Title: Book 1
Author: pkangel
Rating: R
Fandom: Inuyasha and Return of the Condor Heroes
Disclaimer: Property of their respective creators. I'm poor so
don't
sue since no profit is being made off of this.
Summary: An Alter-na-verse fic, what if Inuyasha was crossed with Return of the Condor heroes. This is a Kikyou/Inuyasha story.
Chapter 1- Forlorn Strings of Fate
The moon hung low in the sky-- a massive, menacing yellow orb--fuller tonight then ever, and seemed to hail an ill omen as it bore witness to a great battle below.
Tonight would be the night that would be remembered forever—
Yes.
Tonight.
Heralded the fall of the great dog demon, Inu no Taishou, whose fangs were now sunken deep within the dragon daiyokai's thick skin.
For three days and three nights, the two giant beasts had been locked in a duel for life and death—shattering earth and mountains beneath them like little more than clay.
But now, the duel about to be over--both Inu no Taishou and his foe, Ryukotsusei, suffered gravely from their wounds; their blood rained heavily from the skies, forming small rivulets of red on the dark ground below.
And Inu no Taishou then made a decisive move on the weakened dragon, planting his claws within the dragon's long serpentine body and, with great effort, he reeled back and flung Ryukotsusei into the Mount Tai-Shan, the largest mountain in all of the land. The power unleashed by Inu no Taishou buried Ryukotsusei into the mountain's side, forming a crevice.
With the last of his demonic energy, Inu no Taishou quickly followed after Ryukotsusei, unsheathed his claw and impaled it in the dragon's neck; and mask resembling a human face, that was affix on the dragon's forehead—Ryukotsusei's voice—screamed out…
The claw grew in size until it tore through the width of Ryukotsusei's neck and fastened him to the mountain—
Ryukotsusei opened his eyes in time to see Inu no Taishou detach that single claw, leaving it secured in Rykotsusei's neck. The dragon felt his consciousness leave him.
"A spell," Ryukotsusei realized.
The dog demon had cast a spell with that claw. A sealing spell—
So, even as Ryukotsusei succumbed to the pull of eternal sleep, he knew he had won—the dog demon did not finish him off…
Not because he had mercy.
No. Ryukotsusei was far beyond Inu no Taishou's mercy.
Inu no Taishou did not kill him because he couldn't—because Inu no Taishou was dying.
And as he was dying, the dog demon fell from the heights of heaven. Falling, falling. And as he did, something miraculous happened…
A bright light flashed across the horizon emanating from Inu no Taishou's being, and suddenly, three bright beams shot out in three different directions from that core light…
"My LORD!"
Myoga, the tiny flea demon, who had been watching from a safe, but relatively close distant, rushed to be by his master's side—
There was a loud thud as Inu no Taishou collided with the earth—it shuddered and shook, dust plumes gathering up in the great fall's wake.
Myoga hopped rapidly up and down, finally making it to the center of the dog shaped crater; and there, laid Inu no Taishou—in human form--with his heavenly armor and fur coat draped from his shoulders.
"My lord," Myoga sat weeping at his fallen master's side, tears wetting Inu no Taishou's long mane of white hair.
Inu no Taishou, who had lain motionless, now opened his eyes to look at the small flea demon. "Myoga."
"Yes, it is I, my lord. Your loyal retainer. Please, don't speak. You are gravely injured and must rest."
"It is too late for me."
"No," said Myoga, his tears falling faster now. "Don't say that. You are the great Lord of the Western Lands. You cannot die."
"Please, Myoga," Inu no Taishou said, "You and I both know that I shall not survive for much longer."
"But—"
Inu no Taishou growled, "I only sealed that accursed creature away because I have not the strength to kill him. And now another danger is closing in."
Myoga's ear perked at this, becoming very alert. As such a small demon, Myoga was especially sensitive to danger—after all, he had no defense except to run. Myoga didn't think of himself as a coward. He was smart and instinctive. He was a survivor.
So when his great master had said that danger was near, Myoga first instinct was to get the hell out of there. But Myoga could not abandon Inu no Taishou, no matter how grave the threat was. His fate, the flea had long ago decided, was intertwined inexplicably with the Canine God.
"Myoga, you must go now," insisted that God now.
"Go?"
Myoga was shocked.
"Go? But to where, my Lord?"
"To Izayoi. She is in labor. That treacherous Tsubaki is coming for her, and will kill both mother and child to have her revenge on me. I will not be there to protect them. You must go to them first. Take them to Peach Blossom Island and find Guo Jing."
"That bonehead?"
"Go," Inu no Taishou commanded again.
Myoga persisted. "I can not abandon you, master."
At this, Inu no Taishou snapped, "If you do not go then I will eat you."
Myoga yelp and took a step back.
Suddenly, it became clear. Myoga knew that this was it—
He had to leave and leaving meant that he would not see Inu no Taishou alive again.
For five hundred years, Myoga had hung onto the dog demon's back, drank his blood and kept him company. Inu no Taishou was more than just a master to Myoga…
He was a friend; and, despite serving under Inu no Taishou, the great dog general had treated Myoga as an equal, which was so much more than the little flea thought he deserved.
Myoga took a moment to take in Inu no Taishou; then he nodded, and wordlessly obeyed his friend's final request, turning and hopping away. Never once looking back.
And Myoga had wept. Not so much because his friend was dying, but because he could not be there in Inu no Taishou's passing.
Inu no Taishou watched as the flea retreated in the distance, then turned his head to look upwards at the bright moon; and in its ethereal light, Inu no Taisho saw a vision of Izayoi, as beautiful and pure as the day he first saw her.
"Beloved," Inu no Taishou said, reaching one hand up towards the moon, as if to touch Izayoi's vision; and Inu no Taishou felt the first pangs of death closing in, his chest squeezed painfully and his breathing labored. Still he spoke to Izayoi, hoping somehow that she would hear him—that she would understand. "Forgive me. My only regret is not seeing you with our son."
Our son…
Inu no Taishou thought then of the infant son he would soon leave behind in this world--with his clairvoyance, Inu no Taishou knew of the future and what his son would become; and he was satisfied. He thought also of his older son, Sesshomaru—the new Lord of the Western Lands. And he thought of Mizuki, Sesshomaru's mother—a powerful dog demon in her own right, who had bore for Inu no Taishou his first child. He thought of them.
His family.
And Inu no Taishou reached up, up, up. Stretching his right arm towards the heavens. Higher and higher until—
His head fell back. His arms dropped lifelessly to his side and his eyes closed.
Inu no Taishou had breathed his last.
The Imeji castle was unusually busy. Castle guards stood watch as an important event was taking place inside—
The daughter of a feudal lord was about to give birth.
So tonight, of all nights, the security was tightened; as this was the order of the Setsuna no Takemaru.
Takemaru knelt vigilantly outside Lady Izayoi's chambers and listened intently to the shuffling of the midwives within-- and to the heart wrenching cries of Lady Izayoi. She had been in labor for nearly two hours now and yet…
No baby.
It seemed that the child was reluctant to be born. Takemaru could do nothing for his lady except wait. For the first time in his life, Takemaru felt useless.
He hated that feeling.
But nothing could be done. Everything had been so unexpected…
That Izayoi had fallen pregnant without being wedded was one thing, but that the child was fathered by a dog demon (of all the absurdities out there) was another thing entirely. And the whole ordeal had caused such a scandal that Izayoi's father banished her. As a woman of nobility, this was akin to a death sentence.
But Takemaru had intervened. He had saved her--
And bought her here to his castle, sheltered her and gave her haven so that she could bear child in peace.
And he had done all this because, more than anything, he loved her…
So much so that even now, with the demon spawn inside of her, Takemaru protected her. Even now, with Izayoi banished from the circle of respected nobility, Takemaru made plans to propose to her; because Takemaru believed, so intensely, that without her there would be no world at all.
Yes, Takemaru thought. He would make Izayoi his wife.
Takemura knew that as much as that hated dog creature loved Izayoi, there was no future for them. Izayoi could not live with it in the same way she would with a man. As she could with him…
"And if the dog demon did come to take Izayoi, well…," Takemaru thought, his eyes narrowing, "I would take care of that."
The grip he had on his katana's handle tightened noticeably.
He knew that an encounter with the dog demon would be an eventuality. Especially tonight—
Takemura would've bet anything that the demon would come to be with Izayoi on such an important night.
For now, he waited.
Myoga flew easily through the castle's numerous defenses, all of which were designed to keep out much larger creatures. Such were the advantages of being so tiny.
And Myoga flew—or, more appropriately, hopped rapidly—to Lady Izayoi's chambers. Myoga knew that alone he could not protect the lady—the disadvantage of being so tiny.
He would need help. And there sat exactly what he was looking for—
"Setsuna no Takemaru!"
Despite being so little, Myoga's voice carried surprising volume; and Takemaru heard-- standing and immediately drawing his blade. "Who goes there?" He demanded, menacingly.
The hallway stood empty. Only the sounds of the birthing room echoed now through the desolate hall.
"Here!"
Takemura's nerves, which were already strung, were pulled even more. "Where?" he asked again.
"Down here!"
Down?
Takemura cast his eyes downward and scanned the wooden carpet only to find…
"Demon!" Takemura exclaimed upon finding Myoga. He raised a foot to stomp on Myoga, but Myoga avoided the attack, jumping into the air—
"Whoa!"
But Takemura just continued his assault by slicing his katana after the flea demon. Again and again he sliced; and again and again, Myoga dodged and weaved—all the while huffing, "Wait! Stop! I was sent by Inu no Taishou!"
And at the sudden mention of that name, the samurai lost all sense of restraint, his face flaring with incalculable rage. He swung now with such ferocity and intensity that Myoga felt sure that he was close to losing his life.
"Inu no Taishou? Inu no Taishou!" shouted Takemura as he swung at Myoga, "That wretched dog demon. Hasn't he done enough? Sullying Izayoi's honor and—"
Myoga interjected, angry that he had to deal with such incompetence, "Put aside your prejudices and think, for once, not of yourself. But of Lady Izayoi. Save the woman you claim to love."
"Save her? The only way I can save her is if you DIE!"
But Myoga had no intention of dying. Instead the stubborn flea had managed to land and gain a foothold on the blade of Takemura's sword; so that now, the samurai whipped his sword up and down, annoyed. "Let go of my sword! Let go so that I may crush you, flea!"
"Listen to me, listen to me," Myoga struggled as he clung onto the sword—his only lifeline. "Inu no Taishou is dead!"
"I don't believe you."
"Why else would I come here alone and stand you shaking me around like this?"
Takemura stopped. Suddenly realizing that Inu no Taishou was, as the little flea said, conspicuously absent. Did this mean…
Takemura felt his heart skip a beat. Perhaps what the insect spoke was the truth, and Inu no Taishou was really dead.
As the samurai stood in shock of realizing what he was just told, Myoga took that time to compose himself. "There's a far greater concern out there than your quarrel with my lord. As we speak, Tsubaki is on her way."
"Tsubaki?" Takemura repeated, a little dumbfounded by the turn of events. "The dark priestess of the tomb sect? She's coming here."
Takemura knew well of this woman's reputation. She had murder and slain hundreds. Her black magic and knowledge of poison had made her name infamous, even among the commoners.
"But why?" Takemura exclaimed. "Why would she come here of all places?"
Myoga did not want to waste anymore time. He knew that Tsubaki would be here soon. But he could also see that Takemura's stubbornness would not allow Izayoi to go anywhere with a proper reason. And so, with a sigh, Myoga told the story
"Long ago," Myoga began, "My master had found the priestess close to the brink of death. Out of compassion he had nursed her back to health, believing her heart was not as dark as she herself knew it to be. But alas, my master, despite his great wisdom, had made a mistake. Tsubaki had fallen in love with him and for five years, she pinned after him; but when it became clear that my Lord did not return her affections, she swore that she would have her revenge on him."
"So what does that have to do with my Lady Izayoi?" Takemura demanded.
"Everything! Don't you see?" Myoga asked. "Tsubaki swore that she would destroy what Inu no Taishou cherishes the most."
"Izayoi…" Takemura was beginning to put the pieces together.
Myoga continued, "Tsubaki correctly guessed that tonight my Lord would engage in battle with Ryukotsusei and die. Without my Lord's intervention, nothing would stop her from killing Lady Izayoi."
"Liar!" Takemura said again.
"I'm not lying!"
"How would Inu no Taishou know that Tsubaki is coming?"
"Did you forget that my master is a daiyokai? As such, he has remarkable gifts, one of them being the gift of limited clairvoyance. And he has seen this! Why is it I have to waste my time explaining it to a bonehead like—"
But the flea was interrupted by a wondrous sound—
And Myoga turned his head towards the doors of the chambers, feeling his heart squeeze.
It was the unmistakable cries of a newborn.
From inside they heard one of the attendants exclaim joyously, "It's a boy! It's a boy!"
"The young master…" Myoga breathed with such reverie and awe.
As if compelled, Takemura turned to slide open the screen doors, and he entered Lady Izayoi's chambers.
There, on the futon, laid Izayoi. She was awake. Conscious but tired. And for Takemura, he found it impossible to describe just how beautiful she was at this moment…
How many times had he seen this? Imagined this? This moment…
Izayoi-
Coated in a sheen of sweat. Hair in disarray. Laying on the futon as the midwife handed her a tiny bundle—a child. And she glowed, not just from the yellowish hue cast by the candles around the room…
But she glowed from the warmth of newly minted motherhood.
Takemura had seen this vision before in his dreams; only then, it was his child that she was holding.
By now the child had calm down somewhat, and was cooing—being comforted by Izayoi's presence.
"My lord," said the midwife, turning to Takemura, "A boy. And a healthy one at that. Listen to what mighty lungs he has."
Izayoi looked up at Takemura and smiled. She beckoned softly, "Come look, Takemura."
And Takemura did, bending down to look at the child cradled in Izayoi's arms; and Takemura was surprise to find that the baby looked like any other ordinary baby. No dog ears, no hair or fur where there wasn't supposed to be any. Ten fingers and ten toes, all present and accounted for. A normal, human, baby. The only thing vaguely demonic about the baby was the yellow, amber eyes that had flecks of red in it.
And Takemura found himself gingerly reaching to touch the baby's cheek when—
The doors and windows suddenly burst open with a loud and violent supernatural gust of wind, putting out all the candles, bathing the room in darkness. And a sudden, eerie hush fell over the room, excepting the sounds of the newborn.
Takemura stood up, immediately on guard and drew out his sword; while the women huddled around each other in fright.
A voice called out. A woman's voice. Distant and ghostly.
In a gust of wind the white dew
On the autumn grass
Scatters like a broken necklace.
"Tsubaki."
Myoga had only breathed her name when suddenly there were choking sounds and a scream ripped from Lady Izayoi. Takemura turned in time to see—
The female attendants and midwife grasped at their throats as something like…
Thin strings. Threads…
Wrapped around their throats. And, with a slight tug, those threads sliced the front of their necks open.
Their bodies dropped immediately to the ground with a sickening thud, and they were dead. Killed almost instantly.
Takemura's mouth dropped in a horrified mixture of disbelief and astonishment, when—
Out of the darkness emerged a woman. She had flown in then, dressed in a grey priestess robe, her feet touching lightly to the ground. And Takemura could see that she was beautiful, but there was something menacing underneath that immaculate exterior.
Her cold, remorseless eyes immediately fell upon Izayoi. She took note of the crying baby Izayoi was holding, and a cruel smile spread across her face. She had found what she was looking for. "Inu no Taishou's woman and child. What a beauty. It's no wonder he adores you so."
"How did you get in here?" Takemura demanded.
"The Lord of the household, I presume? Did you really think you puny castle walls had the power to keep me out? Those guards of yours were easy enough to overcome."
Takemura knew then that his men had died; and in a rush of fury and grief, he charged blindly at Tsubaki.
Tsubaki smirked; and she easily countered his attack, and in a few quick moves, had Takemura by his throat. As mighty a samurai Takemura was, he was no match for the dark priestess. Tsubaki then lifted him up off his feet with a surreal strength and ease. Her grip tightened on his neck and soon Takemura found himself choking.
"Takemura!"
Izayoi called out, prompting Takemura to turn his eyes to look at her. It was then that Tsubaki realized, looking between the two—
"Ah, I see now," she said. "You love her, don't you?"
And from the way Takemura reacted, Tsubaki knew she had guessed correctly. "How pathetic," she spat. "Look at where this love has gotten you. Your woman has begotten a child by a demon. Isn't that insult enough for you?"
Then Tsubaki held out her finger and jabbed three pressure points on Takemura's body: one at his neck and two on his chest. Just like that, Takemura felt his body go stiff.
Tsubaki had paralyzed him.
She then tossed him aside like so much unwanted trash.
"Not worth my time," she spat. "You on the other hand…," said Tsubaki, eyeing Izayoi now…
She approached Izayoi, who could do nothing but clutched tightly onto her baby. "Stay away from me, you monster!"
"Feisty, aren't we?"
And Tsubaki was about to strike when, out of nowhere, Myoga leapt up and tossed several little bulbs into the air—they exploded right in front of Tsubaki's face and there was a blinding flash of light, like solar rays.
Tsubaki screamed.
And Myoga took that chance to jump up to Takemura. He tapped the three pressure points sealing off Takemura's movements—freeing him.
Takemura immediately grabbed his sword. "I'll kill her."
When Myoga shouted, "No! You can't kill her!"
"Why not?"
Tsubaki, who was now sweeping blindly about, having her vision compromised, asked, "Is that you, Myoga? I recognize that stupid voice of yours anywhere. Tell me, you tricky vermin. Did your 'master' send you?"
Myoga ignored Tsubaki's rant and instead told Takemura, "She is still too powerful. Hurry. Take Izayoi and flee. I'll buy time. Go. NOW!"
Takemura didn't hesitate. He went to Izayoi, hoisted her up, and fled from the room.
And as Takemura ran through his castle towards the exit, he found it littered with the dead bodies of his guards. And the stench was almost unbearable. Izayoi held at her noise so as not to retch. Takemura could spot the dried foam mixed with blood still bubbling from the mouths of the corpse and new that it was poison.
"Tsubaki," thought Takemura, "You'll pay. I swear you'll pay."
And soon, Takemura was out, running in the openness of night, across the vast open plains surrounding the castle. Running and running until his lung burned— carrying his precious bundle.
Tsubaki held the little flea, Myoga, between her thumb and index finger. Then, with casual ease, she squished him before throwing him aside.
"Worthless tick," she thought.
Then she turned to the windows, looked out at the moon; and she knew that they couldn't have gotten far.
With a leap, Tsubaki flew out of the open window and after the fleeing Takemura.
Sure enough, she spotted him. And it was impressive how far he had gotten--almost to the dense forest that would have hidden him from her sight. It was just poor luck then that Myoga couldn't have held out longer…
But Takemura didn't see until it was too late…
How Tsubaki had pulled out her poisonous dart and flung it…
How it had struck Izayoi's neck so precisely...
Takemura couldn't have known until Izayoi's cried out in pain and her body suddenly went slack.
And it was too late.
"Izayoi!" Takemura knelt and, upon inspecting her, knew then immediately what had happened. He turned his murderous sights on the woman who had caused it—
Tsubaki.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" He shouted, putting Izayoi down, and drew his blade to cut the dark priestess down.
"It seems that you wish to die!" The dark priestess countered with a massive force shield, and Takemura found himself crushing up against a powerful, impenetrable blue aura. With a flick of Tsubaki's wrist, Takemura found himself hurtled into the air, landing, incapacitated a few feet away from Izayoi.
Izayoi turned her eyes on the wails of Izayoi's baby; and she leapt forward, her right arm drawn back, ready to attack. "And now, the child!" She exclaimed.
"NO!" Takemura shouted, helpless to stop the oncoming slaughter when—
"Wind tunnel!"
A mighty shout emerged from out of nowhere, and Tsubaki felt a sudden and violent force sucking her towards a massive gravitational pull. Her eyes flashed open and she knew immediately that it could have been none other than the famed Guo Jing himself.
Sure enough, the hero was a few feet away with his right palm opened, and in the center of that palm was the vortex--that vacuum that now threatened to pull her in.
But Tsubaki knew of a way to deal with this; she palmed her several of pouches, filled with poison, and threw them ahead of her, towards the wind tunnel of Guo Jing's hand.
Huang Rong, Guo Jing's wife, shouted immediately at him, "Close your tunnel, now!"
He obeyed and quickly jumped up and away as the pouches of poison hit the ground and immediately burst open, scattering their deadly power.
Tsubaki had not the time to recover when Huang Rong sprung on her; and Tsubaki had reacted only in time to block the first attack when Huang Rong leapt in the air, twirled her body and kicked the dark priestess a clear fifty feet.
Tsubaki shook her head and got quickly up—as if taking no damage at all. But it was clear that the surprise attack had affected her. She looked up to see Guo Jing and Huang Rong approach her, and the priestess felt something she didn't feel in a long time—
Fear.
Tsubaki had heard enough about the legendary couple to know that they were formidable opponents, and if they really wanted to, Tsubaki would be in very real trouble.
Best to retreat.
After all, she had gotten what she came for.
"Hear me, you heroes of fame," she said addressing Guo Jing and Huang Rong. "I spare the child for the time being. Growing up half demon is curse enough for him."
With that Tsubaki turned and flew with graceful speed, up and away.
Guo Jing snarled and was about to give chase when Huang Rong held his arm. He looked back to see his wife looking towards where Izayoi laid…
And there, Takemura sat, cradling the dying Izayoi in his arms.
"Please," Takemura said as the couple approached, "save her."
Huang Rong knelt besides Izayoi and pulled out the poison dart; she observed it before testing Izayoi's pulse. Several agonizing seconds passed when Huang Rong looked up--
First at her husband, then at Izayoi. Her eyes filled with pity and remorse. Huang Rong shook her head.
Takemura felt his heart sink. "No! No, no!" He exclaimed. "There must be something you could do. Aren't you Guo Jing? You must be! I recognize that wind tunnel from the legends. You have to do something!"
Huang Rong responded for her husband, "Tsubaki of the Tomb Sect uses a very potent poison. Even if we managed to remove the poison from her blood, at this point it has already reached her heart. There's nothing we can do."
"No!" Takemura wailed, tears falling now from his cheeks.
"I…" Guo Jing began; but he found he could say no more. What could he possibly say?
"No," Takemura said, shaking his head, "I won't accept it. I won't allow Izayoi to die."
Izayoi, who had been lying silently in his arms, opened her eyes to look up at him now. "Takemura," she said, "I never had a chance to thank you. To really thank you--"
She winced, feeling a numbing pain spreading through her body; but still, she continued. She had to say what she needed Takemura to know. "Thank you. For all that you've done for me."
"My Lady," Takemura began, feeling the floodgates of his heart let loose. It was now or never. "Surely," he said, "you must know of must know of my feelings for you."
As if acknowledging those feelings, Izayoi reached up to touch his tears, feeling the dampness of it on her fingers. And with such tenderness, she wiped them away. A soft, sad smile on her face.
And then, her eyes closed.
"Izayoi? Lady Izayoi?"
And when Izayoi didn't respond, Takemura wept—like he never had before. He wept now of lost, so deep, and so grand in despair, that there was no end.
Guo Jing and Huang Rong watched as Takemura mourned his lost, and they were moved. "Takemura…" Guo Jing began.
Takemura seemed to stir at the sound of his name, and he stopped crying. His blood ran cold as he turned his eyes towards the wailing bundle besides Izayoi. Takemura calmly rested Izayoi down against the wet grass. And…
In a flash, he drew his short sword and was about to strike the child when—
Guo Jing swooped in, picked up the baby in one arm while he held out his other hand, fastening his grip around Takemura's wrist—stopping him from killing the infant.
"What are you doing?" Guo Jing demanded, aghast, "Have you gone mad?"
Takemura struggled to be free. "Let me do it! It's his fault Izayoi is dead! Let me kill the monster!"
"Izayoi is GONE!" Guo Jing bellowed.
And the starkness of Guo Jing's words froze Takemura.
"She's gone," Guo Jing repeated, more calmly—trying to pacify Takemura. "Killing this child is not going to bring her back. Whether it's guilty or not. Don't add to the blood already spilt here."
"He's right, Takemura," Huang Rong added, coming up behind Takemura and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Enough is enough."
Guo Jing felt Takemura's energy drain out of him, and he let go of Takemura's wrist. The samurai's shoulders slumped and he dropped his sword, letting it fall uselessly to the ground. And he turned, and walked back to Izayoi--bending down and gathering her up in his arms.
Takemura spoke, his back to them, "My affairs with the child ends here. I must return to the castle. There are dead to be buried."
And Guo Jing and Huang Rong watched, heartbroken, as Takemura carried away Izayoi's lifeless body. "So much pain," Guo Jing remarked, "If only Inu no Taishou's letter had reached us sooner, maybe we would've gotten here in time-"
"That wouldn't changed anything. Tsubaki would've never given up until she had killed that woman. We would've just struggled to put off inevitability."
Guo Jing knew the truth of his wife's words. Still…
"Still, I can't help but feel that this is somehow my fault."
Huang Rong looked at her husband with a mixture of pity and love. It was so like him to take the blame for things…
That was his nature. He was just too kindhearted.
"You can't alter fate, my love," she said. "No more then you can stop the sun from rising." And as she spoke, a brilliant dawn appeared over the horizon, spreading over the land—ending the merciless night.
Guo Jing nodded. Just then, the baby in his arms squirmed, wailing some more. Guo Jing smiled and looked down. "There, there little guy. What's the matter? You hungry?" He said, reaching a finger to the babe. Curious, the child instantly stopped crying and he grabbed at Guo Jing's finger with his little hands, placed it in his mouth, cooing.
And Guo Jing felt his heart melt for this small child, so ill-gotten he had lost both mother and father in one fell night. This was an omen—foreshadowing a long, hard life ahead of him.
For now, at least, he was safe.
"Let's go get you some milk." Guo Jing nodded his head at his wife, indicating they should go now. And together they left for the nearest village.
At a distance, the dog demon Sesshomaru stood, watching impassively after the retreating couple. Excepting his younger complexion, Sesshomaru was the mirror image of his father, Inu no Taishou—long white hair, gold eyes, fur draped over his great armor—
Sesshomaru looked every bit the part of the regal Lord of the Western Lands he had suddenly became overnight.
And he was here, on a slight hill, overlooking the entirety of the events surrounding his brother's birth with a sort of detached interest.
"So," Sesshomaru thought, "he survived. Perhaps there is such a thing as fate."
He turned and said simply to his retainer, "Let's go."
His retainer, an impish demon named Jaken, looked up at him in surprise. "Go? My lord, aren't you going to kill him?"
After all, hasn't that been the plan? Why they were here in the first place? Why they hadn't intervened when Tsubaki attacked?
Sesshomaru merely shook his head.
Jaken was beyond understanding. After all, the lord had been so offended that such a birth had even been permitted in the first place. Half-demon, such offense! To think that such greatness, that of the late (albeit misguided) Inu no Taishou, had mingled with the taint of human blood. And Sesshomaru had expressed his very desire to rid the world of such an abomination. But now…
"My Lord, wait for me," said Jaken, trailing after Sesshomaru. "What about—?"
"Jaken, I will kill him in due time. For now, there are more pressing matters."
Sesshomaru thought then of his father's heirlooms: the Tetsusaiga and the Tenseiga, and something else…
The three light that had been had beamed for Inu no Taishou's glowing body as he fell were the heirlooms now scattered to the far reaches of the land.
Sesshomaru felt his father's passing and looked up in time to see the beams of light shooting over his head, and he knew immediately what had happened. But, strangely, there was little sadness in this realization. Such matters as life and death did little to move Sesshomaru—he was beyond the mortal concerns that seemed to bind every other living creature.
And, whatever urges he had to mourn was quickly replaced by this fact: before Sesshomaru could securely claim his lordship over these lands, he would have to retrieve those three items.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and allowed himself a small, uncharacteristic sigh.
It was going to be a long journey.
For about a week, Guo Jing and Huang Rong had traveled across the land, and now, they were nearing their destination-
Peach Blossom Island. Their home.
Soon they would be getting onto a boat that would take them across the vast waters that separated the mainland from Peach Blossom Island.
For now, though, they had to rest. The three—Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and the babe—sat together under the shade of a large tree besides a small outdoor restaurant.
Huang Rong watched as her husband held the baby in one arm while shaking a rattle above the child. He smiled and beamed as the baby laughed and reached out to grab at the rattle.
"Huang Rong, look at how persistent he is!" Guo Jing would say.
And Huang Rong felt her worries grow. Despite smiling back at Guo Jing, she was concerned that her husband was getting attached to the infant. Orphaned as he was, Huang Rong knew Guo Jing had the urge to take the child in and rear him as his own— especially since he was a son of a friend.
Still…
The child was part demon. And Huang Rong was nothing if not careful.
Over these last few days, Huang Rong had remained silent only because she had been mulling over the best method to convince her stubborn husband to part with the child. But none of her plans seemed like it would work; because none of them allowed her to come out looking like anything but a heartless bitch.
"Come on," Guo Jing said, snapping Huang Rong out of reverie, "the boat is here."
Guo Jing then cooed to the baby, "Yes sir, boat is here. Let's go on the little boat-y."
Huang Rong knew then that this was her last chance.
They boarded the boat and Guo Jing stood at the helm, taking in the gorgeous view—the expanse of the waters. He pointed out to the horizons. "You see there," he said to the infant, "that's where Peach Blossom Island is. That's where I live and where you'll live." He laughed. "Isn't that nice?"
Huang Rong came up behind Guo Jing, and upon hearing him exclaimed that, she steeled herself.
She hated to play the part of the villain.
"Husband," she said, "You're not serious about letting him live on Peach Blossom Island with us, are you?"
"Letting him live with us?" Guo Jing laughed, "Huang Rong, I'm planning to do more than that. You know, raise the kid." Then he noticed the look on Huang Rong's face and he asked, "Why? Does that bother you?"
"Guo Jing," she began, as gently as possible, "My husband, it's not that simple. This isn't just about us anymore. We have our children to consider. And the child is a demon—"
"Half," Guo Jing interjected. "He is only half demon."
"But he has demon blood nonetheless. You know as well as I do how unstable that is."
Guo Jing huffed, "So what would you have me do? Save him and then leave him to die?"
"Of course not. I'm just saying there are places that would take him in. A monastery for example."
"Nonsense! You know as well as I do that they will discriminate against him. They all will. Orphanage or monasteries-- it makes no difference. At least with us, he'll have a chance at normalcy."
Huang Rong was getting a little fed up with how insistent he was being. "Guo Jing," she said, "He is a half-demon. That is his stigma and he will carry the prejudices surrounding it for the rest of his life. Nothing you do will protect him that fact."
Guo Jing took a deep breath to gather himself, then he sat down and cradled the baby in his lap.
"Wife," he said softly, evenly. "His father saved my life."
Huang Rong couldn't look at her husband—
She was having a hard time facing what she was asking him to give up.
Guo Jing continued. "I've lost count of how many times. Without Inu no Taishou, there would be no Guo Jing today. Perhaps…perhaps, this is my way of repaying that debt."
At this Huang Rong gave him an understanding smile. She sat down and placed a comforting hand on his thigh. "All debts must be repaid in time. Listen."
"Hmm?"
"I'll compromise with you."
"Go on."
Huang Rong knew that all was not lost. Perhaps there was some way to salvage this. "I'll let you raise him, if he never learns anything that would make him dangerous."
"Such as?"
"Martial arts, swordplay, anything like that. If he never learns it then he won't miss it. And we won't have to worry about him becoming more dangerous than we could handle."
"You really think so?" said Guo Jing, seriously considering her the terms she was laying out.
She nodded.
Guo Jing mulled it over for a moment and then decided that this was the only way to satisfied both of their wants. "Very well. It's agreed. The boy won't learn anything you don't want him to learn."
Huang Rong smiled; then, to change the topic, she said, "A name, then? For the infant."
"Oh right! How could I be so forgetful?"
Huang Rong laughed. "I remembered. I just didn't want to remind you so you wouldn't get attached to the kid. But, alas," she faked sigh. "Too late for that."
"A name…" Guo Jing thought it over. The kid had already had such a rough start, he needed something—
Something tough.
Something strong.
Something that would endure as a reminder of who he was…
Something…
Like his father.
"Inuyasha," Guo Jing settled. He picked up the baby by his armpits and raised the baby up. "You hear that?" He said to the baby. "Your name shall be Inuyasha."
End Chapter 1
Notes:
I took a very long hiatus from fanfiction writing. Partly because a lot of things were happening in my life and partly because I felt like I didn't have enough writing skills to publish any more works. Put simply, I just didn't have the confidence. I went back, read some of my stuff, and wasn't happy with what I had written.
It's been some time and I think crossing fingers that I've matured enough to tackle on some of the bigger ideas I have in my head.
I'm not a writer professionally--although I would love to be at some (as of yet undecided) time in the future. I'm working towards it, however, and hopefully just writing would help me improve to the point where I'll be able to pursue my love as a full time job.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
Shoot me feedbacks, as I would love to hear about the strength and weaknesses of the story—so that I might improve in the future.
Just a little aside, this is my planned epic tribute to two of my favorites: Return of the Condor Heroes and Inuyasha. By epic, I mean at least 30 chapters. So help feed my stamina by shooting me ego-boosting feedback. Peace.