Forbidden

Chapter Seven: An Unlocked Past

It was nearly dusk and Sesshoumaru was just a little bit past halfway up the mountain. He was not fully recovered yet to be able to use his powers, so he had to get to his destination the old fashioned way: walking. He had not felt so drained for a long time. Sesshoumaru stopped and took out the stopper from the vile and drank the medicine, then continued climbing.

One more hour passed, and then another, and another. Finally, Sesshoumaru reached the entrance to the castle. The guards just looked at him and let him pass. Memories were rekindled as he entered the city gates. The open streets and luxurious homes were aglow with the lanterns and were surrounded with marvelous gardens. A dog demon couple that was sitting on a bench threw him an awkward look, then continued chatting. Sesshoumaru walked across a decorated bridge toward the palace he used to reside in, surrounded by a crystal clear lake and waterfalls and gardens. He entered the palace and walked through the grand hall to the only room with light still in it.

"You're late, Sesshoumaru." A woman's voice echoed from the shadows. Sesshoumaru scoped out the room; no one was there, only shelves full of scrolls, sutras, books, paintings and fans on the wall, collections of antiquities and weapons. A beautiful, silver haired woman emerged from the shadows. She had a crescent moon on her forehead and a fur pelt draped from her arms on top of a purple kimono.

"Welcome home, my son."

"Why have you called for me, mother?" Sesshoumaru growled coldly, shocked to find his mother behind all this and angry at his mother for all the wrongs she has committed in the past and present.

"Remember who you speak with, Sesshoumaru. I am your mother, and you will treat me with the respect I deserve."

"I am.'

"Stubborn like your father..." The woman hissed. "Follow me." She strolled into the adjacent room, with no furniture except for a coal pit. What Sesshoumaru saw frustrated, stunned and shocked him. His eyes immediately fell on Nanami, shackled in heavy, rusty chains, but she was dressed in an extraordinary black and blue kimono and her hair was elegantly pinned up and decorated with combs. She was stunning. A graceful, deadly beauty, shackled and restrained in the hands of a pitiful, hideous, cowardly half demon who sought to gain her power. Sesshoumaru was furious with the sight of Naraku and the knowledge that his own mother joined forces with the beast. he could feel his hands reach for his sword, ready to slaughter everyone, but Nanami, in the room.

"Well, well, well. Sesshoumaru, old friend, you didn't expect this did you?" The messenger walked up to Nanami, but he stared at Sesshoumaru. Then he turned toward the woman and brushed his thumb over her lips. Nanami scowled and turned away. There was nothing more that she wanted to do than make him choke on his own fingers.

"Remember the day when this all began?... We were sitting in the shade of an oak tree after the training session, joking around, laughing, when your father brought this ... goddess of disaster into the field. This woman ruined everything both of us had... she butchered your family, betrayed me, stole your heart and led you to betray me. This goddess..." The messenger pointed to Nanami, tears cascading down her cheeks, lips trembling. "No..." She whispered.

Sesshoumaru frowned at the crying woman, but his eyes were concerned, not confused. Out of nowhere, his mother swiftly placed her thumbs on Sesshoumaru's temples. There was a sharp pain and the next thing he knew, Sesshoumaru's memory was unlocked.

Sesshoumaru remembered himself at the age of 18, sitting under an oak tree, resting from his father's rigid training session. Next to him was the messenger, panting and grumbling.

"Your... father... is insane!" He barely managed to protest between heavy breaths.

"Now imagine living with him..." Sesshoumaru replied and whistled. He loved his father to death, but there were just some things that he did that were...

"Heh. No, thanks, I'll pass... I cannot wait until the Autumn Festival tonight! Ahh, the girls, the food, the girls! Are you coming?"

"You ask as if I have a choice..." Sesshoumaru said before taking a greedy gulp of cold water from his canteen. The messenger smirked evilly and scootched closer to Sesshoumaru, who gave him a really awkward look.

"You know, Hatsumomo will be anxiously waiting your arrival... Mmmmmeaow..." The man said in a sultry voice and leaning in closer to Sesshoumaru. The demon stared at the messenger with a disgusted look and smashed the canteen with the messenger's head. The man clutched his head, but laughed hysterically.

"It was a joke, dammit!"

"Your sense of humor is pathetic at best."

"Come on, Sess-chan, you know she worships you and she is gorgeous."

"Don't ever call me that. Don't you remember what happened last time, Ryuu?" Sesshoumaru smirked.

"I'm still getting splinters out of my ass..." Ryuu chuckled and nodded.

"I still think I did not hit you hard enough... And yes, she is beautiful, but once she starts talking, I have a sudden urge to hold her under water until all the bubbles stop..."

"Well aren't you the gentleman?"

"Can't help it."

"Who's that?" Ryuu motioned to Sesshoumaru's father walking back to the fields with a young man. They stopped on the shore of a pond with a waterfall and talked for a little while. Inu no Taisho crossed his massive arms over his chest and muttered something. The young man slumped and dropped his arms to his sides in response.

Ryuu clapped his hands once and pointed to the young man, laughing. "Newbie!! Your pop just told him to hit him- it's the initiation test. Ha! come on, Let's go!" He jumped up and slapped Sesshoumaru's head for no apparent reason. Sesshoumaru forcefully slapped Ryuu's back, making him let out a weird sounding groan, and the two walked down to the pond.

"He's so scrawny! He'll be dead by noon tomorrow!" Sesshoumaru chuckled.

"This aughtta be gooood!!" Ryuu squealed.

Sesshoumaru's father looked over his shoulder then turned back to the young man, wearing a black training outfit. He had black, tousled hair that reached to his shoulders and his face did not look too masculine.

"Here come two of my best students. If you want their respect, you have better prove yourself." He announced. Fear was written all over the young man's face and he shook his head in denial. Inu no Taisho squinted at him. -Blue eyes...- He suddenly shoved the young man into the pond. Sesshoumaru and Ryuu could not stifle their laughter as the novice crashed into the water. But their laughter faded as soon as it started. The novice's hair was floating around, separated from the head. The newbie stood up out of the water slowly, his back to the men. Sesshoumaru and Ryuu's eyes seemed as if they were going to fall out of their sockets.

"What in the friggin' hell??" Ryuu grunted. The novice's clothes hugged 'his' figure tightly, revealing a tiny waist, an hourglass shape and toned legs. The novice's real hair was dark gold when wet and reached down to her shoulder blades.

"Turn around... Nanami." Sesshoumaru's father commanded. Reluctantly, the new student turned. Make up was running off the girl's pale, attractive face. Her dark blue eyes pierced the air as she stared at the three men.

"Holy hell!!" Ryuu exclaimed and slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes tracing the girl's figure. Sesshoumaru was stunned and stared wide-eyed at the girl. -The chamber maid? Mother's slave?... She is... changed...-

Inu no Taisho smirked and shook his head. "Did you think I would not recognize you, Nanami? I have to admit, I did not at first... but a woman like you can't turn into a man and behave like him. You were too graceful, and not many men have enchanting eyes like yours... You should have come as yourself... either way, I'm still waiting..."

Nanami was surprised he did not tell her to get out of his sight.

"But she's a girl! She can't punch or kick or handle a weapon! She should be in a teahouse, giggling around and spending hours dressing up and playing with her hair. She'll cry if she breaks a nail for heavens sake!" Ryuu mocked the girl, who stared daggers at his face. Sesshoumaru's father slapped his hand on his forehead and wiped his face, looking at Ryuu like he was an idiot. -You couldn't be more wrong about this girl...- He then turned to Nanami and signaled for her to come to him. She obeyed and came up to the man. He draped his arm around her shoulders and glanced at her and then at Ryuu. He motioned to the man and told Nanami. "By all means... be my guest and teach him a lesson."

Ryuu laughed and spread out his arms. "Come then, Hit me as hard as you can. I'll go easy on you, pigeon."

The girl smiled slyly and walked up to Ryuu. He smiled a crooked smile and looked at her with a hint of lust. She swiftly threw a precise punch at the pressure point on his chest, knocking the wind out of him, grabbed his head by his hair and smashed it against her knee. The guy fell to the ground, groaning, not knowing what to hold to stop the pain. Sesshoumaru frowned and cocked an eyebrow. His father smiled and clapped his hands twice.

"What is the matter? Out of breath already?" Nanami leaned over the man. He growled and knocked her to the ground. She stood up immediately and threw a crescent kick in his face, and then another and then smashed his head into a tree, without a single sound coming from her. The guy spat out fragments of bark and two teeth before collapsing to the ground. "Oh, shit." He mumbled.

"Very well done. Be in the fields at dawn the day after tomorrow... all of you. Now go and prepare for the festival. You too, Nanami. I expect to see all three of you there." Sesshoumaru's father said before he left toward the castle. Nanami stretched out her hand to her opponent, who looked at her with caution. "You're not gonna break my neck, are you?"

"Not today." She smirked and pulled him up from the ground as a sign of respect. "And I'm sorry about your teeth... but you were asking for it."

"No problem. I lost count after 35 teeth that jackass over there beat out of me." Ryuu commented as Sesshoumaru approached him. "Don't hit me!" He warned Sesshoumaru, he had enough of that medicine from an ordinary chambermaid.

"Your master must have been in good graces to let you out of her sight." Sesshoumaru told the girl. She looked up at the young demon in the training outfit, recognizing him as the boy she saw in the mansion halls years ago, except he had grown up.

"I have no master." She replied calmly. "Your father took me from your mother's shackles four years ago. She hates me so passionately, she would be glad to have me out of her sight." Nanami walked past Sesshoumaru toward the castle. She stopped and turned back to the two men. "It was nice meeting you." She told Ryuu. The guy smirked, still holding his head.

"Sorry that I can't say the same to you."

Nanami smiled and turned to Sesshoumaru. "It was nice seeing you again, Sesshoumaru." Then she left.

"Wait... does she know you?" Ryuu grunted.

"I... don't know."

Note: It takes about two seconds for Sesshoumaru to remember all this stuff (the flashback isn't over yet), but for the sake of the story, I'm gonna describe what happened for about another chapter. By the way, during the past chapters, Nanami didn't remember Sesshoumaru either, and why will be explained in the next chapter. But when Sesshoumaru shows up, his mother had already unlocked her memory.

Again, suggestions and critiques are welcome and appreciated, so email me! Thanks and I hope you like it so far!