When Breathing Isn't Enough.
They passed through villages like a wayward wind, no one knew who they were and the strange way they carried themselves, no one cared to know. They were sisters, but one wouldn't think so, they shared little to no resemblance. The elder sister, Xiaolian, didn't smile. She gazed upon others through her golden eyes with fleeting indifference. She walked with pride, almost vain. She was beautiful, in a underappreciated way, a way that you didn't quite notice her beauty at first, but instead at a third glance.
By the way her long, dark, ginger hair fell straightly and combed and primped, everyone could tell she was a demon. Ginger hair was not common in humans, but was common enough among demons that it was a dead giveaway. Her clothes were clean and just from a glance away it was obvious that it was made from fine material. Although the style was not traditional around these parts; it resembled styles closer to the mainland rather than the traditional casual yukata.
Still, anyone who saw the woman knew that she was no one to be trifled with. Besides the clear fact the she was a demon, she has an air about her that spoke serious determination and that meant that she has no problem striking down those who dared step in her way. The silent warning spoke loudly. Beauty was deceptive, no matter how fleeting, yet, by the way her hand never left the hilt of her Dual kodachi swords at her side it was clear that she valued her swordsmanship rather than ladylike appearance.
The younger sister, Himawari, didn't smile either; instead it looked like she had a permanent forlorn frown on her face. She was slender and spritely, a fragile opposite to her sister. When she passed through villages, people held their breath, not just because she was accompanying a demon but because the way her milky white eyes stared blindly in front of her. Besides the unsettling feeling she invoked in others for looking her in the eye, she was uninteresting. She wore a common yukata, with some mainland accents, her face was hidden behind those eyes, once seen; no one even remembered anything else about her face. Her hair was hidden beneath a tied cloth on her head. Yet it was assumed her hair was the common black. Strapped to her back was a simple shamisen, yet it was hidden and covered by wool. It was as if she was purposely hidden in standoffish attire as to not attract attention. Whether that was the doing of her older sister, Xiaolian, or herself was unknown.
They'd been walking for days in the dense forest and Xiaolian could see that her sister was growing tired. She sighed wearily and stopped abruptly, Himawari, who was walking directly behind her, bumped into her when she stopped.
"We'll rest here," Xiaolian said to Himawari, she took her younger sister's hand and led her over to a rock to sit her down. "I'll return shortly with food," Xiaolian said before she left her sister there.
Xiaolian didn't travel far, she couldn't risk leaving her little sister too far behind. She narrowed her eyes as she thought about Himawari. Himawari was blind and if that wasn't a nuisance enough, she was not only blind but a hanyou and to Xiaolian, a newborn babe couldn't be more helpless. Still it was her duty to escort her to Kaizou –a village in the east where her mate-to-be awaited her. She wondered often how she got stuck with this task, her mother chose her as Himawari's guardian even though Xiaolian had five other sisters and three other brothers. Xiaolian scoffed, she knew exactly why her mother chose her; she was the only one not mated and the second youngest. Everyone else was out reproducing their endangered species.
Xiaolian and her sister was both native to the eastern lands, but were raised in the mainland, it was said that in the mainland her mother could better protect her young but even there their numbers dwindled as the weak were destroyed and that only left the strong. Five families of daiyoukai remained for the tiger demons, and most of them were already mated, including Xiaolian's siblings. Her mother, Mika, struggled valiantly to find someone who was willing to take Himawari, the youngest and the only hanyou as a mate and surprisingly enough Kurou, the son of the daiyoukai Tsuneo, accepted her.
Kurou wasn't all that respected however, he was respected for the triumph of his father but he'd never done anything noteworthy, it was even speculated whether he could even be called a daiyoukai. Himawari received the only person who would have her, the weak ninth son of the daiyoukai. Still, even this was better than Xiaolian, who was the second youngest out of all her siblings yet the one to inherit the most land and still she could not seem to attract a male tiger demon. She's had offers from others, but her bloodlines must stay pure, there were too few tiger demons left to taint it with any other youkai. It was surprising enough that her siblings were able to mate, since Himawari's birth had brought shame to her family but Xiaolian assumed it was because there were so few of them left that tiger demons couldn't be choosy.
Xiaolian didn't worry however; she had so many stacks of business to take care of once she returned home to the mainland that issues such as mating didn't concern her so heavily. Still, this task seemed tedious, her mother could have chosen a common errand boy for this yet it wasn't a surprise that she'd chosen someone stronger. Himawari was their mother's favorite, though she never admitted it, it was still true. Everyone else resented her though, not excluding Xiaolian either. It was Himawari's birth that caused their father, Yoshimaru, to leave them behind. Xiaolian missed her father, and sometimes she caught herself glaring at Himawari for his departure. It was because of her mother, Mika's infidelity that made him detest her and leave their family behind.
What angered Xiaolian even more than her mother's betrayal, was the fact that she still denied it. Still, Xiaolian hated her sister the least, at the end of the day she only bared resentment towards her but she couldn't bare to hate her totally, Himawari was blind and weak, pitiful and pathetic, it was her duty as the elder sister to look after her, even if she hated herself for her weakness towards the girl. Her siblings weren't so forgiving, Tarou, the first born, couldn't even be in the same mile as Himawari, he hated her so much that he would fly into a rage at her mere mention. It was fortunate that Himawari found a suitor when she did, just when Tarou returned to claim their father's lands. If he would have seen her, it was no doubt he would have killed her, and Xiaolian was in no hurry to die by her brother's hand for instinctually protecting her younger sister.
Himawari.
Someone was coming, Himawari could hear them. They walked slowly but their footsteps were light, lighter than most. Almost as if they walked only on their toes. Himawari smiled as she grabbed her shamisen and began to strum a simple tune based on the soft tip taps of the approaching footsteps.
La De Dum, La Lai La
The footsteps suddenly stopped and Himawari held her breath, waiting for that person to continue towards her. She frowned disappointed as the person turned to another direction, away from her, scorning her silently. Himawari sighed in boredom and covered her shamisen in its wool and strapped it back on her back.
The bushes rustled, silently at first and then very loud.
"Hello," a small voice said, it sounded like a child, by the eager way they walked Himawari was almost positive that it was a child.
"Hello," Himawari answered back as she continued to face down at her lap. She didn't want the awkwardness of looking in the wrong direction when trying to face the girl.
"What are you doing out here?" the young one asked, Himawari dared to look up in the direction of the voice.
"Waiting." Himawari replied simply. There was silence for a moment and then Himawari could hear the small footsteps come closer.
"My name is Rin, what's yours?" she was a girl. Himawari was relieved to know that simple fact.
"Himawari," she replied with a small smile.
"What are you waiting for Himawari-san?" the young girl asked. Himawari smiled and turned to the direction of the girl's voice. Yet she was still careful to avert her eyes, from the whispers and gasp, it was clear that it made others uncomfortable. She was used to it, her sisters and brother's hated when she met their gazes and they all constantly yelled at her. All except Tarou who only needed to speak quietly and only once: "Look at me again, and I'll rip those eyes right out of your skull," there was only the one threat, spoken in a deceivingly calm voice but Himawari only needed him to say it the one time for her to realize that he told no lie and to always stay away from him.
"I'm waiting for my onee-san" Himawari replied with a friendly smile that she hoped the girl could see, otherwise it would have been wasted. Himawari could feel the girl shift in her place yet Himawari was accustomed to remaining still for a long period of time, her sister, Xiaolian, didn't like fidgeting.
"I'm waiting for Sesshomaru-sama, he told me to stay near our camp until he returned, it's so I could be safe I'm sure, so I am waiting," Rin said chirpily. Suddenly the girl stood up, Himawari looked away and placed her hands on her lap.
"I have to go now, Jaken-sama would be angry for being away too long, it was nice talking to you Himawari-san, sayonara," the girl said happily as she walked away. Himawari raised her hand to wave goodbye but Rin was long gone by then, her hand remained in the air for a prolonged second before coming back to rest on her lap.
"Who are you talking to?" Xiaolian asked as she returned to camp. She was dragging the dead body of a boar with her but there was no way Himawari could know that. Xiaolian sniffed, her nose scrunching up as she smelled the distinct scent. "A human? Why was a human here?"
"It was a little girl, she was passing through… she seemed very sweet," Himawari replied as she blankly stared before her. Xiaolian sighed and dragged the boar and dropped it at her sister's feet.
"Dinner." Was all she said before she walked off and sat on another rock on the opposite side of the miniature clearing. She watched idly as Himawari stooped down and began to feel her way on the ground until she touched the boar. When she realized that the boar was still fresh and raw, she cringed and scrunched up her nose.
"Could you make a fire so I could cook this, if I ate it raw, I would become ill," Himawari requested. Xiaolian raised a thin eyebrow, this was a first, everyone else just ate raw. Although, her mother always specified what Himawari could eat at the table, Xiaolian never paid much attention to what she ate. Xiaolian stood up and walked away to gather rocks and tree branches to make the fire, when she returned Himawari was playing her shamisen, no surprise. She was very musical, though she had to admit it was irritating when Himawari decided to perfect her skills in the wee hours of the night while everyone else was sleeping. Xiaolian began to cook the boar with no words from Himawari this was heaven, she didn't particularly like speaking with Himawari. They never had anything to talk about and Xiaolian couldn't imagine anything she would discuss with a hanyou no less.
"Here," Xiaolian said as she shoved the leaf with the meat in Himawari's hand. She ate silently and Xiaolian returned to her rock. Just staring at Himawari made her think; this frail girl was the cause of all her family turmoil at home. And her mother! Sometimes she couldn't even look at Mika without glaring. To claim that she's never betrayed her father and that Himawari was just born a half-breed!
Ridiculous.
The evidence was the fact that Himawari breathed. Xiaolian felt sorry for her father, it wasn't in a tiger demon's nature to love their mate or even mate one time and stay with their mate but her father had done all of that, he'd loved Mika, and she'd ripped out his heart and spat on it. He didn't even want to see any of his children because of her. Sometimes Himawari despised her mother…and Himawari as well.
"Hurry up, we leave soon!" Xiaolian said nastily as she stood up and placed her hand on its usual spot; the hilt of her sword. Himawari stood with little hesitation and soon they were off again.
Meanwhile: In the Mainland.
"Do you think that Korou-sama will like Himawari?" Mika asked as she sat in front of her vanity mirror, her eldest daughter Fumiko, brushing her long black hair. Fumiko gave an uncharacteristic snort and Mika glared up at her daughter.
"Neither of them have a choice, Korou is weak with no spine, the youngest, and rumor has it the bastard child. Himawari is a blind hanyou who isn't very pretty who lacks depth and she's as vulnerable as a newborn kitten," Fumiko stated as she continued to brush her mother's hair, she spared no expense telling the truth, no matter how harsh. "Who else would have either of them?" she asked her mother who could only nod in agreement.
"What of Xiaolian? It is odd that she is not mated," Mika said as she turned to Fumiko "She should be pregnant by now," Mika said stiffly as she turned back to the mirror. Fumiko snorted again, this time Mika didn't spare her disapproving scowl.
"Xiaolian is beautiful but she's more motivated to become the most powerful demon in the Mainland rather than to help reproduce our endangered species," Fumiko replied matter-of-factly. Mika cringed when she thought of her daughter. Xiaolian had a lot to learn about life, yes power was all well and good but building a family was equally important. Himawari was settled, she had someone awaiting her but as soon as Xiaolian returned home, Mika would put her efforts into settling her down as well.
There was a light knock at the door and just by their scent; Mika already knew who it was.
"Come in Jin," Mika said as she picked up the small bottle of fragrance and rubbed it on her wrist. Her door slid aside and soon Jin was brushing aside the beaded divider that separated her chamber. Jin was Mika's youngest son; he was a tall, lean, dainty man with a young fresh face. Surprisingly, he possessed a physical strength that often deceived and rivaled that of her eldest, Tarou. Still he lacked the skill to be totally invincible, but by the way his hand rested upon his dadao, she could tell that he'd just been sparing in the courtyard. His dark ginger hair was plastered on his sweat dampened forehead and Mika frown, resisting her maternal urge to tell him to freshen up.
"Mother, we're waiting for you in the dining hall," Jin announced. Mika nodded and waved her hand, signaling Fumiko to stop brushing. Both the women stood and Mika scrunched up her nose unable to hold back anymore.
"Jin, please freshen up before dinner," Mika said softly, "I'm used to you smelling like sandalwood and cherry blossom" Jin paled and then nodded stiffly before he escaped. Eight out of Mika's ten children were over for dinner, and she couldn't have been happier to see her children and her sixteen grandchildren. Soon enough, Himawari would join them with her children; she did hope that Xiaolian would meet a tiger demon to mate with while on her journey but she doubted it.