Chapter 20
The sea tastes like salt today,
And waves knock against my oar
My boat sways to silent song
I can no longer see the shore
Hunting for Rin was exhaustive. It was a strong trail to start, and Sesshomaru had found it instantly, but in mere hours he had lost it. He, of all people, had failed to track someone. And a ningen woman nonetheless. It couldn't have been impossible; it shouldn't even have been difficult for someone like him. His highly developed nose had been able to scent out every aspect of his ward's person in those first hours—the sharp twist of fear and tears, whispers of food, Sesshomaru's own scent (though severely muddled and faint), and curiously enough flickers of Megumi's scent as well. Sesshomaru had deduced much from these details; Rin had left with provisions, but not nearly enough for how long she had already been gone. What bothered him most was that she had taken something that carried Megumi's scent. Kimi had, upon informing him of Rin's disappearance, mentioned how Sesshomaru's kimono was found missing from Megumi's chamber not long after his ward had vanished.
They had suspects, of course; there was no way the Western Shiro could be so masterfully duped without the aid of an insider. Jaken's spying had proven once again to be useful. Many nights ago he had overheard two youkai gossiping, as many in the shiro tend to do, and they had mentioned one by the surname of Furuya to have been acting fairly irregularly. His retainer had mentioned with shame that he had not placed a great emphasis on uncovering the verity of what was heard, and blamed himself greatly for taking his time. Sesshomaru had let him off easy due to the fact that the rumor mentioned Megumi, not Rin; it was understandable that he did not prioritize it.
Jaken had discovered, much to their misfortune, that there was a substantial number of residents in the Western Shiro with the name Furuya. Kimi had volunteered (with an unusual amount of eagerness) to aid Jaken in sifting through the list of potential spies. Knowing Kimi, her taste for physical . . . interrogation would make quick work of the most reluctant suspects. Jaken's greatest suspicion lied with Hina Furuya. She had been the primary attendant for Megumi while she was at the shiro, and many who had seen the pair in passing or had assisted Hina in caring for Megumi remarked that the youkai had seemed slightly hostile at times. Her temperament towards Megumi was a thing unheard of when a servant is told to serve an honored guest, and Jaken had felt personally wronged by this woman upon hearing she had been rough with his Lord's honored guest. When Sesshomaru's retainer relayed this information to the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands last night, Kimi's tongue had glazed over her fangs in unmasked glee. He knew, without a doubt, that by the time he returned she would have revealed the source of this unseemly turn of events.
The morning sun filtering through the leaves forced Sesshomaru to stop. It was time to admit that he had completely lost Rin's scent and had no chance of finding it again. The daiyoukai glared at the sky as he stopped running to contemplate his next move, shifting his weight between his feet as he did so. There was no doubt that Kimi and Jaken would handle things in his absence. He could lie to himself and continue his search for Rin, or he could change objectives. As a flying creature who knew all too well how easily a scent can vanish once it takes flight it was safe to assume that Rin had managed to go airborne as well. And unless he had a lead as to where she had gone, or who had taken her, it would be pointless to continue to scour the area for her.
So then; what should he do?
The answer hit him sooner than he was ready for. Tenseiga thrummed against its sheath and he habitually moved to watch it with eyes narrowing in suspicion. It vibrated with more force than usual this time. The daiyoukai shifted his weight once again and noticed that once the area Tenseiga was pointed towards changed that the vibrations dulled significantly. In front of him now was the horizon, littered with trees and shrubbery, no different than it was two seconds before.
Was he supposed to travel in that direction?
Sesshomaru caught himself before he could indulge his thoughts further. Would he really give into his father's fang yet again, especially after everything that he had learned? For all he knew it was not his father's will imbibed in the sword but Megumi's, and he didn't like the thought of succumbing to its trickery even once more.
And so, Sesshomaru ignored it.
But the very moment that he turned to face the direction in which he had come Tenseiga burned white hot in its sheath. The sudden appearance of its heated disapproval was enough to give him pause; the sword had never so adamantly responded to his ignorance before. Perhaps, just one more time, he should allow the silly thing to have its way.
With a start he realized exactly what lay in the direction that Tenseiga was urging him to go.
The damned sword was telling him he should return to Inuyasha's village and retrieve Megumi. To be fair, she had powers whose extent he was not yet aware of; perhaps there was a way for her to locate Rin. She had delved into Rin's mind once before, after all. Surely something was possible. Sesshomaru didn't want to give into Tenseiga's suggestion to go to her side—because that's all it really was, a suggestion he could choose to ignore—but whether he liked it or not he didn't really have anything better to do. His pride winced at the thought of going back on those words, Don't watch the sky, but it appeared that was exactly what he was going to have to do.
At least, for now.
I've sailed for many years now
Always forward, never back
And yet with you I go in circles
And the floorboards have begun to crack
Inuyasha practically choked when the blob approaching him on the horizon took on a more humanoid shape. There was absolutely no way that his imagination was leading him towards the right assumption. His half-brother had been so adamant in his desire to leave and stay far, far away–hadn't he? Inuyasha could have sworn that the bastard would be gone for a long time.
And yet . . . how many youkai were there that had a long pelt streaming after them whenever they soared through the air? And of that number, how many were daiyoukai capable of assuming humanoid forms?
Yeah . . . that pretty much answered his question for him. Sounds leaking out from the room behind him made Inuyasha's ears twitch fractionally without any conscious thought on his part. Behind him, Kagome chatted up a storm as was her tendency to do whenever Miroku and Sango were around. Considering how cranky his mate tended to get whenever her good moods were interrupted, Inuyasha made the executive decision to go investigate on his own. If he was lucky enough, he would be able to deal with his brother before Kagome even realized Sesshomaru had paid them a visit. As the hanyou took a step forward his trusty Tessaiga bumped softly against his side. How much time they'd spent together, him and that sword. The sturdy blade had crashed and gritted its teeth against the bite of its counterpart countless times before. Inuyasha really had no companions more reliable than his weapon–something that he found pride in, and yet . . . he hoped he wouldn't have to call his friend to his side today.
"I'm heading out," Inuyasha yipped over his shoulder as he marched out of the house he shared with Kagome. He heard her chirp something back at him, but all of his senses were already focused on the speck increasing its size against the sky. Sesshomaru was close, but Inuyasha would be able to put a reasonable distance between himself and his former traveling group before his half-brother even touched down.
As he resisted the urge to palm Tessaiga's hilt in his hand, Inuyasha mulled over why Sesshomaru would possibly be here. Perhaps, he considered, Sesshomaru really had stayed true to his word. It stood to reason that Sesshomaru's problem was not with Inuyasha (at present) or Inuyasha's village. Rather, it was a temporary visitor, who just so happened to no longer be visiting. Hadn't she left around five or six days ago? She certainly was long gone by now, that's for sure. So perhaps Sesshomaru already knew that she wasn't here, and that's why he had returned. It made plenty of sense to Inuyasha at least. Whether he liked to admit it or not, Sesshomaru was a well-calculated and meticulously kept together individual. There's no way he would ever do anything without a complete understanding of the situation first.
"Is Megumi here?"
Or . . .
. . . not.
Inuyasha squinted at the man that had just come to a halt on the ground just in front of him. "Feh! That woman already left."
Inuyasha wasn't sure who was surprised more–Sesshomaru, at the fact that Megumi wasn't here, or Inuyasha, at the fact that the Western Lord was shocked.
"You did not inform me of this."
A low growl of irritation slipped past Inuyasha's defenses, but he couldn't really help it. "Why the fuck would I keep tabs on your bitch?" he barked back. "You certainly didn't seem like you wanted me to, anyway." As soon as the words had left his mouth Inuyasha realized the danger of what he was implying, and the palm resting near Tessaiga started to sweat like crazy. His fingertips itched, expecting a battle. And yet . . . Sesshomaru didn't seem to care. It was like it hadn't even occurred to him yet that someone could have been watching the interaction between Megumi and himself. Perhaps even he didn't realize how drastically his guard had lowered during their–ahem–exchange.
Sesshomaru wasn't even looking at him. His eyes kept drifting back to that fateful hillside where the bone eater's well was. "When?"
"Days ago. She's long gone, I'd say. Didn't even look back."
Something close to a snarl slipped past the elder half-brother's defenses as he bit out his next question. "Where, Inuyasha?"
Unfortunately, he didn't have a good answer for this question. "Fuck if I know. Just wanted to know where the most isolated place near here was."
"Hn." If it was even possible, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed even further. Inuyasha imagined that he might be trying to bore a hole straight through the well with his eyes alone for how hard the daiyoukai's expression now was.
The back of Inuyasha's neck began to itch like crazy, but he fought valiantly to keep his restless paws by his sides. In stark contrast to Inuyasha's thinly veiled squirminess, Sesshomaru seemed almost nonchalantly still. He'd be tempted to label him as uncharacteristically still if it weren't for the Western Lord's notoriously stoic nature. Perhaps that was what weirded him out; given his assertive tone and swift, decisive movements up until now, Inuyasha was frankly quite puzzled as to why the hell Sesshomaru decided to freeze up all of the sudden.
In a weird, almost insightful moment, Inuyasha wondered if it was because Sesshomaru didn't actually know where to go from here. His inu's curiously flared up, bright and impulsive, and Inuyasha thought he ought to put his theory to the test. If Sesshomaru really was at a loss for what to do, perhaps he just needed a little nudge?
The unruly hanyou sighed, perhaps louder than really necessary, and shook his head. "They'll want space, to clear their head, and then they'll want you to come after them."
The glance Sesshomaru shot his way suggested that he must've looked insane.
Inuyasha sighed again. "Females, for fuck's sake! When you argue with one and go separate ways, they want you to come back and apologize!" The sudden outburst of laughter from the hut he came from had his ears perked up and twitching. "That's what it's always like with Kagome, at least."
Silence.
Inuyasha's claws twitched.
Tessaiga suddenly felt heavy where it rested against his side. Maybe he was horrendously dense. Maybe he'd misread his older sibling.
"Apologize," Sesshomaru repeated as if he was saying the word aloud for the first time. If Inuyasha wasn't mistaken, he looked almost thoughtful.
"It's a pain in the ass," Inuyasha growled out, crossing his arms and huffing. It was a pain alright: inus by nature were proud beings, and so were humans; both sides of his being constantly fussed and fought against such a humbling and vulnerable practice like apologizing. But what Inuyasha had that Sesshomaru didn't have was the experience in this particular field. And he knew, as someone whose ears had slicked back in shame after cooling down from an argument more times than he could count, that putting his pride away long enough to make amends with Kagome was worth the initial humiliation he always felt. He inclined his head back towards the well for a quick second, and Sesshomaru watched the movement soundlessly. "She headed out that way. It sounded like she was on her way to deal with the root of Rin's sickness or someth'n like that. Did'ya know Rin was sick?"
Sesshomaru's response was contemplative, subtle, and probably directed more to himself than anyone else. "She has found something."
"More like someone," Inuyasha butted in. Sesshomaru's sharp eyes flitted to train themselves on Inuyasha's face. The force of the superior demon's gaze made it harder to remember Megumi's words clearly as he tried to recall her exact wording. "The woman was talking about some other broad, I'm sure. She sounded like she knew what she was doing."
Sesshomaru made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat. "Then she will move swiftly." As soon as he spoke, he moved, his feet carrying him in powerful strides across the grass in the direction of the bone eater's well. In a second he'd passed where Inuyasha stood without so much as a glance, but something about heading back inside now didn't sit right with him.
Inuyasha was often brash, senseless, impulsive, foolhardy, and many other thick-skulled things that Kagome had called him over the years, but sometimes, sometimes, he was pretty damn good with his words.
"She told me that she felt there was a reason." Behind him, Inuyasha heard Sesshomaru stop, and he decided to push on before he gave himself a chance to regret the outburst. "She said she never meant to hurt anyone." Inuyasha turned around to face his brother, but all he saw was the proud daiyoukai's back. "I don't know what kind of fucked up relationship the lot of you have, but whatever it is, she seemed pretty fucked up over the whole thing. Hell, maybe she's telling the truth."
Sesshomaru said nothing, and a second later, he continued walking.
The mention of Megumi's thoughts over what happened between her and Toga sparked another memory. "Oy! Sesshomaru! One more thing." This time, Sesshomaru didn't stop walking. If Inuyasha could see his face now he imagined it would look faintly annoyed; Sesshomaru was evidently done lending his own flesh and blood an ear. "She said that after she dealt with Rin's shit, she was going to stand before Toga again."
That made him stop.
"She knows the old man's dead . . . right? What the fuck did she mean by that?"
Even from where he stood Inuyasha could see as the cardinal ruler's shoulders stiffened. "I know not," he admitted, as his hand shifted towards where their father's fang hung at his side–perhaps unconsciously so. Sesshomaru started walking again, faster than he had been mere seconds ago, and it was only Inuyasha's keen ears that allowed him to catch the next words Sesshomaru bit out. "Unless she intends to join him."
Inuyasha felt cold.
You, old enemy, Whirlpool of my Soul
I want no more of this water you own
The sea feels heavy with your presence
And it's all I've ever known
She was lost, she was cranky, and she was cold.
Katsumi didn't seem to give a damn about any of that though. She was a ruthless, heartless, inconsiderate, malicious, arrogant, disheveled, ornery, bit–
"Need I remind you, pet, that your thoughts are not your own?"
Rin glared. She couldn't even find it in herself to care. At first, she thought it was a blessing that Katsumi had relaxed her hold over Rin's faculties and allowed her the privilege of walking and talking on her own accord. That had faded away pretty quickly once she realized it was so that Katsumi could reap a greater pleasure out of Rin's sufferings. Because when you're evil, dragging your hostages along by a rope like a dog apparently sounds more efficient than commanding their bodies to move against their will.
Katsumi chuckled. "Your imagination never ceases to amuse me. Perhaps after I've dealt with your Lord I'll keep you around to replace Furuya."
Rin felt a shiver slip down her spine. Suddenly, the snowy slopes they were surrounded by weren't the only thing chilling her to the bone. "Furuya?"
Katsumi tossed a lazy look over her shoulder, flicking her wrist dismissively as she did. The rope she had clutched in her palm danced between them as she moved her arm about. "My spy, pet. You didn't think you were the only weed I had festering in that shiro did you? A lady such as myself needs more reliable sources than mere ningens." The way she spoke of humans made Rin's stomach clench. Leave it to a few fancy spells to make Rin's captor feel all high and mighty.
Katsumi's shoulders shook as she laughed again, the sound of her amusement clear and sharp. "In time, dear Rin, you'll come to see why my subjects revere me as a kami. It would be unwise of you to deny that which, deep down, you already know to be true. You've seen for yourself what I'm capable of have you not?" Rin opened her mouth to argue but shut it just as quickly. Katsumi was right. Though she was being dragged along by a rope now, Katsumi had cut weeks off of their travel time by morphing into a dragon and clutching poor Rin in her claws. Though she was unlike any youkai or daiyoukai Rin was familiar with, she had to begrudgingly acknowledge that sort of feat was beyond the scope of any human. "Humans pose no threat to me, Rin. And until your dear Sesshomaru is capable of dispelling the seal on your brow, neither do daiyoukai."
Rin scowled defiantly. "Sesshomaru will make quick work of you, seal or not."
"Curious how he hasn't managed to yet though, ne?"
"If you'd show your face like a true daiyoukai then we'd see about that."
Rin practically felt the air shift around the pair the second those words escaped her lips. Her anger cooled, and suddenly she felt like a barefoot child in a checkered kimono all over again. Katsumi turned, unabashedly grinning, and strut leisurely towards where Rin stood. Rin raised her chin and narrowed her eyes to show she was defiant even in her fear, but the defensive posture did nothing but make Katsumi's grin even wider. The ruby-eyed woman's canines popped into view from behind her blood-red lips as she cackled.
And when she stood directly in front of her, Rin felt the full onslaught of her complete and utter helplessness. "I am no daiyoukai, darling."
Rin gulped.
"I don't play by their rules."
Far ahead of them, set against the summit, a lofty shiro loomed. The snow blistered about the two of them and drifted around the eddies in the wind like straw roofs in Miroku's Wind Tunnel. Miles of frozen ground ahead of her and miles behind. Rin felt so terribly, terribly alone. Her heart sank lower than it had in years and Rin found that she did not have the strength to lift it back up.
"That's a good girl," Katsumi purred, stroking Rin's cheek in a mockery of the almost motherly gesture. She flinched at the contact but did not pull away. She wasn't dumb enough to do that. Fresh tears threatened to retrace the dried paths of previous ones down her skin as Katsumi untied her restraints. "Humans are easier to manage when they've given up." Katsumi tossed the rope into the nearest snowbank before turning around and continuing back up the slope, leaving Rin stunned in her place.
"You're abandoning me?" Rin's voice felt weird and raw. What was Katsumi planning?
The woman in question let yet another tendril of her laughter slip out. "Far from it, I assure you. But I figured I ought to reward your compliance with a bit of freedom of your own."
"I never agreed to comply with you," Rin fought.
Katsumi shrugged. "Your dear daiyoukai has yet to identify my existence, pet. It will be a long time before anyone comes for you." Rin's captor continued her way up the mountain, and with each step away from her, the unnatural warmth that had been surrounding her person slowly melted away. Still, she felt almost too confused to move. Could she run? Could she make it down the mountain and towards one of the villages she had seen on their way here? Sesshomaru may not know who had taken her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't find her eventually. Hadn't Katsumi said they'd been discovered? That must mean someone would find their way here sooner or later.
Right?
"Escape, if you'd like," Katsumi called to her without breaking her stride. But something about the way she said it made it sound like she already knew what Rin's decision would be.
And maybe she did; because a moment later, Rin's feet moved of her own accord–towards Katsumi.
Rin had given up.
Shall I ever escape you?
You're the seaweed around my neck
Slowly strangling, surely prevailing
Your storms cause my shipwreck
She was well-rested, at least. Finding somewhere to touch down in order to sleep had been a pain given her desires to land somewhere uninhabited. She knew where she was flying (mostly) but it wouldn't do for her to arrive on a few hours' sleep and an empty stomach.
And so she had camped. Time was a precious thing, she knew, but she couldn't afford to be rash at such a critical stage in her journey. She had given her word to Sesshomaru that she would take care of fixing Rin. And even if Sesshomaru didn't seem to give a damn about their deal, what with the way he stormed off, Megumi did. She valued it even more now since seeing Rin in Temperament's clutches. Megumi imagined that he had returned to the shiro and noticed Rin's absence by now. Had she mentioned at least once to Sesshomaru about the existence of the other Twin Dragon, perhaps he would have a lead of his own to follow, but foolishly she hadn't. So now it truly was up to her and her alone to save Rin.
Which meant that she had but one chance to do it right.
Her opponent wasn't anything to bat an eye at either. Megumi wasn't exactly quite sure how old the other Dragon was, but she knew from the words she read centuries ago that the Dragon spirits were on equal footing. As far as power reserves were concerned they had equally large ones to pull from: success would be awarded to the party that best knew how to wield their gift. It wouldn't hurt to have her power levels at the max before she made the final leg of her journey though. So she had touched down, transformed, and taken a few nights to hunt and regain her strength. With the seal broken, her body had been quick to catch up on some much-needed healing. The scratches were fully gone, and the angry red marks that Sesshomaru's sharp teeth had left along her neck were long gone too. Her collarbone and leg were working swimmingly and there was a strength in her steps that Megumi had been missing this past month. Her body was strong, ready, but her mind was not.
In truth, Megumi's thoughts were a raging cloud of ceaseless motion. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't understand why the Twin Dragon of Temperament was doing this. Attacking Megumi, she could understand. Several of the scrolls she encountered warned against potential attempts at a host's life by all sorts of creatures due to the incredible power they had the potential to wield. There were even some mentions of Timidity and Temperament's former hosts eliminating the other in hopes of reigning unchallenged in the mortal absence of their counterpart. And even if it wasn't Temperament; even if Megumi wasn't actively threatening anyone, she'd hardly be surprised if someone sought to eliminate her. She didn't take it personally–these things just tend to happen when you possess something that makes others nervous.
But why bring Rin into this?
It was the involvement of Sesshomaru's ward that made Megumi puzzled. Megumi had been in Japan for some time now, but it wasn't until the attack on Rin that a subsequent one was made on Megumi. So she couldn't help but wonder if Temperament's host decided to strike against her now to ensure that she was out of the way for whatever else she was planning. But what on earth did she have against Rin? Certainly, the lifespan of a human was too small a time to generate a grudge strong enough to invoke this sort of retribution against the young woman. It left little room for serious incidents to occur, and due to Rin's young age, Megumi doubted anything that a small child was capable of would merit this sort of retaliation from someone who had lived through literal centuries. So if not Rin, it had to be Sesshomaru. And something about that still rubbed Megumi the wrong way. If Sesshomaru had personally grieved her counterpart so, then wouldn't he at least know of her existence? Sesshomaru never once hinted towards having an idea whose wrath he could have so strongly evoked. He had expressed an uncertainty towards Megumi's nature that she was confident he would not have had he already encountered the other Dragon.
So what the hell was her deal? Megumi couldn't wrap her head around it.
But as she squared her shoulders and dressed for the day, she reminded herself that there was only one person that could properly satiate her curiosity: and she was on her way to see her.
Megumi let her hands fall to her waist when her clothes were settled and secure around her, allowing herself a brief moment to gaze into the section of the river where the flow was the slowest. It was a hazy reflection and a poor imitation of herself that stared back at her, but Megumi recognized herself nonetheless. She wore a deep green today, the last of the three kimonos Sesshomaru had prepared and packed for her. The black, gold, and white accents snaking through the fabric flickered and bobbed in the current as Megumi studied them. She had to admit that she looked pretty good. Not exactly like she was about to head into some sort of conflict, but it was a good look nonetheless. She had taken the time to put her hair into one long, tight braid, efficient for keeping the loose strands all in the same place. Shimuzi's warning against starting a fight with such a grabbable hairstyle danced around in her head as she pivoted away from the stream and sauntered back into the clearing.
If my opponent feels securing me by my hair is a necessary course of action in order to secure her victory, Megumi envisioned herself retorting, then I'll simply cut it off. At her hip, the blade she'd trekked into town to obtain caught in the moonlight, and the cold metal sparkled. It was paltry in craftsmanship to many of the blades she'd had the privilege of witnessing and wielding over the years, but it would have to do. She did not care if it lived only through this battle before succumbing to retirement.
One battle would be enough.
From her makeshift campsite, Megumi took nothing other than herself, leaving the dying embers to cool on their own long before dawn hit.
She took a breath.
And then she flew.
Megumi flew far and Megumi flew fast. The rapidly fading night sky enveloped her draconic form as she darted above the clouds towards the mountains laden with snowy peaks. Just before the dawn hit, she darted below the cloud line to snake against the rocky mountainsides ever closer to her target.
Hang on, Rin.
I'm coming.
Megumi wondered, as the shiro came into view and she soared straight towards it, if those were the same thoughts dancing around in Sesshomaru's head.
It was the sudden onslaught of a sharp whistling sound that pulled Megumi's attention towards the figure garbed in solid red standing out in the open. With her keen draconic sight Megumi was able to identify the figure awaiting her the minute that her eyes locked onto the woman's frame. It was she that had released that incredibly sharp whistle, and as she lowered her hands from her mouth she let loose a wicked grin and waved cheerily.
"I've been waiting for you!" she called out as Megumi circled the air above the shiro. "Come down here and let's have a chat . . . Madarame-san."
So, she knew her name.
Something about the Dragon's behavior tipped Megumi as curious, but she entertained her equal's offer and placed the full weight of her draconic form on the ground before transforming and standing before her in her humanoid form.
"I am here for Rin," Megumi told her plainly, even as her eyes scanned the grounds for any sign of Sesshomaru's beloved ward.
Across from Megumi, Temperament's eyes sparkled merrily. "Oh, I know. But it's improper to enter a shiro without first paying your respects to the presiding Lady."
Megumi understood, then, what it was that her rival wanted: to play a game. And so, Megumi entertained her. "And that would be you, I presume?"
She merely smiled. "Katsumi Kuromiya."
"Megumi Madarame."
"I didn't ask for your name, Timidity."
"Neither did I, Temperament."
Movement from a way beyond Katsumi pulled Megumi's focus towards the distraction, and she was pleasantly surprised when she locked eyes with Rin.
Who looked positively horrified by Megumi.
So . . . it was probably safe to assume that she had seen Megumi transform.
"You two are . . . ?" Rin's voice trailed off as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. She took the slightest step away from the Twin Dragons but moved no further than that. Megumi couldn't figure out why at first, but then she realized with a start what Rin was probably thinking right now, given the measured exchange she'd had with the other dragon thus far.
"We are the same," Megumi confessed. "But our goals are not. I am here for you. I gave Sesshomaru my word that I would remove your curse. I will not betray him now." That tiny voice in the back of her head tried to remind her that he probably didn't give a damn about any of that now. Rin looked almost relieved at the mention of her Lord by name, but the relief and hope on her face didn't look like it was anything more than surface level.
Megumi fought against the glare she wanted to send Katsumi's way. Just what had she done to Rin?
If Katsumi noticed Megumi's disapproval, she didn't seem to care all that much. If anything she smiled even brighter. "How very curious of the Western Lord to send someone else in his place to retrieve his charge? Perhaps he had more important business to attend to, ne?" The slight against Rin rubbed Megumi the wrong way, even if she was careful not to let that show on her face. With the return of her powers came the return of her control, and she was grateful for it. The last thing she wanted Katsumi to know was that Sesshomaru and herself were no longer working on the same page. That was, however, until Megumi saw Rin's shoulders sink further in defeat. Some things were more important than saving her image.
Some things were more important than her pride.
"Sesshomaru and I have parted ways. It is a mere coincidence that I found you before he did." Katsumi's eyes sharpened at the admittance, but it wasn't to Katsumi that Megumi looked. She spoke to Rin, and the woman's spirit brightened almost instantly as she looked right back at Megumi. Hope danced in Rin's eyes, so vulnerable and erratic that Megumi almost wanted to smile. It was almost like her eyes were asking Megumi a question: Is he looking for me? Is he coming?
Megumi nodded, slowly, and that was enough.
Rin surprised both Dragons when she started running towards them.
Towards Megumi.
Katsumi was the first to move, and she danced directly into Rin's line of sight. Her eyes narrowed in a dangerous warning as she whipped around, sparks flying off her skin, and grabbed Rin by the throat. "Not fast enough," she spat.
Megumi murmured under her breath as she moved to resheathe her sword. "I could say the same to you."
Yes, Katsumi had moved first, but Megumi was quicker. In the span of a breath that it took Katsumi to reach Rin and seize her by the throat, Megumi had drawn her blade and closed the space between her and Katsumi. The silence grew between the two of them as the thin, delicate line of blood slipped from Katsumi's own neck and towards the hem encircling her neckline. Katsumi said nothing as she released Rin from her grasp and carried her hand slowly towards her neck, where she traced the thin red line that Megumi's weapon had drawn. Megumi knew that she would not have been able to kill her so easily, and she felt Katsumi knew the same. But the precision and control she exhibited over her sword put in no unclear terms the warning that Megumi had carved into Katsumi's skin:
The hands that she laid on Rin would be returned to her tenfold.
When Katsumi raised her bloodied finger to her lips and smirked, Megumi felt that it was the first real grin that she'd seen since her arrival. "Well played, Timidity. I see now why my youkai failed to eliminate you."
Megumi stepped back to allow Katsumi enough space to turn and face her head-on. Since her hand had first fallen on the hilt of her blade, Megumi's mind had shifted towards nothing but the thought of battle. So she was unprepared when, upon locking eyes with Katsumi, she sensed tendrils of her power on the dragon standing opposite from her.
Katsumi's eyes widened a second later.
Megumi was more than familiar with the process of erasing all traces of herself from someone's memories; she'd been doing it for years, after all. And so she was familiar with the signature that each mind from thereon carried: a faint, silvery crescent moon in their left iris visible only to herself at a close distance.
Why, then, was she seeing it in Katsumi's eye?
"I've tampered with your memories," Katsumi said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "And yet I remember you not."
Megumi understood immediately. "And I, you."
Katsumi reached the same conclusion a moment later. "It seems," she smirked, "that we have some catching up to do."
And then Megumi's memories came rushing back.
This tidal pull, from moon to wave
Exists between you and I
We're at world's end and I simply must know—
Will I drown before I die?
Author's Note:
I'm back! (Again). Sorry that it took so long. I hope you enjoyed the chapter though! Much love to all of you for the consistent engagement and support. I hope you enjoyed your time away from the story, but now it's time to COME BACK, BUCKLE UP, and GET READY because . . . . . . . . . .
THE FINALE IS MERE CHAPTERS AWAY!
Yes, you read that right. Are you excited? Nervous? Completely lost?
I'm excited, at least.
I can't wait to share it with all of you!
