A/N: Been working on this for a while, so I figured it was finally time to put it up. Please review because well, I have no idea if you like it or not if you don't.
I really don't like the use of Japanese words in writing fanfiction that are readily able to be translated into English, but for this, I do use honorifics (most are the common –san, and –sama, but I also use –hime (meaning princess) and heika (meaning emperor/Your Majesty)) and the word youkai ("demon" is not an accurate translation due to negative connotations), because all of these don't have true English equivalencies.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I'm simply playing around with the characters.
The Hero
Chapter 1: above the Stars
"What do you do when you realize that you are not part of the cure, but part of the disease?"
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"How can you be so sure it will work? … Yes, I am questioning your abilities. … Yes, I intend for everything to go as planned. … Incompetent fool, do not make a mockery of me."
Aburatsubo Sesshoumaru was not happy.
After having a conversation with his secretary at length on the telephone, he was quite certainly as frustrated as one could get with the way things were working out.
These were trying times indeed.
"Shimizudani-hime, Shimizudani-heika has requested an audience with you at this moment. You must go. I cannot tell him that you refuse."
"Why not? Is this how things are to be? Are you questioning my authority? … Are you? I've had enough of this. … No, I am not asking, I am telling you to leave."
Shimizudani Rin was not happy.
Another quarrel with her butler, Junzo, about her father had not set her into a proper mindset that was becoming of a princess.
It was just another day.
"Fine, I'll go." She was not happy about it, but she also did not want Junzo to be punished for her own show of stubbornness against her father.
Junzo lagged behind her as she walked. Junzo had not said, but she figured that because it was near 9 o'clock in the morning, her father had to still be in his meeting room with his advisors.
Her father's own butler, Hyobe, opened the door for her as she walked in.
"Suwa is taking over everything! I look outside and everything has a Suwa label on it, from movie advertisements, to building materials, to electronics, to even books! Why, even this teacup has a Suwa label on the bottom! The world has gone and been bought by Suwa!" No man other than Ogura Atshushi spoke like that. That was all Rin heard of today, Suwa is taking over this, buying out that, it was almost sickening.
The room was light with one wall composed of only windows that looked out to the palace's courtyard and the city beyond. It, like most of the other family member's personal rooms, was quite high up. The rest of the walls were covered in a light colored wood paneling that only served to emphasize the three-and-a-half meter high ceiling. It was a large room as well, the largest of her father's suite and the most public. Only the family was allowed in the rest of his rooms and even then, his bed chamber was respected enough for even Rin's six-year-old sister, Ohan, to know not to idling walk in whenever she wished.
But she still never did understand why such a large room was needed for the usual three advisors that made up her father's counsel, two attendants and her father himself. It only made it the lightness become overbearing and the room drafty. The fact that Rin and Junzo were added to the mix only made it slightly less spacious.
"Still talking about the Suwa Corporation, Ogura-san? I could have sworn you talked on it at length last week." Rin was so tired of hearing Ogura-san talk of the corporation. It seemed to infest his life. He would not talk to her father about anything but it. Ogura was well-known for such though. He never could get an issue out of his head until it was a year after it had been resolved. He was an older man, which probably only contributed to his behavior, with graying black hair. Ogura was also by-far the shortest man on her father's counsel, but he was known for being the most out-spoken. He was narrow-minded, but because of this, when he became immersed in an issue, it meant that he knew every piece of information on it.
"Shimizudani-hime, surely you have heard. There is more news about the Suwa Corporation and their next take-over. It will be the Bunya Corporation! The Bunya Corporation! It is the Suwa's last competitor standing and even it is falling under Suwa! Does this not cause alarm to you, Shimizudani-hime?"
"Why should it? The economical arena of the people is not a concern of mine. It will not affect my life. As far as I can see through economic studies, the Suwa Corporation taking over is a good thing. Do not worry so much for your position, Ogura-san. We are still the aristocracy. We still have dominion over the commoners. They are boosting the treasure house for us. Never fear."
"I must agree with my daughter, Ogura-san. We need not fear such a great company. They obviously know what they are doing and in times of such stress politically, socially and economically, we need such enthalpy. Do you not agree?" Eizo, Rin's father, was slowly getting as agitated as his daughter with all the talk of the Suwa Corporation.
"I think, heika, that Ogura-san is simply trying to say that we should watch the Suwa Corporation carefully. He is not against enthalpy – he is just worried about the route in which we put our faith for such a conclusion." Hasegawa Unkei was always the mediator. Ogura talk at length on one subject that would usually include some radical idea. Hasegawa would have to tread carefully around the Emperor for fear of his life and also bring in a good word for Ogura so that he could rely on his support in other arguments. Hasegawa was a tall man of middle-age with dark brown hair that kept quite short. His lanky body and usual stiff posture led to many not paying any attention to him at first, but his mellow, well-mannered voice always soothed the crowd and left him with the little bit of attention he believed he deserved and no more than he wanted.
"Precisly, heika." Because of Hasegawa's neutral stance, Ogura always agreed with his words. But then again, so did most everyone.
"Hmmm. I see. We will watch the Suwa Corporation closely indeed, Hasegawa-san. You all may leave. Rin, come here. I must speak with you." Eizo flicked his wrist toward the ornate double doors and all of his advisors left with the two attendants. At last they filed out. Eizo stood for several minutes facing his daughter. He wasn't quite sure how to bring it up, but he knew he had to.
"Rin, what are we to think of these times?" Rin made quite a face of confusion at such a question. Her father rarely spoke of such things of a more philosophical nature. Whether he knew it or not, her father was a emperor with the practicality of a farmer.
"What do you mean, Father?"
"Don't play innocent. You know what I am saying. The Suwa Corporation is taking over everything, but I am speaking of the unrest of the people. You know they cry for the dissolution of the monarchy. They have seen the revolutions of the past and now they want the same for this country. Rin, I fear for what will happen to you and your siblings. I am old, Rin, and I will not be around much longer. I think I can hold onto the monarchy for the rest of my days, but I worry over your power and the thoughts of the people."
"I know, I know. But, Father, you aren't so old and you are strong. You won't die soon. I know it. It's just the stress talking. The monarchy will continue on. Don't worry so much, Father."
Rin knew it was true. She knew the people wanted them out. They wanted the palace destroyed, the monarchy dissolved, a republic in its place and free elections to represent the people. No matter how scared Rin was for her place and rank in society, she knew she could not show it to her father. Eizo was quite sick and did not reminders of how sick the nation was as well.
"Ah Rin, I know you are a strong girl. I am glad to leave the nation to you. Your brother, Eisuke, has told me explicitly that he does not want the throne. I have always wanted you to be my heir anyway. Eisuke has a good heart, but it is too soft. He has no head for diplomacy. You are my eldest anyway. It is just fitting that you inherit the throne. I can only rest in peace as such." Eizo turned away and looked toward the window, gazing at the thrum of the city. Rin took this as a sign it was time to leave her father, so she gave a quick bow as a sign of respect.
"Rin, please promise me. Promise me that you will do everything in your power to continue the throne. Please, Rin. Stop bowing and become my daughter. I have no use for decorum anymore." Eizo still did not look at her. Rin knew he was upset from his lack of eye contact. She knew she had to take this promise, even if she didn't want to.
"Stop being so melodramatic, Father. Nothing is going to happen. Every government has experienced some kind of public dissent. This will pass." She tried coaxing his worries away, but her father still had that look on her face. She knew she was not getting out of it.
"Of course I will promise. I promise to continue the line of Shimizudani as the rulers of our land." Rin gritted it out in a low voice. She really did not like the thought of such a promise. There was something too foreboding in her father's voice, his stress, the people's cries and this strange turn in her father to be so worried over this.
"Everything in your power. Please, promise it." He still didn't turn to look at her, but Rin could see that even in his profile, he seemed pained and it was as though this one promise was his last string of hope. Surely, the situation wasn't at this point yet. It was the usual dissent from the people, some petty little word that had them upset. The people always got over it, right?
"I promise to continue the line with everything in all of my power."
"Aburatsubo-sama, Matsudaira-sama has requested that you meet with him in his office as soon as possible." Jaken, Aburatsubo Sesshoumaru's personal secretary/object to instigate destruction upon, was trembling as he told his boss the message. Matsudaira Ryuukotsusei was the President of the Suwa Corporation, but Sesshoumaru, the Vice President, had contempt for him. Not because of his higher position, not that that was something he particularly enjoyed, but because of what he had done to his father, the previous President.
"Hnn. Tell Matsudaira that I will be there in fifteen minute." Sesshoumaru was not about to act like a little puppy for his pompous boss. Matsudaira could wait until he finished…well, whatever he was doing. It didn't matter. Matsudaira was going to wait.
"Of course, Aburatsubo-sama. I'll tell him immediately!" Jaken squeeked. Sesshoumaru still was not quite sure why he did not hire a young, beautiful, female secretary, but for some reason he held onto the old, ugly henchman. He would not feel so good beating them up, even if they said they did want it.
Sesshoumaru continued to play Solitaire absently on his computer as he looked out the window from the corner of his eye. His office was comprised mostly of glass – just as he liked it. He acquired it officially when he was eighteen and fully proclaimed Vice President, but he started taking over the tasks when he was seventeen and the previous Vice President, Imaizumi Toutousai, a great friend of his father's, had gone into retirement. The poor man was dead now, but Sesshoumaru had never really gotten along with him. But the man did have excellence taste when it came to designing an office.
The Solitaire game was so immensely fascinating, that Sesshoumaru found himself staring out the window like so many days, looking out the city. The Suwa Coproation's building was the tallest building by far in the city and had been in the world until the Taipei 101 had overtaken it. Still, it gave Sesshoumaru a great vantage point to see the rest of the world and was one of the few buildings where an observer was able to see into the palace grounds. A few years ago, that would have been considered grounds for demolition.
"Please tell me you're playing that because we just acquired the rights to the game of Solitaire." Matsudaira Ryuukotsusei truly was the only man living who could startle Sesshoumaru. And so of course, he was always smug about when he did it.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." So, Sesshoumaru never let Matsudaira know how much he startled him every time. It really was not worth the agony and embarrassment.
Matsudaira flipped the screen around in the blink of an eye, thanks to his powers at a taiyoukai. But even he could be bested in some situations. All the appeared on the screen was a current TPS report for the new brand of software being developed and an email about the updated design of their most popular shoe. They truly were a conglomerate.
"Right. Well, I actually wanted to discuss with you something else slightly-less business-related." This piqued Sesshoumaru's interest. There was very little Matsudaira or Sesshoumaru did even together in the business, and absolutely nothing outside of it. "There is going to be a…function celebrating the acquisition of the Bunya Corporation in three days. The usual muckety-mucks, the officials from the Bunya Corporation, their wives, their mistresses, their associates, our officials, our wives, our mistresses, our associates are all to be in attendance so it is vital that we have correct representation there." This was all well and good, but Sesshoumaru still had no idea why this involved him. Matsudaira always wanted to be present at these types of events (never missed a moment to show his face), and so there was never a reason nor a want for the Vice President to be there.
"And?"
"So, I cannot be there. Prior engagement. You'll have to go for me."
Sesshoumaru's practiced blank stare took on a sudden shock, but he composed it just as quickly as it came.
"I do as well. You'll have to cancel yours."
Matsudaira shot out his hand as though to grab Sesshoumaru's neck. "Boy, don't be disrespectful to your elders. You're going to the party."
"Pfft. 'Prior engagement.' What, do you have a date with your girlfriend that your wife doesn't need to know about? Ha, I could care less."
"No. I will be out of the country in Switzerland corresponding the transfer of the funds from Heidelberg Incorporated personally due to the complications that have arisen with the IT department. Damn Swiss. I have to be there in-person and meet face-to-face with the pig von Below."
"Hmm." There was a great chance that Matsudaira was lying, but his story also checked out. There had been several issues with the IT departments exchanging information due to the Germans bad system that was incompatible with anything but their own and was terribly unorganized. And, truth be told, what else was he doing that night 3 days from today? Why not show his face at the party? Maybe he would find at least a higher-class slut who did not have to be paid. He had not had sex in a while…
"Okay. I'll go. But next time, you're going to have to cover your own ass."
"Excellent! I agree to the terms! I'll email you the address and time tomorrow." Matsudaira's face had brightened too much for Sesshoumaru's taste. There was something else underneath this. There just had to be some catch, something that was making Matsudaira really want Sesshoumaru to go.
"Is there anything you need to tell me about this 'function' as you called it?" Sesshoumaru asked as Matsudaira made to dash out the door.
He paused, and bogusly made to look to the ceiling, as though in deep thought. "I told you about that, and them, and when, and why, where, how…I don't think I'm missing anything." He said it all in a very loud, "under-his-breath" sort of fashion. "No! Can't think of anything off the top of my head." He then made to open the door and walk out, but stopped suddenly. "Oh! That's it! I DID forget. The royal family will be there as well. I just invited them today, an hour ago actually! Well, not all of them, goodness, the little one's only what like 5? 7? No, I mean the emperor and the crown princess. I figured they were needed to give a blessing of support for the little company that could that was founded only 10 blocks away from the palace." But then Matsudaira stopped his fakery when he saw Sesshoumaru's face. "What is it boy," he said in a much darker tone, his true voice. "Don'd tell me you are going to back out. Or no wait, you are thinking about messing this all up! You have done a lot. You should seize the opportunity."
"I am thinking about seizing the opportunity."
"I don't mean in that way. Come on, use your head. There are other ways to get what you want." And with that, Matsudaira closed the door.
"WHAT? I KNEW IT WAS COMING TO THIS! OH HEIKA! IT'S COMING NOW!" Rin could hear Ogura's cries over the music blaring from her mp3 player as she sat in her room. She immediately turned it off. Ogura was not the quietest man, and yes there were times when he did act like the sky was falling, but it never seemed as real as that moment.
She ran over to the door of her father's counsel room, paying no heed to the servants giving her odd looks as she eavesdropped at the door. Propriety be damned. This was just going to be too interesting.
"Quiet down, Ogura! Someone is going to hear you! This isn't the end of the world." That was Ando Soetsu, her father's third and final counselor. He never agreed with Ogura. He had a much oilier way of speaking, and his slick black hair always reminded Rin of grease pit. He was not so much a voice of reason, her father's practicality and Hasegawa usually took that end, but was instead just against anything Ogura, therefore he was much more relaxed and laid back in all that he did.
"Please, Atshushi. I don't want the servants talking." Her father's voice even had an edge to it. They must have been arguing for a while.
"But Shimizudani, you cannot go to this…this…obvious show of arrogance so that they can rub in your face their success! I am telling you, they are going to corrupt our tiny empire! Do you realize how much of our economy is controlled by them? Do you know what would happen to our country if they went under? We'd be ruined! Ruined! And I –"
"Atshushi, I do appreciate the concern, my old friend. That is why you are here. As well as Unkei and Soetsu. Your opinions are vitally necessary to me. But, in this case, I do believe that I must attend. As you have said, they hold a great importance to our country and we need to show our support. We should have showed it before. The people are generally happy it seems with the company. Their rankings have gone up while ours have gone down in the past years and –"
"I couldn't agree more Shimizudani! Actually, if I remember, I suggested something along those lines two years ago and both Unkei and I agreed but a certain –"
"Soetsu, you should not interrupt Shimizudani-san, even if we are just informally talking here. And I don't think its fair to keep attacking Atshushi. But I must say that you are both right. Shimizudani-san, I believe that you should attend with your daughter, but you should proceed with extreme caution. The volatility of this climate is too great for there to be any slip-ups by your party."
"We should probably bring in Rin then. She will have to be briefed on this. It is going to be an extremely high-profile event."
"Well, then we should –" But all the conversation was silenced with the sudden burst of an irate Ichibei and a very guilty-looking Rin in tow, suspiciously crouched next to the door.
"Father! I can't – oh, whoops." Whatever had been angering Ichibei seemed very small in comparison to the looks he was now getting from the three older gentleman in the room. And the inexplicable appearance of Rin by the door seemed a little too strange.
"Ichibei, tell me later. Rin, is there something you have needed or do you prefer to stand outside doors for five minutes? Or well, at least your feet." Eizo's tone was somewhat condescending, but still held a gentleness that only their father's voice could. Rin blushed and stammered out her reply.
"I – I was – I was just on my way out to the yard. It's just been a glorious day today, hasn't it?"
"Well, come in here. We have something to discuss. Ichibei, come back in an hour."
Rin knew she was not supposed to be out, but she could not help herself. The palace was stifling and she could not stand another talk from any advisor or her father. They were a bunch of old men who felt the need to cut her off from the world.
And she needed to party.
So she snuck out through the kitchen. No one was really in there at this hour luckily. Breakfast preparations did not start until four o'clock in the morning. She just had to be quiet, for the rooms of the kitchen staff were not far away.
Rin opened the door as quietly as she could and walked out, closing it behind her. She let out a sigh of relief. The city had grown up around the palace, so most of the guards were inside, versus having expansive grounds. There were few guards at the back gate and she happened to know of a loose stone in the wall, which her little brother, Ichibei, found once. She just hoped she still fit. She had not done this in a while.
The guards were patrolling on the opposite side of the back compound. Perfect. Rin dug out a little of the soil underneath the stone and wiggled it out as quickly as she could. A little loose mortar fell, but beyond that, everything went according to plan. So, she wiggled herself through the hole in the wall, almost not making it through when she got to her hips, but she sucked in as much as she could and moved each separately along the confines. The rest of her body came out easily.
"I always hate doing that. I can't wait until Father actually gets it into his head that I can go out and act like a normal person and party at night," she said to herself as she wiped off dust from the mortar that was stuck to her clothes. She started down one of the narrow alleys that littered the sides of the main street around the palace to the club only to hear a very low groan up ahead to her left.
Rin literally froze, and walked slowly to look ahead of herself and down the alley.
There on the ground was a youkai, a taiyoukai, if she was getting his aura right. That was strange enough. But what was even weirder was that he had been struck by quite a force. She knew she should not get too close – an injured youkai was liable to strike out to against whomever – but she could not help herself. Her need for a little adventure was going overboard.
Rin got as close as she dared, which really was only about two feet away from the youkai. She was not stupid enough to blindly reach out her hand, but she was near moving it when she noticed the sudden motion. His eyelids snapped open to reveal blazing red eyes and he growled quite ferociously at her. But she did not step back nor did she step forward.
Another wave of pain seemed to hit him and he leaned back against the brick wall and the garbage surrounding him. She knew she had to help him, even if she had no idea how to heal his wounds.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I don't know a lot about youkai or taiyoukai, you are a taiyoukai, right? But I'm going to be back, hopefully with some help, okay? Just don't aggravate those wounds. I'll be back, I promise!" And so Rin ran back to the wall to squeeze through the square. She went to the small infirmary within the palace, searching for anything that seemed useful. Due to a lack of youkai within the palace, she had limited experience even dealing with them, much less healing them. And there was nothing marked with "for youkai use." She really was at a lose for how to deal with this but, bandages wouldn't hurt right?
"Hey! Just hold still, okay? I've got some bandages and some fish. I didn't know how long you'd been here, so I thought you might like something to eat, get back your strength, or well…" Why was she rambling? She rarely ever rambled. She was known for not exactly being taciturn either, but this was ridiculous. Why was she going so far out for this strange taiyoukai practically on her doorstep? She crouched next to him, groping for the first place to start and how to even begin to bandage him up.
She just then noticed that in her absence, his appearance has altered slightly to be that of his probably more normal guise, though due to the darkness, the only real feature she could see were his golden eyes, not exactly the rarest eye color for youkai, nor was it the most common.
"Don't worry with it. Bandages are only a hindrance – my wounds are already healing. And I don't eat human food." His voice was a deep baritone, but blank. Every syllable seemed carefully measured, and Rin didn't think it was due to any strain. He seemed as though it was beneath him to even spare her so many words.
"Well, here they are anyway. And I still believe you need the bandages."
"Just leave, girl. Mind your own business." Normally, Rin would take offense to such harsh words, but for some reason, they didn't strike her so harshly in this case. Instead, she found herself nearly responding again when a sudden noise startled them both.
"Kya, is that you –"
His face was suddenly too close for comfort. His eyes were glaringly bright as he grabbed her shirt. "Leave NOW human. You will surely be dead if you wait another moment."
Rin was too stunned to summon any words or give any of her characteristic resolve. The alley was too dark, this world too unfamiliar for her to find any foothold, and the looming shape of it seemed another youkai, perhaps even less friendly or even the one who had hurt the taiyoukai before her, was menacing. So, she simply nodded and ran the opposite way, back towards the palace.
"Kouga, is that you?" Sesshoumaru raised himself up as much as he could with his damaged arm. His chest hurt the worst from the attack by his stupid brother, but he could definitely survive worse and had had it. The human girl's bandages and smelly fish still lay next to him. At least he was next to a trashcan. Maybe some hobo could use them later.
"Yeah, Sesshoumaru. How bad are you? I can smell the blood from here." Kouga came closer to him, sinking down to take an arm and lift him up.
"I've been worse. Don't worry with it, Kouga. I can walk to my apartment from here." Immediately, Sesshoumaru rose with some staggering and started down the alleyway with Kouga close behind.
"Alright, Sesshoumaru. Now, what was it? I heard something about Inuyasha and the –"
"Shut up, Kouga. This isn't the time or place. We don't know who is around."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Later then."
"Yes, later."
"I still can't believe I had to come. All that was needed was an appearance by yourself. They don't care about the crown princess being in attendance! I'm chop liver! And don't give me that same old crap of having to go out into society, showing my face, making sure the people get used to me before my reign, blah, blah, blah." Rin whispered sharply to her father as they stood stagnantly in the corner. Some old businessmen had come up to her father and addressed her cordially and talked a little to her father, but for the most part, the party goers had ignored them. It was a mix of humans and youkai, old windbags and the hottest celebrities in their tiny empire. But the overall tension that hung between them and Rin's father and herself was stifling, making Rin quite antsy and high-strung.
"Slow down and just relax. This is a party, not some high-stakes race. Enjoy yourself. Don't you like to go party?"
"That's different. It's not some business event there where everyone is on display."
"Whatever you say, Rin. But I really –" But her father's reply was cut off by the entrance of another man. Probably another muckety-muck. I don't understand why people stop talking just to see some person, Rin thought. But since her father's attention was now focused on the new guest, she turned as well to see what the commotion, or lack thereof, was about.
He entered the space, frosting every expression in the room. The once party-like atmosphere had been stifled by his very appearance. His eyes, as brilliant as the sun in color, but as dull as a distant star in warmth, scoured the room, quieting any surviving small conversations that had been present before. His hair was the color of a distant moon and his skin just as pale. His clothing was just as immaculate, looking as if it was woven from the galaxies themselves with colors as vibrant as the nebulas possessed. He truly was of another world. Even a different universe. He truly was Aburatsubo Sesshoumaru, Vice President of the Suwa Corporation. It was no longer a question of if he was taking over the country, but if he was taking over the worlds.