THIS IS A RESPONSE TO THE OBAKEMONO CHALLENGE WEEK ONE: KO-DAMA
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A forest is not simply a patch of grass with trees. It is a manifestation of things beyond mortal understanding. No painting has ever truly captured the world, but merely represented it. No poem has accurately created the atmosphere of the earth, but simply described it. There is almost an extra sense that is impossible to grasp because in reality the earth is eternal. Humans and demons are unable to completely comprehend what being forever and always is, for they have not and will not experience it. So they chalk it up to grandeur, or presence.
As it stands, humans burn through their lives never truly grasping their relation to nature, but instead plow ahead to make a mark in history. A mark of doom for the natural world. Demons, considered wiser than their human counterparts, do not heed their own knowledge because it is too new, too inconsequential. In the grand scheme of things even demons are young. Even they have seen and understood so little in their centuries of life. Due to the exploitation of nature creatures learn and adapt. The earth gave this gift unselfishly of itself, and is repaid by the brutality of Man and the apathy of Demon kind. It is the trees and the rocks that will remember. It is the world that surrounds it all that will remain.
There are some places across the land that reek of mystery and something else that is yet left un-named. It is this force that keeps the balance. The world communicates to its inhabitants through her spirit due to the methodical destruction of its corporeal form. Would the children of this earth let this defacement continue? Had the earth not provided them with all that they should require? No, for the creatures were selfish and took more than was offered to them.
This is why a Ko-Dama was awakened.
“You will give me the information I require Bokusenou. You are an immobile tree, it would be no strain to bring your destruction.”
Completely ignoring the demand and threat of the dog demon poised in front of him Bokusenou, the ancient tree and advisor to the once great Inu no Taisho, gathered himself to reply.
“Young Taiyoukai, I will not speak needlessly. You will receive an answer when you have asked the question you were meant to ask.”
“Hn.”
Walking away from the wrinkled old tree Sesshoumaru strolled at what appeared to be an unhurried pace. However, to a stationary being such as Bokusenou the young pup traveled with great haste from the scene in abject disappointment. With a rough sigh the elderly face faded back into the bark of the tree after mumbling one final thought.
“The path to supreme conquest is what you seek, but supremacy is not what you believe it to be Sesshoumaru.”
Sesshoumaru did not pause in his movement at the words spoken by his father’s advisor, but filed them away as ramblings from a warped mind. How could he, the great Lord of the Western Lands, not know what ‘supreme conquest’ entailed? The concept was logically ridiculous. He would not return to this place for information again, as the old tree demon was clearly losing his mental fortitude.
Sesshoumaru had already made several faulty assumptions about the situation. The first being that it was Bokusenou’s logic that was flawed and not that his own was founded in arrogance. The second had been that the tree was in any way a demon or creature in the same sense as himself.
Mentally deciding to think no more on the subject, Sesshoumaru worked his way through the trees to his current camping grounds. After the whole fiasco with Naraku had escalated a few months ago he had joined in with his half-brother’s group. While it had its advantage the truce between the two brothers was very vague and tense at best. It was the love that Sesshoumaru’s ward, Rin, and Kagome shared for each other that held his hand in many matters. There was no reason to trouble Rin’s naive mind with problems within the group dynamic when it could be avoided. Sesshoumaru would let the mutt think that he was safe now, and when Naraku was ultimately defeated by his hand Inuyasha would die.
Much to Sesshoumaru’s inner annoyance, he was unable to stop himself from mulling over Bokusenou’s words. If supreme conquest wasn’t about being as strong and powerful as possible what was it? The damn tree had no interest in wealth, didn’t believe that you could truly own land, and had no society in which to elevate himself. What could the Tree demon possibly hold in such high esteem?
When he finally made it to the conglomerate campsite Sesshoumaru’s eyes immediately searched for his ward. She was sitting and wreathing flowers as usual, no change there. All of a sudden the priestess called Rin’s name from down the path. Quickly standing up, Rin jogged over to the caller with her arms slightly raised. Kagome came prancing into camp and took the young girl into her arms. The sight would’ve been heartwarming, if Sesshoumaru hadn’t had a small epiphany at the same time.
The senile tree was speaking of love.
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7-4-09