InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ You Darkness... ❯ Chapter 36 - A Mystery as Ancient as the Past! ( Chapter 36 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

You Darkness
by Vyncent


**This story contains GRAPHIC violence, sexual content and rape! You are WARNED**

Parts of this dark, and sinister fic, will NOT be posted to FanFiction.net...
It is being posted to AdultFanFiction. net and MediaMiner. org

If you do not like such content, then please be advised that this fic may not be appealing to you. Please do not read this if such content is offensive to you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor any of the associated characters. But it ain't because I don't want or wish to do so.

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Chapter 36 - A Mystery as Ancient as the Past!


There was a moment of silence that seem to shroud the area under a heavy blanket. It was as though everyone there, witnessing the events of the past few minutes, were all holding their breath awaiting something. Most were not even sure what it was that they were waiting for.

It was Midoriko, who finally broke the pregnant moment.

"As you can see, Ryuukessei," she stated calmly, "you secret is out. You might as well tell them."

For several long moments, it seemed that the defeated youkai soul would not respond. He just stood there, looking at Shippo. The look however, was not one of hatred or anger, but almost as if it was relief. Finally, the once powerful soul looked away, casting his eyes down to look upon the ground as though in shame.

"Hai," he quietly replied, "my father was Ryuukossei. Ryuukossei, the great doragon that was the one responsible for the passing of the late Inu no Taisho, father to both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha."

There was a general gasp of shock around the gathered group of watchers. The powerful and evil doragon was well known by many, although among the ningens the knowledge was more myth and legend than fact. The battle between Sugimi-sama and Ryuukossei had been legendary even in its own day, more than 200 years ago during the Great War.

"But I thought that all of Ryuukossei's sons had died during the Great War," stated a voice from the gathered group of onlookers.

The youkai soul stared out at the group, it being apparent to all that he was not truly willing to tell his tale to so many. Midoriko seemed to recognize this, and being the pure and kind soul that she was, she had a bit of pity for her long time foe.

"Perhaps this is something best discussed in a quieter setting," she stated calmly, "and with fewer ears. Besides, there are those who are entitled to the whole truth and need to be present, as well."

With that said, she waved her arms in an expansive and all inclusive gesture. Light filled the area blinding all present for long moments. When the light died away, the villagers who had come to see what was going on, found themselves standing alone and the small group of shard hunters, and their companions were nowhere to be seen. One of the village sentry ran to the doorway to Kaede's home, only to find that no one, not even the bodies of the houshi, Taijiya, the Hanyou, nor the little Miko, was there. He turned back perplexed and not a little shaken.

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A brilliant burst of light flared at the base of the Goshinbuko. For several long moments, it seemed to engulf almost the entire base of the ancient matriarch. Finally, however, it died away, and was replaced by a number of entities.

Once again, in his customary place, nestled in the welcoming roots of the old Tree of Ages that had kept him safely for fifty years, Inuyasha sat with Kagome comfortably seated in his lap. Other than being exhausted, she seemed to be fine Inuyasha, for his part was not suffering even from being tired, just relief at his mate once again being safe in his arms.

Rin, Jaken, and Kirara, who had been playing with the village children in a nearby meadow, were surprised to find themselves suddenly beneath the enormous tree, with all of their friends, family, and companions. Opposite the three, was Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, and from the looks of confusion on their faces, they too were surprised at the turn of events.

Completing the circle of battle wearied companions, was Atsuko, Ginta, Hakkaku, Kouga, and Sesshomaru. The later two, were both confused and totally mystified by their presence, although the Taiyoukai, as was his nature, didn't let any of his confusion show. Kaede completed the group seated between the Ookami Prince and the Western Lord.

Right in the center of the gathered group, were the two souls that had so recently be locked tightly in battle inside what had been known for centuries as the Shikon no Tama. The ancient Warrior Priestess Midoriko, stood calm and poised, and the soul of the youkai, Ryuukessei, stood with an air of both defeat and relief almost cloaking his very being.

"I am sorry to have disturbed those of you," Midoriko spoke up, "who were busy with other business. I felt, however, that as you all have worked so valiantly and hard to reach this moment, you deserved to be here. It is time for the truth of days long past to finally be revealed."

She turned to the slouched form of the doragon soul that she knew better than he knew himself, "Ryuukessei, it is time that you let the otherside of yourself show his face. You have kept him locked away for far too long. Let him have a few moments at least."

The youkai soul looked at his long time foe. He stared into her eyes, trying to fathom whether or not this was just another battle to be fought, but one of the mind, rather than with sword or bow. But all he could see was her determination to make sure that what needed to be done and said was, even if she was the one that told the tale, or at least what she knew of it. He, however, was not yet ready to relinquish total control over the otherside that he held within, at least not just yet.

For a moment, he toyed with the idea of letting her tell everyone the truth, but he knew that she would not let him off that easily. She had ever and always been a challenge to him, as their centuries old battle had proven. Still, he didn't find it easy to speak of his dark and sordid past, especially to strangers, especially strangers who in essence had been his enemy for so many years.

"The kitsune was right," he spoke quietly and hesitantly, "Ryuukossei was my father, although he denied my existence for many years. I was the last born of a large family. I know nothing of my sisters, but my five older brothers seemed to hold more status in my father's home than I was ever allowed."

Ryuukessei paused here, as though reluctant to continue. Seeing the pain in his face, Midoriko unhesitatingly reached out and took one of his clawed hands in her own. The action surprised him so much that Ryuukessei didn't even consider pulling his hand from hers. Remarkabley, he felt emboldened by her touch, he continued.

"Apparently, there were complications during my mother's pregnancy with me. Problems that might have solutions in Kagome's time, but ended up causing my mother irreparable damage that left her unable to ever bare young again, once I was born. It also left me less than perfect by the high standards of the Doragon Clan, and even higher standards set by my father," he said, the pain apparent in his voice, "Father never forgave me for this, and left me on the outskirts of a small village, that bordered his own lands."

"As a member of his bloodline," he continued, "father didn't want it said that he had killed one of his sons, however, he didn't want it widely known that I was of his seed. Leaving me helpless in the wilderness should have assured him of my death, especially as I was only hours old at the time. But the Fates stepped in and hindered his plans. Something that he was not to learn of for a number of years."

"Father was one who always hated ningens," Ryuukessei said, "I am not sure if there was a true reason behind his feelings towards them, or if he just saw them, as many youkai do, as just being filthy vermin that needed to be stamped out like rats in a grainery. Regardless, father was one who would rather not suffer them to live, except for the pleasure of hearing them scream."

"He knew that all ningen, who had heard of him, were either afraid of him, or despised him. Apparently, he figured that leaving me in the forest near a ningen village would assure my demise either by exposure, at the claws of some wild beast, or out of revenge by the ningens in the village. I later learned that he had hoped that one of the villagers would kill me. His true intent had been that if they killed one of his sons, he could then take revenge on them, without the Lord of those lands that the village was a part of, declaring war on him."

"It didn't work out that way," spoke up Miroku, who was sitting in rapped attention to the tale, while holding an uncommonly reserved and quiet Sango in his arms. No one seemed to notice that for a change his hands were surprisingly behaving themselves, "did it? One of the ningen came to your aid?"

"Hai," the doragon youkai soul answered, "You see, in the nearby village there was an old miko. She had grown up in those parts, and served as the miko to several small villages that were within a day or two's walk from each other. Even back then, there were never enough miko's to go around, nor enough skilled houshi for that matter, either."

"It was so long ago, that I have even forgotten her name," he sighed, it more than obvious that his lack in this area bothered him, "but she was returning to her home village, having just tended to her rounds in another, when she was drawn by the cries of a babe in the woods. Finding that those cries were my own, she had pity on me and took me into her own home."

"It was hard for her," he said, "for many reasons. There was the lack of knowledge as to what was needed to take care of a doragon youkai. It is tough enough trying to figure out how to care for a half grown one, but to have a helpless infant to tend to is even harder. She did the best she could, allowing nature to aid her as much as she was able. It helped, but for the special needs of our kind, it was hardly enough. It meant that I was always under nourished during those first few years, and it is doubtful that had she known exactly what I needed, if she would have been able to give it to me. All I really know for sure, is that she did her best within the limitations that she was forced to endure and was the only one to even want to aid me."

"What of the other villagers?" asked Ginta, who was also listening in awe to the tale unfolding before them, "Were they as welcoming of you as she was?"

"Iie," was the angry reply, although the young ookami youkai knew that it was not directed at him, "they were less than happy with the old miko's actions and did their best to persuade her to just dump me back into the wilderness, or better to let them 'take care' of me. Of course, she refused. Being a miko, especially one that oversaw the needs of several villages, she had some standing and they could not just ignore her wishes. For the first few and most critical years of my life, she put up with them constantly harassing her, while trying to learn what was needed to care for a doragon infant."

"She took me everywhere with her," Ryuukessei continued, a mix of emotions apparent in his voice, "I was too young to be left alone, and she didn't trust any of the villagers that she knew to take care of me in her absence. She carried me on her back for the first few months, but as is the norm with most youkai, the first year we grow incredibly fast. After a couple of months, I was too big and heavy for her old and crippled body to carry. By then, however, I was able to manage fairly well, walking on my own, and I followed her everywhere she went."

"Travel at the time was not easy," stated the doragon youkai soul, "not that it is easy now, but then it was during the Great War, and even traveling during the day was perilous at best. That she had managed to care for and protect me for so long was incredible, especially for an old ningen onna. Her miko powers, while not impressive, were most adequate and served the old baaba well. Still, the only reason that she held out as long as she did, was because that area was of little interest to those of high authority and as the war raged on, it seldom crossed the lands she called home."

"That changed didn't it?" asked Sango quietly. Despite the pain and horror that this entity had caused, everyone there seemed to feel his pain and his story touched a place in their hearts that could not help but answer the call heard by all.

"Hai," the small doragon replied, "All too suddenly at that. As I said, she was old. I was not more than ten years old in actual years. It was in the year of the passing of the doragon, that she died quietly one night in her sleep. She had seen fifty long years and then some, almost a miracle in itself, especially for the times. When the village elder found out, he and the other villagers wasted little time in binding me, and lashing me to a pole in the center of the village."

"Ningens," he laughed scornfully, "Such filthy, superstitious vermin."

This earned him a number of angry retorts from around the circled group, and even Midoriko, who still held onto his clawed hand, squeezed it hard enough to earn a gasp from the youkai soul. Remembering his place, he calmed and continued, as though the insulting words had not left his mouth.

"The villagers had seen that one of the most recent battles of the Great War was almost in our backyard, so to speak. By the looks of things, if my father were to win the battle, the village was most certainly doomed. Being a superstitious lot and the old miko no longer there to bring the light of reason to their fear filled minds, they decided that offering a sacrifice to my father, might be a way of getting him to leave them in peace," he continued.

"It would not have made any difference," he stated, "as you see, the village was located just within the borders of the Western Lands, and it was but a half day's casual walk to the borders of my father's lands. What they didn't know at the time, was that due to several recent battles, against the Western Lord, all five of my brothers were dead."

"My father respected no one," Ryuukessei sighed, "and he raised my brothers with the same cruel arrogance, and tyranny. When he found out that they had all died at the hands of his erstwhile enemy, Sugimi-sama, Lord of the Western Lands, he was enraged almost beyond reason."

"Of course, when he came across the village that had been my home for the first ten years of my life," continued the lost soul, " he had completely forgotten the events of that last night. The sight of me must have been like reliving a nightmare, but at the same time, he also realized that now I was the last living heir to his kingdom. Seeing that the ningens were about to offer me up as a sacrifice enraged him, and in his rage he attacked them. Seeing as how their offering was not having the desired affect, some even made so bold as to try to attack him, but of course it only brought their death that much quicker."

"I didn't realize that he had saved me because all of my other brothers were dead. Iie, in fact, I was at first over joyed that someone who looked like me had come to my rescue. Not having seen him before, at least not at an age when I would have remembered any prior encounters with him, I didn't even know that it was my father, or that his reasons for the rescue were anything but honourable."

"He left me tied to that stake in the center of the village, as he wreaked havoc and totally decimated the entire village. He made me watch as he slowly tortured and killed everyone down to the last man, woman, and child. I was horrified at his tyranny, and viciousness. I was also, soon to learn that what he did that night was merciful compared to what he was truly capable of."

There was a brief pause from the youkai soul, as he seem to need to collect himself from the memories that he painted for everyone with his words. No one broke the silence, almost afraid to break the mood and have his story stopped, and yet at the same time afraid that he would continue.

"As he took me 'home' that night," Ryuukessei resumed, "I learned of the death of my brothers at the hands of the Great and Terrible Inu no Taisho of the Western Lands. My father painted the horrible image of a blood thirsty and vile Inu Youkai Lord, who was intent on destroying our bloodline. He left out much. He failed to mention that each of my brothers had been sent to invade Sugimi-sama's Lands, and that except for one, they each took it upon themselves to seek out a village and destroy it in any fashion that they chose."

"As luck would have it, one of them had chosen a village not far from the one that I lived in. I do not know which brother it was, as up to that point, I didn't even know I had brothers, sisters, or even family. My father made sure that I learned of each of them, and how they all had died, although in his rendering they were all the victims, and not the vile and evil beings that he had raised them to be."

"The first brother, had chosen to watch all of his victim slowly die be fire. He made sure that they were trapped within the confines of their small community, and then set the outskirts ablaze with his fiery breath. As the fire spread towards the center of the village, the inhabitants were forced to run to the center of town. Of course, it was all for naught, and their cries of pain filled horror, filled the skies as my brother watched for his own amusement."

"This was apparently, how Sugimi-sama came upon him and was able to take him down quite easily, as he was so caught up in watching his entertainment that he failed to notice his approaching attacker. By the time the Great Lord was able to arrive and defeat his foe, the village was lost completely."

Ryuukossei continued, "It was just a few days later that word of my second brother attacking another village came to the Western Lord's attention. It was a village that was closer to his home, and bigger than the first one that had been attacked. This brother had taken more time in laying out his plan of attack, and in fact, had made sure that not one of his intended victims escaped to warn anyone. He failed to note that this particular village was not far from the cave of a hermit, who had called the area his home for many years. It was he, who got word to the Lord of the Lands."

"He built up an enormous wall of earth so that it completely surrounded the village that he had chosen, and then let loose the embankments of the nearby river. It had been a hard and heavy winter that year, and spring was not a relief, but more of a burden. The heavy snows that were melting and running down from the mountains had swollen the river beyond any previously seen limits. While he was building his earthen walls, having the power over the rocks and soil themselves, he had dammed off the river to build the waters even higher than the already raging currents already were."

"When he was satisfied with his efforts, he slowly broke down the dam, and let the icy waters flood the village. It was late at night, and by the time that they villagers were even aware of their impending doom, it was too late for them. By the time that Sugimi-sama found out about the attack, it was too late to save anyone. He didn't, however, let that stop him from meeting my brother in combat, and again he readily defeated him."

"The third brother had taken preference to a large village that was nested in a small valley in the mountains. His attacks were more like lightening, and he had chosen the village's location for two reasons. The first being that it was about half way between the borders of my father's lands, and the Western Lord's castle. The second, because of the high mountains that had once surrounded the village that they overlooked."

Hearing this, Sango gasped in shock and recognition, drawing every eye towards her, "I know of this tale, although I never saw the place, my father once told me that our distant ancestor and one of our village's founders, had been to see the place after the attack."

"He told me that according to the tales," Sango continued, "the doragon who attacked them, brought the mountains down to fill the valley completely. He was careful in how he did this, so that none of the huts, or buildings were crushed, but instead so that everyone was completely buried alive."

"Hai," said Ryuukessei, "he did just that. The nature of the attack was such that when everything was covered as he wanted, the earth was fused and melted to an almost glass-like state. It ensured that no one inside would be able to escape, but also meant that it would take days for them to all die. I heard that over a month later, Sugimi-sama managed in his true form, to finally break his way through the encrusted dome."

"He had of course, already killed my brother," the doragon answered to the unspoken questions that he could see in the eyes that were glued to him as he spoke, "and he found one lone survivor. It seemed that my brother had underestimated the amount of air that he had trapped within, and had not realized that the village had an enormous stockpile of food on hand. They held out as long as they were able, but with the exception of one lone young onna, everyone passed away from more the quality of the air than the amount."

"Hai," Sango interjected once more, "That was also mentioned in the tales. To my understanding, my distant ancestor agreed to take the onna in. She too, is one of my ancestors, although I understand that mentally she was never the same after that."

"You are right," Ryuukessei told the Taijiya, "The ordeal was too much for the onna mentally, and while she lived many years afterwards, she was mentally never the same. She lived long enough to bare seven strong children, four girls and three boys. All of which, at the encouragement of Sugimi-sama learned the arts of combat against youkai. He had made a pact with your distant ancestor and in so doing was responsible for the founding of the first Taijiya and their hidden village, which Naraku eventually found and destroyed."

"Despite her ordeal, she was physically strong, and had she not lost what mind she had to the actions of my brother, it was more than obvious in traits of her offspring, that she was of greater than normal intelligence for a ningen onna," he stated with confidence.

"My fourth brother was more daring, choosing to pick an even larger town, almost within sight of the Western Lord's castle. While he was not as strong as the first three, he held sway over the insects of the earth, and called down upon the town a plague of Saimyoushou. With the aid of his manipulations, they were readily able infiltrate every hut, hovel, and home. Even the mansion of the local Daimyou was not immune. As the screams of the town's people filled the air, it is said that my brother stood in the town square and laughed in delight at the pain and suffering caused by the poison seeping slowly into their blood and killing them."

"Once again, word reached the Inu no Taisho. He knew of the youkai who later fathered Jinenji, and sent a contingent of guards to fetch the skilled healer. With ease, he dispatched my brother, and was at least able to save more than half of the people of the town. It is said that he administered personally to many of the victims, as Jinenji's father helped. It is sure that if both had not been there when they were, the entire town would have been lost."

Jaken, Miroku, and Kirara, all shuddered at the thought of those deaths. They knew first hand what the poison of the Insects of Hell, felt like. Those who died, must have done so in the more horrible fashion.

"So that is how Naraku learned of the Saimyoushou," spoke up Jaken, not realizing that he had spoken his thoughts out loud.

"Hai," replied Ryuukessei, "It was me, who told the hanyou of their existence and how to obtain them. They are a great asset to those who have possession, or know where to find their hives. They are quite useful really."

Several growls broke out around the circle of listeners, bring Ryuukossei back to what he was there for.

"While all of these acts were horrible," he continued as though the growling had never occurred, "and my brothers vile in the extreme, it was my fifth brother that proved the most daring, and vicious. It was his actions, that sealed the Fates of both my father, and Sugimi-sama."

"You, Sesshomaru-sama," the youkai soul spoke, addressing the Western Lands current Lord and Master, "were about the same age as I was at the time. Although I was completely unaware of the things that happened until much later, I am told that what made the actions of my fifth brother more horrible than what my other four brothers had done, was because he didn't use any special powers or abilities such as they had done. In fact, all he used was brute strength, and a number of his 'friends' to aid him in hurting your father."

"He knew that the things that the other four had done, were bad and he wanted to hurt your father more than they had. By this time, your father had already called forth his reinforcements, and had the Western Lands so well guarded, the except for an invasion of an attacking army, it was impossible to try to locate and ravage another village, even in the farthest reaches of the kingdom."

"Instead," said Ryuukossei, "my fifth brother used more primitive means for gaining access to the one thing that would hurt your father more than anything else that had been done. He had planted spies throughout the realm, and from the collected information, he found that your mother had fairly regular habits and daily rituals. One of them, and the most common, was for her to take you and a small contingent of guards and servants down to the nearest village at least once a month to visit the merchants that inhabited the community."

"She always took the same road," he continued, "every time she took you to the market. It seemed to be a pastime that both of you enjoyed very much. At least that was what the reports indicated. All I know for sure, was that my brother was gone for several days before he returned to my father, and days later, he was dead. He had been carefully strung up between some trees, and every inch of his skin flayed from his body. The reports that were given to my father, and that I later read, indicated that he had lived for three days with the torture that he was put through. Besides flaying his skin from his body, the poison of your mother's claws had been collected, and injected into his blood."

Sesshomaru's growled in crimson eyed rage, and Kagome could be seen to noticeably tremble in both fear and anger. A soft glow surrounded her huddled form, still held protectively in Inyasha's arms. He too was growling, but while it was in warning to any danger that seemed might be threatening his mate, it was also in confusion as to what had caused her to react in this way, and why was she glowing?

Several soft gasps drew Inuyasha's attention a moment later, and as he looked up to see what they were for, he noticed that the exact same ethereal glow that surrounded Kagome, was also surrounding his brother. Little Rin, who had been watching the goings on, and while not completely understanding everything that was being said, understanding enough to know that her Lord was troubled.

Something deep in the young onna's heart called to her, and she found herself immediately standing and moving to Sesshomaru's side. Quietly, she settled herself into his lap, and leaned into him as though hugging him, but without putting her arms around him. He was not one for overly open shows of affection, however, by keeping her arms to herself, she offered him that which her heart told her he needed, but with the option to pull away if he didn't want it. To her delight, his growling eased, and she felt him wrap her in the safety of his own arms.

When the youkai soul had mentioned the trips that both his mother and him used to take to the market, he knew without question where this story was leading. Memories that he had suppressed for centuries, came rushing back with a vengeance and threatened to make him lose control of himself. In the back of his mind, a warm and caring caress could be felt, and a feeling of understanding and comfort took hold.

When he felt Rin settle into his lap and lean into him as though wanting to hug him, he felt his anger and rage calm, and the soothing sensation in his head spread to engulf his entire being. Yes, the horrid memories of that week were still fresh in his mind. Memories that he had not even been able to share with his father. Instead, he had locked them away, and turned a cold eye to the world about him, not wishing for anyone to see the pain of his heart.

For reasons that even he could not find answers to, he quietly accepted Rin offer of comfort, and those of the little Miko, whose calming presence he could feel in the back of his mind. They gave him what he most needed, without losing face in front of everyone else, and right now he was extremely greatful to both of them for them compassionate and caring hearts.

The soft glow that had surrounded Kagome and Sesshomaru slowly faded, and the Taiyoukai returned to a semblance of normal. Kaede took a moment to check on Kagome, still somewhat concerned for her health. With all of the energy expended and damage that she had suffered so recently, the last thing that they needed was for her to have any kind of relapse. It was one of the reasons why she had been so adamant that night, when Inuyasha and Kagome had taken so long to return to the hut, about going off to check on those who she thought more of as her grandchildren and family than anything.

She had not intended to 'play' Miroku, although that is what anyone else might have thought had they been there to see her. In truth, she realized that the two would soon mate, but with the events of the past couple of weeks, and the uncommon stress of the situation, she was not sure if either of the two were ready for what finally came about. Thankfully, her worries had been for naught, and the 'granddaughter' she had come to love so dearly, along with both her mate and the 'mental rappore' that she obviously shared with her mate's older brother was giving her support and understanding that her mind, body, and soul so desperately needed.

From the looks of things, that rappore worked both ways, and she could feel the young Miko reach out unconsciously to offer silent comfort to the Great Lord of the West. The young onna was a marvel of Miko abilities. She had no training, and at her age, it would be next to impossible for her to learn many of the things that she would have been trained in as a child.

What she lacked in training, however, she more than made up for in instinct. One thing about Kagome, she trusted her instincts and let them and her heart lead her. It was her greatest strength and the old miko had seen it work miracles that even well trained miko's, her sister included had never been able to accomplish.

Assured that Kagome was alright and able to reassure the hanyou protecting her, the old miko returned to her seat to hear out the rest of the tale that had brought them all together. That she had lived long enough to see this moment, was far more that she could have ever hoped for and she was not about to let a moment of it slip away.

Midoriko and Ryuukessei waited patiently for the group to resettle and once everyone's attention was back to the two souls standing in the center of the circle of onlookers, the doragon continued his story. Midoriko continued to reassure the ailing spirit. She had known all of those centuries ago that much of the hatred that Ryuukessei had been giving himself too, was mostly because of what had happened to him before that faithful night.

"Because of the deaths of my brothers, and especially the way my oldest brother had been tortured," Ryuukessei continued, "the hatred between my father and yours seemed to know no bounds. There were differences, however, as Ryuukossei was overwhelmingly ruthless and relentless in his sojourns to attack your father or his domain."

"Your father, however, was always considerate of the meek and innocent. Where my father would kill ruthlessly, every man, woman, and child, your father would only take down those who directly opposed him, or the justice that he used to govern his lands."

"But if he was so careful in his attacks on your father's lands," asked a confused Hakkaku, a nod of agreement from most of the others, "then who killed your oldest brother?"

"From my father's reports," Ryuukessei answered, "I learned that while Sesshomaru-sama's father loved his mate with all of his heart, there were those in the realm who had come to love and respect her for the powerful, beautiful, and compassionate Lady that she truly was. When word leaked out, for Sugimi-sama had tried to keep it a secret, a group of lesser Lord's took it upon themselves to intervene in your father's stead."

"They were extremely loyal to your mother, Sesshomaru-sama," the youkai soul continued, "She had at one point or another saved either their own lives, or the lives of their families and they owed her a life debt that they took very seriously. When the news of her death reached them, they secretly hired a group of assassins. They didn't settle for just any old assassins either, but the best ninja that they could find. Money was not a concern, and along with the assassins, they hired out for the best taijiya in the four realms."

Ryuukessei turned to Sango, "Your distant ancestor learned of the attack on Sugimi-sama's mate, and without waiting he offered his allegiance to the Lords and his fealty to your father. A number of his best men traveled with the ninja. It is said that they all disappeared into the shadows of the night, becoming as One with the Darkness. Nothing was heard from them for almost two weeks, but then just as they had disappeared into the dark, they all suddenly seemed to melt out of the Darkness, like nothing had ever transpired."

"None could ever get any of them to speak of what they had done," he stated, "and it was apparent that none really wanted to know. All just knew that they had succeeded in their assignment, and returned like everything was normal. Except for the eventual news that reach the Western Lord's ears of the death of his mate's murderers, nothing more was every publicly said of those events."

"Now that my father no longer had one of his strong, well trained sons to be his heir," Ryuukessei spoke with anger and hatred, "he decided that his once disowned son was better than nothing. The only problem was that I was not anything like my brothers. At least, not at first."

"Father wanted his son and heir to be a tyrannical and ruthless as he was. Father, however, was never satisfied with anything, and it didn't help that the old miko who had cared for me, had not realized that young doragons needed to have freshly killed prey early in their lives in order to grow to the enormous proportions that most doragon are known for, and to build the strength that is almost legend among our kind. Normally, the parent captures and maimed the prey, before giving it to their young. This allows the young to learn early how to killed, and to give them the freshest and most succulent blood, it being sweetened by fear."

"Because of this lack in my diet and the kindness that she lavished upon me, I was not half the doragon that father wanted in a son. Never a day passed that he didn't let me know of this. Where he could lay waste to entire valley's in a single attack, I was luck if I could level a large house. Where he towered over small mountains, I was lucky to threaten the heights of a small hill."

"Soon, all I knew of life was how inadequate I was, how I could never be like any of my brothers, how I would never amount to anything. More than ever, as each year passed, I wanted to at least once, have my father see something, anything in me that he approved of," Ryuukessei sighed, the overwhelming heartbreak and sadness seemed to pour off of him in waves.

Midoriko spoke at this point, realizing that Ryuukessei might not be willing to continue, at least for now. They had spent a lot of time together inside of the Shikon no Tama, and she had learned a lot about her opponent both during his life, and even after his death. Much of what he now spoke of, she had managed to taunt him into telling her during their centuries long battle.

"It was during this time," Midoriko picked up the tale, "that I came to power. My abilities were not based, as Ryuukessei's, Kikyou's, or Naraku's, were. I had no need to take the souls of others to gain my powers. I have always had complete and unwavering faith in the powers of the Four Souls, and they have always guided my hand in all that I have ever done or given myself too."

"Near the village that I called home," she continued, "there was a young man, who had taken an interest in me. He was strong, held position, and offered much."

"But he was not your type," spoke up Kagome for the first time. She was reminded of Hojo in some ways, but felt that this situation probably was more like Onigumo.

"Hai," the ancient Warrior Priestess said with something of a laugh in her voice, "As you would say in your time, he was definitely not my type. Oh, his heart was in the right place, but even in those times, joshi were more possessions than companions, and he would have caged my spirit. That was something that I could not allow, and that he failed to understand. I might have accepted him, had it not been for that."

"At the same time," she continued, "there was another who also desired me, but for quite different reasons. My skills as a warrior and a priestess were widely known, although no one knew that I had taken my training as a warrior at the feet of Sugimi-sama himself."

"You knew our father?" asked Inuyasha, unable to withhold the awe in his voice.

"Hai," she replied, a sparkle of laughter glinting in her eyes, "I knew him well. It was his suggestion that I learn how to fight, especially after the death of his mate. He felt that I would be a much more formidable opponent to any enemy if I could both use my Miko abilities and combine them with the fighting skills of a true warrior. He was right, it was a most formidable combination and made me close to undefeatable."

"However," she paused briefly, "it also seemed to make me more desirable by both ningen and youkai." Here the Great Priestess paused again, a flush of colour gracing her face.

"They came from miles around to see the Warrior Priestess," she sighed, although there was humour to her voice as she spoke. "They were especially fond of seeing if it was possible to defeat me. Of course, there were many that I had to seek out, as it was my job to defend the less fortunate from the rogue youkai that seemed to infest the area. Most of them were drawn out by the constant battles of the Great War."

"Among those youkai that were seeking me out," she said, "was a smaller than normal, and less...experienced...youkai. He was quite rough around the edges, rude almost to a fault, brash, arrogant, spirited, and impatient. I had no idea that he was living a life of hell, and that this was the cause of much of the pain that I could feel eminating from his soul."

Almost as an unconscious action, there was an answering growl from the doragon before her. The group looked on, a few wondering at the reason, while several of them were certain of both the cause and why.

"You cared for him," Kagome spoke up quietly for the first time, "didn't you?"

Ryuukessei was too stunned for words, as he heard the question, and looked upon the face of the Priestess whom he had called enemy for centuries. Her face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson that could have rivaled her re-incarnation. There was silence for several long moments, moments in which Ryuukessei could not remove his eyes from the Great Miko before him, moments that Midoriko used to collect herself and her thoughts so that she could continue.

"You all must understand," she paused, and then continued, "just as Kaede, and Kagome already do. The source of a Miko's powers is granted as a gift by Nature itself. The more firmly grounded one's belief in the true heart of the four souls, the stronger that power is, and the more that Nature is willing to give. Just as with anything granted by Nature, her gifts are a two edge sword, and there is always a price that must be paid for the power that she grants."

Both of the living Miko's nodded at this, and the ancient Priestess continued.

"When a heart is in need," she stated simply, looking deep into the eyes of Ryuukossei's son, "and a soul in pain, those of my kind are called. When the heart burns in anger, and the soul is lost in anguish, one such as I cannot help but be drawn to offer healing. We are offered no choice, we are bound to follow where our own hearts, and souls lead us."

Again she briefly paused. With a final shake of her head, she broke eye contact with Ryuukessei, and turned instead to look directly into the eyes of Inuyasha.

"When a spirit is so lonely that its heart cries out for help," she almost whispered as she seemed to search the hanyou's very soul, "and the soul reaches for a comforting arm, a warm hug, a loving touch, the hand of friendship, the arms of compassion, a place of shelter from the cold and loneliness of unfulfilled need, then regardless of the cost, a soul such as ours must answer."

She held his eyes a moment longer, and it seemed for the briefest of moments as if there was a silent exchange of both gratitude and understand in Inuyasha's eyes. Without thought or question, without hesitation or concern for any possible show of weakness, the hanyou simply nodded his head, ever so slightly and tightened his hold around the precious jewel nestled in the warm protection of his arms.

"So it was for me," Midoriko continued, and turned back to the doragon beside her, "A heart cried out in such pain that it pierced my own soul. A soul was so starved for friendship and compassion that I felt a pain in my own heart. With every part of my being, I did what I needed...had to do. I tried to reach out to that soul."

Ryuukessei could not help but stare at the Warrior Maiden before him. His blood red eyes peering deep into those of the deepest cerulean blue. What exactly was she saying? Who was the youkai that she had been reaching out to and trying to help? Had it been him? Had he been too blind to see what was before him? Had what his father did to him truly changed him that much? Had he truly lost himself in all of the pain, torture, death, and destruction that had been his father's reign?

In a sudden flare of brilliant red light, the form of the doragon youkai disappeared. At first everyone prepared to leap forward to take up the battle once more, but at a calm signal from Midoriko, they all settled back once more. The light faded away, and when their vision cleared a gasp traveled around the group of onlookers. The tall and handsome figure that now stood where the doragon once had, was both familiar and yet totally strange and unexpected.

"It's...L-Lord Kagawaki Hitomi," exclaimed Sango.

"Naraku," was voiced by most of the others.

"Hmmm! Hmmm! Hmmm! Hmmm! Hmmm!" came the deeply chuckled reply, "Iie, I am neither of those, although he, who you knew as Lord Kagawaki, was MY re-incarnation. I am the ningen soul, who freely gave his soul to Ryuukessei. I am the ningen who desired to possess a Great and Powerful Miko as my own, and was willing to sell everything I was in the hopes of gaining her favor and claiming her as my own."

"I am the heart and soul that Ryuukessei needed to act as the binding to anchor the souls of the youkai that he wanted to use to increase his strength and his power. By that time, his father had sorely abused and used him to such extremes as most would not want to imagine. For months, his father would keep him chained to the walls in the deepest of his dungeons, telling him just how weak, worthless, and useless he was compared to his older and by then deceased brothers," the ancient incarnation of Kagawaki said.

"How do you know what his father did to him?" asked an almost fearful Shippo. This might have been the incarnation of Lord Kagawaki, but he still looked like Naraku to the young kitsune. Still, he would not let the entity see his fear if he could help it.

"That is a good question young kit," spoke the soothing voice of the youthful appearing Lord. "While I was not there to witness the tortures that the young doragon was put through personally, his memories and my own merged when we became one being. As such, I learned of his past and the horrors that he suffered during his youth. It is not an excuse, and even he will agree with that now, however, that past is what has caused him to become what he is today, just as mine made me who I am."

Here the soul of the young Lord Kagawaki paused, as though taking a moment to collect his thoughts. No one in the group watching on, missed the look of unexpressed emotion that passed over the face of Midoriko as she still held to the hand of the noble appearing Lord, as he once again picked up the tale that needed to be heard.

"If just physically torturing him had been the only thing," he continued, "then it is quite possible that later events would never have taken place. But, alas, that was not to be the case. Ryuukossei was not just a tyrannical Lord, he was a cold-hearted, ruthless, and unforgiving father. It is no wonder that his first five sons all died, and as I understand it, his four daughters, while they lived beyond their brothers, eventually came to severely painful and unfulfilled lives, as well. This apparently left the doragon Lord in more anguish and pain than he cared to admit and when he found that his mate could no longer bare him any more children, he had her summarily executed."

"He hid his pain behind an unforgiving mask of anger and hatred, and that he tried once again to pass on to his last remaining child and now only son. He would chain him to a wall in his dungeons, and force Ryuukessei to watch, as he tortured and sacrificed anyone and everyone that he could capture. It didn't matter that they were ningen, hanyou, or youkai, just as it didn't matter if it were someone young and health, old and feeble, man, woman, child, or infant."

"Once he was finished torturing a victim, or the victim had died, he would then have them torn limb, from limb and force his own son to eat them. This went on for months on end. Only occasionally would he let his son out of the dungeon. But at the slightest unacceptable sign of compassion, or any of the more positive emotions, he would have him hauled back for another round of torture and horror. It was a living nightmare for an young youkai, especially one who had been raised initially by a miko. The unknowing miko had taught him the value and sacredness of life. All life, not just ningens."

"What finally turned him," sighed Lord Kagawaki, "was when Ryuukossei had captured a young miko. She was quite a comely looking young woman, however, she was not well trained or strong to begin with. Unbeknownst to Ryuukessei, his father had bound her with special wristlets that were designed to suppress her miko abilities. She could call on her powers, but every time that she did, the wristlets would block her powers from being released to do what they were meant to do."

"As Midoriko-sama has said," he continued with the painful story, "when a miko feels or sees someone in need, she is almost forced by the vary Nature that gave her the gifts she wields, to render aid to the one in need. The wristlets that the young miko had been bound with allowed the power to be called upon, but she could neither recall the power, nor release it."

"Ryuukossei forced her to watch as he tortured and brutalized young children," he said, "knowing that the young miko could not help but try to offer what aid and protection she could. She was forced to stand and watch them as they died, and writhe in pain as her own powers could not be released to help them."

"Again, had that been all, he might still not have fallen so hard," the ancient Lord spoke, "but that was when his own father turned the same tortures upon Ryuukessei, forcing the young miko again to try to use her powers. By this time, the young priestess was almost mad. What little mind she had left was almost non-existent. When she tried one last time to use her powers, her control completely snapped and the power tore through the bindings and ripped through any and everything within fifty feet of her. Ryuukessei was right next to her at the time."

"Oh Kami," softly spoke Kagome, a stream of tears pouring down her face. The pain that could be seen in her eyes, and the sorrow on her face showing that she cried not only for all of those lives that had been lost, but that she also cried for the doragon that had never had a chance at a true life.

At her softly spoke words, there was another flare of the now familiar red light, and when it cleared Ryuukessei was standing once more before them. Just as with the previous one, the change was unexpected, but some how everyone felt that when the story became to awkward or difficult to continue, the two entities switched places.

Ryuukessei must have been confused by the young Miko's tears. In all of the years of his long and horrible existence, he could not recall anyone showing the slightest bit of sympathy for him. Was this young Miko, who had beaten him so thoroughly along with her friends, companions and now mate, saddened by his story? Did someone actually feel sorrow for his own plight in all of these horrid and terrible events?

"Miko," he questioned her, "why do you cry?"

Kaede, Midoriko, and Sango just smiled, being a healer even Atsuko understood. Kagome could not have done less. It was not in her nature. She was a pure soul, who could not help but feel for the pain of others.

"Your suffering," she almost sobbed, "You suffered so much, and found so little love, or to love. You never truly had a father to look up to, or a mother to care for you or comfort you. I cry for the mother you never knew, who could never hold you and comfort you, even as a babe in arms. I cry for the father you should have had, who should have been there for you, and protected you as you grew up."

"I-I...do not...understand," he replied, as he turned to the ancient Warrior Priestess, who still stood next to him holding on to his clawed appendage. "I have done so much, been the cause of such horrible things, been responsible for the deaths and pain of so many. Why would she offer her sorrow up for me?"

"She does what any true Miko would be compelled to do," was the answer. This only confused him more. The mystery of all of this continued to puzzle him. The Taijiya had offered her soul for the houshi, though unspoken, the houshi had willingly offered his own soul to protect her life, the hanyou was always ready to risk his very life and soul for the young Miko that he now held to him like she was the most precious treasure that he had ever possessed. Even the others that sat watching the events that were unfolding, seemed to have their own part in all of this.

What tied them all together? What created this...this...this...bond? Was this what it meant to have family, friends, someone who cared? Is that what all of this was about? Being with those who wanted to be with you, and to share life's experiences with? Could it be that this was what he had once had with the old miko who had tried to raise and care for him, and that he had been looking for ever since she had left him alone in this world?

"Ryuukessei," Midoriko drew his attention back to the group and the matters at hand, "why don't you continue your story. Perhaps the answers you seek are there, and will become known with the telling."

"Hai," he said, confusion still apparent on his face, as he turned back to the group and picked up his story once more. It didn't go unnoticed by anyone that he paused again, briefly before doing so to once more look at the tear streaked face of Kagome, who still shed tears for his pain.

"As Kagawaki, Satomi, was saying," he picked up the tale, "father was most horrid and cruel. Because of the deaths of my brothers, he developed a hatred like no other for the Inu no Taisho. At every word of the Inuyoukai Lord's advances or successes in battle, he would fly into a rage. His hatred of the Inu General knew no bounds. Often when he would learn of such news, he would take his anger out on me. Those were some of the most painful and worst of times."

"It was one such time," he continue, "when he tortured the young miko. As Satomi stated, at the time I was completely unaware that father had bound her powers. So when her powers finally broke free and surged forth despite her best efforts to pull them back, I was seriously injured."

"Why were you not purified?" ask Hakkaku perplexed by this aspect of the tale.

"Hmmm! Hmmm! Hmmm!" responded the youkai soul in front of them, "Father was enjoying the torture that he put his 'pet' through. Toying with me and slowly breaking me was what he found most pleasing to him. When he had captured the miko, he made sure that she was weak enough that even at her strongest only severe pain would be inflicted. Oh, I was hurt. Seriously too. I hung from my chained wrists, bleeding from where her power had taken the skin right down to the bone in a number of places. Unfortunately, my kind is well known for their remarkable strength, endurance, and how quickly we can heal, even from the most severe of wounds."

"Being hit by the powers of a miko," he continued, "seriously slowed down the healing process, and several times I almost died. With my injuries being so slow to heal, and severe, along with becoming fevered, my mind was open to my father's twisted ideas. He took full advantage of the opportunity he created and used the time to plague my mind with his twisted thoughts and ideas. In my weakened state, he was readily able to make me believe things that up until then, I had refused to accept or trust."

Again there was a flare of the red light, and as everyone expected, when it cleared Kagawaki, Satomi once more stood before them.

"Onegai," Satomi said, "we do not mean to confuse or irritate you, however, some parts of this are difficult for Ryuukessei to speak of, just as parts of it are difficult for me. We have lived with these memories for centuries, even within the Shikon no Tama. Truly our torture never ended, it was only prolonged over the passing of the years. We knew of no way to stop the pain that we both endured, and ultimately it only further twisted our mind, body, and soul."

"Although we have had to endure those most horrible of moments," Satomi continued in his deep, calm voice, "we have neither had the courage to truly face what happened and accept that it was real and how it affected us. Ryuukossei used every wile he could, especially after the death of the young miko to turn his son's mind and twist it to his own ideals, visions, and perversions. He, however, vastly under estimated one thing about his youngest son."

"While Ryuukessei was not the strongest of youkai," he said, "nor had the same powers that his brothers, sisters, father, and even his mother, had possessed, he did have one very strong ability. One that is quite rare, and almost no one had ever seen before. In truth, I cannot say that I have ever seen it again, with the exception of Naraku."

"It was during his recovery from the wounds inflicted by the young miko's death," he told them, "that Ryuukessei realized that what he lacked in bodily strength, and youkai power, he could more than make up for with his mind. He found that he could easily bend anyone to his will, even his father. Once he realized this ability, he wasted no time in putting it into use. At first, it was a way to get his father away from him and make him leave him alone. Later, he found it was the perfect way to manipulate his father, and pit him against others."

"It was little things at first, but as he caught on to just how much he could control those around him, he began to put it to use on bigger and more daring things. Eventually, he managed to use it to utterly destroy his father's entire household, and put his father out of action for many centuries."

"But Ryuukossei was sealed to a cliff by my father's fang," state Inuyasha, somewhat perplexed by the revelations that were coming to light. Sesshomaru, surprisingly to everyone, agreed and confirmed his hanyou half brother's statement.

"Hai," replied Satomi, "he was. But why do you think that him and your father met in battle to begin with. What was it that finally brought the two of them face to face. Yes, Sugimi-sama had been responsible both directly and indirectly for the death of my brothers, however, father never had enough of an army to face off with your father in battle."

"Even in his by then, deranged mind, Ryuukessei realized that he would never be free of his father," the ancient Lord continued, "unless he could devised some way to get rid of him. Of course, his father's death was his choice, but he knew that he could not kill him, himself. It was not for lack of desire, but lack of ability. He was not powerful enough to take his father on, and unless he could find a way to weaken his father, poison was not an option either."

"As you know, Ryuukossei was a powerful force to be taken seriously, and not just anyone could face him in combat. But Ryuukessei realized that there was one living being who stood a chance of succeeding where no one else could. The hatred was already in place, all he had to do was push his father just a little and the rest would fall naturally into place. More than anything, or anyone in existence, Ryuukossei hated him and wanted to defeat him and take possession of the richest and most prosperous lands in existence. He was right."


----------------------------------------------------

Dictionary



Baba - Old Woman, Witch, Shit, Bullshit
Baka - Idiot
Chikushou - Damn
Daimyou - War Lord in the Feudal Era
Daitoku - Priest
Doragon - Dragon
Fujo - Sorceress
Fukurou - Owl
Hanyou - Half Demon
Higurashi-daitoku - Roughly: Priest Higurashi...I have chosen to use this instead of a name, as no name is ever cited in either the anime or the manga. Kagome's grandfather, and name used by those not of the family.
Higurashi-nisou - Roughly: Priestess Higurashi...I have chosen to use this instead of a name, as no name is ever cited in either the anime or the manga. Kagome's mother, and name used by those not of the family.
Hinba - Mare
Houshi - Monk
Inu - Dog
Joshi - Women
Kagawaki, Satomi - First incarnation of Kagawaki, Hitomi, the Lord possessed and ultimately killed by Naraku - Satomi and his father lived during the time of Midoriko. Ultimately, he sold his heart and soul to Ryuukessei in the hopes of gaining power and position so that he could have something to offer to Midoriko
Kagawaki, Okahito - Father to Kagawaki, Satomi
Kinmouno shishi - Golden-haired Lion
Kitsune - Fox Demon
Kobura - Cobra
Koruto - Colt
Kuromiko - Dark Miko
Miko - Shrine Maiden
Neko - Cat
Nisou - Priestess
Ojii-san - Grandfather
Ojika - Stag
Okaa-san - Mother
Onna - Woman
Ookami - Wolf
Osuuma - Stallion
Oushi - Bull
Red Dragon - Ru-doragon
Ryuu - Dragon
Ryuukessei - Roughly translates as 'Dragon Formation Spirit' - Author discretion - son of Ryuukossei.
Ryuukossei - Roughly translates as 'Dragon Bone Spirit' - Dragon who was ultimately the cause of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father's death. Although he later died saving his ningen mate and newly born Inuyasha, the wounds that he had going into that battle, had already been caused by Ryuukossei, who was left pinned to a cliff face by Sugimi-sama's fang. Later, Inuyasha defeated him in battle and strengthened the power of his own fang, used to repair the broken Tetsusaiga and giving him back the power and strength to wield his father's Great Fang of Destruction.
Sama - Lady or Lord - respectively
Seiyuuki - Monkey
Shika - Deer
Shikon no Kakera - Shikon Shards
Shikon no Tama - Jewel of Four Souls
Shishi - Lion
Taijiya - Demon Exterminator
Taiyoukai - Demon Lord
Youkai - Demon