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: 15
Year 839...
Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...
Sesshōmaru watched Rin struggling with a massive basket of apples, and wondered what the strange onna was doing with them. The fox littermate of hers appeared and picked them up and Sesshōmaru glanced at his droning tutor before slipping out. Lessons were boring anyways, hunting his mate the pup followed her scent and took to the trees.
"Do you really need so many apples?" the fox asked her.
"It's bribery, would you suggest less?" Rin retorted.
"You think this will bribe anyone?"
"It worked all the time back home," she stated as she plucked an apple and took a massive bite of it. "You can stop spying Sesshōmaru-sama, we know you're there," she called. He leapt from the tree to her back. "And before you ask how I knew that you should know I was taught by my lord to know where you are all the time," she chuckled. "Apple?"
He shook his head as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and his mokomoko around her waist as they walked.
"Rin this is ridiculous," the fox said.
"To you, but I promise A-Un will like all these apples," she huffed as she picked up the basket.
"Give me that, human, before you hurt yourself," the fox ordered. Rin stepped aside and smiled at him.
"I want to go home," he informed her as they walked.
"Hai, I know the feeling, and I'm working on it," she said. "I'm bribing our ride home now," she explained.
He peered at the apples and arched a questioning brow at her declaration.
"Our ride has a fondness for apples," she promised as they walked through the compound.
Chang'e watched with distaste as the mortal walked with her grandson on her back. Jūn Ān had missed his lessons again, which irked her greatly but she couldn't discourage the pup either. Something about Jūn Ān was unnerving to her, she had mused that it was the all knowing way he watched them, or the way he didn't seem to understand that he should submit, as he was a pup and she and Tiāngǒu were the alphas. The pup though didn't seem inclined to submit to the traditional hierarchy of the pack. No, the pup was most unusual and almost feral, despite how smart he was. Suddenly a set of arms were around her as lips pressed against her mark, the mark that was of the most intimate claims.
"I thought I would find you spying on the mortal," he chuckled.
"You know me so well," she mused as she looked at Tiāngǒu with a smile. "Though I will never understand why you didn't just end the mortal yesterday in that sparring session!" she seethed.
"I was about to when Jūn Ān intervened," he said kissing her mark again before pulling away to stand beside her. "That little mortal though is more like a dragon than a mortal."
"Just because the soul is ancient and old doesn't mean the mortal holds the same scruples as the dragon did," Chang'e chided.
"And not all mortals are the epitome of evil and betrayal, Chang'e," he said.
"Don't," she whispered. Her mate, her husband, he could never comprehend the pain of losing ones' self for an eternity in their quest to keep themselves. She had never recalled a greater pain than the pain of losing one's godhood because of a mortal. Chang'e could not change her son's fate, she was aware, for it was the price of her union with Tiāngǒu, but she would be damned if she let her grandpup befall the same fate. She was not letting that happen. Ever. Mortals never brought good tidings to life.
"Chang'e," he whispered.
"I already damned Zhìháo, I couldn't… not all of them, Tiāngǒu, I can't damn all of them to be betrayed by mortals," she whispered.
"I don't think this particular mortal is like your mortal, and we cannot save Zhìháo unless he wants to be saved."
"He's my son, we must," Chang'e whispered.
"I know, love, but you have to accept that we might not be able to, we can salvage Jūn Ān, and teach him, raise him with love and respect of mortals but know not to trust them. In time, Rin will betray him," Tiāngǒu said. "A handful of decades of life, and then she will die, she will not live forever."
"She's marked," Chang'e snorted. "I've seen the mark, it's his, I think, the link seems to be between the two of them."
"Marked or not, she is mortal, and she will die," he said. "And when she dies, he will know, it'll be a harsh lesson, but she's merely a heartbeat in a lifetime for him, she will never mean anything more to him."
"And how do you guarantee that?"
"Because she's mortal, they die, they are forgotten, it's their fate, we are gods and spirits, we are eternal," he chuckled.
They both watched as Rin walked with Jūn Ān in her arms and that fox, Fǔ Yáng.
"She has one of my pearls," Chang'e said and looked at her husband. "It's a black soul collecting pearl, only…"
"How could she have gotten that?" he asked.
Chang'e looked out at the mortal as she talked rather animatedly to Jūn Ān, Jūn Ān remained solemn and serious.
"I don't think it's doing what she or I thought it should, not that she knows that," Chang'e stated.
"How so?" he asked her.
"It felt… that pearl, it feels like the fang she bears, it feels alive, growing, she will continue to collect souls but I do not think that it is solely to collect aspects of Jūn Ān's soul, I think it gather's hers as well, the longer she wears it," Chang'e explained. "I can't explain it, but I think that the pearl is merging the souls to a new one."
"I've never…" he started.
"I did it, a time or two when I was… you know," she whispered.
"I see, could you do it again?"
"No, I couldn't even forge a pearl to do that either."
Rin took a massive bite of her apple as they walked to the corrals, she smiled when she felt Sesshōmaru's shock vibrating through their bond at the sight of A-Un.
"My lord, our ride home," she giggled.
"A dragon?" he whispered as he now hid his face in her throat.
"Hai, a dragon, the right head is A, and the left one is Un, this is A-Un, my lord," she smiled as she detangled the pup off her and slipped into the corral, dragging the apples. The dragon's tail lashed as Un growled and A's jaws opened menacingly.
"Apple?" Rin stopped a respectable distance from the dragon and held it out.
"Rin!" Shippō hissed over her shoulder. "I don't think this is going to work!"
"For the love of kami Shippō, have some faith in my abilities!" Rin spun to glare at him. "Who's the one better attuned to A-Un's moods!?"
"Rin!"
"No, you, don't speak, I am aware this is a dragon, and he's not in a happy temperament, but would you be either if you were abused by that witch Chang'e!?"
"Rin!"
"You are so fast to be picky and choosy about being here then you would've thought of how to get us home! But you didn't so now, it's up to A-Un!" she seethed.
"RIN!" Sesshōmaru shouted.
"Nani!" she shouted.
Both the yōkai pointed and she turned in time to see A's long tongue snake out and steal the apple as Un stared balefully at her; both of them looming over her.
"Oh," she muttered. "Apple?" she asked with a smile, the dragon growled as the heads were lowered and she sighed as she grabbed three, two for Un and one for A to keep things even. Holding out both hands she looked at both heads. Un was fast, A watched her, growling lowly.
"How'd she do that?" she hear Sesshōmaru whispered.
"Rin has a peculiar habit of befriending dangerous creatures," was Shippō's response. A came for his apple next and she giggled at the dragon. Un's head was low, watching her, she moved to get more apples and held them up. Now A sniffed her hair, while Un found an interest in stealing the apple, then his long tongue slithered out to attempt to steal the other apple.
"Ah-ah, that's A's," she said just as a set of sharp teeth snatched up the apple. Both heads moved around her, encircling her as they went for the basket, they growled, and she started inspecting their scales. She was upset to see his wounds, and the mites, she was livid about the poor state of A-Un's scales, even as she absently stroked his mane. Clambering on the beast she noted that there were more wounds on her friend, which furthered to instigate her wrath, she caught yelped when his tail whipped over his heads, she hung on to smiled nervously at the dragon's heads, both of which were peering suspiciously at her. Un's lips were pulled back and A's eyes were brilliant with their fiery fury.
"Hello A-Un," she said releasing the tail and pulling out two apples for the beast. It would take a thorough bathing and a lot of riding lessons before they could leave, she knew that, but she was leaving before the snow came to trap them. The sooner they at least got home the sooner she could get Sesshōmaru to his pack and she could continue on her task of collecting souls. Of course she would have to make friends with Chang'e to do that.
For now she would work on bribing A-Un back to being her friend, though she had no doubts that he viewed her as a baka human who was irritating him right now. But for now that was alright, unlike with Jaken-dono, A-Un had not attacked her or attempted to blast her, which she considered a good sign.
"Rin," Sesshōmaru whined which had her looking over at the nervous pup.
A-Un now had both heads snaked around her, growling menacingly at their audience which had Sesshōmaru snarling in retaliation.
"It's fine!" she called as she slowly carded her fingers through their manes. "I'm fine Sesshōmaru-sama," she promised. "A-Un wouldn't ever hurt me," she promised, though A's head glared at her for that declaration, she smiled at her old friend as she crouched down to the heads' levels.
"You really think you'd hurt me?" she asked the dragon as she scratched his ears. "I'll be back later with dinner!" she shouted as she ran from the dragon, laughing as she leapt over the corral railing.
"Rin!" Sesshōmaru leapt on her and wrapped himself around her as he peered back at the dragon.
"You will have to learn to share," Rin chided bouncing him as his mokomoko wrapped around her waist. Sesshōmaru growled lowly at the thought.
"Rin, that'll never happen, he's an inuyōkai," Shippō chuckled.
"Like you're one to talk, fox," Rin snorted.
"Please, I submit to Sesshōmaru's claim," Shippō teased.
"Rin?"
"Hai?"
"How's a dragon supposed to help?" he asked.
"Well, that's our ride home, my lord, unless Fǔ Yáng has a better idea!" she challenged.
"No, no I do not," he sighed.
Sesshōmaru nuzzled her throat as he hid his face in her neck again. She found it cute the pup was so shy, and she knew it was her lord's innate shyness. Though as an adult he had hidden it well, she knew him too well. Sesshōmaru didn't like social situations he did not control, or ones where he didn't know what to do, it was why having friends was foreign to him. Rin also got the distinct impression Sesshōmaru hadn't had playmates as a pup, after meeting Tōga she didn't think he was the playful kind of father.
"So, I was thinking, we should get Wu Min from the library and play a game of hide and hunt," she said.
"I think you mean hide n seek," Shippō said.
"No, I mean hunt," Rin smiled.
"Who taught you how that game went!?" Shippō sputtered.
"My lord," she answered.
"This explains so much about our kithood."
"What's hide and hunt?" Sesshōmaru asked her softly.
"Well, someone hides, and the one who's it, hunts, it's a lot of fun!" she giggled.
Year 1581...
Tsuzuki Castle, Shikoku InuYōkai Pack Territory, Japan...
Sango had fallen asleep with the children, all sprawled on a massive futon, but Kagome couldn't sleep. Her babies were safe in Sango's care; after all, she and Sango were both nursemaids for the three babes between them, and Sango wasn't unaccustomed to the children. Slipping from the quarters Kagome slowly wound her way through the castle.
There was one field trip she remembered, a History Trip, it was the closest she got to the feudal era when she had been stuck in her time. It was Kanazawa Castle, and she remembered it pristine beauty. Sesshōmaru's home was so much like that, and yet it seemed so much more. The paintings on the walls were of beautiful forests, there were view candles, lots of natural light filtered in the castle; which was unusual.
But finally she came to a set of doors, doors that were decorated with beautiful magnolia blossoms, there was an image of a body of water, almost like the ocean with the waning crescent moon over head. There was was depiction of stars but a sun setting, the colors were simple, but vibrant. Slowly Kagome opened the doors and walked into an entirely separate area, no longer inside the shiro, but instead found herself on an engawa looking out at a jungle of a garden. There was a massive garden too. There were paths winding through, and she saw beyond the garden, in the center there was an elegant tea house, and beyond that there was a real house. It wasn't like the castle she noted as she walked into the gardens. There were herbs and flowers littered through the garden, cranes looked up when she entered, whooping as the snowy birds took to the air. Other birds took to the air, and she saw the movement of other animals.
Slowly she moved deeper into the garden, it was a well cared for garden, but felt wild, like the forest, she noted that the reeds had a lot of lilies around them, there was even a point where the bamboo whistle. Walking to the water she was stunned only to see black and white koi swimming about, though there were others, shimmering with cream coloring and blue scales, there was a single white and gold koi and a small orange and black koi beside it which disappeared as she leaned over the water. She noted that this water was clear, there were thousands of other fish and turtles in it. Looking up she continued to wind her way through the forest like garden until she reached the tea house. It was currently open, but it was clear the tea house was no longer traditionally utilized. There was both a go board and a shōgi board there, along with several scrolls. Walking from the tea set Kagome wound her way to the house.
The house, though grand and commanding in appearance was simple, and in some way, quieter. She walked up the steps and noted the house was also open. Walking the engawa she saw the rooms were open.
One room, massive, the futon was spread out, a quilt was lain out, it was not of the finest quality but the pain staking care it had been made with was apparent. The red and white material, the violet stitching for the lunar phases of the moon; Kagome was surprised to see the poorer quality of the quilt here. There was a massive map hung up on the inside of this room, a few fans and scrolls of poetry were displayed. Everything was spartan and clean here. She was amazed at the paintings on the fusuma, they were almost childlike, but the care was evident, the paintings of mountains, forests, and waterfalls, not to mention clouds.
The room beside this one was no less grand, if a bit more lived in, and Kagome immediately recognized it as Rin's. it was hard not to recognize Rin's touch here. Suddenly there was a sound and Kagmoe jolted as she spun around to find herself looking at Shiori.
"You do not belong here, Kagome-sama," the hanyō stated.
"Why?"
"These are Sesshōmaru-sama's personal quarters, only those who he welcomes are permitted in his home," she explained.
"Why is Rin's room here?" Kagome asked nervously.
"My lady used to have many nightmares, my lord thought it best to keep her close, and after the daimyō… my lady never wanted to move," Shiori whispered.
"It's wrong," Kagome whispered.
"Nani?"
"Him loving her like that," Kagome whispered.
"Why?"
"He's an adult, she's a child," Kagome stated.
"Oh, hai, I suppose, but…" Shiori trailed off. "Kagome-sama, if age was a factor, then your own mate is too old for you, he is nearly three hundred years, is he not?"
"This isn't…"
"And my lord will out age anyone he could mate, he is a daiyōkai, they live exceptionally long lives, why my lord is nearly a thousand years old as it stands? If you are to look at their age, and not the unconditional, ever evolving form of love they share, then know, we are all children in the eyes of daiyōkai," Shiori said. "Now come, you should not be here, my lord will not be pleased if you touch any of my lady's things," Shiori ushered her out. Kagome was startled when Shiori firmly shut the house up and walked her out.
"Why are you here?"
"My lord has left, as has my lady, I came to close their home," she said firmly.
"Shiori…" she started.
"Understand this, human, even if you should never understand anything else about a daiyōkai, the love that a daiyōkai will give, it is unconditional. My lord would never do anything to harm my lady," Shiori stated. "I will return you to InuYasha-sama's quarters," she said swiftly.
Kagome frowned.
Everything she had just seen was highly personalized and seemed tailored to Rin's comforts.
