InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Its a Puppy's Life ❯ Lost and Found ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The group of farmers stood in a circle around the cowering puppy that had crawled out of the forest. The puppy was a fluffy white thing, and very small, with brilliant golden eyes. The white fur was not why they stared though; it was the odd red markings in his muzzle and the crescent moon on the pup's forehead that had them curious.

“Never saw a dog looked like this before.” One young man said as he knelt and stared into the frightened pup's eyes.

“Me neither. Those eyes are sorta creepy. They don't look right, somehow.” The puppy whined, as if it understood them and backed away from the men who were talking.

“Hey you're scaring the poor thing…” said a little girl as she knelt and held her hand out to the puppy. Its long ears flattened to its head but it sniffed and crept closer to her. Her wide brown eyes sparkled with a kindly curiosity as she stroked the puppy's silk soft fur. She smiled at the lost puppy and was rewarded with a soft little tongue licking her fingers. However a large burly man, the wealthiest man in the whole poor village, stepped forward and scooped the pup into his arms. The woman glared at him as he smirked, holding the squirming, whining little animal still.

“Who cares if it is weird looking or scared… it will make a fine feast, ne?” the man boomed. The older villagers gasped in worry; they knew those markings meant the puppy was not your average mongrel, and if it were harmed, great trouble would befall the village. The puppy also seemed upset by this pronouncement, wriggling harder and kicking his legs wildly. His small head tossed about as he yipped and whined, his voice growing shriller by the moment.

“You cannot eat him, Hachibei. That is not an earthly dog! You know who lives in that forest! What if this puppy belongs to him?” the headman asked. Hachibei paused a moment and then shrugged.

“If he did, I am sure he wouldn't be here in the first place, Old Man!” pleased with himself, Hachibei strode towards his house; he had a taste for dog, which since he was not religious, was fine, but barely tolerated by his fellow villagers. Neither Shinto nor Buddhists ate meat very often, and the smell of Hachibei's meals had made his neighbors move their houses away from his home. The villagers crowded around the headman worriedly.

“If the pup does belong to him, he will kill us all if the little thing is hurt! And if it is eaten, he'll destroy everything! We have to do something!” the headman muttered, and the rest of the villagers nodded. He looked at the little brown haired girl who had tried to gain the puppy's trust.

“Midoriko, I want you to go into the forest and set a fire… that should draw the Lord to us. If the puppy is his, he will surely catch the things scent. The rest of you, go to the fields and bring the children. I want us all as far away from Hachibei's house as possible!” Midoriko nodded, and took for the forest, even though she was pale with fear. The forest was his land and he had let it be known that while the humans he tolerated near him were allowed to use the wood and plants under the canopy of the trees, he did not want fires in the sheltered area. He would certainly come to investigate any fires set in his land, but gaining his attention was something they usually avoided at all costs. Setting this fire was dangerous indeed and what if that puppy was just a puppy after all? His wrath for this desecration would be terrible, and no tale of fear for an unusually marked dog would save the village.

Shaking and terrified, she ran till her lungs ached, then began the tedious process of setting the fire with some bamboo and deadfall wood. She needed dark smoke, if he was to notice the signal…

Hachibei shoved the puppy into a cage and then turned to his small hearth. His taste for meat had forced him to learn to butcher and cook for himself, but he did not mind. He did not like people much anyway. Humming an old drinking song, he got his fire going strongly, so it would burn to coals over which he could cook the puppy's meat slowly. That was the best way, and he felt his mouth water already in anticipation.

The puppy however had begun to cry and claw at the cage that held him. His claws had a strange sheen and were perfectly white. Hachibei stared at the strangely shiny nails curiously, and then grabbed a paw to inspect them closer. The claws were as hard as a swords blade, and cool to the touch. Hachibei then tried to lift the puppy's lips back to inspect his teeth, but snatched his hand back in shock; the pup's saliva burned his fingertips! The puppy snarled and growled, tugging at his captured paw and trying to get his teeth into the hand that held him shoved to the bars.

“What the hell is this? That old headman was right, you are some demon pup. Well… that's interesting. Still, even better; I'll absorb your demonic powers if I eat you!” He watched the puppy for a signal of understanding him and sure enough, the gold eyes widened as his head drooped and his ears went back. The little animal understood him, all right.

“Hey, don't be sad. I'll be nice and quick when I cut your head off. After all, I'd never hurt a cute puppy!” Hachibei laughed at his crude joke, and laughed as he cut wood, and laughed as he fed the fire.

He was laughing when the first tremors shook the ground of the village. He stopped laughing when the first tremor became two then three and then continued in rapid succession. The puppy pricked his ears and whined hopefully. Hachibei went pale and looked around his house; he had to hide the puppy, just in case…

Midoriko shivered in horror; it was worse than she could have dreamed. The Lord of the forest had come and he was huge. His belly cleared the tallest of the trees by the length of two men standing on each others shoulders. His huge feet were bigger than even Hachibei's house, and his house was the biggest in town. But worse than his size was the obvious resemblance to the puppy they had found. She ran to the ride paddies screaming for the headman to go talk to the demonic beast as it snuffled the dying fire she had set. The giant dogs head lifted and he sniffed the breeze, his red eyes scanning the village closely, with an obvious intelligence burning in them. He lifted his head and bayed so loudly that everyone was flattened by the sound. He paused and listened but no return howl came.

Still he seemed to be coming closer, his head waving back and forth. He paused then walked deliberately to the edge of the forest…

And disappeared.

The villagers were in a state of panic by this point. They clung together in terror, praying to die swiftly, since that was all they seemed to be able to expect. However instead of a nightmare a man-like being emerged from the trees. Tall and proud, wearing white that was dulled compared to his silver hair, the Lord of the Forest was beautiful and terrible to see. The women gasped and clutched their breasts, the men blinked and swallowed nervously. His gold eyes, so like the lost puppy's, swept over the villagers who had been caught at the outskirts of the village. The headman bravely stepped forward and moved to greet him, dropping to the dirt and banging his head on the ground.

“Please, sire, forgive out impertinent signal to your lordship… we know that fire is never to burn in your forest, but we could think of nothing else with which to signal to you…”

“I can smell my son's scent here, where is he?” interrupted a deep but kindly voice. The headman paled even more if possible; the puppy was the Lords son?

“Your… son, sire? That small pup is your child?” The youkai's lips twitched and he nodded.

“Hai, Sesshomaru is his name. He only learned how to change forms recently. He has trouble with control, he is not very old, you see. Where is he? I am certain he is too upset to focus and take his human form again.”

The headman slowly stood, nervous despite the oddly personable manner the youkai lord was displaying. Voice weak, he explained his fears for the errant Sesshomaru, sure he was going to be killed for daring to speak of the boys death so casually. Indeed the Lord frowned angrily, but he did not attack the old Headman. Instead he nodded his thanks and strode into the village, following his nose…

Hachibei whirled to see a youkai in his doorway. He gaped at the magnificent being, his jaw working silently. Cold golden eyes bored into him, long silver hair pulled back into a cue and falling behind his shoulders flickered and shifted on the breeze from the square. A graceful lavender stripe graced each smooth cheek, and his clawed hands looked strong but fragile at once.

All in all he was so obviously not human that it made Hachibei quiver in fear.

“How may a poor human servant serve his master?” he said voice shaking. The youkai's right hand tightened to a fist, the hand bones cracking and crunching horribly.

“You have found a puppy, I've been told. I came to retrieve it.” Hachibei feigned ignorance.

“A puppy, sire?” the youkai's eyes narrowed dangerously, their russet lids adding menace to his gaze.

“Do not toy with me, human. I can smell his scent here.” Hachibei began to sweat; he had not counted on the sense of smell being so strong in anyone seeking the puppy. He should just give the thing up, but then…

The youkai's eyes narrowed as he shoved Hachibei aside, walking to the cage that had held the puppy moments before. The Lord did not have to kneel to smell who the bars had last held. He swiveled on his heel, his eyes boring into the now terrified man, his lips a thin line in his anger.

“You put my son in a cage?” his voice had lowered and grown rough, as if his throat had… changed somehow. Hachibei backed away from the youkai as his head lowered, the gold eyes gleaming red and blue from under his silver bangs. The man turned and fled, counting upon the youkai's urge to find his lost pup to hold him back from vengeance, at least long enough for him to escape to a new prefecture…

A deep sigh rippled from the Lord as he turned and followed his nose to a panel in the wall. A flick of his claws had the panel flying across the room; the sight that met him was almost enough to make him transform and swallow the cursed meat eating human.

The puppy was bound with all four feet together, his mouth muzzled with a thin tough hemp rope. His eyes were closed, making the Lord fear that his nose lied about the puppy's condition. In seconds the ropes were shredded and he had scooped his son into his arms. The puppy whined and rubbed his muzzle with a paw suddenly, then writhed madly, trying to escape the arms that held him.

“Easy pup, its Chichiue, not the human man.” The deep voice rumbled and soothed the little creature, which stopped his wriggling and whined, tail wagging happily. His father chuckled and shook his head, silver hair swishing against his silk-clad back. “You shouldn't go wandering like this until you can change forms at will, Sesshomaru. You were almost that human's dinner, understand?” The puppy nodded his head and growled softly, his eyes squinting. His form simmered and shifted, becoming a small boy whose resemblance to the Lord was unmistakable; they shared the same silver hair and golden colored eyes, though the boy had twin russet stripes on each cheek rather than a single lavender one, and his eyes were more narrowed, not as wide and round. He looked up at his father and blinked sadly, obviously worried about being punished for his foolishness. The older demon's lips twitched; he was certain that his adventure had been frightful enough, punishment in and of itself. He did not feel the need to do anything more to the frightened youkai child.

“I didn't mean to go so far, Chichiue, really!” One long brow rose over a skeptical eye and the boy looked down, pouting. The Lord bent and set the boy on his feet and then grasped his hand, leading him from the house and into the square, where a few of the more brave villagers had gathered. The Lords countenance was grim as he walked past the humans, headed for the forest once more. Murmurs and whispers rose, and fingers pointed at the beautiful little boy as he was pulled along gently by the older youkai, causing the boy to blush even as he stared ahead steadily, ignoring the human villagers. However, he was tired and his feet were soon dragging as he tried to keep up with his fathers pace. The Lord paused and turned to face the villagers as the boy stood beside him, legs shaking with his exhaustion.

“I thank you for helping me regain my son. One day he will be the Lord of these Western Lands, and he will remember this kindness. Won't you, Sesshomaru?” The boy had half hidden behind his fathers leg, but he nodded, eyes sweeping only briefly over the crowd; then he saw her. The girl who had been kind to him before the hungry Hachibei had taken him away. She was smiling, her hands clasped behind her, her hair pulled up on one side into a typical girl-child's style. The lord noticed her as well and smiled kindly, motioning her closer.

“What is your name, small one?” he asked gently. Her obvious fear melted instantly and she smiled at him cheerfully.

“Midoriko, Inutaisho-sama!” She bowed belatedly, but the Lord seemed unconcerned with formality today. He gently tugged his son out from behind his legs.

“Midoriko-san, this is my son Sesshomaru. We are both grateful for your kindness and bravery today.” He said smoothly. Sesshomaru nodded and at a gentle suggestive poke from his father's claws, bowed to the peasant girl, as she bowed to him. They stood again and blushed, brown eyes and gold meeting again, with curiosity and gratitude.

“It is an honor to meet you and your papa, Sesshomaru-sama. I am glad you are ok now.” Midoriko said brightly. The boy flushed even pinker, nodding and looking down at his booted feet. Her feet were bare.

“Well Sesshomaru?” The Lord said quietly; he was trying not to laugh, though the two children could not tell; they were focused upon each other. They were oblivious to the Youkai Lords smile, or the more nervous but equally delighted smiles of the villagers behind Midoriko. The two children were very adorable; the little youkai's blushes were making the women's hearts melt.

“Thank you for being nice to me.” Sesshomaru said so quietly Midoriko could barely hear him. She blinked then boldly stepped foreword and hugged the shocked boy. He was stiff, his jaw dropped in amazement as he turned so red his stripes and russet eyelids blended and disappeared. The girl did not seem perturbed, only stepping back and bowing again.

“Come back one day, ok?” she chirruped. To her chagrin Sesshomaru's knees wobbled and he sat on the ground heavily, his exhaustion overtaking him at last. A ripple of laughter went through the crowd as his father scooped him up, turning him so the boys head could rest on his broad shoulder. He nodded once more to Midoriko and then the village headman, then turned and walked towards the forest. Looking back at the humans who had been surprisingly kind to a strange puppy who was more than he seemed, Sesshomaru wound his arms around his father's neck and pondered his day. He knew he would not really understand what had happened today until he was older.

“Good bye, Sesshomaru-sama!” the girl's voice called and he looked at her, his face shifting to a small embarrassed pout as he watched her wave wildly after them. His father's head turned and he smiled gratefully as they disappeared into the forest once more.