While Sesshomaru wasn't particularly interested in the new conflict arising between the merchants and the Goryeon demons, he did take notice to the clouds gathering above him. There was something familiar about them. He was reminded of Meioshi's innocent fascination with his flying ability. The first time he had learned how to fly was with his father to visit Totosai. Being a child, however, he had become interested in something else while flying. There was this odd scent in the air that called to him. It made the fur rise on his back and shoulders. He could sense the danger lurking beyond him, yet he managed to find an island with this needlepoint crib on the other side. His father was adamant about stopping him from going over to the island, so he wasn't permitted to explore that area, but he eventually did fly there on his own once he was older. True to the story he told, it became his favorite childhood place. He chased wisps there, meditated, and built a small campsite to nap. The only mystery he supposed belonging to that small island was the bed of clouds he found himself sleeping on. Similar to Meioshi's shell crib, it was something that simply appeared. He never discovered the creator of the cloud crib, but he did feel a presence watching over him.
Looking into the sky, Sesshomaru realized that the clouds held a familiar presence in them. Whatever or whoever lurked in them was with him on that small island. While Yamashi was battling the dokkaebi of Goryeo, Sesshomaru decided to fly up to confront this cloud creature. Jaken called out to him, but the thunder from the cloud creature overpowered his voice and Sesshomaru was further pulled into the sky. Above the bazaar, the view looked chaotic. It may as well be a scene from the past when either wayward or desperate men ransacked villages, Sesshomaru terrorized those men or reprimanded demons from pillaging other villages, or Naraku was manipulating an entire village before its untimely destruction. This time, Yamashi and the others were protecting their territory. The unified powers of the ambassadors was a sight to behold and quite inspiring. He wanted to be down there with them instead, but there was something deep within that wanted to join with the skies.
Sesshomaru caught sight of a pair of large eyes just before another rumble of thunder echoed throughout the clouds. Bits of lightning crackled and sparked around him. The surrounding clouds molded into a large lion-like head from the tip of the brows to the beginnings of a snout. What would have been whiskers were needle-like wires curving to form the needlepoint rock of Sesshomaru's favorite island! Copper paint surrounded the creature's bulging eyes while it's lashes were dusted with gold.
"We meet at last..., Tiānzhīrèn," the creature spoke. He sounded pleased.
Sesshomaru, however, was not. No one was to ever speak that name again. He succeeded in his trials to adulthood: performed his first hunt, showed his strength, and even cut his hair. Just to piss everyone off, he denied all mating rituals legally by stating that the Shimabukuro Law did not permit one to purchase (or harm another through some other transactional means) slaves or servants as a substitute for spousal duties. He had never seen the elders spite him so, but he made his point. No one else would choose how to he would live his life. From that day forward, he made his own rules to follow. The others could either agree with him or not. His actions made him popular with the younger generations of inu - and he was eternally grateful for that - but he was definitely an enemy to the others. Sesshomaru just hadn't anticipated being an enemy to his own father. As heartbroken as he was for that alone, he pushed on to be a type of liberal leader. Not totally but more open-minded than those before him. He supposed this new journey really was reminding him of who he once was. The boy he used to be was buried before his father was. This Sesshomaru - this new ruler - was not going to roll over to play nice. If he had to fight alone and be an enemy to everyone, well... he at least had a few people to turn to. He had an imp servant, an orphaned girl blossoming into a young lady, potentially a rogue warrior, and... maybe even...
"... That is not my name. I am Lord Sesshomaru of the West. Correct yourself and fall back."
"You can fool the others with that childish tradition back home, but I am above such tasteless customs," the creature said, narrowing his eyes. He matched Sesshomaru's personality almost perfectly, down to his little quips when angered or displeased. The beast flicked his unbelievably large tail to show his displeasure with Sesshomaru's response, but this action showed Sesshomaru how massive the beast was in scope. It practically stretched across the sky to cover the line of sight. "If you are not going to enter the path of the gods I laid out for you, then I will collect my gift from you and be on my way. Your family has been wasting my time and power on these invaluable lessons for you."
"What?" Sesshomaru questioned with a mixture of confusion and some outrage. He had a gift from the gods?
"Did they not - ? Tch! That fool still didn't understand my words!" the beast barked, releasing an ear-popping boom of thunder. "Where is your father?"
"Call back your henchmen attacking the bazaar. I may be inclined to hear you out then," Sesshomaru bargained.
"Pfft! Those demons belong to the lands here. I have no need for henchmen. Where is your idiot father?" the beast asked again, lightning forming creases in his brows.
"He has been long dead. I am the acting lord," Sesshomaru replied.
"Let me rephrase then: where are the idiot's fragments? He should have split himself into... what? Like seven pieces or some shit?" the beast asked crudely and impatiently. "He should have had a helmet, two swords, a cloak, the wayfinder staff, a key, and the Meido Stone."
"My father's remains are in the black pearl belonging to my half-brother, and his tomb is where my mother built it and the wolves protected it. What the hell are you talking about?" Sesshomaru questioned.
"Of course, that asshole would spli - !" the creature growled and barked. Once he realized his powers were stirring, he calmed down, inhaled deeply, and blew a soft wind through his nostrils. "No, I'm not doing this with a dead dog. You said you're Sesshomaru now, right? Well then, Lord Sesshomaru, your father and I are, according to him, mortal enemies. I struck you all with my power on the night of your birth. I know you just learned of your mother's abilities as an inugami. I watched from afar. Your father possessed a marking of completion at his own birth. Most of the divine rulers and youkai associates didn't know about it save for three holy warrior clans. You're smart enough to figure out which holy warrior clan probably knows about that detail now."
"The witch?" Sesshomaru guessed with outrage. "How?"
"I don't know if I should be amused or suspicious that your new travel companion was the first one to come to your mind," the creature huffed, blowing playful winds out of his nose. He then informed, "The 'witch' has the Green Pheasant at her side. Her resources are impressive for a human. He's got a library scholars would die for. I imagine their alliance has created an archive of wonders on her estate. The children love her scrolls and pictures. Her museum was only partially destroyed, but it was damning how extensive it was!"
"How do you know about the witch?" Sesshomaru finally asked after a hardened pause. "Can you appear human?"
"I know what you know, Lord Sesshomaru," the creature teased, shaking his head playfully. "You have my gift. It's how I see all events pertaining to you. I don't trouble myself with human forms. It cannot contain my full power. My lightning bolt activated your father's powers to their fullest potential. I was surprised that he could still maintain a human form given his potential, but your grandfather keeps me on my toes all the time. No doubt his influence played a major role on your father. I had my eyes on him for a time, but so did another of the gods. There is a reason he was close to Totosai. Perhaps you'll learn about that during your journey, perhaps not."
"If I return your gift, what will happen to me?" Sesshomaru asked in a small voice. It was as if he were truly worried of the consequences, the changes.
"You will remain as you are now, but the witch will move on. You and she share a sense of deep thinking and awareness, but her path is very different from yours," the creature said.
Sesshomaru put his head down and asked himself quietly, Will you... forget about me then... Meioshi?
"The enemy she has to fight... Who is he?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Her enemy is a war goddess, but there seems to be a mistake. This goddess was not a patron of the hell traveler clan. She's not a patron to any clan, not even the emperor or shogunate. The goddess you fought, Maboroshi no kohime, was a proper patron goddess. She had been over the onmyoji clan since the beginning. Many know of that clan because of its long history. It's unfortunate that her own lusts kicked her out of that role, but her downfall is not comparable to the witch's demise," the creature informed. "The actual patron god to the hell travelers has gone missing. That deity's absence triggered an unusual change in their powers and the powers they're connected with. Due to this prolonged absence, the clan heads have been trying to do away with their role. I remember a distinctive shift in their area. Many youkai guardians could sense it. Your witch was the only one successful in severing their ties with the deities. The treasure god you first met, Kako Seigi, is an ally to the hell travelers, but he is not a patron god to them either. What I found the most interesting is that the witch still has her clan's powers, but she is actually hunting for more. I believe the power she seeks is that of a god's and Kako Seigi might be helping for reasons unknown."
"If her enemy is a goddess, why is that man with the blue mane of hair always attacking her?" Sesshomaru asked.
"... That I do not know. That man is... I suppose you can say ambiguous. There's nothing that connects him with the witch other than words or him with the war goddess other than selfish ambitions. Who he was or what he is lies in mystery," the creature answered.
"Like everything else dealing with her. Is she actually making moves to find my Meido Stone?" Sesshomaru asked with frustration.
"Yes. She intends to find clues on the Silk Road before returning home early and moving south," the creature informed.
"How do you know all of this when we've only just met?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I watch over all things pertaining to you," the creature replied. "Friends, family, allies, enemies. Anything of importance to you is significant to me. Questions that you ask, even in the back of your mind, I go out of my way to find your answers."
"... What happens to her should I return your gift?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Nothing of importance. She will find your Meido Stone as promised. I've no doubt. You will part ways. Her path will be tumultuous, but she will always have a new opponent to combat. Should you meet again, the witch will be old. Her beauty will fetch a fine mate. She won't be lonely. She will have battle scars with stories, legends, and adventures linked together. I don't know if she'll ever face her mortal enemy, but, if Kako Seigi favors her, she may mother other fine children. It will be a miracle if she remembers you. Much will transpire in her life. The small imprint you left on her memory will eventually fade. She will only know that you were an ally for a time, so she will treat you kindly. You won't see her during her last days," the creature predicted, looking out to Meioshi's direction.
"You speak as if you had someone like her," Sesshomaru said, looking at the creature.
"Friends, yes," the creature said with remorse. "They were given their tasks from the gods, and I saw them no more. My task will not be completed for another century, it seems. Will you return your gift to me?"
"You did not call out to it so no," Sesshomaru answered, making the creature turn to him silently.
"Call out to it? When you were coming into the world, I staked my claim on you. I have no reason to call for something that's already within you. You merely needed to answer to me. You went to my nesting grounds and spent a day there on your own. I was there when you visited my island to nap or recollect your thoughts, but I was only waiting for you to sense me," the creature said, confirming Sesshomaru's suspicions. He did sense this creature before! It continued, "Have you ever wondered why your father was obsessed with divine weapons or lightning? Or even why he didn't want you to see me? Think of the war. The item he was so desperate to possess. Think of your brother. Is it not odd for him to have confronted the Thunder Brothers just after obtaining the Tetsuaiga? Look at the women who often surrounded him. If not a princess, it was a priestess. Don't you see the pattern?"
"I know what you're referencing to! But - !" Sesshomaru snapped, eyes shifting to understand this. The creature before him was one of the gods then! Why did he want him? He wasn't a dragon, so why did Toga fear him so much?
"Good because I wasn't going to explain it further than that," the creature scoffed, flicking his tail again. "I am the reason for your father's obsession. The war against the Panther Tribe was his attempt to try to control me."
"What gift did you give me? Am I an inugami or tiangou?" Sesshomaru probed.
"... I will only reveal what I am and what you really are if you keep my gift. The only reason I managed to enter another land is because I sensed danger ahead. Something beyond your power," the creature replied. "How about this? Test my gift when you're feeling the most threatened. If you truly do not want it, I will take it back."
"... What happens if I keep it?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I reveal the truth of your birth and your father's fragments," the creature answered.
"... What of the witch?" Sesshomaru asked. "Or the people I've come to know now?"
"Oh, don't be so dramatic! Nothing happens to them should you accept my gift. I simply train you to become what you were always meant to be," the creature said, flicking his massive tail again.
"You're lying," Sesshomaru said, narrowing his eyes. This made the creature raise a brow with interest. "If removing this gift causes the witch and I to part ways for many years, keeping it has another consequence. There is no such thing as a cause with no effect. You're here because you sensed something life-threatening, meaning, either I was going to be consumed or be killed. My mother and grandfather are with me. Would they die as well? Removing this gift right now ensures my death."
"... Removing this gift at all ensures your death, Lord Sesshomaru. You're not destined to live to an old age. Many youkai will perish in the future, in fact, not just you," the creature admitted. "This is information that will only be granted to you should you continue down my path. You can prepare for this end, but I've a doubt you'll be able to change it much."
"What of my ward, Rin? Everyone I know? Meioshi?" Sesshomaru questioned impatiently.
"... Since you're so insistent, I'll offer you a few visions of your future should you remove this gift. For now, I'll activate a bit of it as well. You can decide from there. Upon your return home to Nihon, I will wait on Needlepoint Isle for your answer," the creature said.
Without another word, his eyes glowed and darkened the sky. Winds with the strength of tornadoes and thick bolts of lightning came crashing down onto the ground to subdue the dokkaebi below. The cloud creature opened his mouth, sucked Sesshomaru into it, and surrounded him with his power. The force within Sesshomaru coupled with his fear of being completely consumed made him scream before his eyes went blank and a roar bellowed from his throat. Once his voice broke and his throat felt raw, the creature targeted a dokkaebi about to attack Milady and made Sesshomaru rocket straight to it. With enhanced claws, Sesshomaru sliced through the demon and burned him beyond recognition. Another ripple of power tore through his body, burning his chest and making his legs quiver, and he roared again to summon a ball of lightning from his mouth. Like a bomb, the lightning ball exploded and shocked the attacking demons to death. Everyone remained in place to hold their breath, not understanding what happened to Sesshomaru or how he suddenly gained such strength.
"This is my power, Lord Sesshomaru. I can help you control it. You can lay waste to far more demons in a single strike of your sword..., but you are right. There is a price to be paid and truths to be learned should you accept this gift. You will have to think clearly on this. For this, too, is the kind of power that Meioshi is seeking. If she wants to defeat you as you both promised, she has to defeat you in this form. Her enemy is strong. Many gods do fear her. But, her enemy is connected to your Rin. While Meioshi's enemy is not interested in Rin, Rin is in danger because of your Meido Stone. There is no cause without an effect. There is no resurrection without a debt to pay..."