Walking Fathers Path

Chapter 6: Duties of the Successor

Ryukotsusei floated above the condominium that his former student was now residing in wondering how the boy was going to take the news. Back in the demon realm, Lord Tashio had collapsed in the morning and had taken to his sick bed. The dragon demon was now here in the human realm to collect the successor to the throne and he imagined it wasn’t going to be an easy task. The demon male sighed and then flew down to a certain balcony.

Sesshoumaru and Miroku were quietly studying for the exams that would soon be coming up when a breeze whooshed in from the open balcony doors making the curtain flutter and spin. Both boys looked up at the ceiling as the lights flickered two or three times and then snapped out, leaving them in complete darkness.

“I’ll get a flashlight,” Miroku offered, heading for the kitchen where they kept it in a drawer.

“No need,” Sesshoumaru stated. He had caught the scent of his demon sensei. The lights popped back on and Miroku was totally shocked to see a good looking, tall blonde man sitting on the couch.

“Who are you?” Miroku asked as he stepped between the man that was looking far too relaxed and cosy on his sofa and his master.

Ryukotsusei chuckled. “He’s got spunk I’ll say that for him.”

Sesshoumaru ignored the comment and stepped in front of Miroku. “It’s been a long time, sensei,” he intoned as he bowed formally. He then introduced a confused monk to his former martial arts instructor.

Miroku felt his face flush in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry for my rudeness, Ryukotsusei-sama. Please allow me to offer you some refreshments.”

“That would be nice,” Ryukotsusei smiled. “But don’t go to any trouble on my account.”

“No trouble at all,” Miroku replied. He hurried into the kitchen leaving Sesshoumaru with his former teacher.

“What would have you come all this way?” Sesshoumaru questioned. “Has something happened?”

“Yes, your father, the Inu no Tashio has collapsed.”

His statement was met with stunned silence.

Ryukotsusei continued, “I am here to return you to the castle as per his request.”

“I see,” Sesshoumaru returned non-committaly.

Miroku entered carrying a tray of drinks and some finger food. He was told what had happened and he almost dropped the tray to the floor. He placed it on the table with trembling hands and sat beside his master, looking to see what Sesshoumaru would say about it. To his confusion, his lord said nothing on the subject and student and master talked of other things while Miroku served them.

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Sesshoumaru and Miroku were still sitting up in bed, the clock on the night stand shining out the time as 12:55am. The loud snores of the sensei that was sleeping on the couch could be heard floating through the quiet apartment. The demon boy looked pensive so Miroku brought up the subject he knew they were both thinking about.

“We have to go back,” he stated quietly.

“I will be forced to wed if I return,” Sesshoumaru told him.

“But, Lord Tashio…your duties…”

Sesshoumaru grabbed Miroku’s shoulders. “It doesn’t bother you that I will have to sleep with someone other than you?” he questioned angrily. Since learning of his servants feelings for him the white haired demon had finally admitted, at least to himself, that he also had feelings for his servant. He realized he did not want to be with another.

Sesshoumaru pushed Miroku back onto the bed and began to kiss his neck. ‘How can I make him see that he’s the only one I desire?’ the future lord thought. He had never been good with words so he decided to let his body do the talking. Hopefully it would be enough.

Ryukotsusei opened his eyes as he heard the soft sounds of lovemaking coming from behind the closed bedroom door and frowned. ‘This is going to cause some problems,’ he thought as he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

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Early the next morning, Miroku stepped outside and smiled into the morning sunshine at Ryukotsusei-sensei as he played with a bunch of the kids that lived in the condominium. The older man looked like a kid himself as he chased the children around and tossed them into the air when he caught them. The sound of high pitched laughter and excited squealing filled the air, making the monk feel even happier than he already was.

Ryukotsusei looked over and noticed the monk smiling at him. He waved his hand, calling forth a simple spell that made the children believe that they heard their mother’s calling to them. When all the kids had run off, the sensei patted the empty space on the bench he had walked over and sat on.

“Kids are so simple,” Ryukotsusei stated to Miroku as he sat down. Just letting them hear the sound of their mother’s voice makes them long for home. But…when they are your age, it’s not so easy. Do you know why?”

Miroku looked at the sensei curiously and shook his head no.

“It’s because they’ve found something else…something more important than family.”

“You’re talking about Sesshoumaru, aren’t you?” Miroku questioned as he looked at the ground. He didn’t think he liked where this conversation was heading.

“There’s not many who can call the successor to the throne by his first name. Me, his father and now you it seems,” Ryukotsusei stated.

‘Oh, no,’ Miroku thought, ‘I should have called him master, now I’ll be punished.’

“I’m sorry. I should know my place…”

Ryukotsusei laughed, “You don’t have to apologize to me. More over, the only one who can convince that hard-headed successor to change his mind and return to the demon realm…is you. The sensei stood from the bench. “Sesshoumaru doesn’t know this yet, but…Lord Tashio is in pretty bad shape. He probably won’t last more than a few months at most and our realm needs a lord.” Ryukotsusei walked back into the building leaving Miroku to ponder his words.

Miroku sat on the bench looking out into the street. ‘What should I do? What can I do? Sesshoumaru needs to return and fulfill his duties. But…but…’

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a small boy run out into the street chasing a ball. A car was coming fast and without a seconds thought Miroku jumped up and ran to push the child out of the way. The monk heard the honking of a horn, the screeching of tires and then he was flying through the air. As he laid there in shock, he heard someone yelling for other’s to call an ambulance.

He turned his head as he lay on the hard pavement and saw the boy in the arms of his mother. Her face was white as she hugged her child tightly to her and the boy was crying loudly. ‘I’m glad he’s okay,’ Miroku thought just before he lost consciousness.

‘I wonder where he is, he knew we were going to go shopping. What’s keeping him, he’s late,’ Sesshoumaru thought a bit testily as he came out onto the balcony. He looked out over the street as he heard the sound of a siren wailing, noticing the large crowd of people standing on the road.

The sound of the siren came closer and closer and the demon began to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He left the apartment with his heart in his throat, running to the scene of the accident. He roughly pushed away anyone that got in his way until he was crouching beside his vassal.

“Miroku!” he called out. The monks head was bleeding badly and still the paramedics had not arrived. ‘I’ve got to stop this bleeding.’ Sesshoumaru put his hands gently on his servant’s head and tried to use his demon power to heal him. ‘Why isn’t it working? He should be healing.’ The demon boy began to panic and tried again, still with no result.

“Even with your power, it won’t work in the human realm,” Ryukotsusei told him as he came to kneel beside his former student. “Your shouki is too polluted here.”

Sesshoumaru was frantic. “What about back in our realm? Will it work there?”

“Are you saying you will return, Sesshoumaru? I can take us there.” His sensei told him.

“Yes, I’ll go. Take us back now before Miroku…” Sesshoumaru couldn’t finish his sentence, he didn’t want to tempt fate and make his worst thoughts reality.

Ryukotsusei held out his hand and a long sword appeared glowing out of the air in front of him. He used it to cut an opening into the demon realm. After they had stepped though, everyone back in the human realm was standing around in confusion. Nobody could remember what had happened. A few of the men were getting a lecture from the paramedics who had just arrived on the scene for calling in a false report.

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“The successor has returned,” one of the servant women said to her friend happily.

“Thanks the gods, this should put Lord Tashio’s mind at ease.”

Myoga entered where the women were, full of pomp and orders. “Leave what you are doing and prepare the betrothal ceremony at once. After all, we must have him sire the next successor,” he stated with a wink. The two women giggled and ran to do as their lord’s retainer had commanded.

In another room in the castle Miroku was lying on the futon with his head bandaged, still unconscious. Sesshoumaru was sitting on the floor by his side when Ryukotsusei popped his head in the open doorway.

“How’s he doing?” the sensei questioned the demon boy.

“He is still unconscious,” Sesshoumaru intoned worriedly.

“He will heal, thanks to you. Give it time, I’m sure he’ll come around soon,” Ryukotsusei affirmed with a smile of encouragement.

One of Inu no Tashio’s servant women came and kneeled on the floor just outside the room keeping her eyes downcast. “Lord Tashio summons you,” she stated.

“I will not leave here, tell him I cannot come, “Sesshoumaru returned with a frown.

The woman resisted the urge to sigh. “Sire if you do not accompany me, I will be the one who is punished.”

Sesshoumaru almost told her he could care less, but then he noticed the scathing look he was getting from his sensei. “Fine,” he huffed. “I’ll be there presently.”

The woman nodded and then rose to head back to her master’s chambers.

“I’ll watch him,” Ryukotsusei offered as Sesshoumaru stood to leave. After his young student had left, the handsome sensei sat beside the monk. “If you don’t wake up soon…it’s going to be too late, you know?” he said as he ran his hand over the boy’s forehead.

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Sesshoumaru kneeled on the floor in front of the screen his father was lying behind in the same manner as the woman had kneeled before him. He heard the rustle of the bedclothes and his father coughed and cleared his throat.

“How long do you intend on dallying with that monk?”

Sesshoumaru knew he wasn’t expected to answer so kept his mouth shut, but a slight frown began to mar his calm appearance.

“It is our kingdoms fervent wish that you wed as soon as possible,” Lord Tashio told his son.

‘You mean it’s your wish,’ Sesshoumaru thought angrily, but would not dare to say. “About that,” he started. “I’ve not yet…”

Tashio cut him off. “You have your obligations as the successor and I haven’t much longer to live.” The lord coughed a few more times and Sesshoumaru could hear the fluid rattle in his father’s lungs. Worry began to grip his heart.

“Father…”

Again Inu no Tashio interrupted. “Hurry, you must wed. That is my order to you.” The demon lord motioned to his female servant, not able to speak as a coughing fit took hold of him.

The woman who had appeared earlier to bring him to his father’s side came out from behind the screen. “He is getting overly excited. It would be best if you left for now.”

Sesshoumaru stood and left his father’s bedside, bowing to the screen before going out the door. As soon as he was out of eyesight of any servants he slammed his fist into the wall of the hallway. “Damn!” ‘Miroku, what do I do now?’ he thought as he stood there leaning his head against his fist. It was so quiet by his father’s room, and with his exceptional hearing, he could hear the servants excited chatter as they busily rushed around in another room down the hallway. Anger boiled up within his as he could plainly make out what they were saying.

“We must prepare for the betrothal ceremony immediately! I’ve heard the bride, Princess Kagura, arrives tomorrow.

“At last, this realm can finally rest easy,” another servant answered the first.

Sesshoumaru heard a third voice pipe up. “What joy!”

‘Those selfish…my father is ill and may be dying and they are celebrating! The demon boy stomped down the hall intending to rip into those servants verbally and physically when a hand grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth. He struggled in the grip of his sensei who unceremoniously pulled him back to Miroku's room.

“How dare you! Release me!” Sesshoumaru yelled when Ryukotsusei removed his hand from his mouth.

Ryukotsusei spun the white haired boy around so they were facing each other, giving him an angry glare. “What did you think you’d accomplish by hurting the servants? Would you tell them that you don’t intend to wed?”

“Yes! I only came back here to save Miroku!” Sesshoumaru answered back with a glare of his own. His eyes widened in surprise when his former master grabbed him by the shoulders of his kimono and held him against the wall.

“Do you seriously think you can get away with that? When after all these years the people here have pampered and protected you…because you are the successor?”

Sesshoumaru looked away from the accusing eyes in front of him.

“Please tell me that you’re not so thick headed that you don’t understand what being the successor entails,” Ryukotsusei finished as he threw the boy to the floor. The sensei gave his student one last angry look and then stomped out of the room to cool down before he did or said something that he would later regret.

Shaken, Sesshoumaru slid over to again sit beside his vassal. “Miroku... Please. Hurry and wake up.”