Chapter 22 - The Return: In the Shadows
"And then she materialized this disguise for me out of my old clothes." Rin concluded.
Kohaku shook his head. "Wait, so she engaged you to-?"
"Yes."
"So that you could-?"
"That's right."
"And now you're…."
"Unfortunately." Rin shrugged. "Or fortunately, whichever way you'd like to look at it."
The two were making their way through the countryside, headed to Inuyasha's village in search of Battosai. Several days had passed since Kohaku's comment and Rin had more than enough time as they trudged along to consider exactly why she hadn't been able to respond and to figure out why his jab stuck with her like a bur.
Sure, she wanted to keep her friends from experiencing further heartbreak, but perhaps she was also hiding from it herself. Her death had been abrupt and she never truly had time to contemplate what had occurred.
While she hadn't found an answer yet, there was plenty of travelling to go, plenty of opportunity to contemplate the issue: it would be weeks before they reached their destination at this rate.
"Are you sure that I couldn't carry you?" She bent forward slightly and cupped her arms along her lower back. "I am certain that I could keep pace with Inuyasha."
Kohaku's jaw twitched a little from hearing Rin drop the traditional honorifics. "Wouldn't that cause you to pass out again?" He peered quizzically at the dark shadow nestled in the hollow of her throat. "If you had to use your 'demon' powers?"
"You're no fun," she slapped his shoulder playfully, but she knew he was right. Excessive use of the dragon mantle caused poor Yami to burn through life energy much too quickly.
That first day had been a bit awkward, but after camping around a fire a few times, Rin felt almost like her old self - just joking with Kohaku. He, on the other hand, was struggling.
When she asked how long she'd been away, his brows furrowed so deeply and his face grew dark. His response had been sullen and withdrawn, mixed with uncertainty: One winter season? Maybe two?
At the time, she had placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but kept a tight lid on the empty words that would never be able to fill a broken heart. During the nights, Kohaku sometimes whimpered in his sleep and Rin had no choice but to let him endure the nightmare because at least the monsters in his dreams weren't real. Where could he turn when he woke up to the reality that he was a monster who hunted and killed for over a year?
There were moments, if Rin was careful, where Kohaku was cheerfully able to recall details.
"It sure sounds like you and Sota got along," she teased lightly.
"What was I supposed to do? I was bandaged with bruised ribs, broken limbs, and who knows what else before Kagoma-sama healed me. I was bedridden for the longest time." Kohaku turned a little red behind his ears as he mumbled, "I didn't ask for a nurse."
Today seemed like it was going well, so Rin tried her luck.
"Hey Kohaku." He hummed in reply. "Back in the village," she started, watching him carefully for any sign of withdrawal.
None so far, and she continued. "Back in the village, when you saw my uniform, you got angry. I think you said it was because you thought I worked for him?"
She knew better than to mention Sesshoumaru's name.
There was a stiffness in Kohaku's gait when she mentioned the name. Rin pretended not to notice: she was in no mood to get scolded for not heeding her good friend's wisdom about following the demon lord. She circumvented the issue by keeping references vague.
"What about it?"
"You later said that the uniform belonged to Inukojo - not...him. That it was from an army with soldiers that were stationed in every village."
"That's right." Kohaku was a bit uptight. "The dragons were killed, by whose hand, I don't know. No more had been summoned and no one had seen any sign of the silver-eyed demon brothers. But Inukojo insisted the threat was real and brought down her northern armies."
"And you all just let that happen?" Rin was surprised. Although she said you all, they both knew she meant someone else. She did not wish to think of what would have caused Sesshoumaru to permit such behavior while he was lord of the Western Lands. These were thoughts that clung to her mind like a thick tar. The tiny knot of dread had latched onto her stomach and was slowly growing.
"Inuyasha-sama and aneue were busy getting their families settled on the other side. Everyone was moved over during the dragon attacks and there was hardly any time afterwards before Inukojo moved her toops in." Kohaku gave her a reproachful look. "Everyone was dealing with a great many things at once."
"I'm not trying to insinuate that you all didn't do your best," Rin tried to explain. "I'm just trying to understand how this could have happened."
Kohaku's face became strained with tension. Maybe he tried to say something, maybe he didn't. But when she peered to get a closer look, his face was much darker than she could have imagined.
This immediately riled something inside of her, an annoyance, a grievance that she did not know she could possess - not when it came to Kohaku. She came to a full stop in the middle of the road.
"Kohaku. We need to talk. You have been skirting around the issue and I can tell you have something to say, something you've been holding back this entire time."
"You aren't going to like what I have to say," he began.
"I'm prepared to deal with it because I am out of patience," Rin crossed her arms.
"Fine." Kohaku mirrored her. "Why?"
"Why what?" Rin quirked a brow.
"Why didn't you listen to me?" He snapped. "I told you that he would be the death of you and I was right."
"That wasn't your decision to make. I'm an adult and I know my own mind. You can't take care of me forever." She planted fists on her hips.
"Well maybe I wanted to!" Kohaku burst out. "Maybe I wanted to have you by my side until the end of my days. Maybe I knew that was a foolish cause and was content just to have you living as vibrant a life as you could. Maybe I wanted that choice - a choice I no longer have because you died!" His sigh was shuddered and his eyes were glassy.
Rin was not quite prepared for the full brunt of emotion he bared before her. True, he had proclaimed his feelings before, but that confession had been tempered with a teenage awkwardness and modesty. This was raw, unavoidable.
"You have no idea what it was like." His brows were knitted together. "Hearing the news from that, bastard. Having everyone: my sister, the priest, Kagoma-sama, hell - even Inuyasha-sama- handle me like some delicate ornament while I was held up in bed."
"You know that it wasn't his fault." Rin grit her teeth to keep civil.
"Are you sure about that? You seemed willing to blame him for the troop situation a moment ago," he pointed an accusatory finger at her.
"That might have been his fault, but maybe not. But you cannot pin my death on Sesshoumaru. That is not fair."
"Not fair?" Now Kohaku was fully enraged. "None of this situation is fair! Do you want to know what that demon said to tempt me?"
Rin's eyes widened as he turned away from her.
"I was finally well enough to come back and I begged for something to do. Anything to keep my mind off the fact that you were...gone. They sent me on a scouting mission - to try to find signs of those demons. Every night I didn't have a trace of them, but every night I wished I was tracking him instead."
There was an unhinged cough. "The demon came to me one night, it bid me to join the darkness. To bring balance for the unfairness, the injustice that had been done."
He spun around and now there were hot tears streaming down his face. "I answered the call, Rin. Without hesitation. The last thing I remember is your face and the strong urge to kill him."
She didn't know what to say.
A blend of emotions welled up: confusion, hurt, but most of all - disappointment. How could he still blame Sesshoumaru? How could he allow himself to be so consumed by his viterol that a demon of revenge was able to control his life? The Kohaku had endured worse by the hands of Naruku! That Kohaku would not have been so weak-willed.
Trying to keep her quivering tone in check she asked, "And you still want to kill him?"
His head snapped up and their eyes met. For the first time ever, they stared at each other as though they were complete strangers.
But before he could respond, he shifted into a defensive stance, his attention unwaveringly focused around him.
Rin sensed it too. She quietly slid Tenseiga out of its sheath and sought cover from the nearby trees. Easing into view of Kohaku, who had hidden behind a tree across the road from her, she flashed a single hand sign: Demons?
His nod was hardly perceptible, but they had long since mastered the tells and minute expressions of the other. He returned in kind: Soldiers.
These must be some of Inukojo's troops. Attack?
This time it was a tiny shake of the head. Retreat.
Whatever reason he had must have been more complicated than their secret hand language could convey. Rin smirked. She would get the details later. Then she remembered their last words and her smile disappeared in an instant.
"What do we have here?" a sharp voice rang out behind them.
Rin winced before turning around. Sure enough, there were seven or so demons with varying degrees of ebony and silver hair, all wearing the same navy uniform with brilliant embroidery on the sleeves. There was an especially tall one in front with pale skin and purple cheek markings indicating service to the Inu clan.
A spear jabbed at her. "Mind telling us what you're doing out here with a," the voice sneered, "human?"
She rolled her eyes. "What's it to you?" she whipped Tenseiga around to them. Almost as if on cue, the sword began to thrum with a blue energy and the telltale signs of blue flame licked the edge of the blade.
Nononono. Please don't do that! Rin tried to make the flames disappear by willing them out of existence. If she kept this up much longer, Yami's energy reserve would be dry and Kohaku would be straddled with seven foes, plus one unconscious ally.
"Damn it all." She whirled around, slid her sword back into its sheath, leapt over to Kohaku, scooped him up with the grace of an undignified noble lady and then dashed towards the sky.
"After them!" the demons on the ground were confused for a brief moment, but were quick to follow as Rin tried to jump further away.
"Rin, what are you doing?!" Kohaku called in her ear, having wrapped his arms around her neck to better support his weight. "You're going to-"
"I know! I know!" She shouted back against the wind. "No need to tell me this was not my brightest idea!" Her head whipped back and forth as quickly as possible to find either a hiding place or a getaway path.
"RIN!" Kohaku yelled a bit louder.
"I SAID I KNOW!" She hollered in response.
"NO - STOP!" Kohaku buried his head in her shoulder, completely at her mercy.
"What?" Rin looked down to see a mighty chasm yawning wide right below them. She panicked - there was nowhere to land.
The darkness in the depths of the earth was rushing towards them. "RIN!" Kohaku screamed once more.
Her heart dropped through her stomach, but then a familiar sensation returned. The faint tingle of a memory was completely overwhelmed by the massive winds that surged under her feet, lifting her high into the air. It might have been a few years, but her body remembered.
Wobbling and struggling to keep her balance, she pushed off the unseen force and was instantly thrust forward onto another spot that once again tossed her easily towards the sky.
Her previous experiences with floating did not compare to the utter feeling of freedom as the wind tugged at her bun, whistled through the gaps in her mask, ruffled and whipped at her robes. There was only the sky on her horizon - clear all the way to the mountains. It was glorious.
Again and again, they returned to that vantage point until they were close enough to the other side. That was when she recalled that she didn't quite know how to land.
They hit the ground hard, rolling in the dirt, letting their momentum carry them towards the edge of the forest. Luckily, the ground was still partially moist from the light snowfall that had spotted their journey, so there was no dust in the air to choke on.
They both scrambled into the cover provided by the nearby trees, panting slightly. Kohaku held up a finger to his lips and Rin nodded. The demons were on the other side of the crevice. If they were anything like Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, they might be able to hear them from this distance.
Unfortunately, Rin's dragon mantle did not afford her the ability of super hearing and she was forced to make do with furtive glances from behind the brush. But she could only hope at least one of them was remarking: it'll take us days to get around this, while another agreed: it's not worth the effort.
She could feel Yami struggling under her kimono and she fought to stay awake. That had been a very stupid idea, especially after Tenseiga had pulled so much energy moments before their escape.
To help keep her eyes open, she tried to calculate whether the demons could make it to this side of the ridge or not.
What was it that Jaken had said so long ago? It was a trial for those in service to the Inu clan to prove their strength. Not even the strongest among Sesshoumaru's father's retainers were guaranteed to make it across in one fell swoop.
With any luck, these troops were from the north and were hopefully not acquainted with the rituals of the southern branch family. Perhaps by some miracle they did not know the trick and would be put off by the sheer size of the gap.
Either way, it wasn't terribly long until the party had left. Kohaku and Rin both let out the breaths they didn't know they were holding.
"How did you know that would happen?" Kohaku asked breathlessly. "That trick with the wind?"
She was not about to let him know that she didn't know and that it had been a mere fluke that they survived at all.
"I've done it before." Kohaku's head snapped up in alarm. "Once before when I started traveling."
He looked at her incredulously. "What on earth would possess you to do such a thing?"
Sheepishly, she bit her lip before wincing a little. "I was trying to prove myself as a worthy companion."
Kohaku looked ready to explode, but before he could, Rin put her hands up in defense. "It's really not that hard. All you have to do is tie a rope around your waist to catch you while you're learning, and I'll admit that the first time you try it without the rope is a bit unnerving, but aside from that it's perfectly safe."
This did nothing to sooth her friend's mounting rage and she desperately thought of something - anything that could help calm him down.
"Oh come on - at least it's better than the time I jumped off the back of Ah-Un to make a point!"
Now he was frozen, his expression trapped between anger and confusion. Then he rotated his head towards her, like a jointed puppet. "You're right."
"Right about what?" She started breathing normally again - whether it was because of the shift in mood or because Yami had finally been able to catch up, she couldn't tell.
"It's not his fault."
Rin's eyes shifted back in forth and she tried to figure out the flow of logic that had brought him to this conjecture. "It's not?"
With a slow shake of his head, Kohaku's face melted into one of complete disbelief. "How could it be his fault when you're so mind-boggling STUPID?! Here I was the entire time thinking that it was his responsibility to keep you safe, but I never realized how gargantuan a task that was! You are impossible!"
Hesitantly, Rin cracked a smile as she brushed the dirt off her hakama and stood to offer him a hand. "You are just realizing that now?"
Thankfully, he smiled back and reached up to take her hand, but his eyes focused on something behind her, back towards the chasm.
Rin slowly turned and then she saw it: a flash of yellow among a bed of metal daggers and short swords. As though in a trance, she moved towards the tattered tattered piece of material flapping lazily in the breeze. With a tentative hand, she grasped the silken fibers of gold and purple.
He was here.
She gripped the fabric tightly and closed her eyes. Once again, she felt the conflicting desires of both wanting to see him again and never crossing paths. But somehow, just holding this tangential connection to him granted her a peace she had yet to know since her death.
Sesshomaru-sama. She might have fallen out of the habit of using honorifics in conversation, but in her heart, he would always be Sesshomaru-sama. Always perfectly imperfect, captured in her memories.
For once, Kohaku stood nearby, contemplative, but without the coiled anger from the past few days. At least for now, he had been able to break through some of his inner demons.
She quietly looked down at the sheath of Ryuushin with self-loathing. "You went through the pains to discard this blade, to save everyone from those monsters from reclaiming it and running havok again. What did I do? I brought it right back."
"What chance do I have?" Rin looked up at Kohaku, who was just as young and uncertain as she.
"It is a long shot. We don't know if Battosai can do something with the blade, we don't even know if he'll be in the village. After all, my arrangement was circumstantial - it could be weeks or months between when I saw him to take my weapon commissions and when he returned." Kohaku gave her a grave and melancholy look.
"But it's the chance we need to take," he continued. "True, none of this is fair. You shouldn't be dead, I shouldn't be missing two years of my memories, we shouldn't have been robbed of the safe lives we were leading in that happy village or on the road."
"That never stopped you from doing the right thing before and it won't stop you now." It was his turn to reach down to offer her a hand.
She glanced down at the yellow sash, steeled herself, and then accepted the help up. "Then let's head to the village to see what we can find out."
He nodded. "On the way there, let's see what we can pick out of my possession-addled brain."
"Are you sure?" Her eyes were full of concern.
"Yes. I know I've done wrong and yes, that hurts, but we don't have time for me to wallow in my own pity and shame. There must be hidden details, things that I didn't notice that are in my memories. Any little piece of information that might be able to help you, to help us, that's worth the pain." A stronger glimmer of the old Kohaku was starting to shine through.
She smiled appreciatively. "Promise me you'll tell me if it gets to be too much."
"I promise," he swore solemnly.
"OK, let's get started," she said as they started down the path through the forest. "We'll go back to the basics: you left Kiara with Sota…"
An embarrassed flush rushed across his cheeks. "I left Kiara to protect the children, and Sota."
"Right and that's why we have to walk everywhere," she chided.
The next few days passed without incident: quiet nights around the campfires, tranquil days under overcast skies.
Although she was dying to know answers to questions like How were the others when you last saw them? Was everyone safe? she knew the answers would certainly be: I don't know, I don't know, I can't remember.
Therefore, she kept the line of questioning strategic and they slowly began to piece together the big picture: one of the brothers (Kohaku was not sure which one) had been killed (by whose hand was also unclear), one of the dragons had been killed and the other sent to the underworld.
"Yeah, I knew about that one," Rin groaned when they got to that part in the recounting.
Inukojo had deployed a massive number of troops. Why Sesshoumaru had not taken action wasn't clear to either of them - nothing had been made public, but Rin had suspicions (these she kept to herself). Kohaku remembered the others complaining about the soldiers being stationed in every reasonably sized city and town.
It was several days later, under a cold misting rain, that the pair finally came within eyesight of the village.
"Don't forget, everyone is still at Kagome-sama's home on the other side of the well," Kohaku warned her.
"I was counting on it," she said, striding forward. As much as she would love to see everyone, she still had not come up with the answer to her dilemma and until she figured out what to say or what to do, she would avoid everyone at all costs in case the plan went sideways.
Several seconds later, she realized that Kohaku had stopped and was gripping the handle of his sickle.
She was immediately reaching for her weapon, eyes and ears alert. But there was nothing.
"It's quiet."
Kohaku nodded. "Too quiet. When I left for my mission, the villagers were still here. At least I think that was the case." He cursed himself quietly. "Why can't I remember the important stuff?"
"Don't worry about it too much. Let's have a look around."
Their investigation did not yield any answers. The village was completely abandoned - for at least several months by the looks of it. Homes were carefully boarded up, but that was the only hint they received.
"Maybe Inuyasha-sama and the others coordinated efforts to have the village evacuated before the troops got this far." They made their way back up the hill towards Inuyasha's tree. "There was no way that this was done quickly. That must mean that everyone is hidden somewhere."
"If no one's been in the village, then it's not likely that Battosai would have visited recently." Rin voiced the concern that Kohaku had been edging around. "It could be months or years until we see that swordsmith. I need to get rid of this sword and finish off whichever brother didn't die - and do it before they can do anymore damage." She started pacing.
"Why don't we try the well?" Kohaku asked. "There's a possibility that the others are there or at the very least, watching. If I can make contact with them, then maybe we can find Battosai."
Deep in her frantic pacing, Rin waved him off. "Go. I'm going to stay here and think." She plopped onto the cold, dead grass.
"There is one person that might know where Battosai is," Kohaku started as he headed away.
"Nope. Not an option." Rin cut him off. There was no way that she was going to Sesshoumaru. At least not yet. Get in, get it done, get out: she repeated to herself like a mantra. Then she set her mind to her most puzzling conundrum yet.
The darkness was vast and absolute, but Pian found it strangely comforting: a warm, velvet blanket to muffle out the anguish of losing Kan, of watching a plan fall to pieces, of seeing revenge unfulfilled.
"You are not afraid," a giant papery voice whispered, echoing in the black, bouncing off of nothing.
Pian did not even open one of his eyes, "An astute observation."
"What will you do?" the voice rasped out again.
"What will I do? Nothing." Pian answered honestly. "I have no urgency to act upon."
"Not even with the little girl?"
"Which little girl would that be? I am acquainted with many at this point."
"I believe you call her, Rin?"
With that, Pian's eyes did snap open and he frowned. "What about Rin?"
"Here I thought you were a strategist, one who likes to move pieces on the board, yet your moves are dull."
"What move would you have me make?" Pian responded, attempting to calm himself.
"I am willing to bargain - for more than just information about the Inu clan's little pet." The creature, whatever it was, took Pian's silence as prompt to continue. "If you are willing to cohabitate, I can grant you power - even to leave this place and complete your revenge."
Pian refused to question how this entity knew the information, he would not lose his composure, his balance. "What exactly does this cohabitation entail?"
"Ah, that is to say, I would reside within your body and when the time comes, you would allow me control of it."
"Permanently?"
"Permanently."
Pian hesitated.
"I merely offer it as a means to an end. We both benefit: you complete your desire for vengeance and I am finally free from the shackles of this domain."
There was no denying that Pian was low on resources. No brother, no dragons, and only the dragon scale they had managed to recover from below the city. No leads to where the final daiyoukai could be, no line of sight into what transformations had occurred across the land since his imprisonment.
A pair of golden eyes, hooded, swirled from his recent memory. "Are you very familiar with the Inu clan?"
The bodiless voice adopted faint traces of venom. "I am familiar with their she-witch."
Oh, so it was a witch? A sorceress? Pian smiled. Bargaining chips. "I am of the mind that you would very much like to act on some vengeance of your own, perhaps against that Inu spell caster. It is not only freedom you speak."
"Finally, an excellent move." The voice could very well have been grinning wickedly.
"What would you say to this: you may possess my body and you will grant me the power you claim to own. I will become the dagger that delivers our desires against the Inu clan's sorceress queen and her quibbling son. After that, you may do as you please." Pian's offer wasn't entirely that different, but he did lay out the when "that time" would be.
"We have an accord."
Without warning, the shadows converged on Pian, filling his eyes, his ears, his nose, his mouth. Tendrils wrapped around his neck, wrapping him in an intangible steel grip. The experience was more constricting than any binding he faced before, but he was not above suffering a bit of pain to get what he needed.
The sensation ended as abruptly as it started. Pian could feel energy coursing through his limbs, traveling up and down his veins. He lifted a hand and concentrated. A brilliant white light began to radiate from his palm, growing bigger and brighter, illuminating the space for the first time. He could see a series of black marks scattered across his body: the mark of possession.
He smiled as he let the light flash forward, tearing through the walls of the dimension, cracking an opening back to the other side. He wasted no time sweeping through and back into the land of the living.
As soon as his feet touched the ashen forest floor, he reached out his sword hand.
Rin was mumbling to herself. "If their main plan is revenge, they'll keep attacking the Inu clan and destroying the land with the tools at their disposal. Now what tools do they have at their disposal?" She scratched her head. Strategic planning hand never been her forte.
"What do you think, Yami?" She asked the kageko. "If they have Ryuushin as one weapon and the unsummoned dragons as the other, which one is the bigger problem? Which one poses more danger?"
Yami chirped uselessly.
"You're right." Rin sighed and quipped sarcastically. "I've always admired your great sense for battle tactics." Then she rubbed her little friend on the top of its head. "I jest. You are an important friend to me. I am just a bit anxious because if I mess this up, it could spell disaster for many more people. I have to look at this from the big picture and I'm not used to doing that."
She stood up again, dusting the dirt and brown blades of grass off her robes. "One thing I can do right now is keep watch over the sword. As long as I keep an eye on it, it's not going anywhere."
It was at that moment that Ryuushin flew out of its sheath. She barely had time to catch it, but she was not fast nor strong enough to prevent it from moving forward.
Her muscles strained against the unseen grip and she could hear Yami chattering nervously.
"Kohaku!" She yelled, but the force had already tugged her along. Her feet barely grazed the ground as the weapon picked up speed. In a moment of quick thinking, she used her free hand to briefly slide the sheath out of her sash and dropped it on the ground. Hopefully Kohaku was clever enough to figure out what happened.
Then she turned her determination to the task at hand. Pian, Kan, whichever one of you it is: let's settle this!
"You were right, Rin. The well doesn't work except for Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama." Kohaku called ahead as he returned to their meeting spot. "But I figured it was worth the attempt."
There was no reply: Rin was gone.
Alarmed, Kohaku immediately scanned the area. Attackers? Natural threats? There were no signs of either.
A glossy glint caught his eye; a lacquered sword sheath. One that he did not recognize: black covered in red, with a golden crescent moon on the top. Could this be the sheath to the dragon slaying sword?
He looked a few feet beyond his position and could see faint track marks, almost as if someone had been dragged away by a flying creature.
That means Rin was headed towards the enemy. There were only two ways to go: follow the trail forward or pivot to find their allies. Minutes drained away as he wavered. If he went into that fight, human as he was, he might be of no use.
With an aggravated huff he squared his shoulders. If Rin was in the enemy camp, there was only one person who had any chance of keeping up with her craziness, her harebrained plans, and her particular brand of stupid bravery.
He was going to need to find Sesshoumaru and it was going to kill him to do so.
A/N: Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments. It really a lights a fire every time I see one of those come in, so I appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to write such kind words. :)
I'm currently targeting around 5k chapters, which take me a few weeks to write (with all my cosplay, convention staffing, and DnD responsibilities). I'm hoping to have 1-2 chapters for you before the end of March because April gets to be really busy. We are still on target to finish this story in 2020!