I Do Not Own InuYasha


Aienkien

合縁奇縁

A couple strangely but happily united;

Uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of Fate;

The mysteries of attraction and relationships or bonds between people


II: 5


Year 1308...

Shikoku InuYōkai Clan Territory...

He stopped moving, his current travel companion hadn't noticed yet, but he didn't care as his eyes narrowed and he focused. It had been a tug of a thread where their bond was, a mere tug, but then it had been an explosion which had his head turning towards his territory again.

"Sesshōmaru-sama?" his companion said.

Tsukuyomaru and he were both the daiyōkai heirs to their clans, and after the Hyōga invasion they had been war friends. This was a diplomatic mission from his father, not something Sesshōmaru would be good at but he and Tsukuyomaru had an understanding of each other, especially after Rin.

And now he could feel her, it had been a long time, but she was here.

Sesshōmaru said nothing as light enveloped him and he flew for where the bond said she had been. She had been startled, confused, uncertain, and he had felt an eruption of pain and shock, something had hurt her! He would destroy it. Sesshōmaru landed on the lip of Honekui no Ido and looked around for his mate, he scented his father and he saw the blood. Moving swiftly, he changed forms, following her scent. He was relieved she had escaped, he was unnerved to scent his father. Sesshōmaru was in time to see a human female and her male lifting his mate from the mud and to a steed, he watched them, knowing it was her beyond all reason and scent.

Her heart was slow, and from here he could smell the chill and fever racking over her body. The male helped the female onto the horse, neither had noticed him at all, which was proof that his mate was not well. He used his humanoid form now as he slipped over the river and followed them, keeping to the trees as much as he could. He had never actually felt the need to scout the human territory; since the rise of this particular people, but now he was regretting that. Sesshōmaru knew that as the next Inu no Tashio he should know these lands and their peoples well, but he had not cared.

He had been busy with his studies and his envoys to the West to speak with his grandfather.

He settled in a tree when they were nearing a large human compound, it's elegant style similar to his father's homelands, but different. He watched the woman as more people came and his mate was laid out gingerly on a stretcher. Sesshōmaru wanted to follow them but didn't dare to make his presence known, he was relieved when she was brought to one of the rooms nearest to him, one he could see into. Though he tensed when the room was closed. Sesshōmaru internally agonized about not seeing her, he had always been with her when she was in a vulnerable state, but this time he hadn't even known she was here until she was already discovered.

Instead he focused on her heart, which beat steadily and slowly. Far slower than the other humans around her, and he knew her heartbeat as well as his own.


Setsuna Castle...

Undressing the girl carefully, Izayoi had a few of her trusted attendants aided her in cleaning the girl. Washing and combing the mud from the girl's hair revealed where all her blood had come from, there was a nasty gash on the back of the girl's head. Izayoi had been attentive to sewing the wound shut and applying the appropriate herbs to keep the swelling down, though she supposed a dip in the icy river could have the same affect. The girl's bruising around her throat concerned Izayoi greatly. The girl was so pale, pale as ivory really, and the bruising was a violent contrast to her complexion. As she and her attendants cleaned up the girl though Izayoi was horrified to find so many ragged scars on the girl's body.

Old scars, no doubt. They were faded, pale pink or paler ivory, her body was riddled in them though. They looked like old wolf bites, there were other scars on her too, sword and knife cuts, there was one that wrapped around her calf that looked like a snake or whip or something had burned her, though the scar was pale and old. There were even some old burn marks, her attendants were horrified about the state of this girl. She was so young and had survived such horrors.

They had not been able to remove the black pearl the girl wore, and like the sword and knife, the pearl hurt to the touch. Izayoi would've feared the girl a yōkai but her ears were round and there were no fangs or claws on her, nor a single mark on her that was not a scar, wound or bruise. The priests had also felt nothing about the girl when she had been brought to Setsuna, so she was not a yōkai.

The girl's hand's and feet were interesting. The girl's feet were calloused, heavily, they were tough and well cared for but filthy. Her hands had the callouses many of the men had, the callouses from wielding a sword, or a dagger. Perhaps the girl was an escaped concubine of that horrible Inu no Taishō; Izayoi had heard rumors of what happened to some women who were taken by a yōkai. She wondered if this girl had suffered such a fate.

There was a horrid scar, it was deep and a perfect crescent on the nape of the girl's neck, it had clearly hit an artery, it should have killed her. But the wound was clean, the scar was deep, and it was the only one that had not faded from it's violent violet coloring, Izayoi noted. In truth she would not have thought anything of the scar until this moment as she applied a salve to the girl's throat she hadn't noticed it. It was just in moving the long strands of hair that she had seen it. The mark was not like the other bites that had littered the girl's body, it was clean, purposeful, placed, the others were savage and ragged like she had been mauled.

Izayoi wondered what that was from, though she jerked her hand away from the mark when her fingers brushed over it putting on the salve. There'd been a flash, a pulse of dangerous intent, it was also unusually intimate, Izayoi had been startled by that thought. Finishing her care of the girl she asked her attendants to dress her and dry her, Izayoi would prepare the west room for their guest.

Gathering up the tattered silks the girl had been wearing and carefully gathering up the weapons so as not to touch them she took them to the room the girl would be in. It was a large room, simple, clean, it had a good view of the western gardens.

Setting the sword and small knife down she started examining the girl's cloths. They were of fine quality, Izayoi had seen some of the Western Ladies dressed this finely, though there were so few layers.

There was a lot of blood on the garment which was unsettling, it's bright colors, greens and violets were rather lovely, the upper half was pale blue while the lower half had faded into a beautiful display of colors and patterns. It was a flower field, at least she thought it was. The blood and mud staining it ruined the silks, and there was a lot of muck on the garment. The sash she had been wearing was stained with the blood, it had probably been white as snow or a very pale blue, but now Izayoi could only see the ruined fabric.

Had this been a friend of the girl's? She wondered, this was a lot of blood, whoever it belonged to was likely dead. Izayoi did not give into the impulse to destroy the garments, for they were beyond salvage, instead she would have them washed so they would not stink and when the girl woke, she could decide what to do with them. They were clearly of high quality, so the girl was of station, and her companion could have been her husband or suitor, or she had truly been escaping a yōkai and had fought to the death for her escape.

Izayoi shuddered at that thought.

Yōkai were terrifying enough without being a real thought for her. Sighing she directed her attendants to put fresh linens on the bed, and a heavy duvet, the springs were cold and this girl would suffer a chill after the rains and river she had been in. they brought the girl in and Izayoi helped arrange her so she would not be hurting herself.

Once the girl's long hair was fanned out around her, it was clear how small she was. Izayoi left the gardens open to the girl, for the gardens were a healthy beauty to admire. She would have an attendant check on the girl every hour. There was a guard posted on the girl's room too.

"Izayoi-sama! The injured are returning!" a voice shouted.

"Yes, I am coming!" she replied as she gave her instruction to Kato before running to the incoming injured.


Once he sensed no humans would approach his mate he leapt down and slipped soundlessly in the room.

She looked younger, he noted that immediately, she was still stunning. There was a flush to her cheeks, her chest rose and fell with her panting breathes, her lips were parted, and she seemed uncomfortable. He noted the bandages on her throat.

Earlier he had felt someone touch her mark and he had felt a livid fury at their boldness, she was not theirs, now he reassured himself that no one had removed his mark from her; not that they could without taking her by force. His claw tips absently skimmed over her exposed skin, which had her groaning as she turned her head towards him. Sesshōmaru had always marveled at her softness, and her awareness of him. Rin always seemed to know where he was and when he was with her. Tracing the mark gently he tried to get her to rouse a little.

He was going to slaughter his father for the harm he had inflicted upon her, but for now his focus was on his mate.

Her lashes fluttered, which had him stilling as he waited with his breath caught in his chest.

"Rin," he murmured softly.

Her nose scrunched, she frowned, and her brow furrowed but then her eyes cracked open. Sliding his claws over her cheek and tracing her round ear he let his claws toy with her hair. Rin blinked seeing him there, he softened a little at his mate, especially when he felt her joyous love for him resounding through their bond which had him sending his own quiet response to her.

"Ses…" she started when her voice cracked.

"Do not speak," he ordered. "Rest," he decided.

She nodded tiredly, he could see her eyes closing now and she turned her head a bit into his claws as her hand weakly reached for his.

"Rest Rin," he murmured as he watched over her for a while. She would be alright, for now he would leave her here because she seemed too comfortable to be moved. Carefully detangling his hand from hers he walked over to where the blades were, picking them up he put them beside her on the bed, her hand instantly went for her fang, Bakusaiga, but he slipped the dagger under her pillow. Rin hummed when he traced her pulse with his nose as she curved to give him better access. He didn't take advantage of her, she smelt innocent this time, which was different, but he wouldn't take advantage of his mate who was younger and more vulnerable than last time they had crossed paths.

His eyes flicked upwards when he heard the coming attendants which had him leaving her. She was safe if the humans thought her just a human, not the mate of a daiyōkai.

Sesshōmaru was swift as he crossed back into inu yōkai territory, he would have to give his father a piece of his mind for his assault against Rin; again!


Year 1581...

Edo, Japan...

Kagome sat very still on the cushions that Sango had gotten for her, she felt so uncomfortable, and then the massive release of yōkai energy, the blast of that energy alone had been startling, Kagome hadn't expected it. Sango and Miroku both seemed startled from caring for their kids at the sounds.

"I wonder what would have Sesshōmaru so angry that he'd unleash that kind of energy so close to the village," Miroku said aloud as he sent the twin out to play.

"I…" she bit her lip. "He was injured, and he suddenly got up."

"Sesshōmaru? Injured?" Sango asked in disbelief as her two of toddlers toddled after the girls.

"Really badly," she admitted. She knew that Sesshōmaru was worse than InuYasha about having his weaknesses exposed but she didn't think he was going to survive this injury! Something had sliced him up really good from within, she hadn't ever seen a curse do that! Kagome had been learning a lot about yōkai curses and purifying them, but she hadn't had one on a daiyōkai, or Sesshōmaru of all beings. This was Sesshōmaru! He was the epitome of a perfect killer and a perfect daiyōkai. He had taken on eight monks, all in their spiritual prime and hadn't even flinched or slowed. Kagome got the feeling that if Sesshōmaru decided to unleash his power on people no one would be able to stand against him. And the current out burst of power he had just released had her babies being very active and targeting her organs in their unhappiness. Kami she didn't know what to think or do about this. Something had actually hurt Sesshōmaru.

Torn him apart, he was weak.

"Rin just disappeared in Honekui no Ido!" InuYasha said as he appeared in their hut.

"The well!?" Miroku and Sango looked very confused then.

"She's… she's gone!" InuYasha stated.

That wasn't all, there was this mass of daiyōkai energy tearing things apart; she could feel it, as could the babies within her, and from the way InuYasha's ears were flat on his head, so could he.

"We should speak to Sesshōmaru," Miroku said. "Perhaps this is tied to the Shikon no Tama. It is a peculiar coincidence for him to have a terrible curse enacted on him and the well just claim Rin. The very well where you and Kagome purified the Shikon no Tama releasing Midoriko's soul."

"I don't think any of us want to be near Sesshōmaru right now," InuYasha muttered. Kagome couldn't explain it but she got this fleeting image of how Sesshōmaru had looked at the well and he felt her mate's own pain before he came over to her.

"Kohaku's going to be devastated," Sango murmured.


Year 1308...

Setsuna Castle...

Rin groaned a bit, she didn't know where she was, but she was warm and laying on a soft bed, which was unusual, slowly she tried to open her eyes.

"Oh, sorry, don't move," a gentle voice ordered. Which had Rin looking up as a woman came into her line of sight. The woman was very beautiful, her hair was long and black, and there was a familiarity about the shape of her eyes.

"'Yasha," she breathed, the woman looked like InuYasha.

"I'm Izayoi, I found you by the west river," the woman said moving some of Rin's hair aside and bringing water to her lips.

"Where?" she started.

"Setsuna Castle, what is your name?" Izayoi asked. Rin didn't answer as she drank the cool liquid the woman offered; it was merely water thankfully.

"Rin," she answered tiredly when the cup was pulled from her lips empty.

"Rest Rin, you are safe from the yōkai here," Izayoi said. "I will check on you in little bit," she promised before walking out of the room. Rin took a deep breath, her fingers curled around Bakusaiga as she shifted on her side, she could feel him watching her.

She blinked and he was standing in the entry of the room that overlooked the garden, she'd guess. It looked like a shiro garden. It didn't matter as her eyes looked up at her lord and she smiled seeing him.

He was tall, still, dressed in his favored white, though there was a deep, rich blue pattern this time, his mokomoko was thick and heavy around his shoulder and his face was etched in perfect indifference.

"Sesshōmaru," she breathed as he came forward silently. Sesshōmaru was always silent, his silence was almost a language unto himself and one she knew well. A long, clawed finger traced her jawline and her cheek.

"Rin," he murmured softly.

Rin hummed as she closed her eyes. He was here, he was alright, whatever else was to come it didn't matter, her lord was here, he was safe, he was alive. She would figure out what happened tomorrow, for now she wanted to rest. Her head was killing her! It felt like she'd been thrown into a tree again! Sesshōmaru's claws were a great comfort to her as they slid through her hair gingerly and she sighed wanting him to sit beside her.

He didn't stay, she knew that, there was something about him which had warned her she would wake alone, and she did. Particularly she woke feeling uneasy as she heard movements and saw the garden closed to her now, and the place was quiet.

Rin noticed the finery around her, and the silk sheets she was sleeping upon and self-confirmed that she was indeed in a shiro. She had lived with Kimi for eight years so she knew the finery when she saw it though to her lord it had never seemed to mean much because he preferred travelling. Rin had preferred travelling too, being confined in a shiro or human hut made her feel like a caged animal. Looking around she wondered what had woken her up, even as she curled around Bakusaiga and sought comfort in her link to her lord, which was feeding her back safety and relaxation.