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: 22
Year 1581...
Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...
She stared at her grandson in awe, he had grown up so much and though he did look like Zhìháo. No, clearly Jūn Ān had grown up to look like whoever had mothered him, but he was a stunning creature all the same. She was in simple awe of the sight of him.
However, the other pup looked like a spitting image of Zhìháo. The way his nose, his mouth, even his ears and brow were all Zhìháo's. Chang'e did not know what to make of this as she stared between the brothers. Jūn Ān was still the more powerful of the two, but the halfling was also powerful despite the human blood weakening him.
"Zhìháo did not have any other children," she said as she stepped towards the other pup. The halfling immediately flattened his ears and bore his fangs as a sign of aggression. "He would never have lain with a human," she hissed finally.
"Well he did. Now what the fuck are we doing here Sesshōmaru!?" the halfling demanded.
"You speak to Imperial Prince Jūn Ān and you will have respect for him!" she commanded. Now the halfling's ears perked up as he lifted a brow.
"The fuck I will!" the halfling bellowed.
"Enough, InuYasha," Jūn Ān cut off icily. "I am here on behalf of the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan, by word of Kimi-sama herself and as Inu no Taishō, I am here to present to you Tōga's heir, InuYasha. Should you pursue naming me heir, know you defy Tōga's final wishes."
"He would not name a halfling an heir!" Chang'e shouted.
Sesshōmaru was rather pleased at the displeasure his grandmother was expressing and the shock of Princess Ying Yue's expression as well as all the other useless soldiers here gawking. InuYasha was doing his part to look irritated and indifferent, though Sesshōmaru supposed that InuYasha would be irritated with this. No matter what he knew that InuYasha would not be taking his birthright as Tōga's heir. Sesshōmaru wasn't so much a fool to think his brother would claim it, so it would still fall to him in time, but it was also safe to assume that this revelation would distract Chang'e enough for him to seek the information he needed about Magatsuhi's curse and the information on Honekui no Ido.
"He was bequeathed Tetsusaiga," Sesshōmaru stated simply.
"That does not make me his heir!" InuYasha bellowed.
"Silence InuYasha," he snapped, his brother submitted involuntarily at that as he growled and grumbled in discontent about this. "Tōga named InuYasha heir in his stead for his lands and titles, bequeathing InuYasha with his strength and his fang, as well as his lands and titles," Sesshōmaru said and watched Chang'e pale.
"Wait! That'd mean!" InuYasha started. "I am not going to be Inu no Taishō!"
"That is my mother's father's title, it is not yours InuYasha," Sesshōmaru dismissed. Shikoku had selected Tōga as his successor for the title, but the title would remain with Kimi's bloodline. Sesshōmaru's titles and inheritance was all his mother's, though he knew that wasn't entirely true. His father had technically named him an heir for the West, but Sesshōmaru had never really looked at what his father bequeathed him after the disappointment over receiving Tenseiga and losing his mate because of his father. InuYasha would never be an acceptable heir, not because he was a hanyō but because he was a halfwit, Sesshōmaru accepted that in time he would rule over both the West and the East, even if he had no desire to be handed his titles, it would be his responsibility in the end, regardless of desires. "However," he drawled out. "Give me the information about Honekui no Ido and I will relieve you of such a halfwit being the heir and take the titles as Lord of the West," he offered.
He felt InuYasha shift then and Sesshōmaru watched Chang'e carefully.
"Honekui no Ido?" she rolled over her tongue carefully.
"The Bone Eater's Well," he countered icily.
Sesshōmaru watched her eyes widen and he knew he had her interests. He knew that escaping Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace would be the difficult part of this, but she would hand him what she wanted in anticipation for receiving what she wanted.
"You will receive that information after the coronation," she stated firmly.
He growled and was satisfied to see her flinch violently as she took a step back.
"You will accept your titles before your people and renounce your claims in the East," she continued. "Or you will never discover what you want to know."
InuYasha was fairly certain this onna was crazier than anyone he had run into in his life! She just looked crazy! He wouldn't want to be heir to this dump even if it was the last refuge in all the realms.
"Very well," Sesshōmaru stated and stalked past her, InuYasha followed.
"You know giving her what she wants isn't a good idea," InuYasha hissed.
"I possess this land's wealth as well as the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan's we will have numbers to prevent any uprising, laying claim to this birthright as well as my mother's is a way to increase power. Also providing us access to the most spiritual and mystic information on how to handle Magatsuhi," he stated as they walked.
"You will never be able to leave here if you accept this," InuYasha stated, he could see the guards crowding them.
"That is why we have A-Un," Sesshōmaru stated but didn't elaborate.
"I really hate being in this mess with you," InuYasha hissed.
"I did not request your company," Sesshōmaru countered as they wound their way to what were obviously old quarters. The maids appeared to scatter in a fit of fluttering panic.
"Cousin," a voice greeted and InuYasha looked up to see a stunning inuyōkai walking towards Sesshōmaru. It was that Ying Yue girl. "I will be taking you and your half-brother to your new quarters, by Imperial Empress Chang'e's command, this way please," she gestured.
"I will remain in Rin and I's old quarters," Sesshōmaru cut off turning to resume his walk in the direction he had been going.
Year 839...
Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...
Rin woke in the middle of the night and looked around her quarters before she slid off her bed. She was already dressed in hakama and had on a heavy cloak. Sesshōmaru's eyes snapped open the moment she was off the bed. Pressing her finger to her lips she twisted her hair up into a knot, stabbing it with her hair pin before she grabbed the kaiken and Bakusaiga. Sesshōmaru was off the bed, grabbing his own cloak as they both slipped from her room.
Years of living with yōkai, and years living in the wild had Rin's silence almost deafening as they moved out into the palace. The night was peaceful, the rain was unnervingly light; more a mist than rain, and the guards were walking a scheduled route.
"It's a trap," Sesshōmaru hissed to her.
"No doubt but this is our only shot," she murmured and they both hurried through Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace for the stables. They were lucky or orchestrated not to run into any of the guards. A-Un's head lifted when they entered.
"Go prepare the saddlebags," she ordered as she grabbed the saddle she knew would fit A-Un. The dragon watched her carefully. Until this moment she had not attempted to ride, or saddle A-Un, instead she had worked on forming a bond with her old friend. Now though, now would be a test to his trust as she quickly worked. Sesshōmaru appeared with bridals which had the dragon growling a bit at her and him.
"It's alright, old friend," she murmured. "I need your help, Sesshōmaru-sama and I need your help," she whispered gently as she ran her fingers over the mane. The dragon growled a bit but she and Sesshōmaru got the bridles on before she tightened them and righted them to be one loop for control. In this case she felt one bridal control was needed, though she did know how to fly A-Un with two; she had learnt that way. Picking up Sesshōmaru she put the pup on the saddle before the stables were opened and she drew both the kaiken and Bakusaiga.
"How unfortunate," Chang'e's voice drawled as she appeared in the dim light of the lanterns. "You dare to try to kidnap Imperial Prince Jūn Ān! Kill her! Protect my grandson!"
Light lashed out before her and had the guard halting as Rin moved. She was swift as she rushed the startled guard, cutting them down swiftly and with ease, brutal practice and training kicking in. The blood was warm, the mist was cold, each move was efficient and she felt as if she were protected, as if all her senses were enhanced as she moved. Block, strike, slash, stab, twist, kick, stomp, duck, jump, it was all automatic. There was a roar as the guards screamed and a blast of energy tore apart the stables and Rin saw A-Un barrelling towards her. Chang'e's eyes were wide as Rin ran for A-Un, catching her friend's saddle as she swung up behind Sesshōmaru and they took to the skies.
"You will not escape with my grandson!" Chang'e shouted and Rin looked in time to see a pulse of power coming from the mortal, suddenly there was a streak of lightning past her head before Sōten appeared with a violent clap of thunder.
"Protect Sesshōmaru-sama!" Sōten shouted.
Rin spurred A-Un into action as they raced into the skies.
"What are they doing Rin!" Sesshōmaru demanded as he tried to crawl over her.
"What needs to be done so we can survive," she whispered not daring to look back as they flew into the storm. There was power in the storm, A-Un growled and she urged him forward as she kept a tight arm around Sesshōmaru. She felt rather like prey right now, she didn't know why but all the hairs on her body seemed to be standing at attention. There was a shift in the darkness and she nearly screamed when a force knocked them out of the skies and she saw the glowing red eyes of an Inu Daiyōkai as the beast slammed into the ground, she rolled off A-Un, landing hard. The dragon snarled at the landing, his thick body curving around her and Sesshōmaru as he bore teeth. Sesshōmaru's power and control were leaking as she felt his daiyōkai pressure building for a release. This wasn't a mere shift in forms, she thought hazily as she watched the pup, it was a shift in power.
Rin's blurry vision saw a massive black inu daiyōkai walk out of the spirit world's forest then, eyes red as blood, massive fangs and claws that were more like talons.
Rolling to her stomach she pushed herself up to her knees.
"Tiāngǒu," Sesshōmaru snarled in a voice far too cold and violent for any pup. The pup shifted, bones cracking loudly as fangs grew, the jaw broke, disdending as his nose lengthened and his golden eyes bled red like the daiyōkai's before him. Rin watched the pup, who's transformations had been painless until that moment, seemed to break his body as parts and forms realigned. There a pulse of violent light and she knew that her lord's power was growing now as he streaked into the skies as nothing more than a wild ball of light.
This was her lord, she thought humorlessly before he came slamming into the earth, levelling the surrounding forest as a massive white inu, a pup no doubt. No where near the size she had seen him shift to be as a girl or when she was from, but his size was impressive all the same as he crouched over her and A-Un.
Tiāngǒu snarled, and the venom and poison of her lord drip from his jaws.
"You should have just let us leave," Rin murmured before her lord streaked past her as nothing more than a white blur.
Tiāngǒu was massive, twice the size of his father, but every instinct within Sesshōmaru had snapped the moment Rin had hit the ground and was threatened. Everything in him had stopped seeing her as protection and to be protected. The power which had flooded his body from this shift had been startling, he was surprised at how much shifting forms had hurt, never before had it hurt to claim his true form, but now it did.
The black inu seemed startled for some reason and Sesshōmaru rushed him, smaller he might be, for he would never stop growing in his true form, but he would win! Milk teeth dripped his venom and poison, as his claws tore through the earth; he went for Tiāngǒu's throat as he snarled menacingly and leapt. The older dog was startled, but tried to block with a paw, Sesshōmaru grabbed that and bit as hard as he could. The massive diayokai roared with pain and shoved him back. Rolling fast he was on his feet again and racing for the legs of the massive inu; if he couldn't get the throat he'd bring his grandfather down by the legs.
It burned! Tiāngǒu howled in agony as it felt like his leg was on fire, and he could feel it melting, it felt like lightning and swords were slashing through his foreleg. Instinct begged him to cut or chew off the infected limb, but the blinding pain made it impossible to focus. There was suddenly a white streak coming for his throat which had him weakly trying to bat his grandson away.
"Sesshōmaru-sama!" a voice screamed just before he felt his forms shifting and collapsing.
The massive pup stopped and turned.
"We need to go my lord!"
That was the last thing he remembered.
Sesshōmaru shifted forms, grabbing Rin's hand as A-Un took to the skies again and they raced forward. He looked back to see his grandfather curled up weakly and the palace engulfed in green fire as well as lightning. Rin's arm clutched him tighter as she urged A-Un onwards.
"Rin?"
"Hai…?" she shivered violently as the rain pelted them.
"Are you scared of me?"
"Never, my lord, never," she promised.
He didn't respond to that as he pressed himself more securely to his human and tried to keep her warm as they pressed through the storm. Sesshōmaru had been scared of himself, that power, it was so much, too much, and yet the rush of it was so intoxicating, but painful. He curled his claws into the material Rin wore and shivered with her a bit. Was that his true form's power? He didn't know if he'd ever be ready for that kind of power, it was so exhilarating and so painful.
"It hurt a lot," he murmured.
"It's a reminder, my lord," she answered.
"Of what?"
"To be kind," she answered. "You will possess the greatest power of any daiyōkai, ever, the pain of that is to remind you to be kind, to have mercy, to be patient, to think of all options before resorting to your power."
"Does it always hurt?"
"According to my lord, hai, it does, but you grow used to it," she answered softly.
He nodded as he nuzzled against her chest again and listened to her steady heart as they raced through the storm. He just wanted to go home. They had escaped but until he was in the East again, he merely desired to keep moving to get home again. He did not want to be here again.
Somewhere in Japan...
Kimi stood over Jimmu then, the Panther King quivered under her claws as her eyes bled red and her lips pulled back to reveal her fangs. She would destroy this feline if he did not tell her where her pup had been taken. Over two moons of battling this feline and she was feeling particularly murderous.
It would not matter if she obliterated the Hyōnekozoku Clan's leader, their self-proclaimed King, she would do it if she did not receive the answers she desired.
"Where is my son," she growled.
"In the West," Jimmu gasped as she tightened her claws, but he smiled still. She wanted to tear those horns off his throat and shove them down his throat before she tore out his innards and made him watch as she melted them into nothing but goo.
"Where!?" she snarled.
"You should tell her Tōga, or should I say Zhìháo?" he gasped.
She couldn't react before her mate growled and Jimmu fell dead from her claws, the kits screamed then as the Panther King gasped for life, with a gaping hole where his heart had resided. Tōga's claws were bloody as they held the heart.
"Never call me by that," he snarled and she let Jimmu drop dead then as she left with Tōga.
"If he is in the West then we will need to prepare for war with the West," Tōga stated.
"Why will you not ask your sires for him back?" she demanded.
"Because they would never dare to so something like that!" he snapped. "Prepare for war!"
Kimi glared at him as he stalked off, the inuyōkai moving for him. She wanted to skewer him for putting their pup in this situation, she wanted to throttle him too because this was a part of his life that he had promised her would never come back to haunt them. Now it appeared her mate was a liar. She wanted so badly to rip him to shreds for this.
