Remember
Chapter 2
The Nature of a Demon
Flashbacks
'Thoughts'
(Inner Youkai/Deity/Spirit)
./\.
The morning sun shone brightly over the forest, the morning dew catching light on each blade of grass. Rin had returned to her village to sleep overnight, but was back with the youkai moments after the sun rose. She didn't want him to leave, not without her.
"Please, allow me to travel with you." Rin pleaded, as the now fully-healed youkai rose from his spot against the tree. Touga gave her a look and began to walk away,
"No." Rin inwardly frowned and raced up to stand in his way,
"Where do you plan to go?" She noticed the tightness in his expression, "I know this island like the back of hand, Touga. I know where it's safe, where it's dangerous... I know the few people you can still call friends…" She wanted to get out of that damn village and wander the island again! She seemed to have reached the youkai on some level... until he shook his head,
"Too many are after me, you will be in constant danger." And that's exactly what she wanted! She wanted the adventure, the action, along with the moments of peace. She was utterly deprived of life since she settled into the human vi— No, she never settled. She never found her place there.
"I know how to fight. I am not a little girl anymore!" The young woman exclaimed, not missing Touga's puzzled look. Why was he looking at her like—'Oh gods...' Anymore? What was she doing...? Her eyes showed her Touga, but her mind showed her Sesshomaru and she was responding as if... Her gaze dropped to the grass, not believing herself.
"I suppose... you can... accompany me." Touga replied with great reluctance, she noticed. Rin smiled up at older youkai and their gazes stayed locked for quite some time until Rin finally broke the silence.
"May I... gather some things from my village? Very quickly, I know what to pack already." When the taiyoukai nodded, the human sprinted towards her village—no, not her village... 'Not anymore.' And that brought on a burst of happiness that she hadn't felt in years.
./\.
"So exactly how are we going to do this?" The hanyou grumbled, unsure as he raced through the treetops. They had stopped a bit for the night so he can regain his energy, and were making their way to the southern coast. He never spoken to his father, never asked about his father much, and did not even know what he looked like for most of his life. Yeah, they, along with Sesshomaru, had a little moment after the sword of hell was sealed once more but... Inuyasha sighed; at least the old dog didn't hate him like some other relatives...
"He will do no harm to you, Master Inuyasha, that is certain. Unless..." The flea sat cross-legged on the rough fire-rat of the hanyou's left shoulder. "There is a possibility that his memory is purged and the Inu no Taisho wasn't exactly kind at heart in the beginning..." Inuyasha frowned,
"What the hell are you getting me into...?" Myouga panicked,
"I assure you that going after your father would be the best decision. Whether he is aware or not, we must take him somewhere safe until we all discuss about Sesshomaru."
"Is... Sesshomaru stronger than the old man, now...?" The old flea demon sighed,
"When his sword transformed into Bakusaiga... it signaled his rise in power among other things, your brother surpassed your sire for many months now." Myouga flailed his arms and grabbed onto the hanyou's haori when the dog made a particularly hard landing. "Is something wrong, Master Inuyasha?" He waited until a soft breeze blew in his direction again to give a small sniff,
"Think we're close." The hanyou continued on his trek, "I don't need a homicidal Sesshomaru on my ass any more than I already do, Myouga. Why not just let him kill the man and be done with it? People are supposed to die and stay dead..." The flea couldn't resist,
"You mean how you let the priestess Kikyo die and stay dead, Master Inuyasha?" The ancient flea said with sarcasm and a slight huff. Inuyasha resisted the urge to flick the demon away for miles and forgetting about this rumor about his resurrected father. "And we do not know if it's true... and if it is we must find who is responsible for being back your sire and why. Such a feat would not be an easy task, even for a powerful youkai."
"Yeah, yeah, you say that now... but when you got a nearly-transformed Sesshomaru trying to claw out your face and bite off your limbs, we'll see what your opinion is then." The hanyou heard the small flea gulp,
"If only Lord Sesshomaru had grown in heart like Lord Touga with his power..." Inuyasha heard the sadness leaked into the flea's voice. It was odd hearing it. Usually if the flea was sad, it was usually in a joking manner, but Myouga wasn't joking this time.
./\.
Rin packed a spare kimono, some rare and extremely useful herbs, and other things she knew would need. And things she only absolutely needed. That was one thing she never understood about her weirdly-dressed friend, Kagome. They were in constant fights with demons, and were in constant travel, like her and Sesshomaru... so why would she carry such a bright yellow bag the size of a horse on her back?
Rin peered into one time, and pretty much only saw junk. Like books, too much extra clothing—she had never seen her wear anything else—an unnecessary amount of food and so many unidentifiable trinkets. Did a traveling woman really need all those things weighing her down?
The young woman snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the footfalls behind her. It was Ayumi, "What are you doing, Rin?"
"I'm... leaving." Rin responded as she packed with a hastier pace. She heard the sharp gasp behind her,
"You're... what? Rin, you cannot travel on your ow—"
"I am being accompanied by someone." The younger of the two interrupted, turning to face her elder.
"Is it the same one who left you here?"
"No, a relative of—"
"Rin... Are you sure you know what you are doing?" Ayumi put a hand in each of hers, "If you wish to travel with demons, then I wish you luck... but this... Every day you spend traveling with some youkai... is time that you could have spent finding a decent man, getting married and making a family."
"Why would I not be able to that with demons?" The question slipped her lips before she could stop it... but the older woman did not look at her in horror, but with a sad smile on her face.
"Because it's a cruel thing to do... To have them fall in love with you... Demons are near immortal, child, I know you know this. Your lifetime is just a few moments compared to theirs, and the children you will birth the same. But even then, they will outlive their children if war does not take their life first. Can you imagine...? Watching your mate wither way in moments, and a few years later your children do the same... while you have not aged a day?"
Rin stared at her caretaker, for years the woman was warning her about demons... and now the woman was telling a story from a youkai's perspective... with sympathy in her eyes? Shock rooted her in her place, and paralyzed her body... it was as if...
"Have you fallen for a demon before...?" Ayumi pursed her lips, a silent moment passed before she responded,
"Yes, I have but I let him go... I gave him back his heart and told him to give to one more worthy... one that could stay by his side for eternity because I could not. He respected my decision... that was six years ago, I have not encountered him since but I have not forgotten him... I can only hope he has forgotten me so he may move on—"
"B-but he loved you! He will never forget you!" Rin exclaimed, "Because our lives are short, we should allow them to cherish the moments that we make while in our youth so they can taste that happiness, so they can then free themselves when we pass to the next life. If not, they will become imprisoned with their own emotions. Most demons are not raised like we are; they are taught that emotions are not needed for living..."
"R-Rin..."
"What's cruel is to leave them after they have already fallen for you, Ayumi, he may have understood your decision but his pain will never lessen because he never got a chance to be with you! You say you returned his heart but doesn't mean he accepted it!" When the older woman stared at her with tears in her eyes, Rin stopped speaking. She grabbed her small leather bag and slung it over her right shoulder.
"You're coming with me." Ayumi shot her a puzzled look through her tears,
"W-What...?"
"You're coming with me... so we find that demon of yours and get you two back together."
"I am not the young woman I once was—"
"You're only 26 and still, miraculously, unmarried. It's obvious someone up there wants you to be with—"
"Don't speak nonsense, child, he must have a family already—"
"Or maybe he doesn't. Maybe he is waiting for you. Maybe he isn't even alive. Maybe he doesn't love you anymore. Maybe he loves you more than ever. There's going to be maybe's all over this situation, Ayumi, but do you settle for maybes?" Ayumi blinked once, twice,
"Wooo," Ayumi exhaled, running her hands through her mocha-colored hair, "Running off with a new youkai at this point in your life… Can't help to wonder what's your agenda, Rinny..." The younger woman huffed,
"The only thing on my agenda is getting you back with your lover!" Rin grabbed the older woman's hand and grabbed her to her room in the decent-sized hut. "Now hurry and pack only what's needed, I promised my companion I'll be back quickly."
./\.
'Where is she?' Touga stared at the line of trees a few feet away from him, what separated the powerful former demon lord from the human village. He wanted to enter and find out what was taking her, but he knew it would be a bad idea. This... demon thing he was, apparently wasn't very liked around her kind. She didn't seem to care, made a small comment how she had better experience with demons than humans... when he asked how was that, she didn't reply.
"And if I refuse, will you kill me, your father?"
She was an odd woman, indeed. She wasn't the least bit afraid of his fangs or claws, nor of his inhuman abilities and regeneration. The former lord began to pace, why was she so unafraid if it was so unnatural to her? Did it have to do with his... son? But when she spoke of him, it was always in a bittersweet tone of voice. And from what he could remember, how he left his son, the last he saw of him...
"Why do you desire power?"
"My path is that of a conqueror."
He was... Touga shuddered, the frigid gold of his son's gaze gave him chills but not of fear, but of shame, guilt. He did that. And he was far from proud of doing so.
"Sesshomaru, do you have something to protect?"
"I, Sesshomaru, have no need for such thing."
'My son...' Touga clutched his head, claws digging into his silver hair. He had transformed that night with his wounds to go and... and do what? Why did he turn his back on his son once more? What did he have to do that night?
"It's impossible! It's too risky!"
What was impossible? Who was speaking to him? Where was he going with such wounds!?
"Please reconsider!"
"I will not allow them to kill my son!"
'Son?' But did he not just leave Sesshomaru behind?
"He is your first son."
That's right, Rin had told him 'first son' which meant he must have had more than one... but where is his second son? Is he alright as well? Gods, he couldn't even get an image of the boy. What else happened that night? Why couldn't he remember the rest?!
"Touga?" The demon whirled around at his name, now facing Rin and an unknown older woman next to her. Both stared at him with wide eyes, the stranger's had a bit of fear flickering in them and that's when he noticed his vision was tinged a bit red. "Are you okay?" Rin whispered, it soothed something in his very core, his vision cleared.
"I'm fine." He gruffly stated before directing his attention to the stranger. "Who is she?" The woman stepped forward and bowed.
"My name is Ayumi, I wish to accompany you on your travels, sir." Touga motioned the woman to rise and shot Rin a look. The younger woman bristled,
"She needs to find someone, a demon. She's been my caretaker for the past 5 years; I wish to return the favor."
"Who is it that you seek?" Ayumi fumbled through a bag a bit larger than Rin's pulling out a scarf of some sort and handing to him. Touga accepted it, bit confused as to why she passed it to him.
"Rin informed me that you are a dog demon. She thought you might pick up a scent from my... love's... scarf and be able to track him down." The brunette explained, hesitating with the word love. Touga looked down at the scarf in his clawed hand and then up at Rin. So smelling so many different things at once wasn't normal? But the younger woman only gestured to the scarf, telling him to give it a sniff. He frowned, bringing the old scarf to face and giving it a good sniff or two.
"The scent is a bit stale..."
"It's been 6 years..." Ayumi mumbled, "I won't be surprised that you can't get anything from it. I know where he used to reside but by now, he has more than likely moved on."
"We can still check!" Rin said with enthusiasm, patting Ayumi's back. "It's not like we have a destination at the moment. Where was it that he last lived?"
"Near the western land's border." Touga watched Rin's face just entirely fall at those words, the hand on the older woman's back fell limp at her side. Western Lands...? That used to be his home... if he recalled correctly... which would mean now Sesshomaru resides there.
"Then let's go!" Rin's voice was choked, and his demon growled in displeasure.
(She is in pain.)
'I am aware, but it is her decision.'
(You will find death to go near your son with no plan.)
'I will think of something along the way.'
They began their journey to the western border, leaving the human village behind with no goodbyes, carrying the hope of a better future in their hearts.
./\.
They walked from mid-morning to sunset, before Rin told the youkai they needed rest. When questioned why he was not tired, she simply said it just another perk of being a demon. "You remember nothing at all?" Ayumi asked him as Rin finished setting up a campfire. He shook his head in response,
"For the most part, I do not remember."
"How strange. Why would someone revive someone with so much power, and abandon him with no memories?" The older woman looked over at Rin, who shrugged.
"I don't think it makes much sense either." She rose from her knelt position by the fire and faced Ayumi, "There's a stream nearby. Want to try to catch something to eat before sundown?" Ayumi nodded and Rin directed her attention to him, "I think you would be fine getting something for yourself right? We sort of eat food differently…"
"Differently?" He cocked his head to the side in confusion and Rin bit back her giggle. The way looked reminded her of how a curious, young dog reacts to a new sound.
"Raw. We have to cook our food." Ayumi answered, "Also, a boar or deer would satisfy you a whole lot better than a few fish." Rin nodded in agreement.
"I will look for something then. You two will be fine on your own?" Rin gave him a look,
"Of course!"
./\.
No, no, they were not.
"What is that thing?!" Ayumi whispered in horror from their hiding spot in the nearest bush by the water. A snake-like creature had emerged from the river which they were attempting to fish. Silver scales covered the length of its body, the head structure leaned more to that of a dragon's, and it's narrow, ruby eyes that screamed 'murder' searched for them both.
"I'm not sure. I don't think it can stray too far from the water though." They had to get out of the area, carefully. The long creature had a great reach, and could easily grab one of them from the distance they stood now. The two women backed away from their position, trying to at least make it past the tree line. If they could make into back into the main forest, it would be simple to lose the—
A load roar erupted from the large youkai as it veered its head back, and charged directly towards the young women. Rin pushed Ayumi behind the trees but did not have time before the youkai snatched her in it's mouth.
"NO! RIN!" She heard Ayumi scream as she struggled between the jaws of the large youkai. 'Oh god, oh god.' The head of the creature was too large for her to be able to reach its eyes or any vulnerable points. 'Touga, where are you?!' At that moment, a ball of light flashed through the center of the youkai's body. The youkai's jaws laxed, Rin slipped out between its large fangs and landed right in the river. She quickly rose to the surface, seeing Ayumi at the edge of the river motioning towards her. "Get out of there!"
The top of the youkai's body had been severed and was making its way to crash on to her. In seconds, she felt herself being lifted from the water by a pair of strong hands and her feet placed on the ground next to her caretaker. The older women instantly put her arms around her, and pulled away to inspect her. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, no, I'm fine." She had a few nicks and cuts from the sharpness of the youkai's teeth, but she was lucky it did not get a chance to clamp down on her. Rin turned her head and looked up at her savior, who was also examining her for any inquiries. "I'm fine! I've been through worse." She saw the worry in Touga's golden eyes did not waver when he grabbed her right wrist and noticed a small gash running down a few inches of her arm. "It's fine, really. We have some bandages packed, I'll just—eeehhh? What are you…!"
The older youkai brought her arm to his lips and dragged his tongue across the wound. She felt a tingling sensation deep in the tear of her skin, and with each lick, the sensation grew. He pulled away after a couple of times, and the two women watched as the wound began to mend itself at an accelerated rate. 'That's kind of gross.' Rin thought, fascinated as she watched her skin bridging itself together until the cut was closed, with only a light scar as evidence. When she glanced back at Touga, she noticed the red tingeing his eyes, the intensity of his gaze was overwhelming. Rin was going to ask if he was alright, but the words caught in her throat, and she found herself getting lost in the fire of his gaze. Ayumi, not noticing the two were starting at each other, broke the silence,
"Remarkable. I heard some type of youkai have healing abilities in their saliva, but I've never seen it in action." Touga blinked, and his eyes returned to their normal state.
"Did you both have a chance to catch something to eat?" Both women shook their heads, "Can you eat boar cooked?"
"If you still have some left, yes!"
./\.
The older youkai watched his two companions from his spot on a tree branch above the camp. The women were happily chowing down on the wild boar he had killed earlier and making small talk with one another. Touga on the other hand, was having an internal battle with the dark voice in his mind.
(I want another taste.)
'It was to heal her; she does not need more treatment.' The ominous voice replied with what sounded like a lecherous smirk,
(Who said anything about healing her?) Touga flushed at what the comment suggested,
'What are you thinking!?' The voice snorted,
(That her blood is sweet, and her scent is not overpowering, soft and… pure. The young woman does not know the touch of a man, we can show her—)
"Enough!" Touga hissed, unaware that he thought aloud. The two young women stopped talking and looked up at the youkai.
"Touga…?" Rin was the one to speak up, her brows scrunched up in concern.
(She worries over you. How adorable.) Touga could not tell if the voice was being sarcastic.
"I'm fine. I only have too much noise in my head." Which was very close to the truth. He felt the voice smirk again before its presence receded to the dark corners of his mind once more. He needed to figure out what that thing was, and how to get it to leave him be. Perhaps he should speak to the women about it later, Rin seemed to have a little knowledge about his race and Ayumi appeared to know than she let on. After all, they both were companions to youkai for years.
"How will this help him?" A feminine voice spoke, hard but pleading. He could not see past her neck, but could tell she was dressed in a lavish kimono that reflected her royalty. "Yes, I agree he must learn to control his newfound powers, but locking him away from everyone… forcing him to shut everyone else out… This is not the correct way."
"What else do you propose?" It was his voice. Again, it was unrecognizable. "He is a threat to everyone around him, including ourselves."
"The Wolf Tribe of the North has dealt with this before. We should ask them for assist—"
"No! No one else will know about this. He will be locked away. He will focus on his studies; he will focus on shutting down his emotions so he may control his powers. There is no other way."
"I will ask the tribe myself—"
"Do not dare bring more people into this."
"Wolf Tribe…" Touga whispered, his neck craned upward towards the night sky. He did not understand the memory or what spurred it. He did not know who he was speaking to, but he did know they were speaking of Sesshomaru. Who were the Wolf Tribe? Were they still friends? What power did he son possess that frightened them so much? He moved his gaze from the sky downward; the two human women had quietly fallen asleep beside each other.
Exactly how much danger will he soon be facing? He should have not brought them along; he should have left them behind in their village. (Remember, the girl knows your son.)
'I know, but would he hurt her?'
(No.)
'I do not understand your confidence.'
(He is not you.)
'I… will not return to that. I will never return to that.'
(Perhaps.)
He did not like that answer. He was sure he would never become that… thing he was. He was no father, no gracious lord, no respectful ally. The youkai he once had been was ruthless, uncaring, nearly sadistic even—And he still not had recovered all his memories. There were huge chunks of life still missing, before Sesshomaru, before his reign as lord, his childhood, his second son. Was he ready to learn more about himself? Did he even want to? The former youkai lord wiped his hand across his face with a heavy sigh. He had not been tired before, but now he was exhausted. Perhaps he should rest a bit before the sun rose…
./\.
It took another two days, but Inuyasha finally made it to their destination: A flourishing town on the southern coast of the main island, specializing in exporting seafood and resurrecting former demon lords. "He was here." Inuyasha said in awe as he sniffed the clearing that had the faint remains of a campfire and the smell of his father's blood. "He was… He was actually here." The flea jumped around his shoulder in glee.
"Master Touga is alive! How exciting! I have missed your father so much…" Myouga jumped on Inuyasha's ear. "Perhaps we should go down to the village—Inuyasha?" Another scent was mixed with his father's, it was so familiar. Where had he caught this scent before? Wait, the town nearby, wasn't that the village where they had last seen—
Shit.
"Rin, Rin was with him." The flea gasped before slipping off the hanyou's ear and falling flat on his shoulder. "Looks like she went back to the village. Hopefully she's still there and can get us some answers."
./\.
"We have not seen Rin or her guardian Ayumi in days." The hostess of the headman's mansion replied, fear evident in her voice.
'Fucking shit.' Inuyasha growled, that was not something he wanted to hear. "Do you have any idea where they went?"
"No, but Hayato spoke to Rin the night before they disappeared… Their hut is in the north eastern part of the town if you want to take a look."
"Thanks, where do I find this Hayato guy?"
"He is the headman's son. He spends most of his time in the market or the dojo in the center of town." Inuyasha made to turn but the woman stopped him.
"Please… The people here…" The hanyou gave her a puzzled look,
"What are you going off about?"
"We took the child in as a favor for the demon lord that left her. He comes by every few months to check on her. If he… If he found out she is missing…"
"He'll take this whole place down." Inuyasha sneered; everyone here was as good as dead. What the hell did it matter to him—
"I know we are nothing to you." The woman sighed, "But you look a bit like the demon lord… I don't know if you would be able to speak to him." Inuyasha tried not to burst into laughter,
"Lady, I know the guy, and that asshole doesn't 'talk it out' with anyone." She looked devastated; tears began to well in her tears. "Ah, fuck, no, don't cry." God dammit, how did he get stuck in these situations!?
./\.
"Sooo, Ayumi… When are you going to tell us more about this forbidden youkai lover of ours?" Rin asked, grinning like a little girl with a little hop in her step. Ayumi turned red, stuttering her reply,
"There's n-not much t-to say…"
"Oh come on! We don't even know his name and we have been traveling for almost a week here!" The younger human replied, throwing her hands in the air.
"She does have a point." The former demon lord chimed in. Ayumi groaned,
"Not you too."
'Yes! Now she has to say something!' Rin thought, excited she might finally be able to hear more about the mysterious youkai. "Well…?" She nudged the older woman with her elbow to get her moving along.
"His name is Tatsuya, he is part panther and part dragon." Rin nearly fell to the ground. 'Panther AND Dragon?!' She internally screamed. Rin knew for a fact panthers and inu-youkai did not mix. Dragons were a hit or miss, depending on the clan. "I was living in the Kai Province at the time. I, uhm, I never told anyone this…" She sighed before continuing, "I lived in the demon slayer village. My father was one of them."
"What?!" Rin exclaimed, "Why did you never tell me anything?" The older human shrugged,
"I had considered it, when I saw your taijiya friend, Sango, but… I didn't want to dig up old memories." Ayumi continued, "The slayers left the village, an assignment to clean out a lesser youkai settlement by the border of the province. The demons there were mindlessly killing both youkai and humans alike, young, old, it did not matter to them. When they returned, my father held a panther-youkai cub in his arms. It had been captured by those demons, most likely to be eaten. My father had decided to keep the cub temporarily until we found a proper youkai home for it. A couple months had passed, that is when I met Tatsuya…"
"Ayumi!" The 15-year old poked her head out of the small hut, followed by a bushy black-haired young youkai. "Come here! And bring Kiyoshi with you!"
"Coming!" She walked back into the hut, putting out the small fire in the pit. "I wonder what father wants." Ayumi said, looking over at the youkai. He blinked up at her with his impossibly large eyes, the color of burnt gold. "We didn't do anything bad, right?" The little youkai shook his head. They both walked out of the hut and were greeted by Ayumi's father and an unfamiliar youkai.
"This is my daughter, Ayumi, and the little panther I told you about, Kiyoshi." Ayumi wasn't one to stare… but this demon was nothing like the other youkai she had seen come by the village. His attire was actually similar to what the slayers wore, a tight black cloth with light armor in silver. He had two swords strapped on his back, and a belt lined with throwing knives. Though, it was how well he filled out his uniform that was impossible to ignore. The skintight cloth pronounced his powerful legs, defined chest, and strong arms.
"Ayumi, Kiyoshi, this is Tatsuya. He is a strange combination of panther and dragon. You still have to tell me how something like that ended up happening." The new youkai grinned, his eyes shimmering with humor. 'And his eyes…' They were cat-like, but like not Kiyoshi's. They were a light sea-foam green color; something she thought was rare among large feline youkai. His hair was cut short, fine, straight and black as night. She did not realize how long she has been staring until her father 'coughed' a bit. She felt her face get hot as she quickly bowed.
"It's a pleasure to m-meet you, Tatsuya-sa—"
"Nah, drop the honorific. Just call me Tatsuya." Ayumi blinked up in surprise, but nodded all the same. She turned a bit to look at Kiyoshi, who was clutching tightly to the back of her kimono and sneaking looks up to the strange youkai. "Why don't you come out and say hi, Kiyoshi?" She asked, bringing her hand up to pet the top of the young youkai's head. The boy made a soft growling noise, but she did not know what it meant. Tatsuya, though, had responded with a light growl of his own. Kiyoshi looked up at the demon in shock before making his own sets of growls and whines. The older youkai smiled,
"He's from my tribe."
"So he is the one you have been looking for?"
"Yes, I can't believe it." Tatsuya crouched down to eye-level with the young youkai. While Kiyoshi was definitely less tense than before, he did not leave Ayumi's side. There were a few more exchanges between the two, which ended with the young youkai violently shaking his head and wrapping his arms completely around Ayumi.
"Kiyoshi?" She looked down at the young youkai again, "Is he okay?" Tatsuya rose back up to his feet,
"Huh… He is really attached to you." Her gaze shifted up to the older youkai. "He doesn't want to leave without you."
"Hrmm…" Her father began, "I was worried something like this would happen. Perhaps the boy needs to see his parents?"
"That won't be possible." Tatsuya ran his clawed hand through his hair, his eyes dark with remorse. "They did not survive the attack that separated them."
"He… he has no family?" Ayumi asked, crestfallen. She had really hoped Kiyoshi would be able to find his family again, to have his place in the world.
"He has you, and he cares for you very much." Tatsuya looked at the older human, "Would you be able to continue watching over him for a while? Our lands at the moment… there is unrest due to a war on the horizon. It is no place for a child his age." Her father turned his gaze to her,
"That would be Ayumi's decision."
"Huh? What?"
"You have been taking care of Kiyoshi since I brought him here without being asked. It would be unfair to not ask if you want to continue caring for him." The choice was a no-brainer to her. She was attached to the young youkai just as much as he was to her.
"Of course, I'll take care of him as long as I can." Tatsuya was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. She couldn't place what it was, but the smile told her it was nothing to worry about.
"Thank you."
"After that, we didn't see Tatsuya for another 6 months. His lands were finally at peace. He began visiting every month, and it turned to twice a month, three times, every week." Ayumi cleared her throat, attempting to ignore Rin's widening grin.
"Was he was coming by more to see you?" Rin teased, she loved seeing Ayumi's face turn red. She never had anything on her caretaker who constantly provoked her; it was nice that the tables had turned for the moment.
"A-a part of it was, yes, also to see Kiyoshi. It is extremely difficult for panther demons to adapt; they are very sensitive to changes at his age. Coupled with his trauma, he was a prime candidate for high mental instability which leads to uncontrollable bloodlust in all young youkai. Tatsuya taught us what was too much or too little, too harsh or too gentle, and helped Kiyoshi learn our language once his vocal chords had developed enough."
"He sounds like a respectable man, and a good father to the boy." Ayumi smiled at Touga's kind words,
"Very much so, Kiyoshi adored him."
"When did you two start courting each other?" Rin piped in, still wanting a full story.
"About a year after his war was done. My father joked saying he knew I would end up with Tatsuya since day one when he caught me staring. We were together for a little over 3 years…" Her gaze dropped to the ground, "His tribe was in trouble again. There was an issue with breeding, lack of children, and threat of extinction and civil war. I… I let him go. Him and Kiyoshi, so they can save what was left of their people."
'So that's what happened.' Rin thought, as she wrapped her arm around her caretaker's. 'Tatsuya sounds like he was one of the stronger men of the tribe, meaning he would need to breed…' The young girl frowned in disapproval. She hoped that was not the case.
"You mentioned something about mental stability of young youkai…" Touga started, "What did you mean about the bloodlust and control?" Rin could tell that Ayumi was thankful for the change in subject before responding,
"The main difference between human and youkai is a demon's power. It is said that ancient spirits of the earth inhabit a body, making it a youkai. Generally speaking, these spirits are not kind or have very basic, but strong, instincts which can override the logical mind of the body. More powerful spirits tend to favor certain types of bodies. Of course, that is just one theory. There are many, but one subject holds true in all, youkai do have a presence in their mind. One that can take over their lives if they do not learn to control it."
"How is it controlled?"
"The most common way is simply ensuring you don't let your emotions rule you. If you are too stressed, too angry, too depressed, it leaves you open. Once your walls are down, the presence won't hesitate to take over."
"If it does…?"
"It is worse for young youkai. Constantly being in and out of such a base, instinct-driven state can start endangering the growth of intelligence. They can end up being stuck in that mental state for the rest of their lives. For older youkai, well, it's more complicated. It heavy depends on why the older youkai is having issues with their power, did they have issues before, things like that." Rin began to get a bit worried.
Was Touga inquiring to understand Sesshomaru… or himself? If the former demon lord had no memories, then he must not remember whatever training he went through when he was young. 'It would explain the times he appeared angry for no reason, when he looked like he was arguing with himself.' The young woman noticed the orange streaks appearing in the sky above. 'He needs to be careful… but how can we help him?' She would ask Ayumi when they go to bathe. "Perhaps we should stop soon. It's been a long day of traveling." The demon agreed, and they began setting up camp.
./\.
"She's not here. Turn around, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha was not surprised to find Sesshomaru in the same clearing he was in hours ago but he was surprised a bit when he saw just how pissed his half-brother was.
"Move. Aside." The voice was guttural, more snarl than actual words. Shit, he was insanely furious. Even Inuyasha knew the youkai was not to be screwed with right now. The demon eyes were bloodshot, his fangs were already larger than his mouth, his stripes were getting more… stripy?
"I can't let you just run over there and start a massacre. Both of them are gone. They left at dawn when only a handful of villagers were awake—God, control yourself!" Was this reality? Sesshomaru had just cut himself with his own fang. "What's the deal with you and the old man anyway? I thought you would be happy that he is—oh fuck." He was about to transform. Right here, right now, only about a 15 minute distance from the heavily populated town. 'Why did I mention their father? That was not the right thing to say…' "You're just wasting time here, Sesshomaru, time you can spend tracking him and Rin down!"
"Inuyasha…!" Myouga whispered harshly from his spot deep in Inuyasha's mane.
"What else am I supposed to do!?" He growled back. He could not fight a fully transformed Sesshomaru so close to the village, they would die in the crossfire, and there was no way in hell Inuyasha could 'comfort' his half-brother back into a calm state. The demon lord seemed to agree with Inuyasha's piece of advice, as he transformed into a ball of light and headed west.
"We must get to them first, Inuyasha! Sesshomaru is losing control!" The hanyou did not need to be told any of that. He ran after his half-brother, following the trail of youki the demon lord was leaving behind in his rage. 'We aren't going to beat him.' Inuyasha knew this.
He needed a plan, and fast, before he lost sight of Sesshomaru.
./\.
End of Chapter 2
Author's Note: Wow. Done. Holy crap. This story is actually continuing. This was very difficult to write, not because of the subject, but because I have not written anything for the past 5 years...? I'm hoping it will get easier like it once was.
I know there wasn't much Rin/Touga interaction going on here. I needed to give Ayumi more backstory since we don't know who she is. The next chapter should have lots of Rin/Touga moments in it though!
If you guys see any glaring mistakes, please let me know! After reading over the chapter a third time, I realize I really really suck at proofreading. A lot.
For any old readers, if you are still out there... The original Chapter 1, 2 and beginning of 3 were combined to make the new chapter one. The rest of Chapter 3 and BUNCH of new content makes up this new chapter 2. I hope that clears up any confusion!
Reviews are loved! ;3
