Author's Corner

In case you haven't looked at the chapter drop-down menu in a while, I've divided the fic into five story arcs. First is the Origin arc (chapters 1-37), followed immediately by the Sandcastle arc (chapters 38-66), then the Fugitive arc (chapters 67-102), and finally the Timeless and Doomsday arcs. As you can see from the title, this is the final chapter in the Fugitive arc, so we're about three-fifths of the way through the story. I'm not sure how many chapters the fourth and fifth arcs will have, but I'm hoping to keep them a similar length to the other three. That's just an estimate though, so take it with a grain of salt lol!

Thanks for all the support thus far. I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Don't forget to review and I'll see you next time!

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 102: Epiphany

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The rose was surprisingly heavy. Rin had given up trying to be discreet and sprinted towards Octavia's room like a madwoman, cradling the mysterious object in her hands for all to see. It was already well past dawn, but Octavia would happily sleep until noon if left undisturbed. Rin had no idea why she'd left in the middle of the night without telling her, but she must have had a reason.

Rin ran straight to the door and banged on it impatiently. Although her actions wrought no verbal response, the door quickly swung open to reveal a pair of piercing gold eyes.

Gasping, Rin hid the rose behind her back.

"What in the name of the Underworld do you think you're doing?" Lord Sesshoumaru's mother hissed, pinching her kimono shut with her fingers. "Where I come from, disturbing a descendant of the moon god's beauty sleep is punishable by death—"

"What are you doing here?" Rin blurted out in shock. "Where's Octavia?"

Megumi scowled harshly. "How should I know? I dismissed her hours ago."

"But this is her room!"

"Don't be absurd. This entire wing belongs to me. She had some nerve using it during my absence."

Rin's teeth worried her bottom lip. If Octavia wasn't here either, then where was she?

The demoness's eyes strayed down to the hand she was hiding behind her back. "What do you have there?"

Rin stiffened. "Nothing—"

"Liar. Show it to me."

Sighing, Rin showed Megumi the rose. Her gold eyes narrowed as she regarded it carefully. "It was in my room when I woke up this morning," Rin explained. "I don't know where it came from."

"Do you know what it is?"

She shook her head.

"It's Shikonstone," said Megumi. "The Shikon no Tama was composed almost entirely of this very substance. Do you see the resemblance? How curious, though. Only someone with star blood could—" She cut herself off. "Do you feel strange at all, child?"

"No. Should I?"

Rin fought the urge to flinch when the demoness grabbed hold of her chin and asked, "Which province are you from?"

"Suruga," she replied hesitantly.

"That's just south of Mount Fuji, isn't it?"

"I think so. Why?"

Megumi's eyes narrowed even more. "Where are your parents?"

Rin's pulse quickened. "Gone," she whispered.

"No surprises there. Sesshoumaru isn't the type to steal children away from their families. Tell me, how did they die?"

"They were murdered by bandits."

"You're certain of this?"

"I watched it happen."

"I see . . . And how did you survive?"

"By hiding."

Megumi released her chin and gazed at her contemplatively. Rin had never seen the former Lady of the Western Lands look so conflicted before. Her eyes strayed down to the pearl necklace that Megumi was wearing, which housed the pendant with the dark gemstone at its centre.

"What is that thing?" Rin asked, pointing at it. "I know it has the power to bring people back from the dead, but how? Who created it?"

Lowering her gaze, Megumi ran a finger down the Meido Stone's smooth surface. "I honestly don't know," she replied distantly. "Touga gave it to me as a keepsake. He never told me where he found it, but it appeared in his possession around the same time that Meido Zangetsuha did."

"You said he told you that it would help Sesshoumaru-sama someday," Rin reminded her. "But if that's true, why did he give it to you and not him?"

"My son wields the Tenseiga. He has no use for something with an ability so similar to that of his own inheritance."

She had a point. The Tenseiga and the Meido Stone were incredibly alike. It made sense for Touga to entrust one to his son and the other to his wife. That way, they both had something to remember him by. But then why did it feel like Megumi was hiding something from her?

"I don't believe you," Rin said. "Whatever Touga was planning, I think you're in on it, too."

Megumi scoffed. "Even if that were true – which it isn't – what would I gain from lying about it?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'm guessing it has something to do with protecting your son. Regardless of the circumstances, you've always had his best interests at heart. People don't always see that, but I do. And I think that deep down, Sesshoumaru-sama knows it, too."

Megumi's pale brows lifted in surprise. She seemed unsure of how to respond to that.

Rin bowed her head demurely and muttered, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Gobodo-sama. I'll be on my way now."

She covered the rose with her sleeve and hurried away before Megumi could slam the door in her face.

Her feet carried her down the stairs and out into one of the castle's many courtyards. Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back and inhaled the crisp autumn air. A lone starling was singing its heart out somewhere close by. Rin opened her eyes and searched the trees for it, but it was too well hidden amongst the foliage.

She was about to resume walking when the sound of muffled laughter drifted into her ears. Peering sideways, she couldn't help but smile as she caught sight of Octavia strolling along the engawa with Lord Sesshoumaru. Although Octavia was doing the brunt of the talking, it was hardly a one-sided conversation. Lord Sesshoumaru's eyes flitted back and forth between her face and her hands, which made various animated gestures as she spoke. He even chuckled alongside her a couple of times, shocking Rin to her core. She had never seen him behave in such a strange manner before. It was like he was bewitched.

Her eyes widened.

How could she have been so blind?

Lord Sesshoumaru suddenly turned and locked eyes with her. Swallowing, Rin kept the rose concealed within her sleeve and bowed her head respectfully. "Good morning," she mumbled.

"Hi, Rin," Octavia replied brightly. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Mhmm," Rin affirmed whilst lifting her head. "Did you?"

Octavia's smile turned bashful. "Yeah, why? Do I look tired?" She sounded as flustered as she looked.

Rin battled the urge to laugh. Had it always been this obvious? Surely not. But then how in the world had she never noticed it before?

Was she really that stupid?

"No," Rin said with a smile of her own. "You look beautiful."

Octavia's expression softened. "Really?"

Rin nodded. "Really."

Lord Sesshoumaru took that as his cue to leave. He and Octavia shared a brief yet significant look that made Rin's heart ache, before he walked away without uttering a word to either of them. Octavia watched his retreating form in silence. Rin desperately wanted to reassure her, but she couldn't risk saying the words out loud in such a public place. All she could think to do was to take her hand and squeeze it, which she did.

"Come with me," Rin urged. "I have to show you something. Don't ask me what it is yet. I'll tell you everything once we've found Kagome-sama."

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Kagome turned the crystal rose over in her hands, admiring the fine craftsmanship. "It definitely has a similar aura to the Shikon no Tama," she said. "But it's far from a perfect match. The jewel felt . . . louder. Like it was screaming at the top of its lungs. Does that make sense?"

Rin knew a rhetorical question when she heard one. She decided to save her theories for after Kagome had finished her assessment. The last thing she wanted to do was interrupt her mid-flow.

Fortunately, she and Octavia seemed to be on the same page. Her friend had been unusually quiet since she'd revealed the rose to her. Rin wondered if she was feeling sentimental over the Reikon Blade. After all, the dagger did contain a Shikonstone fragment of its own.

Kagome held the rose in front of her eye and peered through it like a spyglass. Its crystalline petals glimmered in the afternoon sun, reflecting light onto her face. Rin hadn't wanted to drag Kagome into their mess initially, but the miko had both birthed and killed the infamous Shikon no Tama, so she was kind of an expert where Shikonstone was concerned. If anyone could shed some light on what was happening, it was her.

"You said you saw something when you touched it," Kagome murmured.

"That's right," replied Rin.

"What did you see?"

"A cage," she answered quietly. "And a woman. She was leaning over the edge of a cliff, staring at something down below. Then there was a searing light. I couldn't see anything after that."

"Was it a dream? When I was being held captive by the jewel, I dreamed of a world that was the same as my own, only I'd never travelled through the well. I didn't know it at the time, but the jewel was trying to manipulate me into carrying out its own selfish agenda. The dream was only there to make me compliant. Maybe this rose was trying to do the same thing to you?"

"Maybe," mused Rin. "But the things I saw don't relate to me at all. They're completely random—"

"What was in the cage?" Octavia asked abruptly.

Rin blinked. "Nothing. It was empty. I remember the door being open, but it didn't look like it had been forced, so someone must have unlocked it."

A crinkle appeared between Octavia's brows.

Kagome gave her a serious look. "What is it?"

Octavia's eyes moved from her to Rin. "I might be wrong, but I think you saw the Radiant One claim its first vessel."

Rin's eyes widened. "Your ancestor, you mean? The one you told me about? The one who visited the Radiant One in secret because she felt sorry for it? That vessel?"

"That's the one."

Kagome frowned. "What on Earth are you two talking about?"

Octavia looked away guiltily. "It's a long story."

"So tell it."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Kagome, but this is my problem, not yours. Trust me, the less you know, the better it will—"

"That's bullshit!" The ferocity in her voice caught Rin and Octavia off guard. "You guys! I don't know what sort of trouble you've gotten yourselves into, but I am not leaving you to face it on your own. You were the ones who asked for my help in the first place! Now, tell me what the hell is going on here, or I'll break this stupid rose into a thousand little pieces like I did the jewel."

Rin watched as a myriad of emotions flashed through Octavia's mismatched eyes. She obviously didn't want to endanger Kagome by confiding in her about the Church and her status within it, but her expression indicated that she was secretly grateful for her cousin's willingness to support their cause. Kagome was quite possibly the most powerful miko who had ever lived. When Naraku had wished to see Lady Kikyo again, the jewel had twisted his words and created a being whose power was equal to his. That being was Kagome. She alone had destroyed the Shikon no Tama, fulfilling the first half of the prophecy and laying the groundwork for Octavia to finish the job.

Alone, they were destined to fail, but together, they might actually stand a chance at winning.

"Tell her," Rin implored Octavia. "We need all the help we can get."

"It's not their fight," she argued. "They did their part. It's my turn to—"

"Don't be stupid. You're one of us now. We're family. We're not just going to stand by and let you endure this burden alone. We're going to fight for you, whether you want us to or not."

Octavia's eyes shone with moisture. Her right one looked remarkably like the rose that Kagome was holding—in terms of both colour and luminosity. Rin wasn't the only one who was entranced by it. Kagome stared openly, transfixed by the otherworldly quality said eye possessed. Little did she know that a parasitic god was staring back through it.

Blinking rapidly, Octavia cleared her throat and sniffed. "Okay. Here goes nothing."

Whilst she spoke, a leaf detached itself from a branch above their heads and floated down to where they were sitting gracefully. They paid it no notice, for there were thousands of others just like it, but its voyage to the ground simultaneously marked the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another.

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