Crystalline Sanguine Saga
Chapter 2
It took Emiko less than a week to discover Inuyasha's whereabouts and even less time to get there with her wings and ability to fly.
As she neared the village where she was told the hanyo resided, Emiko thought back to how nearly all the humans she had stopped to talk to knew who Inuyasha was. They had both negative and positive things to say about him, and the ones that had negative things to say all seemed weary of Emiko.
"You're a hanyo, too, aren't you?" They would scowl. They could tell just by looking at her that she had yokai blood rushing through her veins.
"Just tell me where he is before I lose my patience with you humans." Emiko would often respond, cracking her knuckles bitterly to intimidate them. That tough girl persona would usually get them to speak up.
Emiko was only half surprised to hear that Inuyasha had settled down in his village of residence with his human wife. Hanyos were people capable of falling in love, too, she supposed. Her mother was evidence of that. Perhaps what surprised Emiko the most was that Inuyasha had supposedly settled down at all. Based on the stories she had heard, he didn't sound like the type to want to do that.
As Emiko entered the village, human residents that were out and about stared at her. Some were even shaking.
"A yokai's wandered right into the village!" A woman cried out, dropping her basket of fish. Emiko was tempted to pick up the fish for her, but decided against it based on her usual experiences with humans.
"Someone get Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kagome!" A man cried out before racing off to retrieve any of those people.
"So Inuyasha does live in this village." Emiko thought to herself before calling out "Bring me to Inuyasha!" However, as she made this demand, all of the villagers fled. At least, nearly all of the villagers.
"What do you want with my father?" Emiko turned to see an unusual looking woman only a handful of years older than herself pointing a spear in her direction. This woman had silvery white hair and gold eyes, but everything else about her, including her scent, was human-dominated.
Emiko's eyes widened. "You're a hanpa, like me.."
A couple of villagers came running back to the scene, followed by a man resembling the hanpa woman, but with pointed canine ears upon his head.
"Inuala!" He cried out, reaching for the hilt of his sheathed sword.
"D-don't worry, Otousan!" The woman, supposedly Inuala, scowled at Emiko. At least, she tried to. She trembled as she pointed her spear at the other hanpa, the weapon rattling. "I-I'll protect the village t-this time!"
"You don't seem so sure about that." Emiko responded, still stunned that she was standing before another hanpa. "Listen to me, I just wish to speak with Inuyasha."
Inuala's gold eyes widened. She lowered her weapon before her gaze darted over towards her father.
Her father stepped forward. "I'm Inuyasha! What do you want?"
Before she knew it, Emiko was sat down to have tea with Inuyasha's family.
"With all the fuss the villagers were making, I would have thought that the village was under attack!" Kagome, Inuyasha's human wife and miko of the village, told Emiko before serving her a cup of tea. "But it turns out, it was a girl just like our Inuala!" Kagome smiled towards her daughter, who was quietly sipping her tea a few feet away.
"I wouldn't say "just like". Your daughter is the majority human, isn't she? I'm the majority yokai. But still.. We're both hanpa. And hey.. I'm not a girl anymore. I've just had my coming of age and became a woman.. At least.." Emiko averted her eyes. "..I had until I was given a mission to go on as a rite of passage."
Kagome nodded as she took in this information. "The quarter of yokai blood that Inuala has came from her father. Speaking of which, what did you want to speak to Inuyasha about? Is it part of this "rite of passage" you mentioned?"
Emiko reached into her travel sack that she had put together. Out from it, she pulled the glowing half of the Blood Coral Crystal that Aoi had given her. "Do you know what this is, Inuyasha-San?"
Kagome's eyes widened a bit. "That's..!"
"It certainly smells familiar." Inuyasha responded, his nose twitching. "That's the Blood Coral Crystal or whatever, isn't it?"
Emiko nodded. "My mother was the last bearer of it while it was still whole until you freed her from that duty, Inuyasha-San."
"Then your mother.. Is that little hanyo girl, Shiori?" Kagome asked, finally putting the pieces together. That explained the rest of Emiko's unusual appearance. Her tan skin, her violet eyes, they came from Shiori.
"I didn't know her when she was little, but she is a hanyo and her name is Shiori." Emiko responded.
"I guess things worked out for Shiori, then." Inuyasha told his wife as he turned to her.
Kagome nodded, directing her attention back to Emiko and her half of the crystal. "But why is the Blood Coral Crystal glowing faintly? I thought that Tessaiga absorbed all of its power decades ago!"
"I think that it's regained some of its power because it knows that the other half has been stolen and is in danger. That's my rite of passage mission.. To retrieve the other half." Emiko put the crystal back in her bag, a small scallop shell falling out that she didn't notice. "Both halves of the Blood Coral Crystal had been kept all this time in hopes that, when reunited, they would regain some of their power that could be forged into a fierce weapon for my coming of age."
Inuyasha glanced down at Tessaiga on his waist, then glanced up at Emiko and said "I think that your half of the Blood Coral Crystal has regained part of its power for one reason and one reason only.. It wants to help you recover its other half. It wants to become that weapon for you."
"You really believe that the crystal is acting on a will of its own?" Emiko asked, surprised.
"Don't underestimate objects that are supposed to be inanimate. Tessaiga has acted on its own plenty of times." Inuyasha responded.
Emiko gazed down at her travel sack, the faint glow of the crystal peering out of its opening. "In that case.." She gazed up at the hanyo and dipped her head respectfully. "..Please tell me who crafted Tessaiga. I wish for a superior blacksmith to craft a weapon from my half of the Blood Coral Crystal."
Kagome and Inuyasha's eyes met. They gazed at each other for a moment or two before, in unison, they let out "Totosai."
"You want Totosai." Kagome told Emiko. "He's the man who crafted Tessaiga, and Kibayari, too."
Emiko quirked a brow. "Kibayari.. What's that?"
On the other side of the room, Inuala set down her cup of tea, using her now free hands to stand her spear up right. "This is Kibayari." She spoke in her soft voice. "..It was forged from my father's fang, and Tessaiga was forced from my grandfather's fang. I'm certain that the blacksmith Totosai will be able to forge a weapon out of your Blood Coral Crystal for you."
"How is Kibayari doing, Inuala-Chan?" Kagome asked her daughter. "It isn't in need of maintenance, is it?"
Before Inuala could respond, her father scoffed a bit. "How could it be? She only uses it for spearing fish!"
Inuala lowered her head in shame. "..I'm sorry, Otousan.. I will try to do better."
Kagome glared at Inuyasha, who immediately became unnerved and tried to reassure his daughter that he wasn't disappointed in her. "Inuala.. I didn't mean it like that!"
As an argument broke out between Inuyasha and Kagome over the upsetting of their daughter, Emiko sighed and drank from her cup of tea.
Night had fallen, and a while later, Emoko was sitting on a grassy hill with her back to the village as she gazed out into the forest in front of her. The wind blew past her, carrying with it the scent of Inuyasha.
Inuyasha sat beside Emiko on her hill, silent for a moment or two before asking "Gonna stay the night?"
"Might as well. It's getting late and I'm on a human sleep schedule thanks to my family." She laughed a bit, referring to Shiori and Shizu. Emiko brought her knees up to her chest, resting her chin upon them.
"Hey.. Emiko." Inuyasha began, gazing off into the forest instead of making eye contact with the young woman. "Do me a favor, will ya?"
"Huh?" Emiko lifted her head a bit and turned to him. "..Inuyasha-San?"
"..Take Inuala with you on your journey." The wind picked up, billowing the hanyo's silver tresses in its breeze. "..She's lived a rather sheltered life with a gifted miko and a powerful hanyo for parents that are always there to protect her. But I'm worried.. Kagome and I won't always be there. She needs to learn what the real world is like. She needs to get some blood on her knees. She needs to learn how to use Kibayari."
Aoi had said that Emiko was to retrieve the other half of the Blood Coral Crystal on her own. Did she truly mean for Emiko to do it solo, or did she simply mean that she would not be receiving help from Shiori, Eiji, or Aoi herself? Emiko didn't know, but getting the Blood Coral Crystal was most important, right? Besides.. This was a request from Inuyasha himself, the man who had set her mother free as a child. How could she possibly refuse?
"Alright. I'll bring Inuala-Chan with me." Emiko responded, smiling a bit.
Inuyasha rose to his feet. "C'mon, let's head back to the village. It's getting late." The wind suddenly picked up again, carrying two similar yet distinct scents with it.
"..I know that smell." Inuyasha scowled irritably. "But, that other smell.." He tilted his head back and sniffed the air. "..A second wolf? Tch.. That Koga!" Inuyasha set back towards the village in a hurry, leaving Emiko in his wake.
"Uhh.. Inuyasha-San!" Emiko called out before giving chase.
Back in the village, Kagome was laying out the bedding for the night along with Inuala when her eyes suddenly fell on the small scallop shell that had fallen out of Emiko's travel sack earlier. "Hmm?" Kagome held it up to her face, examining it.
"This couldn't have come from nearby. It must be Emiko-Chan's." She thought to herself before pocketing the shell for safekeeping.
Inuala suddenly lifted her head and spoke. "Okaasan, someone is approaching."
"Huh?" Kagome turned towards her daughter, and then towards the doorway of their home as a strong breeze picked up. The two women reached for a bow and arrows and Kibayari respectively before dashing outside and finding themselves face to face with two wolf yokai, one male and one female.
Kagome lowered her bow at once when she saw the two yokai. "Koga, it's you!" She exclaimed, and then her eyes fell on the female wolf yokai, who appeared a bit older than Inuala. "Who is this?"
"Kagome!" The male wolf yokai took a step towards the two women. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? You still married to that mutt, Inuyasha?" He towered over Kagome and Inuala somewhat, and the latter's grip on Kibayari tightened.
"Yes, I am, and you're still married to Ayame, aren't you?!" Kagome reminded Koga as he took her hands in his. Seeing this, both Inuala's gold eyes and the green eyes of the she-wolf burned with anger.
"Otousan, is this where you've been running off to all this time?!" The she-wolf stepped forward, seething with anger.
Kagome blinked, and Koga dropped her hands. "'Otousan'.." She repeated.
"What?" Koga turned towards the she-wolf. "I swear I haven't! I haven't been here in ages!"
As the two wolves began to bicker, Kagome put the pieces together. The resemblance, calling Koga "Otousan".. This she-wolf was Koga's daughter.
"Ayano-Chan, do not tell your mother that I came here!" Koga pleaded to the young woman that was a delightful mix of Ayame and himself.
"And why shouldn't I? Okaasan deserves to know that you never loved her or me!" Ayano pointed at Kagome angrily. "You're still in love with the mortal woman, and she's married with a daughter of her own!" She gestured to Inuala.
Inuyasha and Emiko ran up on the scene, the former seething with anger much like Ayano was. "Come to try and steal my wife again, you mangy wolf?" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles angrily.
Suddenly, Inuala was before Koga, Kibayari pointed at his throat. This earned a surprised look from everyone. Kagome and Inuyasha were especially surprised, seeing as their daughter was usually sweet and gentle.
"Do not interfere with my parents' marriage." Inuala told Koga in a voice that was deeper than usual. "..You will regret it."
Before anyone could even blink, Ayano had yanked her father out of the way and had taken his place. "My father interfering with your parents' marriage?! Your mother is the reason why my father is unfaithful!" She pointed at Inuala angrily.
A catfight between Ayano and Inuala didn't even have a chance to break out before a masculine scream could be heard in the direction that Inuyasha and Emiko had just come from.
"The forest where Inuyasha and I first met.." Kagome thought to herself, gripping her bow. "..Someone is there and they need help!"
Masashi sighed as he fell down the well for what felt like the sixth time. For something that was so overgrown with vines, the walls sure were difficult to climb. It probably didn't help that he was wasted.
He felt relief course through his body when he heard several footsteps approaching the old well that he was trapped in. What he didn't expect was for a group of costumed people to peer down at him from the top of the well.
"..Uh.. Nice costumes!" He called up from the bottom of the well. "Can any of you give me a hand?"
The raven haired woman who was dressed like a traditional miko began to tremble as she gazed down at him. "Those clothes.. He's from.."
Masashi blinked in surprise as a tear fell from the miko woman's eyes and splattered on his cheek. "She sure is a good actress, being able to cry on cue like that.." He thought to himself.
"Kagome, do you seriously think that this guy came from your time?" The silver haired male asked the miko woman.
Kagome brought her hands up near her face as the waterworks picked up. "It's been over twenty years since I've been able to go back to that time period.. Over twenty years since I've seen my family.."
Masashi moved out of the way as the miko cried into the well. "Um.. I see you're kinda busy rehearsing.. But could somebody please get me out of here? I'm a little drunk.." He tried to explain.
"Okaasan.. Please do not cry." A young woman around Masashi's age put her hands on Kagome's shoulders as the silver haired male suddenly stood up on the edge of the well, gazing down at Masashi.
"I'll come down and get you, but once I do, you have some explaining to do!" He called down.
Masashi scrambled up against the far side of the well as the silver haired male jumped down, landing before him with ease. As Masashi was brought up out of the well, he saw the man that was dressed like a wolf turn to the younger woman that was dressed similarly.
"Oi, Ayano-Chan. I've had enough of this. Are you coming home with me or what?"
Ayano bunched her hands into excited fists. "No way! I'm going to stay and see what happens next!"
"Suit yourself." The wolf man kicked up a cyclone before zooming off towards the mountains.
Masashi blinked. The alcohol was clouding his mind and he could not think rationally. "Those sure are some cool special effects.." He let out in response to how quickly the wolf man managed to move.
Kagome wiped the remains of her tears away on her sleeve, regaining her composure.
"Okaasan, what's going on?" The woman who resembled both Kagome and the man who had rescued Masashi asked.
"I'll explain it to you later, Inuala-Chan. But right now, this man is lost and needs our help." Kagome responded, then suddenly knelt before Masashi. "Can you tell us your name?" She asked him.
"Nakamura Masashi." He let out. "Nice costumes.. If you could call me a cab back home, that would be great." He scratched the back of his head.
Kagome smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that cabs don't travel out here." She told him half-truthfully. "Why don't you spend the night with us? We have extra space."
The silver haired male opened his mouth to protest, but Kagome simply glared at him and he went quiet.
By the time that the group returned to the village, the drunken Masashi had fallen asleep on Inuyasha's back.
"Cripes! Why do I have to be the one to carry him?" Inuyasha complained before putting Masashi down on a spot of bedding next to the wall.
"Thank you for doing so." Kagome smiled warmly to her husband before turning to Ayano, who had followed them back. "Will you be staying the night, Ayano-Chan?"
"Yes, please!" Ayano suddenly dipped her head apologetically. "I'm sorry for the things that I said earlier.."
"Think nothing of it!" Kagome waved it off. "Why don't you pick a spot to sleep?"
Ayano nodded, selecting a spot of bedding in between Emiko and Masashi. Inuyasha watched from the bedding that he and Kagome usually shared. At least his daughter wasn't sleeping right next to the strange man that Kagome had invited into their home.
Inuyasha kept watch over everyone as they fell asleep, one by one. Finally, he got comfortable under the bedding next to Kagome, prepared to retire himself. He could fall asleep with the reassuring thought that, the next day, Inuala would leave with Emiko on a journey that would raise her better than he ever could.