'Come on, hurry up!'
She'd been waiting in this corner for what felt like forever for to show up after sneaking out of the caves again. It'd been about a year since she created her first barrier and the amount of control she'd achieved was remarkable, though there was plenty of work left before true perfection. After a few months of constant practice she became brave enough to risk leaving the caves and traveling out of their territory.
'It's not as if it's any more dangerous than staying inside anyways, and maybe this way I can find a permanent escape.'
Considering how powerful her Papa was Tsuryuko knew that even in the unlikely hood someone was willing to take her in, she would eventually be tracked down, either by her clan or those associated with it. For now she needed to make sure to return home in order to avoid even more bloodshed though her soul longed to experience the freedom her kind were meant to have. Training had become even more brutal since she started using the shield to avoid the increasing frequency of these 'odd moods', her wings being completely torn off the last time she tried to bring them out. It took quite a long time for them to grow back and she refused to risk it again, choosing instead to practice flying away from clan grounds.
During one such excursion, as she was in a small clearing attempting to lift up, she was caught off guard by two white haired demons. A major problem with her shield she hadn't worked past as yet was the inability to maintain it once she lost concentration on it, in fact her single focused mind tended to get her into quite a bit of trouble frequently.
Trying to keep them in her life of sight as they circled her, she took note of each male. Clearly father and son with how alike they were and the clear age difference, one with a single mark on each cheek, the other with two along side a crescent moon adorning the forehead. However, it was the white hair and golden eyes and scent that told her everything she needed to know about them and just how much danger she was in.
'Of all the beings to cross paths with, it had to be members of the dog clan. There's no way they'll allow me to live after everything Papa and the clan have done to them, and I can't blame them either.'
"What is your name pup, and why are you in my territory?" The older dog was the one to speak, the younger silent but continuing to flank. Pushing the fear down as much as possible, she crossed her arms and glared at the speaker.
"My name is Tsuryuko, and I was merely practicing. I wasn't aware I had traveled into the Western territory, but I am more than happy to cross back over."
She took a hesitant step away then immediately froze with her heart hammering as a low growl reached her ears, the pair matching her step. Fear and panic swirled within her, only growing when the twin sniffs reminded her that the dogs could sniff out a lie with ease.
'I really am going to die today. How could I forget something so important?'
She closed her eyes in anticipation of the killing strike only to be caught completely off guard by the older demon laughing. He introduced himself as Yuki and his son as Maru, inviting her to sit with them to discuss things. Once Tsuryuko explained a bit of her situation, Yuki offered to help her learn to wield her powers so long as she kept it a secret from her clan, something she was more than happy to do. Maru didn't always join but so far Yuki hadn't missed a single day, seeming to always know when she'd be there, even if she didn't know she would be. She also had yet to catch him by surprise, but continued to try as she was doing now.
Focusing as best she could on her shield and waiting for Yuki to come into her line of sight, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a strong grip lifted her from her hiding place, a tiny yelp bursting from her.
"Better pup, but you need to work on silencing sound as well, your heartbeat and breathing more than gives you away." He held her aloft in front of him, grinning widely at her which only made her pout and cross her arms.
"Just you wait , I'll perfect this and the rest of my powers and become the strongest Lady of the West ever!"
Raising a brow he chuckled at her and put her down, crouching so they were eye level, his amusement evident and obvious.
"And how, little Yuko, do you intend to become the Lady of the West? Last I checked my mate already held that title."
Tsuryuko lifted her chin and proclaimed with all the confidence of youth;
"Easy! I'm just going to make you mate me instead!"
Yuki threw his head back and let out a deep belly laugh that went on for quite awhile, wiping tears from his eyes when he was able to finally get himself back under control. Truthfully he was grateful for their chance meeting, he hadn't realized how dull and colorless his life had become until she came and brought the color back.
'When was the last time something made me laugh? I care deeply for Inukimi, but she's so serious and has infected everything around us with that same dull seriousness. It's such a shame she can't bring herself to be the same lively young female I first met.'
He ruffled Tsuryuko's hair abs chucked her chin, his head quirking to the side. "I think Maru might have something to say about that, don't you?"
She smiled mischievously and motioned for him to lean closer so she could whisper to him, which he did only to hear:
"My clan have far more females than males, so it's common for us to mate multiple males. I'll have you and Maru."
"I knew him as Yuki, not InuTaisho."
Everyone jerked their heads up to look at Tsuryuko, surprised she spoke after being silent all day. After dropping that bomb on them she'd completely shut out everyone, refusing to talk and forcing them to follow after her when she abruptly left. It has been a long day made even longer by the silence that forced them to focus on their discomforts. Bright sunlight and uncomfortable warmth brought mosquitos out en masse and as hard as they tried to keep them away, their sweat made them painfully aware of how little success they'd had. Even staying ahead of the humans couldn't keep the stench of unwashed bodies from invading the other's noses, leading to Sango and Miroku being left mostly alone during breaks.
Luckily they made sure to stop near a hot springs for the night, the water both soothing their sore muscles from the day's travel and stinging the bug bites they received as well. Taking turns allowed them all to bathe and have dinner ready as soon as everyone was done, the half-priestess being the last to walk back into camp. She stopped at the tree line and was hit with a wave of nostalgia that caused her heart to squeeze painfully. How long had it been since she'd thought about the days with her dogs? The sunlight played through her hair, it's warmth tickling her skin as it's scent mixed with that of the fire and food ahead and in that moment she made eye contact with Inuyasha, really seeing him for the first time.
'Why didn't I notice the resemblance sooner? Granted most silver dogs have the same coloration, but the nose and jaw are Yuki- No I suppose it's InuTaisho isn't it? All those years and he never trusted me enough to tell me who he really was...'
A breeze swept her way with the scents of the group and she took the opportunity to breathe in deeply separating them out until she could fully focus on the half-demon. Like a slap in the face she was finally able to detect his connection to his father - an unmistakably familiar scent. For a brief moment she hated him for this new truth and the pain it brought her, it was much easier when all she had to acknowledge was the pain of him abandoning her. The moment quickly passed and left her feeling raw and empty, but accepting it was time to talk. She joined the others for their final meal and enjoyed the earthy flavors of the stew, starting her tale once everyone was finished.
"When I was a... a child I had a run-in with an older demon and his son. He introduced himself as Yuki and his son as Maru, though I now understand it was a shallow play on words. Still, I had no reason to doubt him in all the years I knew him."
Tsuryuko paused and took a deep breath to help steady and control her emotions; she hadn't realized until earlier just how much she'd relied upon the relationship with her boys. Or who she'd thought were her boys. There were many nights she'd spoken at length about the cruel reality of her life with the clan, how she just wanted someone to care, to be there for her. And all those promises... No, it was better to not dwell, already she had to fight to push down the cruel laughing of her father, the taunts of the clan telling her she'd die alone, just like she lived. Unable to help herself she looked at each member of the group and saw mixed emotions, none of them good.
Inuyasha worked hard to push down the tide of hatred that usually followed anything to do with his family. What did this freak want? For him to feel sorry for her? To act as if he cared about anything she went through while she held Kagome's body hostage? Like fucking hell! He didn't even need to use his nose to tell that the others were on his side, he knew them well enough to read their reactions just by looking. All of them had a similar thought looping around: If she were truly a good person, would she have been cursed to the jewel? Doubtful, and it only made them that much more fearful for the safety of their young priestess.
With the scent of anger and derision heavy in the air, Tsuryuko steeled herself, pushing the emotions deep down to deal with later... maybe. It was clear there would be no compassion from those around, and she needed to remember that while they might not try and harm her, they were no allies to her either. One more deep breath helped to clear her mind a bit, the smoke acting as a purifying force as was it's nature and gave her the ability to push forward with head held high.
"Well, to make a long story short I became close with them and was shown a secret entrance I could use in order to enter the grounds without detection. So long as the tunnels haven't been closed off I should be able to get us in and out, providing you lot don't do something exceedingly stupid."
As the yelling started Tsuryuko got up and walked away, erecting a barrier that kept anything from leaving or entering. She just needed a little bit of time to herself so she could pull herself together. Knowing you're surround by people that would rather see you dead was a familiar but lonely feeling and it irritated her that the ones she truly wanted to comfort her were the ones who caused these emotions in the first place.
Walking a fair distance away she finally chose a tree and sat, leaning against it with her eyes closed. Obviously she'd been incorrect about how much she'd managed to grow, though was it any surprise when the only comparison was her own memory of herself? She knew without being told that it was unfair to be upset with InuTaisho. As the daughter of someone so dangerous he'd taken a huge risk in befriending her in the first place, keeping his name to himself was nothing.
Throughout the night she meditated on her feelings and reactions, forcing herself to see the truth of them and deal with what she could. Tsuryuko came to a very important conclusion in doing so: she wasn't truly upset at finding out the truth, but being forced to deal with her sense of abandonment from when he left her. When it had happened she jumped into a crusade to find the jewel and take it so she could keep it safe, it was her way of pushing everything down so she didn't have to think about it. After being trapped it was just too painful to face herself and she instead pretended it didn't matter until she forgot about it. Now all the emotions she refused to face were right there, nearly as raw as the day it happened and she was hardly any better at dealing with it than before.
'And to think, he did find another afterall.'
Part of her couldn't help but feel a tad jealous, while a larger part was grateful. Kagome had become family to her and had things happened differently she might not have existed. Inuyasha, for all his gruff attitude, was someone she would fight to protect as well and she hoped the two would find a happy ending together. No, it was better to let go of these negative feelings once and for all, InuTaisho wasn't coming back and she preferred to spend the rest of her time remembering him as the demon she had planned on mating.
Towards sunrise Tsuryuko finally stood and made her way back to camp, lighter than she had been but knowing there was much inner work left to do. Inuyasha jumped to attention when he saw her and she put a hand up to stop him. Taking a moment to feel the slight sting of the cold morning air and breathe in the dew scent, she settled her gaze upon him.
"I know you don't trust me, and that's alright. Honestly, you lot need to trust much less people with how often you get deceived. I'm working with you as best as I can to give Kagome her body back, so I'd appreciate if you could at the very least remember that. Once we're separated I plan on aiding in the search of the shards, and hopefully allow you to succeed in setting Ma- Midoriko to rest once and for all."
Finally she put her hand down and watched as the half-demon crossed his arms and glared at her.
"Ya say that but the second somethin hurt your feelings ya go runnin off and left us trapped in the damned barrier! how the hell do ya expect us to trust anything ya say?'
He'd taken a step forward while talking and ended with a smug look that riled Tsuryuko up. She mirrored his step and thrust a finger in his chest as anger blazed in her eyes.
"You were surrounded by a barrier that kept you completely safe while I went off you ass. I'm so fucking sorry that I have feelings and need to figure out how to handle them after over a thousand years!"
Growling lowly in his throat Inuyasha put a threatening hand on Tetseiga while getting right in her face.
"Why the fuck should I care about you wasting my time with your pathetic emotions?"
Tsuryuko's eyes flashed red for a moment anger got the better of her and she gripped the front of the fire rat kimono.
"You don't have to care you absolute bastard, but you could take two seconds to try and understand. I was in love with your damned father and needed a fucking second to work through that." At this she pushed him away from her. "As someone who has yet to get over a dead priestess that is constantly trying to kill you and successfully betraying you at every turn, I thought you might understand."
For a few moments they just stood staring at each other, both breathing hard in the silence around them, the animals knowing better than to bring attention to themselves with the tension in the air.
"I don't need you to hold my hand Inuyasha, I'd just like to not be surrounded by people who want to see me dead. I spent all my free years in that position, I'd like to spend my last few months at least able to believe those around me didn't mind my breathing."
She attempted to walk past the half-demon and begin making breakfast when he stopped her by grabbing her arm.
"Whaddya mean your last few months? Isn't the point of this to get you free?"
Though still angry a bit of confusion circled in his eyes seeming to be a genuine emotion. Obviously the concern was for the girl trapped away, but it was the first sign of it she'd seen and it helped her calm down slightly.
"I'm cursed to the jewel for as long as it exists. The goal we all have is to get rid of it, and the moment that happens I'll also be gone. I am quite literally embarking on a quest to my death."
Tsuryuko shrugged out of his grip and started on breakfast while ignoring everyone to help calm down completely. Inuyasha stood dumbfounded for several moments before snapping out of it and taking up the spot he'd recently vacated. The others had been awake just about the entire time and now each of them had to think over this new information. Had they treated her unfairly? Perhaps. Dealing with a broken heart - with unrequited love - it was something they were all familiar with. If she were also willingly going to help them to destroy the only thing keeping her alive? Showing her some kindness isn't so much to ask for in return. It was difficult to sort out the complex feelings this situation left them all with and it was going to take longer to work through than the time before breakfast.
Silently the half-priestess let the barrier down so ablutions could be taken care of. With the tension and anger fading out, sounds of animals filtered in; birds singing gently in the trees, rabbits and small foxes darting around in the underbrush. Very rarely did any of them take the time to truly experience sunrise and the peace of the quiet morning soothed their frayed nerves. Breakfast was eaten quickly, the camp packed up and off they set for the day's journey. Tsuryuko led the way, both nervous at the possibility of running into Sesshomaru after all this time and anxious at the thought of coming across her old clan memebers.
Shippo was the first to start talking, and surprisingly he jumped onto the shoulders of the half-priestess, reaching up and toucjing her hair. Besides being a different color than Kagome's he noticed it was also softer, enjoying the way it slipped through his fingers.
"You have pretty hair, I like how it goes from white to black. Did you get it from your Mama or Papa?"
Tsuryuko reached up to hold a lock of hair between her fingers remembering a long ago time when her Mama would sit and bush it while humming softly.
"Both actually. When my Mama was still alive she use to tell me I was the perfect combination of them."
Nodding his head in affirmation the little kitsune peered at her eyes and took a good look.
"Is that why your eyes are brown and red like that? They kinda look like the nests of the fire rats."
She reached up and poked Shippo's nose with a soft chuckle, the conversation easing some of the tension that'd been there since she first awoke in this body.
"That's a first for that particular description, I think my favorite was when I was told it reminded them of sunset on a flaming field. I think-"
Before she could finish she sensed the rapid approach of several demons and threw up a barrier just before they came into view. From the shadows of the treeline came Kagura holding a Venom Wasp nest and smirking at the group. Behind her was Kohaku followed by several demons that were boosted by a shard.
"Ahhhhh, so you're the brat Naraku's having a fit over. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but you're not going to be alive long enough for that. Get her!"