AN; Thank you all for viewing the sequel to monsters among us. For those of you who have been with me for a while, you will notice that this is a rewrite of another story called the rightful heir. that story has been put away and has been replaced with this story, and will also be incorporating the characters I originally made for this sequel, in similar roles, but I have completely rewritten the story and changed everything, So... new story and this one holds truer to the vision that I had originally had for this story. well... here goes.
In the light of the early morning Misaka moved through the demon village. She was looking for the source of power that had peaked her interest. She easily lured demon after demon with her otherworldly looks but she needed more power for what she had planned. Misaka strode through the merchants quarters to the stand of the local butcher. She smiled feeling that this was fitting for her next kill. The demon looked at her through beady eyes. He was a large ogre and she knew their lust for fight. He would be disinterested in her for that.
" What do you want." he said irritated by her lack of speech, he was getting his knives ready and had no time to talk to this whore. He grunted waiting for her answer. She looked at him as though he were insignificant and really began to make him mad. " I said what do you want. Other wise. Get out of here. I have business to attend to." he grunted.
She looked at him with pity and was silent for a few more moments before saying something that would draw his amusement. " I would like your life. I will start with your pathetic power supply and then your life force... You will help me on my lifelong vengeance." she admitted to him feeling that it was of no consequence at this point. He laughed. That was okay with her, she didn't need his respect, only his power. Reaching out she touched him and he stilled, frozen in his animated laughter. She glanced around the quiet village and then absorbed his aura and energy into herself. Her felt into a pile of clothing and tools. She stepped back and moved on looking as if she had merely gone to give a message and depart. No one took notice of her. She smiled.
"... And they say that lord Sesshomaru has transformed into a demon, greater then even his father. I witnessed a territory dispute right after this damned curse was lifted, and he was so powerful that I felt the shock of his strike from the back ranks. He ended it there. I have never seen something like that before." a demon male gossiped to his companion. She could see that they were demons of mixed heritage. That was common in this village since the isolation and intermingling wile their demonic energy was masked. Misaka frowned at their conversation.
She had been dealt a huge blow and having the power she was getting reduced to nothing. It had aged her, almost to the point of her death, and for months after she barely survived by taking the energy of mediocre demons. She had achieved her beauty once more, enough to entrap the easily swayed and lustful. It had taken her two years to get back to the point where she would walk openly.
The Demon Lord, Sesshomaru had become an instant sensation among the people of his villages. They loved their Canine Lord and stood stronger with each new dispute settled and fought within his borders. Naturally demons had began to war, species dividing and natural instincts causing violence where there was none before. Sesshomaru ruled with an iron fist. He was ruthless and did not hesitate when it came to maintaining order. Whatever had to be done was done, so she took pleasure in his vain search for her.
Since becoming, a demon he had pursued her, searched for any indication that she even existed further then the whispers of dying casualties. To him she was the cause of his fear and doubt she had the ability to trap them beyond their ability to escape. She had the ability to absorb them into her very being and use their power for her own desire. She smiled. Yes her own desires were far simpler then the power over nations or lives, she wanted revenge from the one person she could never touch.
He had made her this way, caused her to take the one path that she could never, would never turn back from. Because of his superiority and power, and her sisters innate powers, Misaka had tried to claim power and found herself incompatible with either magics her siblings used and had grown bitter. She had sealed Saito in an attempt to kill him ever putting him out of her reach, and doing so, he manifesting more power then she had imagined possible. She hated him for that. But, she had been able to reach the other one of her rivals, she had made sure that her sister looked into her eyes as she died. Morderiko, I hated you. How loved you were. How I could never compare, she thought bitterly. She comforted herself recalling the agonized scream she heard as Morderikos' life left her eyes.
She was outside of the city now, making her way to the hut way into the woods outside of the village borders. Opening the door there were base things from her short stay and the things left here by the last inhabitants. She had lived here. That wench that shattered her jewel and had released the biggest pains she had had to deal with to date, Kagome. The old dog had been half as irritating, and there was only one of him. Now she dealt with the thought of going up against three inu demons with real power. And a priestess with budding powers.
Turning to the stove in the small hut Misaka began to prepare a potion. The hut was surrounded with the things she would need to build any potion she needed. The woman knew her medicine, but Misaka was trained in something a little more sinister.
Peering into the cauldron she stirred putrid liquid making herself more and more excited with each stir. She saw into the potion, there was an image that was shimmering in the solution. A girl, still round faced in her youth. She sat across from a midnight haired woman of similar features but clearly unrelated. The woman stared at the child with affection and smiled warmly as the child spoke to her. The girl was small for her size and showed no air of importance, but Misaka tracked her every movement. On her shoulder was a crow demon that sat listening and reacting to the girls conversation. The demon was dangerous though in an unassuming form. He stilled with the feel of Misakas' spell and looked around for her energy. Misaka smiled, sure he would not see her well hidden aura.
The girl stopped at once and Misaka stilled unsure now. The girl seemed to look right at her and them with a flick of her hand she dispelled the vision and Misaka was left staring angrily into her cauldron. Yes that girl was dangerous. She was the one who carried on the power of her most hated rival, Saito. This was the cause of her agony, the one thing that has eluded her and caused bitter years of angry searching for power and vengeance.
Misaka went to her pack and withdrew a mirror, shining it into the moonlight she saw the image of a man, he hunched over in prayer and she tapped the glass scaring him from his meditation. " Saito. Have you plotted this? Are you still trying to kill me, brother?" she asked innocently. The man looked up at her with hollow eyes.
" Sister, turn from your ways and let go of your anger." he said
Misaka shook the mirror wishing that this window into his world would rattle him up with her anger. He only stared at her. Out of her reach as always. " That is what sister said before I killed her." Misaka grinned a wicked triumphant smile at his wounded eyes.
" Morderiko loved you, as did I. Neither of us wanted this for you." he plead with her. But Misaka hardened her heard a century ago to this redundant plea. She ignored him.
" I will kill you too. When I absorb the entire demonic population, I can kill you. Finally, and your stupid dogs. You know his descendants are the cause of this delay. And our dear sisters descendant who is joined with the generals grandson. But it is your heir that I will torture. She is a child yet...Not even 11 summers, and already she shows the potential of becoming your true heir. Do not mistake this acknowledgement of power for my fear... No... I have her in my grasp. I only have to reach out and cut her down." she watched as he stood at the mention of his heir and her description. His own son had been a boy when he had been sealed but he had never gotten to see his grandchildren or even imagine his great grandchild. He raged within the realm of his protection. He ripped away things Misaka could not see and screamed his rage much to her pleasure. He batted against her power even through the barrier between them of both time and space, she dropped the mirror and watched it shatter on impact. She cursed and cleaned up the mess, he had gotten to her. Even through everything she had gone through to kill him. He still existed, still toyed with her even when she had sealed him. She hated him.
" ...And they called a petty man like you the Great Emperor. How did your descendant find the grandson of your general and our sisters heir for protection?" Misaka swallowed down the terror of doubt and was resolved to get closer to them, to take the heir of her brother into her hands and throttle her with bare hands. The others would be useless without the girls power. Once she was dead she would cast down the priestess like she had her sister and once more entrap the heirs of that demon. She would not suffer them to live longer than that, then she would win. Finally.
Misaka began scheming. She drew out the maps she had of the palace and filling in places that she had observed during her servant Naraku's work in the palace. He had observed and stamped out all hope, perpetuating a chaotic air of hysteria that had plagues and distracted the demons from their true nature. It had caused insanity and turmoil to the best of her ability trying to stamp them out. But they were resilient. Even to defeating her servant and breaking her curse. She clenched her fist. A century had passed and she was still dealing with the same thing that had caused her fall from grace.
Darkly, she brooded. Her onyx eyes staring at the place where her sisters heir had slept. Walking to the straw mattress she sat down and moved to lay down. She imagined nights spent laying listening to the sounds of the night. The fear of living among suppressed demons and the isolation she must have felt every day. She frowned. It had not lasted long enough. She thought about the things she would do before making her final blow, smiling Misaka closed her eyes.
Kagome opened her eyes with a start. She came awake in the wake of morning. She looked around, usually, Sesshomaru took a sadistic pleasure in waking her up early. He was out of bed and nowhere to be seen. Even more, the energy that had woken her was a sudden disappearance right out of nowhere. It was like someone had just blinked out of existence, and it was not the first time. She sat up and drew her youkata closed. Standing she went to the wardrobe and dressed in the simplest kimono she could find.
Filing down the corridor she went though the carved entrance to their families private wing and descended down the hall and down the stairs to the dining hall. Rin was there. She smiled warmly at the girl and was greeted with a hug. Rin was growing nicely. She was taller then she had been when she had first come to live there, almost to her sternum but still small for a girl her age. Behind her a crow demon tailed her from the air. He flapped and greeted her as well.
" My lady Kagome, what an honor it is to dine with you this morning. He said as they went to their seats and began to break fast.
" Thank you Tiki-san it is not that big of a deal though, im just hungry." she tried to tame down the formality between them but he was unyielding.
" My lady do you wish for the chef, I will get-" he began to take off.
Kagome held up her hand and stopped him. " That is not necessary, I am okay. Rin, have you seen Sesshomaru this morning?" she asked, Rin nodded.
" Yes there was a warlord from the outer villages that came to address a boundary dispute. Its between a cat tribe and a wolf tribe, the wolf is scary, he says he can squash me in his hand, and I believe him. Hes bigger even then lord Sesshomaru." she rattled on. Kagome smiled as she went on she imagined Sesshomaru looking up to talk to some one with the ability to crush a preteen in their hand. She giggled. Rin stopped suddenly and looked around then as though she were swatting away a pest and she refocused on their conversation " ..and he was really angry, he told the guards that he would kick Hyate in his – well you know, if he did not get an audience right away. It was a mess. But that's where lord Sesshomaru is." She finished and took a breath from talking so long. Kagome nodded. She had suspected as much.
Finishing her food Kagome excused herself. Rin left for her lessons and she went to the front hall that housed many of the negotiation chambers. Her heard one raised voice and stopped in her tracks. Sesshomaru hated to be yelled at. And the way that the man went on she counted backwards anticipating the sound of crashing and broken glass and pillars. On cue she heard the sudden silence of the angry voice and then the he crashed through the wall at her feet. She looked down at the half conscious wolf demon. His eyes were orange and his fangs gleamed under a pained wince. Looking up though the new hole in her wall she saw Sesshomaru dusting off his hands. " he hates to be yelled at." she shook her head and stepped over him to enter the chamber through the hole. Sesshomaru greeted her by grasping her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss it. She nodded and glanced at his guest.
" I am done here. We will resume at noon no sooner." he said making it a command and lifted Kagome into his arms to step over the rubble and the still half conscious wolf demon.
Sesshomaru's mood was dark after dealing with that idiot. He had grudgingly taken on the duties of negotiations and treaties, but for the kami sake people made stupid arguments, and they were so passionate about as much as a rivers width that they killed each other time again. He shook his head and tried to push it aside. " Did you enjoy your time sleeping in?" he teased knowing that that was probably why she had sought him out so quickly. He had to admit that he did enjoy waking her up and tortuously nudging and tickling her out of a fit sleep. She pretended to dislike the childish torture but she smiled and looked for her own brand of teasing.
" I did, until I felt something strange. Sesshomaru I feel like some one is steeling people from the villages. I feel them blink away like blowing out a candle. Its happening more and more lately." she said trying to express herself. Sesshomaru listened to her words and stored them in his heart. She had a way of knowing. Her energy was far from perfected but she was tuning in with her magics more with each season.
" Where was it, can you tell?" he asked. He thought about the time he had been sealed and had not known his enemy, they had been close, his trusted adviser even, and he still had not known. Now that his adviser was dead, he had gained the power of his own abilities, but now there was some one out there more powerful then Naraku. Someone who had concocted the entire curse and was still lurking, probably the cause of the energy disappearances.
Kagome thought carefully, she had felt it close. " In my old village, most likely, that is the area that I felt it. But, I am not sure." she said. Honestly. He nodded. He opened a door that lead to his high tower and scaled the stairs with her in tow. Reaching his study she thought for a moment he might put her down but he went to his chair and sat with her still in his arms. Closing his eyes he felt her arms wrap around him and she kissed the side of his neck happy to have this time alone. Waking up alone was usually the start of a bad day and she was hoping that the day would turn out.
He reveled in the warmth of her embrace and drew lines on her back without ripping the fabric with his razor claws. He hadn't cut her in months and thought himself perfected in the pressure to puncture human flesh or not. She had been forgiving while he was getting used to his claws and he had tried earnestly to train himself out of his clumsiness. It had worked, mostly. Learning to live together had been as easy as breathing, but there had been other things that had come up.
" I miss keade, I wanted her to be here to help me when we... I never thought of any one else being my midwife, now I will have to trust a stranger. If we can actually conceive... " she tried to keep the sadness from her voice, but after so long there had been nothing. He had not missed the stares and gossip that the women of the court tried to hide behind their fans and long draping sleeves. They thought that because she was human that she could not hear them. He understood that she didn't have to, that with eyes far wiser then her age would betray, she watched the pity filled stares and whispers as she passed.
" We will, when it is time." he stressed time, feeling knot of anxiety in his gut when thinking about this subject. " I cannot tell you why it hasn't yet but there will be an heir to secure our bond and our power, eventually." he said trying to soothe her worries. Aside from his anxiety, he honestly did not understand what was causing their failing to get pregnant. He was not neglectful, enthusiastic even in giving her the affection she was due. He was satisfied, she seemed pleased enough, that was really where his give a damn ended.
There was a knock at the door and Sesshomaru growled not wanting to be disturbed. " lord Sesshomaru I beg your forgiveness for disturbing such a private moment, but the diplomat from the wolf tribe is conscious and requesting your attention once more." it was Zen the head of the house, he was a golden lizard demon with impeccable sense of smell and sight. He probably did not overhear their conversation. Sesshomaru called him to enter and let Kagome stand from her position in his lap. She stretched and yawned cutely as zen entered. He bowed low and repeated himself this time cleared from the wooden barrier barring his sight from his masters reactions.
Sesshomaru held back the eye roll and nodded. This was to be expected. Zen excused himself with his orders to have Hyate distract him until he was ready to deal with the man. Standing Sesshomaru beckoned her to him. Kagome closed the distance between them and rose on her toes to meet him in a kiss. His lips moved with a practiced passion, she responded blushing and feeling the familiar warmth that spread through her. Cupping the side of her face he held her for a moment longer and then released her to attend the chaos down stairs. She followed down the stairs and bid him farewell at the entrance way. She descended the stairs and he watched her go until she was out of sight.
Sesshomaru walked with exuding power as he entered the chamber. He was done playing with these wolves. He hated how abrasive they were and that when making an arrangement they were the last to yield on anything. He entered the room smelling the strong odor of alpha wolf and he restrained his urge to wrinkle his nose at the offense of it.
" Oh but don't you know that cats really don't like water. I tried to get a cat to swim once and she scratched me bad. Lord Sesshomaru said that they are allergic to water. Did you know that?" Rin talked to the wolf demon male and he sat calmly listening and responding.
" My lady Rin I had no idea, you think that they would yield that land if we gave up the edges of the foot hills?" he asked. Rin thought for a moment and nodded.
" I think they would consider it. Have you met with the leader yet?" she asked. The wolf demon began to get angry and Sesshomaru stepped forward.
" Stop getting mad and just listen to what he has to say. " she scolded him. The wolf demon stilled and nodded calming down instantly. Sesshomaru proceeded into the room and sat at his appointed spot at the head of the room. He knelt and watched the exchange. Rin bowed when she noticed him. " my lord." she greeted him. " lord Renku and I were discussing the treaty. If you will excuse me I believe he is in a better frame of mind to talk." she said and smiled warmly at her guardian. Sesshomaru nodded and watched her curiously. It was not like her to get involved in matters of the state. And definitely not to show her power so openly. He sniffed the demon for a reaction and found him to be subdued to her will. He nodded again and she left the room.
Looking at the wolf demon now he managed to have a civil conversation and settled the dispute on the wolf demons side with a good chance for the next meeting to be a joint cat demon and wolf demon negotiation for peace. He poured a bowl of sake with the making of their agreement and drank sealing their deal with an oath. Sesshomaru went to where Rin was sniffing for the scent of his ward.
Rin was in the training grounds watching the guards train. He appeared behind her and she looked at him perking up and waving at him excitedly. Running to where he appeared she threw her arms around his middle and hugged him affectionately. He patted her on the top of the head and she released him. "My lord, how was your meeting." she asked looking towards the palace where they had their meeting.
"It was well, Rin have you been using your power openly?" he asked she quirked a brow and thought about it carefully. She had felt the way she had started to used her gift. It was innocent, she calmed raging demons and delivered Sesshomaru will but not much more until today when she intercepted the wolf demon male.
" I have felt a change." she admitted he nodded expecting as much. She interacted with the demons as if they were no different then herself. She cared for a crow demon as her companion aside from the young fox demon Shippo when he was around. The demons she cared for were loyal to her, she even began to have influence within the court before reaching the age of maturity, it was impressive to say the least, and she didn't even seem to realize that she was holding the sway of just under half of his court.
Sango and her group of demons practiced in the field making Rin sweat just watching them. Sango was a harsh task master and trained every bit as hard as her warriors. From the sidelines Miroku watched swaddling a small child that mirrored him in all but his big brown eyes that were Sango's match. Sesshomaru had suspected that being part of Kagome's own want. The warrior and monk had been married two months when she became pregnant and keade had delivered the boy herself before falling ill. Miroku offered Rin a chance to hold him and she gleefully accepted much to the monks relief. He sagged and laid back on the grass clearly in need of sleep.
Sesshomaru watched with both curiosity and wariness as the monk was both paranoid and relieved to have help with his child. " hes been crying a lot lately, I think he's getting his first teeth." Miroku said reaching to his son and brushing back his sparse black hair.
"Kagome has some ointment for that exact purpose, she told me about it last week." Rin said happily. She loved holding Shinta, he was cute and his tiny hands sought hair and face reaching and touching everything that was within reach. Looking to his father the boy reached out and struggled against Rin's hold to grab at him. Out of instinct Miroku reached back to his son and was met with the content sounds when they were reunited.
"I will go an see her today" Miroku said. Shinta looked up at Sesshomaru with wide brown eyes. He was met with an amber stare. Neither flinched and the boy grinned a toothless smile and reached out to touch him. Everything inside him told him to back away slowly and avoid contact at all costs. Rin noted his hesitance and called him on it.
" Do you want to hold him Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked innocently. he knew from the knowing look in her eyes that she would press the issue if she had to.
" No." he said. he was up for a challenge.