I Do Not Own InuYash


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: 24


Year 1308...

Tsuzuki Castle...

Tōga woke at dawn, alone, in his part of the shiro. Kimi had not been joining him as of late; probably because of Rin's return. He had not called on a courtesan last night either so he had woken up alone. The unsettling thing was he had thought there'd been someone with him, someone who smelled of tea and cherry blossoms. He didn't understand it, which had him groaning as he turned on the futon to check that he actually was alone. He was surprised when he found he was, the dream had been so vivid.

Laying on his back he stared up at the ceiling of his home, and pulled an arm under his head as his mokomoko twitched and stretched beneath him.

Tōga was still turning over Rin's words from the other day, and he found it unsettling. He knew that Kimi had believed they had failed their pup but to hear it from his son's mate that they had failed so miserably, it was shocking. Where had they gone wrong? He wondered. What miserable mistake had been made to cause this distance between them and Sesshōmaru? Sesshōmaru was still the strongest daiyōkai ever sired, by his people's standards Sesshōmaru could be a god, he had no disillusions about that. In fact, Tōga's father had stolen Sesshōmaru to prove that! Shikoku had been the one to find Sesshōmaru, though how the pup had escaped was a story he would never know. Tiāngǒu had never elaborated on how Tōga's son had escaped, only that a crafty mortal had dared to play the game of gods to liberate Sesshōmaru.

Tōga had known Rin had something to do with it, she always seemed to have something to do with it, even when he loathed to admit it. She was the one his son turned to for advice, for council, for companionship, and worse, for affection.

He had always despised Rin for that.

But now, now he wondered if he had broken something between him and his son to make it as it stood now. He hadn't thought about the gap between him and his pup, thinking it was merely Sesshōmaru's closed off nature, for kami knew that Sesshōmaru took after Shikoku and Kimi, both of whom were closed off by nature. He hadn't thought it was an actual rift between him and the pup.

Getting off his futon he slowly dressed, glancing at Sō'unga before leaving the fang behind he went for the human territories. He would figure this out again, he would not be his father, he would not condemn his pup to a doomed fate.

Tōga saw Rin walking with Izayoi again, the women weren't in deep talk, merely talking softly between themselves about herbs. That scent wafted through the air which had his eyes narrowing on the fine woman beside Rin.

Cherry blossoms and tea…

What was the meaning of this? He was not liking this. Not his instincts and not his dreams now coming to haunt his waking hours.


Setsuna Castle...

Rin sensed him which had her looking up to the trees to see Tōga perched high above them.

"I'm sorry my lady but I must go, I will be back to help you prepare for your wedding," Rin said softly.

"Must you?" Izayoi whispered looking up at the trees where Tōga was.

"I must," she said. "I'll be fine," she promised with a smile and turned to walk towards Tōga who leapt down to her. "Tōga," she acknowledged.

"Rin."

"Shall we be off?"

"Hai, hold still," he warned, scooping her up as he took to the air. She threw her arms around his neck to keep her balance as he raced through the treetops and eventually she found herself before the sea, he set her down.

"We will not be disturbed here," he admitted.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"As far east as we can go," he admitted.

Rin nodded, she knew from Kagome's strange books that there were lands to the west, but this was about as west as she desired to go.

"Where are you from Rin?" he asked, and she turned to frown.

"Why?"

"I wish to understand you, you are strange for a human."

She nodded slowly. "I do not come from anywhere special," she admitted. "I am from the north though, far north, of the Mutsu Province."

"What was Sesshōmaru doing in the Mutsu!?" he sputtered.

"He was gravely injured in battle, and landed there to recover. I discovered him when I was foraging for food," she admitted. "I tried to feed him, for he looked far worse than I, and in dire need of help, but he refused all I gave him. Still, I persisted."

"You are either very foolish or very brave," he muttered.

"I am neither, he was always a friend of my dreams, he was hurt, and I thought to aid him. I did not expect him to save me or to let me follow or to see to it that I was cared for. He provided me a clean and new kimono," she giggled at the memory.

Her lord had been so uncertain and uneasy about presenting her a bright orange and yellow kimono with a lovely green obi, Jaken had gripped about how she would outgrow it before she could appreciate such finery. She had been bathed, marked, clothed, and then she was fed. Small portions at first, she hadn't had regular food for years, so her lord insisted she take it slowly. Jaken had been annoyed having to collect food for her and prepare it, though even at a young age she was a superior cook to Jaken. Neither Jaken nor Sesshōmaru liked cooking their meat when she had met them; now Jaken had a fondness for roasted nihon-tokage. Sesshōmaru still didn't like human food past sweets.

"You love him," Tōga whispered softly.

"Of course I love Sesshōmaru!" she snapped. "I have always and will always love him, was there any doubt of that?"

"Hai," he admitted. "I have found humans to be damning creatures, I watched the greatest kami I have ever witness fall for the charms of a human who betrayed him, my father damned my son before he was born saying he'd be betrayed by his human lover."

"I see," she hummed. Tōga's father must have seen InuYasha's future for Rin would sooner cut out her own heart than betray Sesshōmaru. "I can assure you that Sesshōmaru was not the one betrayed by his human lover."

"I have no other sons," he pointed out.

"For now," she admitted. "And I have never been my lord's lover, I'm his Rin. Now, how do I collect the souls I need?" she asked.

"Souls are always present in a being, but they only reveal themselves at a defining moment. To collect them, it will not be easy, but with this," he reached forward and pulled the black pearl from her robes. "It will be easy."

"Why?" she asked as she took the pearl in her own fingers.

"I have to double check, but the yōkai it produces it to attract souls, my mother did something similar to this, she learned it from the kitsune in her lands."

"Where is that?"

"The West," he said softly. "I come from the West, far beyond the sea, from Kunlun Mountain, my mother the Jade Emperor's youngest daughter, could collect a soul, I will need to look over the old texts, but I believe this is not any old kuroshinju, her's were white, but the black leads me to think this is more than just a gateway to the other side."

"My friend had one, it took him to anoyo to no sakai," she said.

"Let me take this to examine it," he murmured. "I will return it to you, but I need to look up something and ask an old friend a question."

"And this old friend of yours?" she asked carefully.

"A friend from my home, he will know more about this; he's a nine tail, he'll know more about this than I," Tōga said. "He serves a mysterious Mikadzuki-sama, but I know where he'll be residing. He's particularly fond of the sake in Aokigahara as of late. I will pay him a visit to ask about this particular kuroshinju," he said.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No," Tōga said levelly.

"You'll return this?" she asked.

"If it is what I think it is you will need it to collect his souls," he said. "If this is done correctly, this will be akin to the Shikon no Tama, but realize Rin, to do this, the price will be high. Are you certain you want to pay it, mortal as you are this might be a lethal price?" he asked.

"All the best things in life come at a high price, rarely in gold or jewels, the price comes in blood and sacrifice, I don't mind paying the price; whatever it is," she shrugged. "Kami knows he's paid it for me."

"Very well, but I warned you," he said as he took the pearl from her neck.

"This kitsune, who is he?"

"Back home he was called Fǔ Yáng, here he has never given his name merely his mistress's name, Mikadzuki-sama," he said.

"And what can you tell me about Fǔ Yáng?" she asked.

"You'll probably meet him before I could explain it," he shrugged. "I will be back in a moon cycle, with answers."

"Izayoi-sama is getting married, to Takemaru by the end of this cycle," she said.

"I will be back by the new moon," he said.

"I'll see you then," she agreed. He scooped her up and raced for Setsuna. Rin was surprised when he put her beside Izayoi.

"Rin," he said. "Izayoi-sama," he nodded his head slightly and disappeared in a pulse of light.

"You're… you're… back!" Izayoi smiled as she threw her arms around Rin. Rin blinked as she hugged the older woman.

"Hai, I am, should I not be?" Rin asked.

"I was expecting him to kill you or devour… or…" Izayoi started.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Humans don't taste good according to my lord and his retainer, and I trust the yōkai's opinion on that matter rather than yours."

"I will not understand your faith in their kind."

"You don't have to," Rin dismissed. "So, what are we doing now?"

"I'm arranging these," she gestured to the tree sapplings she had.

"A fun task!" Rin smiled in glee as she started helping Izayoi.


Tsuzuki Castle...

Tsukuyomaru was in Sesshōmaru's private gardens, much to his surprise and annoyance when he returned from Ryūkotsuse's lands again. He had also scented his grandfather, Shikoku, here and his mother. The other attendants and visiting generals were all at the court and the main parts of the shiro where they belonged.

"I never did ask who planted this," Tsukuyomaru said.

He didn't answer as he walked towards the doors leading to his private quarters, shedding the bloodied silks he wore. He had gone to Ryūkotsuse's lands to negotiate a treaty but he had somehow ended up fighting the ookami tribes of the north. It was all very tiresome.

"I take it as in Rin planted this," Tsukuyomaru said as Sesshōmaru changed.

He didn't respond, folding the bloodied robes and putting them in a basket for the maids. He wasn't keen on having anyone in his private quarters. Rin was the only one he permitted in his private rooms, though his private gardens seemed to always attract the few he considered equal, like Tsukuyomaru. Though the damn hyakkikoumori was spending an abnormal amount of time in the inuyōkai territories as of late.

Finished changing he walked out to see Tsukuyomaru standing there awaiting him. Shutting his quarters, he pulled his hair loose of a few snags.

"Still not talking?"

Sesshōmaru arched a brow as he tilted his head for them to walk.

"I was sent by father to inquire about your intent about the boar clan and their growing encroachment on our borders." Tsukuyomaru said. "But I'm still more curious about that tree," Tsukuyomaru whispered.

"Not Rin," he snapped and shoved Tsukuyomaru out of his gardens as he shut them off again. Though he doubted that it would keep Tsukuyomaru out. The hyakkikoumori rolled his violet eyes as they walked.

"Why do you insist upon hiding that adorable mortal from us?" Tsukuyomaru asked.

Sesshōmaru growled lowly.

"I won't ask, but who's blood was that, it reeks?"

"Dragon," he answered.

"Mmm, explains a lot. The boar is becoming a problem though."

"Not my problem," he countered.

"I hate to do this, but, Sesshōmaru-sama, you owe me," Tsukuyomaru growled.

Sesshōmaru arched a brow at that declaration.

"I disposed of Hoshiyomi and Tsukiyomi's mess before it could be unsealed," Tsukuyomaru stated.

"I did not ask you to do it," he pointed out. "But I will look into the boar problem."

"Arigato," Tsukuyomaru said.

"You should have the power to defeat a boar," he retorted. Boars were only dangerous when they surrendered to their mindless rage which gave them immense yōkai strength. Still, it would be something to do after the mind numbing banter of Ryūkotsuse's daughters. For three beauties they were brainless.

"Mmm, I just do not possess the bait," Tsukuyomaru said.

Sesshōmaru's head snapped over to the hyakkikoumori. "Hn?"

"The boar is fond of enslaving human females."

"No. Absolutely not!" he seethed.

"I've seen the onna with a blade, she'll be fine, and you would never fail her," Tsukuyomaru insisted. Sesshōmaru felt like face palming. This Rin was not like the Rin Tsukuyomaru had known, and furthermore, Tsukuyomaru did not know that his Rin had a habit of appearing randomly and disappearing making her age and experiences varied. This one probably had yet to fight a war, or out fox a god at their own game. She was so young and kind and innocent!

Sesshōmaru growled as he watched the hyakkikoumori walk before him; he was tempted to tear those wings off of Tsukuyomaru's back for this.

He'd kill the boar, then deal with the pesky hyakkikoumori.

"Don't be that way," Tsukuyomaru chuckled.

Sesshōmaru couldn't wait for the hyakkikoumori to get a mate and understand what his fury was about with his mate in danger. Hoshiyomi might understand, but the moron didn't understand that the females were not helpless or useless because they were human. Granted Hoshiyomi's mate might've been more useful with her ability to purify lesser yōkai, but the onna-bugeisha had been a nuisance. Rin at least knew her limits and trusted him to find his.

"Rin is not yōkai bait!" he seethed.

"But she attracts so much trouble," Tsukuyomaru chuckled. Sesshōmaru now snarled loudly, which had the hyakkikoumori laughing as he walked off. One of these days Tsukuyomaru's silver tongue was going to get him into trouble that he could not talk his way out of. Sesshōmaru awaited that day.

"Sesshōmaru-sama, you know I adore your mate," Tsukuyomaru promised. "I even have a gift for her as a congratulations for being mated to a stone like you. For which even the kami should praise her for because no yōkai or human or kami could do that."


Year 1581...

Edo, Japan...

Shippō leapt off Kirara and ran through the field where he saw his alpha with a strange female standing outside of the hut InuYasha had built near Honekui no Ido.

"Where's Rin?" he demanded.

"We do not know when she is," the female answered.

"Rin went down the well, she hasn't come back and it doesn't sound like we'll know how long shell be doing her task," InuYasha huffed.

"Has Sesshōmaru gone after her?" Sesshōmaru always went after Rin, he would slaughter armies for her. Shippō remembered that when the daimyō had stolen Rin, and Sesshōmaru had slaughtered several clans worth of human armies for her. There was a ling between Sesshōmaru and Rin, it was a link he didn't understand, but it was a link which bound them together. If Sesshōmaru was in danger then Rin would chase after him. Shippō had seen her run after Sesshōmaru to save him, being a weak human of no spiritual power did not stop Rin from chasing faithfully after her lord.

"He cannot go where she is, but rest assure he will find her whenever she is," the female said. "You are an impressive kit," she chuckled.

"I'm not a kit," he snapped, feeling his fangs draw out.

"I can see that," the woman said. "But you are still a kit to me, and you would do well to remember that, fox."

"What do I need to do to find Rin?" Shippō demanded. Rin was a littermate to him, he adored her, and loved her fiercely as if she were his own sister. Their age similarities had made it easy for him to adopt her into his skulk, and her inability to be disturbed by anything yōkai was a great reason for their bonding. Then there was the matter of, unlike Shippō's adopted parents, Rin understood his loss and the full depth of it, and how deep that wound would always run.

Rin, unlike he, had transformed her pain to compassion, her compassion to empathy, her empathy to her strength. He had turned his pain into a shield, and his shield into armor, and his armor into a weapon now. They were birds of a feather and yet, they were fire and water with how it affected them. And Shippō's loyalty to his adopted littermate was unwavering, only rivaled by his loyalty to Kagome and InuYasha.

"You should meet the new members of your skulk, kit, for you will not see Rin for a while," the female said.

"How do you know?" he snapped.

"Because this is Sesshōmaru and Rin's trial," the female said daintily. "Consequences and all."

The female stepped towards him which had him tensing as her lethal nails came up. "I have such cute grandchildren, you are a strong kitsune, I'm impressed!"

"I'm not…"

"You are InuYasha and Kagome's, are you not?" she demanded.

"Hai…?"

"InuYasha is mine now, which makes you all mine," the woman dismissed. "Go see your new siblings."

"She's scary," Shippō muttered to InuYasha.

"She's Kimi-sama, Sesshōmaru's mother."

"He has a mother!?" Shippō gaped. He had figured that Rin had made that up! Who the hell was powerful enough and scary enough to mother Sesshōmaru! He would have to chew Rin's ear off when she returned for keeping the entirety of this from him. Littermates did not hold out one each other.

"But you should go see them!" InuYasha beamed.

Shippō tensed, but smiled as he hurried into the den, gleeful to still be welcomed, he had dreaded the idea of returning and not being welcomed by his adopted skulk.