Hanshu Sun by MiHonoKo

Prologue

Standard Disclaimer Applies. 

This work has neither been betaed, nor edited; readers are more than welcome to point out any mistakes that need fixing, and all feedback or suggestions are highly appreciated.  This is a Sesshomaru X Kagome work.  Updates are dependent on my Work and University Schedules.

Prologue

To exist is such a strange concept. 

Exist: to have being or reality; to be.

To exist something must be. 

Be: to exist or live.

But in order to be something must exist.  Dictionary definitions can only be so helpful it would appear.  René Descartes of Earth once said, “Cogito, ergo sum,” – I think therefore I am.  To that logic, the only thing that one can truly believe exists is, well, themselves; the words you’re reading now, the moon, the sun, and the stars, even Descartes himself – all of it are only figments of your very overactive imagination.  That’s complete and utter bullshit.

Descartes was a highly intelligent man, and is one of Earth’s celebrated philosophers, but something doesn’t have to have the ability to think in order to exist.  Trees, rocks, and water do not think, but that doesn’t make the tree any less capable of being used to build a house, a rock any less likely of being chiseled away into a work of art, or water any less likely to drown you if you for some reason don’t know how to swim.  Hell, there are even a few people walking around today that sure as hell are not capable of thought *cough*religious-nuts*cough**cough*, but they still exist.  The fact of the matter is no one will ever know why things exist, but people are usually capable of separating what does exist and what doesn’t.  Or at least they were; before the rift between worlds was torn open.

The first to discover the rift, and subsequently how to navigate it called themselves Yōkai, and came from a planet they called Jigoku.  Yōkai are strange and mysterious creatures compared to other worlds in that each one possesses two distinct forms as well as two consciousnesses.  Every Yōkai has a specific clan to which they belong, and their second form is dependent upon the animal which their particular clan is associated with.  Inu-Yōkai, for example, may change themselves into a form reminiscent of a great and terrible dog, and the more instinctual consciousness that dominates this second form is referred to as the Yōkai’s inu-beast.  Different clans, along with their second forms, have different abilities associated them, but common to all Yōkai are the production of toxins of varying degrees of lethality, heightened senses, greater strength, better regeneration, longer lives, and increased regeneration and healing.

With their advanced technology Yōkai scientists were able to create ways to travel the rift between worlds.  After their first encounter with a world similar to their own on the other side of the rift, they dubbed their universe Saisho No Jigen.  That first world differed from the Jigoku of the Saisho No Jigen only in that the inhabitants had adopted a monotheistic religion, and were not as technologically advanced – physically the people of that other dimension were the same as the Yōkai, and in some cases counterparts for the rift travelers were identified through surveillance.  The Yōkai were unable to predict what would occur once two different versions of the same person were within the same dimension however.  Jigoku leaders, the Council of Daiyōkai, were quick to limit public information regarding the ‘incident’, and new laws regarding physical travel through the rift were put in place.

Any world that appeared to hold counterparts to the Saisho No Jigen, whether they be ancestors, descendents, or current incarnations, would be remotely monitored through the rift, but contact would be disallowed.  It was in this manner that worlds were classified – those that were off limits, and those that could be made use of – named Den’i.  The first Den’i found was one in which a disadvantaged and unintelligent reptilian species dominated, and the Yōkai were swift to use their advanced technology to conquer the planet the reptilians had called Kósmos.  Kósmos was the first of many dimensions to fall under the banner of the Saisho No Jigen Empire.  Some worlds were overtaken by force, others were conquered through orchestrated political coups, and a select few were assimilated peacefully after contact was made and the advantages of the Saisho No Jigen Empire demonstrated.  The manner in which a dimension became a part of the Empire was reflected by the rights and treatment the inhabitants would receive.

The dimensions that warred against the Empire became little more than slaves after being conquered.  The worlds who willingly became subjects of the Saisho No Jigen were treated well, often their peoples becoming full citizens of the Empire with nearly all of the same rights and privileges as the Yōkai; it was for this reason that some worlds staged Coup d’états against their own governments so as to avoid being conquered by war.  The Saisho No Jigen considered each dimension carefully before a course of action was decided upon by the Daiyōkai, opportunities to assimilate worlds without war were taken gladly, and methods to diminish the chances of bloodshed were put into place before contact.  Two-thousand years passed, and the Saisho No Jigen Empire held within its power hundreds of different worlds.  The Daiyōkai, however, were not yet ready to end their expansion of power, nor were their Yōkai.

~!@#$%^&*()_+

Chikyū was a peaceful world, one that had long since unified under a single governing body.  Yes there were sometimes scandals regarding the Royal Family and the Nobility (the most notable of which being the birth of an illegitimate bastard princess some years ago), but for the most part the people of Chikyū could depend on their government to look out for them and make the choices that were best for their welfare.  Of course it helped matters when members of either the Royal family or the Nobility became popular amongst the people.  The Royal Family and Nobility may rule, but the military and police forces were formed by the people – if the majority of the people did not agree with their government new families could be placed into power within a matter of hours.  Such knowledge kept the Royal Family and Nobility firmly in-line for the most part.

Under the rule of the Higurashi dynasty (the current Royal family that has ruled for sixteen generations) and their nobles the Ningen of Chikyū flourished, and great advances in science and technology were made.  They left their own planet and traveled across space, landing upon their moon, and establishing colonies there.  The depths of Chikyū were mapped and explored; in fact, the only mystery remaining for the Ningen to seek was that which lay beyond the rift between worlds.  Of all the dimensions and peoples the Saisho No Jigen would find, Chikyū was the closest to them in regards to technology; not that the Ningen were aware of such.  It was at this time of peace that Higurashi Kagome was born, the product of an affair between the current King, Higurashi Ichirou, and one of his wife’s maid’s.

Even if King Ichirou had wished to deny the bastard princess her parentage, it was quite clear whose blood ran through the girl’s veins.  She was her father’s daughter in every way possible, both sharing the same silky raven hair, round grey eyes, snub nose, and heart shaped face.  The circumstances behind her birth were an embarrassment yes, and the Nobility ignored Kagome’s existence for the most part, but the girl was as adored by the King as the rest of her siblings, despite the scorn her step-mother and half-brothers and half-sisters showed her.  Because the Nobility paid such little attention to her, and her Father’s love prevented the Queen and her children from ill-treating her the illegitimate Princess was allowed quite a bit of freedom to do as she pleased.  She knew that her step-mother and half-siblings were not fond of her, so Kagome, despite yearning for affections from all of her family, did her best not to burden them with her presence.

Most of the girl’s time was spent amongst the servants, who quickly grew to love her, and when she became old enough to venture away from the palace that was her family’s home, Kagome liked nothing more than spending time amongst the people under her father’s rule.  The healing arts she had learned from the Royal Healer were put to use by the Princess amongst the people she met; she played with children, helped the old, and healed the sick.  Kagome felt as though it was her duty as a Princess, bastard or not, to dedicate her life to the people, and so she did.  Over time the people began to think of Kagome not as their king’s bastard daughter, but as an angel sent by the heavens to serve the common people.  She became a much beloved person to the Ningen of Chikyū.

As the bastard Princess’ popularity amongst the people rose, the Nobility finally took note of her.  Some attempted to endear themselves to her so as to share her popularity, but Kagome had no wishes to take part in any kind of politics; that was the realm of her Father and his legitimate heirs, and Kagome enjoyed the life she led, allowing the Nobility to pull her into their little games of state would greatly diminish the freedom she now had.  She liked the fact that she was tied to no one, and could do as she pleased when she pleased – even if she spent most of her time helping others it was by her own choice that she do so.  Kagome didn’t want that to change, and she certainly didn’t wish to jade herself with the power struggles of the Nobility and her siblings.  She wasn’t so naive as to believe that the popularity she had with the people wouldn’t be a threat to her siblings and the various factions the commanded amongst the Nobility, but she remained adamant on being uninvolved – perhaps the only reason she wasn’t quietly killed off by one faction or another after she began amassing popularity.

If only things could of continued in that manner on Chikyū, if only the Yōkai had not have come...