Chapter 4: A War?
Their unexpected arrival had caused an uproar. Questions were flying around everywhere. No one knew how Kagome and Rin could still be so young even after 52 years. They had all but disappeared off the face of the earth only to return so unexpectantly.
Everyone was questioning who the young fox demon was, so brave as to fight General Eiji's brother.
The servants had all kinds of rumors flying around and Sesshomaru was getting quite irritated. He, like everyone else in the castle had questions as to why they came back, where they went in the first place, and what was this talk of a war?
He wanted to give them a full nights rest after their long journey but they refused stating they had important news to discuss.
The miko had requested the presence of all the lords, at first he was hesitant to call all of them to his castle on such short notice and especially without all the details as to why but when she mentioned a war it made him reconsider.
This was of the utmost importance so as Sesshomaru waited for them to arrive he took the time to look over some documents.
After hours of looking over treaties, marriage requests, updates on the army, and villagers requests among other things he finally sensed the arrival of his guests.
A servant knocked on his door to tell him that they had arrived but it was unnecessary because he already knew they was there. Walking past the bowing servant he walked the familiar path to the meeting room.
Sesshomaru walked in and took a seat at the head of the table waiting for his guests to fill up the empty seats one by one.
Women were not permitted entrance into the room it was the way it had always been so people were quite upset when he made a woman a general so having her present already upset the men. But he answered to no one but himself he would not turn his back on someone with potential because of gender. The elders were a bunch of fools.
When Kagome walked in along with Shippou and Rin many people shot her glares and some turned to him questioning why two women had come into the room.
"Silence" Sesshomaru said and though he didnt raise his voice it seemed to echo off the walls.
"This is my home and no one will question my decions here."
"The miko is the reason you are all here." Sesshomaru said daring them to say something.
"There is word of a war on the rise and somehow the miko knows all the details so let her speak she obviously has something important to say or we all wouldn't be here"
Kagome made a small nod of thanks in his direction which he returned out of respect. The miko had earned it in the battle to defeat the half breed Naraku.
"There is a war coming that could wipe out the whole youkai and human race" She said getting straight to the point. Eyes narrowed at her words as the occupants of the room heatedly discussed what she had just said.
"What are you talking about" Inuyasha asked as he walked to stand closer to Kagome who barely even spared him a glance.
"There has been a war going on for a long time now. One not of this world" Kagome said as she took the time to see the confused look on everyone's faces.
"Explain" Sesshomaru said looking somewhat interested.
"Long ago the god Izanagi, the forefather of the gods and Mikaboshi, the god of chaos were good friends.
Mikaboshi was not always evil but he and Izanagi had both fallen in love with Izanami. They both fought for her love and their friendship began to crumble away until there was nothing but hatred left for eachother.
Heartbroken, Mikaboshi vowed revenge on Izanagi when Izanami had chosen his former best friend over him.
Thousands of years had passed peacefully but the gods eventually grew tired of watching the humans and felt it was time to make a change so they created demons, but the youkai that they created thought that humans were disguisting and a waste of space so they started killing them off with no remorse.
The humans began to question the power of the gods when they took thousands of lives. They began to believe that Izanagi and Izanami were unfit to rule and lost faith in them which weakened them greatly.
So Izanami created Miko's to help humans fight off the youkai. This was supposed to bring balance between the two races but once again the gods were disappointed.
Just like Youkai the Miko's had flaws as well. They shared the same beliefs as they youkai but thought youkai were evil, needed to be killed, and a waste of space. They believed that they were given their holy power to eradicate Youkai.
So the Gods decided that meddling with mortal affairs was doing more harm than good.
Over time some of the gods began to hate demons and humans believing that they were selfish, greedy, and better off gone off the face of the Earth.
But there was some who thought that they should still live. Believed that although we were capable of doing horrible things we were also capable of extroadinary things. Love, hope, selflessness, the willingness to put someone else's life and happiness above our own.
They understood that there were a lot of bad people but even more good people and for that we deserved to live.
Among those who thought humans and demons were abominations was Mikaboshi and so he left heaven and decended into Yomi ("the shadowy land of the dead") taking a good portion of the other gods with him who shared his beliefs.
They went to war with each other, one side defended the mortals while the other side wished them all dead. This war has been raging for centuries.
Some of the gods injured from the war rested here on the mortals plane. A few were discovered by humans and some even fell in love with them and they produced offspring. These children that they created were a mixture of both god and human. They appeared human but had extroadinary powers.
They were called Ochigosan's (Divine Children).
These creatures were also thought to be an abomination by Mikaboshi and his followers. It was a taboo to have relations with the mortals.
These kids had strange powers almost as strong as the gods.
Eventually Izanami and Izanagi found out and those who had children with the mortals could no longer see their offspring or they would be banished and stripped of their powers."
Kagome stopped talking for a moment to make sure everyone was still listening before continuing with the story.
"These Ochigosan's were often looked down upon by the gods and feared by the humans, much like a hanyou." Kagome glanced at Inuyasha and saw him huff before continuing with her story.
"The Ochigosan's eventually withdrew from society and lived in secrecy. They started families and were content with their lives. The war had not stopped and because people kept doubting Izanami and Izanagi they began to weaken and this tipped the scales of the battle. Mikaboshi began to gain the upper hand.
Centuries passed like this with no change.
There was one god in particular who was injured in the war. His wings were broken and he used up too much energy. A miko of extroadinary power stumbled upon him in her travels and treated his injuries. She was facinated by the strange man. By then the mortals had forgotten all about the war and the Ochigosan's."
Taking a deep breath Kagome continued with the rest of the story. "After spending a large amount of time together the miko and the god eventually fell in love even though it was looked down upon by his kind but he loved the woman enough to risk being exiled and loosing his title as the general of the army.
They too produced offspring.
Their first born was a girl and though she looked human she was very powerful.
Izanagi was enraged that his general had done such a thing but they were in the middle of a war and he couldnt just exile him or the other gods who produced offspring with the miko's. Their numbers were dangerously low and they couldn't afford to lose his most trusted general so he made an exception to allow his general happiness if that meant he would continue to fight.
Eventually the war became to great and the general with no choice went home with a heavy heart.
The war kept him away from his family so he barely had time to visit them and because he couldn't be around them this left them vulnerable.
The miko began to have side affects from mating with the general and she was gifted the power of Sight. She saw Mikaboshi's interest in her daughter and his plot to send demons after her in hopes of being able to take her child away from her.
She saw herself falling in a great battle. A prophecy was made and she told her mate of her fate.
About 5 years later she gave birth to a boy but she had little time to welcome him into their family. She was attacked that day and weak from childbirth she fled with her 5 year old daughter and newborn child.
She hid them in an old dry well and prayed they would be safe and ran in the opposite direction as her crying children. She fell in battle that night just as she said and so her mate found the kids in the bottom of an old dry well protected inside their mothers barrier.
Mikaboshi, fascinated with the children's powers, had sent many to capture them but their father could create rifts in time itself, he sent his children to another time in hopes that they would be safe.
The prophecy mentioned them returning and being a big part of the war but it does not tell us the outcome of the battle. All we know is that Mikaboshi is currently winning the war" Kagome said with a sigh.
"And what does this have to do with us. This is not our war, do not tell me we traveled all the way here just to hear a story" A man said in anger as he stood up and glared at Kagome.
She narrowed her eyes at him, oh she remembered him alright and doubted she would ever forget him.
The man that stood up was Lord Takeshi("fierce, violent," hence "warrior) of the Southern Lands. He was a youkai of the feline race, snow leopard to be precise.
He had short white hair that gave him a wild boyish kind of look and if she was in her time it would have been stylish. A pale blue stripe ran under each of his eyes and a star on his forehead that reminded her of a snowflake with a small teardrop in the middle. Flawless skin and blue eyes so bright they looked silver when he was happy or amused and a dark blue when angered.
As beautiful as he was his attitude made him the ugliest person she ever met.
He had been very rude to her calling her all kinds of names when she couldn't figure out what was wrong with Youkai women and why they couldn't produce.
When she returned back to Kaede's village lets just say her self esteem wasn't very good at all, thats if she had any left.
"This war actually has a LOT to do with you. As I stated before Mikaboshi absolutely hates mortals and believes all of them should perish. Izanami and Izanagi are very weak right now so they need new allies. They are requesting the help of the cardinal lords and the Ochigosan's." Kagom said hoping they understood how much trouble they were in.
"This is their war why help them. If Mikaboshi decides he wants to fight us then we'll go to war with em and we will kick all their asses." Inuyasha said smugly.
Kagome was seething did they not understand." Inuyasha your stupidity knows no bounds this is not some petty war over more land, or a refusal to a proposal. This is something that will kill ALL youkai and humans alike. This is a war with the very Kami themselves. Mikaboshi is not the only kami who turned to the dark side. Ninigi-no-Mikoto, Omoikane, Suijin, Toyotama-hime,Ohoyamatsumi, Ebisu, Susanoo and more have all turned their backs on us. Inuyasha do not be a fool even you know that we are at a great disadvantage."
"Keh whatever" Inuyasha said turning his head away from her. She was right.
"Why would the Kami fight so hard for us in a war that lasted for centuries surely there is something else going on here is there not?"
Kagome turned to the person that asked that question. It was Hiroshi ("generous, tolerant), lord of the Eastern lands. He was a bird youkai but Kagome never figured out which one. He had brown hair that reached his shoulder with light brown streaks in it and green stripes on his tanned skin but while Sesshomaru and Takeshi's stripes were horizontal his was vertical and stopped a little past his lips.
When she had first met him she thought his eyes were hazel but upon closer inspection she found out they were green around his pupil but it spread out and turned hazel so his eyes were two different colors. He was very handsome and always kind to her so they got along with eachother.
"The Kami truly do care about humans and youkai but they are also trying to stop him from getting stronger. Mikaboshi seeks power." Kagome replied.
"Power?"
Kagome turned to Toshiaki (bright and alert, clever) Lord of the Northern lands, and an elemental youkai who controlled fire. He had red hair that reached his lower back when held into a high ponytail and no markings except for a dark red diamond on his forehead. Blue eyes that were similar to her own but darker and flawless skin which seemed like every youkai had.
He was a huge flirt but meant no harm and very funny. Kagome spent the most time with him when they had first met.
"Yes, there is a certain weapon that he is trying to get but Izanagi is protecting it." Shippou said answering the question for her.
"And if he gets a hold of it then chaos will descend and this world will forever be cast in darkness as we will all cease to exist. They will hunt us down until not one person, human or youkai is left alive." Rin finished for him.
"Hn" Sesshomaru sat and thought over their words. They didn't smell like they were lying nor did he find anything amiss in their aura.
"I think the bitch is lying" Takashi said as he walked towards Kagome.
Shippou growled as Rin held him back. "Why would they tell a useless, weak, good for nothing miko about something this important. You should be cooking something or cleaning, not standing in a room full of men like a slut assuming you know everything."
Voice lowering and leaning down he whispered in her ear " afterall women are only supposed to lay on their backs." Chuckling he turned to walk away.
Rin's eyes widened and Shippou cursed. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the kits language and then narrowed his eyes as he noticed what they were looking at. Her hair was beginning to turn red.
His eyebrows shot up into his hairline. 'Interesting'
Kagome was pissed. If it was one thing she hated it was being called uselesss and weak it brought back painful memories.
She hated men who thought that women should please men and cook and clean. Woman are just as good as men and it pissed her off to hear him say that.
"And it is good for nothing bastards like you that I hate." Kagome said before she was thrown into the wall by an angered demon lord.
Inuyasha was getting ready to pull Tetseiga out and kill him as Shippou began to reach for his own sword.
"How dare you..." Shippou said at the ignorant demon lord before he stopped talking, his eyes widened as he turned and looked at Kagome. Everyone eyes widened and the hair on the back of their necks stood on end.
She was getting up her hair was no longer turning red but it was now completely white with electricity running up and down her body but no that's not what caught everyone's attention.
Eyes no longer Sapphire, but her right eye was completely black even her sclera (white part of the eye), and her left eye was completely white but black was slowly starting to take over.
Something evil was coming from her in waves. Designs appeard on her skin and they too were black. She was evil and you could practically taste the fear from some of the soldiers in the room.
She gave a savage grin sensing the fear in the air.
Her eyes were the creepiest. She did not just look at you but she looked like she was looking through you as if you didn't exist but at the same time knew everything about you, as if she was looking at your very soul.
Sesshomaru stood up along with everyone else, all reaching for their weapons.
'Surely this isn't the weak wench that came to us all those years ago' Takeshi thought as he looked at her and then those eyes turned to look at him ever so slowly.
The room was so quiet and Sesshomaru wondered how silence could be so loud.
"Shit" was heard and Shippou was surprised as he looked at Rin and silently agreed with her because shit was the only way to describe their situation. Deep shit.
Rin and Shippou walked towards her slowly she glanced at them quickly recognizind them and then looking back at her prey. Takeshi almost shivered, her eyes were so cold.
"Okaa-san" Shippou said quietly but she heard him.
"Come on Okaa-san what will ojii-chan think." Rin said. The black began to recede but it was a slow process.
"Remember what he said" Shippou said as he walked a little closer. Her eyes began to turn white and her hair went from white to red as she glared at Tadeshi and walked out the room. She needed to meditate. Everyone finally relaxed when they could no lonvger sense her presence near them.
"Never provoke her" Shippou said to Tadeshi as he glared at the demon lord. "If we weren't here then you would be as good as dead."
"Shut up kit." The youkai said as he sneered.
"I'll talk to the bitch however I like. She may have gotten a little stronger but nobody will fear her. She should watch her mouth next time and I won't have to kill her." Tadeshi said to Shippou.
Several soldiers looked at him like he was crazy because some of them did fear her. Even the generals were a little scared. Never had they seen someone look so evil and sinister. What miko did that?
Sesshomaru was still staring the way the miko had left she was truly a puzzle that he couldn't solve.
"Don't fucking talk about Kagome like that." Inuyasha said in anger.
"Shut the fuck up." Shippou said to Inuyasha who looked shocked.
"You have no right when you are no better than him" he said as he glared at Inuyasha.
His head lowered in shame as the memories of how he treated her came back. He left the room without a second glance.
Rin was holding Shippou back from killing Tadeshi as they argued back and forth. She grunted as she got shocked and whimpered when her hand began to burn. Shippou looked down at her and apologized quietly.
"Come on he's not even worth it" she said as she grabbed Shippou and began to walk out of the room. She paused and turned to look at the man who insulted her adoptive mother.
"If you don't fear her then you have every right to fear her father. He won't like it if he hears you insulting her like that." Rin said. Shippou cooled down by now and looked at Tadeshi.
"Screw her father, he's probably a bastard that raised his daughter to be the whore she is now" he said "I could care less about who ever he is I won't be scared so easily." he said arrogantly.
Shippou was angry again as well as Rin and Inuyasha who stopped wallowing in his own self pity.
A crack of Thunder could be hear before a man stepped into the room.
"Is that so" he said in a rich baritone.
Shippou and Rin grinned stupidly.
"And who are you?" Sesshomaru questioned. Today was beginning to be a long tiresome day, but this man was odd.
"Kagome's father" he said with a nod towards him as he walked toward Tadeshi.
Sesshomaru raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
Kagome's father stared at a Tadeshi in the eye's for a long time. He was intimidating even thought he didn't do or say anything.
Tadeshi was unnerved this man, something was off about him. He abruptly turned away from the demon who insulted his daughter.
"Next time I'll kill you" he said nonchalantly as if talking about the weather and walked out the room taking a talkative Rin with him. Shippou looked at Tadeshi.
"That man...something isn't right" Hiroshi said.
"Okaa-san's father is the general who fell in love with the miko. His name is Raijin." Shippou said as he walked out of the room to catch up with his Jii-san.
Tadeshi eyes widened in shock in fact everyone was shocked as they walked out the room.
They had just met the God of Thunder in the flesh.
Sesshomaru walked to his study after telling a servant to prepare his guests rooms. He was tired and the miko was confusing as ever.
"A long day indeed" he said as he sat behind his desk thinking about the Shikon Miko and her return. He knew it had to be a reason she was back. Things were so much simpler when Naraku was their only enemy.
He could feel the headache coming already.
AN: Welllll tell me what you think.