絆のリボン
Author's Note: Enjoy the story and R&R.
Pairings: One-sided (canon) Aiya x Hisui. Referenced past one-sided Kohaku x Hakudoshi, established (canon) Miroku x Sango.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon or Inuyasha.
Summary:
Kokaku describes an old enemy and situational ally to Hisui.
"Uncle?"
"Ah, Hisui. How did business at the mansion go?"
Hisui set Hiraikotsu down. "You heard from Kin'u-neesan and Gyokuto-neesan, then."
"Everything. That princess is quite the handful."
"She is. But I gave her a ride on Kirara, and she was caught by her father, so I don't think we'll be hearing from her for a while."
"Your sisters sounded pleased."
"Yes, though they never did tell me why they forced me to be Princess Aiya's etiquette instructor."
"Casting a stone into her arranged marriage, if I had to guess. She's a young lady. You're a young man."
"What? That was what it was? But I –"
"Calm down," Kohaku laughed. "Knowing your sisters take after your father, they were probably trying to marry you into the princess' wealthy family."
"That's more horrible!" Hisui balked.
"Oh?"
"I learned my lesson the first time! The demon slayers serve those in need! Not because of money!"
"Do you not think she's beautiful?"
"Th-that's not –!"
"Listen up, Hisui. I'm your Chief, but you're also family. I'm not saying it has to be with Princess Aiya. Just keep your eyes, ears, and heart open. You'd be surprised where that sort of companionship might find you. In fact, I'm paying respects to someone who was that for me, right now."
"I was wondering what you were doing all the way up here in the cliffs, Uncle. Mother hasn't mentioned anybody before."
"Why would she? I haven't said a decent word about him. Not once since he died."
"What was he like?"
"I was even younger than you are now. There wasn't a moment we weren't lying in wait to kill each other."
"So…You fought? Like Mother and Father?"
"No, we were really out to leave a corpse, unlike Sister and Brother," Kohaku laughed, darker. "It is a taijiya's duty to exterminate yokai, after all."
"He was a yokai?"
"One of the worst."
"Yet you still loved him?"
"I thought it would be the last thing on my mind back in those days. We were both focused on destroying Naraku. I suppose I bonded with him on some level due to our shared hate. Even he wasn't aware of my feelings. By the time his other half accidentally pulled it out of me, he was already gone."
"How'd he die?"
"Brother killed him."
"Dad did that?" Hisui's finger muscles tightened uncomfortably. "And you don't resent him for it?"
"Brother is family too, Hisui. And if he hadn't, someone would have. It might've even been me!"
"Kin'u-neesan and Gyokuto-neesan conspiring to wed me off to Princess Aiya is looking a lot saner."
"Haha, perhaps. Shall we begin heading home?"
Hisui got on Kirara.
Kohaku glanced back at the hole in the air where the wind simply ended.
"Farewell again. Hakudoshi."