Unmei Ni Koubi by vhfluffy
Tetsuo
Hey guys! This is my very first attempt at writing a fanfic. I've been a shadow on dokuga for years and finally decided to take the plunge and post my fantasies here instead of hogging them. I introduce my OC Tetsuo for your reading and other pleasure. I love him, but not more than my Fluffy!
Also, I do not own any characters from Inuyasha, except Tetsuo. He's mine, I tell you! Anyways, hope you enjoy it! :-)
Tetsuo
Naginata: wooden pole with a curved single-edged blade on the end, Kami: God/Gods, Ningen: Human, Youkai: demon
Clank, clank, clank…
Indistinct shouting and screaming in the distance.
Kagome sat up stretching her arms over her head as she yawned. What was all the racket? She saw flashes of movement through trees; Red and green and white figures danced in perfect harmony. Was it a caravan? She moved to stand up and immediately fell. Had she not grasped the tree branch she was perched atop, she would have fallen to the ground in a heap. Instead, she kicked off the tree trunk and swung off the branch landing in a kneeling crouch some twenty feet below her.
‘Phew…that was close’ she thought, gathering her longbow and quiver of arrows that had fallen to the ground. She made her way towards the source of commotion. What or who exactly had disturbed her brief afternoon slumber?
As she drew closer, the screaming intensified. It sounded more like an execution than a happy caravan. She had just stepped through the trees when something flew past her, thudding against the tree it had crashed into. She looked towards it and when recognition dawned, her eyes widened at the sight of a torso, mangled and halved. She looked around to see her fellow humans taking up arms against an army of youkai. The uniforms adorned by the human army was colored a brilliant red and green; the color of her father’s army. Blood laden blankets covered the grounds. Mutilated body parts strewn across the field, the stench of blood dampened the air. ‘Why do they battle? What is going on here?’
Kagome spotted a captain in her father’s army fending off against a burly red haired youkai and made her way towards him, longbow armed, removing any threat along her way.
“Miyamoto Taichou!” she yelled “Why are you battling youkai? I didn’t hear of any such mandate.” just as she fired an arrow into a long haired dog demon’s chest as he approached her, sword in full swing.
“Hime-Sama?!” Miyamoto questioned, anger and concern clearly visible in his stance. “Why are you here? It is much too dangerous. Taro, escort hime-sama to the castle…!”
“No. I wish to stay and fight” interrupted Kagome as she grabbed the sword off a human corpse and plunged it into the youkai about to maim the captain. To which the captain tipped his head in gratitude.
“Why are you battling the youkai?” she questioned again.
“It is the youkai that attacked us first. They claim we have kidnapped their female and are holding her hostage.”
“Nonsense!” yelled Kagome. “Who is their General?” She asked intending to have a word with the youkai responsible for attacking.
“No Hime! The king will have my head if any harm were to befall your highness! Please retreat and let us handle it" he begged.
“You’re such a worry wart Miyamoto! You know I can handle myself. Relax, I’ll take care of this!” she retorted and bounded off in the midst of battle towards enemy base, defending herself against anyone who approached her.
Kagome was a sight to behold. She wore a dark blue long sleeved kimono shirt over fitted black hakamas with a red and green obi around the waist. She wore black shoes on her feet. Her long dark brown hair billowed around her as she danced through the onslaught of attackers. Her lack of armor was a testament to her faith in her abilities as a fighter.
Kagome had never been one to indulge in the pretty clothes her sister and step mother enforced on her. Instead as a child, she had been content dressing as a peasant boy and working the rice fields whenever she traversed the castle walls. At the tender age of five, she had asked her father’s general to teach her to fight. He had laughed at her tiny determined face and dismissed the thought, not realizing that as he and his men practiced by moonlight and torchlight, Kagome had been watching, memorizing and mimicking their stance from her hiding spot in the ceiling. By the time she was 10, she had mastered every one of their movements and challenged the general to a duel. Her father had been outraged at the thought and had her confined to her bedroom. But that didn’t stop her. She jumped off her balcony and made it to the training grounds, naginata in hand. To humor her the general had obliged. It had not taken him long to realize the tiny child was well learned in the weapon and had almost stabbed him several times had he not pushed her away. Her only disadvantage being her tiny stature and lightweight, but soon realized she could use to her advantage. Since then, much to the King’s chagrin he had adopted Kagome as his apprentice.
As she neared the enemy base, she saw no path to approach the youkai captain. Thinking quickly, she jumped up into nearby trees and made her way hopping tree to tree around the hordes of fighting youkai.
It wasn’t until she was near the base that she noticed him. His gait tall and strong. He had broad shoulders and silver white hair, held back high onto his head. If lowered, it would have reached his shoulders. Adorned in gray hakamas and kimono, covered with dark blue armor across his back. He had a slender body yet one that exuded strength. From her position behind him, she could see he had spines for armor covering his arms and forearms. Curious to make her acquaintance with the demon, she set out to sneak an attack on him. Creeping along a tree branch just above his head, sword in hand, she jumped.
He had been busy receiving casualty reports from his captain when he sensed danger. Before he could pinpoint its source, he heard leaves rustling above him. What he saw mesmerized him, for the sight that beheld him was of a goddess. Her brown hair flowed around her beautifully round and fair skinned face. Her eyes the color of onyx captivated him as she stared into his golden ones. The beautiful creature bewitched him as she descended upon him. His captain’s surprised yell drew him out of his stupor just in time to draw his sword and leap back.
Kagome landed a mere eight feet from him, assuming her fighting stance. His gaze traveled her entire body, foot to head and settled on her determined eyes. Her kimono clad chest rose and fell with every breath she took. Her participation in the battle had been unplanned; therefore, she had not secured bindings around her chest. He averted his eyes to observe the sweat running down the valley of her breasts, licking his lips, when she lunged at him. He defended her attack with his sword, pushing her back. She leaped back, taking up her stance once more.
She noticed a blue crescent moon atop his forehead with two blue markings framing the moon. A similar marking ran down his chin into his chest. The dark blue armor covered his torso and a yellow obi tied to the front lent him the only color that matched his eyes. He was beautiful. His golden eyes bore into hers entrancing her.
Kagome shook her head free of her musings. “Cease your attack at once Youkai! We do not possess your female” She yelled at him.
She was surrounded by youkai warriors, but maintained her stance.
He ogled her body once more, resting his eyes on her tiny waist and shapely hips. “Hellooo…Up here” She snapped her fingers drawing his leering gaze from her body to her face, returning to her stance.
He stared at her, annoyed by her interruption of his indulgence.
“Tetsuo.” Looking her dead in the eyes.
“Huh?” Puzzled by his choice of word
“I am called Tetsuo.” He repeated.
“Okayyy.” She replied confused at the introduction. After all, she had just attacked him and expected a much heated response. “That’s great Tetsuo. You may cease attacking my people now, we do not have your female.” She replied in a much calmer tone.
“Sama.”
“What?” she asked annoyed.
“You will address this one as Tetsuo-Sama.” He spoke, very much enjoying the daggers she shot him.
She stood staring at him for a few seconds, mouth agape, clearly befuddled by his pompous demeanor.
“Are you kidding me?” shaking her head. “My people and yours are dying out there...” She yelled pointing toward the battlefield. “…Stop this senseless killing at once!”
Sighing deeply “Return my sister and we will retreat.” He cleaned the dirt under his claws with his thumb, giving her a sideways glance. Clearly, he enjoyed toying with her.
“I’ve already told you. We do not have your fema…I mean sister.”
“Lies! She was seen approaching your forest seven nights ago and has not returned.”
“That doesn’t mean we kidnapped her! This forest is passage to all neighboring villages; she could have turned down any path.”
“Hmm” was his only reply as he walked towards her. She stood on guard as he proceeded to walk around her, inspecting every inch of her body. At one point she thought she felt him sniff her hair, resulting in goosebumps. He turned to face her, his eyes settling upon her breasts once again. “What is your name, little one?”
She looked at him through narrowed eyes, ignoring his question. Unbelievable!
He smirked “Very well then, this must be your kingdom’s desperate attempt at a ridiculous ransom. It could be a ploy to usurp our lands and fortunes”
She huffed at his response “Are you an idiot?” she questioned. Lowering her stance as she noticed that all the surrounding youkai had lowered their weapons and were shaking their heads in agreement to her query.
“Why would we do that? We have a treaty in place.”
Just then a youkai messenger approached the general and whispered a message to him. “Are you sure?” Tetsuo asked the messenger quietly to which he received a positive headshake.
Sighing. “Withdraw the army!” He yelled to his captains. “We return”
“Wait? What happened?” She questioned looking around. The youkai shrugged their shoulders in ignorance. “Do you finally believe us that we don’t have your sister?” She asked Tetsuo.
“Hnn” was his only reply as he turned around and walked away. Taking a few steps, he turned back giving her body a final once over. “We will meet again, my beautiful song bird.”
“Dream on.” was her reply, relieved that the battle had ceased. She watched his retreating figure. What an insufferable moron! Are all youkai this carefree?
She watched as the remaining youkai army helped their injured back home. Making her way back to her army, the stench of blood and gore inundated her. As much as she loved fighting, she hated the loss of precious life. As she approached Miyamoto, she heard Taro give him an account of injuries. “Seven dead and 24 injured, taichou” came Taro's reply. Miyamoto looked up at her. “Hime-Sama! Thank the Kami you are safe.” He breathed a sigh of relief, then “You did it! You stopped the youkai, Hime-Sama”
“Hai, Miyamoto taichou, but the loss of our brethren is immeasurable” She looked around painfully. “The youkai have dishonored the peace treaty and must be punished for this tragedy. The King must receive a full account of what has transpired here this day.” Tears lined her eyelashes as she mourned the loss of life around her.
She helped the uninjured warriors bury the dead and tended to the injured. Blood splattered her clothes and her face.
“Taichou, the youkai have left behind their dead. What should we do with the bodies?” came a sentry's voice over the hustle of the camp.
“Burn them! The filthy mongrels don't deserve any better” yelled Miyamoto, disgusted.
“NO!” Kagome yelled. “We must respect their dead just as our own, bury them”
“But Hime-Sama...”
Raising her hand up to silence Miyamoto. “We are a proud kingdom under the leadership of our pious King and as such we will respect all life, whether it be ningen or youkai. We are better than them.”
She helped bury the youkai dead saying a silent prayer and marked their graves with their weapons. 'Tetsuo, you foolish youkai. You will account for this crime.”
King
Miyamoto had sent a sentry to inform the castle of the battle and casualties. King Hiroshi was given a full account of the onslaught and carnage instigated by the youkai, including Kagome's presence at the scene and her role in dissipating the battle.
He gave orders to have all kingdom healers arrive at the castle gates to tend the injured. Kagome accompanied them and helped as much as she could.
“Hime!” yelled Kaede, the kingdom's seer and master healer. “Are ye injured?” the old mystic hobbled her way to Kagome.
“You know I am fine Kaede 'basaan” hinting at the woman's ability of foresight. But her battered visage was a dead giveaway of the turmoil that rose within Kagome.
“Ye body may be fine my child, but ye heart is bleeding” The old woman pointed to Kagome's chest. The woman was perceptive of every emotion buried in the young princess.
As resilient as Kagome was, she could not keep the pain she felt at bay. The insurmountable sorrow she felt released a torrid of tears she had been holding back that streamed down Kagome's face, leaving wet streaks through dirt and blood. “It hurts” cried Kagome, clutching the front of her kimono, her knees buckling under her as she fell to the ground “It hurts 'basaan”
“My child, ye are a child born with the gift of empathy, but ye must learn to protect thy self. Do not take on the pain of the world. Ground thy self, my child” said the healer as she patted Kagome's head.
“When will these senseless killings end 'basaan? We lost seven of our best men out there today and what for? Because the youkai attack on a whim for no apparent reason? They must be stopped. I must do something.” She wailed.
“You will do nothing!” the harsh voice of King Hiroshi sounded over Kagome's crying.
“Ye Highness” bowed Kaede before her king.
“Fathe...I mean Your Highness” Kagome stood up and bowed before her king, wiping away the tears that stained her face.
King Hiroshi took in the blood-splattered sight of his daughter, relieved she was unharmed. He was proud of her bravery and yet it irked him that she had ventured outside the castle yet again, endangering her life, but that was a scolding for another day.
“You will appear before the council with a detailed account of what has transpired this day. Make sure you are...presentable” eying her attire.
“Hai, your highness” bowed Kagome and Kaede.
“Oohh my Kami! What a tragedy! Who could have done such a horrible deed?!” came a shrill voice over the hustle bustle around the castle gates. Both Kagome and Kaede sighed and rolled their eyes at the sight of their dramatic young queen. Adorned in a bright green silk kimono and perfect brown flowing hair, Queen Arashi clasped her hands to her chest as she screamed to the Kami. “Why kami? Why this torture and bloodshed?” The King held a hand to his forehead in disbelief at the sound of his young wife's wailing. He really did care for the woman, but her incessant theatrics and dramatic behavior irritated him most of the time. He quickly cleared this throat, reminding Kagome and Kaede of his presence.
“You must respect your queen” King Hiroshi spoke, then looked towards his wife and shook his head “no matter what” as he walked away towards the council chambers in the hopes of avoiding his wife.
“Hai, your highness” They both bowed as he left and burst out laughing as he was out of ear shot.
“Ye best be going child, lest ye incur the wrath of the witch” Kaede chided gesturing the dramatic queen, to which Kagome snickered.
“Be nice, you old coot” Kagome said backing away from the old lady, waving her index finger, but quickly stopped and lunged at the old woman, hugging her tightly “I love you 'basaan and thank you”
“and I ye my child” the old woman hugged her back.
In all of Kagome's 17 years of her life, the old mystic had practically raised her after her mother’s early demise. When the King had decided to remarry, Kagome rebelled against him and decided to live with Kaede. It took the old woman six months to convince Kagome to return to the palace and to her family. She loved the old woman more than anyone, and as far as Kagome was concerned, Kaede was her mother.
Knock...knock...knock.
“Enter” Kagome heard the Kings voice on the other side of the double doors.
She had bathed and chosen to wear a wine colored kimono, tucked into her hakamas of the same color and a black sash around her waist. She had pinned her hair in a bun atop her head. Hardly what her father had desired for her attire before the council, but she wasn't about to change because he said so.
She entered the hall and bowed before King Hiroshi at the head of the table and the three council members seated on each side of the king, seven in all including the King.
“Sit” ordered the King, to which she obliged.
“You will give us a detailed account of the events of this day, including how and why the youkai withdrew their attack”
Kagome recounted her excursion outside the castle and how she was awoken by the sound of battle. She relayed her conversation with Miyamoto, making sure to stress upon the fact that he had asked her to leave the battleground fearing for her safety, which she disregarded. She went on to explain her encounter with the youkai general, minus his pompous arrogance and blatant ogling of her. She recounted the events of the messenger arriving and why their army retreated.
“So you are saying that the female was found which is why they retreated?” asked one of the elders.
“She must have, it doesn't make sense why else they would have retreated” answered Kagome. “But it doesn't change the fact that they attacked us based on a hunch! They must account for all the lives and limbs lost” Kagome stood up leaning her hands on the table top, driving her point across the council.
“Sit down child” ordered the King. Kagome obeyed.
“What did the youkai general look like?” he continued.
“He had silver hair and a blue crescent moon on his forehead with blue jagged lines across his head and chin” the elders gasped at her description and began muttering among themselves.
“Silence!” the King raised his hand. The room was filled with nothing but the sounds of breathing.
“What is the youkai general's name?”
“He called himself Tetsuo, your highness” the elders began discussing again.
“Kagome, at the time of your encounter, did you know which house he belonged to?” She shook her head no.
“The blue crescent moon is the symbol of the House of Taisho. They are the most revered and feared youkai clan in the West spanning generations of thousands of years. They owned all lands before we settled here and were generous enough to share their lands with us humans. Are you sure it was the crescent moon you saw?”
“Hai, your highness. It was clearly a blue crescent moon”
The King sat back in his chair, pondering the information she had shared. The elders began a discussion amongst themselves.
“That will be all Hime. You may take your leave” ordered the King.
“But I am not done” pleaded Kagome “What about accountability? The youkai must be held responsible for what they have done. What about the peace treaty?”
“What do you know of the peace treaty?” asked King Hiroshi
“Well, it was a treaty among youkai and ningen to cease any senseless killings for five hundred years”
“Correct” chimed in an elder “it was a treaty signed by your great grandfather and the Alpha male of the Lord of the West, Inu no Taisho after much deliberation and compromise.”
“So that means they have defected!” exclaimed Kagome.
“No, we do not know if this Tetsuo has acted on his own authority or on that of the Inu no Taisho” explained King Hiroshi. “This matter must be tread carefully or it could mean the dissolution of the very seeds of peace that our fore fathers so carefully sowed.”
Kagome walked through the somber town that evening, pulling the lapels of her over coat closer. The usually bustling town was mourning the loss of soldiers and had closed all market shops, making the streets eerily quiet. She made her way through town and over to the gardens which were her sanctuary. The gardens had been her mother’s project and was a fond remembrance of her. Since childhood, Kagome had an affinity for green plant life. She could feel their energy and easily lose herself in their beauty. One day at the age of 13, she swore she had heard the trees whispering to her. She had closed her eyes, focused on the sounds, and soon found out she could communicate with the trees. She found out that the trees were her spirit guides. They had been watching and protecting her since she was born as guardians appointed by her mother. She felt safe in these gardens. Kagome walked through the garden, stopping to rest on a stone bench. She sat cross legged on the bench in silent contemplation.
“You can come closer you know; I don’t bite” she remarked, eyes still closed, at the person concealed behind her in a tree.
She smiled as she opened her eyes to see Miyamoto come forward and sit beside her.
“Still the only one I cannot surprise” He shook his head.
“And you never will” she smiled.
“But I still always got your back” he elbowed her
“Hehehe…you had better, I am your little sister after all” she elbowed back.
Miyamoto stiffened at her words. “Heh…yea” he sighed, lowering his head, a sad smile on his lips. Problem was, he had never considered her his ‘little sister’. He remembered the first time he had seen her; he had fallen instantly in love with the ten-year-old, tiny girl wielding a naginata and challenging his father to a duel. Since then he had followed her around, first as one of the guys and then later on as a soldier. While girls her age were swooning over the best kimonos to wear, she dug up worms at the fields with the boys. Her sister Kikyou was the most feminine girl ever, always prim and proper and well mannered. Meanwhile, Kagome always dressed in boy’s clothes and chased rabbits for food. Somewhere along the road, his perspective of her changed to that of a girl and then a woman, but he would never admit it to her. Instead, he resigned to the fact that he could never have her as more than a friend.
“Feeling any better?” he asked
“A little. It’s never easy recovering from that” alluding to the act of burying the dead and tending to the injured.
Miyamoto knew she was very susceptible to the energies around her and especially took on the pain and sorrow of the injured she tended to. At times like these, she always snuck into the gardens to recharge.
“I just can’t believe that jerk of a youkai would pull something like this. How stupid can he be? And ughh…what a pervert!” she said in a huff. “While we mourn our dead and suffer, the idiot is probably drinking sake and fondling women”.
Meanwhile...in the west.
Crackle...Boom...Crash!
Amidst a cloud of dust and debris lay a certain silver haired inu, coughing and writhing in pain.
“You fool! Do you know what you have done?” reverberated the deep tone of the great Inu no Taisho as he stood towering over the crumpled youkai. His claws drawn as energy surged through his entire body crackling at his fingertips. His crimson eyes testament to the wrath he invoked. With a swish of his claws he once again sent the fallen inu crashing into the adjacent wall of his official chamber.
The injured Tetsuo groaned as he felt a gaping hole in his chest and coughed up blood as he tried to sit up.
“You have jeopardized the very peace that I have struggled centuries to maintain. On whose authority did you attack the ningen?” he demanded. “Speak now! Or you will never speak again”
Tetsuo coughed up more blood “M-my own...father” he struggled to speak, wheezing as his caved in chest had already began to heal.
His response incited a growl from the Inu alpha as he grasped Tetsuo by the neck and held him above ground before him, his feet dangling mere inches from the floor. He squeezed his claws into his neck until blood poured out, staining his already dark clothes.
“YOU have NO authority!” He belted in the young Inu’s face.
“Fo-forgive me...father. I just...wanted to rescue...Shiro” trying to pry his fathers clawed hands off his neck. He gasped from lack of air and the intense burning in his chest.
“Shiro? What nonsense are you spouting? She is safe within the fortress” then it dawned on the great inu. He had sent his daughter on an errand to deliver a message to the eastern fortress, however, it had taken her longer than usual to return. Did the fool think she had been kidnapped by the ningen?
“You are a greater fool than I thought! You presumed the ningen kidnapped your sister without so much as a query about her whereabouts?” He relinquished his hold on the inu, dropping him to the ground. Tetsuo gasped for air.
It was then that the door to his official chamber opened and in stepped his oldest son, Sesshomaru, heir to his throne. He wore a deep purple kimono and hakamas, secured with a black obi. He carried his swords on his waist.
“Get him out of here,” he ordered his oldest, massaging his temples “He is to be released of all title and authority and is to be confined to his quarters once healed. All captains who aided his idiocy are to be stripped of their titles and for all youkai warriors under their command, a fortnight's suspension without remuneration.”
“It is no fault of theirs father” choked Tetsuo as he leaned on his brother for help. “They did as they were comman...”
“They should have known better than to follow your stupid orders! Be gone!”
The Inu no Taisho's problems were only just beginning. His idiot son had made a decent mess of his efforts and he needed to fix things before the ningen retaliated.
“Jaken!”
“Hai my Lord” croaked the two feet tall toad demon as he entered the room “How may I be of service sire?” he asked before he looked around the room. “Oooh...what a mess!” shaking his head “Tsk tsk...at times I wonder if you are too lenient with these kids.”
The Inu Lord looked upon the toad through narrowed eyes. Jaken always spoke out of turn and place. Sometimes he wished he could just squash his tiny impudent skull and be done with him but the toad demon was his previous queens precious servant and he was a valuable chamberlain in his own way.
“Arrange for another official chamber” her ordered. “and have this space cleared out and restored”
“Hai my Lord. Anything else? Should this servant arrange for the masseuse sire? You look like you need...” he stopped short as he felt electricity emanate off the Inu Lord and directed at him. “I..I shall do as you wish sire” as he hurried out of the room, breathing a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him.