The Empress

Chapter One: Rei

Rated M ;)

I don't own Inuyasha, cause if I did, the show would be like the story below you. Well maybe…

A large palanquin with six large male inu demon servants carrying it moved at a fast pace through the thick forest of the Western Territories. The males were sweating and tired but urgency and loyalty to the Inu Empress kept them going. They had been traveling for at least five days none stop to reach the western lord, Inutaisho.

The Empress inside the palanquin sat nervously on a massive pile of crimson and golden cushions. She wore a high class juni-hito with fourteen layers of slivers, golds, and reds. The outer layer was a deep golden wheat color and covered it beautiful white flowers. Her kind, but wise, eyes were violet, her skin was faire and porcelain. Her dark wavy tresses were held together at the base of her neck by a ribbon, on the top of her head was a headdress in the shape of a sun, it's rays pointing in each cardinal direction in coronation to the divined lands of Japan.

She sighed quietly so that her three ladies-in-waiting wouldn't hear her, even with their demon hearing. It would do no good to upset them, Kazuko was already close to tears. 'Poor thing,' Nyokotori thought looking at the young yellow haired inu.

"My Lady is everything alright?" Inuhana asked her, worry laced in her voice. Inuhana was her most loyal retainer and Nyokotori was close to making her the next in line for the throne. She had been with her since the day Nyokotori had been chosen as Empress.

"Yes everything is fine, my dear, just fine." Nyokotori gave her a small smile while grasping Inuhana's hand in her own.

"Are you sure my lady?" Inuhana asked. She wanted to gag, how such a weak demon could be chosen as Empress was beyond her. Nyokotori was pathetic and stupid in her opinion. Japan could use a much more dependable demon to be Empress, someone like her who had the guts and beauty to rule. Unlike Nyokotori who was so soft and whose beauty was hardly present.

Inuhana placed a well faked smile on her own face and patted the back of the Empress's hand with her free one. "You shouldn't push yourself so much, it would be a great misfortune if you were to turn ill."

"I'll shall be fine, Inuhana. Please do not worry." 'Trust me I won't!' Inuhana thought maliciously. Just a few more moments and this weak demon would be dead by her hands. Just a few more minutes before she would be ruler! She could practically taste victory on her tongue.

"My lady, how soon till we reach the western palace?" Kazuko asked, her voice shaking with panic and fear. Another weak creature that Inuhana wished to end. 'I'm surrounded by weaklings!'

"Kazuko-chan do not bother the Empress with moronic questions!" Came the stern voice of the third lady-in-waiting, Aoi. She stood out in crowds with her odd blue hair and the fact that she was as tall as most inu males. She was the most disciplined of the three ladies and didn't stand for anything, not even from the Empress.

"It's alright Aoi, she's just curious and tired. We should be there within a few days, my darling." Nyokotori answered the younger inu, patting her knee. Kazuko relaxed slightly and the smell of her fear faded somewhat.

Aoi huffed, "My lady she needs to learn that not very question she has needs to be worded."

"Why not? Questions can be vital in understanding the world around you. If you did not asked questions how would you ever learn?" The Empress turned her gaze to Aoi.

"Simple. You listen to what you're told and learn through watching and hearing." Aoi crossed her arms, her back was up right.

"Well then I see this is not something we agree upon."

"It would seem so."

Inuhana forced herself not to roll her eyes at the two. How childish they were. Who cared about what Kazuko did? She was annoying, crying and whining to the Empress like some sniveling pup. Aoi was good to put her in her place.

Kazuko was quiet through the conversation, not wanting to get reprimanded again by Aoi. It was the fifth time today and she was sure it wasn't the end either. Aoi would find something else to yell at her for. She just wanted to disappear into the floor boards and never return.

Kazuko's head snapped up as the sudden piercing noise of a horn rang in the air. "What was that?"

The palanquin stopped just as the horn dyed, Kazuko whipped her head around looking back and forth between her companions. Aoi had a look on her face that was highly annoyed like usual, her lady's face was full of confusion, Inuhana's masked the Empress'.

"I shall go and see as to what the problem is." Aoi stated as she made her way out the palanquin. As soon as she was gone Inuhana turned to the Empress. Blood spewed forth covering Kazuko with it's sick warmth. She screamed and tried to wipe her lady's blood off her face. Inuhana stood, her hand dripping with the blood of the dying Empress, and stalked toward Kazuko.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment, Kazuko dear." Inuhana laughed a cruel and terrible laugh while her prey stared at her in horror.

"Why? Why did you do this?" Kazuko shrieked at her, tears leaked out of her eyes. She was sobbing so hard she practically choked on them.

Inuhana laughed again, "You never were very bright, poor thing. Not to worry this well all end soon." She grabbed the young demon by the throat and slowly began to choke the life from her.

Rei followed the scent of blood, usually she would have ignored it but from the smell there was a massive amount of bloodshed somewhere near here. She couldn't let her pack setup so close to this place if there was some type of mass murder happening so near. She had too much to deal with already without the worry of a killer being added to that. She sighed and continued making her way through the dense forest.

She came upon the clearing and gasped at the horror before her. She had seen lots of things on her travels, but some things just weren't meant for one to get use to. Bodies lay every, well body pieces really. Blood soaked the area so much not even animals wanted to be near here. Not that she blamed them. She covered her sensitive nose with her hand and tired not to throw up.

"From the smell this happened a few hours ago," Rei mumbled to herself. She walked closer to the carnage, stepping over legs and arms, hands and even over a male's gentiles. "Ew!" She carefully avoided looking at that.

'From the looks of it, this wasn't a battle.' Rei thought as she moved closer to the damaged palanquin, it was in pretty bad shape. It had been demolished by a large demon from the looks of it. She looked inside and grimaced again. A poor young inu demon was sitting along the wall, a wall that had her blood spattered all over it. There was blood on her face, but Rei could smell that it didn't belong to her. The inu had marks on her neck, too. Her death had obviously not been quick and painless. 'Poor thing, she was so young.'

"W…wh..whose..there," came a weak and hoarse voice.

Rei squealed in surprise, "What the fuck!" She ran to the other side of the palanquin and spotted a very well dressed female inu demon. She ran to the demon's side, the inu was lying on her stomach. From the drag marks in the dirt, Rei bet that the female had dragged herself over here.

"Hey, you still breathing?" Rei asked poking the demon on her back. "You ain't dead are ya?"

The female laughed quiet before a coughing fit consumed her. "Yes….I'm..still…alive." Her breathing was labored and her voice was heavy with pain. The stench of death was on her, she didn't have much longer.

Rei rolled her over, "Holy fuck! Empress! That you?"

"Unfortunately…" The Empress chuckled, what an interesting demon.

"Hey now this ain't the time to crack jokes. What the hell happened?" Rei cradled the dying Empress's head on the crook on her arm.

"That…is not important…what is important….is that I am going to give you a gift. You must promise me…that you will right what has been wronged." Nyokotori held Rei's gaze with her own.

"Sure whatever you want, Empress." Rei replied quickly. She had learned over the years to respect the wish of the dying or dead.

"You…must take the throne and rule the inu yōkai….with compassion...and strength." Nyokotori reached her hand up to touch the other demon's forehead. A bright light shown as her fingers connected with Rei's skin. It was over quickly, the Empress's hand dropped to the ground lifeless.

"Wait! Don't die! Tell me what the hell you meant! Throne? What throne?" Rei began to shake the dead demon's body as if it would bring her back to life. Pain slammed into her body suddenly, knocking the air out of her. She collapsed to the side, leaning on her forearms. She tried to take in a breath and pain seared at her throat like fire.

Rei gasped falling to her sides and clutched her throat. She rolled on to her back, pressure was building her in head. She wanted to scream, but the pain made it impossible. 'What's happening to me, am I dying?'

Her eye lids flickered, darkness was swimming in her eyes. She needed to take a breath of air or she was going to pass out and possible even die. Through clenched teeth she sucked in one pain filled breath of air and the world went black.

Sesshōmaru stalked down the polished hallways of the western palace. The hallway was bright with the afternoon sun that poured in from the open windows. It's arched, pointed ceiling allowed the hallway to fill with sweet spring air. None of which Sesshōmaru cared about, he was on the war path today.

His ridiculous father had the nerve to pair him with some annoying female, whose only interest probably was getting wealth and power. She probably wasn't all that bright either. Sesshōmaru growled under his breath harshly. This wouldn't do at all. Though, maybe he could convince his father to take this female as another mate. He had two already, Sesshōmaru doubted he would be disagreeable to that.

'Mother might kill me. She was upset enough about Father taking another mate the first time was enough to sleep with his general and even get with child during that act.' He had no doubts that his mother would lose all sanity she had left if his father were to mate again. 'Best not to go that route,' he though with a slight sigh.

Servants jump out of his way, his golden eyes flashed dangerously. They all knew what was happening and as much as they loved their lord, they would have done anything to keep the Inutaisho from doing this. Sesshōmaru didn't like to be messed with and his father was close to getting a one way trip into hell.

Sesshōmaru grabbed a female servant by the arm, "Where is my father?" His voice was cold and the poor demon was shaking so bad that only his grip on her kept her standing.

"I..I…I.." She stammered, she kept her eyes on the ground.

"Out with it!" Sesshōmaru shook her. She began to cry pitifully. Sesshoumaru held in the urge to roll his eyes. Females.

"I don't know where he is." She managed to say through her sobs. Sesshoumaru released her without a word and walked away. 'Useless female.'

"Sesshōmaru leave the poor servants alone, you'll be the death of them." Sesshōmaru turned to look at his elder brother Hōkō. Sesshōmaru had never really liked his brother all that much, he was the studious type that was appalled by violence. Unlike Sesshōmaru, whose every fiber called to be cruel and distant.

"They are easily replaced," he stated quickly as he walked down the hall.

"If you're looking for Father, I would try outside." With that Hōkō left, leaving Sesshōmaru very irritated. The gardens were four stories below him. With a sharp turn Sesshōmaru jumped out of one of the windows to find his father.

"Sesshōmaru, what are you doing?" His father called to him as he landed lightly on the ground. Sesshōmaru flashed him a look that could stop a human's heart.

"You dare to pair me with some useless female?" Sesshōmaru demanded hotly as he made his way to his father.

"Now, Sesshōmaru you fought for the title of the heir with your brother, so you must follow the ways of your actions. Which, at the moment call for you to be mated. Besides it is much easier to find a mate now before you are lord, than after." Tōga said cheerily. Having pups around again would be most welcome, to him anyway.

Sesshōmaru seethed silently in front of his father, 'I did not ask for this!' "I do not wished to be mated, Father! Females are useless creatures that will only hold me back."

" Hold you from what my son? Supreme conquest?" Tōga rolled his eyes upward. "Sesshōmaru, when will you learn that power is not everything?"

Sesshōmaru opened his mouth to reply to the old yōkai when some of the soldiers began to yell. One inu solider, who was too weak to be able maintain human form, ran over to them. "My Lord, on our rounds we found the Empress's palanquin destroyed and blood covering the area."

Tōga's eyes narrowed in confusion, "Where there any survivors?"

"Just one my Lord," he stated.

The Inutaisho nodded, "Take me to them."

"Right away," the solider said bowing, before leading the way.

Well? What do you think? Do we like Rei? Cause I like her a lot, she's fairly lively. So tell me what you think of this new story, leave lots of reviews and tell me you love me and all that jazz. Ask questions if you're confused over certain parts and I'll try to clear up any misunderstandings and fix them!

So long,

Inu-roses