InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Story of Two Sisters ❯ Under New Rule ( Chapter 2 )

 

The next morning Akira made her way to the thrown room searching for her father. She had not seen him since he had left her sitting in the hallway that lead to the practice arena. When she arrived she only found Shimamoyo looking over scrolls at his desk. He was deep in concentration when Akira approached him.

“Where is father?” She asked.

“Oh Princess Akira I did not hear you come in.” he replied. “Your father is…has…”

“Spit it out!” she demanded.

“The truth is I do not know.” He replied, his face full of concern. “I haven't seen him since he retired last night to bed.”

“He wasn't in his room this morning?” she questioned him.

“No.” Shimamoyo replied. “And his bed was untouched.”

“Where could he have gone?” She replied.

With only a blank look on Shimamoyo's face to reply she stormed out of the thrown room. She hurried down the long hall to her sister's room. Frantically she knocked on the door until her sister answered.

“What is it?” Her sister asked annoyed by the frantic knocking.

“Where is father? His bed is untouched and Shima hasn't seen him this morning.” She replied as she pushed her way into her sister's room.

“Father probably had something to take care of…I am sure everything is okay.” Elandra replied.

“But you don't know..” Akira stated. “You know everything that goes on in this castle, even when father doesn't want you to know. I have a really bad feeling about this.”

 

The short conversation only left both sisters confused and worried. They began questioning everyone in the great hall until they finally came to a guard who was posted at the back gate. He told them that he had seen their father that night as he snuck out of the castle unattended. He had not returned by the time for the morning guard to take over his post.

“What?!” Elandra said full of anger, her eyes beginning to glow a bright green. “And you did not tell anyone what you had seen! And you did not question the lord of the castle why he was going out unattended?”

“No your highness.” The guard replied in fear.

“Did he say anything to you?” Akira questioned him stepping between the two.

“Only to stay at my post and not to say anything.” The guard replied.

“Elandra all we can do is search for him.” Akira said worried by her father's absence.

“If anything has-“ Elandra began.

“Let's go!” Akira said pulling her sister away.

The two girls ordered a search party to go with them to look for their father. Both sisters were uneasy as they rode horse back through the forest outside their castle. Sometime late in the evening a familiar scent caught Elandra's nose. She called to her sister and the two rode off in that direction.

Before long Akira also caught the scent of her father, but it was different than before. There was a stench to it that made her heart skip a beat and she dug her heels into the side of the horse making it break into a full run. She dodged the limbs and brush until she had arrived at the horrible scene.

Elandra sat in disbelief upon her horse and said nothing. Akira jumped from her horse and ran to the side of her fathers' body. She cradled his lifeless body and screamed out. The other members of their search party heard the screams and came riding as fast as they could to the awful scene. They dismounted their horses and kneeled down around the younger sister who was sobbing uncontrollably.

“Bring his body back to the mansion.” Elandra said and turned her horse around heading back to the castle.

Akira hissed and clawed at the others as they tried to take her fathers body from her. Finally she was subdued and his body was wrapped in a blanket and carried back. The younger sister had begun to calm down but was incoherent. A guard led her horse back to the mansion.

Once back at the mansion chamber maids took Akira in and bathed her. She still had her fathers' blood on her hands and body from cradling it. For two days after that she stayed in her room. She did not eat and would not speak to anyone, not even her older sister who had been more like a mother than a sister during her lifetime.

On the third day she stood on her balcony outside her room and watched the ceremony as they burned her father's body. This was the tradition in their clan for the dead. Everyone who had lived under his rule had come to pay their respects. She could not force herself to again look at his lifeless body. Once the body was completely burned to ash it was gathered into an urn and her older sister scattered them from the highest peek she could find. They believed this would allow his spirit to stay and protect his people.

Akira came out of her room for the ceremony as her sister took the thrown of the black panther clan. But she did not speak to anyone, and as soon as it was over she retreated to her room. Her sister decided to try and talk to her.

“Akira.” She said knocking at her chamber door. “Can I come in?” There was no answer and she entered. She found her sister sitting in the dark corner of the room.

“You can't rot away in this room forever.” She said to her younger sister. “You must try to return to a normal life.”

“There is no normal life without father.” She replied. “I am sorry sister but this is another strength you have that I do not.”

“The reason why I seem to be dealing with this better than you is because I have to be!” she yelled with teary eyes. “I can't sit around feeling sorry for my loss! Our people are depending on us, someone has to lead them in this time of darkness.”

Akira began to feel even worse. She had not thought about her sister and what she had been going through. She quickly ran to her sister's side and embraced her. The two sisters released their tears of sadness together for the first time since the death of their father. In that moment Akira realized she had to pull her strength from somewhere for her sake and her sister's.