Chapter Six:

Hiroshi's Tale

~*Two Hundred Years Ago*~

A youthful looking Hiroshi paced impatiently across the floor of his home.  His light blue hair was a bit longer than his shoulders, and two large wings with delicate light blue feathers were mounted on his back, giving him an oddly angelic appearance.  He wore a dark blue kimono with a vest made of white feathers, as well as feathered bands on his lower arms.

The lands had been very uneasy as of late.  All youkai could feel the sense of danger, and it had put the entire youkai population on edge.  Something was very wrong in their lands.

It had started off as a simple virus that infected the lower youkai.  No one really cared about them; for a while it seemed to be more of a good omen than bad.  But within the past few years, the virus had changed, and now the greater youkai had begun to fall victim to the disease.

It was known in human circles as the Youkai Plague.  No one knew where it had come from, and no one knew why the rapid healing powers of the youkai could not defeat it.  All they knew was that the great creatures of Japan was in danger of becoming extinct if someone didn't find a way to stop the plague.

True, there were some youkai that had a natural immunity to it.  But those were very few and far between.  It was also true that it didn't affect humans, though no one knew why.  Because of this, any hanyou or demi-youkai had a much better chance of survival than their full youkai brothers.  A hanyou might get feverish, but that was all, as if it the virus was unable to take root in the human blood.

Out of a window of Hiroshi's home, the auru finally saw the sight he'd been waiting for.  A majestic female auru youkai flew towards his cottage, her long black hair flowing behind her.  She wore clothing similar to his, but the feathers were black, and her wings were also black.  Her eyes were light blue, and her pupils were white.

Hiroshi ran from the cottage to greet her, and when she landed she nearly fell into his arms.

"Suki," he whispered, holding her in his arms.  "What news?"

"It is not good, my mate," she replied, her head leaned against his chest.  "The sickness has reached our forest.  We will have to leave, or risk infection."

His dark blue eyes closed sadly.  "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this."

Suddenly, Suki's legs collapsed, and Hiroshi caught her and gently helped her sit, kneeling before her.

"Suki?" he asked, worried.  She didn't respond.  Her face was buried in the feathers on his chest.

"Hi…Hiroshi…" she said faintly.  His eyes widened, worry etched into his face.

"Nani, my love?"

"A…ashiteru…[I love you]"

Suki's body fell limp in his arms, and he watched in horror as her skin turned crimson red.  He heard her heartbeat stop, and then, his mate dissolved from his arms.

"Suki!" he cried.  "Iie [no], Suki!"

Hiroshi stumbled to his feet and backed away from the spot, before spreading his wings and leaping into the air, flying as furiously as he'd ever flown and screaming as he felt his heart tear in two.

The Youkai Plague rolled over the entire land, devouring hundreds of great youkai.  The greater youkai began to slaughter those youkai who were immune, and drank their blood to achieve immunity.  It was through this act of desperation that the plague finally died off, leaving the lands changed permanently.

There were now so few youkai that even without the plague, many died off before they could find a mate and produce offspring.  The human population grew, and with them came hanyous and demi-youkai, products of desperate youkai and their need to mate.  As the years went by, human inventions grew more powerful, and the youkai saw that they could no longer reign supreme in a world where humans had guns and other powerful weapons.  They began to produce charm necklaces, bracelets, and rings that would give the wearer the appearance of a human.  And with those charms, the youkai race became only a legend.

*          *          *

"Were you alive during the plague, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Hiroshi asked after finishing his tale.  The inu youkai's eyes were dark after hearing of how little his great race had become.

"It was not called that at the time," he responded.  "But there was a sickness going around the lesser youkai in my lands.  My servant Jaken succumbed to it."

Hiroshi nodded.  "That was just the earliest stage of it.  Considering this information, I believe it's safe to say that you have been dead for over two hundred years.  But the question is, how have you come to live again now?"

Sesshoumaru looked aside, obviously bothered by something, though he tried not to show it.  "I, Sesshoumaru, know not how this has come to be.  But, I have a feeling my daughter had something to do with it."

Hiroshi stood.  "Well then, I think it's time to find this daughter.  IF she lives."