Best of Both Worlds
"Two souls with but a single thought, Two hearts that beat as one. " ~Friedrich Halm
Disclaimer: I do not own INUYASHA, the original story and characters rightfully belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Dictionary
Kagome: Quote from Takahashi on Kagome's name: "...I did a lot of thinking before deciding on Kagome. I wrote down everything that came to mind. Kagome sounded cute. I like names that end with 'me', so, for no particular reason, I chose Kagome (laughs)." Unlike most of the other characters, Kagome's name does not have a literal allusion to something having to do with her character. Takahashi, apparently, just went with what sounded right to her. But if you must know her name means Bamboo mat."
Seshomaru: In the Inuyasha art book it means 'Destruction Man'. Yet, I have found in another website if you broke his name up, it literally means 'Destruction of the Circle of Life'.
Daichi: From Japanesedai"large, great" combined withchi"earth, land" or chi"wisdom, intellect".
Kanna: Canna lily, or the lily's in her hair in the anime/manga.
Hiten: Fly heaven or correction maker.
Juromaru: Beast man.
Inu: Dog.
Kami: God.
Ningen: Human.
Ningenkai: Human world.
Youkai: Demon.
Makai: Demon world.
Background
Many of you might be confused as to what world this is. It is summer of 2455, in Tokyo Japan. I sort of based it almost to the story Utopia by Kagome357. Not exactly though. Seshomaru is about 500 years old in this story, and the joint of the two world's wasn't in succession until his father, Daichi had found a vaccine to a terrible plague (very similar to HIV but at an advanced level, meaning it does not need to be spread by sex alone) which was around 2210, and the complete merging did not happen until 2390. The technology is high tech, there's no teleportation machines although there are hover crafts and vacuums that help you travel faster than normal. If there are any more questions, feel free to email me or Review and I will answer as best as I can.
Also, as you read on, you may notice that some of the characters are OOC (out of character), specifically Seshomaru. I hope you can bear with my writing, and if anyone has any critiques, feel free to correct me! I'm still relatively new and it would be great that I know what I'm doing wrong before I make the same mistake again.
Chapter 1 : Chance Encounter (1,896 words)
Kagome licked her lips, her eyes fluttered than squinted a brief second. I can do this... I CAN DO THIS! Thoughts escaped into her head as her trembling hands steadied themselves and she slowly guided the joystick forward. Kagome lightly tapped the red button, her thoughts fleeted for a split second at the claw in front of her, willing it to do what she wanted.
Plop!
VICTORY! She squealed, than reached inside the crane machine and grabbed her prize- a lovely white puppy dog plushy. It had been a rough day at work and she was only planning on stopping by at Aladdin's Castle to get a pizza, but ended up eyeing the stuffed animal in the machine. Trading in five dollars, she was finally able to get the plushy after the 10th try. Oh, how exhilarating it was to feel success.
Kagome strolled happily outside, her eagerness had filled up her stomach, and continued to walk home with plushy in hand and bag in the other. Turning the corner, her face smacked right against a wall of muscle and she stumbled back, almost losing her balance. Kagome threw her hands up, waving them to keep her in place and breathed a sigh of relief when she was able to regain her composure. Kagome looked up, angry as ever and wanted to scream in the face of the person. Kagome bit her lip, her mother had taught her better manners.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled and continued on her way past the silver haired strangers. A clawed hand grabbed her arm, willing her to turn his way. Shocked, but still pissed Kagome was about to spit a smart comment at the stranger's face, to hell with manners, but stopped when a white fluff covered her sight.
"You dropped this," a cool voice told her. Kagome took the plushy in hand, completely forgetting that she had dropped the adorable thing while stopping herself from a foregoing ass exposure on the ground.
"Thanks," Kagome slightly blushed at herself. She was completely out of hand for the stranger was nice, and she had almost embarrassed herself by acting like a child. Before Kagome could say 'I'm sorry', the silver haired stranger walked off, his black Armani's suit becoming a dark speck in her vision. Kagome frowned, and turned around, continuing on her way back to her apartment, her hunger starting to come back. Completely forgetting the incident, she hummed to herself and thoughts about what she was going to make flooded her mind. The incident settled itself in the back recesses of her mind.
Seshomaru rubbed his temple and sighed, his mind feeling like it was clouded over by a fog of thoughts. He had went through three meetings this morning, skipped lunch to go talk to an executive from another company, drove around town meeting people, and settling down in his office had helped no less because of the stack of papers waiting for his seal of approval sat right next to his computer. Seshomaru glared at the innocently stacked papers, wondering how such simple and fragile things cause him such pain. He swirled his seat to face the five by eight window that oversaw the entire city of Tokyo. Seshomaru watched quietly as a pigeon flew by. At hearing a noise, he swirled around to see his secretary open the large double dark mahogany doors that lead to his office.
"Sir, you have a meeting at six with Mr. Hiten over the opening of the trading route business in Makai. He has called, asking if you were still going to have dinner with him." Kanna said, her voice monotone, white hair pinned back by canna lily hair clips.
"Yes, I will see to him shortly. Although, I wish to walk to the restaurant, tell Juromaru he need not pick me up."
"As you wish Milord." Kanna bowed slightly, and retreated, closing the doors behind her as she left. Seshomaru gave a last fleeting glance outside of the window at the clear blue sky, and got out of his seat. He took his private elevator down into the lobby, and walked outside of the building.
Youkais and ningens alike walked the streets of Tokyo, a blessed modern day that his father had fought centuries to successfully fulfill. The day youkais and ningens lived together, and he would continue the legacy soon, opting to successfully complete the first business trade between Makai and Ningenkai. He walked past a ningen and youkai couple, completely enthralled with each other as the man bashfully joked around, receiving a giggle from his ningen girlfriend. In earlier times this would have been seen as travesty, an insult to both ningens and youkais, but now this is seen as normal. It is, after all, the year 2455. After the big plague in 2210 that nearly wiped away 2/3 of the ningen population, his father led a group made up of both youkai and ningen scientists and created a vaccine, throwing the world leader's at his father's feet. Seshomaru's father, king of Makai, had helped the world of the ningens, thus breaking down the wall that had blocked them for so long. Daichi Taisho was an inu youkai who had fallen in love with a ningen woman, even going as far as mating her. With the ningen population slowly falling since 2094 from an unknown cause, it took Daichi centuries to find out a virus had planted itself within the ningens, laying dormant for years before surfacing and slowly taking over the population.
Everything I have done is for the best of both world's his father had continually told him since he was a child. Seshomaru sighed and continued down the street, hands in his pockets as he contemplated how the years have passed by. Adjusting his Oakley five squared sunglasses, Seshomaru rounded the corner as someone bumped into him. He raised his brow at the small petite dark haired girl as she fumbled around, attempting to gain her balance he presumed. Seshomaru watched as a white plush animal fell from her hands onto the concrete, but was failed to be picked up by the girl as she had already started to walk away after mumbling an "I'm sorry". Seshomaru swiftly picked up the plush, dusted it off softly, and grabbed the girl by the arm. Maybe a little more rough than he should have. She spun around, shock and anger marred on her round sweet face. Sterling blue eyes stared up at him.
"You dropped this," Seshomaru said, handing back her plushy. He wouldn't admit it, but her eyes reminded him of a blue sapphire, sterling silver moon necklace his mother had once treasured as it was a gift from his father. He watched in slight amusement as her cheeks flushed a pink, her anger dissipating at once. He always fathomed why it was so easy for ningens to show emotions.
"Thanks," the small girl said, but Seshomaru turned around and continued walking, he was going to be late for his meeting and he didn't want that. But, even at his abrupt exiting, he still thought of the girl on his way to the restaurant and her hauntingly beautiful eyes.
"So we have come to an agreement Hiten?" Seshomaru leaned back on his chair, ice tea in hand as he eyed the lightening youkai across from him. Hiten continued to look through the holographic papers, their lighted white words danced across the transparent blue eight by eleven square, the thin aluminum below shown in the light of the dimly lit cafe.
"Hmm... genius Seshomaru, that is all I can say. You have given me a contract that is almost flawless. Giving me 30% of the earnings, why, that's very generous! What do you have underneath your sleeve future Inu Taisho?" Hiten hit the red button sticking out of the bottom side of the aluminum, shutting off the holograph and grinned a toothy smile at the inu youkai.
"Please, you speak too much of me, I simply am asking for the best of both worlds." Now doesn't that sound familiar, Seshomaru inwardly chuckled. "From your own earnings with small companies that are flocking to be able to trade with Ningenkai, Makai companies must be lining up outside your estate in attempt to establish business with you. You have nothing but earnings in your future."
"As do you," Hiten laughed loudly, the empty cafe echoed back at him. "But in truths, putting aside business, how is my dear friend doing?" Hiten grinned at him. "I haven't seen you for centuries! Tell me, have you met any ladies here that have caught your interest?"
Seshomaru calmly drank his green tea, a clawed finger tapping at the clay hardware making a small tink tink sound. "I have been far too busy to frolic in the lands of lust and love." That granted a large guffaw from the youkai in front of him.
"Too true, too true, even in our youkai teen ages that lasted for decades, I have never seen you even glance twice at a female youkai, let alone a female ningen. Tell me friend, you're not thinking about going down the otherside of the road now are you." A genuine frown marred the face of the youkai, his red eyes squinted at Seshomaru as though to look into the depths of his soul.
"No," was the cold but calm reply that left his lips. Another hardy laugh from Hiten. Kami, that man laughs a lot.
"Well, aside from that, is there any place in Ningenkai that is fun. You must know at least one or two places no matter how dull you are. And where is that kid brother of yours?" Seshomaru snorted in response.
"Inuyasha does what he wants, he's most likely off gallivanting on his motorcycle or with his mate." Seshomaru idly thumbed his drink, wondering where he could get another refill. As though reading his mind, a child in a black waiter's tux swiftly walked out of the kitchen, refilling his tea and walked back, his tail swaying side to side behind him.
"Inuyasha has a mate? Since when?" Hiten started sipping from his cold coffee, crossing his legs on top of the table.
"It's been almost fifty years now. A ningen, and a miko too. Her name's Kikyou, I believe." Seshomaru set the cup down, suddenly not feeling thirsty anymore.
"I see... damn, can't believe he didn't even tell me. But, man, wow, I can't believe he mated before me and you. Well, I can understand you as cold as you are," that earned a glare from Seshomaru, which Hiten ignored quite masterfully, "but me! The lady's man!" Seshomaru rolled his eyes at Hiten's self praising, but he knew that the man was just joking. Seshomaru had known Hiten far too long to take his jokes seriously. Hiten's feigned innocence disappeared at once, instantly being replaced by a toothy yet wolfishly hungry grin. "Is she a looker? She must be if she was able to leash our inu boy so quickly."
Seshomaru shrugged nonchalantly, his left pointed ear twitching slightly. "You can go see for yourself. We are supposed to have a 'family' outting tomorrow, you are welcomed to join. I hear Kikyou is bringing one of her female relatives." Hiten gave Seshomaru a look that matched those of a inu in heat.
"Gladly."