I Do Not Own InuYasha
Ichariba Chode
行逢りば兄弟
"Though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life"
IV: 12
Year 839...
Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...
It had been a fun day, Rin noted, she and Sesshōmaru had had a basic sparring lesson, and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the soldiers training before they had been summoned to dinner with Tiāngǒu and Chang'e.
She chuckled as she and Sesshōmaru held her hand as they were escorted.
"Rin?"
"Hai, my lord?" she asked as they finally reached the dining hall.
"Can you teach me that move?" he asked.
"Which one?" she asked.
"The one we saw the guards doing," he answered.
"Ah, I don't know it, perhaps we can both learn it," she offered as they walked into the dining hall.
"You don't know it?" he blinked in confusion.
"No, my lord, I do not know it," she chuckled. The way Sesshōmaru looked at her as if she were all knowing was amusing but she had no desire to mislead him. "But perhaps we can learn it together," Rin offered.
"Really?"
"Hai," she decided.
"But you're old!" he pointed out which had her pursing her lips.
"My lord, I'm only sixteen years old," she pointed out blandly.
"Is that not old for a human?" he asked tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"No! No it is not! You are a cheeky little pup!" she gawked at him.
Sesshōmaru smugly smirked at her as they were seated. "I'm a century, and a quarter," he informed her.
"And you call me old," she grumbled. He smirked broadly and she wanted to whack him upside the back of his head.
"The Emperor," the retainer started, which had her keeping the pup firmly seated. Rin would not permit her lord to show a sign of submission here. Rin watched the canine spirit when he walked in dressed in yellow that highlighted his amber eyes, the emperor assessed them now before being seated, his wife appeared to be seated beside him. Chang'e was dressed in silver, it was almost complimentary to see Chang'e and Tiāngǒu.
"It is a pleasure to be here this evening," Rin greeted with a bow of her head, but she kept Sesshōmaru still. Her lord would not submit to anyone, she wouldn't permit it, she refused let him submit to anyone.
"You have no manners, still," Tiāngǒu observed.
"The East has taught them nothing.
"As you are not my alpha to submit to you in anyway is a sign of weakness for my pack and I will not permit such an act, we of the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan are not weak, and those of us in the Shikoku InuYōkai Pack will not dishonor our people with submission."
"Spoken well for a human of no canine blood," Tiāngǒu smiled at her then.
"Rin's mine!" Sesshōmaru growled making himself at home on her lap again, bristling a bit as he glared at his grandmother and grandfather.
"Hai, and I'm not going anywhere," she promised the pup.
"I am most curious about the lessons this morning, you have impressed your tutors, Prince Jūn Ān," Tiāngǒu said. Rin detangled Sesshōmaru from her lap and had the pup seated at his spot again when they were being served. Rin smelled the sweet and sour pork and she could feel her mouth watering as they were served the meal before she and Sesshōmaru started serving themselves.
"I was informed that you spar," Tiāngǒu said, addressing her, which was a shock.
"Hai," she nodded as she accepted her portion.
"My guard said you were most impressive, but you were sparring a pup," Tiāngǒu smiled as he looked at Sesshōmaru.
"My lord asked if he could learn and I see no reason not to teach him," she shrugged. Sesshōmaru's nose wrinkled in distaste when she gave him a small portion of dumplings. "Try them."
"I do not like…"
"We'll go hunting later," she promised.
He frowned but did as told as he started nibbling on his meal.
"I will instructors to create time for youn Prince Jūn Ān to learn the arts of the sword," Tiāngǒu said.
"Who taught you such a skill?" Chang'e asked her.
"My lord actually, he started my lessons when I was ten summers old," she answered.
"Why?"
"My lord does not tolerate weakness, and felt that it would be a necessary skill I should learn," she replied. "It is a good skill to have regardless of status or gender too, it has proven most useful."
"I will instruct the guard to assess your skills," Tiāngǒu decided.
Rin nodded as she put a few more dumplings on Sesshōmaru's plate when he had finished the first ones. He glared at her which had her arching a brow at him as she ate her rice. The pup scowled but munched on the food served.
"How old are you, human?" Tiāngǒu.
"The name is Rin, you will use it or I will give you a full lesson in all the arts of combat my lord has personally taught me," she warned sharply. "And I am sixteen," she stated.
"So young!" Chang'e mused.
"Hai, I suppose by the standards of kami or yōkai I am young," she admitted.
"And yet still so full of life," Tiāngǒu chuckled as he ate.
"Life is a gift which should be celebrated and lived to the fullest, every day," she stated happily. She had learned this after her first death and she had decided to live every day to the absolute fullest, it was what made her life fun. Also, she could smile and laugh freely, she loved it.
"Well said, Rin," Tiāngǒu said. "Perhaps this evening you and I should have a small game of go," he mused.
"If that should please you," she decided.
"Rin?"
"Hai, my lord?"
"What's this?" Sesshōmaru asked her as he held up the sauce she had been using to her face.
"The sweet and sour sauce for the wontons," she answered.
He nodded as he looked at the sauce. She handed him a wonton then and showed him how to dip it. Rin felt triumphant when he cleared a plate of wontons for the sauce alone. She smirked at his sweet tooth, even as the pup looked around for something else to go with the sauce.
Tiāngǒu gave her an impressed look.
"Rin?"
"Hai, my lord?"
"What else goes with this?" he whispered.
"Many things, my lord," she whispered back and offered him some of her food.
Tiāngǒu had heard the reports from the tutors, the pup's hanzi was perfect, he was brilliant in his mathematics, and was proficient in four languages, as well as a bright mind. Jūn Ān hadn't offered them much to teach or fix, he had been essentially a functioning mute until he was with Rin, with Rin the pup seemed intent on asking questions and learning new things. Tiāngǒu was surprised to learn that Rin had this infinite patience with Jūn Ān, as she would endure any treatment the pup gave her. Tiāngǒu had watched her sparring match with the pup; he was impressed.
The woman had handed the pup a weapon and hadn't even faltered in her teachings, even when the pup nearly cut her. Instead she had encouraged the pup, and had him repeat motions with the dagger she had handed him. She had also coaxed the pup to use his claws and abilities, and she hadn't seemed intimidated, even when the pup's poison had melted a portion of his garden to nothing but a puddle of goo. The pup had seemed unsettled and Rin had sat beside him talking to him about the poison and venom, Tiāngǒu was impressed.
Now he was impressed watching her manipulate the pup into eating, and even trying new things. As a canine himself he understood the distaste of human food, or human style food, but the pup was content to try it at least, so long as Rin tried it first or told him what it was.
They finished the meal when Rin collected Jūn Ān and left them, agreeing to meet him in a bit for a game of Go, now leaving him with his mate.
"Most impressive sway she holds over Prince Jūn Ān, and she doesn't abuse it," Tiāngǒu said looking at his mate.
"She's mortal," Chang'e said with distaste. He chuckled.
"I've noticed that flaw as well," he mused.
"She is in possession of a soul collecting pearl," Chang'e stated as they started walking her gardens again.
"Oh?"
"Shì, I don't know how that Eastern mortal obtained it, but she possesses a black pearl of souls," Chang'e said as they walked.
"That is interesting," he mused. Mortals couldn't normally use spiritual or demon or god gifts, it wasn't in their qì that way. It wasn't in their nature as a living being to harness the universe around them, the few that could, well, they were a rare few truly, and it was difficult for them to be truly powerful.
"She harnesses qì like a demon or spirit," Chang'e said.
"Even more interesting, it will be interesting to see what this small mortal is truly capable of," he decided. It could be worth teaching the mortal if she held true promise at all.
Sesshōmaru held onto Rin as he looked around their room, she slowly lowered him to the bed which had him clinging tighter to her.
"Don't go," he pleaded.
"Sesshōmaru-sama," she sighed as she sat.
"He'll hurt you," he stated. His father would tear Rin apart, limb by limb for being mortal, and Sesshōmaru didn't trust Tiāngǒu not to do the same.
"No he won't, and if he does you can say I told you so and yell at me," she promised.
"No," he shook his head and buried his nose in the crook of her neck.
"Sesshōmaru," she sighed tiredly.
"Please," he whined. He didn't want her hurt, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
"My lord," Rin pulled him away then and he found himself staring at her bright brown eyes. "I will be back before you know it, and tomorrow, you and I will learn these strange Westerners ways, and we will work on going home," she said. "And I will be back tonight because you will have Bakusaiga, and I'm trusting you to watch over the fang for me," she said.
"Promise?"
"Hai, promise," she smiled. "Besides, I mustn't disappoint my lord, he has a reputation to uphold," she mused. "I'll be back before you know it Sesshōmaru," she promised.
He nodded.
"Just rest," she ordered as he yawned.
Sesshōmaru watched Rin leave him, which was annoying, he didn't want her gone, but he watched her leave. There was a pulse as he hugged the fang, Bakusaiga closer to him which had him looking at the end of the bed. He hissed in irritation when there was a sharp tug on his thumb which had him looking as a thin strand of blood encircled his thumb before sliding down an invisible string. There was another pulse in the darkness and Sesshōmaru slowly clambered for the end of the bed, a flash of light and there was a heavy, thick scroll sitting before him. The kanji were glowing silver, like the moon's light. He frowned as he reached for it, propping Bakusaiga on his shoulder, there was a violent reaction as the scroll sprung open and he found himself staring at a mirrored set of his eyes.
There was another pulse and he looked up to see a pup, about his age sitting across from him, the pup looked like him but didn't at the same time. Sesshōmaru frowned as he tilted his head, the pup blinked large gold eyes at him then.
Sesshōmaru looked at the scroll and stared at an image of a white inu that looked like the pup across from him.
The pup stood with two others beside him, they were all strange.
The pup before him had a heavy black mokomoko, silver hair, a violet crescent moon, and two jagged streaks of magenta below his eyes. The amber eyes stared back at him, and Sesshōmaru looked at the scroll then the pup. There was a sound outside and before he could blink it was all gone as the scroll violently rolled itself up and vanished in the darkness. Bakusaiga's pulse reassuring beat against his shoulder and throat.
Year 1581...
Somewhere in Izumo Province, Japan...
InuYasha stared at the ocean as he and Miroku waited for Sesshōmaru's return. InuYasha wondered again what the hell they were doing here with Sesshōmaru. Then there was all the stuff about his father, and InuYasha was coming to realize just how little he actually knew about his father and brother and his heritage in general. He wondered if that would impact his pups.
"What's on your mind?" Miroku asked after feeding a log to the fire.
"Why do you ask?" InuYasha sighed.
"Well, this is the first time in almost nine years when it's just you and me, no kids or wives, or monsters to battle, and nothing to fight," Miroku observed.
"It's strange," he decided.
"It is! I keep looking for the girls, and Shippō, though I know they aren't here."
"It's stranger that we're here with Sesshōmaru," InuYasha mused.
"Hai, I honestly never thought that that would ever happen," Miroku agreed, his staff resting on his shoulder.
"I don't know, I guess just…" InuYasha shrugged. "This past week I've learned more about my father and brother than I did in the last two centuries."
"That's a good thing though," Miroku pointed out.
"I guess, but I just… I don't know, everyone talks about the old man like he was this great being, but I wonder sometimes if he was that great."
"Fair enough, especially given that we know Sesshōmaru."
"And that's the other thing, is he like that because of the old man, am I going to fuck up my kids because my old man was shit? I never knew him, and I don't know how to be a father."
"Well, if there's one thing I've learned parenting is that you're going to mess up, that's part of parenting, you just… you have to try you best, instill the values that matter and pray to the kami that they can figure it out and handle whatever comes their way," Miroku replied.
"But what if I create another Sesshōmaru?" he challenged. His brother was a prime example of what not to become in his mind. InuYasha had over two centuries of memories always combatting or running from his big brother, and he dreaded the notion of fucking up his pups so badly they ended up like that heartless bastard.
"I don't think Kagome will let that happen," Miroku mused. "InuYasha, none of us know how our kids are going to turn out, you'll do fine because you've pretty much already decided what not to do."
"What about you and your children?"
"I worry about the curse of our hands," he sighed.
"Sango will beat the pervert out of you lot if you turn them into lechers."
"True, but I worry about that, especially with the girls."
"And here I thought you'd worry about the boys."
"You would think, but I worry about the girls, especially because Kanon and Kaori think Shippō's cute, they're barely seven!" he cried out.
"This is karma biting you in the ass for being a pervert."
Year 839...
Tsuzuki Castle, Shikoku InuYōkai Pack Territory, Japan...
Tōga was finally up on his feet, which had him looking at his mate as they prepared to meet Jimmu. Kimi was dressed as regally as she could be without looking prepared for battle; though he knew she was itching to tear hides apart and find her pup. He touched his nose to his mate's temple to calm her, they would find Sesshōmaru.
"Arigato," she whispered as she touched her nose to his own pulse at his neck.
"Of course, we will find him, anata," he promised her softly. He saw her gold eye peer skeptically at him and he licked her cheek reassuringly before she pulled away and they walked out to face the Panther King. Jimmu was surrounded by his kits, the Hyōneko Shiten'nō, which had Tōga growling lowly. He saw his mate's claws twitch.
"Why, Tōga-sama! It has been so long," Jimmu said with a mock power. Tōga was pleased to see that the horn he had torn from the damn cat's throat hadn't regrown yet.
"I will keep this brief, Jimmu," he cut the feline off. "Return our son and we will not go to war with you."
"Oh?" Jimmu mused idly looking at his claws.
"Hai, now," Tōga ordered.
"Or what?" Jimmu smiled wickedly then. Tōga let his own lips curve.
"Or I let Kimi tear apart your kits before your eyes just before I tear your throat out and paint these walls with your blood," he smiled.
"Hmm… interesting, I did not take you for the type, though I knew Kimi-sama was, but you see, Westerner, I could not return your pup even if you should kill me, for that pup is where he belongs!" Jimmu growled.
"And where is my pup?" Kimi demanded then.
"In the West, where we were paid to deliver him, in exchange for purging our lands of your Western influence," Jimmu stated.
Tōga snarled as he felt himself shift forms while lunging for Jimmu. Jimmu met him in the clash as claws raked over his flank.
Year 1308...
Somewhere near Hotakayama, Japan...
Tōga walked into the forge and looked around for an idea of where his friend and the smith could be; he hoped they weren't into the sake again.
Tōtōsai was working though, which had him relaxing as he walked to his advisor and friend.
"Tōtōsai," he greeted.
"Kami! Don't do that!" the old smith jolted as he spun around to stare at him. Tōga chuckled then.
"Gomen," he chuckled.
"What can I do for you Tōga?"
"I need you to forge me a twin set of fangs from one of my fangs," he said sitting.
"Oh? For what purpose?"
"I need it to seal a yōkai while my hanyō grows," he answered.
"Hanyō!?"
"Hai, not now, but soon, I believe," he replied.
"And the other?"
"How much do you know about death?" he asked.
