Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I do not own the rights to Spring Has Come.
A/N: I apologize for the long wait, the real world has been hectic for me lately. From now on updates should be expected at least once a month, for now that is the best I can do. I will continue this story til the end, do not fret!
Thank you everyone that reviewed and all my silent readers! =) I really appreciate you all! Thank you for sticking with Onyx Eyes, I really enjoy writing for you all!
Now, for those of you who are also reading Puppy Promises, do not worry, I am working on the next chapter but it may take some time. (Sorry!)
A quick note about this chapter:
Ume tree = Japanese Plum Tree : It bears fruit and has pink blossoms that bloom a couple of weeks before Cherry blossoms. =)
Rin is referencing Spring Has Come, which is a traditional Japanese song to celebrate Spring.
Chapter 4: Falling Petals
"The child is in danger! Save the girl!"
Kenji snarled, slamming his fist into stone and mortar as the most recent prisoner's booming voice echoed throughout the small corridor.
The thick violet blood seeping from his ragged cut knuckles seemed to satiate the anger boiling through his tanned leather flesh as he charged down the row of cells and stopped at an ancient youkai's.
The centaur was pure sagging white fur and dark wrinkled flesh over thick heavy muscles, a sight which caught him off guard, for he knew of the youkai's age and was surprised to see him alive at all let alone fit. But when the elder stepped forth, Kenji noticed weakness, a bad hip, and his anger returned, "Old man you best shut up or I'll be forced to rip out your throat!"
Senkensha narrowed his pure white gaze, zeroing in on the red moth demon standing furiously in front of his cage. As soon as Sesshomaru returned the moth would beat his wings for the last time beneath his heavy onyx hooves. "The Lord's human has a rather large possibility of dying if I am not released to save her." His words were low but reverberated through the enclosed space with heated lightning, and immediately after they left his wide lips, Senkensha knew the guard did not care from the look of glee in his purple eyes.
Kenji laughed full throatily and slapped his energy against the cell, "That is most pleasant to hear for you will not be released by no other than the Lord of the West, who is not here at the moment." With a sudden happiness, the moth felt much better about his day, "I hope the filthy ningen dies!"
Blowing through his nostrils, Senkensha pushed away the anger boiling through his chest. How could this youkai hate a sweet child with such intensity? It went beyond him, the hate for other species.
Stamping his hoof with weakened muscles, he cursed Sesshomaru for his distrust, for putting him in this rotten dungeon. His eyes went wild with worry. The child would suffer for Sesshomaru's skepticism.
The moth youkai chuckled at the visible anger etched in the augur's ancient face, "Does that upset you old man? Are you concerned for the human?" He spit the word with venom. Unable to resist antagonizing the centaur demon, relishing in the anger boiling in his repressed aura, Kenji rattled the cell bars with clenched fists, "Too bad you can't save that weak filthy ningen!"
Senkensha's white eyes began to glow in the darkness boring into the violet eyes of the insolent beast far too close for his own good. Kenji found them utterly hypnotizing, so mysterious in nature, bearing down on him with such intensity…
Satisfied with the guard's eyes distracted by his white orbs, the elderly youkai ripped the arms away from the bars. Tendons snapped, bones cracked making a sound so deliciously deadly Senkensha grinned with wicked fervor; detaching limbs from the ignorant pest with such force the moth had yet to notice. He ignored the violet blood which sprayed over his white flanks like crushed berries.
Ten seconds passed before Kenji began to scream, his arms permanently severed while his blood spewed from bizarre wounds.
With an impassive face, Senkensha resigned to the back shadows of his cell, his white eyes the only illumination.
Sesshomaru's amber gaze drifted over his mate as she slept against the smooth expanse of his chest, her eyes fluttering beneath her lids as she dreamed. Thick black lashes rested atop high cheek bones, lips so soft and supple the color of plum blossoms, onyx hair spilled over her narrow shoulders up and over her breasts the curling ends near her subtly curved hips; Almost ethereal, carved by Kami's hands, his mate was indeed alarmingly beautiful.
She groaned in her sleep, flattening herself against him; His heart beat slightly quickened. Trailing a large hand along the line of her body only stopping once he reached the top of her thigh, his claws skated the curve of her backside, and he let a small smile play on his lips, knowing she would be his for eternity.
Their legs were tangled, intertwined like the weaving of fine silk. He told himself in whispers the alluring grace of his mate did not matter. Her power meant more than sensuous lines of flesh, more than spoken words or whatever her personality held. Even as a miko, the levels of reiki within her rivaled his own energy, their pups would have been immeasurably powerful without her gaining youki, without her gaining a beast. Power held all importance when choosing a mate, and even if the augur had been wrong, Sesshomaru would have kept her, a human miko as a mate.
Staring at down at the delicate female, his mind shifted to the ancient demon, the insistent seer who refused to cease stalking the Daiyoukai with his predictions, even under the threat of death.
"Do not insult this Sesshomaru by offering vague presages." His words held no emotion, no true bite, as he stared at the feeble youkai whom had assisted his father many times so very long ago.
Senkensha rolled his eyes, though one could not see for his irises held no color not even a tiny black pupil marred the alabaster marble, and he shook a pure white scraggly mane which trailed his long dipped back swimming into a tangle filled tail. The fur swept the snowy ground seemly melting into the winter covered Earth. With aching hooves he struggled to walk to his Lord, whose claws were extended and dripped with the deadliest of poison, "Sesshomaru-Sama, you must know of my impeccable sight."
Sesshomaru narrowed his glare as if the centaur youkai would combust by the act, "Do you have a death wish Senkensha? My father may have received such services, but this Sesshomaru is not so weak."
Senkensha grinned wide through a thinning beard with a surprisingly full set of flat ivory teeth; his bushy white eyebrows slanted in determination. "Not weak…never will a son of InuTashio be weak, but a fool you will be if you refuse my knowledge."
Frustrated, Sesshomaru ran the thought of ridding the world of his father's oldest council member, and quickly decided against spilling Senkensha's blood, siding instead with merely walking away.
The next meetings were just as fruitless with Sesshomaru avoiding Senkensha completely, but during the last, the augur had been far more persistent, going as far as entering Sesshomaru's private spring while the Daiyoukai bathed.
Senkensha's boldness knew no bounds as he trotted through the doorway with less fatigue than his usual wobbly gait. "Sesshomaru-Sama! How could I have known where to find you?" He asked as if interrupting Sesshomaru's bath proved the power of his abilities.
His persistent smile made the Lord's claws twitch. Jaw set, Sesshomaru held back an urge to growl, "You will leave these chambers at once Senkensha."
Laughter echoed within the small enclosed spring, "Sesshomaru-Sama, there is but one exit, I am standing in its doorway. I refuse to leave, and I foretell my death will be naturally caused. Shall you refuse my insight once more?" Before the Daiyoukai could answer, Senkensha continued, choosing for him, "What will it hurt to listen Sesshomaru?"
The lack of an honorific to his name made annoyance rise in the Lord's chest, but he allowed the augur to remain while focusing his attentions on his bath and the plenary scent of steam and rock.
His amber eyes only shot toward the elderly demon once the words 'mate' and 'human' entered his ears. Could the fool truly believe him to be as weak as his father? So weak as to take a vile ningen as a mate? Anger boiled through his veins with a barely containable heat, and he quickly felt his grip around a wrinkled neck.
Water trickled down Sesshomaru's naked flesh; when did he exit the spring? Could he be so blinded by century old distain that he could not control such hate?
Senkensha's equine torso shuddered as if trying to rid his sleek white body of pestilent flies.
He narrowed his golden eyes and growled at the seer, "Repeat yourself Senkensha, cautiously."
With sad air, the old youkai let out a huff seeing a part of his old friend's son he couldn't quite shake from his flank, and with a steady hand his fingers spread wide over Sesshomaru's tense grip on his sagging flesh, "I shall show you young one, in my pond of dreams."
Sesshomaru shut his eyes as if closing a curtain to the world and buried his nose in his mate's silken onyx tresses. The pond of dreams held many insights to his future, their futures which were woven in many different paths. Every road seemed to be splashed with rivers of blood, and Sesshomaru wondered if, by taking a miko as a mate, more or less would spill in the end.
Despite his logical mind, he found his actions almost hard to digest. The decision to mate struck him like lightning, he'd expected more of a fight for his choice, but Kagome had been more than willing without lengthy explanations, though he indeed owed her one or three. He filled his lungs with her scent before tracing her ribs with his fingers, her tiny bones so breakable beneath her smooth flesh. Kagome seemed so fragile against him, yet Senkensha showed him she'd be the only being with enough strength to stand at his side.
The thought brought a wave of aching possessive hunger through his veins, and he embraced her, pressing his mate tight against the line of his flesh. He growled at no one in particular. She belonged only to him, her flawless beauty, and her immense power, mind soul and body, her newly acquired beast, there were so many layers to his mate, and though some were more important than others, he craved knowledge of them all; he found himself aching to explore every sliver of her being.
Sesshomaru titled her chin gazing down at her angled face, pondering an explanation for such feelings, such intense urges. The idea of needing to learn about another being seemed illogical, but he'd never been one to deny his instincts.
His mind mulled over leaving the old augur to die in the bowels of his dungeon rather than leave to set him free; how could he part with his mate so soon?
Tied to his honor and tradition; the customary solitude due after mating called to his beast while honor bound him to releasing the seer before he died in his cell.
A sigh drew his amber gaze to Kagome's puckered lips, the color of plum blossoms, as she shifted in her sleep, and an idea flashed through his mind. The ancient demon would not rot in a dungeon of the West, and his mate could be kept safe while he dealt with the centaur.
Stealing a chaste kiss before lifting her in his arms, taking only enough time to grab up his swords and armor, he sped through the forest. He took his mate to a small clearing, just an hour's run from his Shiro. Graceful ume trees swayed in the warm breeze surrounding the area. The blossoms were the color of his mate's kiss, and he carefully laid her to rest amongst the petals strewn across the plush emerald grass.
Lengths of transparent ribbon, Sesshomaru's youki spilled from his flesh and soaked into the thick black tree bark. His eyes narrowed at the color, instead of deep red the energy held hints of pink, and he wondered what this could possibly mean in terms of power. Glancing over his shoulder at his sleeping mate, he set his thoughts aside. Time would be against him, but he found himself determined to leave and return without her ever knowing he'd left.
Quickly he willed the plum tree's limber branches to weave into a beautiful net; if she did wake before he returned then at least it would be to an enchanting sight and the trees would keep her safe. Calling forth his cloud, he sped toward his fortress.
The soft song of a child whispered gleefully through a small field of flowers, "Spring is coming, spring is coming! Where is spring now?" Rin nearly laughed at her own question as she skipped through the poppies, "Here in the mountains! Here in the village! And here in the fields!" Loose grass scattered over her orange kimono as she rolled all over the ground giggling to herself.
"Rin!" A small green imp in brown robes screeched at her, "Refrain from wallowing!"
The child couldn't contain her laughter at the sound of his worried tone, but obeyed, jumping up from the ground and continued skipping and singing a song she'd learned from her mother; a song of spring, of happiness and flowers! Orphaned since she was very young, Rin couldn't remember her mother's face, but her melodic voice filled her ears every spring. "Flowers bloom! Flowers bloom! Where do flowers bloom?" She jumped up to her retainer and laughed as he squawked, "What kind of a question is that!"
"No silly Master Jaken!" Grinning toothily, she threw flower petals over the black cap on his head like a little shower of blossoms. Tiny pink petals rained over him, and she giggled, "Here in the mountains! Here in the village! And here in the fields!" Jaken groaned, but she could tell he was happy, he lived to watch over her whenever her Lord was away. Happily, she traipsed around him in a small circle. "Birds are singing! Birds are singing, Master Jaken!" She turned her head to the side letting her lopsy pony tail trail her shoulder, "Where do birds sing!"
Suddenly a cackling woman soared over the pair. Her red robes whipped around her slender form and her crimson hair swam in an invisible sea around her face, "In the skies! In the trees!" Deep and burly, strangely masculine for a woman, her voice swam over the fields.
Jaken squawked loud and incoherently while Rin just shook her head whispering, "No, in the mountains, in the village, and in the fields…" She hid behind her protector though a foot taller than him, but she wasn't sure if the woman was a threat or not.
Jaken didn't want to take any chances, and extended his two clawed fingers around the width of his staff, but just as he began to screech at the woman, she floated toward him attacking with tendrils of ivy.
Setting them with an onyx glare, the woman crowed, "I am Shinihana! Protector of these blossoms and this child will be mine!" The blood bathed woman announced heatedly, with her tendrils of leaves batting Jaken away like a fly.
Fear ignited in the now helpless child, and her bare feet began to beat harshly against the field of flowers. A high pitch laugh trailed her, the faster her small calves pumped, the more laughter followed. "Leave... me… alone!" Rin screamed breathlessly over her shoulder. Her tiny lungs ached for air, as she desperately wished for her Lord to return, for her Lord to save her!
"You," Ivy ropes sprung from the Earth's crust, "Are," pain crawled over the child's ankles, "Mine!"
The fall came quickly, and Rin screamed for the only being she trusted to save her, "Lord Sesshomaru!"
Shinihana shuddered with fear at the mention of the Western Lord and quickly ended the child's plea with a gag of blood red poppies.
Closing his eyes against the impending headache his servants could so easily give him, Sesshomaru growled, "Eyes Yuka!" The small onna whimpered, fear eased through her veins, realizing she'd been staring at her Lord's rather impressive private parts. Never before had he returned to them in such a state of undress!
She fell into a low bow nearly slamming her pale forehead against the marble floor, "Gomenasai Milord!"
Repressing a growl, he ground out, "Ready the Eastern wing, and bring this Sesshomaru a kimono befitting my mate." Ignoring the loud gasp from the young Inu, Sesshomaru slipped into his chambers and dressed for the day, knowing his orders would be completed regardless of her surprise.
Deeply locked in his mind, he found his beast highly irritated at his choice to part from his new mate, if only for a short while. Though he'd never admit it, Sesshomaru hadn't exactly planned on mating so soon. The day before, he set off to find the miko to offer a proposal with words and explanations, but the state in which he discovered her…wet and desirable, far too tempting after he decided her worthy to bear his pups, and the plan burned away with his resolve. The timing of their mating was not perfect, but not entirely terrible.
Tying his yellow sash in an elaborate knot, Sesshomaru's ears pulled his boot clad feet toward the balcony. The heavy strum of guards shouting and running toward the dungeon caught his attention, and he jumped from the highest point of his fortress.
Anger ripped through his careful control with his beast already on edge. His amber eyes trapped one of his men, and he growled, "Report!"
Without hesitation the guard bowed and began with a calm voice, "Senkensha ripped off Kenji's arms and keeps speaking of Rin in peril."
The first statement did not surprise the Lord, but the second caught him off guard, though his stoic mask shed no light on his thoughts. "State the danger?" Before the guard could answer, Sesshomaru felt the distress of his mate waking alone deep in the forest.
Panic flashed through her as she awoke to a blizzard of petals washing over her naked form. Kagome's back went ridged jumping up from the ground with the reflex of a cat ready for an attack as the wind howled in her overly sensitive ears. Enchanting, her dark mahogany eyes drained the clearing of its paradisiacal beauty, and panic shifted deliriously to a sense of tranquility. The screeching wind morphed into a soothing breeze, caressing her flesh with gentle petals. Ume trees surrounded the small clearing like terra sentries hazy with dark magenta energy, swaying heavily in the wind, mindless dancers. Spindly branches covered in tiny plum blossoms weaved a flowing net, a beautiful barrier, with the grace of an ocean's exquisite waves.
The first moments of the morning took her to a place of awe and wonderment, but she came crashing down soon enough with a painful realization, "Sesshomaru?" Her mate had left her alone, abandoned. Nearly red energy flickered up her legs like fire. Anger ripped through her veins, there were so many reasons to hate her mate in that moment. Sesshomaru had to know what he caused, and he left her, deserted her; Why else would he leave if not to avoid incurring her wrath?
Midnight consumed her vexed eyes. She screamed as claws shredded through her bleeding nails. Fangs split through shiny white blunt teeth spattering them with blood as it seeped from her gums in crimson threads. Milliseconds felt like agonizing hours as pain swept over her small form, even her eyes ached, but once a full second rolled by even the wounds were healed, but the agonizing shift stole away her rage.
Rationality came with ivory claws, and she narrowed her eyes at a puddle at her feet. Demon! Sesshomaru somehow managed the impossible, and most likely knew, wanted, purposely caused, it to happen. She had become a youkai.
Eyes like smooth onyx glimmered from her rippling reflection, and she sliced through the image with deadly claws. Water sparkled like blood trickling down her hand as she raised it for inspection. Unbelievable, completely undeniably unbelievable, it had to be some kind of sick joke. A miko and a youkai all at once? "Stop moping, go find our mate. Or better yet go find the dead priestess."
Her beast, with a voice so sinfully decadent like chocolate frosting, licked her open wounds. Claws, fangs, onyx eyes, it all resided with treacherous tears, and she crumpled to the cold ground. Inuyasha? How could she explain her actions to him? To any of them?
"The consequences are little to what we have gained." The beast's words went ignored and unanswered.
His hands, so seductive… She sobbed, just his touch brought her to her knees, erased all thoughts of anything but him and his perfectly stern mouth and creamy skin all over her traitorous flesh. "Kami, what have I done?"
Running over thoughts, her beast found nothing wrong with such actions, "We found a strong mate, nothing is more important than the propagation of pups and survival. Our mate, though he has yet to dominate this Kagome, is a prime Alpha. The best mate for us."
This beast…this voice in her head…this giant black dog, how could they be the same person! Were these selfish thoughts truly the inner workings of her own mind? "I'd gladly give my life for any of my loved ones." Tears rolled down her cheeks, "To think that I may never see them again because of my uncontrollable libido breaks my heart."
"Our mate never refused to let us see our family. He has not told us anything yet. Illogical emotional breakdowns will not help in this instance." Feeling such desperation, the beast quickly added, "We must discover how I came to be, let us find Kikyo."
Sniffling, Kagome sighed, picking her naked self back off the ground and shoved her worries to the back of her mind leaving them for another time, another meltdown. Her brown eyes flitted over the clearing, and she wondered how she came to be in such a lovely place, and on a side note, "Where are my clothes?"
"You should focus less on material possessions and more on how to get through the guards our mate has placed around us."
"Guards?" She glanced at the ever flowing trees in her way, "You mean the plum trees?"
A snarl rang from her own lips, "Pay attention to the things you notice instinctively, use your energy not your eyes, those are not trees."
The trees were surrounded with dark magenta energy…youki. She felt foolish for not realizing it sooner, Sesshomaru barricaded her in this petal filled prison. Narrowing her eyes, she walked closer to the flowing net of branches and plum blossoms, angry that her mate deceived her, angry she so eagerly gave into wanton desire.
The familiar prickle of her mate's youki licked up her arm as she reached toward the net, and she shivered. Even his energy poured heat up and down her flesh in tantalizing waves. "Sesshomaru," His name brought a bittersweet taste to the tip of her tongue.
Impatient, and through with coddling her other half, her beast growled, "Find us." Though unspoken, the words travelled through the energized net, straight to its source, before Kagome doubled over in agonizing pain. Bones snapped, cracking and bending, her skin twisted, and ebony fur spread like wildflowers until she screamed, but her scream came forth as a mighty snarl through sharply pointed fangs.
A massive black paw swiped through the plum tree barrier, and Kagome bolted in her true form toward Inuyasha's aura.
"Find us." Sesshomaru knew the moment his mate crossed the protective barrier he'd placed around her, and he was surprised by how much it angered his beast. He shook his head, narrowing his gaze at his father's oldest council member. The rage easily transferred to the current situation, Rin might possibly be in danger, and that topped his mate's traipsing around the forest. Kagome could handle herself, one reason why he chose her as his mate, while Rin held the largest possibility of truly being in danger.
"What have you seen!" Sesshomaru growled at the ancient centaur fearing for the life of his ward. He ripped the blood soaked cell door from its hinges and tossed it to the side.
"Come Sesshomaru-Sama! There is no time to explain! I cannot show you directly for my dream pool does not work without the night sky, I must show you the way." The centaur galloped past the Lord at a speed Sesshomaru didn't know him capable of.
Suffocating as emerald vines coiled around her tiny body like a massive snake, Rin's face began to turn blue. Her Lord would not be saving her this time, and the thought spilled tears from her chocolate brown eyes. The red clad woman grinned evilly through thin crimson lips. Hair resembling rose petals fell against her pale skin, and her eyes filled with hate as she growled at the child, "You have murdered many of my blossoms little girl!" Rin's dark eyes filled with horror at the accusation, but the surprise soon left as her face turned blue from lack of oxygen.
Rin thought she would never take another breath, but the flower demoness loosened her natural binds. "I am not so cold as to murder a child dear girl, but you must be taught a lesson." With a lithe hand tipped with deep burgundy nails, she ran her long fingers through the girl's thick brown locks before slicing off her side ponytail. Immediately the hair caught in a crimson flame and Rin couldn't help but stare at it mesmerized.
The flames danced as they engulfed the dark strips of hair. Magical and enchanting, Rin found herself amazing by the deep red fire.
Shinihana caressed Rin's small plush cheek, "Place your hand in the flame girl, it will not burn you."
Fear crippled the child, her entire body trembled as she shook her head at the woman. Rin did not want to know what would happen if she put her hand in the flame, she had a bad feeling about it. Tears ran down her cheeks in rivers as Shinihana grabbed her wrist, "No! Please!" She struggled against the woman's vice-like grip.
Shushing the girl, Shinihana fed her hand to the fire and it licked over Rin's hand before hovering just above the fleshy palm. Rin whimpered as a small red poppy with six petals appeared in the dissipating flames.
The flower demoness sighed while slicing her wrist and dribbling the crimson drops over the poppy and the weight set the flower heavily in Rin's palm. "From now on girl your life will be connected with this flower. You must protect it."
Shinihana wiped the salty tears from the girl's face, staring into her brown eyes, "Do you understand child?"
Rin gave a weak nod, but the flower demoness frowned setting heavy creases on her forehead, "You do not want to pull the petals off your flower my dear. With this advice I shall leave you."
With a burst of crimson flame Shinihana left Rin alone in the clearing no longer binded by vines, but in danger still for she had no protector. She held the flower gently against her heart, scared the petals would begin to decay.
Rin soon found herself trembling in fear once again as a massive black dog barreled into the clearing, barking at her like mad, snarling through humongous razor sharp canines, and growling deep in its throat. She thought she'd die! Surely she couldn't survive two demon attacks without her Lord or Master Jaken! "Please don't kill me!" She pleaded with her lip quivering.
Suddenly a bright magenta light spilled over the canine revealing a familiar face, but Rin was shocked to see the miko as a naked youkai. "Rin honey, are you okay? I was running to find Inuyasha when I…well I smelled your distress…"
Kagome seemed awkward with her onyx hair flowing over her breasts and a hand covering her most private part. A worry line wrinkled above her brow. A small blue crescent, like the marking of her Lord, rested between Kagome's neck and shoulder, and Rin wondered if she might possibly be dreaming because the world seemed very strange to her this last hour.
"I want to wake up now please." She whispered with a meekness that made Kagome's heart clench.
Tears began to pour from her eyes, and she held her poppy close to her lips, "I want to wake up now!" She shouted at the red flower with extreme sadness and frustration, "I want Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken! I want to wake up!"
Rin crumpled as two motherly arms slipped around her, and she couldn't find the courage to look the miko in the eyes.
The heavy scent of salt water made Kagome's nose burn and her chest ached as she watched Rin turn in on herself. Never before had the child been anything other than bubbly and full of giggles in her presence and she found herself extremely worried for her mate's ward.
Kagome didn't care about her state of dress as she pulled the little girl into a tight embrace, "Rin I will take you to Sesshomaru. I will keep you safe." As much as she could care less to see the Daiyoukai because of his actions toward herself, she couldn't shirk the motherly instincts to care for his little human girl.
"There is no need. This Sesshomaru has come for you both."
Her mate's deep voice filled her ears and her back went ridged. Heart throbbing in her chest, she couldn't keep a line of liquid from filling her dark eyes.