The Tree of Ages
It was early morning when the group had departed to their destination, wary pale rays of sunshine starting to thread through the fickle droplets of rain and bathing the mountains. Villages beneath were quiet still, and even forest animals seemed to be fast asleep.
'Winter has only just begun,' the flea demon pondered bitterly. 'How fitting…given the great loss the world will wake up to today.'
"Please, don't cry, Myoga," he heard the croaky voice of his old friend. "Crying won't bring the Great Dog Demon back from the grave…"
"I know, but I can't help myself," Myoga sniffed before tugging his four arms inside the sleeves of his haori. "I begged him not to go! As I held onto him while he ran to the palace, I could see the blood staining the snow behind. Battling Ryukotsusei left the master debilitated beyond reason yet he insisted on fighting."
Totosai sighed at the flea's spurned confession and reassured, "Our master was as devoted as he was brave. Walking into certain death was what he would always choose to do if it meant assuring the safety of Lady Izayoi. You must know you did all you could."
"Yes…but it pains me to know our merciful lord was savagely slain due to human selfishness," he lamented. "I've made sure Lady Izayoi has been sheltered properly, at least. She'll be safe for the time being."
"And what of the young one?" Totosai asked wide-eyed.
Myoga straightened his back with pride. "The young master survived. Healthy and strong, from what I could tell. He has the Great Dog Demon's fire in his eyes."
Totosai hummed in appreciation. "And his name?"
"Inuyasha."
A pulse. Faint but sure.
"What-… was that one of the swords?" Myoga questioned.
Totosai reached for the satchel at his side. "Tessaiga. We must be close then. Are you certain this is the way to the well, Saya?"
Appearing in a small cloud-like shape from the sheath, Saya looked down at the rice fields below them.
"We are nearly there. The Sacred Tree should be somewhere around…" he squinted to get a better look at their surroundings and then exclaimed, "there!"
With a soft halting command from Totosai, the flying cow demon began their descend toward the forest. Standing above all others, the ancient tree's massive roots spread through the soil, not allowing for much to grow around it.
"Ah, what a beauty! It's been a while since I've visited these sacred grounds," Saya breathed deeply. "Such a serene aura could only come from a Tree of Ages."
"It is?" Myoga asked, jumping to Totosai's shoulder as he got down from the cow demon.
"Yes. The Sacred Tree is also a Tree of Ages. As old as time itself, connecting generations," Saya explained while rubbing his snow-white beard. "The Bone Eater's Well was built with wood from a Tree of Ages, so I've heard, granting it its magic."
As Saya mused on the magnificence of the tree before them, Totosai decided it was as good a time as any to rip out a chunk from its colossal trunk.
"Wha-" the sheath demon screeched, his face turning whiter than it had been before if it was possible. "What in heaven's name are you doing?!"
Totosai shrugged and picked up a paintbrush from his satchel. "I'll be delivering the Tenseiga to Sesshoumaru as soon as possible. Might as well start taking care of it."
Myoga and Saya watched in disbelief as the other demon wrote down the name of the Great Dog Demon's eldest son on the wooden piece, finishing the design with a small heart at the corner.
"You mean you don't plan on giving it to him yourself?!" Myoga protested.
"I plan on seeing the day through and making it to the ripe old age of eight hundred at least!" Totosai argued, reaching for the Tenseiga from Mo-Mo's back. "Besides, it is what the Tenseiga wants. I can hear her song. Telling me to leave her and go, fetch some hay for Mo-Mo on the way home perhaps…"
Myoga rolled his tiny eyes at his dramatic explanation. "A tragic melody for sure to be revered by generations to come." He then turned to Saya. "Where is the well, anyway?"
"It should be right up ahead," Saya pointed with his head. "Although I do wonder… Once you throw me along with So'unga into the well, wouldn't it be safer to destroy it?"
"Destroy the Bone Eater's Well?"
A soft breeze whirled around them, ruffling the foliage of the low branches of the Sacred Tree. The flea demon glanced up, a concerned frown distorting his face.
"We'll know what to do once we do it," Totosai reasoned and picked up the satchel with all three swords to walk down the path Saya had pointed to. "By the way Myoga, when will you be disposing of the Tessaiga?"
"As soon as we take care of So'unga I'll be traveling to the great oyster demon Hosenki. Hopefully he'll be able to create the pearl so I can hide the sword in our master's remains."
Hurrying along the beaten path, the trio finally arrived at the clearing. It was tranquil and silent, and the saddened stares exchanged between the life-long companions told them there wasn't much to be said.
"Goodbye, old friend." Myoga proclaimed softly, touching the sheath of blade with one of his hands.
Sharing one last smile, Saya retreated to the blade without a word and a miniscule locking sound was heard from within the sheath. Totosai closed his eyes in sorrow, tightening his grip on So'unga before letting it drop from his hand into the well.
"See you in seven hundred years…" Totosai whispered then.
"By then, Master Inuyasha will have grown into an adult demon and for sure have acquired his father's power and his mother's refinement and poise," Myoga nodded with certainty.
"And Sesshoumaru will have grown kinder and merciful," Totosai added.
"Which will make our task of dealing with So'unga a lot easier."
"Ah, yes. Definitely."
"Of course."
"For sure."
The two demons remained in silence for a moment.
"I'm not too sure, to be honest," Totosai admitted. "Should we destroy the well, just to be safe?"
As he finished uttering the words and awaiting Myoga's instructions, his mouth filled with fire ready to be spat out. The flea demon debated with himself, his features marred in painful uneasiness. It felt wrong. He stared back at the forest, the Sacred Tree's branches rustling with more vigor than before, although the breeze hadn't picked up.
Then, another pulse. Strong and rippling.
Totosai swallowed the fire that filled his cheeks, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
"Was that…?"
"The Tessaiga…" Totosai answered before he could finish, reaching for the sword from the satchel on his back and pressing it against his ear.
Myoga watched with doubtful curiosity. "What song is that one singing now?"
The swordsmith sat quietly, his breathing stopping for a second before he answered, "The song of destiny."
"…the what?" Myoga probed, straight-faced.
Totosai glanced at the blade in his hands in wonder. "It is fated. I know not what, but we mustn't meddle with it. The Bone Eater's Well must remain intact."
"But what if So'unga returns before it's time? We know nothing of this well or how it works!"
Totosai placed the trembling sword on his lap. "My dear friend, it has been dealt with, for now. I would rather not anger Tessaiga at the moment. As much as I preserve a connection with her as her creator, I have no doubt she'd obliterate us to paper-thin pieces should we touch the well…"
Myoga felt his own hands quivering, a tired sigh slipping past him. "And why did the small flea have to be the one entrusted with the emotionally unstable sword?"
"She isn't unstable. Far from it," Totosai said as he leaned on the edge of the well to get up. "There's just someone she must protect."
With a last look down the dark hole, the two demons bid their farewell and headed back to the forest with the sun rising above them. The rain had finally stopped.
"Tessaiga also sang about an inn not far from here, said to serve the best seaweed and butterfish rolls in the region."
Myoga sighed. "What great legacy to be passed down through the ages..."
Hello everyone :)
Just a little thing I had been itching to write after watching Swords of an Honorable Ruler the other day.
I tweaked the events a bit so that Tessaiga and Tenseiga hadn't yet been disposed of but nothing major. I loved the vassal's trio and couldn't pass up on the opportunity.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
-SpookyNoodle