Title: The Encounter
Author: InusDemoness
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha anime, manga, or characters. All rights and property belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz.
Summary: How Izayoi first met InuTaishou.
(Inner thoughts)
The sound of the waterfall was turning into relaxing background noise and against her better judgment she was indeed starting to relax. She was in the lair of a demon without any defense but the most frightening thing was that she was starting to disregard this. She watched as the water spilled over the rocks and pooled. It then ran in small brooks to various parts of the garden. One such brook ran into a hot spring where the water seemed to heat itself. She was currently soaking in the tepid water. Once he introduced her to the servants, he instructed two of them to take her to bathe. She was grateful after spending a night in the woods.
At first she was against the idea of bathing out in the open but the servants assured her that there were not many eyes on the mountain. The few servants Inu no Taisho kept were all female and even curiosity would not drive them to dishonor themselves or incur their master's wrath by spying on her. They also pointed out that their master believed it would delight Izayoi to bathe where she could observe the garden. He was right. The garden was impressive to say the very least. It put her little balcony to shame.
Some of the little brooks cut through the field, which made the garden self-watering and wilder in appearance. There were flowers she had never seen before and fireflies floated around in droves. Combined with the waterfall, it was a dreamy and tranquil atmosphere. She did not refuse when the two women offered to undress her and help her slip into the water.
"Izayoi-sama? Your chambers have been prepared and a fresh kimono has been laid out for you."
She tried not to stare as they helped her out of the water and covered her with a white kimono. They informed her that they were bird youkai on the walk to the waterfall. Akane had pink skin, bright red hair that resembled feathers, and red markings around her eyes. Aoi was her sister with white skin and blue feathered hair and markings. They both looked so small and fragile, though they were not any shorter than she was. There was something about them that seemed less dense and their voices were melodic and soft.
"Thank you, Akane. Have you two served your master for very long?" She asked as they began leading her through the gardens and back to the castle.
"We have served Inu no Taisho-sama for two hundred years now," answered Akane.
"Two hundred?" She did not know why the number bothered her. They were youkai and bound to live longer than humans.
"Yes," said Aoi, "Since he saved us from Tekkei and her horrible daughter, Abi."
"Forgive me, but who is Tekkei?"
"No, forgive us, my lady. We sometimes forget that humans are, for the most part, oblivious to the happenings among us. Just as we do not know much of the political struggles of your people," said Aoi.
"No, you are quite right. We share the same land and yet we live in two different worlds. I would still like to know how he saved you."
"Two hundred years ago our clan lived in the steep, rocky mountains in the east. The mountains are high and good for nesting, but we were driven out when Tekkei attacked. She is a fearsome phoenix demon from the netherworld. She wanted our land for her own and with her army of birds and Abi, her cruel daughter, she drove us out. When our people tried to fight back they were slaughtered," said Akane.
"Tekkai became so enraged that we would dare attempt to fight her that she and her daughter began hunting us all down. Eventually, only my sister and I were left and Abi chased us here to the western lands. It was by pure chance that Inu no Taisho-sama happened upon the scene. He killed all of Abi's birds and sent her back to her mother with a warning never to bring their business into his lands again," finished Aoi.
"He gave us permission to stay here in the west after hearing our plight but we offered to serve him instead as a way of repaying him for saving our lives," said Akane.
"And has serving him been difficult?" They were crossing over one of the many tiny bridges in the garden. They were sprinkled everywhere over the brooks so that there was no need to leap the little rivers of water.
"Not all, Izayoi-sama. He is a generous lord and he makes little to no demands of any of us. We are grateful to have position and protection from one of the most powerful beings in the world," replied Akane.
"Myouga-san has said much the same. Is he really so powerful?"
"In the entire world there are, perhaps, only two or three other youkai who could match him," said Akane.
"Forgive me if I am too forward, Izayoi-sama, but many of the servants are wondering if you are our master's new lady?"
"Aoi!" Akane rounded on her sister. "How brazen you are!"
"No, I take no offense. I should have anticipated the curiosity."
"So, the two of you are to be mated then?" Aoi looked so happy, and she hated to disappoint her but…
"No, he made the offer and I refused. I am already betrothed to someone else."
"Ah, I see," said Akane. They were both visibly saddened and the mood seemed to drop with them. For a while they continued down the garden path in silence. She tried to occupy herself with the flowers. She was naming as many as she could in her head but the silence had become heavy and distracting. It was the type of silence that only comes when people are trying to not say anything for fear of argument.
"Can either of you tell me why your lord is seeking a mate?"
"He was not and has not been seeking to our knowledge," Aoi said.
"It grieves us because he has been alone for so long. Some demons prefer solitude but inu and bird youkai like, and thrive with companionship," said Akane.
"In that case I am very sorry to refuse him but I must marry my intended for political reasons. The future of my clan may depend upon it."
"Please, my lady, you have no need to explain yourself to us," said Akane.
"And there may be no one who understands clan duty more than we," said Aoi.
"The samurai are each leading their own search parties out into the land surrounding the castle. There is still no sign of Izayoi-sama but there is still hope. Since the men are taking great care to search closely, their pace is slow and they have not covered much of the grounds outside the castle. She may still be found, my lord."
Takanaka prostrated himself before his lord. It was harder to see because the normally well lit room was steeped in darkness. His lord had taken to sitting in the darkened room more often since the disappearance of his daughter. He even took meals here whenever the -now rare- desire for food came upon him. He would not allow Chiyoko-sama in to see him and most of the servants were too frightened of his temper. Only Takanaka and the occasional samurai entered the room. The little man made a careful glance up before putting his head down again.
"And my lord, you should know that since you refuse to give him an audience, Tamura-sama has resorted to questioning the servants about the situation." Takanaka was close to giving up for the day when the lord spoke.
"Tell them that I am considering the proposal of wedding my son to Lord Takada's cousin. That should quiet him for a while."
"Yes, my lord," Takanaka said eagerly.
"I am running out of options Takanaka-san. I have walked through my daughter's chambers myself and there is nothing, nothing out of the ordinary other than her absence. Who could take her so silently in the middle of the night without being seen? It must be shinobi."
"If the stories are to be believed, the shinobi do not act without orders from a master, my lord."
"Yes, and I must figure out who their master is."
"Will your master not join me?"
She was seated at a long table filled with food. More food than she could ever eat on her own. In fact, she was sure it would take an army to finish off this much food. She had never seen such a magnificent feast. Not even the many feasts her father had given for visiting dignitaries could match it. Akane and Aoi brought her to dine after dressing her in a beautiful kimono. It was white with pink and red flower patterns on the sleeves and below her midriff. The obi was dark green with intercut flower designs. The two sisters now stood on either side of the room while she ate.
"I don't believe so, Izayoi-sama," said Aoi.
She took her time eating and let her mind wander back to everything she knew about this "man" who wanted her for a wife.
Mate, actually…
He was great and powerful. So powerful that he ruled all the demons in the western lands and few could challenge him. Myouga also said he had an heir from his first wife. She wondered what his son was like.
"You said your lord has been alone for a long time, but he has an heir, correct?"
"Yes, the young lord Sesshoumaru. He visits often but spends a great deal of time with his mother," said Aoi.
"Is he like his father?"
"In many ways he is. He is strong and confident for his age, but his manner is more like his lady mother's," answered Akane.
She tried to contain her curiosity and focused only on eating. She was too inquisitive for her own good and she knew it. She didn't need any of this information. She was going home tomorrow and her life would proceed as planned. She wondered about her father and mother and what they must be going through now. The castle would have known she was missing almost as soon as the sun had risen and unlike before, she was not simply in another room.
They must be searching all over for me.
They were, without a doubt, worried sick. It made her feel incredibly guilty to be sitting at a feast, in a new kimono, and her family was probably ripping apart the countryside to find her. Her mother would assume the worst, and her father would be looking for someone to blame.
"Izayoi-sama, are you well? You're frowning. Is there something wrong with the food?" The sisters looked ready to rush over and do away with any offending dish immediately.
"On the contrary, everything is delicious but I could not take another bite." She smiled and they were visibly relieved. She stood and Akane bowed to her.
"We've been ordered to show you to your room so that you may rest. We were told you would be leaving very early, Izayoi-sama."
"Oh," she said in surprise, "very well then."
As she walked behind Akane and Aoi, she could not keep her eyes from wandering to the walls. There were hundreds of paintings depicting beautiful landscapes and constellations from the night sky. All the artwork was so vibrant; it was very different from the neutral colors in her home. She was glad that she didn't get distracted enough to lose sight of her guides and go astray. They led her to two large doors, which they both slid open.
"This is your room for the night, Izayoi-sama," said Aoi.
Inside the floor was made of wood more dark and polished than she had seen throughout the rest of the castle. There was a huge futon on a dais and both nearly took up the entire room. There were lanterns hung on tall poles in all four corners and a small privacy partition that would shield her from the glare of the sun tomorrow morning.
"Our master picked this room out especially for you," said Akane as she walked over to the other side of the room and slid another door open. "We were told to show you the view."
Izayoi walked around the dais to the door and couldn't resist a smile. The door led to a balcony that overlooked the garden and waterfall. However, the smile turned sad when she remembered that it was only this one night that she would be able to enjoy it.
"Thank you, Akane. It's very beautiful but I fear I am too tired to fully enjoy it."
"We will help you out of your kimono, Izayoi-sama."
They undid her obi and kimono and laid them out on the futon for added warmth. Once she was tucked in and the lanterns were snuffed out, the sisters bowed low and left the room. She immediately sat up. There was no way she would be able to sleep so easily tonight. She was too excited about where she was. Her curiosity did not outweigh her lack of courage when it came to the thought of poking around a demon's castle at night. Against her better judgment she was beginning to trust her kidnapper –she even trusted Akane and Aoi—that did not mean she trusted the others living in the castle.
The night air was cool as she stepped out onto the balcony. The garden looked amazing in the moonlight. The fireflies were still drifting around the flowers. She could hear the babbling of the brooks and the noise of the waterfall. She found herself wondering if she could live here. The thought wasn't in her head for more than a moment before she brushed it away.
"Do you like the garden?"
She jumped and gave a little shriek. He was there on the other side of the balcony, looking out over the field just as she had been. He was perfectly calm; like he'd been standing there for hours and for all she knew he had.
"The garden is beautiful, but the way you sneak up behind me is very un-nerving," she didn't care that she was being rude. She just wanted to calm her heart. It was thumping like a rabbit in a cage. He looked at her and smiled and it did not help. He was dressed just as simply as she was. They were both wearing juban made from cotton, but there was something different.
His hair; it was free from its normal high ponytail. It was loose and flowing far past his shoulders. It almost reached the back of his knees. She had to admit his hair was a phenomenon. The way the moonlight made it shine was extraordinary.
"Forgive me, I should have been with you more tonight but I was arranging your departure."
"I didn't know there were arrangements to be made. You took me easily enough without them." Her tongue was beginning to shock her. When had she gotten so rude? And bold? It did not seem to offend him. He kept smirking at her, making her stomach tingle.
"Yes, I did, but Myouga tells me that it is not so easy to put you back. Your family will wonder where you were and I seek only to save you shame. It is true, is it not, that you could be ostracized or even killed for this?"
"If they knew I was with a demon, it's possible. I don't want to think my father would kill me but it would not be good, no matter what he did."
"Then I am truly sorry for acting so rash and putting you in such danger. It was never my intention." His eyes looked so sincere that she wanted to melt.
"I've already forgiven you but what arrangement will free me from persecution?"
"I have captured two human bandits and left a trail for your father's samurai to follow. Tomorrow I will alter the memories of the bandits to make them think they kidnapped you for ransom. I'll arrange for the samurai to find the three of you quickly."
"No!" She was shocked and slightly horrified. He only quirked an eyebrow at her in response.
"I will be there to keep a close eye on proceedings," he said.
"I cannot allow you to manipulate two men into their deaths!"
"They are not innocent men," he began.
"But we do not know if they have done anything to deserve death! Make no mistake, my father will kill them."
"What other alternative is there? If you suddenly show up in the castle, questions will be asked. What answers will you have?"
"I-I don't know, but I will not have people die for this."
"Then tell me," he said moving closer to her, "what is your best guess for the consequences of disappearing and reappearing without explanation?" He looked at her with true interest.
"I will be questioned," she said definitely, "I will be questioned for days by my father, my mother, and even my maids. If I do not provide a suitable answer, I will be held completely responsible for delaying the marriage and wasting valuable time. My father will be furious and disappointed; the vassals from my betrothed will be offended and insulted. At the very least, the wedding will be pushed back yet again while my credit as a virtuous woman is decided. The worst possibility is the marriage will be canceled without chance of redeeming it. I will lose my father a prized ally and win nothing for myself but destitution."
She was very close to a panic attack. Her breathing was wild and erratic, and her heart was racing. Saying it out loud made it all too real.
How can I hope to come out of this without ruin?
He was right in front of her; she felt his hands on her shoulders. When she looked up, his gaze was steady. She could feel herself calming down but couldn't tell if it was something he was doing intentionally or not.
"What would you have me do, little flower? This is a problem I created and I will solve it."
"I can't let you get them killed," she said evenly. She stared straight into his eyes and refused to look away. She was solid in this. No one should have to die for her.
"And what will happen if you are found as the helpless captive of a demon?"
"I will be looked on with more sympathy, but not by the vassals. Everyone will wonder what's been done to me mentally…and physically," she said, looking up at him.
"They will question if I have robbed you of your honor," he said frankly. She only nodded.
"I will be examined by a physician to prove myself and that should satisfy everyone. They will have no reason for halting the marriage without giving my father an opportunity to declare them false."
He raised a hand to stroke her cheek, "You have a mind for politics, my lady."
She was trapped in his eyes and she did not even mind when he kissed her. It was a simple kiss, barely more than a brush, but she liked it. She was still somewhat frozen when he pulled away.
"You should sleep, my lady. Tomorrow, we depart."
He was gone in the blink of an eye. She went back inside to the futon and slept without a problem.