Tales of an InuTaishou
Karma'sHaven
So I should be working on Lost Souls but I'm entering this into a contest. The contest idea set me out to put a story idea that's been bothering me for quite a while onto paper.
Italics: Journal Entries.
Diclaimer: I do not own anything.
Chapter 1
'Where are we, Inuyasha?'
'I don't know, Kagome. These woods are foreign to me. They don't belong to the West Lands, nor the North.'
'Master Inuyasha, do you believe that we are in the East Lands?'
Squish
'Don't be ignorant, Myouga. The east lands are barren wastelands. No one has been there for decades.'
Kagome rolled her eyes. It wasn't the first time she wished that Miroku, Sango and Shippo were there. They had been called to Sango's village to fight off a bothersome spider demon. Inuyasha, being as impatient as he was, demanded that they not stop their search of the shards; so he dragged Kagome with him and they set out in the next direction.
A faint rustle was heard behind her. She turned her head swiftly staring into the dark bush where she presumed the sound had come from. Her light blue eyes stared into the darkness, trying to make a figure out of the darkness. Inuyasha still in the throes of his argument with Myouga, obviously hadn't heard the sound. She gently grabbed Inuyasha's arm and shook him.
'What is it?' he said gruffly, and for good measure he added 'wench.' in an undertone, a light frown on his face that deepened when he saw her face.
'There's something out there.' she whispered pointing a shaking finger at the bushes behind her.
Inuyasha looked at her like she was insane. 'Why is it that I highly doubt that? If there was something out there, I would've smelt it.' he said, his voice full of skepticism as he turned back to Myouga.
When she didn't answer back, he snorted before turning back to face her. 'Fine, if it'll calm ya down. I'll go and…' he stopped mid-sentence, fear starting to clench at his gut. Kagome wasn't there!
'Kagome!' he yelled out 'This isn't funny Kagome, get back here!'
Panic inset onto him when he didn't hear her chirpy voice reply. He immediately fell to the ground and sniffed out her delicate scent and growled when he found it. It was hers alright, but he could tell that there had been another youkai that grabbed her.
'Master Inuyasha, what is it?' Myouga screamed at him from his shoulder 'Where is she?'
Inuyasha ignored the annoying flea's voice and set off in the direction of her scent. Flying past trees and bushes, Kagome's scent imprinted on his mind; he stopped in front of a cave. 'She's in there.' He thought growling. And he raced into the cave and stopped immediately as he saw a bat youkai hunched over her being.
'No wonder I couldn't smell it.' he thought before he yelled out 'Kagome!' as he saw the bat youkai cradling her body and about to bite into her neck. He pulled out Tetsusaiga and swished it through the air, catching the youkai's eye.
The bat looked up and stopped his fangs from entering Kagome's flesh. The youkai's eyes widened as he stared at the red-clad figure with the massive sword and the furious glowing amber eyes. He immediately dropped the girl and dropped down to the floor, his face pressed against the ground as he whimpered and pleaded.
'Please, InuTaishou-sama.' the youkai whined 'Do not hurt me. I didn't know this was your mate. I apologize for my insolence but please spare me.'
Inuyasha blinked, once than twice. Why was a youkai, a full blooded youkai, groveling at his, a lowly hanyou's, feet? And what had he called him? His sword transformed again and he sheathed it.
'Get up.' he snarled, picking up the back of the youkai's haori. Inuyasha looked over the demon's face; a look of terror and awe alighting across the bat youkai's face. 'What did you call me?' he snarled into the trembling demon's face.
'InuTaishou-Sama, Sir' the demon said, his voice shaking. Inuyasha dropped the demon with a surprised look and watched with confused eyes as the demon scrambled up again.
'InuTaishou.' Inuyasha mused to himself. 'Toga InuTaishou?' he asked the now calmer youkai. The bat nodded nervously. Inuyasha blinked again. 'My father?'
It was a while before Inuyasha could speak again, to summon up words that could clear everything.
'I'm not Toga InuTaishou.' he said firmly, 'I'm his son, Inuyasha.'
These words clearly made an impression on the bat youkai, but not one he expected. Hate, he expected, Recognition, he expected. Even disgust, he expected that one most of all. But no, from the bat youkai came a look of confusion and, this shook Inuyasha most of all, the youkai started laughing.
'No, that can't be true.' The youkai said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes with a patronizing look on his face 'The InuTaishou-sama does not have any sons.'
Inuyasha was hit by another wave of confusion. How could this demon not know that one of the most respected and feared demons in all of Japan was dead? And had been dead for almost a century?
'InuTaishou has been dead for almost a hundred years, youkai.' Inuyasha snarled, his temper getting the better of him. How could this lowly bat demon not know of his father's demise?
The bat immediately sobered up. 'Are you absolutely sure of this, boy?' he said urgently, getting up from his spot on the floor and staring into Inuyasha's eyes with his own black ones.
Inuyasha nodded resolutely, not understanding why this demon would question him. He was about to ask a question when he noticed the youkai mumbling to himself.
'Not dead. Impossible. Unless the Eiji's continued attempts to reach him were in vain.' The bat mumbled. His voice grew louder as he addressed Inuyasha now. 'Boy, can you carry the girl?' the youkai asked sharply.
'K'eh'
'I'll take that as a yes. Pick up your girl and wait for a minute.'
Inuyasha furrowed his brows and slowly walked over to the motionless girl on the ground and picked her up and positioned her as easily as he could onto his back. He didn't think that this bat was a threat anymore but he knew to be wary of him and bat's easy transportation .
The bat was chanting something under his breath, his eyes shut and his breathing leveled. Inuyasha stared at the being as the bat's youki flew up around them, tingeing into a powerful red until it completely blocked out Inuyasha's sight. All of a sudden it faded and he was no longer in the cave.
Instead he was in front of two large wooden doors. He blinked, confused as ever as he took in his surroundings. No longer in the dark damp cave, but in a green field filled with wildflowers. He wished Kagome was awake to see it. He looked at her to make sure she was okay, only to find her still sleeping silently.
The bat had immediately rounded in front of the doors and knocked, creating a massive banging noise that rattled to Inuyasha's very core. A youkai stuck its head out over the massive wall and started chattering insanely in a youkai language. The bat youkai responded immediately and gestured towards Inuyasha. The youkai on the wall shifted his gaze and stared at Inuyasha before he disappeared and the doors started to open.
The bat looked over his shoulders and stared inquisitively at the bewildered hanyou, an amused smile on his face. Inuyasha folded his gaze towards the ground as they started to enter the massive castle grounds. He could hear dozens of youkai all murmuring as he and the bat youkai moved past them.
Of course, Inuyasha was used to it, but the gentle murmuring weren't words of hate and disgust but of confusion and curiosity. His sharp ears swiveled in all different directions as he caught snippets of conversation.
'InuTaishou-sama?'
'So after all this time he finally returns.'
'I wonder what has become of his mate.'
Inuyasha trained his eyes to the back of the bat demon's neck. And with his head held high he followed past the curious eyes of the massive building. The bat led him through countless doors until all of a sudden he stopped in front of another set of massive doors.
'Here is where I leave you, Inuyasha-sama.' The bat said, bowing low, 'My name is Aki. I served under your father in the rebellion. It was an honor to meet the blood of the great InuTaishou-sama.' And with those words the bat youkai vanished and the doors that stood in front of Inuyasha started to open.
He must've been an odd sight to the dozens of beings in the massive courtroom. A hanyou clad in red with an unconscious girl on his back. All of a sudden the hall became silent as he stared into the room, awkward and nervous. A path cleared to a figure sitting in a large throne at the front of the room. Inuyasha squinted, trying to make out the figure sitting in the chair, but could only make out a lone figure gesturing to him to walk forward. Inuyasha gulped as he started making his way forward through the hoards of royally dressed youkai.
Inuyasha clung to Kagome even more when he noticed everyone's eyes on him. He looked around warily, keeping his face neutral and calm but inside scared for his life. The walk to that throne was probably the longest walk of his life, even when infusing some hanyou power into his pace.
As he got closer to the throne he started to make out the now clear form. He could see the piercing green eyes and short blue hair. A ring dangled from his pointed ear and his clothes were elaborately decorated with different fabrics and beautiful designs. Inuyasha noticed the similarity between this youkai's clothes and his brother's. Except for the boa on his arm, their clothes were practically the same style.
The youkai regarded him with a cool gaze as Inuyasha finally reached the front of the throne. Inuyasha, taking that this being was royal, awkwardly bent down on one knee, almost over-balancing because of the added weight on his back. He lowered his head as he heard the youkai seated in the chair get up and wander towards him. He could feel the youkai's eyes glaring through him.
'Everybody Out!' he yelled clearing the hall of all it's seemingly influential youkai.
'Up.' The youkai said, calmly but gruff and forbidding. Inuyasha clambered up, his eyes still trained to the ground. The youkai had started pacing around him; regarding Inuyasha with an inquisitive gaze, looking him up and down, causing Inuyasha to clench onto Kagome even more.
His ears flicked as he heard the youkai stop in front of him. Inuyasha chanced a glance up, only to find the youkai looking at him with a kind gaze, one of recognition and friendship.
'You look just like your father, Inuyasha, son of Toga InuTaishou.' The youkai said in a calm voice. Inuyasha looked up, his golden eyes large and shining as he asked 'My father?' in a shaky voice.
The youkai looked at him with a soft look. 'I am Eiji Fujishima, Lord of the South Lands; but before I was one of the trusted friends of the great Inu-Youkai, InuTaishou-Sama.'
These words struck Inuyasha dumb for a second. This youkai, or Fujishima, he should say, knew or at least had known his father. His stunned silence caused Fujishima to drop his tender gaze and exchange it for a hard one. He shook Inuyasha's shoulder hard.
'Inuyasha, your father. Where is he?' Fujishima asked urgently.
'Dead and been dead for almost a century. My brother, Sesshoumaru has taken over control of the West Lands.' Inuyasha responded immediately, not registering what was happening. His words caused the Youkai Lord to start pacing yet again.
'Then the time has come.' Fujishima mumbled to himself, before staring at the hanyou with a commanding look. 'Inuyasha, during your father's life, he kept a journal of all his journeys. After he died, your mother left these scrolls to my control. For the past century, I have kept these scrolls locked in the Scroll room, not even allowing the official scroll reader to read them. No one in my court has ever read these but I believe that you, Inuyasha, son of Toga InuTaishou, should be the first to read the scrolls of your father.'
Again, when Inuyasha didn't answer, he became nervous and started mumbling.
'If you don't want to, you don't have to, it was just a suggestion. Your father would've wanted it.'
Inuyasha stared up at his piercing green eyes with his bright amber ones. Those eyes clearly showed truth and kindness and even a bit of fear; Inuyasha couldn't smell any lies or hate. 'Show me.' Inuyasha said quietly but resolutely, his gaze never leaving the older youkai.
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Inuyasha dropped Kagome off in a room where she could sleep off her youkai induced nap. Inuyasha wouldn't leave her, despite his ever-growing curiosity about his father's journal, until Aki returned and promised to wait and tell her what had happened when she woke up.
It took three hours to find the hundreds of scrolls that were written by his father. Lord Fujishima let him stay in the room with the countless numbers of scrolls that his father had written, spanning over the course of two-hundred and fifty years. Inuyasha ran his hands up the faded writing and the withering paper. Inuyasha grabbed all of them and sat down at the table that had been provided for him.
'Argh!' Inuyasha growled in frustration after an hour trying to make out the figures on the scrolls.
'Inuyasha?' a small voice said from the door of the window-less room. He turned around to find Kagome staring at him with a confused look. 'Are you alright?'
She came down the steps leading into the room with papers scattered in all directions. Inuyasha had turned his head back to the scrolls again, fingering the ripped up sides. 'How long have you been down here?' Kagome asked patiently as she delicately picked up a heavy scroll.
'Four hours.'
'How much have you…'
'I can't read.'
Kagome blinked. 'You can't...?'
Inuyasha cut her off again 'I was only seven when my mother died, I didn't get taught how to read.'
An uncomfortable silence settled on the two. Kagome looked at the poor hanyou with a pitying look and pulled the first scroll from Inuyasha's clawed hands.
'I can read it.' She said quietly.
Inuyasha looked at her with such a happy gaze that she thought she'd said something else, like Naraku was dead. Kagome sent a warm smile towards him as he nodded
towards the scroll.
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"31st day of Shimotsuki (November 1480)
Is it wrong to believe that Chichi-ue hates me? Is it? Is it wrong to believe that he cares more for his ugly retainer Jaken than he cares for me? Is wrong to think that he wouldn't care for me, even if I saved his life?
I guess it isn't. Because everything I asked is true. All I want is Chichi-ue's respect. But he denies it. Even when I left the castle and wandered, not only did he even bother to try and find me when my mother died, but he had taken three other concubines before I found out about my mother's death.
It bothers me how he did not even care for my mother. I know it was an arranged marriage and that his Chichi-ue had forced him to marry against his will, but you would believe that even he would show a bit of compassion towards her. She raised me well before I went out to travel but I didn't expect her to die.
She had never been a frail demon; she was a strong demon, and never got sick, even when the bout of the plague came over us and everyone got sick. Even Chichi-ue. Her eyes were like beautiful sapphire waters and her hair was always soft and silky, the color of chestnuts. She was beautiful whenever she wasn't crying; I never understood why
Chichi-ue, who looks so much like I do, beat the wonderful woman who raised me and took care of me whenever he went to sieges. My father with his long silver hair in a low bun and cold amber eyes and strong stature, beat her.
Actually I don't really want Chichi-ue's respect, I want an apology for everything he put my mother and I throughout the years."
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'What a tragic story,' Kagome thought, a sad look plastered to her face 'I wonder what he looked like.' She looked up and saw another assortment of scrolls and glancing over them saw that they were from before, during his travels. She picked up the next scroll in the pile that she had started with and started to read.
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"20th day of Shiwasu (December 1480)
It's my birthday today; 250 years of age. Chichi-ue constantly reminds me of when he became betrothed at 250 years of age and my duty to be as well. So, I do not have a choice on whether or not this bond will be right or not
I bribed Myouga to go and listen in for me, because I would be reprimanded sternly by father if I went.
This is the conversation that Myouga relayed to me:
"Ah, Meiji, Lord of the Asahara clan from the Eastern Lands. Welcome." My father said, greeting him in his warm voice getting up from his throne and descending to grasp the hand of the other youkai, a Swan youkai.
"InuTaishou.' Meiji said sternly, nodding his head. I remember meeting Meiji, a very stern man, cold and harsh. My father forever tells tales of his cruelty and malice, so I was concerned as to why he was here.
"My son, Toga, is ready for a mate. And you have five daughters. All of which would make a perfect mate for my son."
"I have expected as much. Your son wanders too freely for his own good. When I came, he was sitting outside writing on some scroll. None of my daughters know how to read and I think their purity will be corrupted if they take part in such a vulgar pastime.
Reading and writing should be for monks, not demon lords."
When Myouga told me that part I started laughing so hard, what kind of Lord would I be if I didn't know how to read or write."
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Kagome looked up as she read this to see Inuyasha's expression, which had fallen dramatically, his eyes crestfallen and sad, almost heartbroken. She continued reading, not wanting to look into his emotions at the moment.
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"My son will be a demon Lord one day so he must learn how to read. But we are not here to discuss that. We are here to discuss a joining of your clan to my territory aren't we? Which one of your daughters would make the best match, or be most suitable to my son, Meiji?"
"All of my daughters are suitable. It's your son who I do not believe in."
"Do not try to insult my methods in childrearing Asahara. He is my son and I shall raise him the way I see fit."
I smiled when I heard him say this. He obviously did not like this demon who could insult me so easily and in our own household. But he can sometimes be rather cold. And harsh. But he is my father and I shall respect him. Well, to an extent.
"I don't expect you to understand why I see your son unfit, he is, at the least, a hundred years younger than every one of my daughters."
"Meiji, I do not care for your indecent chatter. What daughter would best suit my son as a mate?"
Conversation ended there as Chichi-ue and Meiji went outside to meet the daughter that Asahara had chosen.
I just met her a short while ago.
I have been betrothed to the first daughter of the Asahara Clan, Hana. She is close to a hundred years older than me but Father insists that this is a good match. It will bring much strength to the InuTaishou clan and the West Lands. We will be mated in ten moons on the turn of the year.
She is very beautiful, with long silver hair and lovely purple eyes. She has a set of wings alighting on her shoulders that are a lovely green hue. She is a swan youkai and is gifted with the ability of flight and poison from her wings but her blood will not dominate in our heirs and the pups that we have will be InuYoukais. Chichi-ue believes that her strength could marvel mine. Although, despite her sweet temperament in the face of our father and hers, she has the kindness of a wild boar; she is rude and harsh she even went to beat a small kitsune child that had stumbled into her. I was disturbed at this blatant act of cruelty. I never wanted a mate that was this angry.
But I shall mate with her for the good of our territory. And hopefully we will be a good match. Though, I know it is wrong to say it, or write it, I doubt we will be."
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Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha who was staring at her with rapture, like a little boy wanting to hear more of the story. She smirked, wondering if he heard Myouga's reference. She giggled, causing Inuyasha to stumble out of his daydream.
'What?' he demanded, but he only saw Kagome searching through the next couple of scrolls.
'They're countless scrolls about your father's life with his mate.' Kagome looked up at Inuyasha apologetically, 'Or his first mate. And this is just one year.'
Kagome glimpsed through some of the scrolls to find Sesshoumaru's name in one. She started to read it, mumbling to herself, not thinking Inuyasha cared to hear about his brother. But Inuyasha listened anyways, his white ears flicking in her direction.
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"2nd day of Shimotsuki (November 1411)
Our first son was born today! We have been waiting for this ever since we heard he news of Hana's conception, five months ago. We named him Sesshoumaru, Hana's idea.
Killing Life Circle. Sounds quite foreboding to me, but I let her name him. And the month's name, The Month of Frost. Let's just say that the month is the only thing frosty".
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Kagome blinked, 'Was Inuyasha's father…?' she left the question hanging to Inuyasha who had blinked as well, confused. Kagome read on.
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"Hana has only snapped at me since Sesshoumaru's birth. I believe her new animosity towards me has something to do with the fact that Sesshoumaru didn't smile at her like he did at me.
He's a lovely boy. Strong, healthy, just like his Otou. I hope his mother calms down enough to hold him. Not once has she held him unlike me. I've held him ever since he's been born. I know I won't have time to care for the boy if his Okaa doesn't. I do not want my son deprived of his Okaa's affection."
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She sifted through countless scrolls after that, to find snippets of conversation talking about Sesshoumaru and the lack of attention he was receiving. 'These belong with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha.' she said quietly, still glaring hard at a scroll in her hands, just to avoid Inuyasha's incredulous gaze.
'You're right.'
Kagome looked up as Inuyasha had picked up the scroll she just read. Although he couldn't read it, she could tell he was thinking over the things she had just read.
'He deserves to know this just as much as I do.' Inuyasha said, finally looking up, his gold eyes cold and hard. Kagome nodded silently. She let a small smile grace her features; feeling the nervousness at her gut melt away.
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"30th day of Uzuki (April 1422)
Hana died today. From what, it cannot be told for even I do not know. But not a single person in our household shed any sadness. Not even Sesshoumaru, which bothered me the most.
If one has no feeling for their own Okaa, than they would have feelings for none.
I must contact the Asahara clan and send my regards and"
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Kagome let out a loud yawn.
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"condolences."
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Inuyasha glanced up, a look of concern on his face. 'Kagome?' he asked slowly. He glanced at the candles that had been brought in by Aki earlier while Kagome was reading. He grimaced as he noticed the candles had gotten shorter.
Kagome chanced a glimpse at her watch. '11:30' she thought her eyes blurring 'We've been in here for almost six hours.'
'Go to your room, Kagome.'
Kagome looked at him squinting, her eyes almost collapsing on their own.
'You're tired and obviously need to sleep. Today's been busy. Go. I'll meet you in a while.' he said, letting an unusual gentleness overtake his voice.
'Thank you, Inuyasha.' Kagome said as she got up from her chair and stretched her back.
Just as Kagome reached the door of the small room she heard a noise. 'Thank you.' She just smiled as she walked away.
Inuyasha waited until Kagome had left the room when he pulled out another scroll, one of the scrolls in the pile Fujishima had left him. He pulled it out and glanced at it.
It wasn't a scroll but a large picture of his father. Long silver hair held up in a high ponytail at the top of his head, with elegant clothes with plain designs but still majestic, a long sword held in his fists, two jagged red stripes on his face and a large white boa falling from his shoulders. Inuyasha stared in earnest as he looked at his fathers golden gaze, so much like his own. His father's gaze was hard and furious but with a hint of kindness hiding in those eyes gazing at him. Inuyasha could almost hear the wind singing in the background and the sword swiping through the air as he gazed on his father's face. And when Inuyasha looked hard enough, he could see a figure of a dog; his Otou, in his demon form.
Inuyasha smiled as he put away the picture and left the room to find Kagome and join her in the world of sleep.
