● FLASHBACK: 9 years ago.
Akito... had feared death all his life. From the moment he was born. He was told he was going to die... die so those ungrateful Zodiac could live... die so that the demon could be contained for another generation...
It was his mother's duty to have at least two children... one to be sacrificed, and one to pass on the burden to the next Generation...
Akito had never even met his brother...
It wasn't like his clan would directly kill him. No... they were just waiting for him to die... They had centered the curse around him... chosen him to bare this burden... at best he would live to be 20. The weight of the curse would slowly crush him. Poisoning his blood and rotting his organs...
They had chosen him... they had decided... and they never even asked him... he just had to accept he would die... that his existence would be one of sickness and weakness, until his body finally gave out...
He had always known he would die... and he had never come so close.
The boy was in a full body cast, his very bones shattered.
The one who did this to him was by his bedside... glaring at him, and clearly unrepentant.
"I don't know why they bother." The other boy sneered, with the blackest of darkness behind his green eyes, "Everyone's doing their best to heal you. Keep you alive for as long as possible, but your such a wretched thing. They're all just waiting for you to die anyway, why they bother with this formality of keeping you alive, I can't figure."
Akito would not cry. He refused... but the boy was actually voicing everything he ever thought about his situation.
"Even my dad is going along with it," Harry glared. "He actually took a switch to me, and grounded me for a month... so here's the deal. I'll go along with this stupid game, of keeping someone as toxic as you alive... but you EVER touch Kyo again, I'll finish the job. I won't even feel guilt. After all, you're already dead."
###
● Present Day:
Akito sat in his favorite room, of the main family estate. Sitting on the floor, a small bird perched on his fingers.
"I notice Albus Dumbledore isn't with you." Akito casually looked around, as if expecting Dumbledore to mysteriously materialize. He wouldn't put it past the old Sage, from the Legends he heard about him. "I was led to believe he claimed you as family, wouldn't this meeting concern him?"
Remus sighed, far too many changes were happening far too quickly. The wolf in him was overly stressed by it. Meaning next full moon would be truly awful. "Albus is an old man, he needed to rest." Truthfully Remus had begged Albus to let him face this meeting alone... so that he could accept the consequences with the dignity he wasn't allowed to, when the Priestesses came to him, this morning.
Akito nodded, "Well, when he feels up to it, I would appreciate if you sent him to me. No need to make an appointment. Such things are hard to keep, what with my failing health."
"Of course," Remus bowed his head.
Harry, defiant little brat that he was, looked ready to explode... but he respected his father too much to speak out of turn during such an important meeting.
"Kyo, apparently, told the Priestess, of the Yoshimasa Temple, that you were under the protection of my clan." Akito smiled, eyeing the two Lupins as they sat in front of him, in formal robes. "As young Harry-chan pointed out to her, Kyo has no authority to make such a claim... but I'm glad he did. I was glad to accept responsibility for you, to offer the protection of my clan. I wish to use this meet to formalize that arrangement...
"I hope you will find the arrangement to be equally beneficial.
"Starting with Your connections with the Yokai. I hope for you to act as mediator, in regards to any disagreements, and try to convince them to extend our trade agreements.
"I also, would greatly appreciate, if you devoted more of yourself, to researching my curse, and prolonging my life. My potions will naturally be free, and I want your families allegiance in continuing this for any future leaders of the Sohma clan, unfortunate enough to be placed under this curse.
"In return, The Sohma clan will be giving you a sizable Stipend, to be used to purchase crafting ingredients, as well as the necessary equipment for your trade.
"We will be sending you our best Psychics, who specialize in Genjutsu, to work in your shop. They will help with all duties you ask of them, from cashier work, to cleaning the bathroom. However their main duty will come during the full moon. Where they will use their magics to dull your pain, and keep you in control of your mind. Until a time you master their trade, at which point you will be in full control of your own mind in whatever form." and be able to change at will. A useful perk to the Sohma.
Remus head snapped up. The only reason Lupin hadn't paid for lessons in Genjutsu, was because he couldn't afford it... Even without Harry's college fund hanging over him. Genjutsu masters charge the cost of a 4 year degree, a month. It was a skill reserved for the extremely wealthy.
Akito smiled, knowing he would happily agree to all the demands made of him, just for that alone. Regardless, Akito sweetened the deal.
"To better accommodate them, I will be transferring the deed of the Sohma Lake House. At your discretion, you can spend every full moon within it's forest. So the Genjutsu masters can better contain you if something goes wrong... and where you can better enjoy yourself, with Young Harry. The Lake house will be your's, to go there whenever you wish."
Harry's eyes grew even more suspicious... good... Akito just continued to smile... as he continued his mind game. Enjoying how Harry was waiting for the shoe to drop.
"These Genjutsu specialist will be paid for by the Sohma clan, in regards for all their duties, but they will directly work for you. They will do their best to keep you in a state of calm, during the full moon, and protect your son so that he can safely be with you, during this experience.
"I would request, that you agree to take on apprentices, from the Sohma clan. That you agree to teach them your trade, in hopes that we may one day open up our own stores. In exchange, the Sohma clan pledges to pay you a percentage of the profits, from our own magical crafts. We will continue to pay this for as long as your family is under our protection. Regardless of how many generations pass.
"I hope this arrangement will continue into the distant future, for both our families... do you agree, Lupin-Sama?" Akito asked.
Remus bit the inside of his lip... even though all that sounded perfectly reasonable, and kinda standard when a clan laid claim to a family of magical creatures... but still he felt like he was making a deal with the devil.
Regardless, Lupin agreed, signing the papers, without reading the fine print... and later wishing he hadn't made Albus agree to stay behind.
###
Later that very day, Albus came storming into Akito's favorite room. The young, sickly, man just smiled at the old sage. All but feeding off the rage that flowed from his aura.
"May I help you?"
"Explain this!" Albus slammed the contract down on the table, pointing at a specific passage.
"I would think it was rather obvious." Akito smiled.
"YOU JUST TRICKED REMUS INTO AGREEING TO TURN HIS SON!" Albus roared, his voice, fueled by magic, was enough to shake the room. Even the very ground.
Akito was unimpressed, "I agreed to take care of his pack."
"According to this he has to turn ten people, in addition to Harry!" Albus raged.
"And like an agreement with the Temple. This is legally binding. You, Albus, are to deliver 10 willing wizards, to be turned. As you claimed Remus, you are obligated to honor this deal... or never risk coming back to Japan. That's never seeing Lupin-Sama, or his delightful ward, ever again."
"Why would you even do this!?"
Akito raised an eyebrow, "Surely you see the benefits of having an alliance with a pack of werewolves. That unpleasant business, with their monthly, aside. Werewolves naturally have a resistance to magic, even in human form. They are naturally stronger, faster, have better senses. That last one is the most practically useful. So long as the proper genjutsu masters are around, not even their monthly is that big a deal. Mental magics might be largely illegal, in the wizarding world, but here?" Akito smiled, before slowly standing. Limping over, to stand directly in front of Albus.
"This is a contract between magical entities. The Priestesses will do all in their power to enforce it. Even the ones that don't agree with it. They must maintain order, after all. If you try to take them out of the country. The Priestesses will hunt them down and kill them, on principle. You might have frightened one temple, but could you take on them all? Even if you kill me, the contract expands to all future generations.
"Don't be so concerned. Everything I told Remus was true. It would have to be for the Priestesses to recognize the contract. My clan, will do everything in our power, to keep the Remus pack happy and healthy... but we expect to have a full pack at our disposal."
"You could convince Lupin to fight this. Maybe have his Yokai friends rally behind him. But that would no doubt plunge Japan into an all out war. All the Temples against all the Yokai. A state of being we haven't suffered since the Feudal Era.
"This is a free state, dear Headmaster. To preserve the delicate balance between monster, 'muggle', and psychic, the temples must honor every last contract between us... and the monsters must realize before hand what they are agreeing to. It's their responsibility, not mine. And it's not my fault Lupin was too excited not to read the contract."