Hope for the Future

Chapter 2: Sesshoumaru

By: Technocoloredpaperclips

Summary: Kagome remains in the future only to discover a hidden underworld of youkai on the brink of revolution can she and a demon from her past work together in order to achieve peace?

…

Sesshoumaru sat under the stars as passive and timeless as the stones underneath him. He and his company had set up camp on a hill over looking the West.

The past few months had been quiet since Naraku's death, despite the recent boredom of only fighting unworthy youkai, he was glad of it. He had followed his brother's group in order to defeat Naraku, not out of concern but for pure strategy. Naraku had routinely appeared wherever InuYasha and his group of misfits were. If Naraku ever wanted to complete the Shikon Jewel, he would need the pieces that the group possessed. He remained close enough to easily run towards battle but far enough away so as not to be bothered by the hanyou.

His plan had worked. Naraku arrived and shortly after he joined into the melee. The tajia and monk attacked the peripheral youkai while he and the hanyou moved forward towards Naraku. The coward attempted to scurry away but InuYasha and Sesshoumaru had Naraku cornered. After a long skirmish, they finished Naraku off with the combined forces of the Tetsusaiga, the Tenseiga, and an arrow shot by the Miko.

A month later he heard from his spies in the East that his brother had killed himself…following the undead priestess into hell. How disgraceful, yet another smudge on the family tree. InuYasha allowed himself to die. For what, love? Guilt? All of which were thoroughly human and thoroughly disgusting. He almost sneered at the very thought. His brother was a weak idiot much like his father. Now they were both dead weak idiots.

Evidently the living Miko, Tetsusaiga, and the Shikon No Tama had disappeared around the same time. Her whereabouts were a mystery.

A snore interrupted his private musings whereupon he kicked Jaken in the head.

"My apologies Sesshoumaru-sama. I will try to have more control while I sleep," said Jaken as he groveled before him.

Sesshoumaru stood and walked into the forest.

…

He walked at a leisurely pace so that Rin could follow more easily. He didn't watch her but he knew that she had stopped to uproot flowers and was now running back to catch up.

Why had he kept her? All she did was slow his progress and take his time. Perhaps he kept her around to occupy Jaken. He heard the upset squeals of the toad behind him. He turned his head and was greeted with the site of Jaken with a crown of flowers. She amused him he supposed.

Something had to be done about her. Rumors had already begun with regards to the child. Some said he was keeping her for sexual gratification…revolting…while others believed he had gone soft like his father. These small musings could turn into political chaos if he wasn't careful. He knew all too well what they could take on a life of their own.

He thought back on his father's own mistake. He was taken back to the night before his father died. The great lord of the west stood before him basked in the light of a full moon. He couldn't see it but his father gave off the scent of fear… for his unborn child and human.

Father had just come from a battle with the powerful General Ryūkotsusei. Unable to kill the dragon, he bound the general with his fang. The dog demon of the west was bleeding profusely. The red of his blood mingled with the freshly fallen snow. I informed the lord that another human had kidnapped his human.

"Father it is unwise for you to do battle with the human. You're too weak." I told him this, knowing he wouldn't pay attention.

"Do you intend to stop me?"

"No but I wish for you to entrust me with the swords."

"Do you have someone to protect Sesshoumaru?"

I was taken aback by the question.

There was a subtle wind that increased to a gale as his father transformed into his true self. As his father bounded away to knowingly face his death, he couldn't help but wonder if his father would do the same for him. I turned my back on the receding silver dog and walked away.

That night changed his life. From then on he was forced to take on the responsibility of the West. Had his father not been so foolhardy he may still be alive today. His father and his silly emotions for the human, he was too caught up with the joys of his impending fatherhood to notice the political unrest around him. Ryūkotsusei was the head of the unrest but many of his father's allies had seen him unfit to rule.

Sesshoumaru inherited a kingdom in turmoil. He had to ruthlessly and efficiently get rid of all of those that dared oppose him. Much blood was spilt during the succession but he weathered through it without the assistance of the Tetsusaiga. He felt bitter towards his father, his irresponsibility and lack of foresight left Sesshoumaru struggling to maintain the empire of his forefathers. All of this over a silly human woman…

The rumors that swirled around him now were similar to the ones that his father had ignored. He would take care of this.

…

Rin walked quietly beside him crying. Her head hung down and even her ponytail seemed to droop.

Sesshoumaru had made the decision to leave her in a village with a trustworthy and noble human family. That way the rumors would come to an end. Despite his nonchalance and distance from the court, he knew that the political unrest surrounding his whim was dangerous.

He looked over at the young girl that had been his constant companion for nearly 2 years. She had grown, as humans were apt to do. She stood taller; she had better control of her constant prattle. She had recently gotten her first Kimono, a dark blue with light pink sakura blossoms. He had made sure that Jaken found her a dark color because she still had a nasty habit of running through mud.

He looked down at her. He knew it wasn't appropriate for her to follow him as she aged. He would let her go before she was made unfit to rejoin her human pack. If he didn't leave her with humans she would grow older and blossom into a young woman under his care. What would she do for a mate? He knew little of humans and wouldn't know what to teach her.

He rationalized that it was better this way, yet he felt a pull at his heartstrings.

They had reached the human house. It was an elaborate compound, with large rooms and pristine gardens. Rin would love the gardens. The family within had two pups about Rin's age. The noble man was politically savvy and his lands remained quite peaceful.

Sesshoumaru stood there and nodded to the family waiting at the gate. He stopped a few yards from the entrance and looked at Rin. She looked at him through teary eyes.

"Go," he pointed to the family.

Rin looked at the family and back up at him. She hugged his leg and nodded.

"Bye Sesshoumaru-sama. I love you."

In turn he patted her on the head and she walked away towards the humans. She looked back at them drying her eyes with her kimono sleeves and waved with a smile on her face. The humans bowed to him as he walked away. He would come by the next time his travels took him here.

…

The flickering of a dying fire lit the room. Three shadows sat around a table in a hushed discussion.

"I'm not sure why we're here or why this meeting required such a level of secrecy. Why isn't Sesshoumaru here? Is this not a lords meeting?" said a young violet haired man with grey eyes.

Haro scoffed at Jiro, the youngest of the lords and ill favored for the lordship. "Jiro this is a meeting about Sesshoumaru, it won't do to have him here while we consider whether or not he should remain Lord of the West," he said in an ironic tone, his dark brown hair and orange eyes shining in the firelight.

"What are the claims against him? He's an honorable lord!" Jiro exclaimed astonished at the premise of the meeting.

"Kano you've been quiet. Why don't you explain the situation to the hatchling," said Haro

A cruel chuckle came from the final figure, "Jiro you overlook the obvious because of your affection for the Lord. The claims are his lack of mate and inability to produce an heir. He was unable to defeat a hanyou and lost his right arm. The situation with the young human that follows him about bears an uncomfortable resemblance to the predicament his father had gotten himself into with a human. His personal instability has caused instability within his own kingdom. That instability is dangerous for all three of the other kingdoms, if the people overthrow Sesshoumaru it might give them silly ideas and hopes of overthrowing us," Kano's eyes were an impassive silver boring holes into Jiro.

"I agree, it is better to overthrow him now then have the peasants do it later."

Jiro looked at them in shock, how could they be suggesting betrayal on another lord. What about the treaties they had signed? What about the promise to protect this island? Didn't that matter?

"What about the treaties? We all have non-violence pacts making this island peaceful. It would be an act of war to overthrow a lord," Jiro couldn't believe he was trying to reason with them. He looked over at Haro, the southern boar youkai, Jiro knew that whatever Kano said Haro would follow but this was insane. Jiro than looked at Kano, the look in his eyes told him that this was Kano's brainchild.

Kano stared back with his steely gaze and said, "The treaties are only valid if the lord is doing his position justice. Haro and I believe that the West is lacking a legitimate leader. His bloodline has been besmirched by his father and now by his own brother. I am sure, Jiro, that you've heard the rumors of the dead Miko pulling his younger brother to hell two summers ago. How are his people supposed to find protection in a family such as that?"

"I'm leaving I refuse to even entertain the notion of destabilizing the main island because of some silly feud you've made up Kano!"

"SIT DOWN!" Kano roared at the young taiyoukai. Kano regained his composure, "I hate to lower myself to base threats Jiro but if you don't do this I'll strip you of your lands. You will die, for what? The idea of being noble? Would Sesshoumaru risk his lands for you? I believe we both know the answer. That pretty young mate of yours and your new hatchling might die in the process."

"HOW DARE YOU," Jiro's eyes tinged red with anger. Haro's hands were soon upon him.

"Stand down Jiro."

"What will it be Jiro protect your family or protect one barely fit for lordship?"

Jiro returned to their normal grey. How dare he threaten me! Jiro regained his senses he knew that as a young lord he would be unable to take either Kano or Haro on. Alone the odds were highly unlikely but together the feat was nearly impossible. He felt the pressure of the dilemma before him. A piece of paper was pushed towards him.

"We need your blood on this paper to make it a pact. At this point you won't even have to get your hands dirty, it's already in motion," Kano confirmed.

Two bloodstains were already on the paper and his would complete the pact. He went to the katana at his waist and unsheathed it. Jiro held it to his hand…Sesshoumaru my friend I am sorry…

The droplets fell onto the paper with a sickening pat pat. The paper came to life as the other two droplets were activated and they snaked together meeting in the center of the paper. The comingled blood shot out across the paper forming into scarlet words, Sesshoumaru's sentence was written in blood. The blood oath was complete.

The other two lords stood up and turned to walk away. Kano looked back and said, "Jiro we'll come after you if Sesshoumaru catches wind of this. Go to the North and protect your lands like a good little hatchling."

The shoji screen closed behind them. Jiro felt the misery of betrayal. All too aware that Kano's threat was serious.

…

AN: Okay second chapter… next chapter is going to be a little more action packed…. Review please!