Seasons by ctt

Prologue

Summary:

(AU) He loved her. He wanted her, needed her. Fate and the divine law demanded that he take her as mate. But the laws of mortals and the ephemeral mists of politics forbid it. For their alliance would tip the scales of power and signal the beginning of a long, bloody civil war.

Seasons

Part I: Seasons of Loss

Prologue

Year of the Dragon

What can I say in my defense? Nothing.

I have failed. I have shamed my ancestors. The proud lineage of the dogs who swore their lives to Jimmu Tennou himself have failed. Rebellion now springs the lands, and the emperor, powerless and trapped within his citadel. The lords are now split into two camps while others have shunned this madness and lay hidden in their own lands. They are but traitors and cowards. But whether they be a traitor, a coward or an ally, I know that the blame rests in mine and mine alone. Is it not I who walked the same path as my ancestor, Ichiro, and my foolish brother, InuYasha? Both men loved a divine priestess of Ise. Ichiro, the first Lord of the Western Lands, loved Midoriko, consort of the Emperor. It was a madness that led to the first rebellion of the priest, Onigumo, and his ally, Ryukotsusei, and led to the creation of the accursed jewel, the Shikon-no-tama. InuYasha took Kikyo, High Priestess of Ise, as his mate which led to the madness of Naraku and the loss of the Yasakani-no-magatama which purified the accursed Shikon-no-tama.

But even if these men where fools, I am even more foolish. Ichiro though he loved Midoriko and she loved him as well, sought to simply remain the closest of friends. InuYasha, no matter how foolish, had little responsibilities to the Western Lands except to be the elite knight to serve the divine Emperor. But this Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, have but taken the heir to the Eastern lands and the divine Priestess of Ise as his given mate. It is madness. I was not as strong as my ancestor as to have stepped away. I, who had the responsibilities as a Royal lord and Minister of the Left to the Emperor, have upset millennia of political balance.

We are now suffering for it. The rebellion has been building due to my folly. Though Kaede, the High Priestess of Atsuta, tells me it is no ones fault but fate. I did not choose the Lady Kagome Higurashi knowingly. That day was the ceremony of Kamo, when the elite imperial knights found the ladies that was to be their partners, their Havens who would protect them. She was swatted in layers of cloths and incense that would have dulled all senses except the longings of the spirit and the stirrings of fate. My soul and fate has brought her to me as the soul to my blade, the sheath to my sword; I, who was the elite knight who served the Emperor. The divine law called that she was to be called mate, Haven to my restless warrior's spirit.

I refuse to believe this! I am not subject to anyone's whims but my own. Fate has no hold on me. I should have fought this. Am I not the taiyoukai? Am I not Inu-no-taisho? Am I not descended from the god of storms, Susanowo, brother of Amaterasu? Am I not descended from Ohonamuji who suffered much torment, but who persevered and created the final islands of the Land of the Five Kingdoms? Am I not from these lineages that blessed these lands?

But I was weak, a flawed creature who cannot let a woman go nor fight fate. Even she demands that I let her go. But I cannot. So I stay silent as I watch her calm blaze into fury sending silk scattering throughout the room. I can do nothing but stay silent and trap her more and more among locks and guards.

This has not stopped her from trying to reason with me. But her hope for a quick end to this brewing war is all for naught. Winter is ending and spring is about to begin. Arms are already being raised. Once the snow melts into rain, the battle will begin. This I know, as I watch her every night in her uneasy sleep, for it maybe my last to see her so, bathed in the moonlight like an ephemeral mist. I can only hope for victory to expunge me of my shame.

Sesshoumaru, Inu-no-taisho

Lord of the Western Lands

Minister of the Left to the divine Emperor, Amaterasu VII

Notes:

Amaterasu – goddess of the sun, rules the celestial lands

Susanowo – god of storms, brother of Amaterasu

Ohonamuji – descendant of Susanowo, who won the hand of Princess Yakami of Inaba. The trials of Ohonamuji were many with him dying twice at the hands of his jealous brothers. Each time he would be saved by his mother Kusanda-hime. Pursued by his enemies, he ventured to Susanowo's realm where he was tested several times. In the end, the crafty god approved of him and foretold his victory against his brothers. The Izumo tradition claims Ohonamuji, along with a dwarf god called Sukunabiko, would finish the creation of the islands of Japan.

Jimmu Tennou – 1st emperor of Japan, said to be descended from Amaterasu

Yasakani-no-magatama – Imperial beads chain / necklace, one of the 3 Japanese Imperial regalia said to be given by Amaterasu to her grandson, Ninigi-no-mikoto; symbolizes benevolence. In the story, the shikon-no-tama is also part of the necklace as its pendant.

Shrine of Ise – principle shrine of Japan which is dedicated to the sun goddess, Amatarasu; it houses the two Imperial regalia, the necklace and the mirror, though the mirror is associated more with the shrine.

Shrine of Atsuta – shrine that contains the third regalia, the sword.

Kamo – (historically, two shrines that are presided over by a virgin of high rank as the protectress of the capital, the festival for it is the greatest Shinto celebration). In the story, it is the ceremony wherein the elite Imperial knight chooses a lady to become his 'partner' as he performs his duties to the Emperor. A simple ceremony that takes place in the kamo shrine wherein the prospective Havens are wrapped in concealing robes and veils, while incense is burned to prevent the youkai or holy men from using their supernatural senses or exceedingly sharp senses. The partnerless / unbonded knight would walk past the rows of concealed maidens and when he felt drawn to one of the maidens, he would stop and take the girl's hand. Since it is difficult to become an elite knight or be considered a Haven, the ceremony only happens when there is a prospective Haven and an unbonded knight. There was one time that the ceremony of Kamo did not happen for 50 years. All heirs to the five kingdoms and the important shrines are required to become the elite Imperial knights. Also, when a youkai knight chooses his partner or Haven (as in Sesshomaru's case), she is to become his mate.

Haven – (historically, honorary title given to a consort or concubine who has given the Emperor or Heir Apparent a child). In the story, it is the title of the ladies who are the 'partners' of the elite Imperial knights. They essentially act as support in a number of ways depending on the abilities of the female, but more often than not the abilities as mainly defensive such as shielding or even giving energy through the bond during a battle.

Land of the five kingdoms – (fiction: the empire that the story is set in) Named because the land is divided into 5 kingdoms, 2 of which are ruled by pure-youkai lords, 2 of which are ruled by the descendants of the gods who intermarried with humans, and 1 of which is ruled by the descendant of a god who married into a youkai lord's family.

Author's notes:

My first InuYasha fanfiction. I actually posted this on ffnet when I saw this site, and since this was a Kagome and Sesshoumaru pairing, I thought it would be nice to post it here as well. Anyway, I hope you all like this. Reviews, comments and criticisms are very much appreciated.