InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mating Season ❯ Truth ( Chapter 82 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: SplendentGoddess 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.25.2007 | Updated On: 08.21.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 8.3K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.25.2007 | Updated On: 08.21.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 8.3K | Status: Completed
Blanket Disclaimer:
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
========================
Chapter 82 - Truth
It’d been nearly a week since Inuyasha and Shippo returned from Totosai’s realm, and Kagome couldn’t stop wincing in maternal apprehension every time the two of them engaged in ‘practice’. Yes, she realized that in accordance with the time period, her boy was technically a man. Yes, she realized also that regardless of that first fact, he was also a youkai, and therefore, virtually indestructible, regardless of age. That didn’t mean she was comfortable with the idea of her husband and her baby boy engaged in swordplay! Oh sure, it was fine when it was just blade against blade, metal on metal, when Inuyasha helped Shippo with his basic techniques while the kitsune borrowed Sango’s katana, but now…
“Wind Scar!”
She cringed. Did he have to teach Shippo how to use that attack?
A rather loud crash coming from somewhere off to the right indicated where several more trees had been demoted to lumber, and she nodded. Yes…yes he did, and she supported every minute of it.
Kagome was still rather amazed by Shippo’s new blade; Shinjitsuken, Totosai had named it. It seemed rather amusing to her that a blade whose power was centered on illusion would be named the Sword of Truth, but according to Shippo, Totosai had explained that the most powerful of all illusions were the ones that were based on truth. Snickering quietly to herself, the miko remembered how she used to help Souta come up with ways to get out of trouble during their youth. She had always told him to “lie with the truth” and it had always worked.
Shippo’s strongest direct attack was the Wind Scar. It was easy enough for him to get the hang of it, considering the kit had already sensed the Wind Scar once before. Totosai had said that the blade supposedly wouldn’t be strong enough to conjure the Backlash Wave, but Kagome decided to let Shippo be the one who had the final say in that department. While it was true that Tetsusaiga contained the fang of a full-blooded inu-youkai of Taiyoukai proportions, Inuyasha’s fang was in no way ‘weak’.
Shinjitsuken actually contained a combination of Inuyasha’s fang, as well as Shippo’s own fang, incorporating his kitsune powers into the blade. It could conjure fox-fire, at damaging levels, as well as strengthen the power of his natural illusions. Sort of like how a wizard used a magic wand to channel their powers. More or less, the sword amplified what Shippo already possessed.
Totosai had also managed to weave some of the kit’s titian hairs into Tetsusaiga’s hilt, so that the barrier would no longer reject him. The old fire-youkai had agreed that it wasn’t fair for the blade to reject Shippo’s claim as Inuyasha’s son, just because they weren’t related by blood. Now, with that problem out of the way, although Shippo was not the chosen wielder of Tetsusaiga, he could probably use it in an emergency, just as Kagome had once done.
But the kit still had a long way to go when it came to developing his brut strength, which was why Inuyasha was insisting that he practice the Wind Scar in the first place. Shippo had to sense the wound in the wind where the two energies met, just as Inuyasha used to do before the Wind Scar became permanently incorporated within Tetsusiaga’s blade. So, since Shippo needed an opponent for the Wind Scar to show itself, Inuyasha was using himself as a living target for the Wind Scar to develop, quickly dodging out of the way as the blast raced in his direction. Over, and over, and over again.
It was no wonder Kagome was on edge.
She tried not to think about it, knowing Inuyasha would never permit either Shippo or himself to get injured - by his standards. It didn’t matter if his idea of injury and her idea of injury were two very different things. They may come back to her battered and bloody, but they would scoff that it was “just a scratch” and insist that they didn’t need her medical attention.
Trying to lighten her mood then, Kagome decided to think on happier things, like Sango’s soon-to-be new baby. The ex-taijiya was due any day now.
`````````````````````````````
Approx. three hundred miles west, another young adult engaged in swordplay. Only it was no play. Nekobi was quite serious, and always pushed Rin to her limits. She would tire the girl out until Rin all but collapsed at her ‘enemy’s’ feet. Then she would force her to get back up, and keep fighting some more. If she ever collapsed before a true enemy, they would not hesitate to deliver the final blow. Rin had improved in technique, and physically she was very strong (for a human female) but she still grew tired much too quickly, by youkai standards. She had to train her body to stretch itself to its absolute limits.
That was actually not as hard as it sounded, though, as Rin was already used to years upon years of traveling through the woods behind her father, and therefore, her body was already used to over exerting itself to the point where the strain became natural. She needed very little sleep, very little food, and could literally walk for miles without the need to stop and rest. But during the heat of battle, Rin found that she used muscles she wasn’t normally used to using, and it used up all of her energy a lot quicker than merely walking at a steady pace. After a good three hours of non-stop combat, Rin was quite literally dead on her feet.
“That’s the fifth time I’ve killed you.” Nekobi taunted, holding her blade a mere two inches from the flesh of Rin’s throat.
Rin was too exhausted to even come up with a retort, having snapped back with something at least half way witty the previous four times that her sensei had gotten her into that position. Then the neko said something she’d never said before.
“No self-respecting youkai would want such a useless mate. Shippo would be much better off sticking to his own kind, a vixen worthy of his love and devotion.”
At first, Rin was embarrassed, her and Shippo having truthfully not reached that level of commitment in their growing relationship. But although they’d never personally spoken of such things, she was also not naive, and was fully aware of the talk in the castle. She was seriously starting to love the kitsune, and along with that realization, came the realization of what Nekobi-sensei had just implied. That she wasn’t good enough for him. That he should mate a vixen.
“Zettaini nai!”
Faster than Nekobi could blink, Rin somehow twirled around, away from her sensei’s sword, and proceeded to plunge her own blade deep within the neko’s stomach.
The human girl came back to her senses then, blinking a few times, as her mind slowly registered the crimson stain adorning her sensei’s kimono, before Nekobi silently pulled the katana from her abdomen, repressing a slight wince in mild pain as she did so.
Rin stood frozen, awaiting reprimand. Had she been sparing with a mortal opponent, her lapse in control would have proven fatal.
After a few moments of permitting her pupil to stew in her own fear, Nekobi grinned, and wiping her blood from the blade against her now ruined kimono, she then tossed the katana back to her student, as she snickered “Not bad…ningen…” adding a playful wink to the otherwise demeaning term. “There may be hope for you yet.”
Rin smiled, and suddenly not feeling exhausted any more, eagerly resumed her lessons.
``````````````````````````````````
Mir oku grinned as he strolled through the chilly village. There was a method to their hanyou’s madness. Inuyasha didn’t merely contribute to the eventual clearing of their forest for the sheer hell of it, permitting Shippo to knock down any ol’ tree that the kitsune saw fit. No, the monk realized as his grin widened, Inuyasha was selecting certain trees, trees that were soon going to be used for lumbar.
Making his way to the site where his young brother-in-law had selected to build his new hut, Miroku quietly offered any assistance he may give to the novice carpenter. Not that he was in a hurry for Kohaku to move out. Truthfully, it hadn’t bothered him in the least, sharing his dwelling with his wife’s younger brother, knowing how deeply Sango cared for her last surviving family member. Especially after everything that she had gone through while the youth’s future had remained hanging in the balance. But Miroku also knew that Kohaku had refused to move into Kaori’s current hut, even temporarily, stating that he was the provider for them, not the other way around. Which of course meant that they couldn’t hold the wedding until after the new hut was finished.
It was coming along nicely though, Miroku noted. The area had been cleared some time back, and now, the foundation looked to be fully in place. Kohaku was making it a lot harder on himself than he had to, by the size of the hut he insisted upon building. While it was nowhere near as large as Inuyasha’s dwelling, which was the size of a 20th century 3bd 2bth modern home, Kohaku’s new hut would still be much larger than most of the huts in the village. Inuyasha had long ago declared that none in his village need suffer through poverty, and all were permitted to live in larger than average huts, should they so choose. The surrounding land around the village was his now, after all, so if any trees needed to be cleared away to either make room, or for use as the raw building materials themselves, he was happy to oblige. Most of the villagers were content with their humble dwellings, but many of the younger couples had actually taken him up on the offer, insisting of course that they do the reconstruction themselves. He had already helped beyond measure simply by preparing and providing the ready to use timber. It was more than they could ever repay.
But they didn’t need to repay him, Miroku smirked thoughtfully, because Inuyasha was acting Lord over his village, and as such, deemed that any such actions were included in his duty to care for his people. Who would have ever thought that the stubborn, standoffish hanyou would come to rule over his own domain? Not to mention that he was in equal standing with Sesshoumaru for title over the entire Western lands. Sometimes it was easy to forget that little tidbit of information, because Inuyasha sure as hell didn’t act like the “Lord” of anything.
Assisting Kohaku with holding up a support beam while he nailed it into the foundation, Miroku couldn’t help but to realize just how many things have truly changed, in just a few short years. Kohaku was a grown man, Shippo was quickly on his way to becoming one as well, and as for himself…he was a father. His smile quickly turned into a frown. Sango seemed healthy, but Emi had been growing more and more restless as her pregnancy progressed. His daughter was too young to skillfully articulate whatever horrible visions were plaguing her in her sleep, and Miroku was doing his best to keep what little information he did have a secret from his wife. The last thing he needed was to worry her over what he prayed was nothing. Perhaps Emi’s visions took place years into the future, when Sango and their son may become under attack by an enemy, yes? Emi also kept using the word hurt, but… would a child of under two years of age even understand the concept of death? Had she been taught that word? Certainly not by himself, if she had, that was for sure. Emi was much too young to know of such things, in Miroku’s opinion. But then, that meant he was also unsure of her visions, in that regard. If Sango was merely hurt…then that meant she would recover, but…what if…
No! He mustn’t think of such things.
Excusing himself for a moment, Kohaku understood perfectly (or so he thought), that Miroku needed to check in on his older sister. She was due any time now, after all.
The ex-monk left with the promise that should Sango not require anything of him, he would be back shortly. Heading in the direction of their hut, which was not too far away, he was surprised to see a kitten-form Kirara running in his direction.
`````````````````````````````````
Ev erything hurt. Everything hurt, and she hated pain. She wasn’t used to being in pain, and in a moment of childish decorum, she had sworn to the gods that she was never doing this again!
Nekobi chuckled at the antics of her pupil, unable to truly sympathize with the agony of muscle cramps, as youkai were immune to such after-effects of strenuous workout.
Miserably, Rin managed to wobble herself out of the dojo some two hours later, as her session was finally over. Which meant…Rin had been engaged in simulated battle for a straight five hours. No breaks, no lunch, nothing!
But it was necessary. A youkai could be engaged in battle for days on end. Hell, even Midoriko, who was mortal, was said to have been engaged in non-stop battle for…what was it…seven days? Rin’s muscles hurt now, but when they healed, they would grow stronger, and as she progressed with that level of intense training, she would continue to grow stronger. Muttering under her breath, the girl knew her sensei would hear her, when she mumbled something about ‘see you tomorrow.’ Nekobi chuckled again.
Now, as the evening breeze cooled her sweat drenched body, Rin found her way into the gardens, deciding a few minutes of tranquility were in order. Yes, she new that the chilly air would only cause her muscles to ache even more in the long run, but that was still her favorite spot in all the Western lands. She was pleased to discover Wenying out and about with little Suishoukaze, also enjoying the gardens, the dropping temperature being of no consequence to the young pup. Youkai simply did not feel the cold, and as for herself…well…that was merely another thing Rin was used to.
She smiled as her baby sister spotted her, and settled herself down on the soft grass to greet her. The pup quickly scampered her way, an elderly panada-youkai hot on her heals. Though the toddler hadn’t even reached two years of age yet, she actually appeared much closer to three, and had the intelligence to go with it. Beyond the intelligence…if you asked Rin.
“Oneesan!” squealed the delighted demi-inu, as she made her way to where her mortal older sister sat, patiently awaiting her arrival.
“Hey there Sui.”
Rin giggled at the way Suishoukaze scrunched up her face in annoyance of the nickname. Rin did it on purpose. Sui actually meant water, and she loved to tease her baby sister, who seemed to loath the concept of getting wet above all else.
“No water…” she pouted, “Water icky.”
“You’re right…” Rin laughed, “Water very icky.” she agreed, although at the moment, a nice long soak in the hot spring sounded very tempting. “Wind much nicer.” the teenager continued, grinning at the way the toddler’s eyes lit up in utter joy.
“Hai! Hai! Suishoukaze loves the wind!”
Well, she smirked, it was only nature that the child would love the wind, considering that her mother was a wind youkai. But Rin couldn’t help but to gaze in awe at how well her sister had managed to pronounce her own name, considering it consisted of five syllables. Maybe she wouldn’t have considered it so remarkable, if she didn’t vaguely recall a time when she, herself, had had trouble pronouncing her own, one syllable name (She used to call herself “rain”). Did all youkai children develop so quickly, or was it merely because of how powerful this little girl’s parents were?
Nah…she thought, shaking her head. Rin remembered how talkative Kazuki had been during her last visit to Shippo’s village. It must be natural for all youkai children to age so quickly, she mused. She thought about how long the infancy stage lasted in human children, in comparison, and playfully cringed. No thank you.
Oh, she’d heard the talk going around the castle. She’d heard the rumors of “Inuyasha’s kitsune” wishing to court her, as well as the whispers of those who thought it would be best if they both stuck to their own kind. Marry a human? Well…before Sesshoumaru had come into her life, such a concept was without comparison. After all…precisely who else was she supposed to marry? Being a human herself, and all that.
But that was before, and now…having been so thoroughly integrated into the lives of youkai, Rin honestly didn’t think that she could stomach living amongst her own people again. She enjoyed visiting Shippo’s village, because youkai were openly accepted there. But there were still many villages, many humans, who did not accept youkai (especially the interaction between humans and youkai, specifically) and Rin would not tolerate hearing words of disrespect directed towards those whom she considered family. No, she would much rather live amongst youkai, even if it meant hearing the occasional words of disrespect regarding her very species. She just didn’t feel like she had much of a connection to other humans any more, hardly even considering herself one, it seemed. She honestly took no offense to the occasional barb against weak humans, generally speaking, and was merely determined to prove to herself, and to everyone else around her, that she was an exception to the rule.
Rin was pulled from her musings when a few dry leaves blowing in the wind suddenly pelted her right in the face. Not like such a thing could’ve hurt her, but it had certainly startled her, and she briefly berated herself for her distracting thoughts, which had given her “enemy” the window of opportunity to attack. Shaking her head then, Rin glanced up in amusement at the giggling Suishoukaze that sat a few feet away.
“Oneesan no ignore Suishoukaze.” the toddler pouted, though the pout quickly reverted back into a new set of giggles.
The wind churned around them once again, causing a small swirl of dry leaves to dance in the air before quickly flying in Rin’s direction. Being prepared for the onslaught that time, Rin used her adapted youkai-like reflexes to quickly snatch the leaves from the air. She felt a little guilty for having become so lost within her own thoughts that her sister had thought she was being ignored.
A few hundred feet away, observing from his balcony, Sesshoumaru’s youkai senses easily permitted him to both see and hear the happenings in the far off garden below. He had been observing non-stop while Wenying escorted his youngest through the gardens, prepared to literally fly to her side should his presence be required, though he was pleased to see that that was not the case. His oldest, most trusted servant, had proven herself a worthy nanny for Rin over the years, and he had full confidence that she would also prove an adequate baby-sister (as Rin had put it) for his youngest pup, as well. There would undoubtedly be future times when Suishoukaze may not be able to be around either parent, such as times of diplomacy when entertaining visiting Lords, and while such a situation was not the case at that precise moment, it was wise to get the pup used to Wenying’s company before the panda’s immediate guard over the pup became truly necessary. The last thing Sesshoumaru needed was a squealing pup bellowing for her father while he attempted to negotiate foreign treaties. Fortunately, though, it appeared as though that would not be the case, as Suishoukaze had taken an instant liking to the ancient panda, just as Rin had previously done.
As Sesshoumaru continued to observe his daughters, he couldn’t fully suppress the smirk that slowly found its way to his lips, in regard to the new “game” the two girls had apparently invented. Suishoukaze had quickly proven to hold at least mild powers over the wind, and while it wouldn’t be known for some time if she could actually conjure youki blades with the aid of a demonic fan, like her mother, it was cute to watch her control the breeze, in which Rin’s job in the game was to snatch the leaves in midair before they otherwise struck her person. It was perhaps the fifth time he had observed the two engaged in such an activity, and while he knew that he had told Rin she was to act like an adult at all times, he would permit this exception to the rule.
“They grow up so fast.” came his mate’s voice from the chamber behind him, and turning, Sesshoumaru acknowledged her statement with a brief nod.
“I miss having a little baby.” Kagura said dreamily, as she envisioned the days before her daughter fought with her over the evening bath, or talked back to her regarding how well-done (or lack thereof) she wanted her dinner prepared. “I wouldn’t mind having another little one.” the wind-youkai mumbled more or less to herself.
Sesshoumaru approached his mate. He may never say aloud that he loved her, but he knew she knew it to be true. Taking a deep whiff of the air surrounding her then, he smirked at his discover, and in full confidence, softly stated “That can be arranged.”
`````````````````````````
R 20;....And then it happened! I didn’t think I’d be able to…but then…and you were…but I did! Did you see Otou?!?!?” Shippo went on and on, as he excitedly talked with his father about his newest found ability with Shinjitsuken.
Kagome couldn’t help but to smile as she collected their used dinner plates. Inuyasha glanced up at her briefly, flashing her one of his heartwarming smiles, before quickly reassuring Shippo that he hadn’t missed the latest stunt he’d pulled off with his sword earlier that evening.
It took about an hour for the excited youth to finally agree to settle down for the night, as he argued that being youkai, he didn’t need that much sleep. Inuyasha jokingly pointed out how that’d never stopped him before, when he was just a whinny little pup who liked to curl up in Kagome’s sleeping bag, and after a brief round of chase in the living room in which Shippo finally retaliated for every bop on the head he’d ever received in his youth, Inuyasha silently thanked his brother for gifting him with the replacement, fireproof kimono.
It was Kagome’s motherly scolding of “No fox-fire in the house!” that finally ushered her teenage son toward his bedchamber, and awarded the young parents with a brief moment of solitude.
“I’m sorry Mommy.” Inuyasha cooed, as he wrapped his arms around his scowling mate’s waist, who was currently trying to decide if she should bother attempting to repair the singed cushion, or just throw it out.
“That one came from my time, you know.”
“Well, once they build that store, I’ll buy you a new one.”
“Oh gee, thanks…” Kagome snickered, realizing that there really wasn’t much point in getting upset over a ruined pillow. It wasn’t like she honestly expected the thing to otherwise last throughout the next five hundred years.
“Mmmmm…you’re most welcome…” Inuyasha purred into her neck, as the placement of one of his hands suddenly shifted somewhat higher.
“Kazuki…” she mumbled, and he stilled briefly, shifting his ears.
“Still sleeping…” he confirmed after a moment, as he resumed nuzzling her neck, while giving her hardening nipple a quick tweak through the fabric of her chihaya.
“Mmmm…good.” she answered, turning in his embrace to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. His hands found their way beneath the spider silk of her top…
Hasty footsteps quickly drew their attention, as they reluctantly pulled away from each other to investigate as to who was so urgently rushing up to greet them. Inuyasha turned for a brief moment to make sure Kagome was presentable, as she quickly shifted her top back into place. He barely opened the door when their caller barreled inside, huffing and puffing from the exertion.
“Kohaku!” Kagome cried in surprise.
“What’s wrong?” Inuyasha asked next, as both could smell the fear coming off of the boy.
Still trying to catch his breath after such a fast run, their demonic hearing helped them to decipher his panting of
“An…Ane-ue…”
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
A/N: The term Rin shouted, “Zettaini nai”, is an informal way of saying “Never”.
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
========================
Chapter 82 - Truth
It’d been nearly a week since Inuyasha and Shippo returned from Totosai’s realm, and Kagome couldn’t stop wincing in maternal apprehension every time the two of them engaged in ‘practice’. Yes, she realized that in accordance with the time period, her boy was technically a man. Yes, she realized also that regardless of that first fact, he was also a youkai, and therefore, virtually indestructible, regardless of age. That didn’t mean she was comfortable with the idea of her husband and her baby boy engaged in swordplay! Oh sure, it was fine when it was just blade against blade, metal on metal, when Inuyasha helped Shippo with his basic techniques while the kitsune borrowed Sango’s katana, but now…
“Wind Scar!”
She cringed. Did he have to teach Shippo how to use that attack?
A rather loud crash coming from somewhere off to the right indicated where several more trees had been demoted to lumber, and she nodded. Yes…yes he did, and she supported every minute of it.
Kagome was still rather amazed by Shippo’s new blade; Shinjitsuken, Totosai had named it. It seemed rather amusing to her that a blade whose power was centered on illusion would be named the Sword of Truth, but according to Shippo, Totosai had explained that the most powerful of all illusions were the ones that were based on truth. Snickering quietly to herself, the miko remembered how she used to help Souta come up with ways to get out of trouble during their youth. She had always told him to “lie with the truth” and it had always worked.
Shippo’s strongest direct attack was the Wind Scar. It was easy enough for him to get the hang of it, considering the kit had already sensed the Wind Scar once before. Totosai had said that the blade supposedly wouldn’t be strong enough to conjure the Backlash Wave, but Kagome decided to let Shippo be the one who had the final say in that department. While it was true that Tetsusaiga contained the fang of a full-blooded inu-youkai of Taiyoukai proportions, Inuyasha’s fang was in no way ‘weak’.
Shinjitsuken actually contained a combination of Inuyasha’s fang, as well as Shippo’s own fang, incorporating his kitsune powers into the blade. It could conjure fox-fire, at damaging levels, as well as strengthen the power of his natural illusions. Sort of like how a wizard used a magic wand to channel their powers. More or less, the sword amplified what Shippo already possessed.
Totosai had also managed to weave some of the kit’s titian hairs into Tetsusaiga’s hilt, so that the barrier would no longer reject him. The old fire-youkai had agreed that it wasn’t fair for the blade to reject Shippo’s claim as Inuyasha’s son, just because they weren’t related by blood. Now, with that problem out of the way, although Shippo was not the chosen wielder of Tetsusaiga, he could probably use it in an emergency, just as Kagome had once done.
But the kit still had a long way to go when it came to developing his brut strength, which was why Inuyasha was insisting that he practice the Wind Scar in the first place. Shippo had to sense the wound in the wind where the two energies met, just as Inuyasha used to do before the Wind Scar became permanently incorporated within Tetsusiaga’s blade. So, since Shippo needed an opponent for the Wind Scar to show itself, Inuyasha was using himself as a living target for the Wind Scar to develop, quickly dodging out of the way as the blast raced in his direction. Over, and over, and over again.
It was no wonder Kagome was on edge.
She tried not to think about it, knowing Inuyasha would never permit either Shippo or himself to get injured - by his standards. It didn’t matter if his idea of injury and her idea of injury were two very different things. They may come back to her battered and bloody, but they would scoff that it was “just a scratch” and insist that they didn’t need her medical attention.
Trying to lighten her mood then, Kagome decided to think on happier things, like Sango’s soon-to-be new baby. The ex-taijiya was due any day now.
`````````````````````````````
Approx. three hundred miles west, another young adult engaged in swordplay. Only it was no play. Nekobi was quite serious, and always pushed Rin to her limits. She would tire the girl out until Rin all but collapsed at her ‘enemy’s’ feet. Then she would force her to get back up, and keep fighting some more. If she ever collapsed before a true enemy, they would not hesitate to deliver the final blow. Rin had improved in technique, and physically she was very strong (for a human female) but she still grew tired much too quickly, by youkai standards. She had to train her body to stretch itself to its absolute limits.
That was actually not as hard as it sounded, though, as Rin was already used to years upon years of traveling through the woods behind her father, and therefore, her body was already used to over exerting itself to the point where the strain became natural. She needed very little sleep, very little food, and could literally walk for miles without the need to stop and rest. But during the heat of battle, Rin found that she used muscles she wasn’t normally used to using, and it used up all of her energy a lot quicker than merely walking at a steady pace. After a good three hours of non-stop combat, Rin was quite literally dead on her feet.
“That’s the fifth time I’ve killed you.” Nekobi taunted, holding her blade a mere two inches from the flesh of Rin’s throat.
Rin was too exhausted to even come up with a retort, having snapped back with something at least half way witty the previous four times that her sensei had gotten her into that position. Then the neko said something she’d never said before.
“No self-respecting youkai would want such a useless mate. Shippo would be much better off sticking to his own kind, a vixen worthy of his love and devotion.”
At first, Rin was embarrassed, her and Shippo having truthfully not reached that level of commitment in their growing relationship. But although they’d never personally spoken of such things, she was also not naive, and was fully aware of the talk in the castle. She was seriously starting to love the kitsune, and along with that realization, came the realization of what Nekobi-sensei had just implied. That she wasn’t good enough for him. That he should mate a vixen.
“Zettaini nai!”
Faster than Nekobi could blink, Rin somehow twirled around, away from her sensei’s sword, and proceeded to plunge her own blade deep within the neko’s stomach.
The human girl came back to her senses then, blinking a few times, as her mind slowly registered the crimson stain adorning her sensei’s kimono, before Nekobi silently pulled the katana from her abdomen, repressing a slight wince in mild pain as she did so.
Rin stood frozen, awaiting reprimand. Had she been sparing with a mortal opponent, her lapse in control would have proven fatal.
After a few moments of permitting her pupil to stew in her own fear, Nekobi grinned, and wiping her blood from the blade against her now ruined kimono, she then tossed the katana back to her student, as she snickered “Not bad…ningen…” adding a playful wink to the otherwise demeaning term. “There may be hope for you yet.”
Rin smiled, and suddenly not feeling exhausted any more, eagerly resumed her lessons.
``````````````````````````````````
Mir oku grinned as he strolled through the chilly village. There was a method to their hanyou’s madness. Inuyasha didn’t merely contribute to the eventual clearing of their forest for the sheer hell of it, permitting Shippo to knock down any ol’ tree that the kitsune saw fit. No, the monk realized as his grin widened, Inuyasha was selecting certain trees, trees that were soon going to be used for lumbar.
Making his way to the site where his young brother-in-law had selected to build his new hut, Miroku quietly offered any assistance he may give to the novice carpenter. Not that he was in a hurry for Kohaku to move out. Truthfully, it hadn’t bothered him in the least, sharing his dwelling with his wife’s younger brother, knowing how deeply Sango cared for her last surviving family member. Especially after everything that she had gone through while the youth’s future had remained hanging in the balance. But Miroku also knew that Kohaku had refused to move into Kaori’s current hut, even temporarily, stating that he was the provider for them, not the other way around. Which of course meant that they couldn’t hold the wedding until after the new hut was finished.
It was coming along nicely though, Miroku noted. The area had been cleared some time back, and now, the foundation looked to be fully in place. Kohaku was making it a lot harder on himself than he had to, by the size of the hut he insisted upon building. While it was nowhere near as large as Inuyasha’s dwelling, which was the size of a 20th century 3bd 2bth modern home, Kohaku’s new hut would still be much larger than most of the huts in the village. Inuyasha had long ago declared that none in his village need suffer through poverty, and all were permitted to live in larger than average huts, should they so choose. The surrounding land around the village was his now, after all, so if any trees needed to be cleared away to either make room, or for use as the raw building materials themselves, he was happy to oblige. Most of the villagers were content with their humble dwellings, but many of the younger couples had actually taken him up on the offer, insisting of course that they do the reconstruction themselves. He had already helped beyond measure simply by preparing and providing the ready to use timber. It was more than they could ever repay.
But they didn’t need to repay him, Miroku smirked thoughtfully, because Inuyasha was acting Lord over his village, and as such, deemed that any such actions were included in his duty to care for his people. Who would have ever thought that the stubborn, standoffish hanyou would come to rule over his own domain? Not to mention that he was in equal standing with Sesshoumaru for title over the entire Western lands. Sometimes it was easy to forget that little tidbit of information, because Inuyasha sure as hell didn’t act like the “Lord” of anything.
Assisting Kohaku with holding up a support beam while he nailed it into the foundation, Miroku couldn’t help but to realize just how many things have truly changed, in just a few short years. Kohaku was a grown man, Shippo was quickly on his way to becoming one as well, and as for himself…he was a father. His smile quickly turned into a frown. Sango seemed healthy, but Emi had been growing more and more restless as her pregnancy progressed. His daughter was too young to skillfully articulate whatever horrible visions were plaguing her in her sleep, and Miroku was doing his best to keep what little information he did have a secret from his wife. The last thing he needed was to worry her over what he prayed was nothing. Perhaps Emi’s visions took place years into the future, when Sango and their son may become under attack by an enemy, yes? Emi also kept using the word hurt, but… would a child of under two years of age even understand the concept of death? Had she been taught that word? Certainly not by himself, if she had, that was for sure. Emi was much too young to know of such things, in Miroku’s opinion. But then, that meant he was also unsure of her visions, in that regard. If Sango was merely hurt…then that meant she would recover, but…what if…
No! He mustn’t think of such things.
Excusing himself for a moment, Kohaku understood perfectly (or so he thought), that Miroku needed to check in on his older sister. She was due any time now, after all.
The ex-monk left with the promise that should Sango not require anything of him, he would be back shortly. Heading in the direction of their hut, which was not too far away, he was surprised to see a kitten-form Kirara running in his direction.
`````````````````````````````````
Ev erything hurt. Everything hurt, and she hated pain. She wasn’t used to being in pain, and in a moment of childish decorum, she had sworn to the gods that she was never doing this again!
Nekobi chuckled at the antics of her pupil, unable to truly sympathize with the agony of muscle cramps, as youkai were immune to such after-effects of strenuous workout.
Miserably, Rin managed to wobble herself out of the dojo some two hours later, as her session was finally over. Which meant…Rin had been engaged in simulated battle for a straight five hours. No breaks, no lunch, nothing!
But it was necessary. A youkai could be engaged in battle for days on end. Hell, even Midoriko, who was mortal, was said to have been engaged in non-stop battle for…what was it…seven days? Rin’s muscles hurt now, but when they healed, they would grow stronger, and as she progressed with that level of intense training, she would continue to grow stronger. Muttering under her breath, the girl knew her sensei would hear her, when she mumbled something about ‘see you tomorrow.’ Nekobi chuckled again.
Now, as the evening breeze cooled her sweat drenched body, Rin found her way into the gardens, deciding a few minutes of tranquility were in order. Yes, she new that the chilly air would only cause her muscles to ache even more in the long run, but that was still her favorite spot in all the Western lands. She was pleased to discover Wenying out and about with little Suishoukaze, also enjoying the gardens, the dropping temperature being of no consequence to the young pup. Youkai simply did not feel the cold, and as for herself…well…that was merely another thing Rin was used to.
She smiled as her baby sister spotted her, and settled herself down on the soft grass to greet her. The pup quickly scampered her way, an elderly panada-youkai hot on her heals. Though the toddler hadn’t even reached two years of age yet, she actually appeared much closer to three, and had the intelligence to go with it. Beyond the intelligence…if you asked Rin.
“Oneesan!” squealed the delighted demi-inu, as she made her way to where her mortal older sister sat, patiently awaiting her arrival.
“Hey there Sui.”
Rin giggled at the way Suishoukaze scrunched up her face in annoyance of the nickname. Rin did it on purpose. Sui actually meant water, and she loved to tease her baby sister, who seemed to loath the concept of getting wet above all else.
“No water…” she pouted, “Water icky.”
“You’re right…” Rin laughed, “Water very icky.” she agreed, although at the moment, a nice long soak in the hot spring sounded very tempting. “Wind much nicer.” the teenager continued, grinning at the way the toddler’s eyes lit up in utter joy.
“Hai! Hai! Suishoukaze loves the wind!”
Well, she smirked, it was only nature that the child would love the wind, considering that her mother was a wind youkai. But Rin couldn’t help but to gaze in awe at how well her sister had managed to pronounce her own name, considering it consisted of five syllables. Maybe she wouldn’t have considered it so remarkable, if she didn’t vaguely recall a time when she, herself, had had trouble pronouncing her own, one syllable name (She used to call herself “rain”). Did all youkai children develop so quickly, or was it merely because of how powerful this little girl’s parents were?
Nah…she thought, shaking her head. Rin remembered how talkative Kazuki had been during her last visit to Shippo’s village. It must be natural for all youkai children to age so quickly, she mused. She thought about how long the infancy stage lasted in human children, in comparison, and playfully cringed. No thank you.
Oh, she’d heard the talk going around the castle. She’d heard the rumors of “Inuyasha’s kitsune” wishing to court her, as well as the whispers of those who thought it would be best if they both stuck to their own kind. Marry a human? Well…before Sesshoumaru had come into her life, such a concept was without comparison. After all…precisely who else was she supposed to marry? Being a human herself, and all that.
But that was before, and now…having been so thoroughly integrated into the lives of youkai, Rin honestly didn’t think that she could stomach living amongst her own people again. She enjoyed visiting Shippo’s village, because youkai were openly accepted there. But there were still many villages, many humans, who did not accept youkai (especially the interaction between humans and youkai, specifically) and Rin would not tolerate hearing words of disrespect directed towards those whom she considered family. No, she would much rather live amongst youkai, even if it meant hearing the occasional words of disrespect regarding her very species. She just didn’t feel like she had much of a connection to other humans any more, hardly even considering herself one, it seemed. She honestly took no offense to the occasional barb against weak humans, generally speaking, and was merely determined to prove to herself, and to everyone else around her, that she was an exception to the rule.
Rin was pulled from her musings when a few dry leaves blowing in the wind suddenly pelted her right in the face. Not like such a thing could’ve hurt her, but it had certainly startled her, and she briefly berated herself for her distracting thoughts, which had given her “enemy” the window of opportunity to attack. Shaking her head then, Rin glanced up in amusement at the giggling Suishoukaze that sat a few feet away.
“Oneesan no ignore Suishoukaze.” the toddler pouted, though the pout quickly reverted back into a new set of giggles.
The wind churned around them once again, causing a small swirl of dry leaves to dance in the air before quickly flying in Rin’s direction. Being prepared for the onslaught that time, Rin used her adapted youkai-like reflexes to quickly snatch the leaves from the air. She felt a little guilty for having become so lost within her own thoughts that her sister had thought she was being ignored.
A few hundred feet away, observing from his balcony, Sesshoumaru’s youkai senses easily permitted him to both see and hear the happenings in the far off garden below. He had been observing non-stop while Wenying escorted his youngest through the gardens, prepared to literally fly to her side should his presence be required, though he was pleased to see that that was not the case. His oldest, most trusted servant, had proven herself a worthy nanny for Rin over the years, and he had full confidence that she would also prove an adequate baby-sister (as Rin had put it) for his youngest pup, as well. There would undoubtedly be future times when Suishoukaze may not be able to be around either parent, such as times of diplomacy when entertaining visiting Lords, and while such a situation was not the case at that precise moment, it was wise to get the pup used to Wenying’s company before the panda’s immediate guard over the pup became truly necessary. The last thing Sesshoumaru needed was a squealing pup bellowing for her father while he attempted to negotiate foreign treaties. Fortunately, though, it appeared as though that would not be the case, as Suishoukaze had taken an instant liking to the ancient panda, just as Rin had previously done.
As Sesshoumaru continued to observe his daughters, he couldn’t fully suppress the smirk that slowly found its way to his lips, in regard to the new “game” the two girls had apparently invented. Suishoukaze had quickly proven to hold at least mild powers over the wind, and while it wouldn’t be known for some time if she could actually conjure youki blades with the aid of a demonic fan, like her mother, it was cute to watch her control the breeze, in which Rin’s job in the game was to snatch the leaves in midair before they otherwise struck her person. It was perhaps the fifth time he had observed the two engaged in such an activity, and while he knew that he had told Rin she was to act like an adult at all times, he would permit this exception to the rule.
“They grow up so fast.” came his mate’s voice from the chamber behind him, and turning, Sesshoumaru acknowledged her statement with a brief nod.
“I miss having a little baby.” Kagura said dreamily, as she envisioned the days before her daughter fought with her over the evening bath, or talked back to her regarding how well-done (or lack thereof) she wanted her dinner prepared. “I wouldn’t mind having another little one.” the wind-youkai mumbled more or less to herself.
Sesshoumaru approached his mate. He may never say aloud that he loved her, but he knew she knew it to be true. Taking a deep whiff of the air surrounding her then, he smirked at his discover, and in full confidence, softly stated “That can be arranged.”
`````````````````````````
R 20;....And then it happened! I didn’t think I’d be able to…but then…and you were…but I did! Did you see Otou?!?!?” Shippo went on and on, as he excitedly talked with his father about his newest found ability with Shinjitsuken.
Kagome couldn’t help but to smile as she collected their used dinner plates. Inuyasha glanced up at her briefly, flashing her one of his heartwarming smiles, before quickly reassuring Shippo that he hadn’t missed the latest stunt he’d pulled off with his sword earlier that evening.
It took about an hour for the excited youth to finally agree to settle down for the night, as he argued that being youkai, he didn’t need that much sleep. Inuyasha jokingly pointed out how that’d never stopped him before, when he was just a whinny little pup who liked to curl up in Kagome’s sleeping bag, and after a brief round of chase in the living room in which Shippo finally retaliated for every bop on the head he’d ever received in his youth, Inuyasha silently thanked his brother for gifting him with the replacement, fireproof kimono.
It was Kagome’s motherly scolding of “No fox-fire in the house!” that finally ushered her teenage son toward his bedchamber, and awarded the young parents with a brief moment of solitude.
“I’m sorry Mommy.” Inuyasha cooed, as he wrapped his arms around his scowling mate’s waist, who was currently trying to decide if she should bother attempting to repair the singed cushion, or just throw it out.
“That one came from my time, you know.”
“Well, once they build that store, I’ll buy you a new one.”
“Oh gee, thanks…” Kagome snickered, realizing that there really wasn’t much point in getting upset over a ruined pillow. It wasn’t like she honestly expected the thing to otherwise last throughout the next five hundred years.
“Mmmmm…you’re most welcome…” Inuyasha purred into her neck, as the placement of one of his hands suddenly shifted somewhat higher.
“Kazuki…” she mumbled, and he stilled briefly, shifting his ears.
“Still sleeping…” he confirmed after a moment, as he resumed nuzzling her neck, while giving her hardening nipple a quick tweak through the fabric of her chihaya.
“Mmmm…good.” she answered, turning in his embrace to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. His hands found their way beneath the spider silk of her top…
Hasty footsteps quickly drew their attention, as they reluctantly pulled away from each other to investigate as to who was so urgently rushing up to greet them. Inuyasha turned for a brief moment to make sure Kagome was presentable, as she quickly shifted her top back into place. He barely opened the door when their caller barreled inside, huffing and puffing from the exertion.
“Kohaku!” Kagome cried in surprise.
“What’s wrong?” Inuyasha asked next, as both could smell the fear coming off of the boy.
Still trying to catch his breath after such a fast run, their demonic hearing helped them to decipher his panting of
“An…Ane-ue…”
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
A/N: The term Rin shouted, “Zettaini nai”, is an informal way of saying “Never”.