Everlasting Reflections: The Moon Underwater

Arc II: Dawn of Dreams

Chapter 37: Twist of Fate

Do you really believe that even the most impactful events in one's life are merely coincidences?

In fact, most people think that there is nothing like destiny and the events of our lives are purely coincidences. However, sometimes the bonds which we established in the past, but lost in the flow of time, they reappear into our present and shape our future in a way which is even beyond the greatest of our imaginations. Perhaps, destiny is not as random as we believe and it doesn't propagate in a straight path either, but it is like a storm that is raging upon the calm surface of an endless ocean.

Suggested Music: "United" by Hidden Citizens (feat. Ranya)

Sesshomaru's first journey to the Present proved to be a dramatic not only for himself but also for both Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society. Since he had established some new bonds over there thus there were many who were expecting his arrival once again and that too very soon but it seemed that fate had some other plans for him.

Only after a few days of Sesshomaru's return to the Feudal Era, Kikyo took the Shikon Jewel along with her in the afterlife due to which the Bone-eater's well stopped its function as a time portal while Mayuri Kurotsuchi had also installed a barrier in the well to stop him and other Yokais from entering the present time. Several years had passed and Sesshomaru couldn't visit the Present due to which almost everyone lost the hope of seeing him again. Byakuya thought that it might be his decision to not interfere with the present again since he was a serious and thoughtful person. Both Yoruichi and Urahara had also accepted it as fate and eventually stopped the investigation which they were carrying out on him. In time, almost everyone had forgotten Sesshomaru in the present time except a few individuals who still used to remember him at times.

During the next 54 years

A lot of significant events occurred during this time in both the Feudal Era and in the Present. A fraction of Midoriko's soul reincarnated as Kagome in the modern World of the Living and the Shikon Jewel returned along with her. After she grew up into a teen, she traveled to the Feudal Era through Bone-eater's well and freed Inuyasha from Kikyo's spell. Afterwards, the Shikon Jewel shattered into numerous small fragments that scattered far across the land while Inuyasha and Kagome decided to collect all of them in order to reform the jewel. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru, who had grown colder during this time, pursued Inuyasha to take possession of their father's sword the Tetsusaiga but failed and lost his left arm in the process. On the other hand, Naraku had also started to create hurdles in the path of Inuyasha's group and even tried to interfere with Sesshomaru as well.

As their adventures continued, Sesshomaru stopped pursuing Inuyasha's group while he had also acquired Rin as his new companion and a new sword Tokijin which was later discarded by him. In time, he perfected the Meido Zangetsuha technique and passed it down to Inuyasha while eventually acquiring a sword of his own i.e. Bakusaiga. Inuyasha also grew stronger as new powerful abilities got added to his Tetsusaiga. Ultimately, with the combined efforts of everyone, Naraku was destroyed from the World of the Living while Kagome made a wish upon the Shikon Jewel due to which both the Jewel and Naraku disappeared to the non-existent world. After 3 years, the Bone-eater's well regained its ability of a time portal which even dissolved the barrier that Kurotsuchi installed on it but Sesshomaru remained unaware of this fact.

Meanwhile, Hueco Mundo and Soul Society had also gone through a significant series of events. Harribel had acquired a new companion in the form of Apacci. Isshin got married to a woman named Masaki and they were blessed with the three children, a boy named Ichigo and two girls, Yuzu and Karin. However, sadly Masaki died in a mysterious accident during an encounter with a Hollow from whom she tried to protect Ichigo. Aizen was also executing his plans and monitoring Ichigo to control the events of his life. Rukia transferred her powers to Ichigo under special circumstances due to which his Shinigami powers activated and later he saved her from the death sentence, given to her by the Soul Society. Afterward, Aizen was finally able to create the perfect Arrancars with the help of his Hogyoku and he eventually formed an army of 10 Espadas that included Harribel as well.

While different low-level Arrancars were attacking Word of the Living, Aizen sent Ulquiorra to abduct Orihime due to her special abilities and succeeded in his attempt. Later Ichigo and his friends invaded Las Noches in order to rescue her. Soon they received help from the Soul Society in the form of four Captains i.e. Byakuya, Kenpachi, Unohana, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The Captains eliminated Szayel Aporro, Zommari Rureaux, Nnoitra Gilga, and Yammy Riyalgo while Aaroniero Arruruerie was taken out by Rukia. Grimmjow was defeated by Ichigo and was fatally wounded by none other but Nnoitra after that battle. On the other hand, Ulquiorra died upon getting disintegrated because of the overuse of his spirit energy in the Segunda Etapa form while Stark, Barragan and Harribel along with their Fraccions were deployed in the World of the Living at Fake Karakura town for the final showdown against the Gotei 13.

Not so far away from Bone-Eater's well, Feudal Era…

Yang came out of the well in the Feudal Era and she was looking quite tensed and desperate. She swiftly roamed around in order to find a clue or someone who could have helped her. After some time, she came across a humanoid Yokai with a huge wolf-like head. He was leaned against a rock and seemed to be asleep. Yang rushed to him and shouted in order to wake him up. "Huh, what? Where am I? What happened" Royakan murmured to himself upon getting awake. "Where can I find Sesshomaru?" Yang asked him in a serious tone. At first, Royakan gazed at her from top to the bottom and then answered, "well, he is spending most of his time in his mother's Sky Palace lately," the wolf-headed Yokai answered. "His mother's Sky Palace? Where is it located? Lead me to him," Yang requested abruptly. "No, I won't go there without Lord Sesshomaru's permission and you shouldn't go there as well," Royakan replied. "I don't care demon, just tell me where it is located," Yang spoke frustratingly. "My wolf will show you the path," he spoke after a three-eyed wolf jumped out of his huge mouth.

Now Yang started to follow that wolf as it swiftly headed towards the Sky Palace and it didn't take them too long to reach close enough that it had finally started to visible to them. The wolf returned to Royakan while Yang headed straight towards the beautiful palace.

Inside the Sky Palace…

Sesshomaru and his mother were sitting together in the chamber and she was lecturing him about the importance of marriage in his life, being the only true successor of the great Dog Demon Empire. Suddenly a few guards asked their permission to enter the chamber and then they informed both Sesshomaru and his mother about a female trespasser whom they had caught.

"A powerful female which is not a Yokai, interesting," Sesshomaru's mother mumbled upon listening to the news. "She must be someone from the other world I visited around 50 years ago," Sesshomaru said to his mother. "If that world is really full of powerful women who are not human then I would like to visit it someday. Perhaps, it would be easier to find a princess for you over there than it seemed to be here in our world," She responded back to Sesshomaru. "I am going to check who she is," he spoke while leaving the chamber along with the guards.

Sesshomaru reached the outer floor of the palace where the palace guards had brought Yang for interrogation. "Yang, how dare you to arrive here?" Sesshomaru asked her in a serious manner. "Sesshomaru! Please listen to me, Harribel is in grave danger," She said abruptly. "What happened to her?" He asked while narrowing his eyes. "Aizen had gathered an army of powerful Arrancars and she is one of them. Currently, they are gathered in the Karakura town in order to have a decisive battle against the Captains of the Soul Society. Lord Orkos wants you to get her out of the battle because he can't come out in open in front of everyone," she answered him. "Hmm, I will go but not because Orkos wants me to and if this is a trap then he won't breathe again," Sesshomaru said in a strict manner before leaving along with her to the Present.

To be continued…