Inuhime was going to see her old friend, Bokuseno. Bokuseno lived in the same estate where the Western Palace was built. She was at the outskirts of the palace. She crouched down behind some wild bushes. There were guards walking on top of the stone fenced wall along the estate property line.
She thought, "Well, it seems that Sesshomaru increased security since I came here last time. That's good though. Sometimes, I swear, my brother thinks that he's invincible. Pfft, that brother of mine better get his head out of the clouds and return to Earth... *She sighed*... or he will be defeated. I'd seen how Akuokaesu fights... I mean, really fights. He's quite skilled. It also seems that Naraku picked up a skill or two when he was in Hell. That bastard, he will die. I don't care if I had to die again to do it. Then so be it. Ah, it seems the coast is clear."
She ran as fast as her demonic legs could carry her. Then she leaped over the wall. She did a flip before she landed, she sensed that her father and mother were in the gardens.
"Wow, my father and mother are to-ge-ther... a-lone."
Her curiosity got the best of her. So, she snuck over to where her parents were. What she witnessed, shocked the hell out of her. They were procreating.
"Eww yuck! Great! That's just great! Now that unwanted sight is burned into my memory. I think it's time for me to move on."
Inuhime stuck to the shadows as she made her way to Bokuseno.
After a minute or two, she came across some Magnolia trees. She went towards them. She went through some overhanging branches by bending down and used her arms to push away the branches. There, in the center, was a very huge, old Magnolia. She made her way over to it. She noticed something very wrong. She was worried.
"Bokuseno? Bokuseno? Are you there?"
Suddenly a face appeared in the middle of the trunk of the tree.
"Well. Well. Well, what brings you here, Princess of the Silver Inu Clan?"
"Are you ill, Bokuseno?"
"Oh, yes, I am slowly dieing, Inuhime. I will die sooner or later. Now, what can this old Magnolia could do for you?"
"First of all, don't called me by my title. You know, I hate it when you and everyone else calls me by my titles. I have a name."
"Ah, yes, I know. However, I will call you whatever I wish. If I wanted to call you by your title or your name is my choice. Remember to respect your elders, pup."
Inuhime knelt down and bowed to him as an apology.
"I am very sorry, Bokuseno."
Bokuseno wasn't really angry at her, but she must always remember to respect those who were very older than her.
"Stand up, pup." She obeyed.
"Now, tell me, what I could do for you."
"May I heal you before I asked of you?"
"Hmm... *he thought for a moment*... Yes, you may. I would like to live longer than I am able."
Inuhime went towards Bokuseno. She placed both of her hands on the bark of his trunk. She focused on her healing powers, while she'd had her eyes closed. Bokuseno could feel her healing magic going through him. It was warm. She healed from the middle to the highest branch to the lowest root underneath the ground.
Inuhime was a little exhausted. Bokuseno noticed it.
"Are you here for the hoju?
"Y-yes, I am. How did you know?"
"Why else you be here than to recover what is yours?"
"You know, I could be here to visit you."
"I know... *he sighed*... I am glad that it was you instead of someone else."
"Why?"
"Your powers, pup, are very strong. I also know why you wish to reclaim it. You want your full youki back."
"Yes. Is that so wrong?"
"No, it isn't, however, with great power comes with responsibility."
"Yes, I know, Bokuseno."
"Very well."
He shook his branches and with one of them, he carry the box that had the hoju within it to Inuhime. She smiled. She could feel her youki calling to her. She opened it up and absorbed the youki within herself as she had her eyes closed. She felt whole again. Then she reopened her eyes. Bokuseno could see violet in her eyes until it completely dissipated.
She and her beast really felt alive once again. Now, she just need her Seitoshi no Tenga.
-
Meanwhile, Zokushi, Rin, and Akihiko, keep on riding until dusk. She noticed that they'd made it to the Southern-Western border.
"We'll stop for the night."
"I don't recognized anything familiar. Are we in the Western Lands?"
"Yes."
Rin was confused to what Akihiko had said.
"Akihiko, you said that you didn't recognize any of this land. How was it that you came and abducted me?"
"I traveled by my orb. It's the fastest way to get to anywhere quicker."
"Oh."
Zoku said, "Lets set up camp, make dinner, and then get to sleep."
"Okay," the pups said in unison.
After Zoku lit up the fire, she decided to patrol the area, while their dinner was cooking.
"Akihiko! I am going out to patrol. You keep an eye out."
He nodded, as he added another dry branch to the fire. Rin was silent. She just observed Inuhime's son. She noticed that he eerily look a lot like her father.
She thought, "I missed my mother, father, and Shippo."
As if reading her thoughts , he spoke.
"You missed your family." He voice was soft, yet sadden.
She noticed the sadden tone of his voice. Who wouldn't be sad, if you were just reunited with your mother, but only to have her taken away. "Yes."
"Yeah, I missed my mother. Why does it hurt so much to lose someone?"
"I don't know, Akihiko."
"I guess, no one really knows, huh?"
She nodded. "I lost my family when I was around five years old by some bandits. It was horrible. The people of my village took me in as their ward, but didn't really offer me to stay with them. They would give food and water. However, they'd never allowed me to eat with or let me live with them in their huts. I guess, they got tired of me. They beat me in hopes that they would run me off. However, I stayed much to their dismay. One time, I screamed so much that I'd, eventually, lost my voice. I would cry myself to sleep every night. I prayed every morning for someone... anyone to come and take me in. I didn't care who. I just didn't want to be alone."
Akihiko could relate to her. Even though, he wasn't alone, but he felt it. "I am so sorry."
Rin looked at him. "Why?"
"Because I took you away from the people who love you."
"You are forgiven, Akihiko."
"How could you forgive me so easily?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. However, I could see the sincerity in your eyes. I could hear it in your voice."
"Oh. You might be so forgiving, but I don't think your mother or father will. I wouldn't blame them for wanting to give me a death sentence."
Rin smiled and shook her head. "Yes, they will be angry, but I know if you'll tell them why. Then, they will understand that you were forced to do what you did."
"Perhaps or perhaps not."
Zoku found that there was no real threat around the area. So, she returned to the campsite. Zoku's disguise of being a palace guard had long disipated. She smelt fish cooking.
"Mmm, smells delicious."
Rin looked up at Zoku. She realized that the guard was her all along. Akihiko looked up at Zoku with a shocked face because the last time he had seen her. She was a male guard. Now, she returned as a female. Now, was a time to get some answers.
"Zokushi?"
"Hm?"
"What are you? I mean, the last time I'd seen you. You were a male guard. Also, how was it that you knew my name when only my mother, Rin, and myself had known it?"
Zoku chuckled. She knew that the young prince would eventually noticed.
"First, call me, Zoku. Second, I am a miko-youkai. Just like your mother. Yes, I rescued you as a male guard because it was easier to move around than simply being a maidservant. My disguise faded while I was still on patrol. How I knew your name? Well, your mother told once that was the name that she would name you, once you were born."
After dinner, they talked about trivial matters until they'd all finally gotten tire and went to sleep.
-
Meanwhile, in the central of the Western Palace estate...
"Bokuseno?"
"Yes, milady."
"Soon... very soon, Kagome will come here and ask for the hoju. I don't know if I should reveal myself. Now that I am completely free from those bastards or to let hid myself until the opportune time. However, Zoku will be here with my pup and niece..."
"What are trying to say, milady?"
"I'm sorry. I guess, I am still adjusting from my reabsorbing my youki. Okay, I'll start over. In the near future, Kagome will come here to speak to you and to recover the hoju. I want you to tell her a riddle. Not a complicated one or an easy one. If she answers then or sometime in the future, tell her that I am alive and well. However, it must stay a secret. No one should know that I am here, yet. At least, not right away."
"Why would she believed you to be not one of the living?"
"Because Zoku will soon arrive with Rin and my pup. They will tell her and the others that I am dead."
"Why Kagome; not Sesshomaru? Don't you think that he would know that you were alive or not?"
"No, he won't know."
"How is that?"
"I severed our connection not long ago. It was necessary and a must. I need them to believe that I am dead."
"And what of Kagome? Why she gets to know?"
"I still have a connection with her. She's my eyes and ears."
"Don't you think that putting such a burden on her shoulders of not telling no one that will stress her out? She's pregnant, don't you know?"
"Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that."
"Do you still want to tell her the truth, when she answers the riddle?"
"Yes, but a different truth. Not that I am alive; but only in spirit that I came to you. That's only if she remembers about the hoju. However, tell her the truth about what happened after my father died. You do remember, don't you?"
"Of course I remember."
"Good. I need to get going. I need to recover my sword. It's good to see you again, Bokuseno."
"Like wise, milady. Don't be a stranger."
She smiled. "I won't. See you later."
With that said, Bokuseno's face disappeared as Inuhime went on towards to palace.
Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi
Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari