EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 98: Making amends

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"Aren't you good company tonight?" Kagome said sarcastically. When he didn't respond, she leaned over and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hellooo? Is anybody in there?"

"Cut it out!" Inuyasha hissed under his breath, gently swatting her hand away. "Can't you see I'm trying to keep watch?"

She followed his gaze to Octavia, who was sitting around a different campfire with Rin and two demonesses he didn't know. Once he was satisfied that things were all under control there, he shifted his attention to Sesshoumaru, who was sitting beneath a large tree on the edge of the plaza, observing the crowd with an indiscernible expression.

Kagome frowned. "Again? Seriously? Why can't you just let it go?"

"Let it go? Are you crazy? I can't just ignore the reason we came here in the first place—"

"You're being paranoid. Look around you, Inuyasha. Everything is fine."

He gripped the Tessaiga's handle tightly. "We don't know that."

"Yes," she argued. "We do. Look, I understand how you feel. At first, I couldn't believe it either, but you saw what happened on the battlefield." She lowered her voice and whispered, "Did that seem like two people who wanted to kill each other to you?"

Inuyasha's mouth stretched into a scowl. "Looks can be deceiving."

As if by magic, Octavia tilted her head in Sesshoumaru's direction. Inuyasha felt incredibly validated when he saw traces of worry in her eyes, until Sesshoumaru met her gaze and shattered his assumptions with a single look. Inuyasha had never seen his brother wear such an expression before – except perhaps with Rin – but none of those could even hope to compete with whatever this was. To make matters worse, Octavia didn't seem put out by it in the slightest, if the minuscule smile she was wearing was anything to go by.

Kagome moved to place her hand on his shoulder, only to change her mind at the very last second. He saw her features twist with conflict out of the corner of his eye, but pretended not to in order to avoid steering the conversation into uncomfortable territory.

Not that it did him much good in the long run.

Sesshoumaru's eyes suddenly snapped to his, making him flinch. His ears drooped as the Daiyoukai rose to his feet and stalked towards the campfire that he and Kagome were sitting in front of. Despite her insistence that Sesshoumaru and Octavia seemed to be on friendly terms, Kagome sat a little straighter and fiercened her expression.

"I would speak with my brother alone," Sesshoumaru said, addressing her directly.

"Why?" she asked sharply.

"It does not concern you, miko."

"Actually, it does. You may be his brother, but I'm his wife. If you think I'm just gonna hand him over so that you can take him someplace remote and isolated, you can think again."

"I will not harm him. You have my word."

Inuyasha couldn't help but feel offended that Sesshoumaru was making an appeal to Kagome instead of him. He wasn't some glorified pet to be passed around from owner to owner. He was his own person, and he was perfectly capable of making decisions for himself.

"Anything you have to say to him you can say in front of—"

"It's okay, Kagome," Inuyasha cut her off. "I mean it. I've got this."

She didn't look happy, but she refrained from arguing with him in front of everyone. The swarms of youkai around the campfires had ceased talking and were listening intently. Inuyasha had always hated being the centre of attention, but it was infinitely worse here. Especially with Sesshoumaru looming over him like a creature from a nightmare, awaiting his response.

"So, where do you wanna do this?"

The Daiyoukai's gold eyes flashed dangerously. "Follow me."

Inuyasha gave Kagome a reassuring smile before trailing after him.

Sesshoumaru led him along a stone path that snaked down the hill opposite the docks. There wasn't a single ship in sight, much to Inuyasha's bewilderment. The usurper's army must have sunk them all during the invasion, if there had even been any to begin with. The port could have been out of use for centuries for all he knew. He shivered as a sea breeze slipped into his robes and chilled him from within. The sound of waves splashing against the edge of the docks made him feel slightly uneasy. He'd never been particularly fond of water. Not since the other children who'd lived on his mother's estate had shoved his head into the koi pond and held it underwater until he passed out from terror. He wasn't afraid of it anymore, but every now and then, the sound would remind him of the times he'd fought so hard to forget. Splish, splash, splosh, followed by a series of loud plinks as his tears rolled down his chin and into the water.

"So . . . What do you want?"

"To apologise."

Inuyasha's eyes grew to the size of tiny porcelain plates. "You what?" he choked, convinced that he'd misheard.

"I said I wish to apologise."

"Yeah, that's what I thought you'd said. I was just making sure I'm not losing my goddamned mind over here. I mean, what the fuck?"

A crinkle appeared between Sesshoumaru's eyebrows. "You are surprised."

He was starting to feel dizzy. "Surprised doesn't even come close to describing how I'm feeling right now!" he snapped. "First, you thank me, and now you wanna apologise? What the actual fuck is happening! Am I in another universe again?" He kicked the ground furiously. "Damn it! I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. That's what I get for charging ahead on my own like that. What are you apologising for, anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No, dickwad! It isn't!" Inuyasha was too angry to care about the repercussions of his words.

Shockingly, Sesshoumaru ignored his name-calling and gave him a straight answer for a change. "Then allow me to clarify," he said. "I am sorry for all that has transpired between us. My actions towards you were inexcusable, and I regret them more and more with each passing day. I was wrong to treat you that way. I should have taken care of you . . . I wish that I had."

For the first time in his life, Inuyasha was completely and utterly speechless. "Is this a trick?" he asked after an undetermined amount of time had passed.

"No," Sesshoumaru replied instantly.

"Some sick and twisted joke you're playing on me, then?"

"I speak only the truth."

Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. "But you hate me! You've made that perfectly clear over the years! I'm a stupid, disgusting half-breed who got Father killed! Wasn't that what you said the first time we met? And now you're saying you wished things had been different between us? That's bullshit!"

"Haven't you realised it yet?"

"Realised what!"

Sesshoumaru sighed through his nose. "I didn't despise you for being born a hanyou. I despised hanyou because of you."

Inuyasha almost laughed. "Yeah, no shit."

"You knew?"

"Of course I fucking knew! I'm not stupid, you know." He ground his teeth together to diffuse some of the tension in his jaw. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have nothing to gain from lying to you."

"Except my forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" Sesshoumaru echoed softly. "Foolish brother. I lost the right to that a long time ago. Now, I seek only to take accountability for the past. Starting with you." Funnily enough, his eyes were full of regret. "I truly am sorry. That is all I wanted to say."

Inuyasha tried to come up with an excuse to keep the conversation going. "Wait!" he cried out suddenly, stopping Sesshoumaru in his tracks. Turning his head, the Daiyoukai stared at him expectantly, whilst Inuyasha scrambled to arrange his thoughts into passably coherent sentences. "Why now?" he asked. "If you really felt that bad about it, you would have apologised ages ago. If you had, I might've . . . What's brought this on?"

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Is it not enough that I have abandoned my pride for you?" he growled. "Must you insist on knowing the inner workings of my mind as well as my heart?"

"Your heart?" Inuyasha whispered meekly. "Are you saying you—"

"Care about you?" His eyes darkened and he breathed a bitter laugh. "Is that what you want to hear? That I feel something for you other than revulsion? So what if I did? Would it even matter?"

"It might," Inuyasha said without thinking.

Sesshoumaru blinked in astonishment.

"It doesn't mean I gotta forgive you, though!" he backtracked quickly. "I'm still pissed at you for all those times you walloped me for no reason, and there was the time you almost blinded me. I know I hacked your arm off afterwards, but still. That was a dick move even for you."

"Indeed."

"You also tried to murder my wife a bunch of times, which wasn't cool, either."

"In my defence, she is more powerful than both of us combined."

Inuyasha snorted. "Now there's something I thought I'd never hear."

"What?"

"You acknowledging that you aren't the strongest being alive for once."

"There is no shame in identifying someone as a worthy opponent."

"I never said there was."

It was Sesshoumaru who chuckled then.

Inuyasha felt like he was having a stroke. "What's so funny, asshole?"

"Nothing. It simply occurred to me that you are nothing like our father. Aside from your looks, you are his polar opposite."

"Is that good or bad?"

"The answer remains to be seen."

The pleasantries ended there. Sesshoumaru's pupils thinned and his head whipped sideways. Inuyasha followed his gaze to a figure obscured by the shadow of the hill. He didn't recognise their scent, but there was something eerily familiar about them. The youki brushing up against him was reminiscent of Sesshoumaru's, and his own to a certain extent.

"What is it that you want now, Mother?" Sesshoumaru asked warily.

A gasp flew out of Inuyasha's mouth as a beautiful woman emerged from the gloomy darkness with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her silver hair glimmered like moonlight, but Inuyasha couldn't tear his gaze away from her face; specifically the tattoo on her forehead, which was in the shape of a crescent moon.

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"So this is Izayoi's offspring," his mother remarked casually. "Let me get a closer look at it."

Sesshoumaru's claws were poised to strike as his mother glided towards Inuyasha gracefully. He ought to have been alarmed by how willing he was to rip out her spleen if she tried anything, but he couldn't afford to lose focus lest she used his disconcertment against him.

Initially, she greeted Inuyasha's gawping with an obnoxious sneer, until she looked at him properly and saw what everyone else saw. Sesshoumaru heard her sharp intake of breath as she studied the hanyou's face. Her expression changed from smug to apprehensive in the space of a few seconds, and her hands trembled as she reached out to touch his jaw. Inuyasha refrained from speaking whilst she did, much to Sesshoumaru's relief.

"Remarkable," she muttered finally, lowering her hands. "The resemblance is uncanny. Has anyone ever told you that you are the spitting image of my husband in his youth?"

Inuyasha seemed to be lost for words. "Uh . . ."

Her eyes slid to Sesshoumaru and narrowed in amusement. "Is this why you couldn't put the poor thing out of its misery? I didn't realise you were so sentimental, Sesshoumaru."

"Tch. Ridiculous."

"What is your name, half-breed?" she asked Inuyasha directly.

He told her.

"Really? How quaint. Did you choose it yourself? Or did someone else decide for you? All of my suggestions were impeccable, but of course, my wiseacre of a son knew best. Any of his previous names would have been leagues better than the one he chose in the end."

"I think Father picked it," Inuyasha replied hesitantly. "Hold on, did you say previous names? What does that mean? Was Sesshoumaru not his birth name?"

"Of course it wasn't. What kind of mother would give her child a name as obscene as that?" She turned to Sesshoumaru and said, "He seems puzzled. Do mortals not have this custom?"

"They do," Sesshoumaru confirmed. "However, it is uncommon amongst the lower classes. They tend to keep their yomyo, even after they come of age. The tradition is more prevalent amongst those of noble and military bloodlines. His mother's sire refused to acknowledge him as a member of their clan, so he was deprived of the opportunities he ought to have been entitled to. And when she died, the coward tried to have him killed, but he had already fled. A wise decision, don't you think? His kind has always had strong instincts despite their diluted blood."

Inuyasha failed to contain his surprise. How did Sesshoumaru know all of that? He hadn't been around for that period of his life, and Inuyasha had certainly never told him about any of it. Perhaps Myoga had filled him in on what had happened in the wake of his mother's death? Inuyasha doubted that was the case, since the flea youkai had gone to extreme lengths to keep his whereabouts a secret from his vindictive elder brother, but how else could he have known?

"I see," said the demoness. "How fascinating."

"Speaking of birth names . . ." Inuyasha started. "What was yours? I've never heard anyone address you as anything but your current name or title, so what was it?"

Sesshoumaru scowled. "That is none of your business—"

"Getsumei," his mother answered gleefully. "A beautiful name for a beautiful boy."

Inuyasha cackled at the disgruntled look on his face.

Sesshoumaru cursed himself for allowing them both into the stronghold. Was it too late to change his mind? He considered ordering them to return to their respective homes, until he saw his mother's eyes sparkling with mischief. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her look so alive.

"You can always change yours if you want to," she told Inuyasha with a calculated smile. "What do you say? I can think of several that would suit you already."

"I'm good, thanks," he said. "Believe it or not, I actually think my name is kind of decent. Besides, Kagome would be super pissed if I just up and changed my name without telling her."

"Who is this Kagome you speak of?"

"She's my wife."

"You're married?" Inuyasha nodded. "Is she here?" Another nod. "Which one was she?"

"The miko from the battlefield," replied Sesshoumaru.

His mother arched an eyebrow. "Interesting. Few people would waste their time on a hanyou—much less a miko. You must be quite the romantic to have claimed her heart as well as her body." She sneered at him. "Perhaps you can teach my son a thing or two."

A grin spread across Inuyasha's face. "Thanks, but if you don't mind, I'd prefer to keep my neck attached to my shoulders. He ain't much of a team player, you see."

"If you're referring to the fact that he's an egotistical brat, I have no choice but to agree."

Sesshoumaru frowned harder. He was definitely exiling them.

Stuffing his hands into his sleeves, the hanyou proceeded towards the path snaking up the hill. When he reached the bottom of the slope, he stopped and turned back to look at Sesshoumaru and his mother, who were staring at him from across the docks.

"I didn't catch your name," he said, meeting the demoness' icy stare.

"That's because I never gave it, half-breed."

He chuckled in an attempt to mask his disappointment, but his drooping ears and strained expression revealed his true feelings. "Heh. Fair enough."

Sesshoumaru expected the conversation to end there, but his mother had other plans. "It's Megumi," she said, surprising him and Inuyasha both. "But you will address me as 'my lady'."

Inuyasha's face brightened, but he refrained from embarrassing himself further.

The wind picked up as he sprinted back up the path to the plaza. Sesshoumaru waited for his mother to break the silence left behind in his wake, but she seemed content to gaze out at the ocean. Waves crashed against the edge of the docks, breaking apart on the wall of boulders that acted as the boundary between land and sea.

"Why did you follow us?" he asked over the spray of seafoam. "What do you—"

"When were you going to tell me about your entanglement with that human?"

He stiffened. "As I said before, there is nothing to tell."

"Don't insult me, Sesshoumaru. You might have changed since we last saw each other, but I know what longing looks like." She heaved a sigh. "You foolish boy. This will only end in tears."

"You've heard the prophecies, then?"

"I'm not talking about fate or destiny. I'm talking about the fact that she's a—"

"Monster?" he guessed, then chuckled cruelly. "Aren't we all?"

Her tender expression caught him off guard. "She's not even that. Not anymore. She might as well be a ghost, or a memory of a time long passed. Trust me, she has nothing to offer you but death and destruction."

His chest bubbled with growing anger. "And? It doesn't change anything."

"It should." She sighed again when he didn't respond. "You know I'm right. Even if she'd been born a demon, it would never have worked out between the two of you. You are the blood of the moon god. The future of our clan rests exclusively on your shoulders. Her, on the other hand . . . She's stardust. That's all she is. And it's all she ever will be."

I want to be worthy of standing next to you.

"You're wrong, Mother," he said. "She is so much more than that."

He walked away before she could try to convince him otherwise.

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Rin yawned into her hands. Her eyes kept drifting closed without her consent, and her head felt twice as heavy as usual, as if it were stuffed to the brim with lead. She knew that if she stayed where she was, she would eventually drift off and have to be carried back to her room like a child. She wasn't sure why the prospect was so abhorrent to her, but she wanted to avoid it at all costs.

Her eyes strayed over to the campfire that Kohaku was sitting in front of, and she wondered how he could remain so alert with so little sleep, until she remembered what he did for a living. A youkai taijiya was required to work long hours without being hindered by frivolous issues such as hunger or fatigue. It was hardly a healthy lifestyle, but it was necessary for earning enough coin to survive in the harsh world they lived in. After all, he had no other plans to fall back on, and Rin knew for a fact that he wouldn't feel right mooching off his sister now that she had a family of her own to provide for. Rin admired his determination and independence, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't wished for a better future for him—one where he could live comfortably without needing to push himself to the limit simply to make ends meet.

He was currently engaged in conversation with a demoness from the Panther Tribe. She was a pretty girl with naturally pink lips and hair that shone like honey. Whatever they were talking about must have been incredibly fascinating because she didn't tear her eyes away from his face once, and neither did he. Rin felt a surge of annoyance sweep through her when the demoness purposefully laid a hand over Kohaku's knee. He didn't seem particularly bothered by it. In fact, Rin could have sworn that he'd shuffled closer, much to the other girl's delight.

She was about to tap Octavia on the shoulder and ask for her insight when the demoness suddenly leaned in and kissed Kohaku on the mouth.

Rin gasped and inadvertently let go of her cup, spilling mugicha all over her lap. "Fuck!" she hissed as the liquid soaked into her kimono.

"Language!" Octavia scolded, though she sounded more amused than angry.

Rin set her cup down on the ground and fanned the sopping wet fabric with her hands. Nagisa offered her a napkin and she accepted it graciously. When Kannika asked what had happened, she lied and said that her exhaustion must have caused the cup to slip out of her hand without her realising it. Fortunately, they all bought into the lie and resumed their merrymaking.

Embarrassed by her own shortcomings, Rin braved another glance at Kohaku and the pretty demoness. They were kissing in earnest now, cupping each other's faces and bumping noses as their mouths worked as one. Rin's stomach churned as Kohaku gathered the demoness' brassy hair into his hands and angled her head sideways so that he could kiss her more deeply.

She'd seen enough.

Scrambling to her feet, Rin bid her friends goodnight and hurried out of the plaza without looking back. Her heart hammered like a drum as she powerwalked through the gardens, praying that no one would speak to her until her breathing steadied.

She made it all the way to the courtyard that was visible from her engawa before a voice called out for her to stop. "Wait! Man, you walk fast for a human. Just hang on a minute, will you?"

As if her day couldn't have gotten any worse.

Inhaling deeply, Rin turned and met his gaze head-on. "Well? What do you want?"

Koga's brow creased. "We need to talk."

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Author's Corner

A brief history lesson about the term "yomyo" (aka childhood names):

"The term "childhood name" (yomyo or yomei in Japanese) refers to a name for use by someone only in his childhood (this custom was more or less limited to male children). Osanana and shoji are two other terms that can be used to describe this same type of childhood name. Such childhood names were in use primarily from the Heian through to the Edo periods for the children of military or noble families during their childhoods, and most often ceased to be used once the child passed through the coming of age ceremony and received his imina (real name) for adulthood. The names of members of the peasant class were also called "yomyo" (childhood names), but unlike the children of the upper class, they did not receive an imina at adulthood." —Japanese Wiki Corpus