to get here Lord of the Western Lands. I have been waiting to die for weeks now."
"Do not speak to this Sesshomaru as if he is your underling or I will make sure that you do not come back after your death."
The phoenix demon laughed at the Lords arrogance. "Let us just move on shall we, pup?" When no objection came from the seething Lord the old demon continued, "I am going to ask you a riddle. If you get it right I will die and the key will be yours; however, if you are incorrect then the stairwell will collapse and you will be trapped inside this tomb forever. Are the rules clear to you? Do you accept the test?"
Sesshomaru said nothing. The old fool was trying his patience. "Give me food and I will live but give me water and I will die."
Sesshomaru growled at the old fool, "I dislike games old one. Just give me the key."
The phoenix demon smiled at the Lord, "Just give me the answer my Lord."
Sesshomaru thought for a brief moment before he smirked at the demon, "Fire."
The phoenix demon smiled and burst into flame and an egg formed in its ashes. "Damnit!" Sesshomaru cursed outloud.
The bastard had left behind an egg. The phoenix demon's next life left in an egg that wouldn't hatch for at least a decade. How did that help him? What if it wasn't right? Perhaps there was another answer and he was wrong. He was concerned that he had failed until the earth beneath his feet began to shift and something that looked like a body came into view.
Slowly the dirt fell from the body to the ground beneath it leaving the form of a beautiful woman clutching a sword. The sword was the first thing to catch Sesshomaru's sttention. 'It couldn't be', was the only thing that kept repeating in his mind. The sword of hell, Sou'unga, was laying in the grip of a human woman. The notion was unfathomable to Sesshomaru, yet here it was.
Sesshomaru's attention moved from sword to woman as her eyelids lifted to reveal bright hazel eyes. "Sesshomaru?" The soft melodic voice reached the Lords ears and he nodded. "I am Emi the reincarnation of those who have come before me. I am here to unlock the secret of destroying Shadow and I am here to protect you from him."
Sesshomaru scoffed at the notion. "You? A miserable human girl, protect me?"
Emi cocked her head to the side, "You do not like humans?"
"No." The single cold word was all she got from him.
Emi smiled, "Well I can fix this."
A faint glow and a strong burst of light was the only thing Sesshomaru saw before a beautiful demoness stood before him. Emi smiled at her warrior, her white canines showing through her pink lips. Long dark blue hair pooled over cream colored skin to cover her breasts. Her markings were silver and slit across her cheeks, wrists, hips, and ankles.
"Is this better Sesshomaru?" The cold demon growled at the woman turned demoness,
"You will address this Sesshomaru by his proper title, Lord Sesshomaru. Now answer me, What illusion is this?"
"I can take any form I wish before leaving this tomb. Whatever my warrior would deem appropriate for the time frame. I assumed that since you have a hatred of humans then the form of your own species would suffice."
Sesshomaru digested the information slowly. So the woman was now a demoness because it suited him and his needs for whatever information she had on the enemy. Well human or not all he needed was her information.
"Where did you find my father's sword?"
Emi looked down at the sword in her hands, "It was given to me. He came and left it in this tomb for me. Inutaisho said that it was to help me protect my warrior. 'All three swords will come together.'"
Sesshomaru remembered the poem read to him so long ago. It made sense he supposed but why not him? Why was he stuck with a useless sword? Why did his brother and this woman receive the swords that were worth anything?
