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: 26
Year 839...
Akai Taiyō Castle...
Rin woke under a heavy fur, and found herself wrapped up against Sesshōmaru who was soundly snoozing in his true form, her nose twitched as his fur tickled her nose. Pushing herself up she looked around, the Akai Taiyō Castle was a lot less… showy than Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace which had her humming a bit in delight; it felt closer to what she was accustomed to. Though Sesshōmaru's private quarters were about as close to a forest recreation as she could get with a large house that felt far more homy than the actual Tsuzuki Castle walls.
Getting up she picked up the laid out furs, wrapping them around her as she looked at a sleeping Sesshōmaru. She walked to her pack and was surprised, but smiled as she pulled out the red and white quilt she had been working on in Zhēnzhū Gǎng Palace, draping the warm material over the large puppy she left him to go find Odate.
It wasn't hard to find the massive akita daiyōkai though, he was waiting for her with tea prepared.
"Good morning Odate-sama," she bowed her head slightly to the larger alpha.
"The ever mysterious Sesshōmaru-sama's Rin had graced me at last," he mused. She took the offered tea as she sat down she suppressed a shiver as she pulled the furs tighter around her and took a tentative sip of the hot liquid. Sesshōmaru, in her time, had a fondness for kancha, she didn't like it all that much. Rin was thankful that this was just wakoucha instead.
"I haven't slept much these past few days," she defended. "I wanted to thank you, for your hospitality and generosity regarding myself and my lord. Though I cannot help but wonder why you are aiding me."
"I like you, for a mortal," he chuckled. "And I'm glad to see Kimi-sama's pup has someone other than that bastard in his life."
"I take it as in you are not fond of the Inu no Taishō," she said carefully.
"Tōga is a right bastard," Odate snarled. "That pup… if Tōga knew what he had he would not abuse the pup as he does."
Rin now looked at the alpha in curiosity as she lowered her tea. "Abuse?"
"Hai, you did not think the pup was like that by choice? Hai, he's his mother's son, which makes him a prodigy in the arts of death, strategy, warfare, hunting, but… I've never seen the pup smile, or relax, he keeps this distance which is not normal for any inuyōkai and I've seen a training session with Tōga and the pup, amazing the pup still breathes," he said softly. "I am very pleased that you are not returning him to Tōga, Kimi-sama would be pleased as well."
Rin nodded slowly as she looked at her tea. This explained a lot about her lord, which startled her. Perhaps this was why, that day, he had asked where the bruises came from, or gently inform her that he didn't eat human food. It also shed light into why he would been keen on keeping her safe, Sesshōmaru didn't like bullies, even when he was being one. It also expanded on his adage of not being like his father or being like Tōga.
"You are not an inumochi," Odate observed softly. "I feel the inuyōkai ki bound to you, filling your blood as well as other yōki, but I do not sense mortality on the pup you have been bound to."
"No," she snorted in amusement. She could never actually tame Sesshōmaru, she couldn't make him an inugami though she suspected many thought she had, after all that's the legend. And Sango had frequently stated that Sesshōmaru was like an extremely dangerous guard dog, and likely an inugami. Rin had disagreed with that thought because Sesshōmaru was never tamed, she did not bind him, he had never eaten what she offered, he had merely claimed her, and she kept pace with him. She had met an inugami though, just one, he seemed to be a rather tamed companion, if not possessive and selfish, but still tamed for his inumochi.
"Surprising, most of our kind do become inugami when we are bound to humans," Odate said.
"I could never tame him," she chuckled. "So instead I decided to run wild with him."
"I see," he chuckled. "I am pleased, it explains the yōki I feel from you."
"About that, what is yōki and why do I have it? You're not the first to tell me that I seem to have a lot of yōkai energy, but I never got to stop and ask why and how and what it means," she said.
"You are a very inquisitive mortal, I find I like you even more for your curiosity," Odate chuckled.
"Tis the most damning trait of my lord and it rubbed off on me," she admitted.
"Ki is the unseen energy of life, mortals have it, yōkai have it, kami have it. There are many kinds of ki," he explained. "You are steeped in Sesshōmaru-sama's ki, as well as others, yōkai do this through exchanges of ki, through marks," he reached over and moved her hair to reveal the crescent moon mark Sesshōmaru's fangs had left on her as a child. "Marks like this, this is a mating mark, are points of exchange for ki forces within living beings for yōkai, we, yōkai; prefer exchange blood and ki, it only works between equal exchanges though which is why we do not bond fully with mortals very often. Though I think you have," he said as he dropped her hair. "I do not how the bond works with mortal, but with mates this would give you access to some of your mate's more latent abilities. You will be stronger, faster, heightened, you are in a sense more, you are an extension of him and he of you, True Mates form mental links, and emotional ties, but this is only done through the an equal exchange on a mating night with the kami's blessing."
"Nani!?" she sputtered.
"Not to worry, little one, your mate is a servant of Tsukuyomi-kami, his kind are only bound to the waning crescent moon for blessing and mating ceremonies, plenty of time for this to be come sealed and permanent," he promised her.
"It's not now?" she asked.
"It is sealed, and very strong, stronger than most yōkai pairs I know, but you and your lord are young, Sesshōmaru has much to learn before he could ever fully claim you or you he," he chuckled. "Though I suspect he was older when he put this claim on you, and you were vastly younger than he."
"Nani?" she sputtered.
"I see," he mused as he settled back. "We have one bound to jidai-ju, or goshinboku," he said. "Depends on what it is known as. That is a heavy fate to bear for one so young."
"What would you know of that?" she hissed.
"Much," he answered softly. "It is a fate reserved for mortals."
"Reserved for mortals?"
"Hai, though no one knows why," he admitted. "Not even Amaterasu-kami," he mused. "But there are mortals who slip through the grasps of Kami and are bound by fate, they are normally bound through jidai-ju's roots to time, it is a cruel damned fate for the impossible to happen. Few actually succeed, according to the West."
"Then it's a good think I'm from the East," she retorted.
"Very lucky indeed" he chuckled. "I see a fiery dragon within you, Rin, it is powerful, it is stunning," he admitted. "I would not be surprised if your fate was to battle the very existence of evil itself."
"Why do you know so much about this?" she asked cautiously.
He smiled. "We all have our secrets, Rin."
"Could you… teach me about yōki?" she asked carefully.
"I thought you were leaving today," he drawled.
"There's a white out blizzard and while I'm in a hurry I'm not suicidal, and I will not risk a young life, daiyōkai or human," she stated firmly. She was also pretty certain that A-Un would not be going into that blizzard for all the apples of the world.
"I would be pleased to teach both you and the young lord," he said as he lowered his head. She tilted her head at the action of his, she had never had a daiyōkai other than Sesshōmaru or his mother bow towards her, she was a human, mortal, she wasn't a threat.
"Why though?" she asked him warily.
"Because, little one, it will annoy, and defy the Inu no Taishō and I live to piss him off," Odate informed her with a very canine predatory smile then, his fangs glinting dangerously then.
"You really hate Tōga," she deduced.
"For many things, but I adore Kimi-sama so I would be honored to teach her pup and her pup's mate," he stated.
Rin mulled that over in her mind before inclining her head slightly at his decision.
Sesshōmaru woke to see Rin standing in the room, she was reading over the scroll, pacing, and her hair was unbound completely falling to her thighs, seeping behind her like a cloak of darkness as she moved.
"Morning, my lord," she paused in her motions and looked at him. He growled a bit as he felt his bones snapping as he returned to his humanoid form. Gasping for air he collapsed on mokomoko before looking up at her. "Here, I was told this helps with power shifts," she said as she poured him a cup of tea.
Warily he took it from her and sniffed it then looked at her before he downed it swiftly and held the cup for more again.
"You like that?" she chuckled as she poured him another. He took another big gulp. "Slow down, my lord, we have a long day and we're going nowhere," she sighed tiredly as she sat beside him.
"I thought…" he started.
"You're a pup, I'm a human, and it's a white out blizzard, my lord. I'd rather remain on this side of life than freeze ourselves to Izanami-kami's realm," she chuckled.
He nodded solemnly at that.
"In the meantime, Odate-sama has kindly offered for us to take lessons with him," she smiled broadly.
Sesshōmaru didn't flinch but he wasn't thrilled. Odate was larger than his own father, he could only imagine the pain this would be, he wasn't certain he wanted to train. In the West they were soft, but his father was brutal. Rin had been a determined teacher, very patient and she taught through action rather than through lessons of humiliation, which he enjoyed. And Sesshōmaru didn't know Odate well enough to want to endure a lesson from the akita inuyōkai.
"We're going, this will be a good thing my lord," Rin stated as she took his empty cup and set it aside. "It is wise to learn from many teachers than to only have one," she said.
"Who said that?"
"Your mother actually," she smiled again as she ran her fingers through his hair.
He shook his head at her.
"My lord, you can join me and learn, or you can join me and watch, Odate-sama has kindly offered to teach me yōki," she said.
Now he perked up a bit and nodded.
"Good, get dressed, we shouldn't leave our teacher waiting!" she smiled. "I'll race you to the dojo!"
Sesshōmaru was scrambling off the bed to change, he heard Rin take off running and he didn't slow as he finished changing and chased after her. There was a wild laugh and a flutter of her long hair as she rounded the corner, and he leapt to the rafters to catch her. Smiling as he ran over her, and nearly overtook her. They both came crashing into the dojo, Rin was laughing as she hugged him to her.
"Told you he'd come," she declared to the feet of the huge alpha he was staring at.
"Almost uncanny how you do that," the akita inuyōkai grumbled.
"I was raised by a kappa, he taught me all the cheats to gambling," she smiled.
Year 1581...
Somewhere in the Spirit World Wilds of China...
Fǔ Yáng looked at Miroku and smiled broadly as he walked forward. "Mikadzuki-sama said I would see you again," the fox smile.
"This isn't possible," Miroku breathed.
"I would agree but I have yet to have Mikadzuki-sama be wrong," he shrugged. "Hello oji-san! I've missed you," he said earnestly as he ran forward and hugged Miroku tightly. The monk was too stunned to do anything about this and he reveled in it. The last time he had seen Miroku was at their failure, he wouldn't permit that to happen again.
"Shippō!?" Miroku finally sputtered.
"Hai, though here I suppose it is Fǔ Yáng, I am partial to the name even as it annoys me," he sighed.
"How are you here!?" Miroku finally sputtered.
"By the grace of kami and fate," he answered as he pulled away. "I need your help, oji-san," he said softly.
"With what?"
"Mikadzuki-sama's plan," he replied.
"What do you need me to do Shippō?"
"Do you trust me?"
"With my life."
"What about with your family's?"
"Of course, you are family, I trust you Shippō," Miroku smiled as he touched brows with him.
"It's been a very long time, oji-san," he whimpered.
"When this is all over you can sit down and tell me all about it, but what do you need me to do?"
"Right!"
Year 839...
Somewhere in the Spirit World Wilds of China...
Fǔ Yáng landed in the spirit wilds and looked at his mate who held the monk back. The young human looked very confused as he stood there, there was a terrible howl of pain which shook the forest and he caught his mate before she fell.
"Easy to see where Sesshōmaru-sama could get such powers!" Sōten gasped as he propped her up to her feet.
"Hai, it is," he agreed.
"What is going on!?" the monk sputtered.
"Did you get it?" he demanded as he looked at the young man who looked so like Miroku.
"Shì," he answered as he produced what had been a beautiful hair pin. Reaching for it, Fǔ Yáng wasn't startled at the lethal edge of the decoration, it wasn't normal. It wasn't like the one Rin wore, but rather,… it was otherworldly, it wasn't normal. He pulled out a small vial and popped the cork and seal.
"Anata!" Sōten started.
"It must be done, do you trust me Wu Min?" he asked looking at the monk.
"Presently, I do," he admitted.
"Then I'm going to need your blood," he admitted as he held out his hand for the monk's. "You will find Xiao Jiu after we are done, you two will travel back to the East, don't stop. When you get there tell Xiao Jiu to head for the Shikoku Inu Yōkai Clan territories, she is to seek an audience with Kimi-sama, and present her with this," Fǔ Yáng said as he worked.
"What are you doing?"
"You're going to kill an immortal," he stated.
Year 1309...
Somewhere outside of Setsuna Castle, Japan...
Izayoi was standing alone in the snow of the forest, she had been following the paths Rin had taken and found herself staring at the border of the yōkai territories and human lands. He stood across from her now, his eyes glowed bright and his hair swirled around him in the wind.
"I… I didn't expect you," she admitted, her fingers moving nervously over the dango she had tucked in sleeve.
"I felt you," he said walking towards her. "Izayoi-hime," he said leaning over her now.
"Dango?" she offered meekly producing it and they both looked stunned.
"I do not eat human food," he started.
"I think you should try it," she countered.
He eyed her suspiciously which had her taking a bite then offering him the rest. Now he did pluck it from her hand, his claws were careful not to touch her skin before he popped it in his mouth. The look of utter bewilderment was clear as he peered down at her.
"Do you have more?" he asked.
"No," she chuckled. "But I can, tomorrow," she offered weakly.
"I would like that," he nodded. "What brings you out in the snow of winter, Izayoi?" he asked as he pulled his pelt from his back and drapped it around her. She was stunned when it moved on it's own, wrapping around her warmly. "It's a mokomoko," he explained.
"A what!?" she sputtered.
"It's my tail and fur in this form," he gestured to the humanoid appearance he possessed then and gave her a pointed look. "Inu daiyōkai."
"Oh," she nodded, she knew that, she wondered why it was slipping her mind. "Don't you need this then, to stay warm!?"
"No, you wear it, come, walk with me Izayoi-hime," he said. "What brings you out into this weather?"
"I… I needed to get away," she admitted, her hands falling on where her child should still be growing within her. "I lost my daughter."
"I… I am sorry about that," he said.
"I named her," she whispered.
"I named mine as well," he replied and touched her cheek softly.
"Nani?"
"I am daiyōkai, Izayoi, our kind… it is not easy for us to reproduce, my son, Sesshōmaru, he was born in a litter, I lost my daughters too," he explained softly.
Now she felt the tears coming as she stared at him. "What were their names?"
"My mate named them, Takara and Bashira," he replied. "What was your daughter's name?"
"Negai," she whispered.
"I am so sorry," he murmured and she found herself sobbing against a chest as she held onto his larger frame.
"Takemaru didn't… he didn't care!" she wailed.
"He is not a good mate," Tōga murmured.
"I just… she was so small, and perfect, I want my daughter back!" she sobbed and felt heavy claws in her loose hair as the furs around her tightened. For the first time since that turbulent labor she felt safe and cherished and free to grieve as she howled in agony, falling to her knees in the snow.
