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: 18


Year 1308...

Somewhere near Hinokoku...

Tōga trailed over the mountains, his nose following the trail of the elusive daiyōkai of death. Instinctively he had been aware of how foolish this errand was, he wasn't a fool. Tangling with Shishinki was a death sentence, then again, so was bearing Sō'unga.

"Master! This is a fool's errand!" Myōga squawked on his shoulder which had him sighing. "No one has survived fighting Shishinki-sama!"

"You believe I cannot do it?" Tōga asked levelly.

"I believe you can do anything master, but this is a one way trip to meet Izanami-kami!" Myōga wept.

"Izanami is not my worry," he murmured softly. He could not dwell on the power the kami did or did not possess. He had grown up amongst kami, he had played and fought them since the time of his puphood. Kami did not scare him or even deter him. As a pelted spirit he would be a different breed of yōkai than kami typically dealt with. Back in his homeland to be a pelted spirit was to be beneath the notice of kami and he had found that arrogant underestimation in a kami to be the greatest point of value when battling those who thought themselves superior. Or they thought pelted spirits too animal and stupid to be worthy of their time in a battle.

Tōga had always hated kami for that, hated their casual dismissal of what he was capable of.

Shikoku could never understand that. It was Tōga's understanding that Shikoku had served with Tsukuyomi-kami, which was why Shikoku's line was marked with the waning crescent moon. Their dedication and service to Tsukuyomi had forever marked their line, Shikoku, Kimi, Sesshōmaru all bore the mark, and any child Sesshōmaru should sire would as well. Shikoku and Tsukuyomi had possessed a good relationship, one Tōga found to be described as equals, though having never met the deity he couldn't be certain. Tōga knew that Eastern deities liked distance, so he had never met any of them, unlike in his homeland the kami, the yōkai and mortals did not really intermix, though the yōkai wandered all the realms freely, it was a choice.

"She should be!" Myōga stated.

"And if I do nothing my son is consumed by Magatsuhi and ceases to be, I would face Izanami to defy that fate for my son," Tōga stated.

"Sesshōmaru-sama is not worthy of you Master," Myōga murmured softly and Tōga didn't respond to that.

It was he who was not worthy of Sesshōmaru, all Tōga could hope for was that Rin would save his son. Until such a time though he would do everything to ensure that his son could not lose Rin, and that would mean battling Izanami-kami's prized General and Warrior. Shishinki would not be an easy opponent, but it would be worth it. Of this Tōga had no doubt, perhaps in time his son would forgive him for how spectacularly he had failed as a father and mate.

Continuing on his hunt he scented the air, feeling the shift in the winds for the elusive daiyōkai.


Setsuna Castle...

Izayoi lay there, her hand resting on the small body of her child and the tears were flowing as she traced the tiny body. It was so soft and frail, not even properly formed yet. The head was too large, limbs so short and thin they might've been twigs. The pale skin was a sickly yellow and the baby was so still. It was a daughter, her daughter, and Izayoi could not stop the tears. She had delivered the baby, dead of winter, all the blood, sweat and tears had resulted in her child being dead on birth. Though it was far too early for her daughter to have been born now, still, the pain was killing her. Four days of agony before this moment and she found she could not move from her futon now that her child was delivered hours ago.

The midwife had attempted to remove her daughter from her, but Izayoi had raged against such an action. She wanted this moment with her daughter.

The little girl was so small, there was downy black hair on her head, her eyes were closed, her tiny fingers and toes were ten in count and would've been perfect. Izayoi could not look away from her daughter, having wrapped her in a quilt she had started when she had learnt of the pregnancy.

"My lady," her attendant and friend, Aine, whispered softly as a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

"Why?" Izayoi whispered as she let her finger trace her daughter's frail cheek. The baby hadn't breathed or been born crying, merely still and lifeless.

"These things happen," Aine murmured.

"But why?" Izayoi whispered as she felt the tears flowed, she dared not look away from her daughter.

"We do not know," Aine replied. "But you are young, you will have another."

"I don't want another, I wanted her," Izayoi murmured. She had wanted her baby so badly, she had craved to have a family again. She missed her own, and she craved to have a child to love as she could not love another. Izayoi feared she could never and would never be able to love Takemaru as he loved her, and she dreaded the idea that she would never love anyone ever again.

Though there had been a brief time with Rin when she felt she had found family again, an imouto, but Rin could not stay. Izayoi had known that, Rin was not one to be bound to anything or anyone, she loved freely and fiercely with a dedication Izayoi envied. And right now, she hated Rin for that, she hated Rin for giving her that love so freely, and now she felt it snatched away again, as Rin had run off to save her lord. And again, that love was snatched away from Izayoi but by the fates this time as they had taken her daughter.

"We really need to prepare her, Izayoi," Aine murmured softly.

"Can… can I keep her… for the night," Izayoi pleaded. "Just one night?" she whispered desperately. She could feel herself shattering as she looked at her daughter's face.

"I'll take her in the morning," Aine murmured.

"Her name is Negai," Izayoi whispered as her friend left her.

"I will take care of Negai in the morning, my lady."

"Arigato," she murmured as her friend left her now and shut the fusuma, leaving Izayoi alone in the night with her daughter.

Curling her sore body around Negai's tinier one she stared at her child. She wondered what Nagei would've looked like, Izayoi smiled. She would've had hair black as midnight no doubt, she had a full head of it already. Personally, Izayoi had hoped her daughter would've had Takemaru's height, but perhaps possessed a poise similar to Rin's own. Nagei would have been beautiful, she decided. Her daughter would've been perfect, there would have been no flaws of her child.

Leaning in close she carefully pressed her lips to the tiny head.

"I wish I could've known you," she murmured against her daughter's skin before a broken ragged sob tore through her and she pulled the small bundled body near her. The kami were cruel! So cruel! Why! Why would they give her a child only to cruelly show her what would never be!? Did they hate her so much!?

The fates were unfair, unjust! Binding her to a daiyōkai so similar to the killer of her family! Forcing her to watch as her people, her father, her home was slaughtered and torn apart until it was nothing more than ash! Leaving her to the mercies of men! Foisting her to Takemaru as charity! stealing her life, her will, her voice slowly, and slowly leaving her a mere ghost of who she had been! Why! Why were the fates so cruel!? Had they not taken enough from her? Did they have to rob her of her daughter? Of the one person she might have been able to love, freely love? Was it too much to want something so simple, something so pure and simple that they had to taunt her with it and viciously snatch it out of her grasp, out of her reach, out of her life and body!?

She wanted to rage, to weep, to perish with her child; as it should've been, but she could do none of that as she lay there staring at her daughter again. The tiny, yellow bundle of perfection, stolen before life could begin. It wasn't fair, it was not fair at all, and Izayoi hated it.

She hated the entire world right now, and she was tired, so tired.

Slowly her eyes fluttered shut and she pulled her baby closer to her, wishing for a different fate. Immediately her dreams came to life though and suddenly she was not alone as he came.

For the first time since the accursed dreams had started she felt relief, even if it was only a dream, as strong arms wrapped around her and a soft voice murmured words of comfort as claws slid through her hair.


Year 1581...

Tsuzuki Castle...

Kimi looked over the petitions from the other inuyōkai pack leaders and sighed. Within the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan there were four from four of the packs within the Clan imploring for Sesshōmaru to take daughters as a royal consort. They were all using the excuse of Sesshōmaru's suppose claim on the Eastern and North Yōrō Tribe heir, Yuki, as base for their reason on Sesshōmaru not turning down their proposals.

Sighing Kimi frowned as she looked over the names of the heiresses the fathers were trying to protect. As Alpha of the Clan Sesshōmaru would feel a responsibility to accept these, if only to keep the females safe. However, Sesshōmaru was not like Tōga in this respect! Which was maddening to Kimi when she was faced with a problem she had to solve on her son's behalf like this.

Kimi had known from the moment Tōga had beaten and knotted her, after decades of hunting, that he was her lord and alpha but not her Mate. She was lucky her union with Tōga had not only borne fruit but blossomed into a true friendship; she would even go so far as to claim herself as one of his dearest friends and advisors. She was his respected general, his empress, his wife for all intent and purposes, he had only obtained his title and lands from her father by beating her and by treating her well. There was no way her father would have left her with an abusive male, claim or not, in fact, her father might have pleaded with Tsukuyomori to marry her instead. Despite all that though, and despite hers' and Tōga's close friendship and relationship, he had had a need for concubines and consorts.

Tōga was a viviacious male, with a lust for life and females as well as battle. And though Tōga and she had given Sesshōmaru many of his flaws, an unslakable lust was not one of them.

Sesshōmaru had a single love, and it was one whom he guarded and protected at all costs. Sesshōmaru adored Rin, the very earth Rin walked upon was all but sacred to her son, and to think that he would actually open himself up to having consorts or a harem was unimaginable really. It was not a flaw her son possessed. However, as Alpha, Sesshōmaru would not be able to turn these females away nor their pleading packs.

Though Kochi was popular amongst some of the younger pack members of the lesser packs and rogues of the Shikoku Clan, many in ranks did not approve of Kochi. They would sooner swear loyalty to InuYasha, the hanyō, than Kochi the inu daiyōkai.

Accepting Iya though had opened Tsuzuki Castle to the other Packs in the Clan though, and Kimi could not see reason to turn them away. Yuki and Iya were already thought to be Sesshōmaru's consorts; even with the knowledge that her son had long since bound himself to a single human female.

Kimi pondered the dilemma and felt there were no solutions, only by accepting the females were they guaranteed safety, and the support of the packs within the Clan. But by accepting these females Sesshōmaru would not be happy, ever. Being a mother she wanted her pup happy, healthy and alive, but being an Alpha she needed her packmates to know that she was there for them. Pursing her lips she pondered what Rin would do if Sesshōmaru had a harem…

Alliances with Iya and young Yuki made sense in the eyes of the pack. Iya was the daughter of Tokushima who was a renowned alpha hunter of the Tsuguri Pack. Iya, before Rin had been properly introduced to the Clan, had been the one most of the Clan had wanted to be Sesshōmaru's mate. She was smart, witty, a determined hunter like her father, and a gentle alpha, the Tsuguri Pack adored Iya just as much as their alpha did, and she was a daughter of the Pack. The union between Sesshōmaru and Yuki of the Yōrō Tribes would make sense as well. Though the cub was still young and had many milk teeth, she was a key political tool in the yōkai world who would offer the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan a world of opportunities with territory expansions and resources.

Other packs of the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan had similar thoughts and offers though. The Ishizuchi Pack offered their granddaughter, Kochi's own sister, Zuzu, as a consort to keep her from Kochi's grasp according to Honkawa, Kimi's uncle. The Naoshima Pack had begged Kimi to form a formal union between Sesshōmaru and their only female heir, Shichi, before Kochi came for her. The Shimanto had informed her that they were sending their heiress, Ashizuri, and that Ashizuri would be welcomed, which had Kimi itching to reject the female outright before she entered her home.

Zuzu, Shichi, Ashizuri; all three were very intelligent female daiyōkai, all being targeted by Kochi. Kimi despised that notion of Kochi hunting these females and using the same underhanded tactics to win as he had done against Matagi. Matagi of the Yoshino Pack had not been so weak as to mate someone like Kochi willingly, or even lose to Kochi in a fair fight. No, with underhanded tactics Kochi would win, and if Kochi took four of the heiresses as his harem then the Packs would have to back Kochi against Sesshōmaru.

Sighing she sent the acceptances for the females here. Here at least the females would be safe, and they would not have to worry about Sesshōmaru's attentions either. That would give the females a degree of safety and freedom they could not afford right now. Hopefully other Daiyōkai did not take this an invitation to send their daughters into the Shikoku InuYōkai Pack in hopes of gaining favor and alliances with the Shikoku InuYōkai Clan.


Year 839...

Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, Spirit World, China...

Rin shivered when she woke, Sesshōmaru was curled up in a tight ball of fur against her back in his inu form. She frowned as she looked around and noticed rain outside the open windows.

Getting up Rin pulled on a robe as she walked across the room and looked out the window, the guards stood still, but the rain now poured over them. A sigh escaped her lips as she saw the turn of the weather. Normally Rin loved rain, it was a pure force of nature, when the world finally broke, showed it's pain and wept with a fercoity people could not understand. Or it was a time the world wept for joy and showered them with love, Rin had always loved rain for both aspects. It's gentle strength and it's pounding rage. But now, looking upon the rain she wanted to sob in frustration.

A-Un could not fly in this weather.

The unpredictability of the rains was something Rin could not work with or against, because she could not control it, but she still wanted to rage against the weather for conspiring against her.

The longer they were trapped here the longer it would take her to save her lord, and Rin did not know how much time he had left. Which was something she fretted over.

Lifting the kuroshinju from beneath her robes she looked at it, the black pearl gleamed with a tint of blue and a tint of green in it. Looking back at the weather she frowned. She could not escape with the weather as it was, but perhaps she could utilize this time to her advantage and glean a bit information from Chang'e about her kuroshinju and how they worked. If Rin could figure that out then she would doubtlessly be closer to figuring out how to save her lord.

Utilizing ki as best she could she focused on the pearl. She wondered what made Shippō say that there was a soul of her lord's here. Rin could not feel a trace of him, and yet…

She blinked.

It wasn't possible, she was mad, she needed rest. Later she would track down Chang'e and make nice with the immortal. For now though…

Crawling back onto her bed she curled around Sesshōmaru, the pup nuzzled his head against her side as he rested his muzzle on the curve of her waist. Run hummed a bit as she scratched his ears and wondered what the hell she was doing and why this couldn't be easier.

Or more straightforward.

Sesshōmaru had always made it seem so easy for him to just rescue her, and now that it was her turn, Rin couldn't help feel like she was floundering listlessly for answers. There was no obvious direction for her to go and no obvious path for her to follow. She wished there was though.

"I'm going to save you," she murmured to the pup. "Just hang on until I figure this out," she pleaded with her lord.

Rin hoped that Sesshōmaru in her era was resting and not doing anything rash or worse.


Hello,

I have not addressed you guys in a while, consider this a rare communication from me now.

Izayoi miscarried because of placental abruption, but her daughter, Nagei, was unlikely to survive life outside the womb because of neonatal hemochromatosis, which is a congenital liver disease. In 1308, it would have been fatal for Nagei when she was born, even if she had made it to term.