I Do Not Own InuYasha
Ichariba Chode
行逢りば兄弟
"Though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life"
IV: 1
Year 712...
Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...
It was a quiet day at the Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, it had been four centuries since she had seen her eldest and only son, which saddened her. It was a silent day in her garden, she toyed with the fan in her fingers as she looked over the snow covered landscaped and wondered when Tiāngǒu and Zhìháo would repair this rift between them, and when they would accept they were father and son and Zhìháo would have responsibilities to the universe. As was the way of their lives.
The feud between father and son was enough to drive her mad, though she knew that it would change nothing between them. Zhìháo was too much like his father to change, which infuriated her at times.
She saw a phoenix riding the winds through her gardens, burning brightly to the snowy landscapes and making it's way through the palace for her husband's studies. Hurrying through her gardens she bypassed all the maids and concubines as she made it to Tiāngǒu's study. The bird had barely landed when she arrived in a flurry of silks and adjusting her hair.
"Enter," her husband ordered gruffly before any announcement could be made. She ushered the bird in, the phoenix leapt and shifted to humanoid appearance as he bowed lowly.
"What is this about?" her husband asked setting aside the documents he had been reading.
"News from the East, the Shikoku Pack welcomes it's first heir, Sesshōmaru," the phoenix informed them. "Son of Prince Zhìháo and Shikoku's only heir, the Lady Kimi," the phoenix said with a smile.
"A son?" Chang'e smiled. "What an odd name for the pup, why would they call him Sesshōmaru?" she asked.
"It means 'the perfect assassin' in their language, Prince Zhìháo picked it," the phoenix explained.
"This is good," Tiāngǒu said when he dismissed the phoenix.
"A son, he had a son!" she sobbed. "And if you do not fix this, we will never see our heir and grandson!" she snapped.
Her Imperial Lord Husband had the good graces to look abash at her statement. Her husband despite his canine form, was a very handsome man, his hair was black as night, his eyes were onyx, and his skin a healthy tan, he had a square jaw and a set of magenta stripes on beneath his eyes.
"He will not be raised in the East, he will be raised here, as Imperial Prince and heir," Tiāngǒu promised her, which had her nodding. She wouldn't have some wild bitch ruining her only grandson.
"I will visit you tonight love," he smiled.
"I'll run," she promised enticingly as she left him.
Chang'e had escaped a poor match with Hou Yi when she was young, she was lucky that Tiāngǒu had chased her and claimed her. Tiāngǒu had taken her to his realm, his territory of the heavens, the remote moons, and though Hou Yi had been infuriated he had shout down the nine false moons, but could not harm her sanctuary.
Year 839...
Somewhere in West Nara...
Sesshōmaru trotted after his father, he had had the dream again last night. A pretty onna laughing and dancing in a field of flowers, pleading with him to join her. Of course, he hadn't, he had his dignity, but he had wanted to, she was so lively and pretty! Her hair was endlessly black, her smile was warm like the sun, and her eyes were bright with life, he had wanted to play with the pretty onna.
No one liked playing with Sesshōmaru.
Other pups his age said he was too rough, too mean, to vicious, his father said that playing was for the weak and he should never indulge in the games, while his mother said it was fun to wreak havoc upon others games. Sesshōmaru did not know how to play, he trained.
A century and a quarter of life and he trained, it was all his father felt he needed to do and it was all he did, he trained and did lessons.
He was walking with his father from their latest training session, a lesson in execution. Father had been called to the north and brought him, and Sesshōmaru had watched as his father executed the traitors in the name of grandfather, Shikoku. It was a swift but brutal lesson, he had watched father kill them, and he had been ordered to kill one of the traitors as well. An onna, she looked similar to the onna in his dreams, the human had looked at him with a kind smile and pleading eyes, he had cut her down as his father had ordered. Tōga had preened when the human lay dead at Sesshōmaru's feet.
His father had killed the rest.
Now they were walking home, Sesshōmaru listened to his father's lectures as they walked, until there was a snap on the leaves, which had his ears twitching and his father halting, his father's mokomoko twitched and Sesshōmaru looked around. Tōga pulled Sō'unga from it's sheath on his back when there was a wicked snarl as a blur of brown hit his father from the earth and both them went toppling into the valley below.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" a voice purred and he lifted his eyes to look at four fully grown Hyōneko walking towards him, the leader was a female, very pale and very blue.
"A little lost puppy!" sneered a giggling redhead.
"Maybe we should eat him!" the big one rumbled.
"You are welcomed to try," Sesshōmaru said levelly as his own poison dripped from his claws.
"My, aren't you an arrogant dog if there ever was one!" the red fiery one giggled.
"Good kami, you'd think someone would put stones or handholds in this damn hole!" a new voice said which had all five of them turning to look. Sesshōmaru saw a hand pop out of a fox den, then another as arms pulled out the owner of the voice. He found himself nose to nose with the onna he had been dreaming about. Her brown eyes were just as brilliant as in his dreams, and he was stunned that they were so close; how had he not noticed that fox hole before? The onna looked rather kitsune like, though her scent was purely human, which was startling. Still, her disheveled appearance was unexpected, especially with that hair pin dangling in her hair.
"Well hello there, that was far easier than I was expecting," the onna mused. "How are you Sesshōmaru?"
"Excuse me!" the fiery one shouted. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in the middle of our kidnapping!?"
"I see I'm interrupting something here," the onna mused. She pulled herself the rest of the way out of the hole, towering over him, and looking like a wild fox. She looked out of place admits all the red leaves of autumn, she looked like spring, a bringer of life, but she held herself how his mother did and he knew she was a dangerous killer.
"Yeah," the redhead with long hair snorted at the onna.
"Well, pardon the interruption, but it appears that my lord and I should be on our merry way, come along Sesshōmaru-sama," the onna said.
"Kill the human," the leader of the group said blandly. The onna was fast as she grabbed him and yanked him out of the path of a fire ball, he let the light whip unspool from his fingers as he slashed it through the air which had the cats diving out of the path.
"Time to go!" the onna shouted.
"NANI!" he shouted as she grabbed his arm and yanked him after her as she ran.
"Get Back Here!" the neko shouted as they chased them.
"I don't need help from a human!" he snapped.
"Well there's four of them, one very tiny you, my lord and I like our chances but I like them better if we run!" she said firmly as she nimbly leapt over a log, he shifted forms and scooped the onna onto his shoulders as he ran. His paws tripped though, and they went tumbling down a ravine, the onna was up she had a fang drawn and she was fast.
"Damn human! Making us chase you!" the fiery neko growled.
"Well… you're cats, I thought you loved the hunt!" the onna smiled sheepishly and moved. Sesshōmaru caught the kaiken she tossed him as he ran for the big one slashing the fang at the knees, the large neko lumbered back, attempting to evade the blade. He snarled as he slashed through the big one's knee felling him, though when he went to finish the job he was hit solidly in the chest and sent flying through trees, which knocked the air out of his tiny body as he collapsed.
"SESSHŌMARU!" a voice screamed as he saw the onna turn into a whirling blur of black and fire before he was staring at a pair of ugly yellow eyes as his world faded to black.
Year 1308...
Setsuna Castle...
Tōga paced the wall of Setsuna as he pondered the best way to get Izayoi's attention without coming off as annoying. She seemed to already to only have a vague sort of annoyance where he was concerned. Still, he couldn't help it, he wanted to talk to her!
Taking a deep breath he scented the air and scented only her which had him chancing it as he leapt into a tree and peered down at her.
"What do you want?" she asked tilting her head back as she stared balefully up at him.
"Nothing, I'm merely curious," he replied.
"About what?" she asked as he hopped down into her garden.
"Well, you," he smiled broadly. "Very curious about you onna," he said as he towered over her.
"I'm not curious about you," Izayoi stated as she walked into her home and slammed the door shut, which made him chuckle.
"You will be," he promised the door as he scented her there, leaping away from Setsuna he went tearing through the forest, it would take time, but he knew he could win over Izayoi. It wouldn't take much, she seemed so alone and unhappy there in that human compound, he would offer her the world, and she would fall for his charms. Of this he was certain, he rather liked the way she looked at him, full of fiery mistrust, it would be interesting to get her to trust and love him. He looked forward to the challenge!
Year 839...
Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...
It had taken a century of true planning and deception for him to be certain of what they were going to do, he had put the men on the ground to collect his grandson when the pup was finally separated from his mother.
While Zhìháo was powerful and dangerous Tiāngǒu knew that his son's choice in mothers of his pup would be the problem. Lady Kimi was reportedly feral and unpredictable with whims that changed like a summer's breeze. Lady Kimi was flighty, lethal, and when aimed, focus, which was why Tiāngǒu had asked his courier to employ a local tribe for Kimi to wage war against. Zhìháo would not be a problem once that bitch was dead, no doubt once Lady Kimi was dead then Zhìháo would return home, his fascination with those Eastern savages complete and these last thousand years of rebellion quelched.
Tiāngǒu was most excited to meet his grandson though!
The pup would be a welcomed change, an heir that Tiāngǒu could mold properly without interference of others. Sesshōmaru would obviously have to have a traditional name, worthy of this house, and the pup would have to have tutors. Tiāngǒu had gone about employing the best already, giving the tutors time to make themselves at home.
There was room prepared for his grandson too, which was near his and Chang'e's rooms, and there was a lovely section of the garden near the rooms. The pup would learn to be a proper heir.
According to his spies the pup already excelled at combat training, despite his young age, and was already an excellent student and would be eager to learn. The pup was reportedly very quiet and solemn and Tiāngǒu looked forward to those qualities. It would make it easier for the pup to adapt to life here, the faster the pup acclimated to life here the sooner Zhìháo would realize the logic of staying. Both would be good for the pup and his son.
The West had been too long without their Crowned Prince, it would be a happy day when Zhìháo stopped rebelling and returned to where he belonged.
Tiāngǒu smiled, everything would come together so nicely and life would continue. In time he could set his grandson's sights East to devour his former homeland and by that time they would never know what hit them!
Oh yes, things were working in Tiāngǒu's favor, and nothing would thwart him.
"Do you think our grandson will like tea?" his mate asked, which had him looking over at the beautiful Chang'e who was currently embroidering a proper robe for the pup.
"Hai, he's your grandson, he will like tea," he chuckled.
Even if Zhìháo had lain with a wild bitch he doubted that that bitch's blood could dilute the purity of his bloodline and plunge his descendant into savage tastes! His grandson was the Crown Prince of the West! He would have excellent tastes by status birth right! Nothing less than perfection would be tolerate!
Tiāngǒu was certain of this.
Nothing would thwart his careful plans.
Somewhere in west Nara...
Rin found herself bound and gagged in a cage; an actual goddamn, motherfucking cage!, with Sesshōmaru also gagged and bound and unconscious beside her. She was livid, worse, it was those cats that had captured her, and now she was bound and gagged on a boat in a cage, she felt humiliated and pissed.
"Once this job is over we will never have to deal with those Western scum again," she heard Tōran mutter.
"May they take their tainted blood and get the hell out," her sister muttered. Rin didn't like the sound of this as she looked at Sesshōmaru, she gently moved her hands through his hair, half his head was covered in blood. Which worried Rin a lot given his small size.
She was a bit surprised to see her lord this young, he looked no older than six or seven, which was utterly adorable! His hair was short silver, his markings were so pale and distinguished and his face seemed ever solemn, which melted her heart. His magenta lids squeezed shut and then he peeled a gold eye open to stare at her.
She hummed reassuringly as she carded her fingers through his hair as he had done for her so many times as a child. The pup didn't make a sound, merely looked confused before he dragged his body to be pressed against her thigh and buried his head into her hip which had her humming reassuringly for him.
They would survive this.
"When we get them to the phoenix we will be paid and restore our clan to our former glory," a giant panther growled walking through the camp, Rin looked at the ugly feline and growled lowly when he neared the cage. "We'll even hand over the pup's claimed bitch of extra payment," the feline mused shifting forms to be humanoid now.
He was a burly man, brown hair, simple armor, there were two horns protruding from the sides of his head and large elven ears with ugly yellow eyes. He had a heave pelt around his body and a thick tail. She already had the hair pin in her fingers which had her snarling warning worthy of any inuyōkai as warning that if he came near Sesshōmaru she'd tear his throat out one way or another.
"I like you onna!" the cat laughed. "May they break you," he sneered kicking the cage as he left.
She looked back down at Sesshōmaru and smiled at the pup who clutched her hakama and snuggled into her hip, she was surprised at how small he was. Kami he looked so lonely and lost, she wanted hug him and never let him go.
She also wanted to get out of this fucking cage!
As soon as she was certain her lord was alright, they were leaving, one way or another. Rin wasn't going to let these cats take them to a phoenix to be taken West.
That would only happen over her dead body.
Year 1581...
Tsuzuki Castle...
Sesshōmaru walked silently through his castle dungeons until he reached the cell where Kohaku was being held and kept his pain at bay through sheer will. Finally he came to the cell where the taijiya was being held, slumped over and looking thwarted about his intentions and plans.
"Here to gloat?" the human asked.
"I'm here because of Magatsuhi," Sesshōmaru said levelly. Though the name tasted like ashe on his tongue and poison to his lips, he wanted nothing to do with that accused being.
"You know she was mine right? I would've won that fight fair and square!" Kohaku snarled.
"She was never yours boy!" Sesshōmaru spat out. "She could never BE Yours!"
"And how would you know!? Did you brainwash her to never love another!?" Kohaku shouted.
"Where is Magatsuhi, how did you unseal the well!?" he demanded sharply.
"He offered, I said yes," Kohaku said.
"Why?" Sesshōmaru demanded.
"Because you were never going to look at me like I was worthy of her!" Kohaku screamed. "I've loved her for as long as I've known her! I just wanted to be worthy of her in your eyes," the boy sobbed.
"You could never be worthy of her," Sesshōmaru informed the boy who looked up dejectedly. "The moment you raised your blade to her you could never be worthy of her," he said simply and walked away from the dungeons. The human would be a dead end, he would have to investigate the well itself, which meant he'd have to got West.
He cursed the thought.
