Chapter 2
The Demoness and her Mysterious Package
"Shinokiri. You waste your time speaking to the flea. Rest," Sesshomaru stated his command succinctly as he flicked the flea across the room.
"No! Screw that! How long were you in that thing?!" Inuyasha stood up in a passion looking down at Shinokiri in confused anger.
"Since last I saw you"
"100 years?!"
Shinokiri nodded. The crowd amassed as an audience froze in excited befuddlement. What could possibly be going on in front of them?
Inuyasha bent down impossibly low to face fever-dewed her. "When you said you had to leave to carry out my father's will…you meant you were going to sit in a big ass snake's belly for 100 goddamn years?!"
Sesshomaru massaged his temples before dryly saying, "Little brother, your yelling is insufferable"
"Shaddupp Seshomaru!"
"What a strange and wonderful sight," Shinokiri mused at the two brothers in awe. "Your father would've enjoyed this." The amusement in her eyes quickly faded as she drowned in a fit of her own coughing.
The demon lord stood up, his movement slicing through the band of observers in the hut. "We should all leave the two priestesses and the hanyou to their work." He did not turn to look behind him, only leaving in accordance with his own command.
Inuyasha stomped off in frustrated agreement, followed by the bemused posse. All but Jinenji, Kagome, and Kaede had left the hut (as was instructed). The children, including Rin, had gone off play nearby while the others waited: the two brothers waited for news of the demoness; the others waited for an explanation.
"So Inuyasha, how are you acquainted with that phenomenally attractive lady?" Sango glared at her husband, but let his comment slide, her curiosity was much more pressing than the ache in her palm to slap Miroku across the face.
Inuyasha merely grunted, letting his back fall into the grass. His focus was now on the clouds.
"Well, since Inuyasha seems to prefer to be mum at the moment, I suppose I could fill you in. Explaining things is not his strong suit…anything mental in general is not his strong suit"
Inuyasha went to slap the flea from his feeding post on his neck, but missed. Myoga hoped into the field of vision of those around him, perching on Miroku's staff. Sango, Miroku, and Jaken leaned in intent to catch his every word.
"Lady Shinokiri had been tasked by Inu no Taisho himself with two special tasks— second being the procurement and protection of a gift upon Inu no Taisho's death, only to be delivered when the two sons had learned to cooperate with one another. It seems as though it was within the serpent Kogane, known for her greed. Lady Shinokiri must have allowed herself to be swallowed in order to keep the parcel safe until those two stubborn messes sorted themselves out. Master Inuyasha was just a pup when she left. I'm sure after all this time, even Lord Sesshomaru is relieved to have her back"
"Why on earth would someone as marvelous as my Lord Sesshomaru demean himself by caring about the fate of that lowly female?" The assumption had angered Jaken, and as such he did not he did not expect the swift blow he received at Sesshomaru's hand.
"M'lord?!"
Sesshomaru looked off into the distance and began to walk a meager measure of space away in order to separate himself for sake of his thoughts.
"Imp." Myoga hopped on to Jaken's fallen form. "I'm surprised you were never told. Lady Shinokiri is Lord Sesshomaru's mate."
"WAH?!" The flea's audience exclaimed in chorus. Jaken sat quickly back up as Sango and Miroku fluttered about in the weight of the revelation.
"I never thought someone like Sesshomaru would hold such an interest" Sango commented, her face creased in conjecture with how outlandish the notion seemed.
"Well my dear, all males have that weakness, though I must admit that I too am surprised"
"Foolishness Monk! The woman is right, Lord Sesshomaru is above that sort of thing; he couldn't possibly have a mate"
Myoga laughed at the imp's proclamation.
"Believe it or not, she is, in fact, his mate. Though it was arranged by his father, so it's fair to say that Lord Sesshomaru had no real say in the matter. Anyway, Lady Shinokiri acted more on the great Dog Lord's behalf than she ever did for Lord Sesshomaru. That is why he entrusted her with such important tasks."
"Myoga..." Sango interjected. "You never told us of the first task."
"Ah yes, 200 years ago at the death of Inu no Taisho…"
Myoga, Totosai, and Saya had been huddled around each other mourning the loss of their great ruler when Shinokiri approached.
"Now that you have decided the fate of the Sounga, give me the black pearl Myoga"
Totosai looked up at the demoness. "Lady Shinokiri, how do we know you will not aid Lord Sesshomaru in finding tessaiga."
Shinokiri glowered. "Do not insult me. I will fulfill my purpose. Inu no Taisho entrusted this to me…do you question his will?"
Her hair bristled with a sort of static underlying rage. The only real sign she'd give off the intensity of her feelings in that moment.
Totosai bowed in defeat. "Of course not my lady"
"Good," Shinokiri looked at the burnt remains of the castle surrounding her and felt a heaviness in her chest.
I will do as you command and honor your great memory Inu no Taisho.
With that, Myogo threw the black pearl into the demoness' grasp and watched her diminish into the distance through a thickening screen of fog.
Miroku's eyes widened as he queried, "So, she's the one the placed the black pearl in Inuyasha's eye?"
"How dare she stoop so low as to betray Lord Sesshomaru in such a despicable way?!" Jaken beamed with righteousness before quickly succumbing to the daggering look of disapproval given to him by his master.
Sesshomaru looked down to brood and search his memories.
"You are mine. I take precedence. Tell me the location of my father's grave"
Sesshomaru tried fervently to not let his anger be shown, he would not let her know his desperation.
"Seeing, but never seen; protected, yet never known to its protector." Shinokiri let out the ghost of a laugh. "That is what your father told me to tell you."
Shinokiri reached above her high ponytail to an ornament in her long gray hair. Acting as an enchanted scabbard sheathing an awesomely gargantuan naginata which had been pulled out just in time to block Sesshomaru's poison whip.
He charged at her with a barrage of lethal light but her great weapon kept him at a distance.
"I have no time for this my lord. The sooner I meet my obligations the sooner I am exclusively useful to you."
"You were never such a thing as useful"
Shinokiri took in a mammoth breath and from out her nostrils poured a cascade of mist obscuring the young lord's vision as to leave his final thrust of his whip empty and his mate departed.
"I can't believe she put the damn thing in my eye and never even told me"
Inuyasha's voice rang through the air, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Your father's instructions were always unusual Master Inuyasha" The flea nervously scratched the back of his neck.
Sango bristled with the momentum to speak up. "So, if those were her two tasks…why did she wait 100 years to start the second one?"
Myoga perked up in the thrill of the attention he was receiving. "As I recall, she had made a secondary promise to Inu no Taisho that she'd keep an eye on Izayoi-hime and Master Inuyasha for as long as possible or at least until she found this supposed gift. You see, she had no idea where it was when the great lord met is untimely end. Master Inuyasha was still a pup when she left, though his mother had passed long before that."
"Kiri-chan?"
The small hanyou looked up into his guardian's eyes and in them his own were reflected; full of questions. She took her time to respond, meeting his gaze across the fire.
"Hn"
"Why can't I stay with you all of the time? It's scary and lonely when you're not around."
"You are safer out of my presence."
"Nuh-uh. I can't hunt as well as you, and everyone picks on me when you're not around—is it because I'm a half-breed?"
"Your brother…he makes things complicated…eat."
Inuyasha, hesitated, still unsatisfied, but soon turned his attention back to his food. It was the new moon…the only time he was sure to see her. He knew by morning she'd be gone again.
When he finished he clumsily ran into Shinokiri's arms.
"You wish to sleep now?"
He nodded up at her. "Where will you go when you leave tomorrow?"
"I found something your father had wanted me to take care of, that is what I must do."
"When will you finish doing that? When will I see you again?"
"I don't know Inuyasha"
The pup used a single clawed finger to gently trace the magenta stripes across each cheek as he drifted into sleep.
Agitated, Inuyasha got up with purpose and rapped his knuckles against Kaede's hut.
"What are you guys doing that's taking so long?! You could at least give us a damn update!"
"OSUWARI"
Inuyasha plummeted face first into the ground groaning with his feet flung above his head.
Miroku's gaze fell on his wife. "Can you imagine? An entire century in the belly of a foul serpent with no guarantee of respite…"
Sango twisted her mouth in consternation and concurred. "To think…she had to wait on those two to sort their rubbish out…it must have been unmitigated torture…Why not get whatever it is she had to get from inside the youkai's belly and leave?"
Jaken piped up haughtily, "Perhaps she was just too weak to leave once she'd made her way inside."
Myoga rolled his eyes at the very thought and chuckled. "That demon would be no match for Lady Shinokiri. She thought it was too risky to move it as it would draw attention. Kogane, herself, did not understand the importance of what was contained within her. She just blindly swallowed it like the greedy idiot she was."
Jaken chewed on his top lip and furrowed his entire face within itself before finally asking, "What is this thing exactly…and who is it for?"
Myoga started to stammer and stutter and sputter, "I-I uh, well, you see…the thing is, ugh…no one ever told me that part.
Miroku worked up his courage. "Well, do either of you know…Inuyasha? Lord Sesshomaru?"
"The old man, didn't like let us in on anything, I guess." Inuyasha brushed himself off receiving a nod from Sesshomaru in agreement.
Kaede slowly emerged into the light of the outside with Jinenji.
"Thank you for all of your help Jinenji"
The hanyou made a small bow to the old priestess and nodded his goodbyes to everyone else. The children scrambled towards him fighting to receive the most attention for their goodbye as Sango and Miroku waved.
Kaede stood in the doorway. "Well, come in then, she's still strong enough to stay conscious, despite it all. I suppose you want to see her, she'd like to see you," Kaede's eyes were fixed on the two pairs of amber eyes on her.
Quickly, the two brother's entered the hut while everyone else hovered by the door. Kagome and Kaede exited alongside them. Kagome paused to look at Inuyasha briefly before Sango took her in hand to quietly fill her in on all that had been revealed.
Shinokiri still looked very weak, it seemed that her limbs had experienced some atrophy, but the color was returning to her face, and this eased the tension within the two brothers. Their father's swords quivered at their sides, as if to speak to the demoness.
"So, you both have defeated great foes together, and have put aside your differences once and for all. Inu no Taisho would be very pleased."
Inuyasha's annoyance got a hold of him, "And how exactly would you know? It's not like you've been around? Too busy following the old man's instructions to the letter like you can't think for yourself."
"I know that you felt abandoned Inuyasha. You had to fend for yourself…I am sorry"
Shinokiri looked truly remorseful as she took Inuyasha's hand in hers.
"It wasn't because I am a half-breed."
"No"
Inuyasha chewed on the answer. He would let it go. There wasn't much else he could ask of a demon. They weren't known to be the most contrite or loving folk, but she had cared in her own way.
"Tell me Sesshomaru, do you have someone to protect?"
Her attention was now fixed on the elder brother. He did not answer. "What is it that you have to deliver?"
"It is the girl, is it not? Rin? It is shocking that you are so much like your father in that way," she smiled, a small unconvincing smile.
Shinokiri blazed through the forest following her master's scent. She had never thought to find Inu no Taisho with a small human child. It threw her off of her mental equilibrium, making her forget about the task at hand.
"My Lord?"
He did not turn around. Instead, he cupped the little girl's face in his hands as he knelt to talk to her.
"Izayoi, it is not safe in the forest. Leave."
The girl frowned, but followed his orders after leaving a flower behind his ear as a token. The great dog's attention then shifter to the demoness.
"An envoy my Lord, from the south, he wishes to see you."
In the confusion of that moment, she would not know the significance of that child and how it would bring about the demise of such a powerful leader. Still, she did see the change in her master…how gentle he was in that moment. She'd never know how they met or how the child found her way into the daiyoukai's heart, but she would be swept into their story like so many other beings seemed to have been.
"Your honorable father bestowed on me the great fortune of bestowing you with a gift." She motioned for the bright silken orange object to be brought to her. Sesshomaru placed it in her lap and waited expectantly.
"In recognition of your new found compassion and understanding, this instrument is to ensure that the object of your favor be protected even when you are unable to do so yourself," and with a slight flourish she removed the silk unveiling an ornate though worn out looking 25-string koto.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and Inuyasha's mouth gaped open.
"The fuck, kiri-chan?" Inuyasha's confusion soon was replaced with raucous laughter. "Hahahaaha! Is Rin supposed to scare demons off with her lack of talent?"
Seshomaru's mouth convulsed into a display of gritted teeth. His fists were balled up so tight that blood began to trickle down. "You dare waste my time."