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: 16
Year 1581...
Edo, Japan...
InuYasha was a bit stunned, leaving Kagome with Sango and the pups, to retrieve some food, when he saw Tōtōsai riding Mō-Mō into his village. The old smith was clearly sad, and from here InuYasha could scent the old man's distress.
"Tōtōsai!?" he sputtered, there was a slight pinch on his cheek which had him slapping the bloodsucker. "Myōga?" he growled.
"Master InuYasha!" Myōga chirped. "Congratulations! I smell the fresh blood of new young ones!"
"You try to suck on either of my pups I will squash you for real," he snarled threatening which had the flea yelping and retreating. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Giving Sesshōmaru his true inheritance," Tōtōsai said sadly.
"What?" InuYasha blinked.
"Let us not speak in the rain, I'm a weary old man," he said.
"Uh… sure," he said as they started for Miroku's. The hut was in utter chaos as Miroku tried to wrangle his pups. "Sorry, it's the best we got."
"This old man doesn't mind new life! I see there are many fine, young warriors here!" he chuckled.
"I don't remember being this unmanageable," Miroku admitted as the kids played; being cooped up because of the weather. Miroku had his youngest, Mitsuru, strapped to his back, while the twins were teasing one of their younger brothers.
"Well they're your pups," he pointed out. "So what brings you here Tōtōsai?"
"Just bequeathing the final inheritance to Sesshōmaru-sama," he said.
"The Tenseiga and Lands of the West weren't an inheritance?" Miroku asked as he caught his toddler; Ren before the kid face planted.
"No," Tōtōsai chuckled. "No, Tenseiga was a mating gift, the Lands of the West are Sesshōmaru's regardless of Tōga's inheritance, he had earned those a long time a go."
"The Tenseiga was a what?" Miroku asked. "Sesshōmaru has a mate?"
"He has, for a long time," Tōtōsai clucked.
"Who?" Miroku asked.
"Rin," Tōtōsai said.
"That's not possible, Rin's pretty young, he couldn't have always had a mate, she's barely a woman," InuYasha said sitting down. Yes he had had his suspicions confirmed, Rin was Sesshōmaru's mate, but that was a new bond, at least for Sesshōmaru, Rin was very young. She was barely sixteen summers now, she was maybe seven summers when she and Sesshōmaru had met. No way the old man had known about it, InuYasha was certain of that.
"True, Rin grew up now, but she was the first bound to Honekui no Ido," he explained.
"What?" Miroku asked, the kids had settled around them now.
"I met her, the first time, seven hundred forty-two years ago," he said.
"But that'd make Sesshōmaru…" InuYasha started.
"One hundred and twenty-seven years old," Tōtōsai said. "I remember because he had just been kidnapped and they had traveled to me after having escaped your grandfather. She was a mere slip of a woman, and he a pup."
"Wait… how could he have met Rin seven hundred years ago?" Miroku asked.
"Rin was always bound to the Honekui no Ido, destinies and fate and the Shikon no Tama had long since decreed it," Tōtōsai said.
"That's not possible…" Miroku said.
"Rin's missing, she fell down the well," InuYasha pointed out.
"But only you and Kagome could pass through the well!" Miroku pointed out. InuYasha flicked an ear at that, it was true only he and Kagome had been able to pass through the well, but he didn't know. There was something about that well… the villagers had never stopped dropping yōkai remains in it, and the well did have the highest concentration of yōkai and kami power that he had ever encountered.
"Tōga knew about your mate, knew you would be sealed to a tree for fifty years and knew your conflict about your True Mate, you could merely pass through the well as long as your True Mate was on the other side. Yōkai bind themselves fully to their mates, and even if you had not completed the bond you had a partial on there which was enough to draw yours and Kagome's souls together."
"Soulmates? Really, even I know that isn't real," InuYasha snorted.
"Believe what you will, boy, but we are all entangled by the red thread, if you are lucky you will meet who is on the other end," Tōtōsai huffed. InuYasha couldn't deny that he was lucky to have Kagome in his life, but he didn't think the fates or whatever had designed him and Kagome. True Mates or not their love was hard fought for and hard won through pain and tears, it was forged in battle. It was real, it wasn't something just designed by the kami or the fates.
"And Rin is Sesshōmaru's mate?" Miroku asked.
"Sesshōmaru-sama and Rin are long since entangled, Tōga made preparations for you InuYasha knowing nothing he left Sesshōmaru-sama nothing after stealing everything from him. You were planned for, he left the Tetsuseiga so you could seal your yōkai half when you started outgrowing your blood, he left you hi nezumi no kawagoromo; Tōga knew you would grow to be as powerful as he, and knew of your love for a mortal. He planned it all, even stealing the Shikon no Tama to let it be lost in yōkai for generations before reaching Kikyō," Tōtōsai said. "Tōga had plans for you, and knew what to do for you, your inheritance was always substantial in comparison to Sesshōmaru-sama's but there is nothing Tōga could ever present his eldest that would equal what was stolen from Sesshōmaru-sama.
"I do not know how, or why or even when it had happened but for as long as the young lord has lived he has been bound to his True Mate, and she to him. The well does not work for you for any other reason than you were always planned to go through it with the Shikon no Tama, Rin though was always destined to forge her own way through the well. And now that she has journeyed through the well it was time for Sesshōmaru-sama to receive his inheritance," Tōtōsai said.
Year 1308...
Somewhere near Setsuna Castle
Rin was a bit unnerved being in a shiro without her friends, she was not accustomed to being contained, but to feel contained and lonely ate at her. At least at Kimi-sama's shiro she had had friends, Ai, Jiu, Sōten, or Shiori; they were technically her ladies in waiting, but Rin had never felt the need to be superior to them. They were far superior to her, they were hanyō, and though the world scorned at hanyō, they were stronger, faster, unnervingly ethral in their beauty and poise, they were so much more than Rin could hope to be. Kimi-sama had seemed most accepting of hanyō, as had many of the others in the inuyōkai clan, they just seemed to follow Sesshōmaru's lead on this matter though. Rin thought it interesting though, her lord had never been particularly hateful towards hanyō, but he hadn't been endeared to them, merely indifferent. He tolerated the Hōraijima hanyō refugees that his mother had taken in, but he did not seem to have a real stance on hanyō in general. And Sesshōmaru had personally selected Ai, Moegi, and Shiori the honor of being her ladies in waiting; though Rin didn't see the honor, they were all friends really.
Here at Setsuna though, Rin felt this creeping loneliness, both for herself and Izayoi.
Izayoi seemed so painfully lonely, like she didn't know what to do here, and had no proper place, she also seemed sad, which bothered Rin a bit. InuYasha had said his mother had never recovered from her grief over his father's death, but to see a gentle soul like Izayoi already so saddened by life, it hurt Rin a little. Rin had been alone until Sesshōmaru had taken her in. Sesshōmaru kept her loneliness at bay, he kept it away.
In the past few days of knowing Izayoi though she didn't know if the woman even knew how it felt to never be lonely.
And Izayoi had gleefully appointed Rin her personal attendant, which was a bit baffling. Rin had never been an attendant to anyone, and she had never had attendants, so she didn't know what she was doing. Except for today, it had been two days since her meeting with Tōga, and now she was looking at a map she had smuggled out of Setsuna while doing the laundry. Izayoi didn't seem to think Rin was serious, but Rin was going to go find that damn yōkai taijiya village, at whatever cost it was, and she speak to Naohi.
Getting all the silks set up to dry though was a time consuming chore and now Rin found herself stretched out on the grass, with Bakusaiga propped against her shoulder trying to make heads or tails of this very old, inaccurate map. The kami hated her, they had to! Rin had actually passed geography tests, from her lord! Sesshōmaru had personally taught her to read a map, discern direction, and to find her way through the wilds of Japan! Now she couldn't make heads or tails of this! Bloody humans. She snarled at the map.
"Rin," his voice was cold and calm.
"Hello Sesshōmaru" she called over her shoulder, still struggling to read the map, holding it up as she held it in the sun and tried to see if this was a false map.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to figure this map out!" she smiled as he came over, he took Bakusaiga and propped it on his shoulder as he looked over her shoulder at the map. She could feel his curiosity blooming.
"I'm trying to find the yōkai taijiya village," she admitted.
"Why?" he asked.
She chuckled.
"I don't care! I'm merely curious," he warned.
"Naturally," she chuckled. "And I'm looking for a way to save my lord, they might have a way to do that," she explained.
"I see," he hummed. His claws snatched the map from her fingers, his gold eyes flicked over it before it disintegrated. "Worthless," he declared. "I will bring you a proper map," he decided.
"Thank you, but that was Takemaru's map," Rin said.
"I will bring you a better map," he repeated patiently as if she were slow. Rin chuckled as she leaned back to look at him. Even sitting he seemed to tower over her, and they were almost side by side, his mokomoko snaked in front of her.
"How are you today, Sesshōmaru?" she asked.
He frowned.
"That well?" she teased. "And what is on my lord's mind that has him so vexed."
"I am not vexed," he said.
"Mmm…" she hummed.
"Father has invited Ryūkotsuse's many daughters to inuyōkai clan lands for the duration of the spring," he said tiredly.
"I see, well your mate won't like that, will she?" Rin asked innocently.
For as long as she had known Sesshōmaru he was of mated status, everyone in the inuyōkai pack said as much and Kimi-sama always praised her lord's mysterious mate. Rin could never figure out what had happened to the lady, merely that the lady had been the only woman Sesshōmaru claimed his equal. His lady was said to be an excellent warrior, a gentle lady though, and a wild force of a typhoon to keep up with him, Rin thought it romantic how much he seemed to love his lost lady, and she was envious of the lady for holding his affections. Sesshōmaru though had never made her feel less, or unwanted, in fact he made her feel his equal, he kept her at his side wherever they went; for whatever reason he kept to himself for keeping her around.
He looked so stricken at the idea of his mate having a say, and Rin chuckled. "I'm just teasing," she said as she laid in the grass.
"I am not amused," he stated.
"You so very rarely are," she replied. She was relatively certain Sesshōmaru kept Jaken around for amusement but could count on two hands the amount of times she had seen him physically smile; and every time he had smile his enemies had run.
Sesshōmaru looked at his mate, she was so slight, so innocent this time it made him want to smile. Three days of dealing with Ryūkotsuse's daughters had been enough for Sesshōmaru to want nothing to do with the fairer sex ever again. However, a mere moment of seeing her doing laundry and he never wanted to leave her presence. Rin was soothing, as a spring shower, she was soothing to him, even when her wrath was a raging typhoon and a tsunami drowning all in her fury. She was soothing, and he found it a good moment as he stared at his mate.
Laying there she looked so innocent, something he wanted to touch, but he couldn't, she was innocent. Instead he just looked at her, reacquainting himself with her face, it had been a few decades. She was younger, not as battle hardened, she was still innocent; not just in scent, but in appearance, his Rin had looked like a wild hellion, and now she looked like a spring blossom just blooming.
"Rin," he said her name again, his claws slid into the thick black locks there was something missing in her hair. He decided, he didn't like the current style for women's hair, but he had always loved Rin's, it was like her, wild. But it looked naked, in dire need of a few decorations, like the ladies of the West. He did not think she needed the overly complicated styles, but perhaps a few hairpins or a comb, she would look lovely that way. "Why do you seek the taijiya?" he asked.
Rin had never seemed to seek out anyone that made sense. She had defied his grandfather, fought the Panther King to save him, fought the Mongols to be at his side, she sought certain things, odd things, but he wanted to know why. She was an enigma to him for a human, usually it was very easy for him to know what everyone wanted or was after, but then there was Rin and her entire life seemed to revolve around him and saving her mysterious lord at whatever cost.
"Why do you seek power?" she asked softly, her hand coming up to trace his jawline rather like a child would. He was a bit baffled at her forwardness, but did not retract from her touch, when she gave him her affections he had always reveled in them.
"I walk the path of supreme conquest," he said. If he conquered, if he reigned over all, if he was better than his father, then she was his and there'd be no one there to challenge what he claimed. The human would be his empress, she would be his alpha bitch, she would lead their people, but only if he was powerful enough to be undefeated and unlimited in power. His father was a bit of a problem, but not for much longer, Sesshōmaru would challenge his father for the right to be Inu no Taishō when he was certain he would not lose. He was almost there. When he reigned supreme he would have Rin at his side and none would challenge the human being his, no one dare stand against his power and he could claim her his equal. Rin was his equal.
"Mmm, I walk the path to always save my lord, even if I must save him from himself," she chuckled humorlessly.
"I see, and what would it take to steal you from your lord's services?" he inquired, no doubt he would have to challenge his mate's lord to keep her.
"Mmm," she hummed. "I don't think you could ever really steal what is always yours Sesshōmaru," she mused as he twirled a strand of her hair around his claws.
"The taijiya are north," he said.
"North?"
"Hai, I will take you," he said.
"You will!?" she rolled onto her stomach pulling herself up until they were nose to nose. Instinct had him snaking mokomoko behind her, he scented her pure joy and it was infectious as he slipped his arms around her waist to keep her steady.
A mere arch of his brow at her inquiry had her smiling broadly.
"Thank you Sesshōmaru!" she laughed throwing herself into his chest with a broad smile. He caught Bakusaiga before it fell, her fang was a possession he always treated with reverence, it felt precious, like it should be protected, cherished, it felt very much alive and spirit; always had. As a pup he'd have thought the fang alive, remembered chasing ghosts when they had been in that temple.
"Rin," he pulled away from her.
"Sorry," she stammered as her face pinkened a bit, the blush dusting her cheeks was most beautiful.
He said nothing as he took his human's hand and stood, pulling her up with him so they were eye to eye. She was stunningly beautiful, he loved it and he wanted to kiss her, not like the last time, but properly this time. Setting her down his thumb traced her chin, the tip of his claw touching her bottom lip, which was fully and tempting.
Not yet though, she wasn't ready yet, she was still too innocent, and he would not take that until she was ready.
"You should not be alone," he said darkly.
"I fend for myself, as my lord taught me," she said. "But you should go, I have laundry and I need to prepare for our journey."
"Very well, I will meet you in a few days to leave," he said. He had a few matters of court to attend to. Sesshōmaru despised court, he despised politics and the weak manipulation games they attempted, he would rather have an honest fight than a battle of wills. Handing Rin the Bakusaiga he tucked an errant strand of her onyx hair behind her ear, she seemed stunned but didn't rebuff him before he left. He remembered the startled look on her face, and smiled inwardly, the human was still so easy to read.
