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DISCLAIMER : i DO NOT OWN INUYASHA , ALL CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT OCs BELONG TO RUMIKO TAKAHASHI. The list of OCs appearing in any chapter will be included following the disclaimer. The plot is mine.
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It was an early summer evening , birds flew back to their nests , the peasants closed their work on the field for the day and chattered among themselves on matters about the manure and seeds , how much harvest they were expecting , concerns about rain and disease - against the back drop of pink turning red , orange , purple and yellow. Among these every day sights lay a decaying pile of flesh - demon flesh that was only visible to some . This was the cause of the Lord of the West's presence in that mundane area. Sesshomaru watched the mass burn with a screeching sound as the miko purified it . Inuyasha stood beside her calm but alert , like himself who stood to guard his ward Rin. He watched rin assist the miko in her ritual and tended to the injured few. She was now 13 , blossoming into a fine lady , well mannered and nurturing. Sesshomaru contemplated looking for suitors for her , he would not leave that task to his half brother.
Just then Rin's eyes caught his and she flashed him a dazzling smile before turning and running ahead. Sesshomaru , for the millionth time , questioned his relationship to her . What was she to him ? How did he feel about her? Did he pity her? Empathise with her ? Did he love her as a sister, daughter or something else? And for the millionth time sesshomaru assured himself that he was not romantically invested in her . How did Rin feel about him ? He remembered her smile , that light blush when she addressed him, her hero worship of him , how comfortable she was around him remembering these caused him to get anxious , again, about what the girl thoughtof him ut seeing her hopping along on th ground Sesshomaru assured himself it was nothing like he feared. Back to the present he watched the miko and the half breed clean up the corpse . He flew out to meet Rin around the borders , share a greeting and leave. Rin on seeing him ran in his direction, she reached him out of breath after a while of is landing . He bid her good night and left.
Sesshomaru returned to his station for the day , from where he left abruptly to be at the half breed's village . He made note of all the work that was pending to be done by him . With an internal sigh he decided to do them tomorrow and retire early tonight.
Lying down Sesshomaru moved his blades - bakusaiga and tensaiga . Touching tensaiga he again went back to Rin, Kagura , meido , his "Mother" , the half breed, the half breed's "Mother"...
The half breed's mother , Izayoi.
Sesshomaru might have camaraderie with a young human girl, he might be lending his strength to a human village, he might be more considerate of others, he might be more "compassionate", but he would never let go of his hatred for Izayoi.
His hatred for Izayoi was not hot all - consuming rage , it did not blind him or control him. On the contrary it was a integral part of his current self . It was a part of his core , It was a diamond formed from the black dead carbon of his experiences involving her under years and years of pressure since his childhood to youth . It was precious though not widely useful. It was something he had to show for himself . Under no circumstances would he give up on that precious jewel . For without it he would not be "Sesshomaru", he would be a child on his knees in a court begging for mercy ...
Sesshomaru remembered how he encountered Inuyasha after his tree slumber , with the fake mother and chains and him destroying the head that looked like her. Despite the negative result of him losing his arm he was very pleased with his entrance that night , and soon fell asleep.
The next day , Rin woke up early and along with lady Kagome did her medical training under Kaede. Inuyasha today set out with Miroku to defeat a minor demon and loot their grain. On their way back Miroku started reminiscing - that monk was wont to contemplating much to Inuyasha's chagrin. As the monk gave his sermon on their days together Inuyasha walked quietly, half listening but paid attention as the monk teetered to the very uncomfortable topic about his and Sesshomaru's relationship. Kagome had once narrated about how Inuyasha acquired tessaiga and Sesshomaru's first meeting with her this had caught the interest of others as they had not been there with them that early They were very eager to learn more and would bring it up with him at times and he would do his best to steer the conversation else where. He did not understand their interest in that bastard , It must only be for a need of drama in their rather boring lives after the defeat of naraku.
"Inuyasha, how do you think your brother learned bout tessaiga ? Have you ever wondered? Do you know who all know about you sword besides Totosai and Myoga?", asked Miroku.
"Tch, Have you ever seen him speak to me ? Do you think we talk to each other as brothers?" , Inuyasha replied.
"But Inuyasha have you never thought about it ? What if those who know are out to get you? How many more of your father's enemies are still lingering? Do you not want to be secured?", Miroku asked giving Inuyasha a look that said he should look into this.
Inuyasha controlling his retort replied, "That bastard will never tell me anything , even if i ask him. I am not a royal blooded heir , their royal issues do not concern me . I am just a bastard who had been given the strongest sword to protect himself."
Miroku after a while asked , "Inuyasha have you ever been to any court, your father's courts I mean?".
Inuyasha did not reply but is gaze looked far ahead. "Never mind.", said Miroku.
Despite himself Inuyasha's mind went to his child hood, to the memory of his mother crying for him, all the courtiers' looks , how his mother was left out of everything despite her ranking, her outburst once when he asked to be with his father. Mortal attacks in himself and his mother. He remembered how after his mother's death he was left to fend for himself, how in his early adolescence Sesshomary rejected him, how he in his adolescence took out his anger on his father's vassals for rejecting him, how he later started attacking human villages, Kikyo , Kagome and his re encounter with Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's plot even now left a bitter taste in his mouth . Seeing his mother being manhandled by Sesshomaru brought rage. He stopped himself going further in this line of thought. True , he did not know much or remember about Sesshomaru , his father's vassals and Sesshomaru's obsessive hate of Izayoi.
Miroku deduced Inuyasha's thoughts and finally changed conversation, " Minako and Hanako are growing up well to be like their mother , I should soon send them away for education. I plan to find a great teacher for them to train them both in the mind and body. I want them to be well disciplined and calm , as well as a strong fighter like their mother. What do you say Inuyasha?".
"Huh, yes whatever suits you as long as they do not rip off other people " ,
Miroku laughed, "Inuyasha but that is the thing I am going to be teaching them. How else would they earn money."
"You lech..".
Sango looked on as Kohaku returned with Rin from their trip to collect some herbs. Sango was worried bout Kohaku's growing fondness for Rin. She noticed the way he looked at her. She knew she was not quite wrong in her understanding of her brother. Kohaku was interested in Rin. Sango thought Rin was a fine girl and would be good match for Kohaku should he so wish.
However, Sango did not feel having any more ties with the Lord of the West would bode well for them. Sango knew how much Sesshomaru helped in their quest , she was grateful to him for taking Kohaku under his wing , yet she felt Kohaku getting involved with Rin would not sit well with the Lord . He was very protective of Rin and would have her take a suitor of his liking . Also , should Kohaku make single mistake with Rin it could cost his life. Kohaku was a very good boy, but he had already once though not as himself done a great sin of killing kin. Even Sesshomaru had yet to commit that sin. Sango believed there had to be a reason the spider demon chose her brother , not her or any other slayer that night. Though she would never say it out she thought she had never submit to any demon to slaughter family. Her brother was of tender mind, was very passive , indecisive and sometime low on self esteem. Him tying a bond with Rin whatever she meant to Sesshomaru was too dangerous for him. Sango was herself fond of Rin, in fact she thought Rin was very much like Kohaku in some aspects. She has nothing personnal against Rin. "I am sorry , Kohaku..." , Sango decided to start looking for suitors for Kohaku.
Kagome did not once regret coming back to feudal era. She enjoyed this peaceful life very much. Having finished making the mixtures for the day she stood up , stretched and let the light breeze relieve her muscles. In the distance she saw two silhouttes - Inuyasha and Miroku coming her way. She waved and saw Miroku's staff moving. She waited for them . " Good day Lady Kagome, hope your day was good ", "As good as always . How was your excorcising?", "Tch, same as always . I killed the demon. Monk got the spoils." After that they walked back to their hut , which were close to each other, in comfortable pleasant silence .
Once everyone settled in they were having a joint supper tonight , a little lavish using the monk's new earned rice , and rich vegetables fresh from the fields. Just before anyone could begin , Inuyasha heard a familiar voice. Scrunching his eye brows in mild annoyance Inuyasha waited for the flea to enter their hut.
"Lord Inuyasha, Good Evening My Lord!",
"Myoga, why are you here?""
Inuyasha, do not be rude!"
"Calm down children. Lord Myoga would you like some food?"
"No lady Kaede, I am here to discuss an important matter."
"Your important matter will have to wait till after supper"
"Yes ,as you wish my Lord"
"Do not dare come into any food"
"Inuyasha !"
Having his dinner Inuyasha threw a glance around the room, this really was a motley group , a motley that was his , Inuyasha suddenly felt very grateful to the god's for his life even his being born a half demon for letting him be with Kagome and all these people who held him so dear in their lives...
Inuyasha's reverie was broken by smell of blood and putrid acid frothing in a flesh wound , he was more alarmed as he was sure this was smell of Rin's blood and Kohaku was with her , they were heading there. Inuyasha stoop up,
"Rin is inured. Kohaku is bringing her here. The injury seems quite severe ,poison too maybe."
Hearing this Sango shot to their hut , Miroku prepared Rin's bedding and boiled water. Kaede and Kagome prepared first aid . Kohaku entered at the moment Kagome was asking Inuyasha about the wound's possible cause.
The wound was quite deep (as inu said) and was infected with demon poison and acid. As Kaede and Kagome got to preparing antidote, Kohaku lay Rin down and held her hand she was unconcious by then. Miroku tended to Kohaku's wounds which were just scrapes while Kaede and Kagome tended to Rin. Kohaku had discarded his gear and used the salve he had with him on Rin's smaller wounds all the while reassuring her.
Sango returned then with the slayer's antidote for demonic poison. Seeing Kohaku with Rin again made her anxious . She used the salve on Kohaku as he had used all of his on Rin. Thankfully Kohaku had only minor scrapes and cuts. Rin was in worse shape . The girl now developed fever and Kaede washed her with a wet cloth.
Inuyasha and Miroku cleared the dishes and room , Sango helped Kohaku to get comfortable while Kagome and Kaede tended to Rin. Tonight everyone would retire late . Myoga helped himself to the uneaten food.
As Rin's temperature was still rising , Inuyasha smelled a slight difference in her smell. It was not transformed but felt as if something was added to , very mild but consistent . It was slightly nauseating to Inuyasha and for some reason this activated a memory from his childhood, before his mother's demise when she would be frequently ill he remembered smelling a similar something emanating from her.
Sango after everyone was settled down and Kaede assured Rin's fever would break after peaking ,asked Kohaku for details about what had happened.
[A/N: Buy this below story i have no idea what those names mean if they are ridiculous or offending it was not intended.]
"Rin and I were returning from Mt. Seijin (A/N: buy it) after getting the herbs and wood . We took a detour a little way from Kuramashi village (A/N:buy it) into the edge of Inuyasha's forest touching it . There we decided to burn a little bit of the resins we had with the tulips While we were sightly intoxicated a red aura started towards us , I took Rin and flew quite high up on Uh Un but it kept following us on the ground and when there was a hill top used to attack us , Rin got cut with that thing's poisonous scaled and developed the infection while I ran Ah -Un roughly away and crash landed nearby in the forest." , Kohaku finished.
"Kohaku you had to land to make the intoxicant!" Sango berated.
"Sorry sister.."Kohaku apologised sheepishly.
"How is Ah - Un ?" Miroku asked .
"They were resting were we landed , I left the herbs and bark we collected with them. asking them to soak it in wet mud and use it to heal themselves..." ,
"I will go check up on them, " Inuyasha offered and left the hut.
Others let him be as they beat down on Kohaku about the demon that attacked Rin and him.
The smell on Rin grew stronger and more familiar giving Inuyasha a feel of his time serving his mother. They were not pleasant memories so Inuyasha felt a need to distance himself. Surprisinlgy ,Miyoga too had tagged along even though the fly preferred to stay safe. He kept looking ahead and had not spoken a word. Inuyasha tracked Ah-Un's scent and ran.
Sango did not like what Kohaku had done. Sango was sure Rin had pressed Kohaku because she was wont to be adventerous especially when it had to do with entertainment and flowers, but it was Kohaku's fault for obliging. Naraku's defeat had not ended their fight with miasma and strange creatures. Naraku's last attack on the village still carried his mark on him giving rise to stranger demons not a potent but similar in looks and functioning to his final forms. This was this and wide spread making it difficult for them to eradicate it . It would concentrate and appear in a very short span of time . Immediately after the death of naraku everyone except Inuyasha,(poor him) was ecstatic , she was happily married to miroku and they celebrated their life - which was not to be disturbed by sporadic appearances of strange demons. Sango did not know if the arrival of these beings has become more frequent after Kagome's return or they were only taking better note of it because of them settling down and giving more thought to safety of their children and surroundings.
But the forest demon Kohaku talked about was most likely one of the earliest because of which no one would normally take that route anymore.
Miroku read Sango's thoughts ,
"We should exterminate this demon or at least learn more about it ."
"Yes - this could be trouble some for the meeting next week", Kaede put in.
The villager's had accepted Kagome and her connection to Kikyo , however their head priestess was Kaede and they had reservtions about making Kagome , a magical girl from a well who came with the shikon jewel their head priest/priestess. There were of course supporters of Lady Kagome as well but there were also those who wanted Kagome as an honorary priestess and a woman who grew and trained in their village to be responsible of their well being. Kaede wanted to understand both sides see which the majority and then take a decision, though she strongly supported Kagome succeeding her, but she could not do with concerns against her, as they were valid..
Inuyasha returned with Ah- Un who had been recovering well . Myoga was silent through out their trip unlike himself. To Inuyasha it seemed as if Myoga was preparing himself to speak at length about something he has hidden or was uncomfortable to speak about. If Myoga was uncomfortable about anything it was definitely sensitive matter , Inuyasha wanted to be in the comfort of their village before hearing any of it so he fastened his pace.
Ah Un was left in nearby trees , Sango and Miroku retired to their hut, Kohaku , Rin, Kaede and Kagome stayed in Kaede's hut . Rin's fever had broken a little while before Inuyasha arrived . Inuyasha kept his eye on Myoga and saw him steel himself as they entered Kaede's hut. Rin was fast asleep and looked comfortable. Kagome and Kaede soon retired for the night, kohaku retired after giving food to Ah-Un. Inuyasha stayed out with Myoga keeping an eye on the two-headed dragon.
Myoga later asked . "Lord Inuyasha , Why do you think Lord Sesshomaru has a dragon as his ride though your father , our Lord Inu no Taisho was killed after duel with a dragon demon ?"
"Who knows ? Maybe the Old Man had defeated a dragon tribe and they pay tribute to Sesshomaru , or by fighting the Old Man the dragons proved their might ? What has that got to do anything flea ? You have been making faces through out after Kohaku got Rin and I can smell that... that on her ? Speak up right now flea!"
"Lord Inuyasha - do you know how your father met your mother?"
It was decided that after handing the over their daughters and son to a responsible neighbour , they would set off by late after noon or evening to the forest to reach there at night. They would camp outside for the night , then go looking for the demon at the break of dawn.
Sango after Kagome's return wanted to return back to slaying so took up smaller slaying jobs. She only participated in major ones when the demon attacked the village and was both excited and nervous for this job.
"Sango have you prepared more of that salve" , Miroku asked.
"Yes, I will be preparing more tomorrow, Kohaku would give me a hand" .
"I will too once I finish my morning jobs"
Miroku fell asleep while Sango prayed for Kohaku ,she did not want him to come again with them there but his input could be vital in capturing the creature.
Sesshomaru tomorrow had a special job . He had to give a gift to Rin . Three years ago when Kagome disappeared interesting theories about her role in their world were put forth at various assemblies of daiyoukai. He was present at many of them and those demons most below him made quite interesting points , he admitted begrudgingly that he himself lacked any definite theory on her but had through his chase of Naraku he had his suspicions - and now was an oppurtunity to test his hypothesis.
To be continued ..
