Kaizen: The Pursuit of Perfection by NoraInu

The First

Note: Ohayo! This is my first time posting on Dokuga under this pen name. I published one years ago that I never finished and I can no longer access that account because I’ve forgotten the password and the email that I used for it lol. So here we are! The idea for this story started with an object of power, we all know Sesshomaru can’t resist that, and everything sorta fell into place after that.

I’ve started the story with a story, lol, but I thought it would be fun to do some world building, and I feel like the Inuyasha movies all start like this - with some distant story or memory to set everything up. Please let me know what you think or if an idea is inspired by this that you want to share! 

A long long time ago, there lived a young girl and her faithful dog. Though the girl was born to a poor family, she cherished her loyal companion and showered him with love. For many years they would venture to the deep forest that hedged her village in search of anything to feed her family.

The dog, who loved the girl more than she would ever know, took great care of his mistress. Guiding her through the forest with thoughtful steps and keen eyes, for the girl was clumsy. She often tripped and lost her balance on the uneven grounds of the forest. And so, unknown to the girl, the dog become her silent protector.

It was on a day like this that the young girl crashed down a hill after her foot had caught the edge of a rock. The dog hurried after her, but not before the girl landed at the feet of a terrible dragon. They had heard tales of this creature many times, for this was the Guardian of the Forest. Fear gripped the girl as she bowed her body, forehead touching the ground while her beloved dog quickly stood between her and the youkai with a growl.

With a great tremble of the earth the dragon opened its jaws, “You dare disturb my sleep?”

The young girls voiced trembled in a different manner, “Forgive me, great dragon, I lost my way.” Her hands shook and her body was wet with sweat.

“Forgiveness? If that is such a thing you seek, then prove your sincerity.” His yellow eyes shifted from her to the silver dog before her. “I shall take your pet as a show of you candor.”

The girl gasped, eyes seeking the animal on guard in front of her. In response the dog lowered its guard, the growl fading softly as though he understood the ancient creature.His paws moved toward the dragon and panic raced through her veins, “Please, anything but that!”

Earth trembled beneath her again and the dog’s gaze found hers, “You would risk your life for this beast?” The voice boomed over her, she squeezed her eyes shut.

“He is my friend, great dragon.” With a deep inhale, she opened her eyes to clash with the formidable youkai’s yellow gaze and with a soft voice pleaded, “Please, take me instead!” 

The vibrations ceased as the dragon let out a pleased hum while the silver dog howled in despair, “Then I shall take you in it’s place.” He paused and the girl tensed as an odd glimmer shined in the dragon’s eye, “I shall take you as my bride.”

Before the girl could could protest, she was swept off the ground by the dragon’s spiny tail. The dog lunged, dread gripping his heart as his mistress yelled for him. He teeth sunk into the pale gray flesh of the youkai, but miasma spewed forth.

With a howl, the dog fell to the ground.

With a cry, the girl reached a hand out for her beloved friend.

But all was lost as the dragon took to the skies and the silver pelt grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared from her sight.

The hound laid upon the ground as he felt his life slip away, the miasma coiling through his body. His golden eyes never left his mistress, though, as the dragon whisked her away. With great effort the dog left his head and shakily pushed himself to stand.

Death or not, he could not allow the dragon to take away the girl. For the girl belonged to him, for him to protect, for him to cherish. The poison continued to seep into his body, but the dog paid it no mind as he forced himself to follow after the dragon. ‘Wait for me! I’m coming for you!’

And so the ordinary dog raced to his mistress, keeping his death at bay with his will to save his beloved human. The dragon landed atop the mountain that hovered over their village, with a howl the hound heaved himself up the mountain path.

The dragon coiled himself tightly around the human girl, who sobbed at the loss of her pet. He paid her no mind though as his den was just before them and he would take this ordinary human as his bride. For she was lovely and full of fire, despite her species. With a pleased hum, the dragon moved toward his home.

This seemed to break the girl from her suffering as she instantly let out a scream and pounded her fist among the dragons flank. “Let me go, let me go! You ruined your promise!”

The dragon spun his large head toward the girl who refused to cower now, “It was the beast’s fault that he retaliated despite your willingness to comply. That is no fault of mine.”

“Monster!” She thrashed about, as if she could break free of the dragon’s iron hold, “You don’t even care!”

The dragon chuckled at her display before turning his attention back to his cave. The laughter died as the gleam of a silver pelt caught the dying light of the sun. ‘The hound survived?’ Before the opening of the cave stood the dog, the whites of his eyes turning red as the miasma coursed though him.

The girl released a cry of relief, that fell short as the dog lunged once more toward the dragon. The youkai caught the animal within his talons, but not before the dog’s claws found its neck. The demon roared with pain and flung the creature away.

“No!” The girl gasped out as the silver body once more crashed to the ground, but the dog was swift. He was to his feet quickly and racing back toward the dragon who wriggled in pain. Again the dog’s fangs latched onto the dragon, digging deeper into the wound on it’s neck.

The young girl was thrown from the demon’s grasp, she landed hard against the stony ground, but her eye’s quickly sought out the battle. Her beloved companion had not let go of the dragon and miasma pounded forth, choking the silver hound. Tears filled her eyes once more, and she reached a hand out toward her friend. Love filled her heart, for she now truly understood just how much her friend cared for her, how much he loved her in return.

And it was this love that filled the dog, quickly overtaking the miasma, changing it from foe to friend as it strengthen his body. His grip on the dragon grew tighter as his jaws grew larger. Golden eyes turned blue as the red overtook the white completely.

The girl looked on in shock as her cherished hound grew in size and power flowed through his body.

The dragon refused to die quietly, thrashing back and forth to shake the dog off, but the dog was no longer the small weak animal that had first opposed him. Within seconds the canine was a large as him and youki crashed around him wildly. With a terrible crunched the dog’s jaws crushed the dragon’s throat.

The dog let loose a howl that shook the mountain, telling all that there was a new Guardian of the Forest. When the echo ebbed away, blue eyes turned toward the girl. His stare was penetrating, seeking, knowing that the girl must fear him now that he was no longer an ordinary animal. The rise of heartbreak was stomped away as loving arms embraced his neck.

She pressed her face into his thick silver fur and cried tears of happiness. “Thank you, thank you,” she chanted as she clung to him.

The inu-youkai stood still as relief coursed through him, for the girl was not afraid. The hound closed his fearsome eyes and wished dearly that he could hold his beloved human. Tell her the words that gripped his heart.

With a flash of youki, the girl was forced to release her friend. The light blinded her and she shielded her eyes. It was only when gentle hands grasped hers that she dared to look upon her companion. Her lovely eyes widened as she was graced with the presence of the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, whose eyes looked upon her with a loving gaze.

And it was with this that the world’s first inu-youkai came to know a great love, that spanned generations, and inspired saga’s of legend.

~~

“You do not look pleased, my son,” his mother laughed softly.

Sesshomaru’s young face was laced with doubt and disbelief. “If the first inu-youkai mated a human, how are we full bloodied demons?”

His mother tutted, “You are far too insightful my young son, but that is a story for another time. Now, you must sleep.”

The young lord pouted, but obeyed his mother knowing that the consequences were not worth the battle. “Tomorrow then, Mother. You must promise,” he claimed as he laid upon the fur of his bed.

“Yes, tomorrow then.”

~~

I’ve already started with chapter one of this fanfic, so I ‘m hoping to keep this momentum up, though I desperatly need to clean my apartment >.< How two people and two cats can make so much mess I‘ll never understand. 

I would love to hear any feed back during the story on what you guys think. I really want it to have that Inuyasha feel and be pretty true to the characters, so any input on that is more than welcome! 

-Nora