Author's Corner

Thanks for the reviews! I hope you're enjoying the story!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 9: God Stars

.

.

In the beginning, there was nothing but darkness, until a single star appeared.

The star was called Seishin, and he was lonely, because he was the only being in existence. Therefore, Seishin split himself into four new beings, which were – Aramitama, the goddess of war, Nigimitama, the god of peace, Kushimitama, the god of knowledge, and Sakimitama, the goddess of love. Seishin's four selves chased away the darkness and filled the recently cleared space with their children, who shone as brightly as they did. They created a myriad of worlds to entertain their children with, and one of those worlds was called Earth. All was good.

Satisfied with their work, the God Stars built a home for themselves in the heavens, where they lived contentedly, until the skies began to bubble with discord.

Out of the four's many children, Aramitama's were the most ambitious. They had grown tired of watching the planet's bliss and were curious what would happen if they were to interfere. And so, the Earth became their playground. Initially, as the goddess of war, their mother was proud of them for introducing a healthy dose of destruction . . . Until they went too far.

The once perfect planet soon spiralled into chaos, and Aramitama's children were banished from the skies for their cruelty in an event that was later named the Fall. Seeking vengeance, they created the Underworld and flooded it with monsters known as demons. The fallen stars took several of the demons as spouses and sired abominations that were even more dangerous than their predecessors—vicious monsters who were as beautiful as gods. The abominations were able to make themselves appear human on the outside, but on the inside, they were anything but.

The God Stars were enraged, and the goddess of war descended from the heavens with the intention of slaughtering her treacherous kin. She succeeded in killing her children, but the might of their offspring – the Daiyoukai – was too great, allowing them to overwhelm her.

Humiliated by her defeat, she returned to the heavens and isolated herself in her chambers. She refused to speak to any of her siblings; not even Sakimitama, whom she was closest to.

The goddess of love understood that her sister was in mourning – although she would never admit it – and decided that since Aramitama was incapable of shedding tears, she would cry in her stead. Sakimitama knelt at the edge of the heavens overlooking the Earth and wept. Her tears became the very first rain, and at the exact spot where they fell, an island rose out of the ocean like a plant. The island's inhabitants had the ability to wield reiki, making them the first priests and priestesses.

And so began the Thousand Year War. The Daiyoukai were a devastating force, but they were vulnerable to reiki, which gave the humans who could control it a slight advantage. However, the Daiyoukai's numbers refused to dwindle. Even with the advantage, they were still incredibly powerful, and they multiplied much faster than humans. Therefore, another solution was needed.

Nigimitama and Kushimitama devised a plan to stop the bloodshed. The plan involved transforming one of Nigimitama's sons into a human. This particular son was called Kyūseishu, and he was sent to Earth with a clear set of instructions from his father. First, he was to marry and impregnate a human priestess – this was to ensure that any powers their child inherited would be enhanced – and secondly, Kyūseishu was to train the child. The god of peace knew that a hero was required to put an end to the war that had lasted for almost a millennium, so he asked his son to make one for him.

Now human himself, Kyūseishu obliged. After marrying a human priestess as his father had instructed, she soon gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Midoriko. Like the Daiyoukai, she was perfection personified, but her soul was pure, and her reiki was strong enough to dissolve an entire army of the beasts. She and Kyūseishu exterminated hordes of them, ending the Thousand Year War.

Unfortunately, they met their match in an especially powerful Daiyoukai, and Kyūseishu lost his life shielding his daughter from a mortal blow. Since she was wounded, also, Midoriko's final act was one of vengeance. After battling with the Daiyoukai for eight days and eight nights, she finally managed to defeat it. But her victory came at a cost. In order to slay the beast, Midoriko was forced to use the full extent of her powers, which she had never done before. As a result of this, the Daiyoukai's tainted soul was dragged into her body, where it merged with her pure soul.

The fused souls created a pocket dimension, which manifested physically as a jewel. The Shikon no Tama burst out of Midoriko's chest, killing her instantly, but a part of her survived. She and the Daiyoukai were trapped inside the jewel as echoes of themselves, destined to fight for all of eternity. Unless the jewel was destroyed, neither of them could ever truly win.

Heartbroken, the God Stars turned their backs on the world they had loved so dearly and declared that the Daiyoukai could keep it. Afterwards, the Daiyoukai became gods in their own right. They tore down Seishin's temples and replaced them with their own relics, essentially rewriting history and establishing their dominance over all of Earth's creatures, including humans.

And that was how the Age of Monsters began.

.

.

Octavia stared at Nidawi cynically. "No offence, but how is that supposed to help me understand?" she asked, folding her arms.

"Your power is reminiscent of Midoriko's," Nidawi answered. "Only yours has a much darker origin. You are not a miko, but you are not a youkai, either . . . You are something worse."

"What!" she snapped. "What am I?"

The oracle hesitated. "I cannot tell you. Not yet."

"Why not!"

"There are things you must do first. Good things. Bad things. But they must come first."

Octavia's eyes burned with tears. "This is all because of that prophecy, isn't it?"

Nidawi was silent.

Although it was a part of her biology to lash out at times like these, Octavia scrunched her eyes shut and kneaded her temples. "Fuck!" she growled. "I just want to go home."

Nidawi's black eyes softened. She glided closer and cupped Octavia's jaw with her slender, wooden fingers. "You do not have a home," she said, then added gently, "Not there."

Octavia glared at her. "Is that really all you have to say? Why am I here? I doubt Breena brought me here just so you could tell me a stupid, made-up story. What do you want from me?"

"I want to give you something."

Her anger cooled. "What is it?"

Nidawi reached down and parted the moss at her feet to reveal a small wooden box that had been buried underneath. As she opened the lid, light burst free and briefly eradicated the darkness of the pit. When the light faded, Octavia saw a dagger lying sideways in the box. Nidawi picked it up and presented it to Octavia silently. The handle was made of polished white crystal, and the space where the hilt met the blade housed a large oval stone that resembled amethyst.

"You're giving me a knife?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"This is no ordinary knife. It is called the Reikon Blade. Midoriko used it during her battle with the Daiyoukai. In a way, it was responsible for the fusion of their souls."

"How?"

"It cannot inflict physical damage. It is entirely useless in that regard. No matter how much it is sharpened, it will never pierce flesh. But it can pierce something else."

"Which is?"

"Spirit."

Octavia studied the dagger and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It is a difficult concept to describe. Although the terms are interchangeable, a spirit is essentially a gathering of multiple souls. You can say 'spirit' or 'soul' and mean the same thing. It is the essence of a being's life, similar to a heart, but different. Spirit is not a physical thing. Think of it like a flame. If you touch it, it burns. But if you blow on it, it goes out. That is the dagger's primary power. If a spirit is destroyed, it can never be reincarnated."

"That's horrible."

"Indeed. A weapon like this would bring about a catastrophe were it to fall into the wrong hands."

"And that's how Midoriko beat the Daiyoukai?"

"Not exactly. She let her emotions take over, which resulted in the birth of the jewel. Had she been in control, the dagger would have ended the Daiyoukai's life there and then, but her anger tainted both her soul and the dagger, creating the prison world within the Shikon no Tama."

Octavia's frown deepened. "That doesn't seem fair."

"Fairness and strength are not mutually exclusive."

"Well, they should be."

Nidawi chuckled. "Preventing reincarnation is not all it is capable of," she said. "It also has the ability to connect your mind to another's. Their thoughts, memories, and even dreams can become yours. I believe there was once a time when it was called the Dream Eater."

Octavia paused. Her chest felt tight, like someone was standing on it. "That's how you knew I'm from the future," she whispered. "You read my mind. I didn't say you could do that."

"I only looked for what I needed."

"Are you doing it now?"

Her expression was answer enough.

"What happened to the memories from before you fled to England?"

The knot in Octavia's chest tightened. "I don't remember that far back—"

"You are incomplete," Nidawi interrupted. "Where is the rest of you, child? Unless . . ." The oracle stopped herself. She glanced at the dagger she was holding and pursed her wooden lips. "It should still work," she murmured.

"What should?"

Nidawi smiled abstractedly. Without answering, she placed the dagger in Octavia's hands and curled her fingers around it. "It is yours now," she said. "Take it."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"It is the answer."

"The answer to what?"

"Everything."

The purple stone in the dagger winked at her. "I still don't understand. You said I would. How do I even use this thing? And what if I let my emotions get the best of me like Midoriko's did after her father was murdered in front of her? I don't want my soul to get trapped like hers did."

"Are you afraid?"

"No. It would just be very inconvenient."

Nidawi chuckled again.

Octavia sighed. "Why can't you just give me a straight answer for once?"

Nidawi's smile widened. "We will meet again, Octavia," she said, her eyes darkening. "I will answer your questions then. You must go now. Sesshoumaru is searching for you."

Before Octavia could ask her how she knew that, the Forest Spirit poked her nose with a fingertip. Octavia's eyelids fluttered shut in surprise. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in the pit underneath the tree anymore. She was in the forest again. In the time she'd been gone, a cloud of mist had swept in, blanketing the trees around her in white. The mist made it impossible to see more than five feet in front of her. She wandered hopelessly, unsure of where she was going.

The Reikon Blade suddenly surged to life in her hands. The purple stone shone brightly, pointing towards something she couldn't see.

.

.

Sesshoumaru followed the human's scent up the mountain.

Rin and Jaken were currently waiting for him at the stronghold. He'd officially named Rin his ward and issued a warning to all who lived within the castle walls. The punishment for touching her was death. He hoped it was enough to deter anyone from approaching her without his permission. As a failsafe, he'd appointed Jaken as her protector. Not because he was strong, but because the other youkai avoided him like a plague. Jaken had a reputation for being incredibly vexing.

When Sesshoumaru returned to the place where they'd parted ways, Ah-Un had been alone.

He hadn't been able to find any tracks in the soil, but he could smell her. How had she travelled so far in such a short amount of time? She couldn't have possibly made it all the way to the top, especially not in this mist. It was supernatural in origin—most likely the work of spirits, judging by the oppressive nature of the air. Eventually, he arrived at a wall of impenetrable mist. A barrier designed to prevent demons from reaching the summit, he realised, staring at it.

The human's scent was beyond the barrier. Was this a blessing in disguise? Rin would miss her, but it wouldn't be his fault, and he could always find her a new friend. Someone less exhausting this time. Someone with manners. Perhaps a demoness would do. There were plenty to choose from. A respectable yet sophisticated noblewoman would be a much better role model than—

"Where the hell are you taking me? We'd better not be going in circles."

He'd celebrated too soon.

The human came ambling out of the barrier like a ghost. She was waving around a dagger that she definitely hadn't owned prior to her disappearance, muttering to herself crossly.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked, startling her.

She almost dropped the dagger in fright. "Where did you come from!"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I was kidnapped. What's your excuse?"

"Kidnapped? By whom?"

"A yosei called Breena. She teleported us into this massive hollow tree and then pushed me down a hole."

The Tree of Sutāsouru. Or the Tree of Star Souls in her language.

"You met Nidawi," he said in English, not wishing for any eavesdroppers to hear their conversation. "What did she say to you?"

"She told me a story about this star who split himself into four. Apparently, you're the product of a star and an ancient demon bonking."

His brow creased. "Bonking?"

"Having sex," she clarified. She didn't even stutter. Had he been anyone else, he would have blushed in her stead.

The tale of Seishin was an old one, and not only that, it was blasphemy. Implying that his ancestors had torn down temples and rewritten history . . . How utterly ridiculous. The God Stars had been worshipped once, but the last of their disciples had died hundreds of years ago.

Why was Nidawi spouting such nonsense? Although she was a spirit, his father had always held her in immensely high regard. Sesshoumaru had never understood why, but his father was full of mysteries. Surely the great Inu no Taisho would have condemned her if she believed that Daiyoukai were abominations born from crazed stars, as the myth claimed they were? There were already plenty of real gods associated with stars—Amatsumikaboshi, Fukurokuju, Orihime and Hikoboshi, just to name a few. The tale of Seishin, on the other hand, was purely fictitious.

"What is that?" he asked, gesturing to the dagger in her hand.

"It's called the Reikon Blade," she answered. "It can't cut flesh, but it can prevent a soul from being reincarnated. Nidawi used it to read my mind. I'm not sure how she did it, though."

A dagger that couldn't pierce flesh? His eyes strayed down to the Tenseiga, which was quiet for a change. What do you think of this, Tenseiga? Is it like you?

"Why did she give it to you?"

The human shrugged. "I don't really know. I could tell she was holding out on me. It was annoying."

He knew the feeling.

"Speaking of annoying," she said. "I'm surprised you came looking for me. Don't you hate me?"

Maybe the dagger could read minds, after all.

"Rin has grown attached to you," he stated.

"You could've just made something up. Accidents happen all the time."

"Don't tempt me, human."

She smirked.

Frowning slightly, he turned on his heel and walked away. The mist thinned as they travelled back down the mountain. By the time they reached the bottom, it had completely disappeared. He peered over his shoulder at the human to see if she had picked up the pace. Even though the weather was clear now, she was still remarkably slow. He cursed himself for not ordering Ah-Un to stay and carry her to the stronghold. The less time he had to spend with her, the better.

She was inspecting the dagger Nidawi had given her as she walked. Even he had to admit that it was a work of art. Satisfied for the time being, she slipped the dagger into her pocket and pulled up the strange tab she'd referred to as a zipper, sealing it inside.

"I figured out what it was pointing to," she said, patting her pocket. "The light went out before I could get a proper look, but I think it was being drawn to one of those swords on your belt."

"What gave you that impression?"

"It was moving."

He came to an abrupt halt and stole a glimpse down at the Tenseiga. "Was it this one?" he asked, resting a hand on its pommel. She nodded. "I didn't notice. Are you certain you weren't imagining it?"

"It was kind of hard to miss. Swords don't usually move on their own. Not where I come from, anyway."

"Hn."

She came to stand beside him and stared at the Tenseiga curiously. "Is yours magic, too?"

"In a sense."

"What does it do?"

Sesshoumaru had no intention of disclosing such information to a human. He didn't care what the sword thought of her. His father might have been fascinated by spirit magic, but Sesshoumaru wasn't. A part of him found solace in that. His father would have killed to be in the position he was in now, whilst Sesshoumaru couldn't care less. It served him right.

"Hello?" she called. "Why are you ignoring me?"

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"Are you ever not an arsehole?"

He'd just about had it with her. If he was forced to walk another step with her, he thought he might go insane. He narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "Get comfortable," he spat.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"It is almost nightfall."

Her head turned towards the last rays of sunlight that sifted through the trees, painting everything red. Even her eyes – which were usually chartreuse – were the colour of freshly spilt blood. "We've walked through the night before," she said, pinning him with her scarlet gaze.

"And?"

"You're a Daiyoukai. What dangers could be lurking in the dark that you can't handle?"

"Humans require rest," he said. "Sleep. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

"Fine. But you can't wander off when I fall asleep. If I get eaten, it'll be because you let it happen."

"Not necessarily. Accidents happen all the time."

A smile tugged at her lips. "You're such a dick."

"And you are crude and irritating."

Miraculously, she kept her mouth shut after that and managed to drift off to sleep. Whilst she was unconscious, he picked her up and leapt into the sky. He was careful not to wake her as he flew towards the stronghold. She was certainly a bother, but it was worth it for Rin's happiness.

.

.