Chapter 4:

Aurora

"Sunrise offered a very beautiful spectacle; the water was quite unruffled, but the motion communicated by the tides was so great that, although there was not a breath of air stirring, the sea heaved slowly with a grand and majestic motion."

-George Grey

Ryura woke with a start, his body surging with the feel of an extremely familiar power off towards the west. Groggily he lifted his head and shook it of the sand clinging to his face and hair. He was up on his knees shortly after, his hands brushing off the sand that invaded every crevice of his armor. This wasn't going to be easy. He needed to find fresh water to wash his armor in, lest it begin to rust from the salt water he'd been swimming in before. Not only for his armor, but for himself too. He felt crusty in places that had no right to be crusty.

Now he remembered why he hated swimming in the ocean.

With a huff that sent his blue bangs flying into the air, Ryura turned and plopped himself down on the sand, eyes staring out towards the water. All aggravating thoughts of sand, armor, crusty places, and salt water left him at the sight in front of him.

The sun was cresting over the horizon, painting the skies with colors of pink, peach, orange and red. He realized then not only had he slept for literally an entire day, he was also home, sitting in the lands of Eastern Nippon. The lands of his birth, the lands his House ruled over for centuries was directly below him. A wave of nostalgia rose up within him as he remembered his father taking him aside when he was a but a child and saying in a very poetic way that if he was ever lost, all he would need to do is look for the rising sun, and then he would know the way home. His father grinned like a sheepish child then and said if Ryura was ever truly lost, that he would do his best to find his "wayward dragon prince."

He was lost, but only this time his father wouldn't be there to bring him home again.

Ryura watched the sun rise until the brightly glowing globe was just about to appear as a full circle in the sky, then rose to his feet and turned. He walked into the forest ahead of him, a small smile on his face the entire time, and he began searching for a body of fresh water. His nose aided him greatly in the search and it was just under half an hour when he came across a large lake.

The lake was in pristine condition with pure, fresh water reflecting the landscape around it back at him like a mirror. He could easily see his reflection as well, and with a sour note, noticed that sand still clung to his blue hair.

Ryura didn't even bother stripping of his armor and clothing. He just walked right into the lake as if he owned it. The water was cold, but refreshing at the same time and the Dragon maneuvered his way further into the water until it reached his chest, where he went about taking off his armor a piece at a time and cleaning it with vigor. Whenever he finished with a piece, he would flare his youki around it, drying off the now gleaming metal instantly without much effort. The pieces soon began to pile on the grassy shore until Ryura was left in nothing but his clothing.

The same process was repeated with his clothing which then joined the pile of his armor. Now all that was left was himself. Frankly that was the easy part. Even washing his god-awful long hair once it was unbraided didn't take as much time as washing his armor of every bit of salt water and sand it was covered in.

Once everything he owned was cleaned, Ryura relaxed in the water, floating along the surface on his back with his eyes closed. He enjoyed the feeling of the sun soaking into his skin, the warmth it provided him in stark contrast with the cool water he was laying in. His unbound hair tickled his arms and back, but that was the least worry from his mind at the moment.

Where were his swords? He had been brought back with everything he died with, except for his swords. It pained him to think they were in the hands of someone else, or lost for good – neither was a pleasing option. Both swords had been given to him by his father on his nineteenth name-day. They were a sign that his father was officially recognizing Ryura as the heir to both the Lands of the East and the House of Storms. Ryura had betrayed that trust. Yet another sin to pile atop the already growing mound.

Then there was the issue of the sharp jolt of energy that woke him from his slumber. He was familiar with the feeling, but something was off. It was as if he should know exactly what that energy was from, but it didn't exactly feel right. It wasn't a person, or a youkai, no. It was the power of an object, and he could only pray it wasn't his power sphere trying to pull him back into its tempting power. He had no desire to look at that thing ever again. He enjoyed seeing his reflection in the water when he first arrived, only because he was lacking the blue diamond centered on his forehead that held the blue power sphere. His forehead was smooth and void of any damnable bauble, and he couldn't be more grateful

He frowned and swam back to the shore. His mind was too frazzled to enjoy the relaxation completely, and he didn't want to ruin what peace he did find, however little it was.

Ryura was stopped in his tracks by a pulse of youki coming from under the water. Something was hiding in its depths – something strong enough to hide its aura and youki, else he would have felt it.

"Just my fucking luck," he cursed loudly. He was without his swords; hell he was without his armor or clothing.

He quickly rushed for the shore then and reached for his pants. Ryura was determined to at least wear pants when he fought, as he wasn't fond of the idea of fighting stark naked. He was quick enough to tie the string of his pants before he was bombarded by a pure youki attack. He felt the energy burn along his skin like acid and he hissed through clenched teeth.

The water before Ryura bubbled and gurgled suddenly as whatever youkai it was began to ascend from the depths. It burst through the mirror-like water, shattering the serenity that could be found by the lake. Roaring with fury at having its home invaded, the youkai rose to its full length while its massive scaled arms reached out to its sides. It was a display of dominance.

The youkai was a Dragon. A water Dragon. Not only that, it was another Daiyoukai.

Ryura cursed again and fell into a fighting stance. His bare left foot slid forward, the grass beneath offering no resistance, and at the same time he planted his right firmly below him as his arms raised until his forearms were even with his chest. He left his hands open as he would need his claws to fight another Dragon. His fists just wouldn't cut it, literally.

The water Dragon roared in Ryura face, leaning down until its snout was mere feet away from him. Ryura didn't pass up the opportunity, he quickly sprung forward and within the span of a heart beat was in the water Dragon's face, spinning until his feet were in the air as he used his momentum to rake his claws across the scaled covered snout. His claws caught an edge of one of the water Dragon's nostrils, making the Dragon growl loudly.

"How dare you sssssully what isss mine!" The Dragon roared. "Thisss isss my home, and you will die for your offensssesss towardsss me!"

Ryura let out a snort as he twisted in the air and landed on the water Dragon's snout, directly between its eyes. The blue eyes of the Dragon crossed to focus on him and watched as Ryura flexed his fingers quickly, joints cracking from the effort.

"I have an idea, if I don't kill you perhaps you should think about letting some of your youki out, so others will know what is yours!" Ryura roared at the water Dragon as he raised his arm and brought it harshly down along the Dragons right eye. Thankfully for the water Dragon, it had closed its eyes at the right moment, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

It let out a roar of its own, out of pain and anger, before quickly snapping its head to the left in an attempt to fling Ryura off, but the Daiyoukai's grip was firm. The quick movement only caused Ryura's claws to sink further in between the scales covering its eyelid. The water Dragon howled and reared up to its full height once more, taking Ryura with it.

"Son of a..." Ryura muttered as he was taken higher and higher into the air. He really needed to stop getting himself in situations where he could potentially be tossed into water.

Ryura used his free hand to claw at the lower lid of the water Dragon's eye, causing it even more pain. His claws were sharp enough they could, with some effort, cut right through the hard, diamond-like surface of a Dragon's scale.

"I am Ryura the Dragon, Daiyoukai and Patriarch of the House of Storms, rightful Lord of the Lands of the Eastern Territories of Nippon!" Ryura yelled as the water Dragon finished rising. "Submit and I just may spare your life!" Really, Ryura didn't want to kill a water Dragon. They were rare to begin with, and even if it was in self-defense, Ryura didn't want to be the cause of their population lowering even further.

The water Dragon's movements instantly stilled and it opened its uninjured eye. A blue iris with slit pupils slid to look at him, and Ryura stared defiantly back. The two stared at each other for a few long moments before the water Dragon let out a rumble strong enough to shake Ryura slightly.

"You are Lord Ssshoichi's heir." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Ryura's breath hitched at hearing his father's name. He quickly nodded. "Yes. Shoichi was my sire and my dame was Kasumi."

The water Dragon rumbled again. "A name I have not heard for many centuriesss."

With that said the water Dragon lowered itself until its snout was close to the shore where Ryura's belongings still lay. With a final look that meant the water Dragon's death should he try attacking him, Ryura slid his claws out of the Dragon's eyelid, making it growl with pain softly, and lept backwards to land next to his armor and clothing.

The water Dragon let out a burst of neon blue youki to engulf its large frame until nothing of its body could be seen. It didn't take long for the bright youki flame to begin shrinking until nothing was left but a man in a dark blue kimono standing just shin-deep in the water.

The youkai's long hair of its human form as much the same color as its scales, a shining white with blue accents. He bore no markings on his face, but instead faint scales traveled up the sides of his jaw and face to disappear into his hair line. His right eye was closed and rapidly healing claw-like wounds were covering his eye lid. His uninjured eye, however, was staring directly at Ryura.

"It is good to see you return to us, Lord Ryura," the water Dragon rumbled as it bowed its head in respect. "I am Tsuyoshi."

"Tsuyoshi," Ryura mumbled. Why did that name seem familiar?

"Indeed. I was your sire's General, my Lord."

Ryura's eyes snapped to look at the youkai still standing in the water. "If you were his general, why are you residing in a lake?"

Tsuyoshi looked away, uncomfortable with what he was about to say. His white-blue brows were furrowed as he began to speak. "With the fall of your House, the lands fell into chaos because of Ryuukotsusei. We were attacked from all but those in the West. Lord Touga attempted to help, but a war brought on by foreign youkai, moth they turned out to be, from China attacking his lands ultimately decided our fate. He could offer no help, else lose everything he held dear."

He paid attention as Tsuyoshi explained more, "The lands never recovered. No new Lord was named, and with the recent events of Naraku, there is more chaos than ever before."

"What? Why is that?" Ryura asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Tsuyoshi looked back to the Dragon Lord and murmured loud enough for him to hear, "That is due to Naraku's recent ploys. He has made his home in the East, my Lord."

A snarl ripped from Ryura chest, "Who?"

"Ah, forgive me. You have been away from Nippon for quite some time," Tsuyoshi said with an apologetic smile. He then gestured for Ryura to sit, "This will be quite the tale, my Lord. It is complex and actually very interesting, considering the circumstances. If it were not for my frequent letters sent back and forth between Lord Sesshoumaru and myself, I would have never known this."

Ryura grumbled softly and plopped down onto the ground. He rested an elbow on his knee and put his chin his hand. When Ryura was comfortable, Tsuyoshi stepped a few feet away as his left hand took on a fog-like glow.

He raised that hand into the air and began to draw a map of Nippon. The air froze at his touch and the picture he was drawing stayed aloft by his own youki. As he began to finish the map, he drew small dots here and there on the land of Nippon, and small X symbols on other lands.

"Naraku is a hanyou, spider to be exact," Tsuyoshi said as he drew more in the air. This time he drew out the kanji of names.

"Hell? What type of person names their child Naraku?" Ryura asked when he saw the kanji for Naraku's name.

"It is a name he took for himself," Tsuyoshi explained. "Fifty years ago Naraku went by the name Onigumo, a human bandit."

The water Dragon wrote the kanji for Onigumo in the air beside Naraku, then drew a line between the names.

"Onigumo was horribly burned, and a young Miko found him. Her name was Kikyou," he said as he next drew Kikyou's name directly under Onigumo's.

At hearing Kikyou's name, Ryura's interest was shown by how he leaned forward suddenly and began to pay rapt attention to what Tsuyoshi was saying and drawing.

"At the time, she was protected by a hanyou named Inuyasha," he paused to write the hanyou's name next to Kikyou's, only to draw a line between the two. "He is Lord Touga's son and Lord Sesshoumaru's half-brother. Inuyasha's mother was a human Princess who was named Izayoi."

Ryura didn't say he already knew this. He wanted to remain quite for now and see where this was going.

"Inuyasha was unaware that Kikyou was caring for Onigumo in a cave away from the two's village, so he went oblivious to what was to happen next. Onigumo became obsessed with Kikyou, but he couldn't have her, and yet a hanyou could. One so pure was going to be violated and tarnished by a vile hanyou." A line was drawn between Kikyou and Onigumo's name then.

"Onigumo knew that Kikyou was the Guardian of the Shikon no Tama after it came into her possession from a youkai slayer village. Enraged, he called upon lesser youkai spirits and willed them to take over his body so he could move once more. He was answered and Naraku was born." Tsuyoshi tapped a clawed finger against his left cheek as he spoke.

"He shape-shifted into Inuyasha and attacked Kikyou, took the Shikon no Tama from her and returned it to the village. Afterwards he took on the shape of Kikyou and attacked Inuyasha; however Lord Touga's blood is strong in him." Tsuyoshi allowed his hand to drop from his face and draw a line between Inuyasha's name and Naraku's. "Inuyasha sensed something was wrong and went immediately back to the village to fetch the Tama to keep it safe. Naraku, however, had other plans. He, still in the form of Kikyou, told the villagers that Inuyasha would be coming for the Shikon no Tama at any costs. This made Inuyasha have to use force to get into the village and retrieve the Tama."

As Ryura listened, he was already hating this Naraku bastard.

"The real Kikyou returned to the village and found out Inuyasha had attacked it for the Shikon no Tama, and despite her would, immediately went after him. In the end, she sealed him to the Tree of Ages, and just before she died, she instructed her younger sister, Kaede, to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body. The Shikon no Tama disappeared from this world," he explained as he drew out the kanji for Kaede's name and put a line between it and Kikyou's name in the air.

"Now, fifty years later, the Shikon no Tama has returned – you should be able to feel its call," he said while glancing at the nodding Ryura. He nodded himself and continued. "I am unsure how it returned, or why it returned, but it is back, except now it is in pieces."

"How...?" Ryura asked, bewildered.

"A young girl, by the name of Kagome, who is the current Guardian of the Shikon no Tama. She attempted to retrieve the Shikon no Tama from a crow youkai, and in the process, she struck the Tama with a Sacred Arrow and shattered it."

The story went on well into the evening. Tsuyoshi stopped and answered what questions Ryura had while he used the map he had drawn to point out the places Naraku had hit the hardest. Most of them had been in the eastern portion of Nippon. On Ryura's lands. This did nothing but cause anger and frustration at not only Naraku, but at Ryura himself, to course through his veins.

"Why has none of my House's allies come to aid?" Ryura asked finally.

Tsuyoshi smiled bitterly. "With the rumors floating about that you were part of the Four War Gods, what allies we may have had are few and far between. What is left of your sire's court has resigned to hiding away, waiting the day those who hunt Naraku succeed in killing the despicable hanyou."

"They aren't rumors," Ryura admitted, making Tsuyoshi's eyes widen dramatically. "My Lord?"

Ryura snapped his fangs together, "I said they aren't rumors! I was the Leader of the Four War Gods, trapped on Horai Island because the power sphere I used was locked away."

He couldn't look at Tsuyoshi. He didn't want to see the disgust, or the hatred. He didn't want to see the water Dragon turn from friend to enemy. He refused to watch it.

"My Lord, I heard they had died on Horai Island," Tsuyoshi said slowly, as if he didn't wish to upset Ryura further.

Ryura nodded harshly. "We did. Our death was delivered to us by the very same people who are trying to kill Naraku."

"The Shikon Miko and Lord Touga's sons? Then how..." Tsuyoshi was confused now. If he had died, how in the world was Ryura standing before him now?

"I was given a chance to redeem myself, and my soul by the Kami. If I can't, then my soul will be obliterated. Lord Touga came to me while I was a void and explained everything. I only returned a few days ago." Ryura still refused to look at Tsuyoshi as he spoke. "I'm worse than Ryuukotsusei; what I did was that unforgivable by the Kami. This is my last chance, my only chance."

Tsuyoshi noticed his Lords reluctance to look at him. He could sense no lies coming from the young Lord as he repeated his tale. Honestly, after what happened to Ryura, Tsuyoshi wasn't surprised in the slightest that he fell into darkness. It could happen to any youkai who went through what he had.

"Then I suggest we begin your redemption by discussing what you plan to do next," Tsuyoshi said kindly.

The words from his father's former General made Ryura look at him in surprise. His eyes were wide as he stared at the water Dragon, and he shook his head, wondering if he heard the youkai wrong. His jaw dropped, leaving his mouth wide open.

"If you are unsure, perhaps I may suggest a few actions?" Ryura could only nod dumbly to Tsuyoshi's question. "Close your mouth before you begin to attract flies, and dress yourself."

Tsuyoshi was grinning now, showing off his dangerous fangs. Ryura's mouth closed with a click and he grumbled as he went about dressing himself, shock wearing off into annoyance. His caretaker used to tell him the same thing when he was a child, to close his mouth before he attracted flies.