I Do Not Own InuYash


Ichariba Chode

行逢りば兄弟

"Though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life"


IV: 14


Year 839...

Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...

She stared balefully at the dragon, whom she had had unchained the other day, though he was trapped in a forcefield coral. A-Un was not happy about his confinement, but seemed to be resting at this moment, she wasn't fooled. She had spent too long with A-Un not to know when A and Un was upset. Rin had always been lucky to be on A-Un's good side, she had never had to work on earning his trust, even at his worst moments.

"Rin?" Wu Min appeared then. "What are you doing?"

"Hm?" she turned as A-Un roused, Un curled his lip and A was growling lowly. "Slow, and quiet!" she hissed at the monk as he came towards them.

"Oh?" he whispered.

"Quietly!" she hissed as the monk walked for her. "Quieter than that! Walk silently like a ghost!" she seethed.

He blinked but tried to do as ordered, she was pleased when Un's lips lowered over his fangs.

"Rin?"

"Chang'e's informed me to stay I must prove my worth, she wants me to tame this dragon," she whispered.

"Ah, and why are you?" he started.

"I've already named him, that one on the right is A, and the one on the left is Un," Rin said.

"Rin? Naming a dangerous two headed dragon won't make you friends," he started.

"I'm aware but I will be friends with him, I just need to sort out how to befriend him," she muttered. Her lord had never told how he had come into possession of A-Un or how he had tamed A-Un. Jaken had always claimed that A-Un was already in her lord's service by the time he had entered servitude, Kimi had also said that A-Un was probably the most beloved of all Sesshōmaru's possessions, other than her. Inuyōkai logic, rather like inu logic, was more in line of possessions and pack, what belonged to them was theirs, whether it was living or a thing to possess.

"Rin?"

"Hm?"

"How do you intend to befriend it?"

"I have about four to five cycles to figure it out," she stated glaring balefully at the dragon. A-Un lashed his tail about as he looked at her.

"What aren't you tell me?"

"Many things, but mostly the longer we stay the harder it'll be to leave," Rin admitted softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the longer we stay, the more they'll know about us and how to detain us and I'm not staying," Rin stated. "My lord cannot stay here, and if we don't return Sesshōmaru you can wager on a war that will destroy a lot of realms, yōkai, spirit, wilds, heavens, possibly even the netherworlds," she muttered. Rin had no doubts that Kimi-sama and Tōga-sama would tear apart the fabrics of reality for their pup. Sesshōmaru's sires, no matter their flaws would see to it that he was returned to them.

"Ah," Wu Min nodded.

"What is it?" Rin asked looking at Wu Min now as she hugged the railing of the coral.

"I came because Chang'e was summoning you, also I have uncovered some more information on mogwai," he said.

"Oh?"

"Shì, it appears they are monsters."

"Monsters? Like yōkai or…"

"Like beasts, they are living creatures, they supposedly are a live on the unending mortal cycle of life, usually a beast that thrives on death and destruction," Wu Min said.

"I see, no correlation then," she sighed.

"They are an embodiment of evil," he stated.

"Touch me and you will be losing a hand or two," Rin warned as she eyed A-Un.

"This cursed hand!"

"Sure, the blame the hand, not the fool attached to the hand," she sighed. "Aren't monks supposed to be virtuous?" she demanded.

"I am, if it weren't for this cursed hand and it's delights in the flesh," he chuckled.

"Uh-huh, sure," she replied blandly. "I'll be back tomorrow A-Un!" she shouted at the dragon, both heads opened their jaws threateningly, but she waved off the dragon. Tomorrow she'd bring apples, perhaps bribery would work on the dragon. Looking back at the unhappy dragon she revised the thought, it was going to take lots of patience and lots of fucking bribery.

"You know, that lecherous habit of yours will get you into trouble one day," Rin stated. She had heard from Sango and Kagome all the antics and trouble Miroku's own lecherous habits had created. Rin was amused to know that Miroku's lecherous habits had fallen onto his daughters, it was amusing. Kanon and Kaori were both young flirts, and Rin would almost wager good money on Akira, Ken, Ren and Mitsuru also being flirts when they got older. Akira had already proven himself to be the little charmer and con artist.

"You sound like a soothsayer," he chuckled.

"Call it woman's intuition," she giggled.

"You know something! You must tell me at once!" he gasped.

"No, no, I know nothing," she giggled.

"You fiend!" he laughed.

"Touch me and Sesshōmaru might melt you," she warned as she laughed.

"Curse this hand!" he gasped.

"Rin!" Sesshōmaru appeared at the other end of the courtyard.

"Hai, my lord!" she greeted.

"Your Imperial Highness," Wu Min gave a low formal bow now. Rin blinked as she caught the pup. "And your Young Imperial Highness," Wu Min bowed to Sesshōmaru who was wrapping mokomoko around her waist as she held him firmly.

"Hello, mortal monk and Rin," the Emperor said appearing. Rin looked at Tiāngǒu as Sesshōmaru peered around in silent curiosity. "Chang'e had informed me that she has presented you a task of taming the two headed beast we were captured."

"His name is A-Un, and he's not a beast, he's a highly intelligent dragon," she warned sharply.

"Rin?"

"Hai, my lord?" she looked at the pup who was assessing her curiously.

"Can we train now?" he asked in his calm, clipped, soft tone that he used as an adult.

"Did you complete your lessons today?" she asked levelly.

"Shì," Tiāngǒu answered for him which had her looking at the Emperor then. Wu Min was still in a low bow. "I was actually coming to collect you, I believe you promised the pup a sparring lesson."

"I don't recall discussing that in your presence," Rin started.

"Do not be alarmed I know all which is discussed in my palace," Tiāngǒu said.

"Of course you do," she sighed.

"I see no harm in teaching you some moves," Tiāngǒu decided.

"We would be most humbled for your lesson," Wu Min replied.

"Rin?" Sesshōmaru tugged on her stray strand of hair.

"Hai, my lord?" she turned to look at him.

"Can we?" he started.

"Hai, hai, all lessons in warfare and combat, all the boys want to learn that," she mused as she walked with the pup.

"Monk?"

"Shì, Your Imperial Highness?"

"You should not attend the lesson," Tiāngǒu said. Rin blinked watching the monk walk off. "Come with me," Tiāngǒu gestured.

"And what are you…?"

"I wish to test your skills myself," Tiāngǒu decided as they walked.

"Nani?"

"Rin?" Sesshōmaru hissed.

"Don't look at me, my lord, I've never challenged a god!" she hissed.

"This isn't a challenge, I merely wish to know what you need to learn so I can have tutors fill in your education, mortal or immortal I will not permit weakness in this palace," Tiāngǒu informed her.

Rin looked at Sesshōmaru who shook his head as they walked. She sighed as she set him down. He gripped her hand as they walked together, which had her smiling as they followed the Emperor.

"We are not going to do that." Rin warned when she saw his claws twitch to maim someone.

The pup huffed a sigh of irritation which had her chuckling as they walked.

Finally, they reached the courtyard where Rin saw the guards. She pulled Sesshōmaru behind her slightly as she looked around at the men. Tiāngǒu laughed and spoke to a few of them before they looked at Rin and Sesshōmaru.

"Time to spar, human," Tiāngǒu said tossing her a weapon she caught the hilt which flashed in light when Bakusaiga appeared in her hand, just the weapon clattered on the floor then.

"Rin?"

"I have no idea how this happened," she sputtered as she looked at Bakusaiga. She looked at the shocked face of the Emperor and moved swiftly as she shoved Sesshōmaru aside evading the first strike as she twisted around to skid into the courtyard.

Rin pulled Bakusaiga as she slipped the sheath in her obi as she saw the god smiling.

"Very well, we will duel with fangs," he said as the blade in his hand shifted forms in a bright light. Rin swiftly took to her defensive position, holding the fang between her and the Emperor. Sesshōmaru growled.

"No my lord, I will manage," she promised. She watched the Emperor smile as he spun his blade and came at her which had her deflecting as she got a feel for his impressive tactics for offense. She could keep up with the attacks, which was difficult.


Sesshōmaru moved to go intervene when a hand stopped him and he turned to look at the fox.

"You mustn't, my lord," the woman said. He frowned, her ruby eyes flicked down to him and she smiled. "Rin is one of the most proficient warriors in my lord's guard," the woman said. "It would be for the best to let her earn her place here."

"But…"

"Rin will always have to fight to prove her worth, she is mortal in a world where that is a disadvantage, you cannot fight every battle of hers," the onna said as Rin spun out of the path of attack. Sesshōmaru looked up at the onna again.

"Rin's mine!"

"Hai, she is, but she will also have to fight to prove herself in the eyes of others," the onna said.

He frowned as he looked at the fight against. Rin moved swiftly, he felt her drawing on ki, though he didn't know where it was coming from, he could feel it, he could feel it reverberating it between their bond. He was surprised at how agile Rin was, it was like she was a yōkai herself as she attacked now. Rin shifted between offense and defense as she fought, he was impressed, she worked hard, but he was relatively certain that the fang was moving her. There were times he would swear to seeing a force moving Rin around. He tensed when Tiāngǒu threw an attack through his claws, which had the onna grabbing his shoulder.

"Don't," the onna said.

He watched as Rin rolled out of the way as she came up, and attacked.

"Rin will always have to prove herself, Sesshōmaru-sama," the onna stated as he watched the sparring session continue. Rin finally hit the ground hard as the fang came to her throat, Sesshōmaru growled and the hand tightened on his shoulder as he tried to move forward.

"Impressive," the Emperor chuckled. "I'm amused."

"I'm glad," Rin said humorlessly as she kicked her feet up, knocking the Emperor to the ground again which had him smirking as she rolled over him, her hairpin pressed under his jaw. "Cause I'm amused," Rin growled as icily.

"You're a good bitch," the Emperor chuckled. "Just a mortal though," the Emperor growled. Sesshōmaru heard Rin yelp and felt her pulse of pain as she was thrown back by the blast, her shoulder hitting hard against the ground. Sesshōmaru ducked the onna's grip and ran for Rin, she groaned as he left up and slashed out his own whip through the black mokomoko of the Emperor which had had his grandfather shouted in pain. Shoving past the Emperor to see Rin, holding her kaiken.

"Back off!" he hissed at the Emperor as he stood over Rin now. The Emperor stumbled back now.

"It's alright, Sesshōmaru-sama," Rin groaned. "Well done," Rin stated as she pushed herself up.

"For a mortal you're amusing," the Emperor stated.

"I'm alright, Sesshōmaru," Rin promised standing.


Making it to her feet she smiled as she touched Sesshōmaru's shoulder, hugging her shoulder to her body. "I'm alright," she lied as she knelt to her lord's level.

He shook his head and she chuckled.

"I will be alright, still in one piece, Sesshōmaru," she promised touching her brow to his which had him looking at her shoulder again.

"Pain," he whispered.

"Side effect of being mortal and thrown into the ground," Rin groaned as she pushed herself up to her feet.

"You did very well Rin, I can see the appeal of marking you," Tiāngǒu said.

"Great, where's the healer?" she demanded through gritted her teeth and hugged her arm to her body. Tiāngǒu reached out and tapped her shoulder which had her gasping as relief flooded through her as everything healed and she could feel her body healing again. It felt different than when Jaken would heal her, but the invasion of energy wasn't unusual. She looked at her shoulder and slowly rolled it as she looked back to Sesshōmaru then to Tiāngǒu.

"You should not need one," Tiāngǒu decided as he looked at his guard. "Bai Yi will train you."

"Shì," a dog spirit appeared and Rin looked at Sesshōmaru as he tugged on her sleeve then.

"Hai my lord?" she asked rubbing her arm.

"How'd you do that?" Sesshōmaru whispered.

"Years of getting thrown around by my lord to train me in battling," Rin said as she touched the crown of his head. Sesshōmaru had drilled her ruthlessly and hard, but he had made her the best warrior he could. Sesshōmaru had held high expectations for her as a warrior.

"Nani?"

"It's a good thing, some of my finest memories," she promised as she stood up straight. "Arigato, Imperial Emperor for today's lesson," she said with a small bow of her head.

"Where did you learn to turn a hairpin into a weapon?" Tiāngǒu asked.

Rin shrugged as she rolled her arm now as she felt the strange energy in it disapate which had her groaning in relief.

"Impressive. Now Bai Yi will be sparring you every afternoon, there are techniques to improve upon, you agility and speed is impressive for a human, but you do not properly draw of qì to be affective in combat. I will have tutors brought up so you can learn," Tiāngǒu said before walking off.

Rin blinked watching them go before she shrugged to herself. It wasn't like she was good at using ki beyond what Jaken had taught her and enhancing her speed. Sesshōmaru had always said she would learn more as she matured. He had never said when she'd be mature enough to learn it. Rin wasn't certain if it was anatomy maturity or mental maturity to learn lessons in ki use, so she had never pressed it beyond what Jaken taught her and the basics her lord had taught her.

"That was impressive," the fox appeared now and Rin sighed as she looked at Shippō.

"What in kami's name does this have to do with this damn pearl?" Rin asked him.

"Everything, to use it you will have to be able to harness ki, and you're lucky you obtained the first soul, or the essences of it," he said.

"I have?"

"Hai," Shippō took the pearl then. "Can't you feel it?"

"No."

"Well you've started collecting the souls, by accident, learning to properly harness ki will teach you the disciplines needed for collecting a soul and to know when you can obtain the souls," he explained.

"Why does Rin need to collect souls?" Sesshōmaru asked.

"Rin is saving her lord," Shippō said. "And it's important she succeed, the price of failure is too high Rin."

"Pressure is not improving my task," she sighed tiredly. "How would I learn harnessing ki?"

"I was taught that this was learnt through something akin to moving meditation," he said.

"Nani?"

"I will teach this to you, but Bai Yi's lessons will be vital too," he aid as he walked off.

"I'm going to cut his tails off one of these days, my lord," she informed Sesshōmaru.

"I'll help," he preened.

"That'll be welcomed," she chuckled as she took his hand.

"Rin?"

"Hai, my lord?"

"I want to learn that," he said.

"Nani?"

"How you fight," he said.

"Of course," she promised. Bakusaiga pulsed between them which had her looking at the fang on her hip. It was strange, but during the fight with Tiāngǒu Rin would've sworn that the fang was moving her around to where she needed to be or out of the way. She was certain that there'd been someone else moving her, or with her, but she hadn't felt anyone other than herself and Bakusaiga. It was strange, but she felt Bakusaiga was his own person in a sense, but she couldn't quite describe the sensation or the how of that feeling.

"So, my lord, what have you learnt today?" she asked with a bright smile.

His nose wrinkled with distaste and she laughed.


Year 1581...

Somewhere in Izumo Province, Japan...

Sesshōmaru looked at the rising sun and took a deep breath as he steadied himself against the curse. The monk and his brother were finally rousing and he felt Un's head resting on his shoulder as they both looked out at the water.

"Imperial Emperor Tiāngǒu and Imperial Empress Chang'e was the reason father went to war with the Hyōnekozoku," Sesshōmaru said when InuYasha came to his side. "Father was their sole male heir."

"And this matters why?"

"You are by birth the second heir to the throne, Imperial Prince InuYasha," he said tiredly.

"Tell me something I don't know?"

"Father despised mortals until he met your mother, he spent centuries being a leacher and a foolhardy warrior, he would pick fights with the biggest daiyōkai he crossed, and he had a perpetual need to create chaos and calamity wherever he was, as well as had a deep seated desire to conquer the known world just to defy our grandfather's prophecy," Sesshōmaru stated. "And you were born at the cost of my own mate because father was foolish."

"Nani?" the monk and InuYasha sputtered.

"Father never did anything without a plan or full awareness of the repercussions, until he killed my mate because your mother was too foolish to submit."