Shifting Spheres of Influence

Disclaimer: You all know who owns it…. *takes hat of to Rumiko*…

A/N: Hey people! YES I am back with a vengeance *imaginary audience claps excitedly* whoot… suffered a long stream of writers block and well other things got in the way, like boyfriends…work and well lets just say life in general…
So with a new muse and a new beta, heres a new story… hope you enjoy…

Shifting Spheres of Influence: Prologue


Kagome Higurashi found herself staring expectantly at the LCD wide screen that came with digitally enhanced graphics and a sound system that could, supposedly, blow the water apart like advertised on T.V in an imitation of the biblical story of Moses. The new television set was a computer, T.V., DVD player, home theatre system and whatever else in one... she had only now just figured out after about fifteen minutes of fumbling about the flat piece of technology, how exactly one goes about turn it on, now she found herself waiting...A few seconds of absolute nothingness told her that the expectant flash of light, the sizzling of the embers of the projection firing up with the high pitched buzz, followed by the moving pictures of the channel 2 adverts or the loud hum of an untuned devise was absent now from her still black television set, and so she stared...still waiting. A glance at the huge manual that sat atop her coffee table foreshadowed her next move as she made to pick up the novel that accompanied the new devise. Flipping to the front page, she stared down at the font and scrunched her brow...
“German... Great, just great...”
Of course they would send her, a Japanese civilian, living in modern day Tokyo, Japan, a GERMAN manual, despite the fact that the device in the small print on the back tells you the serial number and clearly, in black and white, reads MADE IN JAPAN.
“Why didn’t they say Instruction manual inside package...self assembly AND a knowledge of the German language required!?!”
The vibrations of her mobile phone on the wooden surface of the coffee table in her office brought her out of her musings of the German instruction manual as she began to hum along to the ‘Hello Kitty’ Ring tone that boomed out of the small device as it shook itself on the varnished wood. Dropping the novel of an instruction manual on her couch, she retrieved the singing device, flipped the screen up and answered.
“Higurashi”
“Aah, Kagome-san, how are you? It has been far too long since I have heard your lovely voice.” His dripping with an overly sweet tone that hid the agenda he was notorious for having with every move he made.
“Naraku-sama, how’s life treating you?”
“As good as can be expected my dear, tell me are you free for lunch? Do you think you can humour an old colleague for a few hours, I have something I wish to discuss with you about you new position as head of the faculty of Human Relations at Tashio-Corp?”

Groaning inwardly at the man’s request, she smiled sarcastically into the phone and forced a happy voice as she answered.
“Why Naraku-sama, I would be honoured to join you for lunch, I would just need to cancel my appointment at 2, but other than that I’m all yours, where shall we meet?”
“Good question, hmm how about that new Italian place that you used to go to, umm what’s it called again...
“Bueno Italia”
“Aah yes, that’s the one...should we say around 1 then?”
“Perfect”
“I look for-“
Before he could even finish his closing commentary, Kagome had shut the device. Her stress level just flew though the roof, pinching the bridge between her eyes, she sighed.
‘What could the sly old fart want to do with me now... ‘
Sparing the cursed German instruction Manual one more evil glace, she sat down at her desk, she turned on her lap top, unlike the Television set, it hummed to life and her profile popped up:
Name: Higurashi, Kagome
Age: 20
Features: Height: 5.8
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Personality: Extraverted, tendency for being clumsy, short tempered and outspoken.
Tashio Number: 233554
Below the profile, a small box presented itself that stated, Press here
Pressing her thumb to the flat screen, the computer scanned her print, a few seconds of
Loading...
Kagome now logged into in the Tashio-Corps online network, an automatic, deadpan voice greeted her with the usual;
“Welcome, Higurashi, Kagome. Employee number 244554... You have 6 messages.”
“Well here we go...and so another busy day in the life of Kagome Higurashi begins...”
She began to type furiously on the keys in an attempt to decrease the pile of paperwork that had amounted on her desk overnight, easing some of the tension placed on her now overly packed shoulders, she put the lunch date to the back of her mind and concentrated on the glowing screen of her laptop.
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500 years in the past:
A stoic Lord sat at the head of the table, watching as his extinguished guests gorged themselves on the food presented to them and dipped a little to generously into the well of hospitality he offered, as any honourable Lord should. His fisted hand flexed in the folds of his pristine white silk Haori. To the untrained eye, the stoic Lord would have been seen as the righteous leader he is, conducting himself in the gracious fashion that anybody of his station should be doing, as any honourable Lord would. No, the Lord would not be seen as agitated, with the stiff posture he possessed, a little more rigid than normal. His clenched jaw and the slight tightening of his eyebrows was nothing out of the ordinary to any who observed the Lord but to those select few that knew him personally, he was extremely agitated, if not downright furious, beyond the point of being pissed off. With each enormous mouthful of food that was shoved down the throats of his guests, who decided to pay him the homage of being host to the Lords council meeting that takes place every half century, his agitation grew.
Lords and their Ladies from all over Japan where gathered at the Palace of the House of Tashio for the meeting of the Lords Council. Every half century the Lords of the Land of the Rising Sun Would meet to ‘discuss’ civilly, the politics and welfare of their lands and maintain the order of the people of the Land, and to honour the alliance that was forged between humans and youkai by a the legendary Miko, Modoriko and the Great Lord and honourable Dog General, Inu No Tashio.

The legendary alliance began with a battle or so the legends say, a bloody battle that ran for days on end, the humans and the youkai engaging in savage warfare, blood was spilt on that day; the land was painted red with the death of innocents fighting for a cause they believed as worthy, their freedom. Yet undeniably, under the rule of the Son of Heaven, and against his godly soldiers, Youkai and human alike fell at the hands of the corrupt ruler. Finally, after many days of endless fighting the corrupt ruler fell to the sword of the Great Dog general, his last breath was drawn once the purifying energy of the Miko fused into his blood and proved to the world that the Son of Heaven really was only flesh and blood.
Exhausted from the endless fighting, the two arch rivals kept their forged alliance against the Son of Heaven and a truce was forged between humans and Youkai. Then on that day, on the dawning of the great Land of the Rising Sun, two bloodied hands, the one clawed and marked with the distinct markings of the Tashio house, the other smaller and calloused from the use of her sword, shook in a bond that stood for both races in a gesture of peace. On that day, the Land of the Rising Sun was granted its most precious gift, freedom.
And to this day, the bond still stands, although the bindings have been tested. The gift of freedom that the land of Japan was given was now a long forgotten piece of history, something taken for granted, with the passing of generations the story of the Legendary Alliance had become a myth except to those few who has survived from the battle. These selected few passed the Legend on with enforced vigour that brought light in to the children’s eyes, yet like the light that only a child’s eyes possesses, it diminished to be replaced with the corrupt sinful people found in the world today.

The majority of the people that sat at the stoic Lords table at the meeting of the Lords council where these very corrupt sinful people. Yet, in between the vile, there shone the light of the honourable, and our Lord knew of these few, him being one of them as the first son of the Great Dog General himself.
Lord Sesshomaru, sat in quiet contemplation as the guests finished off their meals. Dirty plates lay scattered about the table top, half empty with half eaten food, some of the guests had spilt on his tamati mats, staining them, he was sure of it. Some of the guests had fallen over in their overindulgence of sake and were snoozing on the pillows provided, a merry atmosphere accompanied the snoozing gests and the loud chitchat of the other guests that were relaxed in their intoxicated states, some more than others. A few of the Youkai who didn’t indulge in the food or sake provided sat patiently around the table, waiting for the meal to end and the dismissal of the host.
The hosts regal air was ignored by all who ate and drank, his cold and calculating presence was no threat to the people surrounding his table and he noticed this, their lack of decorum in his presence, the lack of respect for his hospitality, it all grated on his nerves. He was a lord that demanded respect wherever he went, he had been raised a Lord, and was expected to behave as such, thus being treated with the respect he deserved and if anyone questioned him on that, their fates where sealed. Yet like the honourable Lord he was, he did not voice his discomfort with the behaviour of his guests and merely sat patiently, showing one of the virtues he possessed, patience, as any honourable Lord should. Patience, which was wearing very thin.
With the majority of the meals devoured, he decided to put an end to his frayed nerves. Standing, he shattered the merry atmosphere that had diffused about the room during his quiet contemplation. The room fell awkwardly silent as all eyes turned to him, waiting expectantly.

He scanned the room with his amber orbs before announcing his dismissal to the bunch of ruffians that called themselves Lords.
“This Sesshomaru bids you good evening, I trust you enjoyed the meal, go now to your lodgings and rest well, for tomorrow the meetings shall begin.”
With a slight inclination of his head, the Lord did an abrupt turn and exited the hall.
A breath that the guests didn’t realise they were holding was simultaneously released as the Taiyoukai exited the room. Slowly, the hall was emptied as the guests filtered out the huge doors and headed to the designated courters.
Green emerald eyes scanned the emptying hall. Standing with grace that mirrored his Lord, the youkai flicked a strand of black hair over his shoulder and adjusting his armour, he headed to the doors that his Lord had exited through. A figure clad in a black Haori and Hamaka caught his attention. Leaning against one of the wooden panels that surrounded the great hall, his black hair billowing down his back, he inclined his head towards the emerald eyed youkai in a sign of recognition as a small smirk graced his lips. Emerald eyes locked with the black orbs, his eyes almost as back as his hair, dark and deviant in their reflection of the evil that swirled in his aura. Red eyeliner gave the muscular man an even more evil appearance as the glint in his eyes grew with the smirk on his face.
Inclining his head in response to the gesture of recognition from the back haired man, the emerald eyed youkai’s eyes narrowed as the back haired man’s name ghosted across his subconscious in recognition.
‘Naraku’
Making a mental note as to keep an eye on him during the next few days, the emerald youkai swivelled on his heal and headed to the doors. With a final glance back to the hall, he whispered a quick word to one of the soldiers posted outside the great hall and he headed off down the corridor after his Lord, to the private study where he knew the Lord would be waiting for him.
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In his private study, Lord Sesshomaru paced soundlessly on the tamati mats that padded the wooden ground. He paused by the door that opened onto his private gardens of the inner most courtyard of the grand palace. Here was one of the few places his soul could rest at peace for a little while. He breathed in the night air and exhaled all the day’s events, effectively releasing the tension in his shoulders. He turned to the door to his study, feeling the approaching demons aura. A few moments later the small rap on the wooden framework enlightened the Taiyoukai to his still very keen sense of smell.
“Enter”
The paper door slide open, revealing the demon with the emerald green eyes, he bowed low to the Lord.
“Lord Sesshomaru, I trust the night went well with your Lordship and that he enjoyed seeing all the noble men of the land of Nippon at his table.” A small air of amusement laced his voice.
“Hnn, Indeed the noble men of Nippon were indeed having a good night from the looks of things, enjoying the hospitality of the House of Tashio.” Gazing back out to the open doorway and out to the garden, Sesshomaru walked back over to the open door, something far out into the garden capturing his attention as he stared of into the distance.
A chuckle followed his comment from the young Youkai that now stood next to his Lord.
“General Tsukai, you disapprove of the hospitality of the House of Tashio?” The amusement now lacing his voice.
“No my Lord, rather I disapprove of the way the hospitality was received, as were a number of the youkai and other lords present tonight.”
“Hnn”
“You noticed the malevolent few that made their presence known tonight then, my Lord?”
“Indeed Kai, the fools, using the Lords Council meeting as grounds for coming out of hiding, knowing that peace during these meetings was imminent to the bond; they knew they wouldn’t be harmed...”
“Yes, but Sesshomaru, how is it they present themselves here in this night rather than on the night that the ceremony takes place? Surly that would be the night that we would all be the most vulnerable?”
“Kai, I don’t know myself, we can only wait to see what malevolent deeds await us in the curtains of fate these next few days, lets speak of this no more, the walls still have ears, despite the privacy of my study. “ Effectively ending the conversation, he inclined his head to the young general and his close friend in a gesture of good rest, heading for the door to the study, Sesshomaru paused in his tracks with the lingering question Kai voiced
“ My Lord, what of the Miko, will her fate be brought up at the meetings tomorrow, with this new light being shed on the future in the predictions of Tsubaki, what do you think will be said of her and her ties to you?”
“Hnn the miko will, no doubt, be brought up in the meetings tomorrow, but the future has yet to come to pass, and is still subsequent to change like all destiny is...”
“What connection does she share with Inuyasha?”
“We shall find out tomorrow when the half-breed arrives.” With a finality to his words, the Taiyoukai padded down the corridor heading to his private courters, leaving the young general in a storm of thought on the coming future.
‘Yes, the future is yet to reveal itself, I just hope you are right my Lord, that it is subsequent to change.’
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A/N: well there you go folks, a new prologue to a new story, hope you all enjoy, the plot line will reveal itself in the next few chapters because everything’s a bit fragmented now. Let me know your thoughts on it please.
Until next time...