An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions.
All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only.
This chapter is centered solely on Sesshoumaru, and helps to move the plot along very nicely, if I may say so myself. Oh, and I already know there's a hole in one of my theories in this story, but for now, it'll just have to work, and I'll make it work. So please bear with me if you find inconsistencies. I may have made them for a reason. Thanks for reading!
Part 05: Discoveries of a Daiyoukai
Sesshoumaru sat serenely in front of the outdoor cafe, idly sipping his tea, quietly contemplating nothing. A few days ago, he had decided to take an extended trip away from his home estate, the day-to-day affairs having once again driven him to the brink of insanity. Despite the fact that his estate was only a fraction of the size it had been since the days he had ruled over the Western Lands, there were still a great many things that needed to be done, much more than he cared for, and he was quickly growing weary of it.
Today he found himself in one of the many shopping districts of Tokyo, sipping tea and feeling rather bored with himself. He wasn't sure why he had chosen Tokyo as his point of interest for this trip, but he must have had some particular reason for visiting the over-populated and noisy city, and he was sure it had been a good one. After all, he never made any decision without first consulting himself. Convinced of his sound reasoning, he allowed himself a small mental pat on the back before letting his mind go blank once more.
He watched with no interest at the throng of people who passed him on the sidewalk. Most were oblivious to everything around them, mindlessly babbling over some silly topic that was of no interest to him. A few, however, idly glanced his way, taking in his strange appearance with a frown; that is, until their gaze met with his golden one, after which they tended to find the asphalt much more interesting to stare at.
"My Lord..."
The incessant whining tone of Imachi, one of Sesshoumaru's many advisors of the past two-hundred-something-odd years, broke through his moment of peace, entirely unbidden, and Sesshoumaru allowed his lip to curl ever so slightly in a snarl. To his satisfaction, he heard his advisor squeak a little in fear. Unfortunately, that did not stop him from speaking.
"My Lord," Imachi tried again, "It is time that you produced an heir," he said matter-of-factly, his oddly-shaped head nodding sagely in order to emphasize his point.
Sesshoumaru sighed a heavy sigh, and not for the first time that day.
"I remain by my decision," he said cryptically, not even bothering to turn to look at the lesser youkai sitting across from him. He imagined a look of utter frustration on the serpent youkai's dismantled face and allowed a small smile to grace his lips.
It was then that his sensitive nose caught wind of a familiar scent, one he had not smelled living for several centuries, and his memory stirred. He closed his eyes, concentrating on it, blocking out the mindless chatter of his advisor and the noise of the traffic surrounding them.
The scent was faint, barely there, but his sharp senses easily plucked it out from amongst all the other smells, as if it were a prized flower and he was in a garden. The back of his mind attempted to inform him that Tokyo was nothing like a garden, but he quickly pushed the comment aside.
His nose tweaked, and he inhaled the scent deep into his lungs. It was the same as he remembered all those centuries ago; and yet, it was different than he remembered, somehow muffled from its former self. It was as if someone had sealed it behind a heavy iron door and left it there to rot.
"My Lord!"
The loud whine of his advisor startled him, breaking him out of his deep concentration. He opened a golden eye and glared daggers at the small youkai, who suddenly seemed to shrink into his own clothes. Sesshoumaru, keeping one piercing eye trained on his advisor, sniffed the air for the scent again, but it was no longer there, almost as if it hadn't existed in the first place.
Immensely irritated now at the interruption, especially on a topic he had thought he dismissed ages ago, yet somehow kept resurfacing every year, Sesshoumaru turned his full glare on his unwitting advisor, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
"Urk," Imachi spat out, finding the good decency to attempt to bury himself even further into his garments, inadvertently causing passers-by to snicker at his comical posture. He paid them no heed; self-preservation being his first priority before dignity. At least, that's what he told himself, anyway.
In his mind, Sesshoumaru allowed himself the satisfaction of imagining the serpent youkai devoid of a nose and several appendages. Without a word, the demon lord stood gracefully from the table and began walking back in the direction of the hotel, leaving a stunned youkai in his wake to pay the bill.
"Miko."
The word slipped from his tongue in the form of a whisper, and he rolled it around on his tongue a few more times, tasting the flavour of it in his mouth. How was it she was still alive? he thought to himself, past memories stirring as his mind brought back images of those last several events centuries ago that had taken the lives of his brother and his friends.
Sesshoumaru stood facing the vile creature Naraku as he cackled horribly in the middle of the clearing, his back up against his brother's. The two held out their respective swords, metal glinting ominously in the fading afternoon light, twin blades promising death and ultimate destruction to the monster before them.
"You cannot defeat me!" Naraku exclaimed, one of his many tentacles slashing forward through the air at them.
With a great speed and power that was borne of the famous Inu clan, Sesshoumaru and InuYasha leapt into the air, each bringing down their blades to strike into the evil hanyou's flesh, black blood spurting forth from their combined efforts, splattering across their already blood-soaked clothes.
Just as their swords met with poisonous flesh, a bright arrow flashed in-between them, headed straight for Naraku's chest, the glowing light surrounding the flying object so intense it was difficult to look upon.
The creature before them screamed in complete agony as the arrow hit its destined target, then went silent as his body lurched violently. He was going to explode! Sesshoumaru heard two screams simultaneously. One, he knew from the miko that travelled with his brother, Kagome was her name; the other was from Rin, and his heart picked up as it thumped loudly in his chest. Where was she?
Sesshoumaru saw out of the corner of his eye as his brother leapt to the other side of the clearing to the miko's side. His eyes searched the clearing frantically for signs of his ward. There! Just beyond the first stand of trees. She stood with Jaken's Staff of Two Heads in her hand, trembling with fear. Where was Jaken?
As Sesshoumaru raced to the side of his ward, he saw one of Naraku's flailing tentacles stab through the air headed straight for Rin's chest. She screamed again, the terrible sound ripping sharp claws down the insides of his chest. He was almost there!
Sesshoumaru raised Toukijin and slashed the air in front of him. As expected, the resulting air pressure from the sword cleanly sliced through the tentacle before it reached her, but he didn't stop his pace; not just yet. As the sounds of a great explosion behind him rocketed past his ears, he safely reached the side of his ward and wrapped his long body around hers to protect her from the oncoming shockwave.
The pain was immense, and his skin burned from where it was exposed to the poisonous miasma that shot out from Naraku's dying body. Tenseiga suddenly pulsed at his side, and soon, he could no longer feel the corrosive effects of the miasma on his skin. He dimly realized that the sword was once again choosing to save his life, and in doing so, indirectly saved the life of his ward.
After a few minutes passed, Sesshoumaru slowly opened his eyes and looked around, his gold-tinted gaze taking in the battle-torn clearing. Naraku was no longer in the center of it; instead, where he had once stood were now bloody stumps of the various youkai that had made up his grotesque body, black blood staining the once-green grass.
He slowly uncurled himself and stood up, helping Rin up to her feet. He could feel her trembling next to him, fear radiating off of her tiny form in giant waves, making his nose tweak at the smell of it. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, hoping it would help calm her down.
"Lord Sesshoumaru?" her tiny voice squeaked out. He looked down at her, but her eyes were not on him for once. Instead, she stood stock-still, brown eyes wide as she stared past the tree line to the blood-strewn clearing. This was not good, he thought to himself. He needed to take her away from here; she had seen too much death in her life for someone so young. But first, he needed to inspect the clearing to see if anyone else had survived.
"Rin," his regal voice intoned, keeping his voice steady for her sake, despite the foreboding feeling mounting inside of him. Thankfully, she looked up at him, tearing her innocent eyes away from the horror out there.
"Go back and sit with Ah-Un," he commanded, making sure to keep eye contact with her. "Wait for me there."
He watched her, trying to convey to her the urgency through his gaze. Slowly, he watched as she nodded her head to say that she understood, then turned to go to where the two-headed dragon lay waiting. He watched her go, making sure that she was okay before turning back to look at the clearing.
He was about to step back out to the battlefield when his foot hit something. Looking down, he suddenly realized that he had bumped into the lifeless body of his long-time retainer, one of Naraku's tentacles pierced through his chest. From the way his arms were stretched outwards, Sesshoumaru realized that the toad youkai had attempted to block Naraku's blow from hitting the human child, and by doing so had given his life for hers. Jaken would need a proper burial, he thought to himself. He would not leave without the small youkai's body.
He stepped into the clearing, his feet bringing him to the spot where Naraku had stood before the explosion. His eyes slowly surveyed the resulting damage. There was a large crater in front of him, strewn with various body parts and congealing black blood. The sight was repulsive, and it was only Sesshoumaru's strong will-power that prevented him from grimacing at the grotesque sight.
He was about to turn away when he saw something twinkling in the middle of the crater. Curiosity getting the best of him, he reached down and picked up the glowing object. It was a large shard of the Shikon jewel; the smaller shards that Naraku had possessed must have fused while within the hanyou's body during the fight. The miko would want this, he thought to himself, quickly tucking the object into his haori for the moment.
The great demon lord scanned the bloody field again, his feet taking him to the last spot he had seen InuYasha at before the blast wave had hit.
His brother was not there; instead of the body he had been expecting to find, there remained only charred ground and broken pieces of shattered wood strewn everywhere. The old Bone eater's well had been destroyed.
Sesshoumaru briefly wondered if perhaps his brother had already left; but then, if he had, why would he leave without the last of the Shikon shards?
He caught something glinting beneath the pile of rubble. At his side, Tenseiga began to tremble, and he put his hand on it to still it.
"Tetsusaiga," he whispered aloud, a strange feeling suddenly flooding his body. His hand frantically tore at the pile of debris beneath his feet, expecting to find his brother's lifeless body beneath it. But when he pulled back the last piece of wood, only the rusted blade of the untransformed fang winked back at him. His brother was nowhere to be found.
Sitting next to the blade was the odd yellow bag that he frequently saw the miko carrying around. Cautiously, he picked it up, bringing the rough woven material to his nose. Her scent was all over it, and he found the smell strangely soothing, readily calming his frazzled nerves.
Putting the bag down, he stared back at Tetsusaiga, the answer to the riddle he had been pondering finally dawning on him. His brother would never have left their father's sword behind. No, Sesshoumaru thought, understanding at last what had happened. He stood up again, his golden eyes strangely sad as he looked out across the clearing. There, he could see the monk's shoukaju stabbed into the ground across the clearing, and next to it, embedded into the base of a tree, was the taijiya's Hiraikotsu.
InuYasha and his friends were dead, all trace of their bodies dissolved from Naraku's corrosive miasma.
Sesshoumaru walked into his penthouse suite, quickly followed by Imachi, who shut and locked the door behind them. Quickly excusing himself, he made his way to the back of the suite to their makeshift office.
Sesshoumaru tossed his designer jacket haphazardly onto the couch in the front room, immediately submerging himself in the luxurious velvet cushions.
"Myouga," he called out once he was comfortable. Within moments, the old flea youkai appeared, hopping up onto his master's knee.
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Myouga said, "What can I do for you today?"
Sesshoumaru stared at the tiny retainer for a moment, studying him. Myouga had come into his service after the death of his brother, replacing Jaken in his household. Despite the fact that he found the tiny youkai's cowardice excruciatingly irritating at times, the flea had proven to be extremely adept at gathering information for him over the course of the past several hundred years.
He noticed tiny beads of sweat forming on the tiny youkai's forehead. Perhaps he had been staring too long.
"Myouga," Sesshoumaru said, his commanding tone making the flea demon stand to attention. "Tell me what you know of InuYasha's miko."
Myouga blinked, startled by his master's unexpected request. Lord Sesshoumaru had not mentioned the name of his brother in over four-hundred years, so why would he suddenly do so now? Myouga's brain cranked, curious as to what could have triggered his master's memories. He quickly cleared his throat. To try his master's almost non-existent patience would be the same as inviting death.
"Which of Lord InuYasha's mikos would my Lord be inquiring about?" Myouga asked. He had long ago learned of the tongue of civility with his new master. Lord Sesshoumaru had not been one who tolerated improper conduct amongst his ranks, even now after all these hundreds of years.
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes as if the answer was an obvious one. He waved a clawed hand towards the dining table, Myouga's eyes following the movement to the large yellow sack perched atop it.
Ah, now he understood. For the past five-hundred years since the death of Naraku, the demon lord had never travelled anywhere without Lady Kagome's backpack, and would often be seen sitting quietly somewhere sniffing the mysterious object. No one had ever dared to question the Daiyoukai as to what he seemed to find so fascinating about the strange bag, but Myouga suspected it had something to do with Lady Kagome's unique scent, left imprinted on the bag even after the passing of so many centuries. He had often seen Lord InuYasha doing the same thing with some of Lady Kagome's other belongings whenever he thought no one was looking.
"Ah yes, Lady Kagome," Myouga informed his master, a smile lighting up his aged face at the memory of the spirited girl.
"I am aware of her name," Sesshoumaru intoned, getting impatient. "Tell me what you know of her," he demanded in his curt voice.
A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Myouga's face, and he hurried to continue.
"Lady Kagome was a most wonderful and extraordinary girl," Myouga stated. "She was exquisitely beautiful, extremely educated for a human girl, and a very powerful miko." Myouga paused, then decided to test his master's reaction. "And she had a heavenly scent and the most delicious blood," he added, remembering the unique taste of it even now.
Myouga looked up into the face of the great demon lord, searching for a clue as to why his master was so infatuated with Lady Kagome's backpack, but his face remained as impassive as ever. If he had felt anything at Myouga's casual remark, he certainly didn't show it.
"Was she human?" Sesshoumaru asked suddenly, startling the little flea.
"Why, yes my Lord," Myouga replied, his head nodding fervently. "Lady Kagome was most definitely human." He watched his master's eyes drift over to where the backpack lay, quietly contemplating something. What exactly, he did not know.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice a bit softer now. He still stared at the large sack, a strange emotion flickering in his golden gaze, but it was gone before Myouga could identify it.
"Hmm," Myouga said, crossing two of his four arms across his chest. He lowered his head, making a big show of concentrating.
"Let's see," he said, trying to remember what he knew about the young priestess. "Lady Kagome was the future reincarnation of Lady Kikyou, InuYasha's first miko -"
"Future?" Sesshoumaru asked, abruptly cutting him off in mid-sentence. He turned his head back to look at Myouga, eyes wide with sudden interest.
Myouga sagely nodded his head, standing up a little straighter. He was proud to have finally found something that interested his master.
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru," he continued, "Lady Kagome had told us long ago that she was from the future of Japan, and that a centipede mononoke that had been after the Shikon jewel had dragged her back in time through the old Bone eater's well."
Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, processing the information that Myouga had given him.
"How far into the future was she from?" he asked.
Myouga shook his head sadly. "Alas, I do not know, my Lord," he replied. "She had never told us that." Then a thought occurred to him.
"If this lowly Myouga may ask, my Lord, why is it that you ask of her?"
Sesshoumaru stared at his retainer for a long moment, most likely pondering on whether to tell him or not. He blinked once, then looked back at the yellow bag on the table, that strange emotion once again flickering across his vision.
"This Sesshoumaru has smelled her scent this morning," he said simply.
Myouga stood shocked on his master's knee upon hearing the simple confession, eyes wide. Then the words slowly sunk into his brain and he began jumping up and down in excitement, much to the annoyance of his master.
"Lady Kagome is here?" he shouted excitedly as he jumped around. then a thought struck him and he stopped, looking up at his master's annoyed face. Oops, he thought, but quickly recovered himself.
"I thought my Lord had said Lady Kagome had died with Lord InuYasha?" he quickly asked, hoping to distract his master from his previous actions, thereby smartly avoiding death at his hands. It worked.
"That is what I had thought," Sesshoumaru said, gracefully getting up from the couch and walking over to the backpack. He lifted one of the worn straps to his nose and inhaled deeply, letting the soothing scent wash over him, helping him to think.
If what the old flea had said about the Bone eater's well was true regarding its possible time travel abilities, then perhaps his idiot brother had had the good sense to send her back through it one last time before the well had been destroyed by Naraku's explosion. If so, then that would definitely explain why she was still alive five-hundred years later, especially if she was just a human.
Sesshoumaru opened his golden eyes again and looked down to see Myouga on the dining table, looking up expectantly at him.
"Myouga," he said, his tone commanding once more.
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?"
"We must go to find the miko," he said simply, though his mind was already churning with a million and one thoughts regarding why.
A huge grin broke out across Myouga's face, and he once again began jumping up and down on the table's surface, earning a disapproving frown from his master.
Looking away, Sesshoumaru called loudly for Imachi, who appeared in front of the demon lord within moments, bowing low.
"We are going out," the great Daiyoukai said simply to the lesser demon, silently communicating to him to prepare for the afternoon outing.
Imachi seemed to get the message, and bowing once more, scurried off to make the proper arrangements.
A/N:
So sorry this chapter took me a lot longer to write than I had previously thought it would, but at least the delay was only stretched by a day. I hope you're not mad at me!
Any and all reviews are most certainly appreciated! Thanks for hanging in there with me!