Post by Cerberus on Aug 6, 2006 22:49:23 GMT -5
I wrote this a while ago, started and finished during several classes. Eventually, I entered it in a fanfic contest.
A Demon's Heart
Out in the Western Lands, a young taiyoukai sat against a tree, cursing his luck, the weather, and his brother, Inuyasha. But most of all, he cursed his brother. Now that his mother was dead, he had to watch the half-breed. The last thing he had in mind was defying his late father’s orders. As the rain continued its ceaseless onslaught, he looked at the little boy lying on the taiyoukai’s tail. Golden eyes matching his brother’s stared back at him, full of both innocence and question.
“Sesshoumaru, why’s it raining?” the young boy asked.
His elder brother sighed and answered him with, “So, you’re awake now?”
If someone told Sesshoumaru that almost every day for the next 10 years would start like this one, he’d most likely chuckle a little bit as he killed the person in question for daring to speak to him. In many occasions, Sesshoumaru’s ego got the better of him.
Falling silent, the pair watched the rain continue to pour down, as though someone in the clouds had overturned a giant bucket. Under the shelter of the giant tree, they remained dry. There were rumors about this tree, and the village that was nearby. Prophecies mostly, but rumors existed and new ones cropped up nonetheless. It was a giant tree, as tall if not taller than the surrounding trees.
Little did either of them know, but that exact tree would come back to haunt them several times in the coming years. Sesshoumaru sighed, knowing that although he did not want to care for his brother, he did. Even though the child sitting beside him was half human, the taiyoukai vowed to never become as weak as to fall in love with a human. That had been their father’s fatal mistake. Humans were worthless, their lives beginning and ending in the blink of an eye from a demon’s perspective. For some reason, Sesshoumaru was angry with Inuyasha. Although he knew it wasn’t the boy’s fault directly, he felt he needed someone or something to blame. Since the direct cause for their father’s death was dead, only the hanyou child remained.
Blinking out of his reverie, Sesshoumaru realized that the rain had stopped. He felt someone tugging at the sleeve of his haori, and a glance downward revealed it to be Inuyasha.
“Sesshoumaru, where are we going next?” he asked his brother.
“I don’t know Inuyasha. What do you want to do today?” his elder brother replied. He had nothing in mind, and decided to treat his brother. The little boy thought for a minute, forehead wrinkled in deep thought. Coming to a decision, he looked up.
“Sesshoumaru, can we visit Kayomaru?” he asked his brother.
At a nod from his brother, he broke out into a huge smile.
Sesshoumaru stood and held out a hand to Inuyasha. “Come, let us go and visit Kayomaru,” he said.
His little brother took his hand and stood up.
“Let’s go Sesshy!” he shouted, eager to be on their way.
They spent the greater part of the day walking, although since the lord’s castle was in the Western Lands it was shorter than the trip could have been. When they reached the castle, Sesshoumaru looked up at it, remembering when he lived there. Before their father died this was his castle, and when Sesshoumaru was old enough, he would inherit it as ruler of the Western Lands. When they reached the gates, the guards stopped them.
“Do you have an appointment?” one asked.
“I do not need one to see Lord Kayomaru. Tell him Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are here to visit,” the taiyoukai replied coolly.
When they realized whom they were speaking to, they bowed hastily and moved out of the way. Upon their entrance to the castle, a servant met them.
“Right this way, Lord Sesshoumaru,” she said, bowing and leading them to an enormous office.
Inuyasha’s eyes widened at the sight of it. Having never been in this room before, everything was impressive. The walls were painted a dark red, gold trim bordering them. The floor was made up of thick white carpet and felt good to the bare feet of the little hanyou. At the back of the room in front of a large window stood a large desk, the man behind it seeming young.
“Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” he asked, looking up upon their entrance.
“Lord Kayomaru,” Sesshoumaru said bowing. Inuyasha did likewise. “We are simply here to check in, and to let you know we have not vanished off the face of Japan,” he continued.
“Ah, I see,” Kayomaru replied. Although not taiyoukai by birth, he was the most trusted of the Inu no Taisho’s advisors. “Inuyasha, why don’t you go and play with Mitsumi? He has not had a playmate in a long while. Jin, please go show Inuyasha to Mitsumi’s room,” he said to a man standing beside him.
With a nod, Jin took Inuyasha’s hand and left the room.
“Sesshoumaru, why do you continue to take care of him? You know as well as I do that it does no good to your reputation to be seen with a half-breed, family or not. Why not just leave him here, or somewhere else?” Kayomaru asked.
“With all due respect Kayomaru, you know as well as I do that it is my father’s wish that he grows up suitably,” Sesshoumaru replied, never letting his face betray any of his thoughts.
“I know, I was just concerned for your reputation as the future Lord of the Western Lands.”
Angry with the advisor being partially correct, Sesshoumaru left abruptly and retrieved Inuyasha. “Inuyasha, we are going now,” he said, and his brother got up without question and followed him.
<<Ten years later>> Sesshoumaru sat against a tree, with Inuyasha next to him. Inuyasha appeared to be around seven or eight years old, although in reality he was around 20 years old. Thus was the miracle of demon aging. The taiyoukai stood up, turning to Inuyasha.
“Inuyasha, I must go. It is time you learned to fend for yourself. As for me, I have a land to learn to rule, seeing as Kayomaru is getting older and I am old enough to rule the Western Lands myself in place of Father,” he told his brother.
He turned and began to walk away.
“Sesshy, come back! I don’t wanna be alone. Please come back!” Inuyasha cried.
Sesshoumaru stopped at the sound of Inuyasha’s pleas. “I will come back someday. For now, I have responsibilities to uphold,” he said, and he walked away, leaving behind a broken-hearted Inuyasha.
*But I never came back. The next time we met, he was pinned to a tree, never knowing I was there,* he later thought, remembering that day.
<<Flashback>> 130 years after he had left Inuyasha on his own, Sesshoumaru stood in front of the god-tree Goshinboku, gazing at his half-brother.
“Why Inuyasha? Why did you go the same way as Father? I thought you would have learned something from his mistakes, but I suppose not. Both of you, laid low by mortals,” he said quietly, speaking to the sleeping hanyou before him. Sesshoumaru reached up and grasped the arrow, only to be forced to release it immediately. He glanced down at the purple-pink bolts of purifying energy dancing about his hand.
“A sacred arrow, how amusing,” he said. When the energy had dissipated, he turned once again to his brother.
“Inuyasha, you will be released. When that day is, even I do not know. But when you are free, do not repeat your mistakes,” he said softly. Without another word he left, unaware that his words would one day come true, 50 years later.<<Flashback End>>
*The next time we met, I sought to kill him, and I still do. Or do I? Lately my hatred towards him has faded,* he thought.
Sesshoumaru neared his brother’s scent, who sat with his friends on the edge of a forest.
The hanyou’s nose twitched, catching the scent of his older brother. Hearing him growl, Kagome turned to him.
“What’s wrong Inuyasha?” she asked.
“Sesshoumaru, that’s what. And speak of the devil,” he said grimly, standing up and drawing the Tetsusaiga.
Sesshoumaru walked forward, standing calmly before them.
“What do you want?” Inuyasha demanded. “You have your own sword, so what do you want from me?”
Sesshoumaru didn’t reply. In his mind he was comparing the gentle and sweet Inuyasha he had raised for ten years to the rough-edged and rude one before him. Sesshoumaru drew his own sword, Tokijin.
“Come, Inuyasha. Let us test your fighting skills,” he said.
He watched his brother rush towards him, as he promised to himself, *Someday, Inuyasha…Someday we will act as brothers should, how Father would have wanted us to act…Someday…but not today…*
Smirking, he leapt up, sword raised.
A Demon's Heart
Out in the Western Lands, a young taiyoukai sat against a tree, cursing his luck, the weather, and his brother, Inuyasha. But most of all, he cursed his brother. Now that his mother was dead, he had to watch the half-breed. The last thing he had in mind was defying his late father’s orders. As the rain continued its ceaseless onslaught, he looked at the little boy lying on the taiyoukai’s tail. Golden eyes matching his brother’s stared back at him, full of both innocence and question.
“Sesshoumaru, why’s it raining?” the young boy asked.
His elder brother sighed and answered him with, “So, you’re awake now?”
If someone told Sesshoumaru that almost every day for the next 10 years would start like this one, he’d most likely chuckle a little bit as he killed the person in question for daring to speak to him. In many occasions, Sesshoumaru’s ego got the better of him.
Falling silent, the pair watched the rain continue to pour down, as though someone in the clouds had overturned a giant bucket. Under the shelter of the giant tree, they remained dry. There were rumors about this tree, and the village that was nearby. Prophecies mostly, but rumors existed and new ones cropped up nonetheless. It was a giant tree, as tall if not taller than the surrounding trees.
Little did either of them know, but that exact tree would come back to haunt them several times in the coming years. Sesshoumaru sighed, knowing that although he did not want to care for his brother, he did. Even though the child sitting beside him was half human, the taiyoukai vowed to never become as weak as to fall in love with a human. That had been their father’s fatal mistake. Humans were worthless, their lives beginning and ending in the blink of an eye from a demon’s perspective. For some reason, Sesshoumaru was angry with Inuyasha. Although he knew it wasn’t the boy’s fault directly, he felt he needed someone or something to blame. Since the direct cause for their father’s death was dead, only the hanyou child remained.
Blinking out of his reverie, Sesshoumaru realized that the rain had stopped. He felt someone tugging at the sleeve of his haori, and a glance downward revealed it to be Inuyasha.
“Sesshoumaru, where are we going next?” he asked his brother.
“I don’t know Inuyasha. What do you want to do today?” his elder brother replied. He had nothing in mind, and decided to treat his brother. The little boy thought for a minute, forehead wrinkled in deep thought. Coming to a decision, he looked up.
“Sesshoumaru, can we visit Kayomaru?” he asked his brother.
At a nod from his brother, he broke out into a huge smile.
Sesshoumaru stood and held out a hand to Inuyasha. “Come, let us go and visit Kayomaru,” he said.
His little brother took his hand and stood up.
“Let’s go Sesshy!” he shouted, eager to be on their way.
They spent the greater part of the day walking, although since the lord’s castle was in the Western Lands it was shorter than the trip could have been. When they reached the castle, Sesshoumaru looked up at it, remembering when he lived there. Before their father died this was his castle, and when Sesshoumaru was old enough, he would inherit it as ruler of the Western Lands. When they reached the gates, the guards stopped them.
“Do you have an appointment?” one asked.
“I do not need one to see Lord Kayomaru. Tell him Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are here to visit,” the taiyoukai replied coolly.
When they realized whom they were speaking to, they bowed hastily and moved out of the way. Upon their entrance to the castle, a servant met them.
“Right this way, Lord Sesshoumaru,” she said, bowing and leading them to an enormous office.
Inuyasha’s eyes widened at the sight of it. Having never been in this room before, everything was impressive. The walls were painted a dark red, gold trim bordering them. The floor was made up of thick white carpet and felt good to the bare feet of the little hanyou. At the back of the room in front of a large window stood a large desk, the man behind it seeming young.
“Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” he asked, looking up upon their entrance.
“Lord Kayomaru,” Sesshoumaru said bowing. Inuyasha did likewise. “We are simply here to check in, and to let you know we have not vanished off the face of Japan,” he continued.
“Ah, I see,” Kayomaru replied. Although not taiyoukai by birth, he was the most trusted of the Inu no Taisho’s advisors. “Inuyasha, why don’t you go and play with Mitsumi? He has not had a playmate in a long while. Jin, please go show Inuyasha to Mitsumi’s room,” he said to a man standing beside him.
With a nod, Jin took Inuyasha’s hand and left the room.
“Sesshoumaru, why do you continue to take care of him? You know as well as I do that it does no good to your reputation to be seen with a half-breed, family or not. Why not just leave him here, or somewhere else?” Kayomaru asked.
“With all due respect Kayomaru, you know as well as I do that it is my father’s wish that he grows up suitably,” Sesshoumaru replied, never letting his face betray any of his thoughts.
“I know, I was just concerned for your reputation as the future Lord of the Western Lands.”
Angry with the advisor being partially correct, Sesshoumaru left abruptly and retrieved Inuyasha. “Inuyasha, we are going now,” he said, and his brother got up without question and followed him.
<<Ten years later>> Sesshoumaru sat against a tree, with Inuyasha next to him. Inuyasha appeared to be around seven or eight years old, although in reality he was around 20 years old. Thus was the miracle of demon aging. The taiyoukai stood up, turning to Inuyasha.
“Inuyasha, I must go. It is time you learned to fend for yourself. As for me, I have a land to learn to rule, seeing as Kayomaru is getting older and I am old enough to rule the Western Lands myself in place of Father,” he told his brother.
He turned and began to walk away.
“Sesshy, come back! I don’t wanna be alone. Please come back!” Inuyasha cried.
Sesshoumaru stopped at the sound of Inuyasha’s pleas. “I will come back someday. For now, I have responsibilities to uphold,” he said, and he walked away, leaving behind a broken-hearted Inuyasha.
*But I never came back. The next time we met, he was pinned to a tree, never knowing I was there,* he later thought, remembering that day.
<<Flashback>> 130 years after he had left Inuyasha on his own, Sesshoumaru stood in front of the god-tree Goshinboku, gazing at his half-brother.
“Why Inuyasha? Why did you go the same way as Father? I thought you would have learned something from his mistakes, but I suppose not. Both of you, laid low by mortals,” he said quietly, speaking to the sleeping hanyou before him. Sesshoumaru reached up and grasped the arrow, only to be forced to release it immediately. He glanced down at the purple-pink bolts of purifying energy dancing about his hand.
“A sacred arrow, how amusing,” he said. When the energy had dissipated, he turned once again to his brother.
“Inuyasha, you will be released. When that day is, even I do not know. But when you are free, do not repeat your mistakes,” he said softly. Without another word he left, unaware that his words would one day come true, 50 years later.<<Flashback End>>
*The next time we met, I sought to kill him, and I still do. Or do I? Lately my hatred towards him has faded,* he thought.
Sesshoumaru neared his brother’s scent, who sat with his friends on the edge of a forest.
The hanyou’s nose twitched, catching the scent of his older brother. Hearing him growl, Kagome turned to him.
“What’s wrong Inuyasha?” she asked.
“Sesshoumaru, that’s what. And speak of the devil,” he said grimly, standing up and drawing the Tetsusaiga.
Sesshoumaru walked forward, standing calmly before them.
“What do you want?” Inuyasha demanded. “You have your own sword, so what do you want from me?”
Sesshoumaru didn’t reply. In his mind he was comparing the gentle and sweet Inuyasha he had raised for ten years to the rough-edged and rude one before him. Sesshoumaru drew his own sword, Tokijin.
“Come, Inuyasha. Let us test your fighting skills,” he said.
He watched his brother rush towards him, as he promised to himself, *Someday, Inuyasha…Someday we will act as brothers should, how Father would have wanted us to act…Someday…but not today…*
Smirking, he leapt up, sword raised.