InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Guardian Cu' ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The Characters and World of InuYasha belong entirely to the admirable and talented Rumiko Takahashi. I in no way lay claim to them or make any money off of them.
Cu' the Guardian, aka GinCu' is mine, so is his meadow and the plot of this story.






The Guardian Cu'

Chapter One


“It is time again, Cu'.” The Speaker's voice was quiet, devoid of emotion, without gender, without age, it existed only in the mind's ear of an audience of one.

With a resigned sigh the Listener stretched then sat upright to gaze downhill at a meadow thick with white flowers scattered throughout tall, silvery green blades of grass standing motionless beneath a cloudless dark blue sky. For a moment all of time and creation were held in absolute stillness before the breath of a distant wind stirred the grass to life like verdant waves across a calm inland sea.

“ What is it this time?” was the Listener's question, spoken aloud even though there was no one visibly present to address it to.

“ Something you will enjoy. A new test,” Only the faintest of chuckles lent color to the Speaker's voice as it attempted to prick at the Listener's curiosity. “ A growing free form ripple on Earthward has just been born. It is imperative to keep such an event in check. To ignore this threat risks shifting the planar balance towards Chaos. As Guardian you will not allow this to happen.”

“ Always Earthward... was I so misguided in thinking that after the last time things were finally settling down there? Why does Chaos insist on interfering within a plane in my keeping that is still infested by so many immature young souls?”


“ Disruption in the nursery seems to keep you on your toes, Cu'. Maybe that is why these little interruptions occur there so frequently.”

Flashing a strange halfhearted smile, the Listener stood up with a rueful shake of the head. “ And here I was entertaining the obviously delusional idea that Earthward had at last grown quieter. My older children will not be happy about this at all.”

“ Might I remind you that you are always searching for opportunities to improve them...”

A light breeze lovingly caressed the Listener's cheek, blowing long silky strands of dark silver hair across a deceptively youthful face. Leaning into the soft airy hand the Listener merely shrugged in reply.

“ It cannot be helped Cu'. This balance must not be tipped.” The inner voice began to grow warmer, softer, in an auditory caress as gentle as the freshening breeze.

“ How much freedom to act do I have?”

“ As much as you need, this is after all your jurisdiction. How you deal with it is entirely your call...”

“ Really?” With a sly grin the Listener began striding down the hillside into the field of white flowers. “ So...however I deem fit to act is perfectly acceptable?”

“ Within reason and the limits of Earthward, Cu',” there was the mildest hint of irritation in the voice at the remembrance of what the unseen Speaker referred to as the Listener's past 'indiscretions'. “ No hand of God this time if you please...and try to refrain from creating another religion down there. Those young souls are confused enough as it is without you muddying things up even more.”

“ What fun is it to be a Deity if you can't instigate a new religion or two...”

There was a discreet cough as the Speaker mumbled something that sounded a great deal like “..two my ass..”

Of course the Listener felt completely justified in ignoring the unsolicited comment and continued on without the slightest pause “.... now and then? Besides, I have only given them good advice to live by. It's not my fault they keep insisting on misinterpreting a very simple message....”

There was another not so discreet cough which sounded suspiciously like a thinly disguised scoff causing the Listener to indignantly protest, “ Oh now, don't even go there...that whole escapade was put into motion entirely by sheer unadulterated desperation the last time. If I hadn't personally intervened the last ripple would have irreparably toppled the balance and the whole plane would have been in ruins for a far longer age than I wish for it lie idle.”

Careful not to damage any of the nearby blossoms, which were rapidly bleeding out their ethereal pristine white in favor of bolder hues chosen from a palette of vibrant color, the Listener walked slowly into the middle of the field, bright silver colored eyes searching for a certain conjoined pair of flowers.

“ So....where has this little problem popped up?” the inquiry was almost casual, tossed out like an afterthought.

“ The large northern archipelago just to the east of the Ward's greatest landmass. There apparently is much civil unrest there at this point in time...or at least there shortly will be. Times of mortal turmoil always lend the perfect cover for a Chaos event. No doubt that is why the ripple chose to manifest there.”

“ Interesting...” Bending down, the Listener harvested a pair of still white blossoms growing so closely together on a single stem that from a distance they appeared to be a single large flower. Holding them gently in the cup of what had now become a very masculine pair of hands, the silver haired figure paused to reassure the unseen Speaker in a noticeably lower pitched voice. “I will do much better this time.” As he spoke the snowy treasures that he held so carefully pulsed into a vital, bright shade of red.

Again the breeze caressed a smooth cheek. “ All here hold only undeniable appreciation for all of your efforts Cu', but please try to remember, Earthward can no longer play host to too many miracles. That is not it's destiny.”

“Understood and any I see fit to perform will be … much more subtle than the last time.” With a guarded smile the Listener contemplated the pair of flowers he held, admiring how closely they clung together in spite of their fragile perfection. “ How long do I have to prepare?

An uncharacteristic trace of guilt colored the quiet reply, “Almost two and a quarter of Earthward's centuries...”

“ So this is how you get me back, by waiting until nearly the last minute to drop this on me.” A noticeably disgruntled scowl clouded the Listener's face. “That isn't very much time to set things up properly …. you do know that?”

“It is well known that your solutions are always the most inspired when you are under pressure, Cu'. Of all the Guardian's, none do so much with so little as you.”

Throwing back his head the Listener laughed at the offhanded compliment. “Get out of my mind then and let me get to work...Damn I've probably already wasted several years just talking with you.”

“As you wish , Cu'.” Softly as a sigh on the wind, the Speaker's voice faded from the mind's ear of the Listener leaving behind an image and the information surrounding the recent birth of the impending chaos ripple.

The Guardian Cu' reflected on the image left behind. “Why is it that such initially innocuous appearing things always seem to inspire so much future mischief ?” Smiling down at the flowers still cradled in his hands, Cu' face beamed radiantly. “This of course may be just the very task you two need to complete your journey, my most perfect children.” Cu' tucked the flower's single stem into the sash at his waist before reaching back down to pick a pale pink blossom that had been growing next to the already gathered pair. As he cupped his long fingers around the flower, Cu' whispered an almost silent incantation, before blowing a single breath over the translucent petals. The flower glowed, pulsated and became a living sphere of bright white light dancing just above the palm of the Guardian's hand.

“ Go,” was his simple command to the sphere of light, which promptly shot up into the air and disappeared into the cloudless dark blue sky.

Satisfied, Cu' patted the flowers adorning his sash, held up his right hand, took a step forward and entered Earthward resting within the arms of time. His point of entry was just under the eaves of a deeply shadowed green forest edging a gently sloping expanse of grassy meadowland. Below a sun dappled brown river lazily snaked it's way across the valley floor, the near bank dotted with a scattering of small huts cut through by a dusty road mirroring the water course. Several fields near the village had been dammed and flooded for the cultivation of rice, with a fine show of pale green shoots already heralding what promised to be a bountiful crop this year.

Cu' smiled at the tranquil scene before turning into the forest to search for what he already knew stood close by. Pausing for a moment next to an abandoned dry well, he idly stroked the lip of the wooden guard surrounding the deep hole in the ground while quietly scanning the surrounding trees.

“ Now, the anchor should be very near... just..” he turned then grinned as his eye was caught by a singular tree proudly crowned in white blossoms. “ Ah, there....and you are perfect.”

Making a careful path over to his quarry, Cu' gazed up into it's leafy heights appreciatively before laying a hand against the smooth bark to feel the soul of the tree vibrate in recognition beneath his outstretched fingers. In the lives of trees this one was already very old, it's straight trunk and symmetrical canopy quite unimpeded by the growth of the surrounding forest which had only begun to flourish around it over the last several centuries. It commanded a clearing all it's own, with the only vegetation encroaching upon its gnarled roots being a carpet of thick grass and soft deep green moss.

Reaching down, Cu' plucked a petal from both centers of the conjoined flowers adorning his sash. Rolling them together he encased them in his right hand, closed his eyes, muttered a soft benediction then breathed into his fist. Opening his fingers he was pleased to see that the pair had fused into a single perfect petal in the cup of his palm.

“This will not be broken by circumstances or time,” he whispered, pressing the hand containing the petal against the bark of the tree. A soft glow surrounded him as the petal disappeared into the living wood. After giving the tree a final fond pat, Cu' turned, stepped into a shimmering shaft of sunlight and strode into another forest some distance to the west of where he had been.

No sleepy village sat beyond the reaches of this ancient wood. Instead an apparently quite prosperous town, skirting the neatly walled grounds and tiled roofs of an estate perched atop a low hill, basked next to a wide river in the warmth of the mid afternoon sun. Cart and foot traffic busied the road into town and a dozen small boats dotted the sparkling water, manned by late in the day fishermen and their nets. Close by the north side of the manor's enclosed grounds a carefully cultivated orchard of flowering sakura trees delicately encroached upon the tangled domain of their undomesticated cousins. It was toward that simple demarcation between the tamed and the wild that Cu' walked.

After finding a convenient low limbed tree whose boughs afforded a tranquilly pleasant view of the orchard, Cu' relaxed a small portion of the shield masking his aura, made himself comfortable in the shade and waited for the inevitable.

“ What are you that you see fit to trespass upon the lands under my protection?” The voice was low, measured and held the undertone of an almost inaudible growl.

With a broad smile Cu' leaned back, put his hands behind his head and casually glanced in the general direction of the speaker. “It's been a long time since I saw you last..Not only are you growing forgetful, you're getting old and slow. I expected you here over an hour ago.” Watching the approaching figure out of the corner of his eye with an air of good humor he added, “Aren't you a bit to the east of where you usually claim your lands to be?”

“I consider all of these lands to be under my protection,” came the growl of a reply as the owner of the voice circled around the left side of the trunk to stand just below where Cu' lounged upon a thick branch. “If I am far to the east it's only because your blasted aura drew me here. Still hiding out among the leaves like some misbegotten forest spirit I see, GinCu'.”

“ I've always cultivated a special fondness for trees, like this exceptionally fine old magnolia,” Cu' sat up, swung his legs to the side and made room for his visitor on the wide branch beside him. “ Good thing you decided to come east, otherwise I would have had to go find you.”

Easily leaping up to perch next to him, the newcomer regarded Cu' steadily with brilliant yellow eyes framed in shaggy white bangs. “ You said we would meet again before I died, so I can't say that I'm entirely happy to see you right now...If you catch my meaning.”

“ Oh, I did say that ...didn't I,” Cu' sighed then flashed a wink and a grin at his visitor. “Don't worry, your time isn't up yet. You're in no danger of dropping dead off this limb.”

“ Well thank you for putting my mind at ease, that's refreshing information,” the other replied with a short bark of a laugh, “ although when my end does come it's still likely to arrive at a damned inconvenient time.”

“Always does,” Cu' commented dryly, “but everything works out the way it should in spite of the inconveniences Child.”

“GinCu', I haven't been a child in a very long time,” this was said with a snort and a sly curl of the corners of the mouth,” and I'm certainly glad no one is around to hear you call me that. It's just like you to shred my dignity into tatters.”

“ Well if you prefer me calling you the Great Dog General, Lord of the Western Lands, I'll spend entirely too much time wasting breath spouting out such a title..”

“ I would prefer you get to the point you crazy hanyou. From you, Child is acceptable,” the General graced Cu' with a broad smile, “ Besides, with the both of us here, there probably isn't an eavesdropping lesser youkai within twenty Ri of this spot to hear what you call me.”

“True enough. You do realize I'm not really a hanyou though...”

“ You look like one,” the General sniffed, “ Smell like one too...Now, exactly why are you here?”

“ Your utter lack of respect for me has always....”

“ The point GinCu', get to the point.”

“ A great destructive force will arise within these lands in the future. The instrument of it's beginning already exists at this time. If not stopped the natural balance of the earth will crumble into darkness....”

“ Where have you been getting your saki, GinCu'?”

“ I'm completely sober and serious Child.” Cu' looked his friend steadily in the eye, “ I am not speaking as your old drinking buddy now, Inu...I am speaking to you...”

“ ...as a seer..”

Cu' nodded.

“ Like my father, I have always respected your visions GinCu',” the General stared out over the sakura orchard, a few random blossoms fluttered to the ground in the late afternoon breeze. “ They will all fall in a few days, you know,” he spoke quietly, a touch of sorrow coloring his deep voice, “ It is sadly, an inevitable thing.” The bright yellow eyes cut abruptly back to GinCu's face. “Where is this instrument? Show it to me..I'll get rid of it now.”

“As much as I would like to ...” Cu' shook his head, “ This task is not for you, Inu. It is for your son.”

The General gave him an curious look. “ My son is too immature for the type of tasks you tend to wish fulfilled, GinCu'. He is young and his head is only filled with dreams of power. I'm afraid that my neglect of him as a child put him too much under the influence of his mother. The boy has grown a cold and selfish heart, he's a great deal more like her now than he is me.”

“His heart will prove to be undeniably more like yours with time.” Cu's voice was quietly confident, “ After all, being an InuYoukai the overriding desire to protect has been bred into the very foundation of his nature.”

“ You haven't seen my boy in quite some time, have you?” There was a frank look of open skepticism on the General's face at Cu's assessment. “ He's turned into a right cold little prick who hides his thoughts and emotions so well it's nearly impossible to figure out exactly whats going on in that tightly shuttered mind of his.” A sadly ironic chuckle escaped him. “ Now the only thing I know for sure that he thinks about, with any consistency, is how to best challenge me and win. He truly believes that his only proof of personal worth will ultimately be in beating me.”

“ My condolences on what you believe to be the loss of your son's heart...However, it's your other boy I'm talking about..”

“ GinCu', are you sure you found the right child? I have only one son and his very adoring mother has assured me that I'm lucky she allowed me him. The lady has made herself clear, countless times, that she desires to produce no future offspring with me. In fact, I haven't laid eyes on the bitch in over a century.” Leaning forward the General narrowed his piercing yellow eyes as he whispered in Cu's listening ear, “ You know that's the only one of your visions that has turned out to be false. You told me I would meet my soul's other half...”

“ You will,” Cu' looked nonplussed as he folded his arms into his sleeves, “ Your other half just doesn't happen to be your current wife... But you just had to marry her..wouldn't listen to me.”

“ Sorry if I find it hard to believe, but I couldn't wait around forever for an heir.”

“ Perhaps you should work on patience in your next life. It hasn't been your strongest suit in this one.” Cu' swiveled around to lean his back against the trunk of the tree. “ You will meet her, Inu and she will give you another son.”

“ Feh...” With a slight grimace the General shook his head, “ should have known I'd do something stupid...like marry the wrong bitch and sire an ice-hearted little miscreant....”

“ Never consider your eldest son a mistake. His soul, like yours, is here for a very good reason. Without his aide your second son could have a much harder time in stopping the ripple.”

“You're still going to insist on that second son of mine. You know, I haven't lived so long accepting every promise made to me at face value, even one made by a Kami.”

“Ooo, From hanyou to Kami all in one afternoon,” Cu' laughed merrily, “I'm truly flattered Inu.”

“ I realize you're no full youkai, GinCu' and having known you from the time I was a child, I can rightfully say you are no hanyou either because you remain just as you were when you first graced my father's hall. One would think you to be no older than my Sesshoumaru.” The General chuckled dryly, “Not youkai, not hanyou...certainly not human...what does that leave you to be GinCu'?”

With a warm smile Cu' leaned over and clasped his friend's shoulder. “This humble Kami says you will meet her. Never doubt me Child. I am only telling you the truth.”

“Well this doubting 'Child' will just have to insist on some kind of proof that this yet to be conceived second son is all that you are prophesying.”

Cu' folded his arms across his chest as he rested back against the tree trunk. “You're really cheeky you know, demanding proof of a Kami.”

“ Damn right I am..”

“ Proof you want?” Cu's smirk widened into a devilish grin. “When you see him, you'll have your proof. He'll be marked very well.”

“ Oh?”

Abruptly holding up his right hand, Cu' sat straight up, “I hear something...”

“ I see you still prefer to dance away from a sticky subject,” the General cocked his head to the side, a soft scowl pinching his black brows together over the bridge of his nose. “Sounds like a child..singing.”

Landing lightly on the soft moss beneath the tree, Cu' began to leisurely stroll farther into the woods in the direction of the voice. With a snort, his companion leapt down and followed him.

A short distance away, sitting on her knees in a tiny clearing, a very young girl cuddling a doll to her chest was gazing around with wide dark eyes as she sang a simple lullaby to her rag bodied baby. The child was clean and beautifully dressed, with the neatness of both hair and clothing proclaiming her to be very well born and certainly not the daughter of some simple peasant. Only her feet were bare and somewhat dirty since she had apparently lost both of her sandals while wandering in the woods.

“ It's a human child,” the General stated flatly. He stood back in the shadows beneath the trees, next to GinCu', out of the line of sight of the little girl.

“ Pretty little creature, isn't she,” Cu' smiled, casting a sly glance towards his friend, “probably belongs with that group of women I saw walking in the orchard while waiting for you.”

“ Like I said...it's a human child..”

“ They're probably out looking for her...” With a long fingered hand, Cu' caught the General's sleeve before he could turn and stalk off into the woods. “It would be a shame if such a lovely little flower became lost forever in this forest.”

Taking a deep breath through his nose, the General pivoted around to eye up the silver haired man at his side. “What do you expect me to do about one lost human child?”

“ You said you were the protector of all these lands, Inu. Small though she is, do your job...protect her.”

“ I have better things to do with my time...”

“ Name one...”

“ Hells..” the General started to stride into the clearing, but was pulled up short by Cu's hand on his arm.

“ Not like that.”

“ What? Make up your damned mind GinCu'.. I don't have all day.”

“ You're a scowling, bushy haired youkai with wild yellow eyes, wearing armor and with enough cutlery hanging off you to carve up a small army,” Cu' gave him a pointed look, “ Protect her, don't frighten the poor little thing to death.”

From far off, near the forest's edge closest to the orchard, frantic voices could be heard repeatedly calling out a single name. The distant sounds were lost on the little girl who continued to croon softly to her doll in a childish effort not to be scared.

“ Just what do you suggest I do?” The Dog General's scowl deepened as he watched Cu' turn and begin to walk away. Several noticeable sniffs broke up the little girl's song causing the Inu Youkai to glance back in her direction “Hey, this really isn't funny...GinCu' !..”

A shaft of bright sunlight sliced obliquely through the leafy canopy of the forest to illuminate the retreating silver haired man. Just before Cu' stepped into it and disappeared, he flashed a broad smile back at his old friend. “I know you will handle this situation admirably, Inu...just think..soft.”