Title: Blue Ruin
Author: Hiko Mokushi
Pairing: NishixIzayoi, SesshoumaruxRin
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Takahashi-san is boss.
Summary: Lord Nishi is bringing home his new wife – Lady Izayoi, humbly beautifully and obviously pregnant. Unfortunately, this does not sit well with most of his court, especially his eldest son and heir: Sesshoumaru. (AU.)
Chapter 2 – Enigma
I suspect I shall be busy tonight.
For a moment she feels like the pampered princess she'd once been, almost ready to slam her fist against the futon, angry that he was choosing business over things like love and wife and heck, even pleasure. But she caught herself before she managed to spit a whine through her teeth, remembering that it was that exact thing she hated about Nanka.
Busy yea, she allows herself to grumble in her mind however, glad nobody can hear her. Should be busy with me.
Izayoi watched her new husband slip from her gaze as the shoji shut. She sighed, pulling at her open kimono before disrobing from it entirely, tossing it too the side. "So much for a comfortable night alone."
The woman lay back on the bed, enjoying the feel of the silken sheets against her naked form. The ceiling above her was a dark wood; plain and unadorned, but the walls of the room were covered in weapons of all sorts, as well as the pelts, bones and fangs of Nishi's fallen rivals. At first, when she had seen her new room, it had been strange, even frightening. But then again, she was also sleeping in the bed of the man that had killed all those demons.
When she looked back at the fear of those remains, it all seemed rather idiotic.
"Anaylie," she called out, sitting up and pulling the sheet up her form to cover herself.
The demon female slid the shoji open and peered in, searching the darkness with her demonic sight for her mistress. "Milady?"
Another thing she'd had to force herself to get used to: demonic hand servants. She was used to seeing Rin's charming and smiling face when she needed to be dressed and undressed. Now she faced youkai women with long nails, fangs and horns.
Izayoi pulled a hand through her hair and sighed. "Could you possibly bring me some tea?" Her pretty face grew unusually sharp and she blinked furiously. "You do have tea, right? Regular tea, without things like pig's blood or rabbit's eyes in it. . .?"
"Of course, you don't have to ask anymore, Milady," the demoness reminded gently, nodding her head. Anaylie smiled good-naturedly, and Izayoi remember why she had picked Anaylie for her handmaiden and not the other one that had been presented to her. "You're a Lady of the Western Territory now. And as for your question, most nobles drink either tea or sake, MiLady. Such drinks are unfitting for anyone but lowly oni."
Izayoi made a pained face. "Arigatou, Anaylie," she whispered, sighing dejectedly. "I'm sorry if I insulted you."
"Nothing of the sort, Milady." Anaylie gave a bow, before sliding the door shut again.
The human woman sighed again, reaching out to press a hand to the cooling dent in the pillow where Nishi's head had laid. Sweet dreams, koishii.
It seemed like mere seconds later that the red-haired youkai handmaiden was opening the shoji door again, half-crawling on her knees towards her, as she placed a wooden tray in front of her, propped up on tiny wooden legs. Steam pooled from the delicate curving spout of the kettle.
"I can do –" Izayoi started, as the demoness started to pour tea for her, but was shaken off by the glance she was given.
Anaylie picked up the steaming cup of tea and offered it to Izayoi, who took it from her clawed fingers almost hesitantly before nodding her head slightly, whispering a soft "Gomen" before blowing on her tea and taking a quick sip.
"I do not understand you, Lady Izayoi," Anaylie finally said, shaking her head as she smoothed her hands daintily over her plain, periwinkle kimono. She observed the younger woman through long, thick lashes, blinking at her for a moment. "You were a princess before MiLord took you, were you not?"
Izayoi merely nodded.
"Then why do you protest at some of the smallest things?"
The young woman balked. "I do not, I don't understand."
Anaylie smiled, and Izayoi figured the smile would be almost friendly if not for the hint of fang-tips in the crease of her lips. "You insist that you can pour for yourself, something no woman of nobility would do. You suspected by questioning demonic customs that you insulted me, and even apologized for it." The demoness shook her head.
"I have seen women here before, MiLady," she admitted, shrugging slightly. "None stayed more than a few nights, and while I cannot betray My Lord's confidence, nor even admit completely knowing what went on between MiLord and the ladies in question; I do know what I can observe." Izayoi suddenly felt as she had, years before, when she had been just a child, watching as her mother's and father's friends watched her and Nanka play, or even eat.
Like a doll on display.
Anaylie smiled again, and almost chuckled. "You are a human woman, a cosseted noblewoman. Yet, out of all the ladies I've seen within Lord Nishi's lair, you are the only one, excluding than one other, who has not been openly frightened at the Lord's ghastly décor. Some have even fainted.
"Yet you kept whatever fears you had to yourself."
Izayoi felt at once better. While she had slightly been frightened by the decorations that littered her new mate's abode, she hadn't fainted.
The woman found herself smiling, before she narrowed her brown eyes calculatingly. "Who was the one other?"
Anaylie folded her hands again, before whispering, "Lord Nishi's first mate, Lady Chiyuri; Lord Sesshoumaru's mother."
Nanka coughed quietly.
Takemaru sipped his tea lightly, staring at the kotatsu in front of him. Nanka sat beside him, clutching her hands tightly in her lap. Shimamura Yoshifumi sat across from them, absolutely quiet and absolutely staring. Then his face exploded in a broad, drunken grin.
"So, Takemaru?" Yoshi asked, waving his large hand imposingly. He took a large swig of sake from his bowl, before glancing at Nanka out of the corner of his eyes. "I mean, she's not Izayoi, but she's not terrible. It's hard to compare with Izayoi. But she's an. . . she's an. . . she's an exotic beauty." He pointed drunkenly with a finger. He seemed to not notice his youngest daughter's awkwardness. "Aa! Like an acquired taste!"
Takemaru sat his tea back down and gave a small head bow. "As always, I will give you my answer with time."
"But Takemaru! This is all that I can give you. If you wish to marry into the Shimamura Clan, then you will have to deal with Nanka for your bride." The inebriated man shook his head. "Izayoi would have been a beautiful bride for you. But I think Nanka could make for a good home wife."
He smiled over his sake bowl indulgently. "Plus, there are always courtesans."
"I will give you my answer in due time, Yoshifumi-sama," Takemaru said, with force, his dark eyes burning slightly. "Now, if you will excuse me."
He bowed and left.
Nanka sighed, tears slipping down her face silently. "Gomen nasai," she managed, almost gasping as she gathered her skirts and tore from the room. She walked furiously down the hallway, brushing at her face with the back of her hand.
"Nanka-sama," a voice whispered, and she turned, watching as Takemaru motioned her towards the door out into the garden.
She sighed. "Takemaru-san, gomen, but I cannot –"
"Just come."
He reached out and she took his hand somewhat hesitantly, before being pulled to stand next to him, where he watched clouds roll lazily across the moon. He did not turn to look at her, merely stood there as he brought their hands up and laced their fingers together. "Your father is wrong, Nanka-sama," he murmured quietly. "He has never been a man of discretion or dexterity, and he lacks much in the manner of tact."
His head turned only slightly as he observed her sidelong. "If it is any consolation, I do plan on accepting his offer of marriage. That is, only if you'll accept. I do not want to force you into anything you do not wish to do."
Nanka took a deep breath and wiped the lingering tears on her cheeks with her other hand. "Arigatou, Takemaru-san," she whisper quietly, staring at the moon. "Arigatou."
"If you bothered me to inform me of something idiotic, I'll have your balls on a platter."
Nishi slowly curled his arms in front of him, folding them eventually and resting them on his chest as he leaned against a wooden beam outside the door to Sesshoumaru's apartment-room. His silver hair blew slightly in the December breeze, but in his daiyoukai form barely even recognized the cold chill laced in the breeze. His citrine eyes were dark, glittering almost, in the dim light, and for a moment, the demons in front of him were reminded of why they were minor players.
Sesshoumaru, though, couldn't help but suppress a grimace.
His father was not really angry with being bothered in the middle of the night. How often had Sesshoumaru himself run into his father's bedchambers, howling of some indignation or another, normally one that prompted the Western Lord into some sort of angry battle frenzy.
This anger was from his night with his new Lady being disturbed.
The young heir did not even want to think on what things his father and his human mate had previously been doing.
"I swear to you, father," Sesshoumaru reassured, his own arms limp at his sides, though he almost wished he could fold his own arms across his chest. Unfortunately, the sheer indignation he'd receive from his friends, or the looks he'd get from his own father, if they thought he were attempting to copy his elder's pose would not be worth the comforting position. "This is a legitimate reason for, eh, inconveniencing you."
The daiyoukai glanced at his son.
Sesshoumaru blinked back at his father before turning his head sharply and staring furiously at Jigokuyaiba, who stood at his left.
The bat demon, who had been staring unceremoniously at his fingernails for the past few minutes, glanced up and smiled, the left corner of his mouth quirking upwards into an almost sly smirk. "Ah, yes, Lord Nishi," he said, abandoning whatever had entertained him about his hand before and forced a bow that came straight from his hips. "I was carrying about my patrol of your border, as I normally do—"
Rolling his eyes, Tsuinkaen leaned up against the post across from Nishi, on Jigo's left, looking far more comfortable than both Jigo and Sess combined could have accomplished. Sesshoumaru noted that the elder bat demon had replaced his steel mask over his face that made his breathing sound rather metallic.
"And I noticed a rather large assortment of human fodder passing by our perimeter." Jigo seemed to have noticed that his degrading human remark had darkened his lord's eyes by a fraction of a shade and almost stuttered. "They were going into the northern territory. It seemed rather curious to me, so I sent a messenger to Kaen. . ." He motioned vaguely for his twin to take over.
The demon sighed.
"I sent Misuto and Kasumi to go and do a little reconnaissance," Tsuinkaen continued, waving his gauntleted hand in the air before him. "And they spied something rather out of the ordinary."
Nishi's face contorted into a frown.
"They were holding a funeral."
"For Lady Izayoi," Jigo finished.
For a moment, Nishi stared ahead, his face impassive, though they could all tell that the cogs within his mind were fully functioning and spinning furiously. Then he made a face. His expression wasn't so much as angry as much as confused. His nose scrunched unattractively, eyes closing in thought. The three men around him went utterly quiet. Finally, he opened his eyes and blinked at the group.
"I expected a fight for her," Nishi admitted, shrugging his shoulders as much as somebody of his stature could. "But this move. . . I have known the Shimamura for centuries, even killed the Clan leader previous the current. Yoshifumi's moves are that of an idiot. They may no sense. What are his motives? I had understood they would disown Izayoi; it was one of the first circumstances I discussed with her. But to ignore the fact that I have taken her, not only from him, but as my own mate. To not lash out. . . It's un-human."
Sesshoumaru grunted in agreement.
Tsuinkaen clenched his first in anger. "Humans are egotistical and rash, but Lord Nishi," he started, glancing up from the ground, violet eyes flashing. "Yoshifumi is acting almost demonic. Biding his time. . . waiting until he thinks our guard is down."
"A demon's guard is never down," Sesshoumaru practically growled, glancing at his father. He crossed his arms now, angry. "To think that vermin like him could even fathom thinking that he could trick a demon, a daiyoukai, a lord. It makes me want to rip his head off."
Nishi smiled approvingly. "That anger suits you, Sesshoumaru," he murmured pleasantly. "Don't lose it."
"The only question now," asked Jigo, "is whether or not we call their bluff."
They all glanced at each other before returning their eyes to their lord once more. "I would avoid this fight, if I could," he murmured, stroking his pale jaw with a finger. "If only for the sake of Izayoi. She'll lose kin."
Sesshoumaru hated how thoughts of his new mate kept his father from his own demonic bloodlust. It was unnatural.
"First, I'll send messengers to Akashi and Ssendra about my new mate. Leave them to question whether her death is a ruse or not. Daiyoukai Nishi would never falsely admit to taking a human woman as his mate after her death."
The tone of his father's voice, the smirk. . .
The demon prince grinned to himself.
The father he'd grown up under was back, and working his magic as only he knew how.
"Anything you want sent to the shimamura Clan, Milord?" asked Tsuin, a twisted expression on his masked face.
Nishi shook his head. "Nothing, as of yet." Then his golden eyes lit up. "Better yet, send them a spy. One of your better ones, Tsuinkaen. Don't need any unnecessary blood-letting yet."
The demon's smile was evident in his violet eyes, even if the demons could not see it on his face. "Nami has been itching to get out after she broke her arm."
Nishi nodded absently. His mind was already back inside the bedroom, where his mate was. "Have her report to Sesshoumaru," he instructed, glancing at his son. The heir made a face, but nodded anyway, knowing that the kunoichi would take things seriously if he was involved.
"Good. Now leave me. I'll be around when I need to be."
The daiyoukai spun and walked back down the long hallway to his room. The young demons watched him slide the shoji open and then close it behind him.
Jigokuyaiba smirked and then gave his friend a saucy wink as he saluted with two fingers. "If you will all excuse me, I believe a vixen awaits my arrival." As if on his mere will, black wings unfurled from nowhere in the darkness behind the demon; seemingly sprouting through his cloak. He walked backwards out into the encircled garden, and rose effortlessly into the air, silent as a ghost.
As his brother lifted out of sight, Tsuin shook a gauntleted first slightly at his side. "I don't like this, Sesshoumaru," he whispered, just in case any prying eyes or listening ears were fixed on them. "Yoshifumi's actions are not normal by most regular war standards, let alone human standards. Many lesser demons would have leapt upon Nishi as soon as they had found their daughter's futon cold.
"The previous Shimamura leaders have never been smart. Why should intelligence suddenly spring from Yoshifumi's skull?"
"Unless it was put there?" Sesshoumaru answered his friend's unspoken question with one of his own.
Tsuin grimaced behind his metal mask. "I would hate to think somebody is putting ideas into the mongrel's brain, but who? That is the more operative question. I haven't heard of a challenge to your father since the panther devas. And they were put into their place without much force."
"Couldn't possibly be Ryuukotsusei?" Sesshoumaru had to ask, referencing the enemy his father had almost died to defeat nearly a few months earlier. "Some relative or lover to get revenge?"
"Dragons normally devour their parents," Tsuin remarked casually, "and sibling rivalry tends to thin out those ranks rather nicely. As for lover, it's a possibility, but I highly doubt it."
The two young demons fell into silence once again before Tsuin sighed and shook his head. "It'll be about time for my patrol," he muttered, almost annoyed, glancing out into the garden, swathed in silver moonlight. "Care to join me?"
Sesshoumaru nodded. "It's not like I'd get some sleep anyway."
Lord Akaioushi made him just the slight bit nervous.
Perhaps it was the fact that the bull demon looked exactly like that, a bull demon. Complete with horns and thick, reddish-brown skin and everything.
Or then again, perhaps it was because his eyes were completely white and had no pupils.
The snake demon shifted uncomfortable when he was under his superior's gaze, but after a moment the bull demon stopped staring at him and merely walked past him, his large, clawed hands held out, cocked at an angle so that he could have an advantage if anything leapt out at him.
Sune merely blinked, wiping slightly at his face before following the demon.
"Wait."
"What's wrong?" he risked questioning, figuring he should at least know if something was stalking them, or about to attack them. The snake demon paused, lifting his greatersword to a better vantage point, eyes focused on the demon in front of him in the darkness.
Quietly, the bull demon knelt, not answering the underling.
"What is it, Akaioushi-sama?" Sune-kuyasha asked again, edging close to the large demon, slightly perturbed at not having a clear view of what the demon was hunched over and not being answered.
The bull demon glanced over his shoulder before shifting to the side, allowing the snake demon to view the carcass more fully. It was a bulbous, bloated corps; a spherical demon, brownish-red like mud and smelling worse than a normal corpse. A large, gaping hole formed the devastated socket where an eye should have been; almost looking as though somebody had seized a huge spoon and scooped it out. Dozens of lifeless stalks sprouted from the top of the beast's head, some with their eyes still present, some torn off.
"It's a beholder," Akaioushi's voice was a deep base, almost human in mere nature if it wasn't so demonically deep.
Sune waved his hand in front of his nose hastily. "Fresh too." He wanted to vomit; the smell was so getting to him so bad.
"What could kill a beholder, let alone gut the eye out?" Sune's voice was almost in awe, but he nearly paled three shades of gray lighter as he thought about his words. Eye tyrants were nasty creatures, even when not pissed off.
A silver streak, like lightning, shot between the two demons. A petite, slender demon with long, pale lavender, almost silver hair stood up and dropped another carcass on top of the first.
"Ginsuki-sama?" Nani?" Sune sprung away, a hand covering his mouth.
"There's more," the woman said, her voice dreadfully soft, almost angry, and distinctly feminine. The large marmalade ears perched on top of her head, nestled in the divides of her hair, twitched nervously. "At least four more carcasses are back in quadrant D4."
Akaioushi grimaced, his fangs pressing painfully against his lips. "We've got a situation on our hands now," he murmured darkly, staring down at the dead beholders before him.
Ah, yes, the dreaded words: School's Back In Session.
I have hard classes. All honors (except for math, but it's my worst subject, so that's like hard in an of itself), as well as two AP College-credit courses, Concert Choir, Latin 3, and Bio 2. I am a crazy girl.
I also started a Naruto fic as well (which I only plan on making about 9-10 chapters. So I'm working on that too.
Mrrr. I need a beta too. -whines-
- Hiko Mokushi