In a majestic garden inside a huge palace, placed to the threshold of a forest, leant against a tree trunk, a young demon, from the long white hair, was sitting. At a first glance he was seeming to be sleeping, since he was closing the eyes, but it was actually well awake, with the long sharpened ears which were gathering every single noise. The birds' troublesome chirping, the rustle of the grass caused by the light spring wind, the shuffle of the guards on the towers ...
« Hi! » suddenly said a children's voice.
The youkai opened the eyes. Opposite to him there was one demon from the look of a thirteen years old who was fixing it curiously.
She had the hair gilt, bound in a single big plait that she was going almost to touch the ground, while eyes were ruby color, that they were now intently fixing the amber-coloured ones of him.
The back was keeping folded forward, so as arrive with the face at his same level and the long ring to right and left tail moving.
« My name is Hiko. Instead who are you? » asked for the girlie.
« I don't speak with puppies » he said, diverting the glance.
After an answer like that he was hoping that she went, instead she remained to fix it there with insistence. It was as though she was studying him. His presence was starting bothering him.
He got up.
Hiko looked at him going away, disappointed.
She thought she had finally found someone which talk to, since her father was engaged in a boring conversation with a powerful dog demon, instead she found a young youkai with character bit 'chilly. Maybe it was his way to hide the shyness. Or maybe no.. However, she heard that it had to be a very powerful demon, despite the young age, and wanted to put it to the test. Both to give him a lesson, be to test his strength. Head was in her nature, in fact, to challenge whoever was quite powerful to keep her. And that young youkai was doing its case.
A click forward did and the left shoulder ham knocked.
The demon remained dumbfounded for some second. As that demon pup was daring strike it to the shoulder hams?
« You damned, I'll make you regret of what you have made » said starting to getting angry.
« Well, then what are you waiting for? » asked for Hiko putting her in position and showing him the fists.
Meantime, in a castle room, placed in the east wing, two daiyoukai were quietly talking.
« Of all the demons which I thought I would meet, you were its finish it. Why from these do you leave? » asked for the demon from the amber-coloured eyes.
« Simple curiosity Dog General » answered the other one, the long orange hair smoothing it, even if there was not need. « I have heard talk about a powerful demon that he had the western territories under his control and then I have come to verify. I would never have imagined to really meet you »
« Now that we are again face to face, what do you do Daitora? Challenge me? »
The two daiyoukai remained in silence to observe themselves for some second. How long had he passed from their first meeting? How many times had they collided without anybody of two being able to overwhelm the other one? Daitora sighed.
« No, I'm only of passage with my children »
Inu-youkai nodded in assent. « I have seen. You've been busy »
« And you? Nothing offspring? » quipped ironic the other one.
« Very witty Daitora. However, if you really want to know, I also have a son »
« Really? What is it called? »
The Big Dog Demon did to answer when some excited voices reached their ears.
« Quick, come and see! The noble Sesshomaru is fighting a demon puppy! »
« And it seems that is holding head »
« Infer that the pup about which talk both your daughter » observed the General Dog.
« Yeah. It seems not listened to my recommendations. I hope that she will not do too much of the evil to that demon which has faced »
« The demon at issue is my son » let the other one notice.
« Ha! He? Are our children fighting? » called amused Daitora with a blue lightning in the eyes sapphire. « Interesting. Let's see, are we? »
In the meanwhile, about the two fighters, youkai had formed a little nobles' crowd.
Between these there were two demons which were observing the fight with an expression detached on their faces. Both were showing the appearance sixteen years and the long loose hair as innocent as the snow taking.
The male was wearing a long indigo color dress, bound in life with a black strip, and silver-plated floral reasons on the sleeves. Instead the female had a long wide sleeve color lilac, with the white collar garment and a purple skirt was coming out below for some centimetre dark. To the ears were stuck to her a pair of leaning made of gold.
Shortly later Daitora together with General Dog arrived.
Inu-youkai understood from the signs on the them faces, three black strips undulated on the cheeks, which those two boys were the tiger demon children, even if they were not looking like for anything to the father, to exception of the eyes of the male, which was of the same colour as Daitora. Instead the female had certainly taken from the mother both for the hair, and the ice eyes.
« Father, do you want me to recall her? » asked the young demon. « No, Dan. I think that also the General Dog is interested in seeing them fight »
Inu-youkai did an affirmative gesture with the head. « At this moment I has come in mind our first meeting, remember? » said the demon tiger.
« And who would forget that? We destroyed half the forest, taking away all other demons and scaring the human villages surrounding »
« Yeah, it was the first time that someone was putting me in serious difficulty » admitted Daitora.
« And you have kept on giving me the hunt, also when your companions had renounced » added the dog demon.
« You had entered our territory »
« My intents were not hostile » refuted the General.
« Sure, but at that time was submitted to my Lord. The order was to attack any foreigner who was entering our lands » justified himself Daitora.
A fire sphere touched lightly their heads and went to fall on one of the walls of the castle, which started taking fire.
« General Dog, maybe it's time to stop them, if you do not want to see your castle reduced to ashes »
In the meantime Sesshomaru had been able to block Hiko. He was keeping her pressed to the ground, doing strength with a hand on the chest, while the other one was at few centimetres from her face. He was foretasting the moment into which it would have sunk his claws in the face of the impertinent little one.
« Six anchors in time to ask me for forgiveness »
« Tsk! Either for dream, I do not surrender » refuted that one giving him a kick to the low belly.
Sesshomaru choked a pain groan and left the hold. Hiko took advantage to give him a powerful head on the nose, making it fall to back, and at once later she jumped on him. Sesshomaru found himself with her above him, in an equivocal position.
« That's enough » sentenced a peremptory voice which made them both turn.
«F-father? » faltered Sesshomaru rising standing. A slap reached him in turned height, making it stagger.
« How many times have I told you about keeping yours emotions? Maybe have I not taught it to you? You've left a female to push you to fight and, what even more shameful one, have even lost »
« I haven't lost father, if you had let me continue… » started protesting, but another slap in the face stopped him.
« Do you even dare to answer your father? » said the General Dog being about to strike it again.
A small figure stood before him.
« You don't have right to treat your son in that way » said Hiko with resolute voice.
All the crowd kept the breath.
« My son's education is my deal. Remove you of means »
Hiko did not move. Some growls rose between the spectators. How was she daring to challenge their Lord? Instead Sesshomaru had remained surprised. "She wants to be killed?"
The General Dog's hand locked herself about the Hiko neck and raised her. She began to struggle and scratch in the attempt to free herself but he did not relax the grasp.
« What do you think you will do against me? You are only a demon pup »
« Be careful, also pups can defend themselves » repeated Hiko kicking for air.
Passed some second, in which everyone was looking forward to the reaction of the western gentleman. Dan closed the fists.
« Father... »
« It's all right, » she assured him Daitora « she will be able to take off it »
The General Dog suddenly left grip.
« Your fighting spirit is admirable »
Hiko coughed, the neck massaging it. « Coff, I've taken from my father »
« I do not doubt it » replied giving a look to the demon to his shoulder hams « In fact you very much look like Daitora »
« Eeeeh? » did astonished Hiko. But how, before he was strangulating her and does her the compliments now?
« Come on Hiko, the time of the visit is finished. Go » said Daitora approaching.
« It's a pity you must have to go so soon. I would have liked to fight against you another time »
« One day we will meet again General, and there will be not no draw » confirmed the tiger demon.
While they were speaking the little one demon peeped in from the Daitora legs and pulled out tongue. Sesshomaru frowned. "Insolent".
Dan collaborated the father and threw an icy glance to the young prince. Sesshomaru returned, doing the same. Instead the other one remained inexpressive.
« Then good journey Daitora » said at last the General Dog.
The tiger demon gave a last glance to his eternal rival, then he turned and went out together with his children of the castle.
Sesshomaru looked that little one impudent removing. A few days later, he decided to forget the unpleasant encounter, also because every time he thought of it, he was getting back in mind the slap and the punishment which had to endure from his father. So he deleted the whole event.
Hiko instead never forgot that young youkai from the icy glance. Maybe one day they would have met again and perhaps would have also finished the fight. Or, given the huge distance which was separating them, they would not have seen again any more, very probable thing.
But the destiny, without they realizing, had already started intertwining their lives.
Hiko = Sun Daughter
Daitora = Big Tiger
Dan = (Chinese) Courage