InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Generation Unrealized ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: KeyTobias5 
Growing up ain't easy. Especially when your a 1/4 demon and the son of the famous warrior Inuyasha.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.28.2004 | Updated On: 11.28.2004 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 276 | Status: Completed
Growing up ain't easy. Especially when your a 1/4 demon and the son of the famous warrior Inuyasha.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.28.2004 | Updated On: 11.28.2004 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 276 | Status: Completed
A Generation Unrealized
By Toby
Chapter 1: Growing Up
“Come here, pup! Quickly, pup!” Inuyasha called, to his son. There was a loud giggling sound and numerous villagers stopped in their daily chores to watch Inuyasha running through the village, his five year old son running after him. Over the past five years, the boy had grown incrediblely fast. He had gone from a small, roly-poly pup to an actively moving pup in a matter of weeks. By the time he was a month, he had all his teeth, starting with his fangs, by six months he had already begun walking and crawling, and by the time he was one, he was talking. As fast as his body grew, so did his mind.
His mother taught him to read from her books starting at the age of three, per Inuyasha’s request. She was a bit doubtful that a child of such a young age and being such a hyper, young hanyou could sit still to learn nothing but the basics so soon. But Inuyasha insisted and to Kagome’s amazement, Atsu took to education like a duck to water. He blew through any book she brought back from her time for reading and could even pick up on other bits and pieces of other languages. However, mathematics was still a bit complex for him so he still went at a normal pace with that.
With these differences, including his physical differences, Kagome and Inuyasha often worried that Atsu would not be accepted well by other children in the village. True, some of the older children had trouble accepting a part demon child but a blessing came in the forms of two special children. One was in the form of the five year old daughter of Miroku and Sango, Jera, and the other in the form of the two year old son of Kohaku and Rin, Shunji.
Jera was born two months after Atsu. From the moment of her birth she was always an unusual child. People always whispered around her about how hot it always was in the summer shade and so warm in the huts when holding her. Later, when she began teething and began crying constantly, strange fires would burst to life around her. Kaede studied the child for while with Kagome, who was still trying to learn all she could about mikos from Kaede at the time, and announced that Sango had been blessed with a child of fire. Now, at the age of five, Sango and Miroku were already discussing as to where Jera should be sent away for special training or if Kaede and Kagome could help the younger fire tamer control her powers when she came of age.
Shunji was a surprise blessing. Sesshomaru’s visits with his family were what brought him about. While the brothers bickered, sparred, or bragged about their children, Rin tended to visit with Kohaku. Over the next three years, as they grew from 11 to 14, puberty set in, as did love, and Kohaku asked the great Lord’s permission to marry Rin. Needless to say, it took nearly every ofuda, blade, and arrow everyone possessed to calm the great Lord down enough to keep him from killing Kohaku. After some persuading by his own mate and his own ward, the wedding did eventually happen. No more than eight months after the marriage, Shunji was born. A month early, in large rush of blood, born smaller than normal, but he came perfectly normal. Now he was developing as fast as any normal human boy in the village, and his father had high hopes of him becoming a demon slayer.
Although Atsu was only ¾ human and the other two were full human, they were inseparable. It wasn’t uncommon to see Atsu lugging around Shunji on his back, while Jera prattled on. This was extremely strange since Atsu was a lot like his father in the sense that he didn’t talk a lot and Jera tended to talk a lot. The joke around the village was calling them the miniature married couple, because whenever, Shunji would soil himself, Atsu’s nose would pick it up, he would snort, hand the boy to Jera who would giggle, and change him while Atsu stood many yards away, waiting. Then they would continue on their way. When Shunji got old enough to toddle after them and talk to them, the bond between got deeper.
This bond worked well when faced with what became their rivals through their young lives for the first five years of their lives. After his twin girls were born, and shown to be fraternal at that, Sesshomaru had, so far, had no more children.
“But not without trying.” Kagura confessed over to Kaede, Kagome, Sango, and Rin over tea one day while then men were outside. “I for one am happy with two girls.” And the women all laughed.
The girls were as cunning as they were beautiful. The first, Shinbatsu, or Shin as everyone called her; had white hair with two black stripes running down the middle. She of course had her father’s crescent moon mark and stripes, and she was graced with her mother’s build but her father’s features. She moved with an eerie grace as she walked and some said it was as if she was the scent of a poisonous flower carried on the wind.
Her sister Kaiori, however, had dark red hair that looked black in the dark. She was also graced with her father’s markings but unlike her sister who had been seen transformed, she was not gifted with the inu transformation. She was able to use feathers like her mother to travel and it was not usual to see a young inu-youkai with a young wind-youkai on a feather floating above the castle grounds some nights. Kaiori was graced with her father’s build and her mother’s face. More people said that she always carried behind her the feel of a cold wind, like the feel of death’s breath blowing across you as she walked by. She and her sister were never far apart, always side by side. And since they were children of the mighty Sesshomaru, they had learned one thing very well from an early age, one thing Sesshomaru still taught even though he may not believe it himself.
This is why Atsu would often find himself baring his teeth at the sisters, his ears flattened against his skull as Jera and Shunji scurried away. The girls loved to torment their ¼ demon cousin and taunt him about his weak heritage. Eventually, due in part about wanting to prove how strong he was and the mix of a temper from both his parents, Atsu would fly at both girls at once and a fight would occur. Inevitably, Atsu would either come home beaten up or the fight would be broken up by one of their fathers.
At first, Kagome would try to stop these fights, but seeing as they continued, she would just cluck her tongue and bandage up her son while singing songs to him when he would weep in her arms. During these times he cried that he just wanted to be normal. When he was eight, after one of these visits from the girls, Kagome decided a trip to her time might be worthy. Inuyasha agreed, and packing some supplies, they set off for the shrine that now encompassed the well. Handing Atsu to Inuyasha, Kagome watched with a smile to see her son’s reaction at time traveling for the first time. She knew he was curious as to where she disappeared to far a week at a time, once a month, and she wanted to share this with him. As Inuyasha passed through she was shocked to see Atsu slam into the well bottom. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked up at his mother, the Shikon Jewel shining on her neck every time as usual when Inuyasha or she traveled through. Before he son could ask what the joke was, the well opened again and her husband reappeared to scoop up his son and immediately sniff him for injuries. He let out a soft woof of content that no serious harm was done and got out.
Later, as they travel home, Kagome was fingering the jewel and thought how cruel it was that her mother would never get to meet her grandson except in photos. Deciding to cheer her son up, she decided to take him out to play ‘hide and go seek’ in the woods, just to two of them. With promises to be careful, mother and son set off to have fun filled afternoon of bonding.
“Where is my little Atsu? Where can he be?” Kagome called. She smiled as she heard loud giggling from behind a clump of bushes. She turned her head away from the shaking bushes and walked by them loudly calling for her son. “Where is my little puppy?” She heard the giggling increase and then whirled back at them bushes diving into them, grabbing at Atsu who let out a surprised shriek of joy. “There he is!”
“Momma!” Atsu cried, surprised. To his mother’s shock, he leaped up and over her into the trees, giggling as he clutched at a branch with his little claws. To his mother’s horror his demon strength was starting to increase.
“Atsu, baby, come down from there!” Kagome called up to her son. He waved down at his mother hanging down, scratching under his arm with one arm hanging with his other, imitating a game they played with his friends.
“I’m a monkey, Momma!” he called and began leaping away into the trees.
“Atsu! Come back here now! You know Mommy can’t go as fast as you and Daddy, Atsu!” No answer. “Atsu?!” Kagome didn’t here anything after a bit and instantly un-strapped bow from her back and yanked an arrow from her sheath of arrows. She fired one up towards the village. She knew she was over reacting a bit but Inuyasha always said that if Atsu ever got a head start over her he could get half a mile away from her easily in these woods and a full demon could easily kill him.
“I can’t wait, for Inuyasha to find me; I’ll start looking for Atsu myself. He’ll find me looking for him.” She muttered to herself and set off in the direction her son and set off in his game. “Atsu!”
*****
Atsu giggled to himself as he leapt from branch to branch, tree to tree. His Papa would be so proud that he could hide so well during this game! He laughed again and leapt into another tree to hide, waiting for his Momma to come find him. As he did he noticed a blue, glowing demon go floating by. Watching it, it didn’t seem dangerous so he stretched out a finger to touch it. He touched it and ran his finger along it, feeling the cold sensation. The demon made a low crooning sound, swirling around the small boy. He giggled but stopped when another appeared and joined the first, both making low moaning noises as they swirled around him. He ran his hands over both, smiling at the friendly demons as he waited for his momma.
“Hello, can you two talk? My name’s Atsu. Do you guys have one?” he asked. The demons made no reply but continued to move around him and were joined by three more. Atsu laughed with delight, not noticing the woman who silently walked below him and watched him. However, he did notice when the demons wrapped around him and picked him up from the tree.
“Hey, where are you taking me?” he cried, beginning to panic. The little boy began to pull at his little friends as they slowly lowered him down to the woman who raised her arms up to him. His eyes widened in shock and he began to struggle more intensely as he saw his destination. Just before he was about to turn his claws on them, they released him and he dropped into her arms. He looked up at the woman and was surprised at how much she looked like his momma. But then his nose was assaulted with the smell of grave dirt and clay.
Kikyo blinked down at the little hanyou demon in her arms as it reached up with its hands and proved without a doubt in her mind that he was Inuyasha’s son.
“Phew, you stink lady!”
*****
“Kagome!” Inuyasha called, leaping down through the trees to land before her. She came to halt before him, panting for breath. “What’s wrong? Where’s Atsu?”
“He thought we were playing some sort of game! He went swinging off ahead of me! I lost track of him! His demon abilities, they started coming in!” she cried, sounding like she was going into hysterics, Inuyasha instantly wrapped her in his arms.
“Easy, wench, I’ll find him. He can’t have gone too far. He wants you to find him, remember?” Inuyasha stated. Kagome nodded against his chest and sniffled as she clutched at his robes. He pulled away from her and was about to say he had to go search for Atsu and she should go back to the village when an arrow was fired from the village over the woods. They looked up and saw the blue ribbon tied to the arrow which meant a lost person had been found. Since Atsu was the only one who had been lost, that limited the options on how had been found.
“Kagome, quickly, get on!” he said and helped her climb onto his back. As soon as his wife was on his back, he launched them out of the woods and high above. Kagome was always amazed at how strong her husband was when she traveled this way as they ended up from the middle of the woods to the edge of them in one huge leap. She was shocked to see Kikyo’s Soul Gathers floating above the village. From the way Inuyasha tensed as well, he was also surprised. Inuyasha paused only long enough to sniff out their son’s scent and take off running though the village straight to Sango and Miroku’s hut, where Atsu was waiting with the monk and demon slayer’s family. After letting Kagome down, Inuyasha immediately picked up his son and began sniffing him intently to see if he was alright. His son did the same and both demons embraced before Inuyasha growled at his son who flattened his ears against his head.
“You scared your mother today, pup. You ran off and she can’t run like you because she’s just a plain human. You could have gotten hurt or she could have,” Inuyasha said, picking his son up by the back of the neck like a dog would do to a pup that had down wrong. His son whined and Inuyasha growled. “Are you gonna come back when your Mother calls for you again?”
“Yes, Papa, I’ll be a good pup.” Atsu whined. Inuyasha huffed and handed him to his mother. Atsu whined and kept his ears down, whimpering. “Atsu sorry for running off, Momma. Strange lady brought me back and then Kaede call you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that baby.” Kagome said, looking at her son. He blinked up at her with those gold eyes and had to fight her resolve to make sure he knew he couldn’t walk all over her. “So you’ll get no dinner tonight.”
“Mama………..” Atsu whined, sounding like he had just been told the world was going to end and his Mother shot him a look. His ears flattened even more. “Yes, Mama.”
“Oiy, thank you for bringing my son home but what are doing here, Kikyo?” Inuyasha asked, turning attention from making sure his son was okay to punishing the undead miko. Kikyo nodded to where Jera stood near Sango. Kagome noted that Jera now wore one of Miroku’s old gloves and a set of prayer beads on her right hand.
“I received word from my sister that Sango’s daughter would need special training as to her unique miko gift.” Kikyo said and turned her attention to Kagome, who blushed. “They are beyond you to help her train?”
“Unfortunately.” Kagome agreed. “Water hurts her now. She can’t even bathe, walk outside in the rain, but the glove and prayer beads are new. When did this happen, Miroku?” Attention turned to the former monk, who looked displeased.
“It seems Naraku’s attempt to break my Wind Tunnel during our last battle has not only made mine permanent but also allowed it to pass onto my heirs.” Miroku said. “But it is much smaller than mine and her children will have smaller ones or none at all.” Miroku added seeing the expression on Kagome’s face. Kikyo turned to Jera and knelt before the little girl who tried to hide behind her mother but couldn’t because of the intense heat she gave off.
“Would you like to come up to monastery where I have been staying? There are many other mikos there who would like to help you with this problem of yours.” Kikyo offered to the little girl. Jera looked uncertain but then looked up to Sango who smiled down at her and Jera turned back at her,
“Could I hug my Mommy again without hurting her?” Jera asked in a small voice. Kikyo smile softly and nodded.
“Of course. Would you like to go tonight?” she asked and Jera nodded her. Sango offered to go pack her things but Kikyo declined, saying they had no need for objects. Summoning her Soul Gathers they lifted girl and miko up and began to carry them away but Atsu called out to them.
“Jera, write to me and Shunji, okay?”
“’Kay, Atsu! See you again!”
*****
Jera did indeed keep her promise to write to them, at least for a little while. But in her last letter, when she wrote that Kikyo would be leaving but she would be staying, did the letters starting to become infrequent and further and further apart. But as soon as Atsu received one, he wrote a lengthy reply on his and Shunji’s behalf.
By now, Atsu was 15 and Shunji was 13. Kohaku had broached the subject with Sesshomaru and Rin of training the boy to be a demon slayer but Shunji had quietly asked for another option. A prestigious school for the study of becoming a samurai had opened almost four years ago and was accepting the best male of each house. Since Atsu and Shunji were the only males of their houses in the right age group they asked their fathers if they could go and enroll.
At first, Inuyasha was wary about it, but Kagome’s trips to the future had never stopped and during one of them, she said the school still functioned and turned out the best warriors in history so Inuyasha agreed. So Shunji and Atsu set off, one hoping to become as great as his friend, and the other hoping to become known as something besides, Inuyasha’s son. However, when they arrived at the gate, Atsu was shocked to learn that they wouldn’t even admit him because of his demon blood. Shunji, surprised, was going to decline and return home with his friend but Atsu insisted his friend follow his dream. So Atsu made the long journey home, alone.
“Halt, who goes there?” A voice cried at the edge of the village to the figure trudging as it approached. The figure gave a deep sigh and snort.
“Tuno, you oaf, it's me.” Atsu called out and the guard immediately ran out to greet him.
“Hey, what happened? Shunji alright?” Tuno asked. Atsu mentally snarled to himself.
‘Of course,’ he mentally snarled, ‘ask and see if the quarter demon killed the human. Asshole. I grew up around you and you still don’t trust me?’
“He’s fine. He stayed, I left. Where are my parents?” Atsu asked, heading for his hut. The man nodded to Kaede’s hut.
“Lord Sesshomaru has come to visit Lord Inuyasha.” Was all Tuno said before disappearing to do more rounds. Atsu sighed and entered his own hut. It was put up a year ago when he declared that he needed a private space of his own and he was coming of age. Inuyasha agreed, and father and son worked together to build the hut. He cleaned himself up and changed into a clean set of robes. Unlike his father, he did not have a set of fire rat robes and he needed a lot of different sets of clothing. Leaving the hut and calming the strange boiling in his blood that had seemed to be present since the rejection at the training camp, Atsu made his way to Kaede’s hut. He knocked gently on the doorway and entered when the call came to do so.
“Atsu!” Kagome said in surprise, and the sentiment was echoed around except by the demons. Atsu saw his cousins were present and his Aunt, as well as Jaken, Aunt Rin, and Uncle Kohaku.
“Uncle Sesshomaru, Aunt Kagura, Mom, Dad, Uncle Kohaku, Aunt Rin, Lady Kaede, Jaken, Shinbatsu, Kaiori. “ Atsu said in greeting, sitting himself in a corner, noting how Shinbatsu and Kaiori had swords proudly sheathed in their laps.
“I’m surprised to see you back. Is everything okay?” Rin asked, worry creeping into her voice. Atsu nodded to her and she sighed.
“Yes, everything was fine. Shunji was allowed in. I was just rejected.” He said and crossed his arms under his sleeves. He snorted himself as he recalled the hateful words the man had flung at him and dug his claws into his arms under his robes.
“A waste of time training with those pitiful humans, if you ask me,” Sesshomaru stated, and his daughters smirked. Inuyasha shook his head while Kagome sighed.
“Shunji wanted to train there and Atsu wanted to as well. Who are we to deny the boys their dreams? But Shunji did not return with you when you were rejected?” Rin asked, a bit surprised at the lack of manners her son showed while not in her presence, but Atsu waved a hand at his Aunt.
“He wanted to, I insisted he stay Aunt Rin, and I came home alone. I knew how much it meant him. It took a while but I convinced him to stay.” Atsu said and Sesshomaru snorted again, this time joined by his two daughters. Sparing them a glare, he got his feet. “The full moon is tomorrow so I’m going for run. I need to stretch my legs.”
Without a backward glance he left the hut without saying goodbye. However, he went around behind to get a few nets to gather some game for the next few days. He knew the adults must have thought he had left already and he was must have been downwind of the demons.
“Feh, Inuyasha your son is too kinda hearted.”
“That’s the wench’s fault.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Sesshomaru.”
“His human night is tomorrow and you still have not given him a weapon from Toutousai? Shin and Kaiori each have one and they are full demons. Atsu will need the sealing factor as well as a weapon to defend him.”
“The demon blood in his veins may rule over his body a lot but-”
Having heard enough and sensing another large argument brewing between his father and uncle, Atsu set off into the forest to do some hunting. He slung some rope and a net over his shoulder and leapt off into the trees, just wanting to take his mind off his terrible day and focus on the night. Tomorrow night would be another miserable transformation, a weak night cut off, hiding in a cave. As he leaped from tree to tree, he didn’t see the two figures silently following him.
*****
Atsu tense, watching the pack of boars slowly snuffle and sort as they walked over where he had laid the net and covered it. He waited, gripping the rope he had tied to the net in his hands hard, and was about to yank when he was slammed in the back. The boars squealed in surprised and went running but Atsu went skidding into his own trap; someone yanked on the ropes, pulling him up into the net, hanging him above the ground. He snarled and flexed his claws about to cut his way out when he heard the all too familiar giggling.
“You bitches.” Atsu snarled, watching Kaiori and Shin step from behind the trees. Their swords strapped at their sides, Kaiori with a fan before in her hand and Shin with the ropes wrapped around one of hers.
“Now Atsu, we’re not heat.” Shin chided gently, and Kaiori laughed. Atsu growled and slashed the bottom of the net, falling out and hitting the ground with a loud thump. Shin smirked and let go of the ropes and Atsu snarled as the remains of the net covered his eyes. The twins chortled as he reached up to grab the net and ropes and toss them aside.
“What do you want?” he snarled, flexing his claws at his sides. Kaiori opened her fan in front of her face to hide her smirk and Shin crossed her arms, smirking.
“Who says we want anything but to visit with our dear cousin?” Shin mocked, smirking a bit, tapping her claws against her arms, with her fangs visible.
“Yes, we so miss you when we’re away at the castle.” Kaiori added, and they both burst out laughing. Atsu snarled, his hand cracking as his hand tightened. Kaiori snapped her fan shut and put it away and then both girls moved in unison, drawing the swords at theirs sides. Their swords were identical except that Shin’s had a red handle and Kaiori’s had a blue one. They pulsed in unison and the girls smirked at Atsu as he growled.
“Our father had Toutousai make these for us today, quarter breed.” Shin taunted, raising her sword before her, the blade pointed at him. “This is Inutsume.”
“And this is mine, you weak mutt.” Kaiori snarled slashing her sword at Atsu, a sudden burst of wind driving him back and slamming him into a tree. He shook his head and glared at her, revealing his fangs at her. “My sword is named Kitakaze!”
“So what? You have fancy swords? I’ll kick your asses right here and now, you bitches!” Atsu snarled and leaped at them, his lips pulled back, his teeth bared, his claws ready as he leaped at them. The girls parted, Shin going left, Kaiori going right as they circled him. Atsu snarled and tried to focus on one but Shin distracted him as Kaiori slashed his back. He let out a cry as he flew forward, but caught himself on his hands, kicked back, grabbing Kaiori with his feet. He was about to slam her down with his feet, when Shin slashed his chest with Inutsume. Atsu fell to the ground and began to roll away as the girls began to lung at him, slashing the ground up as they tried to attack him. He suddenly rolled towards Shin and bit her ankle.
Shin screamed and lunged down with Inutsume but missed him as he skidded between her legs, got his feet, leaping away and twisting in mid-air, to land with his back to a tree. Kaiori leaped off her sister’s shoulders while Shin nursed her ankle while it healed quickly and suddenly twisted back, like she was going to hit something away with her sword. Atsu narrowed his eyes at Kaiori who growled at him.
“This is for biting my sister with your filthy human teeth, hanyou! Suna Blasts!” Kaiori screamed, and slashed the Kitakaze at Atsu. Atsu leaped to the side but numerous blasts of wind and sand exploded in every direction away from her and one hit Atsu in the face. Atsu cried out and clutch at his face, snarling, and wiped at his eyes, trying to get the sand out of his eyes. Kaiori rushed over to help her sister to her feet but Shin shook her off.
“That filthy hanyou.” Shin hissed, and Atsu’s ear’s twitched. He turned to them, squinting, making out blurs. Shin held up a finger to her lips and made a motion to Kaiori to circle behind and a slashing gesture across the back. Kaiori‘s lips curled up and she nodded, moving as Shin spoke.
“You filthy, miserable, quarter breed. You don’t even have enough power to hurt us. Your senses aren’t even equal to that of you half demon father’s.” Shin taunted as she watched her sister sneak up on Atsu, raising Kitakaze silently. Atsu snarled and raised his claws about to strike at Shin but then lunged to the left as Kaiori slash down at him. Kaiori, surprised, stumbled.
“Iron Reaver!” Atsu screamed, raking his claws down her back. Kaiori screamed and stumbled into her sister who caught her. Shin looked at Atsu who smirked at them. “My senses are on par with my father bitch, which are equal to your father’s.”
“Don’t dare compare yourself to him, hanyou!” Kaiori screamed, whirling on him, and both girls forced the attack, slashing and cutting at him. The attack kept going on, Atsu on the relieving end, cuts kept appearing on his body but a big slash on his right opened him up for Shin who snarled on lunged with instinct straight in with Inutsume.
It was like time was frozen, Kaiori would later tell the adults as Inutsume slid effortsly into Atsu’s side. Shin didn’t stop there though as she snarled and slashed outward away from his body, opening the wound. Atsu’s scream rang out, and he fell to his knees, clutching at the gapping wound in his side. For a moment, the girls just stood there, watching before they sheathed their swords.
“That is your lesson to always bow before us, you are only a part of demon, not even half. You will always bow before us.” Shin stated, and Kaiori smirked. Atsu looked up into her face and spat blood into her face. Kaiori’s eyes widened in horror as Shin slowly reached up and wiped it away.
“Y-you…………you………………you……………..”
“Fuck you.” Atsu stated very clearly and Shin’s sword rang very clearly as she drew out very quickly and she slashed him across the chest, sending him flying into a tree. He hit with a loud crack and slide to the bottom, leaving a trail of blood on the tree.
“Shin.” Kaiori said, worry evidently in her voice. “We’re down wind of the village. We should go get father and have him use Tenseiga on Atsu. He’s learned his lesson.” She turned to her sister who stared impassively at the quarter demon. “Please?”
“Why? Filthy cross breed spit on me!” Shin said, disgusted. Kaiori nodded, shivering as well, knowing she would feel the same way if Atsu had done the same to her as well.
“I understand sister but can you imagine the punishment father would place on us if Atsu died? Plus all the racket his people would make to hurt our ears as they mourned, if he did die?” Kaiori complained and Shin sighed.
“I suppose your right again, sister.” She said, sheathing her sword, turning to the village and began walking non-chalantly. Her sister followed and they began to walk away. They froze as a loud growling began to fill the air. They turned to see Atsu on his feet, bent at the waist so low, his hair touched the ground. His claws scraped the ground as he swayed from side to side, growling. The girls were suddenly assaulted by Atsu’s scent as it underwent as change and became like their father’s. A full blooded, male inu-youkai.
“Shin, what happened to him? Did your sword do this to?” Kaiori whispered to her sister. Shin shook her head as they watch Atsu raised his head. They felt like the breath was suck punched out of their chests as they saw the stripes on his cheeks and the red eyes and blue pupils.
“Kaiori, can you fight?” Shin asked suddenly, and winced, noticing that the slashes on her back still bled heavily.
“Not enough to help, sister. Can you old him off, whatever he is?” Kaiori asked and Shin smirked.
“Of course, I can. I’m going to transform and show this wannabe just what a pure demon can do. Go get mother and father.” Shin said, her eyes already taking on a red color and she began growling at Atsu who responded. Kaiori plucked a feather from her hair and threw it up taking to the air, flying for the village as fast as she could, seeing her sister transform into her youkai form, the same as their father, but with two black stripes down the middle of her back. Praying she would make it back in time, she race back to get some help.
Shin lunged at Atsu who leapt over her jaws, landing on her snout, much to her surprise. He snarled and bit them himself, making her howl in rage. He ran down her back, lowering his hand down and raking it down her back, leaving a deep gouge down as he ran all the way down. He landed on his feet behind her, grinning to himself, licking her blood off his claws.
“Shin, you taste good.” Atsu growled. Shin whirled at him, snarling, snapping her jaws. Atsu slashed upward with both hands catching her hard under the jaw. Shin jerked back and howled, scuttling back as Atsu rushed forward to attack her exposed underbelly. Just as he was about to slice her open he was slammed into by someone coming at him at full speed.
“Oiy, pup, what the hell did you think you were doing?” Inuyasha snarled, holding his son down. Atsu snarled and lunged up, biting his father on the nose. Inuyasha recoiled, shocked and let go in surprise. Atsu kicked his father off of him but before he could get to his feet, Sesshomaru rushed into the field and slammed his foot down onto the quarter demon.
“I suggest you stand down, boy.” He ordered, but Atsu refused to submit. He grabbed Sesshomaru’s ankle in both hands and savagely bit into it. Shocked by such savagery, something not even displayed by even Inuyasha in this form, Sesshomaru stumbled back. Springing to his feet, Atsu rushed at Shin again, who had changed back. Caught unprepared, Shin was knocked to her back as Atsu pinned her down.
“Filthy scum.” Atsu growled, Kagome arriving with Sango and the others just as he said it, making her shudder. He sounded so much like Inuyasha then. Atsu opened his mouth wide, baring his blood stained mouth and lunged down biting Shin’s shoulder, growling as he bit a chunk off. Shin screamed, drawing Inutsume and plunged it into Atsu. The quarter demon made no movement that he even felt the blade as he swallowed the piece of meat. He reared back to bite again when Sango struck, her Hiraikotsu whirling in the air with practiced aim. It hit right where it was needed and the result everyone wanted was finally achieved. Atsu’s eyes rolled up in his head and he went down hard.
*****
At first, there was silence, then Sesshomaru rushed to pull Atsu off of Shin, yank Inutsume out of him, and drew Tenseiga. He instantly healed him and then his daughter who tried to speak but he glared at her. Shin drew away shocked that her father would look at her so harshly.
“I will deal with you and your sister when I return home. Kagura!” Sesshomaru called and his wife came to his side, looking just as angry as she dragged Kaiori by an ear.
“Yes, dear?” she hissed, obviously angry but not with him.
“Punish the girls with how you see fit. I will return when all is settled here. Then they will have to deal with me.” Sesshomaru hissed. Kagura nodded and picked up Shin by her ears as well, dragging them off without so much as a word to anyone else. Inuyasha and Kagome were cradling their son on their arms, and Inuyasha looked up to his brother.
“Thank you, brother.” Inuyasha said softly. Sesshomaru nodded and gestured down at Atsu.
“Tonight shows us many things. It shows us he’s your equal in power, temper, and weakness little brother. We must make a trip to trip to Toutousai tonight, however, I have an idea.” Sesshomaru said, kneeling next to them.
“What is it?”
“Who says we need only take one fang?” Sesshomaru gestured to the group gathered.
*****
“And that is why this sword can never leave your side. If you do, you could go on a killing rampage and kill everyone you hold dear to you for no reason. Do you understand, Atsu?” Inuyasha asked quietly, laying the sword and sheath across his son’s lap. The boy nodded and picked it up, bowing deeply.
“Thank you, Dad.” Atsu said, but there was no smile in his voice. Inuyasha sighed. The kindness that had been in Atsu had vanished as did the boy that night. Atsu was now truly his father’s son.
“Get some rest son.” Inuyasha said. He got to his feet and turned to leave. He heard his son try to pull the sword from the sheath. He struggled for a minute before swearing softly.
“Dad! Why won’t this open?” he called to his father before he left his hut. Inuyasha paused before leaving his son’s hut and smiled to himself.
“The Onidoki will only unsheathe itself to you when the time is right. We insisted to Toutousai on making it that way.” Inuyasha said, and left the hut. As he made his way to his hut he heard his son scream.
“They named my sword Demon’s Wrath?!”
*****
END CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2: The Reunion
Atsu is reunited with Jera and Shunji finally. But things are not all what they seem as Shin and Kaiori also return with their family. Will the Onidoki be unsheathed? Will Atsu finally get a chance to grow beyond his father’s shadow?
By Toby
Chapter 1: Growing Up
“Come here, pup! Quickly, pup!” Inuyasha called, to his son. There was a loud giggling sound and numerous villagers stopped in their daily chores to watch Inuyasha running through the village, his five year old son running after him. Over the past five years, the boy had grown incrediblely fast. He had gone from a small, roly-poly pup to an actively moving pup in a matter of weeks. By the time he was a month, he had all his teeth, starting with his fangs, by six months he had already begun walking and crawling, and by the time he was one, he was talking. As fast as his body grew, so did his mind.
His mother taught him to read from her books starting at the age of three, per Inuyasha’s request. She was a bit doubtful that a child of such a young age and being such a hyper, young hanyou could sit still to learn nothing but the basics so soon. But Inuyasha insisted and to Kagome’s amazement, Atsu took to education like a duck to water. He blew through any book she brought back from her time for reading and could even pick up on other bits and pieces of other languages. However, mathematics was still a bit complex for him so he still went at a normal pace with that.
With these differences, including his physical differences, Kagome and Inuyasha often worried that Atsu would not be accepted well by other children in the village. True, some of the older children had trouble accepting a part demon child but a blessing came in the forms of two special children. One was in the form of the five year old daughter of Miroku and Sango, Jera, and the other in the form of the two year old son of Kohaku and Rin, Shunji.
Jera was born two months after Atsu. From the moment of her birth she was always an unusual child. People always whispered around her about how hot it always was in the summer shade and so warm in the huts when holding her. Later, when she began teething and began crying constantly, strange fires would burst to life around her. Kaede studied the child for while with Kagome, who was still trying to learn all she could about mikos from Kaede at the time, and announced that Sango had been blessed with a child of fire. Now, at the age of five, Sango and Miroku were already discussing as to where Jera should be sent away for special training or if Kaede and Kagome could help the younger fire tamer control her powers when she came of age.
Shunji was a surprise blessing. Sesshomaru’s visits with his family were what brought him about. While the brothers bickered, sparred, or bragged about their children, Rin tended to visit with Kohaku. Over the next three years, as they grew from 11 to 14, puberty set in, as did love, and Kohaku asked the great Lord’s permission to marry Rin. Needless to say, it took nearly every ofuda, blade, and arrow everyone possessed to calm the great Lord down enough to keep him from killing Kohaku. After some persuading by his own mate and his own ward, the wedding did eventually happen. No more than eight months after the marriage, Shunji was born. A month early, in large rush of blood, born smaller than normal, but he came perfectly normal. Now he was developing as fast as any normal human boy in the village, and his father had high hopes of him becoming a demon slayer.
Although Atsu was only ¾ human and the other two were full human, they were inseparable. It wasn’t uncommon to see Atsu lugging around Shunji on his back, while Jera prattled on. This was extremely strange since Atsu was a lot like his father in the sense that he didn’t talk a lot and Jera tended to talk a lot. The joke around the village was calling them the miniature married couple, because whenever, Shunji would soil himself, Atsu’s nose would pick it up, he would snort, hand the boy to Jera who would giggle, and change him while Atsu stood many yards away, waiting. Then they would continue on their way. When Shunji got old enough to toddle after them and talk to them, the bond between got deeper.
This bond worked well when faced with what became their rivals through their young lives for the first five years of their lives. After his twin girls were born, and shown to be fraternal at that, Sesshomaru had, so far, had no more children.
“But not without trying.” Kagura confessed over to Kaede, Kagome, Sango, and Rin over tea one day while then men were outside. “I for one am happy with two girls.” And the women all laughed.
The girls were as cunning as they were beautiful. The first, Shinbatsu, or Shin as everyone called her; had white hair with two black stripes running down the middle. She of course had her father’s crescent moon mark and stripes, and she was graced with her mother’s build but her father’s features. She moved with an eerie grace as she walked and some said it was as if she was the scent of a poisonous flower carried on the wind.
Her sister Kaiori, however, had dark red hair that looked black in the dark. She was also graced with her father’s markings but unlike her sister who had been seen transformed, she was not gifted with the inu transformation. She was able to use feathers like her mother to travel and it was not usual to see a young inu-youkai with a young wind-youkai on a feather floating above the castle grounds some nights. Kaiori was graced with her father’s build and her mother’s face. More people said that she always carried behind her the feel of a cold wind, like the feel of death’s breath blowing across you as she walked by. She and her sister were never far apart, always side by side. And since they were children of the mighty Sesshomaru, they had learned one thing very well from an early age, one thing Sesshomaru still taught even though he may not believe it himself.
This is why Atsu would often find himself baring his teeth at the sisters, his ears flattened against his skull as Jera and Shunji scurried away. The girls loved to torment their ¼ demon cousin and taunt him about his weak heritage. Eventually, due in part about wanting to prove how strong he was and the mix of a temper from both his parents, Atsu would fly at both girls at once and a fight would occur. Inevitably, Atsu would either come home beaten up or the fight would be broken up by one of their fathers.
At first, Kagome would try to stop these fights, but seeing as they continued, she would just cluck her tongue and bandage up her son while singing songs to him when he would weep in her arms. During these times he cried that he just wanted to be normal. When he was eight, after one of these visits from the girls, Kagome decided a trip to her time might be worthy. Inuyasha agreed, and packing some supplies, they set off for the shrine that now encompassed the well. Handing Atsu to Inuyasha, Kagome watched with a smile to see her son’s reaction at time traveling for the first time. She knew he was curious as to where she disappeared to far a week at a time, once a month, and she wanted to share this with him. As Inuyasha passed through she was shocked to see Atsu slam into the well bottom. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked up at his mother, the Shikon Jewel shining on her neck every time as usual when Inuyasha or she traveled through. Before he son could ask what the joke was, the well opened again and her husband reappeared to scoop up his son and immediately sniff him for injuries. He let out a soft woof of content that no serious harm was done and got out.
Later, as they travel home, Kagome was fingering the jewel and thought how cruel it was that her mother would never get to meet her grandson except in photos. Deciding to cheer her son up, she decided to take him out to play ‘hide and go seek’ in the woods, just to two of them. With promises to be careful, mother and son set off to have fun filled afternoon of bonding.
“Where is my little Atsu? Where can he be?” Kagome called. She smiled as she heard loud giggling from behind a clump of bushes. She turned her head away from the shaking bushes and walked by them loudly calling for her son. “Where is my little puppy?” She heard the giggling increase and then whirled back at them bushes diving into them, grabbing at Atsu who let out a surprised shriek of joy. “There he is!”
“Momma!” Atsu cried, surprised. To his mother’s shock, he leaped up and over her into the trees, giggling as he clutched at a branch with his little claws. To his mother’s horror his demon strength was starting to increase.
“Atsu, baby, come down from there!” Kagome called up to her son. He waved down at his mother hanging down, scratching under his arm with one arm hanging with his other, imitating a game they played with his friends.
“I’m a monkey, Momma!” he called and began leaping away into the trees.
“Atsu! Come back here now! You know Mommy can’t go as fast as you and Daddy, Atsu!” No answer. “Atsu?!” Kagome didn’t here anything after a bit and instantly un-strapped bow from her back and yanked an arrow from her sheath of arrows. She fired one up towards the village. She knew she was over reacting a bit but Inuyasha always said that if Atsu ever got a head start over her he could get half a mile away from her easily in these woods and a full demon could easily kill him.
“I can’t wait, for Inuyasha to find me; I’ll start looking for Atsu myself. He’ll find me looking for him.” She muttered to herself and set off in the direction her son and set off in his game. “Atsu!”
*****
Atsu giggled to himself as he leapt from branch to branch, tree to tree. His Papa would be so proud that he could hide so well during this game! He laughed again and leapt into another tree to hide, waiting for his Momma to come find him. As he did he noticed a blue, glowing demon go floating by. Watching it, it didn’t seem dangerous so he stretched out a finger to touch it. He touched it and ran his finger along it, feeling the cold sensation. The demon made a low crooning sound, swirling around the small boy. He giggled but stopped when another appeared and joined the first, both making low moaning noises as they swirled around him. He ran his hands over both, smiling at the friendly demons as he waited for his momma.
“Hello, can you two talk? My name’s Atsu. Do you guys have one?” he asked. The demons made no reply but continued to move around him and were joined by three more. Atsu laughed with delight, not noticing the woman who silently walked below him and watched him. However, he did notice when the demons wrapped around him and picked him up from the tree.
“Hey, where are you taking me?” he cried, beginning to panic. The little boy began to pull at his little friends as they slowly lowered him down to the woman who raised her arms up to him. His eyes widened in shock and he began to struggle more intensely as he saw his destination. Just before he was about to turn his claws on them, they released him and he dropped into her arms. He looked up at the woman and was surprised at how much she looked like his momma. But then his nose was assaulted with the smell of grave dirt and clay.
Kikyo blinked down at the little hanyou demon in her arms as it reached up with its hands and proved without a doubt in her mind that he was Inuyasha’s son.
“Phew, you stink lady!”
*****
“Kagome!” Inuyasha called, leaping down through the trees to land before her. She came to halt before him, panting for breath. “What’s wrong? Where’s Atsu?”
“He thought we were playing some sort of game! He went swinging off ahead of me! I lost track of him! His demon abilities, they started coming in!” she cried, sounding like she was going into hysterics, Inuyasha instantly wrapped her in his arms.
“Easy, wench, I’ll find him. He can’t have gone too far. He wants you to find him, remember?” Inuyasha stated. Kagome nodded against his chest and sniffled as she clutched at his robes. He pulled away from her and was about to say he had to go search for Atsu and she should go back to the village when an arrow was fired from the village over the woods. They looked up and saw the blue ribbon tied to the arrow which meant a lost person had been found. Since Atsu was the only one who had been lost, that limited the options on how had been found.
“Kagome, quickly, get on!” he said and helped her climb onto his back. As soon as his wife was on his back, he launched them out of the woods and high above. Kagome was always amazed at how strong her husband was when she traveled this way as they ended up from the middle of the woods to the edge of them in one huge leap. She was shocked to see Kikyo’s Soul Gathers floating above the village. From the way Inuyasha tensed as well, he was also surprised. Inuyasha paused only long enough to sniff out their son’s scent and take off running though the village straight to Sango and Miroku’s hut, where Atsu was waiting with the monk and demon slayer’s family. After letting Kagome down, Inuyasha immediately picked up his son and began sniffing him intently to see if he was alright. His son did the same and both demons embraced before Inuyasha growled at his son who flattened his ears against his head.
“You scared your mother today, pup. You ran off and she can’t run like you because she’s just a plain human. You could have gotten hurt or she could have,” Inuyasha said, picking his son up by the back of the neck like a dog would do to a pup that had down wrong. His son whined and Inuyasha growled. “Are you gonna come back when your Mother calls for you again?”
“Yes, Papa, I’ll be a good pup.” Atsu whined. Inuyasha huffed and handed him to his mother. Atsu whined and kept his ears down, whimpering. “Atsu sorry for running off, Momma. Strange lady brought me back and then Kaede call you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that baby.” Kagome said, looking at her son. He blinked up at her with those gold eyes and had to fight her resolve to make sure he knew he couldn’t walk all over her. “So you’ll get no dinner tonight.”
“Mama………..” Atsu whined, sounding like he had just been told the world was going to end and his Mother shot him a look. His ears flattened even more. “Yes, Mama.”
“Oiy, thank you for bringing my son home but what are doing here, Kikyo?” Inuyasha asked, turning attention from making sure his son was okay to punishing the undead miko. Kikyo nodded to where Jera stood near Sango. Kagome noted that Jera now wore one of Miroku’s old gloves and a set of prayer beads on her right hand.
“I received word from my sister that Sango’s daughter would need special training as to her unique miko gift.” Kikyo said and turned her attention to Kagome, who blushed. “They are beyond you to help her train?”
“Unfortunately.” Kagome agreed. “Water hurts her now. She can’t even bathe, walk outside in the rain, but the glove and prayer beads are new. When did this happen, Miroku?” Attention turned to the former monk, who looked displeased.
“It seems Naraku’s attempt to break my Wind Tunnel during our last battle has not only made mine permanent but also allowed it to pass onto my heirs.” Miroku said. “But it is much smaller than mine and her children will have smaller ones or none at all.” Miroku added seeing the expression on Kagome’s face. Kikyo turned to Jera and knelt before the little girl who tried to hide behind her mother but couldn’t because of the intense heat she gave off.
“Would you like to come up to monastery where I have been staying? There are many other mikos there who would like to help you with this problem of yours.” Kikyo offered to the little girl. Jera looked uncertain but then looked up to Sango who smiled down at her and Jera turned back at her,
“Could I hug my Mommy again without hurting her?” Jera asked in a small voice. Kikyo smile softly and nodded.
“Of course. Would you like to go tonight?” she asked and Jera nodded her. Sango offered to go pack her things but Kikyo declined, saying they had no need for objects. Summoning her Soul Gathers they lifted girl and miko up and began to carry them away but Atsu called out to them.
“Jera, write to me and Shunji, okay?”
“’Kay, Atsu! See you again!”
*****
Jera did indeed keep her promise to write to them, at least for a little while. But in her last letter, when she wrote that Kikyo would be leaving but she would be staying, did the letters starting to become infrequent and further and further apart. But as soon as Atsu received one, he wrote a lengthy reply on his and Shunji’s behalf.
By now, Atsu was 15 and Shunji was 13. Kohaku had broached the subject with Sesshomaru and Rin of training the boy to be a demon slayer but Shunji had quietly asked for another option. A prestigious school for the study of becoming a samurai had opened almost four years ago and was accepting the best male of each house. Since Atsu and Shunji were the only males of their houses in the right age group they asked their fathers if they could go and enroll.
At first, Inuyasha was wary about it, but Kagome’s trips to the future had never stopped and during one of them, she said the school still functioned and turned out the best warriors in history so Inuyasha agreed. So Shunji and Atsu set off, one hoping to become as great as his friend, and the other hoping to become known as something besides, Inuyasha’s son. However, when they arrived at the gate, Atsu was shocked to learn that they wouldn’t even admit him because of his demon blood. Shunji, surprised, was going to decline and return home with his friend but Atsu insisted his friend follow his dream. So Atsu made the long journey home, alone.
“Halt, who goes there?” A voice cried at the edge of the village to the figure trudging as it approached. The figure gave a deep sigh and snort.
“Tuno, you oaf, it's me.” Atsu called out and the guard immediately ran out to greet him.
“Hey, what happened? Shunji alright?” Tuno asked. Atsu mentally snarled to himself.
‘Of course,’ he mentally snarled, ‘ask and see if the quarter demon killed the human. Asshole. I grew up around you and you still don’t trust me?’
“He’s fine. He stayed, I left. Where are my parents?” Atsu asked, heading for his hut. The man nodded to Kaede’s hut.
“Lord Sesshomaru has come to visit Lord Inuyasha.” Was all Tuno said before disappearing to do more rounds. Atsu sighed and entered his own hut. It was put up a year ago when he declared that he needed a private space of his own and he was coming of age. Inuyasha agreed, and father and son worked together to build the hut. He cleaned himself up and changed into a clean set of robes. Unlike his father, he did not have a set of fire rat robes and he needed a lot of different sets of clothing. Leaving the hut and calming the strange boiling in his blood that had seemed to be present since the rejection at the training camp, Atsu made his way to Kaede’s hut. He knocked gently on the doorway and entered when the call came to do so.
“Atsu!” Kagome said in surprise, and the sentiment was echoed around except by the demons. Atsu saw his cousins were present and his Aunt, as well as Jaken, Aunt Rin, and Uncle Kohaku.
“Uncle Sesshomaru, Aunt Kagura, Mom, Dad, Uncle Kohaku, Aunt Rin, Lady Kaede, Jaken, Shinbatsu, Kaiori. “ Atsu said in greeting, sitting himself in a corner, noting how Shinbatsu and Kaiori had swords proudly sheathed in their laps.
“I’m surprised to see you back. Is everything okay?” Rin asked, worry creeping into her voice. Atsu nodded to her and she sighed.
“Yes, everything was fine. Shunji was allowed in. I was just rejected.” He said and crossed his arms under his sleeves. He snorted himself as he recalled the hateful words the man had flung at him and dug his claws into his arms under his robes.
“A waste of time training with those pitiful humans, if you ask me,” Sesshomaru stated, and his daughters smirked. Inuyasha shook his head while Kagome sighed.
“Shunji wanted to train there and Atsu wanted to as well. Who are we to deny the boys their dreams? But Shunji did not return with you when you were rejected?” Rin asked, a bit surprised at the lack of manners her son showed while not in her presence, but Atsu waved a hand at his Aunt.
“He wanted to, I insisted he stay Aunt Rin, and I came home alone. I knew how much it meant him. It took a while but I convinced him to stay.” Atsu said and Sesshomaru snorted again, this time joined by his two daughters. Sparing them a glare, he got his feet. “The full moon is tomorrow so I’m going for run. I need to stretch my legs.”
Without a backward glance he left the hut without saying goodbye. However, he went around behind to get a few nets to gather some game for the next few days. He knew the adults must have thought he had left already and he was must have been downwind of the demons.
“Feh, Inuyasha your son is too kinda hearted.”
“That’s the wench’s fault.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Sesshomaru.”
“His human night is tomorrow and you still have not given him a weapon from Toutousai? Shin and Kaiori each have one and they are full demons. Atsu will need the sealing factor as well as a weapon to defend him.”
“The demon blood in his veins may rule over his body a lot but-”
Having heard enough and sensing another large argument brewing between his father and uncle, Atsu set off into the forest to do some hunting. He slung some rope and a net over his shoulder and leapt off into the trees, just wanting to take his mind off his terrible day and focus on the night. Tomorrow night would be another miserable transformation, a weak night cut off, hiding in a cave. As he leaped from tree to tree, he didn’t see the two figures silently following him.
*****
Atsu tense, watching the pack of boars slowly snuffle and sort as they walked over where he had laid the net and covered it. He waited, gripping the rope he had tied to the net in his hands hard, and was about to yank when he was slammed in the back. The boars squealed in surprised and went running but Atsu went skidding into his own trap; someone yanked on the ropes, pulling him up into the net, hanging him above the ground. He snarled and flexed his claws about to cut his way out when he heard the all too familiar giggling.
“You bitches.” Atsu snarled, watching Kaiori and Shin step from behind the trees. Their swords strapped at their sides, Kaiori with a fan before in her hand and Shin with the ropes wrapped around one of hers.
“Now Atsu, we’re not heat.” Shin chided gently, and Kaiori laughed. Atsu growled and slashed the bottom of the net, falling out and hitting the ground with a loud thump. Shin smirked and let go of the ropes and Atsu snarled as the remains of the net covered his eyes. The twins chortled as he reached up to grab the net and ropes and toss them aside.
“What do you want?” he snarled, flexing his claws at his sides. Kaiori opened her fan in front of her face to hide her smirk and Shin crossed her arms, smirking.
“Who says we want anything but to visit with our dear cousin?” Shin mocked, smirking a bit, tapping her claws against her arms, with her fangs visible.
“Yes, we so miss you when we’re away at the castle.” Kaiori added, and they both burst out laughing. Atsu snarled, his hand cracking as his hand tightened. Kaiori snapped her fan shut and put it away and then both girls moved in unison, drawing the swords at theirs sides. Their swords were identical except that Shin’s had a red handle and Kaiori’s had a blue one. They pulsed in unison and the girls smirked at Atsu as he growled.
“Our father had Toutousai make these for us today, quarter breed.” Shin taunted, raising her sword before her, the blade pointed at him. “This is Inutsume.”
“And this is mine, you weak mutt.” Kaiori snarled slashing her sword at Atsu, a sudden burst of wind driving him back and slamming him into a tree. He shook his head and glared at her, revealing his fangs at her. “My sword is named Kitakaze!”
“So what? You have fancy swords? I’ll kick your asses right here and now, you bitches!” Atsu snarled and leaped at them, his lips pulled back, his teeth bared, his claws ready as he leaped at them. The girls parted, Shin going left, Kaiori going right as they circled him. Atsu snarled and tried to focus on one but Shin distracted him as Kaiori slashed his back. He let out a cry as he flew forward, but caught himself on his hands, kicked back, grabbing Kaiori with his feet. He was about to slam her down with his feet, when Shin slashed his chest with Inutsume. Atsu fell to the ground and began to roll away as the girls began to lung at him, slashing the ground up as they tried to attack him. He suddenly rolled towards Shin and bit her ankle.
Shin screamed and lunged down with Inutsume but missed him as he skidded between her legs, got his feet, leaping away and twisting in mid-air, to land with his back to a tree. Kaiori leaped off her sister’s shoulders while Shin nursed her ankle while it healed quickly and suddenly twisted back, like she was going to hit something away with her sword. Atsu narrowed his eyes at Kaiori who growled at him.
“This is for biting my sister with your filthy human teeth, hanyou! Suna Blasts!” Kaiori screamed, and slashed the Kitakaze at Atsu. Atsu leaped to the side but numerous blasts of wind and sand exploded in every direction away from her and one hit Atsu in the face. Atsu cried out and clutch at his face, snarling, and wiped at his eyes, trying to get the sand out of his eyes. Kaiori rushed over to help her sister to her feet but Shin shook her off.
“That filthy hanyou.” Shin hissed, and Atsu’s ear’s twitched. He turned to them, squinting, making out blurs. Shin held up a finger to her lips and made a motion to Kaiori to circle behind and a slashing gesture across the back. Kaiori‘s lips curled up and she nodded, moving as Shin spoke.
“You filthy, miserable, quarter breed. You don’t even have enough power to hurt us. Your senses aren’t even equal to that of you half demon father’s.” Shin taunted as she watched her sister sneak up on Atsu, raising Kitakaze silently. Atsu snarled and raised his claws about to strike at Shin but then lunged to the left as Kaiori slash down at him. Kaiori, surprised, stumbled.
“Iron Reaver!” Atsu screamed, raking his claws down her back. Kaiori screamed and stumbled into her sister who caught her. Shin looked at Atsu who smirked at them. “My senses are on par with my father bitch, which are equal to your father’s.”
“Don’t dare compare yourself to him, hanyou!” Kaiori screamed, whirling on him, and both girls forced the attack, slashing and cutting at him. The attack kept going on, Atsu on the relieving end, cuts kept appearing on his body but a big slash on his right opened him up for Shin who snarled on lunged with instinct straight in with Inutsume.
It was like time was frozen, Kaiori would later tell the adults as Inutsume slid effortsly into Atsu’s side. Shin didn’t stop there though as she snarled and slashed outward away from his body, opening the wound. Atsu’s scream rang out, and he fell to his knees, clutching at the gapping wound in his side. For a moment, the girls just stood there, watching before they sheathed their swords.
“That is your lesson to always bow before us, you are only a part of demon, not even half. You will always bow before us.” Shin stated, and Kaiori smirked. Atsu looked up into her face and spat blood into her face. Kaiori’s eyes widened in horror as Shin slowly reached up and wiped it away.
“Y-you…………you………………you……………..”
“Fuck you.” Atsu stated very clearly and Shin’s sword rang very clearly as she drew out very quickly and she slashed him across the chest, sending him flying into a tree. He hit with a loud crack and slide to the bottom, leaving a trail of blood on the tree.
“Shin.” Kaiori said, worry evidently in her voice. “We’re down wind of the village. We should go get father and have him use Tenseiga on Atsu. He’s learned his lesson.” She turned to her sister who stared impassively at the quarter demon. “Please?”
“Why? Filthy cross breed spit on me!” Shin said, disgusted. Kaiori nodded, shivering as well, knowing she would feel the same way if Atsu had done the same to her as well.
“I understand sister but can you imagine the punishment father would place on us if Atsu died? Plus all the racket his people would make to hurt our ears as they mourned, if he did die?” Kaiori complained and Shin sighed.
“I suppose your right again, sister.” She said, sheathing her sword, turning to the village and began walking non-chalantly. Her sister followed and they began to walk away. They froze as a loud growling began to fill the air. They turned to see Atsu on his feet, bent at the waist so low, his hair touched the ground. His claws scraped the ground as he swayed from side to side, growling. The girls were suddenly assaulted by Atsu’s scent as it underwent as change and became like their father’s. A full blooded, male inu-youkai.
“Shin, what happened to him? Did your sword do this to?” Kaiori whispered to her sister. Shin shook her head as they watch Atsu raised his head. They felt like the breath was suck punched out of their chests as they saw the stripes on his cheeks and the red eyes and blue pupils.
“Kaiori, can you fight?” Shin asked suddenly, and winced, noticing that the slashes on her back still bled heavily.
“Not enough to help, sister. Can you old him off, whatever he is?” Kaiori asked and Shin smirked.
“Of course, I can. I’m going to transform and show this wannabe just what a pure demon can do. Go get mother and father.” Shin said, her eyes already taking on a red color and she began growling at Atsu who responded. Kaiori plucked a feather from her hair and threw it up taking to the air, flying for the village as fast as she could, seeing her sister transform into her youkai form, the same as their father, but with two black stripes down the middle of her back. Praying she would make it back in time, she race back to get some help.
Shin lunged at Atsu who leapt over her jaws, landing on her snout, much to her surprise. He snarled and bit them himself, making her howl in rage. He ran down her back, lowering his hand down and raking it down her back, leaving a deep gouge down as he ran all the way down. He landed on his feet behind her, grinning to himself, licking her blood off his claws.
“Shin, you taste good.” Atsu growled. Shin whirled at him, snarling, snapping her jaws. Atsu slashed upward with both hands catching her hard under the jaw. Shin jerked back and howled, scuttling back as Atsu rushed forward to attack her exposed underbelly. Just as he was about to slice her open he was slammed into by someone coming at him at full speed.
“Oiy, pup, what the hell did you think you were doing?” Inuyasha snarled, holding his son down. Atsu snarled and lunged up, biting his father on the nose. Inuyasha recoiled, shocked and let go in surprise. Atsu kicked his father off of him but before he could get to his feet, Sesshomaru rushed into the field and slammed his foot down onto the quarter demon.
“I suggest you stand down, boy.” He ordered, but Atsu refused to submit. He grabbed Sesshomaru’s ankle in both hands and savagely bit into it. Shocked by such savagery, something not even displayed by even Inuyasha in this form, Sesshomaru stumbled back. Springing to his feet, Atsu rushed at Shin again, who had changed back. Caught unprepared, Shin was knocked to her back as Atsu pinned her down.
“Filthy scum.” Atsu growled, Kagome arriving with Sango and the others just as he said it, making her shudder. He sounded so much like Inuyasha then. Atsu opened his mouth wide, baring his blood stained mouth and lunged down biting Shin’s shoulder, growling as he bit a chunk off. Shin screamed, drawing Inutsume and plunged it into Atsu. The quarter demon made no movement that he even felt the blade as he swallowed the piece of meat. He reared back to bite again when Sango struck, her Hiraikotsu whirling in the air with practiced aim. It hit right where it was needed and the result everyone wanted was finally achieved. Atsu’s eyes rolled up in his head and he went down hard.
*****
At first, there was silence, then Sesshomaru rushed to pull Atsu off of Shin, yank Inutsume out of him, and drew Tenseiga. He instantly healed him and then his daughter who tried to speak but he glared at her. Shin drew away shocked that her father would look at her so harshly.
“I will deal with you and your sister when I return home. Kagura!” Sesshomaru called and his wife came to his side, looking just as angry as she dragged Kaiori by an ear.
“Yes, dear?” she hissed, obviously angry but not with him.
“Punish the girls with how you see fit. I will return when all is settled here. Then they will have to deal with me.” Sesshomaru hissed. Kagura nodded and picked up Shin by her ears as well, dragging them off without so much as a word to anyone else. Inuyasha and Kagome were cradling their son on their arms, and Inuyasha looked up to his brother.
“Thank you, brother.” Inuyasha said softly. Sesshomaru nodded and gestured down at Atsu.
“Tonight shows us many things. It shows us he’s your equal in power, temper, and weakness little brother. We must make a trip to trip to Toutousai tonight, however, I have an idea.” Sesshomaru said, kneeling next to them.
“What is it?”
“Who says we need only take one fang?” Sesshomaru gestured to the group gathered.
*****
“And that is why this sword can never leave your side. If you do, you could go on a killing rampage and kill everyone you hold dear to you for no reason. Do you understand, Atsu?” Inuyasha asked quietly, laying the sword and sheath across his son’s lap. The boy nodded and picked it up, bowing deeply.
“Thank you, Dad.” Atsu said, but there was no smile in his voice. Inuyasha sighed. The kindness that had been in Atsu had vanished as did the boy that night. Atsu was now truly his father’s son.
“Get some rest son.” Inuyasha said. He got to his feet and turned to leave. He heard his son try to pull the sword from the sheath. He struggled for a minute before swearing softly.
“Dad! Why won’t this open?” he called to his father before he left his hut. Inuyasha paused before leaving his son’s hut and smiled to himself.
“The Onidoki will only unsheathe itself to you when the time is right. We insisted to Toutousai on making it that way.” Inuyasha said, and left the hut. As he made his way to his hut he heard his son scream.
“They named my sword Demon’s Wrath?!”
*****
END CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2: The Reunion
Atsu is reunited with Jera and Shunji finally. But things are not all what they seem as Shin and Kaiori also return with their family. Will the Onidoki be unsheathed? Will Atsu finally get a chance to grow beyond his father’s shadow?