Title: To Endure the Unendurable

Author: landofthekwt

Week/Prompt: 20/WWII

Rating: G

Universe: Canon

Word Count :1342

Pairing: Sesshoumaru /(adult)Rin

Warning: None

Summary: After Nagasaki Amaterasu decides to end the war.

The road ahead for Japan will be very difficult and I am aware that many Japanese will feel dishonored. However due to the current situation, I have resolved that there is no option but to work to achieve peace for all the generations to come. To do this we must "endure the unendurable" Emperor Hirohito's Imperial Rescript on Surrender Delivered to the Japanese people on August 15, 1945

Amaterasu stared down at Nagasaki Her tears rained down through the mushroom cloud resulting in an eerie black rain. Darkness covered the land. She was able to bring light to the city. How had she let this happen? The Japanese were her children. The Emperor was her kin. It was her duty and his duty to protect them. Yet it had come to this .The souls of the dead called to her. She covered her ears, but their cries echoed in her head. This act was the final straw. The war could not continue. She was no longer able to find peace because the thousands upon thousands of souls haunted her. Further, she must make sure that her children would never fight a war like this again. She must go to the emperor and force him to stop the war. Then she must sure that the events she was observing never occurred again

Before she met with the emperor she must see the dog. It was so humiliating that she the chief kami of apan should have to abase herself before the tai-youkai Lord of the West. The bomb that had hit Nagasaki had shaken the very foundations of the inuyoukai fortress on Kyushu. Surely, he would blame her for allowing such an event to occur because the emperor was after all her kin. Damn that Hirohito.Sesshoumaru would blame her for the vast number of youkai killed in the Allied fire bombings. He probably would tell her that she never should have let the emperor start a war if she knew that this would be the outcome. Oh, well she may as well get this over with

Sesshoumaru was standing on his balcony gazing out into the west. It was midafternoon and yet the sky was a pitch black. He had felt the reverberations as the bomb exploded over Nagasaki.His spies told him there were dead humans and animals everyone. They were having difficulty approaching the city due to the stench. Very few of the buildings in the city were still standing. All of this from one bomb. Sesshoumaru did not really care what happened to the humans. For all cared they could annihilate each other. However, he was the Lord of the West and it was domain that the humans were destroying.

There was flash like a thousand suns and Amatersu appeared before Sesshoumaru. The flashy entries of the kami bothered him. Damn showoffs. Like they were better that us. "What do you want," asked Sesshoumaru. "Haven't you done enough damage already?"

The kami held her tongue. It was not easy for her to apologize to anyone, much less an arrogant bastard like the tai-youkai. " Lord Sesshoumaru" she began. " On behalf of myself and the other kami, we wish to apologize to all the youkai for the damage that has been done by this war."

Sesshoumaru stared at her incredulously. It was hard to take her seriously. Did she think a few mumbled words of apology could make up for all of the damage that she and her kin had done to Japan.

Amatersu continued. " I am personally going to ensure that this war is ended and that Japan will never fight such a war again."

Sesshoumaru held his temper and nodded. " End the war now or I will end it for you."

Amatersu blanched at the threat. " There is no need for violence The war will be over in the next few days without bloodshed. The kami will extend their protection to you and your domain to ensure that no further harm occurs."

The tai-youkai shot back angrily " We do not need your protection. We have seen how valuable your favor is for the people of Japan. No further interference with the lives of the youkai will be tolerated."

With those words ringing in her ears Amatersu departed the Western Shiro. Sesshoumaru was left to wonder if he should began the evacuation of his castle should the kami not bring the war to a conclusion. He had lived in Japan over 2000 years. He had met the first emperor. It would be hard to leave Japan, but if that is what was necessary to ensure the safety of Rin ,his mate and his people he would do so.

The Imperial Council was meeting. The vote to end the war was tied at 3-3. The deciding vote would be cast by the emperor. The emperor called for a break in the meeting to decide what to do He went to his private shrine to ask for the guidance of the kami. As he prayed suddenly a brilliant light shown in the shrine. A melodic voice spoke to him from the light.

" You have dishonored Japan and you have dishonored me. I am ashamed to call you my kin.My people choke as they suffocate from the firebombs. These new weapons actually vaporize my people so that there is nothing left of them. Ths must stop. I have had to apologize to the dead for what has occurred. You have forced me to abase myself to the youkai.. This war will end now.You must decide if you will be leading my people or if I must find another who will find the courage to stop the war."

Hirohito trembled in fear. " What must I do? He asked.

The kami spoke. " You must tell surrender to your enemies. They will occupy your cities. They will take your weapons of war. You will no longer be allowed to be a nation of warriors. I will not allow Japan to fight another war. It is your fault that this is necessary. You could have prevented this war if you had the courage to do so. You allowed others to lead my people into disaster"

"First , you must inform your enemies that you accept their terms .of surrender. Second you must record the speech that I am giving you to the people of Japan so that they will know that you endorse the surrender. Lastly, you must guard yourself, the tape and the palace against those persons who wish to complete the destruction of Japan. Trust no one. All of this must be done to ensure the future of Japan."

With that the goddess departed in a blaze of glory. The emperor was shaken. At least he knew how he must vote. He unrolled the scroll that the kami had left for him. Some of the language made choke him on the bile that arose in his throat. He had no choice, but to abide by the will of the kami. He returned to the council and voted to end the war. The Allies would be informed on August 10 that Japan was ready to negotiate terms of surrender. He set about recording the surrender speech.

The Emperor would have to force the council to accept unconditional surrender on August 12 He would have to survive a survive a coup attempt before his speech was finally able to be broadcast. On August 15 the Imperial Rescript on Surrender was finally broadcast to the Japanese people. Japan had finally surrendered.

On that day the sun finally shone through the eastern windows of a castle in Kyushu. Sesshoumaru took it as sign that Amatersu had succeeded in ended the war . As the Lord of the West gazed at Rin, he realized how close he had come to losing the woman he loved and the mother of his children. He must never again depend upon the kami or humans for the safety of his mate and his family. He would began his own preparations to ensure that Japan never went to war again.