Ch. 7: Funeral for a Lord
"Why won't you die?" Sesshoumaru asked weakly. His body was covered in wounds, bleeding badly. He could see his blood cover the ground, and feel his strength escape him. But as badly as he got, he was sure he inflicted worse on his foe.
But the man called Matsuo had not a scratch on him. No matter how deep the wound Sesshoumaru would inflict, nothing hurt him. To make matters worse, a red miasma covered the area, obstructing Sesshoumaru's vision. Against the dark, Sesshoumaru summoned all his strength for one final blow. His bade ran true, imbedding itself into Matsuo's ribs.
"I don't die so easily." Matsuo said with a cocky grin. He pulled the blade from his ribs and tossed it aside. The red miasma swirled around Sesshoumaru, chocking him. He coughed, blood gushing from his mouth. He collapsed to the ground.
"Like it, Lord Sesshoumaru? This is the very cause of your illness."
"You... How...?" he choked out.
"It was a simple manner to bribe one of your own servants into releasing the poison as you slept. This poison, concocted from the various venoms of the insect youkai, is fatal to any full-blooded youkai."
Sesshoumaru coughed up more blood. "But why...? The other Youkai Lords..."
"Are fully behind me. Except Lord Buru, that bull-headed fool was too stubborn to see my vision. But he will be dealt with accordingly."
"Vision...?"
"Yes, of a unified Japan. A Japan unified under me!"
***
Bishamon searched from the trees, as Inuyasha scurried the ground for a scent. Jaken, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome searched the bushes for any sign of Sesshoumaru. Jaken had come to them almost an hour ago, when he noticed Sesshoumaru was missing. He ran all through the house looking for him, disturbing Kagome and Inuyasha in the process. They decided it would be best to help, or else no one would be getting to sleep tonight.
Bishamon's eyes widened as he looked in the distance. "This way!" he yelled to the others before making a break in the direction he was looking in. Kagome jumped on Inuyasha's back, and Sango and Miroku mounted Kirara.
Inuyasha cleared the woods and beheld his half-brother lying at Matsuo's feet, consumed in red miasma. "Well now, I guess the gang is all here," Matsuo said with a confident smirk. Inuyasha leapt at the confident Matsuo, bringing Tetsusaiga down on him, but was forced back by a blue shield of energy.
"Inuyasha...no. He's...too powerful..." Sesshoumaru struggled to say as he lay in Kagome's arms.
"You would do well to heed your brother's advice," Matsuo smirked. Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga, and charged again. The shield shattered under Inuyasha assault, and Tetsusaiga cut deep into Matsuo's flesh. He sank back. "You surprise me, hanyou. I'll retreat for now, but I'll be back, and soon!" The miasma swirled into a vortex around him, and he vanished. Inuyasha searched around, but in vain. Assured he was gone, he went to his half-brother's side. Miroku met him halfway.
"He's not going to survive. The wounds aren't to serious, but somehow that miasma accelerated his condition."
Sesshoumaru lay across Kagome's lap. He looked at all those around him, then to Jaken. "I'm afraid this is it, old friend. Promise me, that you'll serve Inuyasha as faithfully and loyally as you did I."
Jaken's eyes filled with tears, as he looked at his fallen lord. "I promise, Lord."
Sesshoumaru coughed violently, and looked at Inuyasha. "My title, everything I have is yours now, brother. Just, if nothing else, take care of Rin."
Inuyasha took his hand, and nodded. Sesshoumaru smiled for the first time in his life, then breathed his last. His body went limp, and sprawled along the ground. Kagome rose and buried her head in Inuyasha's chest, sobbing, and Sango sank into Miroku's arms. Jaken silently walked away.
***
Roses adorned the body of Lord Sesshoumaru as his body was carried in the streets of the village near his home. Humans and youkai alike wept for the lord who had kept them safe. Behind the precession walked the new lord, Inuyasha, his arm around Kagome. They made their way to the place where the body would be cremated, near an elaborate shrine that would serve as a lasting memorial for him. The fire roared well into the night, as the remains of Lord Sesshoumaru turned to ash, marking the end of an era, and the beginning of a new. As he made his way back down the road, he spotted a woman in a cloak approach him. Her scent was familiar, so he heeded her request to be taken to Sesshoumaru's burial site.
When they had arrived, the young woman removed her cloak, revealing a firmly toned and muscular, yet still slim and attractive, build. She fell to her knees and cried quietly Her braided black hair fell to the small of her back, which was clad in a tight black outfit of leather. Clawed gauntlets adorned her wrists, and several shuriken hung from her waist. She rose, dried her tears, and looked Inuyasha dead in the yes. The shape of her face, her features, and her scent were unmistakable to him.
"She's grown up," Inuyasha thought. "It's been a long time, Rin," He said somberly.
"Ten years. Tell me, he died honorably, didn't he?" Rin asked.
"Of course." Inuyasha replied
She closed her eyes and bowed her head. A tear ran down her pale cheek. "They say that a shinobi never cries. I guess I'm not much of one."
"You're human Rin. A human that just lost the closest man she had to a father," a familiar voice said from the shadows. Bishamon and Jaken approached.
"Master Moritsune," she whispered with a bow.
"Come, child," Bishamon/Moritsune said putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'll take you home." Jaken walked away alongside Inuyasha.
"Lord Inuyasha, I swore to Sesshoumaru that I would serve you as faithfully as I did him," he said.
"I know. What do you suggest we do now? Prepare for war?" Inuyasha asked.
"In part, yes. But that shouldn't be our primary concern right now," he answered.
"But what if Matsuo attacks?" He asked in concern.
"He won't. Lord Buru is our ally, and his army is the strongest in the world. As long as we have that, Matsuo will not try an all-out attack." Jaken answered.
"Okay then."
"Lord Inuyasha, if I may, with the death of Lord Sesshoumaru, the people are in very low spirits. We need to do something to life their morale."
"What do you suggest?" Inuyasha asked.
"A wedding. Between your Lordship and Lady Kagome."
"Why won't you die?" Sesshoumaru asked weakly. His body was covered in wounds, bleeding badly. He could see his blood cover the ground, and feel his strength escape him. But as badly as he got, he was sure he inflicted worse on his foe.
But the man called Matsuo had not a scratch on him. No matter how deep the wound Sesshoumaru would inflict, nothing hurt him. To make matters worse, a red miasma covered the area, obstructing Sesshoumaru's vision. Against the dark, Sesshoumaru summoned all his strength for one final blow. His bade ran true, imbedding itself into Matsuo's ribs.
"I don't die so easily." Matsuo said with a cocky grin. He pulled the blade from his ribs and tossed it aside. The red miasma swirled around Sesshoumaru, chocking him. He coughed, blood gushing from his mouth. He collapsed to the ground.
"Like it, Lord Sesshoumaru? This is the very cause of your illness."
"You... How...?" he choked out.
"It was a simple manner to bribe one of your own servants into releasing the poison as you slept. This poison, concocted from the various venoms of the insect youkai, is fatal to any full-blooded youkai."
Sesshoumaru coughed up more blood. "But why...? The other Youkai Lords..."
"Are fully behind me. Except Lord Buru, that bull-headed fool was too stubborn to see my vision. But he will be dealt with accordingly."
"Vision...?"
"Yes, of a unified Japan. A Japan unified under me!"
***
Bishamon searched from the trees, as Inuyasha scurried the ground for a scent. Jaken, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome searched the bushes for any sign of Sesshoumaru. Jaken had come to them almost an hour ago, when he noticed Sesshoumaru was missing. He ran all through the house looking for him, disturbing Kagome and Inuyasha in the process. They decided it would be best to help, or else no one would be getting to sleep tonight.
Bishamon's eyes widened as he looked in the distance. "This way!" he yelled to the others before making a break in the direction he was looking in. Kagome jumped on Inuyasha's back, and Sango and Miroku mounted Kirara.
Inuyasha cleared the woods and beheld his half-brother lying at Matsuo's feet, consumed in red miasma. "Well now, I guess the gang is all here," Matsuo said with a confident smirk. Inuyasha leapt at the confident Matsuo, bringing Tetsusaiga down on him, but was forced back by a blue shield of energy.
"Inuyasha...no. He's...too powerful..." Sesshoumaru struggled to say as he lay in Kagome's arms.
"You would do well to heed your brother's advice," Matsuo smirked. Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga, and charged again. The shield shattered under Inuyasha assault, and Tetsusaiga cut deep into Matsuo's flesh. He sank back. "You surprise me, hanyou. I'll retreat for now, but I'll be back, and soon!" The miasma swirled into a vortex around him, and he vanished. Inuyasha searched around, but in vain. Assured he was gone, he went to his half-brother's side. Miroku met him halfway.
"He's not going to survive. The wounds aren't to serious, but somehow that miasma accelerated his condition."
Sesshoumaru lay across Kagome's lap. He looked at all those around him, then to Jaken. "I'm afraid this is it, old friend. Promise me, that you'll serve Inuyasha as faithfully and loyally as you did I."
Jaken's eyes filled with tears, as he looked at his fallen lord. "I promise, Lord."
Sesshoumaru coughed violently, and looked at Inuyasha. "My title, everything I have is yours now, brother. Just, if nothing else, take care of Rin."
Inuyasha took his hand, and nodded. Sesshoumaru smiled for the first time in his life, then breathed his last. His body went limp, and sprawled along the ground. Kagome rose and buried her head in Inuyasha's chest, sobbing, and Sango sank into Miroku's arms. Jaken silently walked away.
***
Roses adorned the body of Lord Sesshoumaru as his body was carried in the streets of the village near his home. Humans and youkai alike wept for the lord who had kept them safe. Behind the precession walked the new lord, Inuyasha, his arm around Kagome. They made their way to the place where the body would be cremated, near an elaborate shrine that would serve as a lasting memorial for him. The fire roared well into the night, as the remains of Lord Sesshoumaru turned to ash, marking the end of an era, and the beginning of a new. As he made his way back down the road, he spotted a woman in a cloak approach him. Her scent was familiar, so he heeded her request to be taken to Sesshoumaru's burial site.
When they had arrived, the young woman removed her cloak, revealing a firmly toned and muscular, yet still slim and attractive, build. She fell to her knees and cried quietly Her braided black hair fell to the small of her back, which was clad in a tight black outfit of leather. Clawed gauntlets adorned her wrists, and several shuriken hung from her waist. She rose, dried her tears, and looked Inuyasha dead in the yes. The shape of her face, her features, and her scent were unmistakable to him.
"She's grown up," Inuyasha thought. "It's been a long time, Rin," He said somberly.
"Ten years. Tell me, he died honorably, didn't he?" Rin asked.
"Of course." Inuyasha replied
She closed her eyes and bowed her head. A tear ran down her pale cheek. "They say that a shinobi never cries. I guess I'm not much of one."
"You're human Rin. A human that just lost the closest man she had to a father," a familiar voice said from the shadows. Bishamon and Jaken approached.
"Master Moritsune," she whispered with a bow.
"Come, child," Bishamon/Moritsune said putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'll take you home." Jaken walked away alongside Inuyasha.
"Lord Inuyasha, I swore to Sesshoumaru that I would serve you as faithfully as I did him," he said.
"I know. What do you suggest we do now? Prepare for war?" Inuyasha asked.
"In part, yes. But that shouldn't be our primary concern right now," he answered.
"But what if Matsuo attacks?" He asked in concern.
"He won't. Lord Buru is our ally, and his army is the strongest in the world. As long as we have that, Matsuo will not try an all-out attack." Jaken answered.
"Okay then."
"Lord Inuyasha, if I may, with the death of Lord Sesshoumaru, the people are in very low spirits. We need to do something to life their morale."
"What do you suggest?" Inuyasha asked.
"A wedding. Between your Lordship and Lady Kagome."