A/N: Last chapter: Sesshomaru meets Hasu in the rose garden of Uekya's grave. Hasu suggests Sesshomaru should pick a rose for Rin because the rose could possibly give Rin a long life.
To sorrellKaren: thank you so much for the review.
Chapter 16: Uekya's Wish
Sesshomaru left the rose garden, eager for more information, but dealing with an apparent psycho lady was not much of an interest. And whether or not he could trust her words was a whole other aspect of that exchange.
Sesshomaru landed in front of his father's old friend. That friend was so old and wise he would be the embodiment of knowledge, ancient or afresh.
"Oh, Sesshomaru, what curiosity brought you to see me?" The deep resounding voice of Bokuseno greeted Sesshomaru.
"Bokuseno, perhaps you have heard the name of Uekya," asked Sesshomaru in his straightforward fashion, wasting no time for a needless greeting, but standing with his head slightly bowed, showing respect.
"Uekya-sama." Bokuseno took some time for reflection, lowering his eyes as if he was in mourning. "Uekya-sama was a great tree demon, the guardian of our kind."
"What was his story?"
"Like your father, he fell in love with a human, Aikabara, the princess of the Rose City. Many conflicts arose between them. When he finally had Aikabara by his side, her body had become old and brittle, plagued by old age. He transfused his blood into her in order to make her become immortal."
"Did he succeed?"
"He succeeded in making her a hanyou which would have given her a long life. However, it was too late. Even for the hanyou she had become, her body had already been plagued by old age, and she would eventually succumb to death soon after."
"So, if father had transfused his blood into Izayoi, she would have lived an unnatural long life like that of Inuyasha's?"
"Technically, Yes. However, unlike your father in one aspect, Uekya-sama was far more gentle. He dealt no judgement on any beings whether they were demons or humans, bad or good. He resided in the tranquility of the forest and left the world to its own proliferation and decay. The power in Uekya's blood was encompassing, gentle towards all."
"Hmph."
"Your father, as honorable as he was, was a warrior. Therefore, even his son, Inuyasha, could not overcome the aggressive instinct of your father's blood when being confronted with dangers without the protection of the Tetsaiga. Being a mere weak mortal, if Izayoi received your father's blood, she would undoubtedly become a mad demon on a killing rampage until her death."
"I see." Sesshomaru twitched internally at that piece of information.
"When Aikabara parted from this world, Uekya-sama, unable to deal with a life without her, sacrificed his heart, leaving the world an eternal wish before his death."
"What was his wish?"
"From his blood sprung up a garden of roses. If a couple of lovers with an unconditional and true love should pick a rose together, they would be bestowed by his power with the lifespan as long as his would be, in honor of Aikabara's short lifespan."
Sesshomaru's muscles stirred with light tremors. His eyes glistened.
"However, it was a curse more than a gift to the world."
"How so?"
"If anyone without the true unconditonal love defined by Uekya, whatever definition he had given it, ventured into the garden with the intention of plucking the benefit of having a long life will be poisoned by the sap from the rose and perish instantly."
"Has anyone ever succeeded?"
"For hundreds of years, nobody came out alive from that garden. Perhaps for that reason, it had been sealed off by a barrier and forgotten through time."
"I see."
After receiving the knowledge from Bokuseno, Sesshomaru meandered along the footpath back to Kaede's village, allowing some peaceful time away from the gang and the noise from his loud Jaken to think.
It might have been the answer Sesshomaru had been looking for. Bokuseno could be trusted.
True love. Unconditional love.
What would that be?
He barely understood the simple "love" and had only named his feelings for Rin as love by imitating his mother's opinion on it.
And Rin. The image of of her smiling in Kohaku's arms had not faded.
The attraction between Sesshomaru and Rin was undeniable. But the true love defined by some tree demon who seemed elusive might be too verdantly convoluted.
Nobody had come out of that garden alive.
Sesshomaru arrived at Kaede's in mid evening.
Inuyasha and Kagome sat in their front yard around a small bonfire, eating their dinner as always.
Rin, Kaede, and Jaken were inside judging by their scent.
Sesshomaru halted just a few feet from Inuyasha.
"Oh, hi big brother." The familiar sound of the somewhat pleasant aggravation hit Sesshomaru's ears as the bright eyes of that sound's source hit his eyes.
"Kagome, aren't you gonna invite Sesshomaru to your dinner's plate?"
"Oh, yeah. But it's impolite to invite someone to your plate after you've been eating out of it, Inuyasha," said Kagome earnestly. "Here, hold this." Kagome handed Inuyasha her plate. She stood up. "Let me go inside to make him another one."
After Kagome disappeared behind the door, Sesshomaru sat down in a lotus pose on the other side of the bonfire, facing Inuyasha.
After gazing fixedly at Inuyasha for some time, Sesshomaru sought an answer. "Do you keep the image of that dead miko in your memory, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru with wild eyes, questioning Sesshomaru's sanity. "What?! You're wanting to make small talks?"
In all the years he had lived, and ironically, the only people Sesshomaru had established a good enough relationship with for small talks in order to understand love were his former most hated enemies - the younger brother and the gang.
So, unbelievably even to himself, Sesshomaru said, "Yes, Inuyasha."
"What?!"
Sesshomaru was motionless.
"Alright, if you wanna know that bad. I do keep Kikyou in my memory. You can't just forget someone that you love that much. Even you can't do it, Sesshomaru. You keep harping about father all the time."
"If you have Kikyou in your mind, would the love you have for Kagome be considered true love?" asked Sesshomaru.
"SIT!"
Inuyasha plunged forward into the ground, his face on his dinner plate.
Sesshomaru dashed with the speed of shadow to the other end of the yard. He, caught by surprise, shuddered at the sound of "sit" from Kagome even though he was unaffected.
"Sesshomaru, just for your information, I don't like to be reminded of Kikyou." Kagome pointed at Sesshomaru, her other hand propping against her hip, eyes glaring like fireworks.
"Why youu!"
"SIT!"
"Arghh!" Inuyasha was effectively silenced by the second "sit" after his head got buried farther into the ground.
"You're going to pay for this, Sesshomaru." Kagome was on a rampage.
Sesshomaru left in a hurry by means of a white ball zipping away, leaving Inuyasha to his punishment. Sesshomaru was not going to stay around for that even though he might have been the cause of it.
...