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: 21
Year 1308...
Somewhere in Yamagata, Japan...
Rin walked with Ichiro and Muhai, along with being escorted by several other taijiya she didn't recognize into the heart of a Buddhist shrine, it was ancient, well laid out and very beautiful. Rin's breath hitched at the beauty, it was stunning, on equal standing of any shiro she had been in. It was very serene and elegant. Looking around she saw the monks and taijiya meditating, and the people praying, it was very different from the shrines she was accustomed to visiting. They wound their way through the temple until they came to a cave. Rin looked at the group.
"Only Ichiro and I will escort you down here," Muhai said.
"Very well," Rin replied and slowly they descended into the old tunnel. Rin's eyes took a moment to readjust but she did so swiftly and kept step with them and paused when they reached a large cavern. The sight before Rin's eyes was stunning; a human battling a dragon. The dragon though looked pained and hurt, betrayed even, but there was a harrowing sadness reflected in the stony features, this was the mighty Watatsumi, once proud and a daiyōkai devoured by the lesser. Rin looked up at the woman, she was a miko, her beauty was undeniable, her appearance was stunning. There was something about her face, loss, betrayal, something, something about her though seemed pained as she gazed down at the dragon who's jaws were closing around her.
Before the pair was an altar, there was the Shikon no Tama.
Rin clapped as she bowed her head and sent a swift prayer before the pair of her sorrows and pities for them.
"What do you think girl?"
"The name is Rin, you would be wise to use it," she warned again as she walked forward. "How do I speak with Naohi?"
"Pick up the Shikon no Tama," the monk said.
"You attempt to remove it from this temple and I will end you," Muhai warned. Rin nodded as she walked forward, her steps were taken in measure and carefully as she came to kneel before the altar. She didn't look at the monk or the taijiya as she reached forward.
"Naohi," she whispered before she felt a pulse of energy and a gasp escaped her lips as there was a flood of energy through her hands and she found herself walking through the energy to find herself staring at a beautiful young woman who smiled sadly.
"I am Naohi, and who are you to seek me?" she asked.
"I am my lord's Rin," she said with a slight inclination of her head.
"You are human," Naohi said.
"I am," Rin agreed.
"But not quite, you haven't been a mere human for a long time, and you are no miko," Naohi said softly.
"I am my lord's Rin," she shrugged. "What I am has never been a factor in who I am," she admitted.
"Mmm, spoken like an ignorant mortal," a new voice spoke as fear oozed down Rin's spine. She looked over to see him materialize from a different energy, his malicious smile on his lips.
"Hello Magatsuhi," she greeted him icily.
"Human," he sneered. "Oh, but not quite! This is interesting!" the spirit crowed examining her. "And here for a wish, oh please do wish upon me, it has been so long since we played on the mortal plane!"
"Be gone, I have no use for you, I'm here for Naohi," Rin dismissed as she waved her hand. To her surprise, and obviously to the other spirits within the Shikon no Tama Magatsuhi was flung into the darkness with which he had sprung from. Rin blinked twice and looked at her hand then at Naohi.
"You are truly pure, nothing will tempt you?" Naohi whispered.
"I am here for my lord, nothing else," Rin stated looking at the spirit. "He was marked by Magatsuhi, I need to know how to save him. I was informed you would know how to save him."
"I see, and who is your lord?" Naohi asked, circling Rin.
"Sesshōmaru-sama," she replied.
Naohi blinked several times before laughing. "You expect me to believe one untainted and pure as you is here to save the blackest of souls."
Rin smiled as she lifted her hand and curled her finger for Naohi to lean closer to her. The spirit indulged her.
"Don't be so surprised, I'd give him my life if he asked, no questions asked," she warned lowly. "And a black soul does not make one evil; I have seen evil, he's not."
"All yōkai are monsters."
"Only difference between them and a human, they're honest about what they are, kami, ghosts, yōkai, they are honest if nothing else," she said evenly. "Now how do I remove the mark of Magatsuhi?"
"You will need to collect his four souls; if Sesshōmaru-sama is not as soulless as you believe him to be," Naohi said. "You will need to collect Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama, and Sakimitama; four traits no daiyōkai possesses. He would have to commit acts so selfless, and pure, untainted by any hatred, which is impossible. Yōkai were created in pain in hatred."
"So, you claim."
"Yōkai are composed of the darkness, they are not being capable of light or complexity, they are mindless, instinctual beasts. Do no be fooled by human façades they adopt they are nothing more than a predator," Naohi said.
"When I collect his four souls what do I do?" Rin asked.
"You will need to forge them together, and when the time is right, if he is truly more than the monster I foresee then he will summon a being stronger than himself, sired of you and he," Naohi said.
"How do I collect these souls?" she asked.
"These souls can only be collected through pure acts, only acts of pure intent reveal a soul, especially when there's no alternative motive. You will need equally powerful artifacts; probably of daiyōkai he's defeated or fought strength for his energy, it will not be sealed or purified; he is already pure darkness, be warned, it will be volatile energy, and it will more than likely kill you for you might not be human, but your body is mortal. Until your bond is sealed you remain mortal," Naohi said. "If you collect these four souls, and they have not killed you, you will need to forge them into a small fang, then you will need to place them by his heart, and when the time is right you will battle the evil plaguing him together or you both will die.
"You cannot win nor will you succeed. Yōkai are incapable of love, or goodness, it is against their baser natures," Naohi warned.
"I will just have to prove you wrong," Rin shrugged.
"I am never wrong, child."
"Neither am I."
"You are arrogant, if pure for a human."
"I am my lord's Rin, my arrogance comes from knowing I am capable of the impossible," she replied.
"Arigato for your time, Naohi," she bowed her head slightly. The light was blinding as she released her concentration and put the Shikon no Tama back where she had found it on the altar. Clapping again she bowed her head as she stood and looked at the monk and taijiya.
"Arigato," she said as she walked between the men and through the temple. Walking through the village she left the stunned men behind and walked out the gates they had left somewhat open before anyone could stop her. Sesshōmaru appeared before her the moment she was out of the gates.
"Sesshōmaru," she smiled as her lord scooped her up and darted towards the tree line. He landed in a tree, his mokomoko lashed out violently as the taijiya village shouted for her but she didn't look back as she held him.
"Rin," he acknowledged.
"I spoke to Naohi, spirits are conceited beings, did you know that my lord? Of course, you probably did," she sighed. "I did get the information I needed; I don't think this will be an easy fix."
Her lord looked blandly at her as he leapt deeper into the forest.
"You can quit looking at me like that, I will fix this mess, and when I succeed you will see," she warned. "Also, I won't share my peaches with you if you don't stop giving me that look."
"You have no peaches," he informed her setting her in the clearing, which had her gaping in disbelief.
"You… you… you fiend!" she seethed. "I will get payback for you eating my peaches," she warned as she stalked to A-Un.
"I await your vengeance," he whispered in her ear, which had her jumping and glaring over her shoulder.
"You cannot keep doing that," she grumbled.
He shrugged as he walked to their saddle bags.
"My lord, you are nefarious and devious, and if steal more of my peaches, my disgusting human food, I will get vengeance," she warned.
"I await that time," he replied.
Sesshōmaru watched his mate in amusement as she glared fiercely, it was like seeing a puppy baring their teeth. He knew that his mate had the bite to back her glare, which was the only reason he respected her as his equal. It was also fun to tease her because unlike everyone else, she had no fear of him, in any form or shape.
It was a first, he knew that, ever since his puphood she had never had any fear, it was a big reason he loved her. The first and only being which had no fear of him. He struck fear in the heart of kami, man and yōkai alike, so he reveled in one being not fearing him at all. Rin simply adored him, and he reveled in it. Though right now he enjoyed watching her hips as she walked away from him, it was an enticing sight, he looked forward to successfully seducing her. For now, he would enjoy the chase she was unaware she was participating in. Smirking to himself he pulled the last peach from his sleeve as he took a large bite, her eyes narrowed.
"You had better be prepared to share that my lord," she growled as she stalked towards him.
He made no reply, even as she came to stand toe to toe with him. Instead he went to take another bite of the peach, she plucked it from his claws and walked to A-Un.
Inwardly he laughed at her antics, knowing she was only so bold.
"How long was I there? I am famished?" she asked.
"Three sunrises," he admitted. The taijiya had attempted to keep him from his mate, but he had always walked into their village to check on his mate, to see her well being, holy place or not, she was his and not even the kami would keep him from her. The taijiya had been uneasy about this, the few that had attempted to stand against him were seriously maimed; he didn't kill them knowing Rin's life would be in grave danger. As long as she held the Shikon no Tama her life was in the hands of the taijiya, he knew that, which was the danger and about the only reason he and the taijiya had come to a tentative truce in the three days that Rin had been there.
"That long!?" she spun on him, her mouth hanging open and he walked forward.
"That long," he agreed as he walked after her. Rin and he stood at the side of the mountain and they both stared out at the forest as the sun set.
"It did not feel like three days," she admitted.
"Time in the spiritual worlds and the mortal pass differently," he admitted as he watched a bird flutter to her fingers which were lifted to the forest.
"I see," she hummed. "Is this why you are so old?" she teased.
He glared at her as they both watched the sun set over the mountains and forest.
Tsuzuki Castle Gardens, Shikoku InuYōkai Pack Territory, Japan...
Tōga was lounging in Kimi's gardens; no matter how many centuries passed, or how much like home this had become to him, it always felt more like Kimi's gardens than his; a book over his face, Sō'unga propped against the tree, and his claws dangling in the waters of the koi fish pond. He was certain there was a council meeting he was ignoring or something but the warmth of the sun was too much to surrender at this moment as he lay in his tree. Tōga wasn't very irresponsible by nature; he might be reckless but he was never irresponsible; but with the distraction of the human onna he was finding to be distracting.
Tōga did not know what to make of this dangerous distraction, and he didn't know what to do about her as a whole. He couldn't harm her, he couldn't lift a claw against her, he had tried. He had stalked her with the intent to obliterate the mortal who dared to distract him, but he couldn't. He couldn't harm her. It was annoying.
There was nothing he could do to harm her.
So, he was going to enjoy a day here, in the sun, without the worries of his responsibilities or the worries of war or that bloody woman. He would enjoy a simple day for a change.
"Tōga!" Kimi's voice filled the air as his book was plucked from his face revealing the sun and he found himself staring at his alpha bitch, who was glaring balefully as she held the book up.
"Kimi," he greeted her carefully, there was something about her amber eyes which had him being wary of her intention especially with her marks darkening.
"You left me in the council meetings!" she seethed icily, hitting him with the book sharply on his brow. He winced as he took the hit.
"Gomen," he muttered as he rubbed his brow. Kimi rolled her eyes as she snapped the book shut and tossed it aside.
"What is this about?" she demanded.
"Nothing," he promised waving her off.
"Do not dismiss me!" the alpha bitch snarled and he could feel her hackles rising as he looked back over to her. Centuries of friendship and companionship, he wished he had loved her as he had dreamt of back when they were young and foolish.
"I'm having a problem," he admitted.
"If this is about Rin I will gut you, you are not touching…!" she started.
"It's not about her!" he snapped. "I don't want to kill her," he admitted.
"Well that only took five centuries," she muttered as she slid her hands into her sleeves and let her hackles settle.
"Why do you like such a weak creature for our son!?" he demanded.
"She loves him, Tōga," she said softly. "I do not believe you can possibly understand what a gift that is, after what he's been turned into to please you and me and this pack. Do you know what they say about him? What they believe he is? We will never find a female capable of mating him or being near him without panicking, Ryūkotsuse's daughters were in tears just finding out what you wanted from them! But that human, she is the sun to the moon for him, and she loves him, Tōga, that is all I could ever ask for from his mate. She loves him to the end of time and back. And it is a precious gift, one the fates smiled upon when they gave it to our son."
"I… Sesshōmaru is strong, and powerful," Tōga started softly.
"He is, and he is utterly ruthless, heartless, merciless, and willing to obliterate whatever stands in his path to prove he is worthy of you," Kimi said icily. "He has done things Tōga, terrible things for you, he is the nightmare to scare small children, he is the monster your grandfather and you both praise, he has lost himself to please you. Rin still loves him, monster and all, and she is never scared of him. I will always be grateful to that weak, small, fragile human for being brave enough to do what we cannot, she balances him."
"You think I made him a monster?"
"I think we failed him, and I think we made the monster he is," Kimi answered. "We are not perfect anata. We are flawed, it's a part of being alive, and we, we failed our son."
"I didn't know you felt that way," Tōga said.
"You never asked, you never stepped away from your pride or what you believed our son should be to see what he was becoming, what he was destroying to make you proud," Kimi admitted. "It is no one's fault, anata, it is our failing. Rin fixes that," Kimi smiled sadly. "I am glad you are no longer trying to kill her though, she is good for Sesshōmaru. Now, why is it you actually left me to deal with the generals and council, anata?" she growled lightly.
"I have a mortal problem, I will handle it," he said.
"A female?" Kimi asked.
"Hai," he rubbed his hands over his face and looked up when he scented some hurt in his partner's scent. "I…"
"It is a good thing, I think," she decided with a smile. "I am happy for you," she promised.
"Kimi…" he started.
"It is a blessing Tōga," she decided. "And a lesson from the fates for attempting to control them."
"It's not like that," he groaned falling back against the branches he was lounging on.
"Of course not, anata," Kimi replied monotonously, and he glared at his partner. He knew where Sesshōmaru's icy demeanor came from, he knew too well, and he was aware that his mate and alpha was great at the façade of playful indifference. And she loved mocking him, which was annoying at times, like now when he had a real problem on his hands with a mortal.
"You are mocking me," he decided.
"Hai, anata, you deserve this," she decided. "You also deserve to know what true happiness is and what a True Mate is, if you understand that, then maybe you can understand our son and what we broke in him."
"Kimi, their life is a heartbeat compared to ours," he said firmly. "They are vain, selfish, weak, fragile, and cruel creatures, why would I indulge this problem?"
"Because it's a heartbeat that could change an eternity, and True Mates are forever Tōga, to seal that bond; fully, your lives are bound until the day you die. To love like that, to love that unconditionally, that purely, you'll never be the same if you accept it."
He looked down at his claws as he scented her pain and envy as she left him. Tōga, again, wished that Kimi could've been his True Mate, for he respected her, as his mate and equal. Now though, now he felt the need to speak with Rin. He did not know what to make of this development.
