InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mating Season ❯ Tricks Are For Kids ( Chapter 87 )
[ 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: 05.22.2007 | Updated On: 09.27.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 10.3K | Visits: 8.6K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.22.2007 | Updated On: 09.27.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 10.3K | Visits: 8.6K | 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.
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Chapter 87 - Tricks Are For Kids
Eight Months Later…
“Good, very good.” Nekobi complimented. “Now see if you can block this!” she cried, just before lunging a swift attack. Had Rin not blocked it properly, it was possible the neko’s blade could have actually struck her.
“You’re getting too good.” her sensei complemented again upon sheathing her sword, “Are you sure you’re only human?” she teased with a wink.
Rin smiled, extremely proud of herself, and rightfully so. The fifteen year old was much stronger than your average human teenager, male or female. She was just about to get into position for their hand-to-hand sparring, when Nekobi’s hand raised, stilling her posture.
“Daichi is crying.” she explained, knowing that no matter how strong Rin became, the girl still possessed mortal hearing.
Immediately swinging her head around to face the direction of the shoji, Rin stared as if she could now hear the infant’s wails herself. “Until next time, then.” she said to her sensei with a brief bow, before running outside.
The scene she came upon nearly made her want to laugh outright, and she managed to still her giggles at the very last moment only because of the respect she held for her childhood nanny. There, sitting in Suishoukaze’s favorite part of the garden, was the elderly panda youkai, desperately trying to soothe the cries of the teething koinu she held in her arms. As old as Wenying was, and with as much experience with ‘children’ she had acquired from looking after Rin, a human eight year old, and an inu-youkai infant, were two vastly different creatures. She had gone through the same troubles with Suishoukaze when her puppy teeth had first started cutting in, and really, could you blame the whelps for their whimpering cries? Fangs hurt. Rin had been the only one, besides their parents, who had been able to cease Sui’s cries, and now, Rin was also the only one at the moment who could shush young Daichi, as well.
Hearing someone approach, Suishoukaze instinctively shifted the wind, to catch the newcomer’s scent. She then quickly turned her distraught visage in Rin’s direction, upon recognizing who it was that was joining them. The two and a half year old had already given up barking to her baby brother in inu, knowing that only her older human sister possessed the ability to stop his cries.
“Oneesan…” she whined, her brother’s yelps starting to hurt her sensitive ears.
Rin offered her sister a sympathetic smile, knowing the child was still too young to fully comprehend why it was important that they continued to remain outside after so many hours away from Mommy. Ordinarily, it would be Kagura who would be coddling her own son during his time of pain, but her presence was currently still required in the conference room, as she and Sesshoumaru were still entertaining the North, which was why Wenying had been left in charge of the pups for the time being. It did surprise Rin a little, though, that the council meeting was still taking place, considering it was supposed to be a rather uneventful briefing, although she suspected that she may know the reason as to why the talks had been slightly delayed.
Meeting Wenying’s masked eyes with her own soft pools, the silent request spoke volumes. Nodding her understanding and compliance, Wenying carefully handed the silver-haired boy over to his mortal sister. There was just something about him. Rin didn’t know what it was, but she had instantly felt a connection to the boy. He was her lord’s first born son, after all, and subsequently, took Suishoukaze’s place as first heir to the Western Lands. She knew her father loved both her and her sister, and he had openly spoken of caring for a third daughter no less than his first two, should Kagura’s pup have been female. But at the same time, Rin also knew that Sesshoumaru had undoubtedly longed for a son, a true heir, with whom to entrust the rule of his kingdom, should anything unforeseen ever befall him. Rin still remembered the night she had been summoned to enter the birthing chamber, after Kagura had delivered her son. She had gazed with pride upon the tiny, silver-haired, pointy-eared infant, and instantly, when those deep reddish amber eyes opened to meet her own, the word “Daichi” had simply fallen from her lips. She didn’t know why she had said it, only that she had. Sesshoumaru had merely nodded in turn, remaining silent for a moment longer, before quietly stating “Great First Son, yes, it suits him well.”
Now, as Rin stared down at the whimpering pup she cradled in her arms, she started singing a song that was near and dear to her heart. A song that she had made up oh so long ago, when she had been revived by her father, reborn unto his care, and traveled with him without question, without qualm, displaying more loyalty than anyone had thought a human capable of possessing.
“In the mountain, in the forest, in the wind, in a dream… Where are you, Lord Sesshoumaru? With an ally like Jaken, I will wait alone until you come. Lord Sesshoumaru, please return.”
Her softly spoken human voice instantly soothed Daichi’s whimpers, until only the tiniest of sniffles remained. She repeated the song a few times, making up additional verses that included mention of Wenying and Suishoukaze, wishing to remind Daichi that he was in fact not alone, and that he was well protected until his alpha returned for him. She understood how pack orientated inu pups were, and that was another reason why her own presence was so important. As his older sister, she offered a sense of security, his innocent mind not yet comprehending the difference in her species. She had been too embarrassed in the past to ask her father to try to teach her any of the inu language, lacking any sort of natural instinct like what Kagura had acquired through the blood bond, and fearing she may make a mistake, but when her uncle Inuyasha had called upon them two and a half months ago, to give official recognition of the new pup, she had managed to gather her courage, and pulled the hanyou aside for a few moments in secrecy. It did not come naturally for her, quite the opposite in fact, as for a human who did not possess natural inu instincts, the inu language sounded like nothing more than foolish gibberish. But Inuyasha had instructed her well, and she had practiced, and practiced, and now, Rin may not understand the inu language, but she did know how to say one very important thing. Growling softly what she had learned, she knew the surprised smiling yip from the toddler at her side meant that she had in fact pronounced it correctly. What Rin had said to her brother, in a very protective manner, was “You are loved.”
When Kagura found them an hour later, the wind witch smiled warmly at the scene before her. Wenying had taken up Rin’s usual place in Suishoukaze’s game of “catch the flying leaf” as simply a means of placating the child, while Rin was fast asleep on her side with an equally slumbering Daichi snuggled firmly against her tummy. Kagura’s first thoughts were along the lines of what a wonderful mother Rin herself would one day make. Then Suishoukaze, excited to see that Okaasan had finally returned, squealed happily, shattering the surreal picture Kagura had first walked in on by instantly rousing both human and pup. Daichi might not have been able to walk quite yet, but he could crawl incredibly fast, when he wanted to at least, and so it wasn’t long at all before Kagura found her legs bombarded by both of her children. She scooped up her son, and permitted her daughter to ride upon her leg, as she prepared to walk back towards the castle. Rin smiled warmly, and spoke to excuse herself, when a sudden spike in youki drew her attention skyward, along with everyone else. She glanced briefly across the field, catching sight of one of her father’s guards escorting Kouga and Ayame through the gate, the three of them pausing as they too sensed what had caught Rin’s attention. A fairly strong demonic aura was on the approach, heading there fast. It wasn’t long before a huge smile broke out over her face.
Glancing up himself at the feel of the familiar aura, Kouga checked the skies, surprised to see a giant bird quickly encroaching upon their position. Now he was confused. He had not been expecting to see a bird. Catching the fowl’s scent on the wind, his nose confirmed his original suspicions. He knew that scent, he knew that aura, and that bird was really…
“Shippo!” Rin squealed, delighted beyond words by the surprise visit. She had missed him when he had not joined his father upon Inuyasha’s last visit, but somebody had to stay home and watch over Kagome, as it had been explained to her. The miko was with-child, after all. Or perhaps, “with-children” would be a more appropriate term. Inuyasha had delivered a note from Shippo, knowing that Rin could read, and read it she did, right then and there, pleased to learn that Shippo had planned on visiting her as soon as he could. No time frame had been given, though, and she had grown lonesome during her waiting.
Kouga and Ayame both watched on with warm smiles as the giant bird made its final decent, transforming with a *pop* back into the fox-youkai they had both come to know over the years. They had heard of his growth spurts, but were surprised to have this sudden chance to see his changes for themselves. Kouga nearly laughed outright before Ayame silenced him with a gentle punch to the arm, when Rin had flung herself upon the smaller kitsune, nearly tumbling them both to the ground in the process. Had it not been for Shippo’s youkai reflexes, she would have. As if sensing their amusement, Rin glanced briefly in their direction, a sheepish wave all Ayame could think of at having been caught spying red handed. But Rin merely smiled, and waved back, having found her peace with the wolves when she and Kouga spoke shortly after their arrival that morning. Their conversation had lasted for about thirty seconds, as she had never truly blamed him for her death. It had not been done vindictively, after all. That was before he had made his vow to swear off humans as prey, and his wolves had merely been feeding. You couldn’t truly fault someone for something like that. She also did not forget that he had actually saved her once, as well, when he had stopped another youkai from attacking her.
It had been Kouga who had sought her out, delaying the start of his meeting with her father, as he was apparently in need of appeasing his guilty conscious before he could get down to business. The wolf had apologized for any suffering he may have been responsible for in her past, both knowing of what he spoke, while she, in turn, had told him that everything that had happened that day, had happened by design, and that she would not be here now, with her Lord, had she not been reborn under Tenseiga. They had shook hands then, and that had been that, leaving Kouga to attend one more awkward apology, this time on the receiving end, with Kagura the one sweating bullets. It was no wonder the meeting started late. Shaking his head at the memory, Kouga caught Kagura’s gaze as well, offering her a small nod as she bowed, turning to head indoors as best she could, with her daughter hanging off of her leg like that. He couldn’t help but to chuckle, suddenly missing his own precious daughter, who had been left behind in the care of his loyal pack. Offering one last glance in the kitsune’s direction, Kouga then wrapped an arm around his mate, and turning to the escort, he stated his thanks to the guard on behalf of Lord Sesshoumaru’s council, before he and Ayame decided to let the young lovers finally have their privacy.
Rin laughed to herself at having been caught by Kouga and Ayame, smiling at their smiles, while Shippo looked between the two, asking “What’s so funny.”
“Nothing…” she assured, a light dusting of pink tinting her tanned cheeks. Then Shippo thought he understood, and had the good graces to blush as well, turning in time to catch Kouga’s knowing smirk, before he and his mate finally passed through the gate.
Escorting Shippo towards the castle’s main entrance after her mother, Rin had no qualms in allowing him to take her hand in his.
“Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?” she asked suddenly, not in an angry manner, but in a more embarrassed tone of voice that most girls would likely use when realizing their lack of “adequate” attire. She was still dressed in her plain white keikogi, after all, not exactly the pink floral yukata she always set aside for his visits these days, the one that complimented her maturing figure just right, the one that made him blush the first time he saw her wearing it.
“Umm…” Shippo started nervously, “Sesshoumaru didn’t tell you I was coming?” he asked.
Rin stopped walking and looked at him in confusion. “You sent word to my father?” she asked in turn.
“Indeed.” came the answer, and Rin cursed under her breath for having failed to sense her father’s presence in her gleeful distraction over Shippo’s arrival. “Your timing is impeccable,” Shesshomaru continued, addressing the kitsune, while paying no heed to his daughter’s embarrassment, “Our meeting with the North ran longer than anticipated, but regardless, has since concluded, so my audience is available nonetheless.” he explained.
Shippo gulped nervously, recalling the message he’d had Myouga deliver for him two weeks ago.
Lord Sesshoumaru,
I, Shippo, hereby formally request an audience with your esteemed self, to negotiate my position of desired courtship regarding one Rin, your eldest daughter. It is with due pride that I wish to officially prove my worth of your consideration for being a suitable protector and mate for Lady Rin, and am eager to accept your terms and conditions regarding when and how I may do so.
Sincerely,
Lord Heir Shippo, of Inuyasha’s Forest.
Sesshoumaru had in turn sent Myouga with a message for Shippo, stating that he was to arrive on this day. Aside from his morning negotiations with the ookami, his schedule was wide open, as they say. The Taiyoukai was actually looking forward to seeing what the kitsune came up with, having known for a long time now that the pup had been training under his father. It’d been over three years, after all, since he had first told the then eleven year old that he would have to prove himself worthy. Shippo had only briefly denied his intentions towards Rin, out of fear and embarrassment, but after Sesshoumaru had made his subsequent approval of the unspoken request known, providing of course that the kitsune met with his conditions, the kit had instead puffed his chest with pride, and accepted the challenge. Now, having been training with his very own sword for nearly a year, Sesshoumaru agreed with the kitsune’s self-assessment of his abilities. It was time.
Rin continued to glance back and forth between the two, wondering what on earth was going on. Finally, it was Sesshoumaru who spoke again, this time addressing the human girl, as he stated “Rin, go inside, this doesn’t concern you.”
That got Shippo a little riled up, as he was unable to control his mouth when he said “Now wait just a minute, how can you say-” but he was thankfully cut off, when the Taiyoukai explained
“Our business is our own. You may inform others of my decision, once it has been made.”
Shippo got the distinct impression that what Sesshoumaru really meant to say was, “You still have to prove yourself first, runt, and I will not have you getting Rin’s hopes up, if you should prove to be unworthy of her in my eyes.”
Not for the first time, and surely not for the last, he gulped, trying desperately to stifle the scent of his fear. He wasn’t afraid of the Taiyoukai, but rather, of his own failure. “Go ahead and go inside Rin, Lord Sesshoumaru and I need to…talk…about some things.”
Rin wasn’t completely stupid, but she was also unable to put two and two together at the moment, knowing that they were obviously keeping something from her, even though she had no idea what. It made her nervous though, to see the way Shippo instinctively rested his hand upon the hilt of the sword he now wore on his hip. It would take her a while to get used to seeing that thing there. It appeared quite short, in its dormant state, almost more like a really large dagger than an actual sword, but when fully transformed, it nearly rivaled Tetsusaiga in its brilliance. Nearly.
After seeing that the girl obeyed them without a single spoken question, even though her eyes had held volumes, Sesshoumaru turned without a word heading towards a large training field around the side of the castle. Well…it was a training field now, anyway, as it would simply take quite some time for all the trees to grow back, where the battle with Lord Daikomaru had previously taken place.
“Some ground rules.” he stated, once he had come to a stop, and turned to face the kitsune who stood only a few feet before him.
“Yes sir.” Shippo acknowledged without delay.
“No foolish childhood weapons, they are merely a waist of time. If you wish to be treated like a man, I expect you to fight like one.”
Sesshoumaru nodded in satisfaction at seeing Shippo reach within his vest without protest, tossing upon the ground several small wooden objects, including tops and horses. He was mildly surprised, however, to note that the pile of discarded items also soon included several transformation leaves, as well as the small woven doll that he used to create his puppet. Did he plan on fighting without utilizing his illusionary abilities at all? Such a feat would almost certainly guarantee failure, though he silently commended the kitsune for his confidence. The pup before him was most certainly no longer a pup. No, he was quickly becoming a man, his latest growing spree placing him past stomach level. He was quite tall himself, though, Sesshoumaru also admitted, recalling that Shippo actually reached Rin’s chest, as the girl was much shorter than himself. Yes, he recalled quite clearly the way the fox’s cheeks had burned at the initial realization of being face to “face” with Rin’s womanly figure. He was definitely becoming a man. Clearing his mind of such thoughts, the Taiyoukai spoke again.
“Kitsune are renowned for their powers of defense, but mere survival tactics will not slay your enemy. Your father claims to have taught you all that he knows, and while I pray for your sake that you have managed to find pattern within such chaos, it is your offense that I wish to see here, not your defense. If there is one thing in which I am quite certain Inuyasha can successfully teach someone else, it is how to be offensive.”
“Hey!” Shippo snapped at the cracks against his father. “Otousan is strong, and it is our combine fang that I carry!”
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at that, not at being surprised to learn of Inuyasha’s fang being within the blade, as that had been his assumption all along, but actually, because he had been unaware that the blade also contained Shippo’s own fang, as well. He had presumed, that just as their father had done for his sons, that Inuyasha had had Totosai construct a sword from his fang, for his son. But considering the blade now also undoubtedly possessed some of the natural abilities of kitsune, Sesshoumaru was definitely looking forward to witnessing this young one’s power in action. Maybe discarding his amplifying magical leaves wasn’t that big of a loss for the kitsune, after all.
“It was not my intention to insult the strength of your father, merely his technique.” Sesshoumaru relented after a few moments of silence. Shippo didn’t really have a comeback to that one. After all, the guy did have a point. “We shall also reframe from attempting to maim one another.” he continued then, “I shall not utilize Dragon Strike, and you are not to issue forth Wind Scar, am I clear?” Shippo nodded. “Good, I do not wish to have to explain to Rin why her suitor has been vaporized.”
“Hey!” Shippo shouted again.
Silently, Sesshoumaru smirked. It was just so easy to get under the kitsune’s skin.
“Are you just gonna stand there all day, barking rules, or are we gonna do this thing?” the kitsune added, his hand literally itching to grab his sword by that point. He didn’t want to hurt his uncle, just wipe that smug look off his face.
“Indeed, my sentiments exactly. I am waiting.” he stated, sword sheathed, and looking quite bored.
Shippo suddenly realized how literally Sesshoumaru meant he wished to see his offense, rather than defense, and instantly knew the first move was his.
“Fine by me!” he shouted, as he leapt forward, drawing his sword.
Shinjitsuken blazed to life, transforming itself into a large, menacing fang. Red fur adorned the base of the hilt instead of white, and the blade itself was slightly shorter than that of the transformed Tetsusaiga, but otherwise, the swords could pass for twins. It appeared for the longest time that as he flew through midair, he was about to cleave his uncle in half, until at the last possible second, instead of slicing flesh, Shippo’s ears were suddenly met with the harsh clang of metal against metal, as Sesshoumaru effortlessly blocked the pitiful attack with Toukijin.
“You will have to do much better than that.” he spat, as he shoved his nephew backwards with such great force, Shippo consciously had to resist popping into his pink balloon form to escape the fall, as he instead managed a rather impressive back flip to ensure that he landed upon his feet. His ears caught the sound of a sword being sheathed, then, and raising his eyes in confusion, he looked up just in time to see a green youki whip rushing in his direction. He quickly blocked it by thrusting forward his free hand, singeing and dissipating the whip with a short blast of fox-fire.
Then, instead of merely waiting to be attacked again, Shippo quickly broke free from his defensive stance, as he rushed Sesshoumaru once more, forcing the Taiyoukai to redraw his sword, as he blocked the kitsune’s swing. Several times did their blades clash, and each time Sesshoumaru silently grew more and more impressed with the kitsune’s moves. He had only been spewing insults in order to rile the kitsune’s passion, but it was still true nonetheless, that Inuyasha lacked the graceful style that he, himself, possessed in battle. Shippo, on the other hand, while he was nowhere near as flawless as Sesshoumaru himself, the Taiyoukai conceded, he was also much more coordinated than his bumbling half-brother. It was quite clear that both Taijiya had also had a hand in his training, rather than merely Inuyasha alone, as Shippo used the spins and side-step techniques of a professionally trained swordsman.
Still, foolish mortal swordplay was quickly growing boring, so it was with amusement that Sesshoumaru kicked it up a notch, energizing his sword and throwing out a mild Kenatsu blast. He had only sworn not to unleash Dragon Strike, after all, having said nothing about his weaker demonically based attacks. The relatively mild demonic wave sent a stream of needle-like blasts of youki in Shippo’s direction, rather than a stronger, solid blue wave of energy. Leaping back enough to give himself some room, Shippo quickly spun Shinjitsuken before him like Miroku would do his staff, a circular wall of blue flame appearing between himself and Sesshoumaru’s attack, like a shield, as he cried out “Seki Hino!”
Sesshoumaru was secretly impressed by the strength of the kitsune’s power, as the wall of flame he’d created successfully disbanded his mild attack, and readily decided to test the boy further by unleashing an even stronger blast.
Shippo paled upon seeing the immense wave of youki heading straight for him, cursing under his breath. Had he been able to, he likely would have popped into his stone statue form, which would enable him to withstand the blast more easily, but he shouldn’t, and besides that, he also couldn’t. Because Sesshoumaru had told him to fight like a man, and not use childish, underhanded tricks to win his battle for him, he had discarded all of his magical items, including his transformation leaves. The only altering shape Shippo could create on his own without their aid was his giant pink balloon form, but he didn’t want to take that form, either. He could never prove himself of being worthy of Rin, he thought, if he fought this battle with dishonor, running away like a scared little child. In real battles, where his, or even Rin’s life was on the line, then it obviously wouldn’t matter quite so much, but this time, at least…he had to do it by the book. He tried his best to reflect Sesshoumaru’s blast with fox-fire, then, but Toukijin’s wave was a lot stronger than he had anticipated, much stronger than the blast the Taiyoukai had sent his way nearly two years ago, when he first sprouted his second tail.
Those two tails were suddenly seen at a new angle, then, as in a very Inuyasha-like fashion, Shippo went flying backwards through the air, cursing as he landed on his back with a loud thud. He just knew his mother would have screamed for him had she seen that, but the truth was, he wasn’t hurt too badly. “Bastard…” Shippo muttered under his breath, wiping a small stream of blood from his mouth. Damn it, he’d bitten his tongue, and that did hurt. “So it’s like that, huh?”
Sesshoumaru didn’t respond, save the raising of one eyebrow. Shippo climbed to his feet then, and holding his sword out at his side, Sesshoumaru noted the gathering energy he could sense around Shinjitsuken’s blade. It started to glow a pinkish color, and then Shippo swung, hard, while shouting “Kokoro no Kizu!” He’d learned long ago that he could adapt the attack he’d originally performed as a bite, because his sword was comprised of his own fang.
Attacking Sesshoumaru’s youki directly, Shippo watched with amusement as the Taiyoukai had little choice but to leap out of the way, Toukijin unable to deflect an attack that was spiritually based, rather than physical. Then Shippo realized something, as he watched Sesshoumaru dodge his attack, remembering something he had heard his mother say long ago. Something she had said was actually a “sports” expression from her time, whatever that was, but that was unimportant as the expression easily worked for battle, as well. What she had said was…a good offense is a good defense. There was no dishonor in leaping out of the way of an attack, Shippo realized. Was it better to stand tall, proud, and stupid, and allow yourself to get hit in the face? He knew kitsune were weaker than inu, and with Sesshoumaru being a Taiyoukai, there was simply no way he could possibly beat him in direct physical combat. He agreed that it was crude to use his childhood weapons, such as his smashing top or pelting acorns, and it would also be foolish to try transforming himself into another creature as means of escape, as Sesshoumaru would almost certainly see through such an illusion, and even if he could not, to do such a thing would prove cowardice. There was also no point in attempting to use his puppet as means of distraction, as Sesshoumaru would more than likely see through that trick as well, and dispatch the doll within a matter of seconds. But those facts aside, that didn’t mean he was gonna just stand there and accept the handicap Sesshoumaru had placed upon him! Yes, he was no longer a child, and yes, it was time to fight like a man, but he was a fox nonetheless, and his father had taught him to use his strengths where they lied. He had been holding back his magic, having misunderstood Sesshoumaru’s rules, but now he thought he understood. He was not inu. He did not possess Inuyasha’s soul shattering iron claw, nor Sesshoumaru’s poison claw or whip. If Sesshoumaru could use the natural abilities of his species, then so could he, Shippo decided then. Yes, he would put away his childish toys and fight like an adult…but he would fight like an adult kitsune. There were some tricks he didn’t need the leaves for, not with Shinjitsuken in hand, anyway. It was time Sesshoumaru learned why a sword of illusion was named the sword of truth.
Shippo looked forward with confidence, unsurprised to see Sesshoumaru launching a new attack of his own. Proving that he did possess a reasonable amount of brut, physical strength, when the Taiyoukai came down and clashed his blade against his rival’s, Shippo’s bare, fox-like feet, didn’t so much as slip backward an inch, as he held his blade securely above him. Granted, it did take both of his arms to do so, as he held his left hand against the blunt end of Shinjitsuken’s blade to assist him, but he managed it nonetheless. The kitsune then did something remarkably uncharacteristic, at least in battle…he smiled. Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at the expression not so unlike one he himself had displayed in the past. It was the smile of confidence worn by someone so superior to their opponent that victory was unquestionable. For the first time, Sesshoumaru admitted at least to himself, that the kitsune was successfully irksome. How dare he belittle This Sesshoumaru??!! The twerp stood only half his height, and continually gave the Taiyoukai the physical impression of battling a small child, and yet, the maturing fox youkai dared to mock him? Shippo then did something else that should also have guaranteed his death. He leapt upward, the sudden, unexpected movement causing Sesshoumaru to lower his blade, and then…he kicked his feet against the inu’s chest, using the momentum to propel himself backward several yards, gracefully flipping to land upon his feet. The same feet that had just left dusty paw prints upon Sesshoumaru’s kimono.
Momentarily, the Taiyoukai’s eyes flashed red, and then he charged. The moment Shippo had been waiting for. It was a truth of kitsune, after all, that they strived to aggravate their opponents. It would have been good of Sesshoumaru to remember that. “Takusan Ken!” he shouted, as several replicas of himself appeared around his opponent. Ordinarily, Sesshoumaru would easily have been able to pick out which Shippo was the “real” one, but his mind being momentarily clouded with anger had proven distracting enough, and now, he was unable to focus clearly upon the swiftly blurring images before him. Shippo’s scent was literally all around him, as the kit raced in circles around the Taiyoukai along with his armed duplicates. Shinjitsuken’s blade then began to glow an eerie blue, a color mimicked within the faux blades of the twenty some odd illusionary Shippos that ran with him, the color not unlike that of his fox-fire’s ghostly flicker. Sesshoumaru found the questionable tactic dizzying, if nothing else, and decidedly stuck Toukijin forward, into the whirlwind. That would surely stop the kitsune, when he smashed against the blade Sesshoumaru made sure to hold blunt end out, to ensure Shippo didn’t accidentally decapitate himself in the process. But the generous concern was unappreciated, as one by one, the duplicates came crashing into contact with the projectile, instantly disappearing with a *poof* that mysteriously left the eerie glow of their false swords behind in their wake. When the last illusion fell, Sesshoumaru found himself surrounded by a wall of swirling blue mist, the “real” Shippo nowhere in sight.
From Shippo’s point of view, it had been a close call. He’d just happened to be a few steps behind when Sesshoumaru first reached out with Toukijin, allowing him time to dodge. He had been expecting it, but quite like playing musical chairs - a game his mother had happily taught him many years ago - he simply knew not when the moment would come. Having already gotten himself lost within his circle of replicas, he knew the Taiyoukai had no way of knowing he had since made himself invisible, an ability he had discovered his blade amplified to the point of not requiring his transformation leaves to accomplish, while by the Taiyoukai’s own accidental admittance, was powerful enough to fool even himself. He now had the inu exactly where he wanted him. A talent used merely to hide from his enemies, indeed. Hmph!
Sesshoumaru stared in feigned boredom at the “barrier” before him. Surely the kitsune did not think such a thing would truly stop him? He was understandably surprised, then, when he attempted to walk through the blazing mist, only to be suddenly bombarded with the most distraught sensation he had ever experienced in his long, powerful life. The feeling was so intense that it forced his immediate retreat, as he once again found himself standing within the circle. What he had felt was immobilizing, agonizing fear. He knew he did not fear the kitsune, nor any possible physical injury caused by the blue flame the barrier itself was composed of; he merely felt fear. Although he was personally unfamiliar with the comparison, the trick was not unlike the tactic once used by the moth youkai Garamaru, in the Forest of Despair. It was an illusion. An illusion designed to show you your own deepest, darkest fears. Shippo had long desired to master such an attack with his own powers, he and his pack-mates having fallen victim to such a phenomenon themselves by not only Garamaru, but Naraku as well, giving him a firsthand taste of how powerful such an attack truly was.
Slowly, Sesshoumaru noticed the sound of distant whispering, whispering that had at first been too soft for even his ears to pick up, at least in his distraction. Now, however, the sound appeared to be increasing in volume.
“Osore no honoo”
It seemed to echo all around him, coming from everywhere, and yet nowhere, all at once.
“Osore no honoo”
The blue flames danced all around him, growing higher, and higher, until they met at the top, curving around him to form a perfect half-sphere, sufficiently trapping him within the barrier of fire. He could pass through it, but to do so would mean to once again expose himself to the sensation he had never before experienced so strongly in his entire life, until today. If he would have been familiar with the expression, the proverb “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” would have been deemed appropriate at that moment. Instead, Sesshoumaru was spending a great deal of time pondering over how the kitsune’s magic was in fact strong enough to affect him so vividly. But then he realized the method behind the madness, and had no choice but to compliment the youth, even if only to himself. Shippo could never surpass him in physical strength, and they both knew it. The Taiyoukai was much too strong to be affected by heat, cold, poisons, most purifications (Kagome’s renowned strength came to mind, and he shuddered), blunt force trauma, or virtually anything else. You name it, if it was physical, then he could withstand it. Mental attacks, however, were apparently a whole other matter entirely. Resolving to not show weakness in the face of the unknown, Sesshoumaru tightened the bindings he held over his emotions, and passed through the barrier.
Big mistake.
Everything was blue. He couldn’t see anything else, nor could he smell, he found, which disturbed him even more so than the continuing whispers of “Osore no honoo” that surrounded him. He finally reached what he believed to be the outer edge of the barrier, and passed through that as well, expecting to see the castle grounds they had been battling upon before hand. That was not the sight that greeted him, however. Oh, he was standing upon his castle grounds, all right, but the death and destruction that had previously adorned the area during that fateful battle with the East had unexplainably reemerged. Glancing around the horrid sight before him, the scent of blood and death quickly assaulted his nose. Corpses littered the field, some the bodies of those he happened to know for a fact did not fall during the actual confrontation. Suddenly, he realized, it was as if he were witnessing what was supposedly his greatest fear come to life. The fall of his empire. The fall of himself. A weaker minded individual would likely lose themselves to such an illusion, but while Sesshoumaru was able to keep enough of his mind focused to comprehend that what he was seeing was not real, it did nothing to stave off the feelings he was experiencing in conjunction with the imagery the kitsune was feeding him. He found himself mourning for his fallen generals, and damning his own weakness at having allowed such a thing to happen. He then promptly cursed himself for having believed, even for a moment, that the feelings he was experiencing were real, and then promptly cursed himself for that weakness, instead. It was curiosity, he told himself then, that propelled him to not end the kit’s hoax then and there.
As Sesshoumaru continued to walk through the remains of what was once his home, the number of bodies only continued to grow, until he became acquainted with the visage of those who had fallen during the battle with the panthers that had occurred while Inuyasha still hung motionless in timeless sleep. More and more, the death around him became familiar, a vision from his memories rather than a trick of the mind. The civil war that had broken out shortly after his father’s untimely demise, when he very nearly did lose his empire. He was feeling it all over again. His anger at his father, his loathing of Inuyasha as the youth was unjustly blamed for his own creation, and the inadequacies he felt in secret at the words of those who insulted the weakness of his father, and thusly, insisted that such a weakness was doomed to one day befall himself, as well. As he walked, a thick fog began to roll in all around him, until he could no longer see the ground well enough to watch his step, causing him to use slower, more cautious footing, so as to avoid the fallen soldiers that laid all around him, and not humiliate himself with the indignity of losing his balance and falling.
Then he smelt him. No, this could not be. He was alive and well. Yet, as Sesshoumaru carefully knelt down, flaring his aura in a powerful enough wave to clear away the misty air directly around him, he could not help but to suddenly notice a vibrant kimono of fire-rat red. There, laying not two feet away, was the disturbing remains of his younger, half-breed half brother. Everything swelled inside of him in that moment. He hated the hanyou, did he not? He was to blame for father’s death…or was he? Hadn’t they reached some sort of a truce in recent years? Yes, hadn’t they aided each other in battle against their most recent enemy? This was a trick. He was battling against Shippo, and this was merely an illusion. Yet, know that as his mind did, that did nothing to convince his eyes to not see what they saw, nor for his nose to stop insisting that he could in fact smell the scent of his half-brother’s blood. This is not real the Taiyoukai repeated to himself, the image before him never wavering. All of the fog around him lifted then, as he saw the battlefield anew. Gone were the nameless faces of the countless soldiers who had fought for his father’s land. Beside Inuyasha rested the body of his mate, the miko’s belly round with her unborn pups, as she wore the spider silk that he himself had acquired for her outfit. Beside her was what was left of young Kazuki. Sesshoumaru had to turn his head at the image. As soon as he did, though, he greatly wished he had not. There was his charge, young Rin, not quite as young as when he’d first found her, but still now and forever his child in his eyes. His first instinct was instantly to reach for Tenseiga, but then he recalled how the blade could not be used to save her life a second time. Perhaps he could at least save the others, then? But then to his dismay, he found his father’s sword to be missing from his side. He was certain he had had the fang only moments ago, as he frantically started searching for the blade. Then he saw her. No…this is not real… There, laying in a pool of her own blood, much like how he had come to find her in the snow, was Kagura, his mate. Cradled in her arms were both Suishoukaze and Daichi’s still forms, indicating she had desperately tried to protect their lives, even in place of her own, but the intention had failed.
“Kitsune.” he spoke aloud then, “You will cease and desist this falsehood immediately.”
The feelings fluttering through him were not unlike a human’s reaction to a nightmare, if Rin’s childhood experiences with the phenomenon were any tutor of such concepts. He knew quite well that what he was seeing was false, but was experiencing the emotional reactions to the imagery nonetheless.
“Kitsune.” he said again, his tone of voice offering no room for protest.
Quickly, the images faded, as Sesshoumaru found himself still standing immerged within the blue flames, indicating he had in fact never fully passed through them. He completed the journey then, continuing to pass through the wall of flame until he truthfully did emerge on the other side. Everything was now as it should be, and turning to glance behind where he had just been, he bore witness to the flames as they still stood, before they quickly shrank away into nothingness, Shippo’s form appearing in what had previously been the center of the barrier, as the light from it’s glow receded into his outstretched sword, as though being reabsorbed into its aura.
“Gomenasai.” he whispered softly, truly afraid he had gone too far. While he hadn’t seen the images Sesshoumaru had, he could smell the Taiyoukai’s reactions to them. He had seriously doubted that the great Inu no Taisho would ever “crumble” as other weaker minded individuals would do, and he wanted only to demonstrate his most powerful illusionary tactic, but apparently, the visions had affected him more potently than he’d anticipated.
Sesshoumaru said nothing, at first, but swiftly closed the distance between himself and the kitsune, clinching his single fist around a clump of fabric, pulling the runt up to eye level, a mere four inches from his face. Shippo gulped at the sudden movement, so quick he hadn’t even had time to contemplate moving out of the way, but held his gaze straight ahead nonetheless, meeting the Taiyoukai’s eyes with his own hesitant orbs of green. Finally, the Inu Lord spoke.
“You would apologize to your enemy?”
Suddenly confused, Shippo instantly lost most of his fear, as he slowly stated “Y-you are not my enemy.”
“Indeed.” the Taiyoukai sneered, bringing the kit’s face even closer to his own, until their noses were nearly touching, “A circumstance that is quite fortunate, for you.”
He dropped Shippo with a thud, the kitsune too stunned to even land upon his feet, as he fell quite ungracefully on his ass.
“How was such a thing accomplished?” asked Sesshoumaru, in genuine curiosity.
Climbing to his feet and regaining his composure, Shippo tried to recall the exact words Totosai had used, but after a moment, merely explained what he understood with his own words, instead. “The flames burn the mind, instead of the body. They seek out whatever the person’s greatest weakness may be, and amplify it. It is your own heart that decides what you see and…and I don’t see the illusions myself.” he wished to explain, to guarantee the Lord that his secrets were still safe.
Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding behind Shippo’s words, and then asked “How did you learn to master such an attack, having never engaged in true battle with your blade?”
“Otousan.” was all he said.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at that. “Indeed? Inuyasha, in his schooling of your abilities, permitted such an attack to be used upon his own person?”
That time it was Shippo who merely nodded, and Sesshoumaru’s respect for his brother instantly doubled. He didn’t even want to imagine what horrors befell his brother during Shippo’s training. To willingly subject yourself to such turmoil, for the sake of your child… Obviously, the kitsune would need an “enemy” with which to study the attack, but surely… Shaking his head, he decidedly concluded he would think of it no more. It made his head hurt. His brother truly never ceased to amaze him in both strength and honor. Quickly changing the subject, Sesshoumaru relented that there were more pressing matters to discuss.
“You have my permission to approach Rin. If she accepts you, you may proceed with the mating bond.”
That said, the Taiyoukai turned on his heel, leaving a drop jaw Shippo standing stupidly behind him, while he made sure to keep his stride at a steady, slow pace, despite his desire to run to his chambers. His nose already informed him that Kagura and his children were unharmed…but that image would haunt him for some time.
Once Shippo found himself to be standing alone in the field, he finally was able to shake his head free from its disorientation. Only then realizing that he still held his sword in hand, he sheathed the blade, and slowly made his way indoors, as well. Had he heard Sesshoumaru correctly? Of course he had, he had excellent hearing. But he had been expecting a longer, drawn out courtship. Why had he been expecting that, though? Just because Rin was human didn’t really mean anything, did it? She was the only mortal within the castle, and was offered no favoritism because of it. Shippo had seen the way the others treated her, and in all honestly, he loved it. Those who would have sneered in her presence had been dismissed years ago, she had told him, everyone remaining being only those who were able to accept their Lord’s decision regarding her presence, and not let it affect their loyalty to the West. Gradually, everyone just “got used to it” as they say, and now, to those who still remained in the castle, Rin was simply Rin. Well, as of more recently, she was Lady Rin, but still, she was treated as an equal, and not coddled due to her ningen weaknesses. It wouldn’t make sense, then, for Sesshoumaru to humor her heritage with human wedding ceremonies, and in all honesty, he doubted Rin was even aware of the details regarding “human” mating customs. Kagome had wanted a wedding for the benefit of her family, but Rin had no human family. In the future, perhaps she would desire to go through the motions of a wedding, merely for the human woman within herself that may one day wish to do so, and should that ever be the case, he would instantly grant her request, but in the mean time… Suddenly, Shippo could not stop the toothy grin that found its way to his lips. He could feel his fangs peaking out from beneath his upper lip as a result, but his smile only continued to increase when he then thought of how his Rin was not even disturbed by the sight of said fangs. His smile grew once more…His Rin.
Making his way down the hall, he didn’t even need to follow his nose, having memorized the passageways long ago. A few servants passed him as he strode by, surprising him momentarily with their brief bows of respect, though he recovered quickly enough to offer then the proper, shorter bow in return. Did everyone already know? He supposed it was quite likely. He knew that word had spread, more in the form of rumors than anything else, but it certainly made what he was about to do a lot easier now. Proposing wasn’t nearly as nerve wracking when everyone you both knew already teased the two of you that you would be married one day. He had even caught his mother occasionally singing an American song from her time called “Something to talk about.” Shaking his head in amusement at the memory, Shippo turned down the final corridor, coming to a stop beside a specific, innocent looking shoji screen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s Note:
Well, I hope you all liked the “battle” scene well enough. That was surprisingly hard to do. It was hard to come up with a way to make Shippo seem strong enough, without being too unrealistically strong, and make Sesshoumaru fall victim (to a point) to his attack, without making the Taiyoukai seem unrealistically weak. I hope I pulled it off.
Translations:
Keikogi - The uniform worn for training in Japanese martial arts. I figure Rin is wearing a youkai adaptation of the modern ensemble, consisting of demonic material to help ensure minimal injury. This is why I mentioned it is white, regardless of the fact that I have no idea what color such a uniform usually is, though white is probably still a fair guess for a beginner, anyway. But Rin’s keikogi is spider-silk, and thus, naturally white by default. Literally translated, keiko means practice, while gi means dress or clothing.
Daichi - Just like Sesshoumaru said, it means “Great First Son.”
Kenatsu - Listed as an official attack of Toukijin that Sesshoumaru mastered shortly after acquiring the blade, the term literally means “Sword Pressure.”
Seki Hino - Seki means stone, but can also mean barrier, which is the context I’m using here. The term hino means “of fire” as hi means fire, and no is the familiar possessive. Yes, I know it could also probably have been written as “Hi no Seki” but “hino” as one word is also correct, and I liked that better. Incidentally, yes, bi also means fire, as we are all familiar with “Kitsune-bi” meaning fox-fire, but that is because in Japanese, words that start with an H are changed to B when they are put in conjunction with other words. Go figure. Also, with the way subject placement in Japanese is usually reversed, according to English perspective, anyway, I’m honestly unsure if the term should really still be written as Hino Seki, instead of the other way around. I finally decided to leave it as Seki Hino based upon the Sailor Moon character, Rei Hino (spirit of fire) otherwise known as Sailor Mars. I’ve seen her name written as both either Rei Hino or Hino Rei, which is merely the same phenomenon we come across with Kagome Higurashi vs. Higurashi Kagome. If all else fails, let’s just say I “Americanized” Shippo’s “barrier of fire” for our convenience, hmmmmm? I know, I know, why not just type the damn thing in English in the first place, then? Well…I thought we could all use a little more of SplendentGoddess’ Japanese 101, I guess. Aren’t these fun? Not that I actually speak the language fluently myself, but research, research, research… If you’re actually trying to learn Japanese, though, I’d double-check anything I say with more reliable sources. Better safe than sorry.
Kokoro no Kizu - Another documented attack in the series, this is the technique Shippo first acquires in episode 130 of the anime, when he discovers that he can see the wind scar while placing a fierce bite upon the lizard youkai he had been fighting against. Literally translated, the attack means “Wound of the Heart” or “Wounded Heart” and was translated in the English dub episode as “Heart Scar.” The attack is capable of draining the victim of some of its youki energy each time it is unleashed, as it still affects the wound in the wind where the two youki energies collide. I think it was originally intended to merely be a weaker version of the Kaze no Kizu, but because it is named Kokoro no Kizu, and Kokoro means heart as in spirit, rather than the physical organ, I decided to dub it a more spiritual attack, rather than a physical one. The wind scar can blast you to pieces, while the heart scar, according to my interpretation, would merely suck you dry of your life-force energy. The original bite attack probably wouldn’t be strong enough to accomplish such a thing, but the attack is now amplified when used through Shinjitsuken. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that Shippo could master his “bite” technique with his sword, considering the sword is made from his own fang. Inuyasha’s fang wouldn’t interfere with Shippo’s abilities within the sword, only make them even that much stronger.
Takusan Ken - Another phrase I put together myself that is more than likely inaccurate. *shrugs* It’s simple enough, though. “Takusan” literally means “many” or “a lot” or whatever, while “Ken” means “Sword.” Yes, katana means sword, but really refers more specifically to that type of long, curved sword, while the term “ken” is more generic. This is correct because besides Sesshoumaru’s attack “Kenatsu” it is also the character “ken” that is used for “sword” in the Japanese art Kendo, “do” meaning “the way” as is derived from the Chinese tao (dao) which also means “the way” hence Taoism. The word Shinto is literally an adaptation of Shin Tao, the way of the gods, the art Kendo meaning the way of the sword. Thus, Takusan Ken simply means “many swords”…unless, of course, there exists another word entirely that also means many swords, of which I am unaware. *shrugs once more*
Osore no honoo - This one is simple enough. Osore means “fear” and honoo means “flame” so the term is literally “Flame of fear.”
Gomenasai - Honestly, do I really even need to bother with this one? But for those of you who may genuinely not know, the term means a very sincere “I’m sorry.” Though, I’m not sure exactly how to write it, since I have seen this phrase written both as one word, like I have here, as well as hyphenated, “Gomen-nasai” and even also as one word but while retaining the extra ‘n’ as seen in “Gomennasai.” I’m unsure which written form may be more correct, since Romanized Japanese obviously isn’t their native way of writing things to begin with. You may also see this phrase shortened, written simply as “Gomen” which is technically also still correct, but less formal. It’s a more casual way of saying you’re sorry, and what you would probably want to use in the beginning of a sentence, if you mean to say “Sorry, but…” as Gomen by itself offers the impression of actually meaning “Sorry, but…” On the other hand, if you simply screwed up, and someone got hurt, and you were merely apologizing, meaning to express something like “I am so incredibly sorry, please forgive me.” with no “buts” in your sentence whatsoever, then you definitely want to use the more formal “Gomenasai” instead.
Now that that’s out of the way…
I will let you know that I hadn’t originally planned on doing a very detailed Shippo/Rin scene, but after having been requested to do so, I decided, why not? What’s so taboo about Shippo getting it on, anyway? You almost never see Shippo lemon, and when you do, it’s usually greeted with mixed reactions, most people finding it somewhat “disturbing” somehow. I understand that in our heart of hearts, we still see Shippo as a little boy, but need I remind you that in the canon, Rin is also still a fairly young little girl? Yet people seem to have no problem letting an adult Rin get as hentai as she wants, at least whenever she’s paired up with Sesshoumaru. Shippo is probably the second favorite pairing for Rin (though honestly, how many realistic choices are there?) but you almost always just hear that they are “mated” and that’s that. We jump ahead five hundred years to the future to find out that Shippo had taken Rin at some point in time throughout history, and here, meet their twenty some-odd children. So that’s okay…? We can know that Shippo grew up, and had children, just so long as we don’t actually witness how that came about…is that it? Ha! A pox upon thee I say! To deny our young kitsune his moment of glory…for shame! So it shall be done. On this twenty-second day, of the fifth month, of the year two thousand and seven, let it be known, I decree it! Shippo shall have his moment of glorious citrus fruit! Huzzah!
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
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Chapter 87 - Tricks Are For Kids
Eight Months Later…
“Good, very good.” Nekobi complimented. “Now see if you can block this!” she cried, just before lunging a swift attack. Had Rin not blocked it properly, it was possible the neko’s blade could have actually struck her.
“You’re getting too good.” her sensei complemented again upon sheathing her sword, “Are you sure you’re only human?” she teased with a wink.
Rin smiled, extremely proud of herself, and rightfully so. The fifteen year old was much stronger than your average human teenager, male or female. She was just about to get into position for their hand-to-hand sparring, when Nekobi’s hand raised, stilling her posture.
“Daichi is crying.” she explained, knowing that no matter how strong Rin became, the girl still possessed mortal hearing.
Immediately swinging her head around to face the direction of the shoji, Rin stared as if she could now hear the infant’s wails herself. “Until next time, then.” she said to her sensei with a brief bow, before running outside.
The scene she came upon nearly made her want to laugh outright, and she managed to still her giggles at the very last moment only because of the respect she held for her childhood nanny. There, sitting in Suishoukaze’s favorite part of the garden, was the elderly panda youkai, desperately trying to soothe the cries of the teething koinu she held in her arms. As old as Wenying was, and with as much experience with ‘children’ she had acquired from looking after Rin, a human eight year old, and an inu-youkai infant, were two vastly different creatures. She had gone through the same troubles with Suishoukaze when her puppy teeth had first started cutting in, and really, could you blame the whelps for their whimpering cries? Fangs hurt. Rin had been the only one, besides their parents, who had been able to cease Sui’s cries, and now, Rin was also the only one at the moment who could shush young Daichi, as well.
Hearing someone approach, Suishoukaze instinctively shifted the wind, to catch the newcomer’s scent. She then quickly turned her distraught visage in Rin’s direction, upon recognizing who it was that was joining them. The two and a half year old had already given up barking to her baby brother in inu, knowing that only her older human sister possessed the ability to stop his cries.
“Oneesan…” she whined, her brother’s yelps starting to hurt her sensitive ears.
Rin offered her sister a sympathetic smile, knowing the child was still too young to fully comprehend why it was important that they continued to remain outside after so many hours away from Mommy. Ordinarily, it would be Kagura who would be coddling her own son during his time of pain, but her presence was currently still required in the conference room, as she and Sesshoumaru were still entertaining the North, which was why Wenying had been left in charge of the pups for the time being. It did surprise Rin a little, though, that the council meeting was still taking place, considering it was supposed to be a rather uneventful briefing, although she suspected that she may know the reason as to why the talks had been slightly delayed.
Meeting Wenying’s masked eyes with her own soft pools, the silent request spoke volumes. Nodding her understanding and compliance, Wenying carefully handed the silver-haired boy over to his mortal sister. There was just something about him. Rin didn’t know what it was, but she had instantly felt a connection to the boy. He was her lord’s first born son, after all, and subsequently, took Suishoukaze’s place as first heir to the Western Lands. She knew her father loved both her and her sister, and he had openly spoken of caring for a third daughter no less than his first two, should Kagura’s pup have been female. But at the same time, Rin also knew that Sesshoumaru had undoubtedly longed for a son, a true heir, with whom to entrust the rule of his kingdom, should anything unforeseen ever befall him. Rin still remembered the night she had been summoned to enter the birthing chamber, after Kagura had delivered her son. She had gazed with pride upon the tiny, silver-haired, pointy-eared infant, and instantly, when those deep reddish amber eyes opened to meet her own, the word “Daichi” had simply fallen from her lips. She didn’t know why she had said it, only that she had. Sesshoumaru had merely nodded in turn, remaining silent for a moment longer, before quietly stating “Great First Son, yes, it suits him well.”
Now, as Rin stared down at the whimpering pup she cradled in her arms, she started singing a song that was near and dear to her heart. A song that she had made up oh so long ago, when she had been revived by her father, reborn unto his care, and traveled with him without question, without qualm, displaying more loyalty than anyone had thought a human capable of possessing.
“In the mountain, in the forest, in the wind, in a dream… Where are you, Lord Sesshoumaru? With an ally like Jaken, I will wait alone until you come. Lord Sesshoumaru, please return.”
Her softly spoken human voice instantly soothed Daichi’s whimpers, until only the tiniest of sniffles remained. She repeated the song a few times, making up additional verses that included mention of Wenying and Suishoukaze, wishing to remind Daichi that he was in fact not alone, and that he was well protected until his alpha returned for him. She understood how pack orientated inu pups were, and that was another reason why her own presence was so important. As his older sister, she offered a sense of security, his innocent mind not yet comprehending the difference in her species. She had been too embarrassed in the past to ask her father to try to teach her any of the inu language, lacking any sort of natural instinct like what Kagura had acquired through the blood bond, and fearing she may make a mistake, but when her uncle Inuyasha had called upon them two and a half months ago, to give official recognition of the new pup, she had managed to gather her courage, and pulled the hanyou aside for a few moments in secrecy. It did not come naturally for her, quite the opposite in fact, as for a human who did not possess natural inu instincts, the inu language sounded like nothing more than foolish gibberish. But Inuyasha had instructed her well, and she had practiced, and practiced, and now, Rin may not understand the inu language, but she did know how to say one very important thing. Growling softly what she had learned, she knew the surprised smiling yip from the toddler at her side meant that she had in fact pronounced it correctly. What Rin had said to her brother, in a very protective manner, was “You are loved.”
When Kagura found them an hour later, the wind witch smiled warmly at the scene before her. Wenying had taken up Rin’s usual place in Suishoukaze’s game of “catch the flying leaf” as simply a means of placating the child, while Rin was fast asleep on her side with an equally slumbering Daichi snuggled firmly against her tummy. Kagura’s first thoughts were along the lines of what a wonderful mother Rin herself would one day make. Then Suishoukaze, excited to see that Okaasan had finally returned, squealed happily, shattering the surreal picture Kagura had first walked in on by instantly rousing both human and pup. Daichi might not have been able to walk quite yet, but he could crawl incredibly fast, when he wanted to at least, and so it wasn’t long at all before Kagura found her legs bombarded by both of her children. She scooped up her son, and permitted her daughter to ride upon her leg, as she prepared to walk back towards the castle. Rin smiled warmly, and spoke to excuse herself, when a sudden spike in youki drew her attention skyward, along with everyone else. She glanced briefly across the field, catching sight of one of her father’s guards escorting Kouga and Ayame through the gate, the three of them pausing as they too sensed what had caught Rin’s attention. A fairly strong demonic aura was on the approach, heading there fast. It wasn’t long before a huge smile broke out over her face.
Glancing up himself at the feel of the familiar aura, Kouga checked the skies, surprised to see a giant bird quickly encroaching upon their position. Now he was confused. He had not been expecting to see a bird. Catching the fowl’s scent on the wind, his nose confirmed his original suspicions. He knew that scent, he knew that aura, and that bird was really…
“Shippo!” Rin squealed, delighted beyond words by the surprise visit. She had missed him when he had not joined his father upon Inuyasha’s last visit, but somebody had to stay home and watch over Kagome, as it had been explained to her. The miko was with-child, after all. Or perhaps, “with-children” would be a more appropriate term. Inuyasha had delivered a note from Shippo, knowing that Rin could read, and read it she did, right then and there, pleased to learn that Shippo had planned on visiting her as soon as he could. No time frame had been given, though, and she had grown lonesome during her waiting.
Kouga and Ayame both watched on with warm smiles as the giant bird made its final decent, transforming with a *pop* back into the fox-youkai they had both come to know over the years. They had heard of his growth spurts, but were surprised to have this sudden chance to see his changes for themselves. Kouga nearly laughed outright before Ayame silenced him with a gentle punch to the arm, when Rin had flung herself upon the smaller kitsune, nearly tumbling them both to the ground in the process. Had it not been for Shippo’s youkai reflexes, she would have. As if sensing their amusement, Rin glanced briefly in their direction, a sheepish wave all Ayame could think of at having been caught spying red handed. But Rin merely smiled, and waved back, having found her peace with the wolves when she and Kouga spoke shortly after their arrival that morning. Their conversation had lasted for about thirty seconds, as she had never truly blamed him for her death. It had not been done vindictively, after all. That was before he had made his vow to swear off humans as prey, and his wolves had merely been feeding. You couldn’t truly fault someone for something like that. She also did not forget that he had actually saved her once, as well, when he had stopped another youkai from attacking her.
It had been Kouga who had sought her out, delaying the start of his meeting with her father, as he was apparently in need of appeasing his guilty conscious before he could get down to business. The wolf had apologized for any suffering he may have been responsible for in her past, both knowing of what he spoke, while she, in turn, had told him that everything that had happened that day, had happened by design, and that she would not be here now, with her Lord, had she not been reborn under Tenseiga. They had shook hands then, and that had been that, leaving Kouga to attend one more awkward apology, this time on the receiving end, with Kagura the one sweating bullets. It was no wonder the meeting started late. Shaking his head at the memory, Kouga caught Kagura’s gaze as well, offering her a small nod as she bowed, turning to head indoors as best she could, with her daughter hanging off of her leg like that. He couldn’t help but to chuckle, suddenly missing his own precious daughter, who had been left behind in the care of his loyal pack. Offering one last glance in the kitsune’s direction, Kouga then wrapped an arm around his mate, and turning to the escort, he stated his thanks to the guard on behalf of Lord Sesshoumaru’s council, before he and Ayame decided to let the young lovers finally have their privacy.
Rin laughed to herself at having been caught by Kouga and Ayame, smiling at their smiles, while Shippo looked between the two, asking “What’s so funny.”
“Nothing…” she assured, a light dusting of pink tinting her tanned cheeks. Then Shippo thought he understood, and had the good graces to blush as well, turning in time to catch Kouga’s knowing smirk, before he and his mate finally passed through the gate.
Escorting Shippo towards the castle’s main entrance after her mother, Rin had no qualms in allowing him to take her hand in his.
“Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?” she asked suddenly, not in an angry manner, but in a more embarrassed tone of voice that most girls would likely use when realizing their lack of “adequate” attire. She was still dressed in her plain white keikogi, after all, not exactly the pink floral yukata she always set aside for his visits these days, the one that complimented her maturing figure just right, the one that made him blush the first time he saw her wearing it.
“Umm…” Shippo started nervously, “Sesshoumaru didn’t tell you I was coming?” he asked.
Rin stopped walking and looked at him in confusion. “You sent word to my father?” she asked in turn.
“Indeed.” came the answer, and Rin cursed under her breath for having failed to sense her father’s presence in her gleeful distraction over Shippo’s arrival. “Your timing is impeccable,” Shesshomaru continued, addressing the kitsune, while paying no heed to his daughter’s embarrassment, “Our meeting with the North ran longer than anticipated, but regardless, has since concluded, so my audience is available nonetheless.” he explained.
Shippo gulped nervously, recalling the message he’d had Myouga deliver for him two weeks ago.
Lord Sesshoumaru,
I, Shippo, hereby formally request an audience with your esteemed self, to negotiate my position of desired courtship regarding one Rin, your eldest daughter. It is with due pride that I wish to officially prove my worth of your consideration for being a suitable protector and mate for Lady Rin, and am eager to accept your terms and conditions regarding when and how I may do so.
Sincerely,
Lord Heir Shippo, of Inuyasha’s Forest.
Sesshoumaru had in turn sent Myouga with a message for Shippo, stating that he was to arrive on this day. Aside from his morning negotiations with the ookami, his schedule was wide open, as they say. The Taiyoukai was actually looking forward to seeing what the kitsune came up with, having known for a long time now that the pup had been training under his father. It’d been over three years, after all, since he had first told the then eleven year old that he would have to prove himself worthy. Shippo had only briefly denied his intentions towards Rin, out of fear and embarrassment, but after Sesshoumaru had made his subsequent approval of the unspoken request known, providing of course that the kitsune met with his conditions, the kit had instead puffed his chest with pride, and accepted the challenge. Now, having been training with his very own sword for nearly a year, Sesshoumaru agreed with the kitsune’s self-assessment of his abilities. It was time.
Rin continued to glance back and forth between the two, wondering what on earth was going on. Finally, it was Sesshoumaru who spoke again, this time addressing the human girl, as he stated “Rin, go inside, this doesn’t concern you.”
That got Shippo a little riled up, as he was unable to control his mouth when he said “Now wait just a minute, how can you say-” but he was thankfully cut off, when the Taiyoukai explained
“Our business is our own. You may inform others of my decision, once it has been made.”
Shippo got the distinct impression that what Sesshoumaru really meant to say was, “You still have to prove yourself first, runt, and I will not have you getting Rin’s hopes up, if you should prove to be unworthy of her in my eyes.”
Not for the first time, and surely not for the last, he gulped, trying desperately to stifle the scent of his fear. He wasn’t afraid of the Taiyoukai, but rather, of his own failure. “Go ahead and go inside Rin, Lord Sesshoumaru and I need to…talk…about some things.”
Rin wasn’t completely stupid, but she was also unable to put two and two together at the moment, knowing that they were obviously keeping something from her, even though she had no idea what. It made her nervous though, to see the way Shippo instinctively rested his hand upon the hilt of the sword he now wore on his hip. It would take her a while to get used to seeing that thing there. It appeared quite short, in its dormant state, almost more like a really large dagger than an actual sword, but when fully transformed, it nearly rivaled Tetsusaiga in its brilliance. Nearly.
After seeing that the girl obeyed them without a single spoken question, even though her eyes had held volumes, Sesshoumaru turned without a word heading towards a large training field around the side of the castle. Well…it was a training field now, anyway, as it would simply take quite some time for all the trees to grow back, where the battle with Lord Daikomaru had previously taken place.
“Some ground rules.” he stated, once he had come to a stop, and turned to face the kitsune who stood only a few feet before him.
“Yes sir.” Shippo acknowledged without delay.
“No foolish childhood weapons, they are merely a waist of time. If you wish to be treated like a man, I expect you to fight like one.”
Sesshoumaru nodded in satisfaction at seeing Shippo reach within his vest without protest, tossing upon the ground several small wooden objects, including tops and horses. He was mildly surprised, however, to note that the pile of discarded items also soon included several transformation leaves, as well as the small woven doll that he used to create his puppet. Did he plan on fighting without utilizing his illusionary abilities at all? Such a feat would almost certainly guarantee failure, though he silently commended the kitsune for his confidence. The pup before him was most certainly no longer a pup. No, he was quickly becoming a man, his latest growing spree placing him past stomach level. He was quite tall himself, though, Sesshoumaru also admitted, recalling that Shippo actually reached Rin’s chest, as the girl was much shorter than himself. Yes, he recalled quite clearly the way the fox’s cheeks had burned at the initial realization of being face to “face” with Rin’s womanly figure. He was definitely becoming a man. Clearing his mind of such thoughts, the Taiyoukai spoke again.
“Kitsune are renowned for their powers of defense, but mere survival tactics will not slay your enemy. Your father claims to have taught you all that he knows, and while I pray for your sake that you have managed to find pattern within such chaos, it is your offense that I wish to see here, not your defense. If there is one thing in which I am quite certain Inuyasha can successfully teach someone else, it is how to be offensive.”
“Hey!” Shippo snapped at the cracks against his father. “Otousan is strong, and it is our combine fang that I carry!”
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at that, not at being surprised to learn of Inuyasha’s fang being within the blade, as that had been his assumption all along, but actually, because he had been unaware that the blade also contained Shippo’s own fang, as well. He had presumed, that just as their father had done for his sons, that Inuyasha had had Totosai construct a sword from his fang, for his son. But considering the blade now also undoubtedly possessed some of the natural abilities of kitsune, Sesshoumaru was definitely looking forward to witnessing this young one’s power in action. Maybe discarding his amplifying magical leaves wasn’t that big of a loss for the kitsune, after all.
“It was not my intention to insult the strength of your father, merely his technique.” Sesshoumaru relented after a few moments of silence. Shippo didn’t really have a comeback to that one. After all, the guy did have a point. “We shall also reframe from attempting to maim one another.” he continued then, “I shall not utilize Dragon Strike, and you are not to issue forth Wind Scar, am I clear?” Shippo nodded. “Good, I do not wish to have to explain to Rin why her suitor has been vaporized.”
“Hey!” Shippo shouted again.
Silently, Sesshoumaru smirked. It was just so easy to get under the kitsune’s skin.
“Are you just gonna stand there all day, barking rules, or are we gonna do this thing?” the kitsune added, his hand literally itching to grab his sword by that point. He didn’t want to hurt his uncle, just wipe that smug look off his face.
“Indeed, my sentiments exactly. I am waiting.” he stated, sword sheathed, and looking quite bored.
Shippo suddenly realized how literally Sesshoumaru meant he wished to see his offense, rather than defense, and instantly knew the first move was his.
“Fine by me!” he shouted, as he leapt forward, drawing his sword.
Shinjitsuken blazed to life, transforming itself into a large, menacing fang. Red fur adorned the base of the hilt instead of white, and the blade itself was slightly shorter than that of the transformed Tetsusaiga, but otherwise, the swords could pass for twins. It appeared for the longest time that as he flew through midair, he was about to cleave his uncle in half, until at the last possible second, instead of slicing flesh, Shippo’s ears were suddenly met with the harsh clang of metal against metal, as Sesshoumaru effortlessly blocked the pitiful attack with Toukijin.
“You will have to do much better than that.” he spat, as he shoved his nephew backwards with such great force, Shippo consciously had to resist popping into his pink balloon form to escape the fall, as he instead managed a rather impressive back flip to ensure that he landed upon his feet. His ears caught the sound of a sword being sheathed, then, and raising his eyes in confusion, he looked up just in time to see a green youki whip rushing in his direction. He quickly blocked it by thrusting forward his free hand, singeing and dissipating the whip with a short blast of fox-fire.
Then, instead of merely waiting to be attacked again, Shippo quickly broke free from his defensive stance, as he rushed Sesshoumaru once more, forcing the Taiyoukai to redraw his sword, as he blocked the kitsune’s swing. Several times did their blades clash, and each time Sesshoumaru silently grew more and more impressed with the kitsune’s moves. He had only been spewing insults in order to rile the kitsune’s passion, but it was still true nonetheless, that Inuyasha lacked the graceful style that he, himself, possessed in battle. Shippo, on the other hand, while he was nowhere near as flawless as Sesshoumaru himself, the Taiyoukai conceded, he was also much more coordinated than his bumbling half-brother. It was quite clear that both Taijiya had also had a hand in his training, rather than merely Inuyasha alone, as Shippo used the spins and side-step techniques of a professionally trained swordsman.
Still, foolish mortal swordplay was quickly growing boring, so it was with amusement that Sesshoumaru kicked it up a notch, energizing his sword and throwing out a mild Kenatsu blast. He had only sworn not to unleash Dragon Strike, after all, having said nothing about his weaker demonically based attacks. The relatively mild demonic wave sent a stream of needle-like blasts of youki in Shippo’s direction, rather than a stronger, solid blue wave of energy. Leaping back enough to give himself some room, Shippo quickly spun Shinjitsuken before him like Miroku would do his staff, a circular wall of blue flame appearing between himself and Sesshoumaru’s attack, like a shield, as he cried out “Seki Hino!”
Sesshoumaru was secretly impressed by the strength of the kitsune’s power, as the wall of flame he’d created successfully disbanded his mild attack, and readily decided to test the boy further by unleashing an even stronger blast.
Shippo paled upon seeing the immense wave of youki heading straight for him, cursing under his breath. Had he been able to, he likely would have popped into his stone statue form, which would enable him to withstand the blast more easily, but he shouldn’t, and besides that, he also couldn’t. Because Sesshoumaru had told him to fight like a man, and not use childish, underhanded tricks to win his battle for him, he had discarded all of his magical items, including his transformation leaves. The only altering shape Shippo could create on his own without their aid was his giant pink balloon form, but he didn’t want to take that form, either. He could never prove himself of being worthy of Rin, he thought, if he fought this battle with dishonor, running away like a scared little child. In real battles, where his, or even Rin’s life was on the line, then it obviously wouldn’t matter quite so much, but this time, at least…he had to do it by the book. He tried his best to reflect Sesshoumaru’s blast with fox-fire, then, but Toukijin’s wave was a lot stronger than he had anticipated, much stronger than the blast the Taiyoukai had sent his way nearly two years ago, when he first sprouted his second tail.
Those two tails were suddenly seen at a new angle, then, as in a very Inuyasha-like fashion, Shippo went flying backwards through the air, cursing as he landed on his back with a loud thud. He just knew his mother would have screamed for him had she seen that, but the truth was, he wasn’t hurt too badly. “Bastard…” Shippo muttered under his breath, wiping a small stream of blood from his mouth. Damn it, he’d bitten his tongue, and that did hurt. “So it’s like that, huh?”
Sesshoumaru didn’t respond, save the raising of one eyebrow. Shippo climbed to his feet then, and holding his sword out at his side, Sesshoumaru noted the gathering energy he could sense around Shinjitsuken’s blade. It started to glow a pinkish color, and then Shippo swung, hard, while shouting “Kokoro no Kizu!” He’d learned long ago that he could adapt the attack he’d originally performed as a bite, because his sword was comprised of his own fang.
Attacking Sesshoumaru’s youki directly, Shippo watched with amusement as the Taiyoukai had little choice but to leap out of the way, Toukijin unable to deflect an attack that was spiritually based, rather than physical. Then Shippo realized something, as he watched Sesshoumaru dodge his attack, remembering something he had heard his mother say long ago. Something she had said was actually a “sports” expression from her time, whatever that was, but that was unimportant as the expression easily worked for battle, as well. What she had said was…a good offense is a good defense. There was no dishonor in leaping out of the way of an attack, Shippo realized. Was it better to stand tall, proud, and stupid, and allow yourself to get hit in the face? He knew kitsune were weaker than inu, and with Sesshoumaru being a Taiyoukai, there was simply no way he could possibly beat him in direct physical combat. He agreed that it was crude to use his childhood weapons, such as his smashing top or pelting acorns, and it would also be foolish to try transforming himself into another creature as means of escape, as Sesshoumaru would almost certainly see through such an illusion, and even if he could not, to do such a thing would prove cowardice. There was also no point in attempting to use his puppet as means of distraction, as Sesshoumaru would more than likely see through that trick as well, and dispatch the doll within a matter of seconds. But those facts aside, that didn’t mean he was gonna just stand there and accept the handicap Sesshoumaru had placed upon him! Yes, he was no longer a child, and yes, it was time to fight like a man, but he was a fox nonetheless, and his father had taught him to use his strengths where they lied. He had been holding back his magic, having misunderstood Sesshoumaru’s rules, but now he thought he understood. He was not inu. He did not possess Inuyasha’s soul shattering iron claw, nor Sesshoumaru’s poison claw or whip. If Sesshoumaru could use the natural abilities of his species, then so could he, Shippo decided then. Yes, he would put away his childish toys and fight like an adult…but he would fight like an adult kitsune. There were some tricks he didn’t need the leaves for, not with Shinjitsuken in hand, anyway. It was time Sesshoumaru learned why a sword of illusion was named the sword of truth.
Shippo looked forward with confidence, unsurprised to see Sesshoumaru launching a new attack of his own. Proving that he did possess a reasonable amount of brut, physical strength, when the Taiyoukai came down and clashed his blade against his rival’s, Shippo’s bare, fox-like feet, didn’t so much as slip backward an inch, as he held his blade securely above him. Granted, it did take both of his arms to do so, as he held his left hand against the blunt end of Shinjitsuken’s blade to assist him, but he managed it nonetheless. The kitsune then did something remarkably uncharacteristic, at least in battle…he smiled. Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at the expression not so unlike one he himself had displayed in the past. It was the smile of confidence worn by someone so superior to their opponent that victory was unquestionable. For the first time, Sesshoumaru admitted at least to himself, that the kitsune was successfully irksome. How dare he belittle This Sesshoumaru??!! The twerp stood only half his height, and continually gave the Taiyoukai the physical impression of battling a small child, and yet, the maturing fox youkai dared to mock him? Shippo then did something else that should also have guaranteed his death. He leapt upward, the sudden, unexpected movement causing Sesshoumaru to lower his blade, and then…he kicked his feet against the inu’s chest, using the momentum to propel himself backward several yards, gracefully flipping to land upon his feet. The same feet that had just left dusty paw prints upon Sesshoumaru’s kimono.
Momentarily, the Taiyoukai’s eyes flashed red, and then he charged. The moment Shippo had been waiting for. It was a truth of kitsune, after all, that they strived to aggravate their opponents. It would have been good of Sesshoumaru to remember that. “Takusan Ken!” he shouted, as several replicas of himself appeared around his opponent. Ordinarily, Sesshoumaru would easily have been able to pick out which Shippo was the “real” one, but his mind being momentarily clouded with anger had proven distracting enough, and now, he was unable to focus clearly upon the swiftly blurring images before him. Shippo’s scent was literally all around him, as the kit raced in circles around the Taiyoukai along with his armed duplicates. Shinjitsuken’s blade then began to glow an eerie blue, a color mimicked within the faux blades of the twenty some odd illusionary Shippos that ran with him, the color not unlike that of his fox-fire’s ghostly flicker. Sesshoumaru found the questionable tactic dizzying, if nothing else, and decidedly stuck Toukijin forward, into the whirlwind. That would surely stop the kitsune, when he smashed against the blade Sesshoumaru made sure to hold blunt end out, to ensure Shippo didn’t accidentally decapitate himself in the process. But the generous concern was unappreciated, as one by one, the duplicates came crashing into contact with the projectile, instantly disappearing with a *poof* that mysteriously left the eerie glow of their false swords behind in their wake. When the last illusion fell, Sesshoumaru found himself surrounded by a wall of swirling blue mist, the “real” Shippo nowhere in sight.
From Shippo’s point of view, it had been a close call. He’d just happened to be a few steps behind when Sesshoumaru first reached out with Toukijin, allowing him time to dodge. He had been expecting it, but quite like playing musical chairs - a game his mother had happily taught him many years ago - he simply knew not when the moment would come. Having already gotten himself lost within his circle of replicas, he knew the Taiyoukai had no way of knowing he had since made himself invisible, an ability he had discovered his blade amplified to the point of not requiring his transformation leaves to accomplish, while by the Taiyoukai’s own accidental admittance, was powerful enough to fool even himself. He now had the inu exactly where he wanted him. A talent used merely to hide from his enemies, indeed. Hmph!
Sesshoumaru stared in feigned boredom at the “barrier” before him. Surely the kitsune did not think such a thing would truly stop him? He was understandably surprised, then, when he attempted to walk through the blazing mist, only to be suddenly bombarded with the most distraught sensation he had ever experienced in his long, powerful life. The feeling was so intense that it forced his immediate retreat, as he once again found himself standing within the circle. What he had felt was immobilizing, agonizing fear. He knew he did not fear the kitsune, nor any possible physical injury caused by the blue flame the barrier itself was composed of; he merely felt fear. Although he was personally unfamiliar with the comparison, the trick was not unlike the tactic once used by the moth youkai Garamaru, in the Forest of Despair. It was an illusion. An illusion designed to show you your own deepest, darkest fears. Shippo had long desired to master such an attack with his own powers, he and his pack-mates having fallen victim to such a phenomenon themselves by not only Garamaru, but Naraku as well, giving him a firsthand taste of how powerful such an attack truly was.
Slowly, Sesshoumaru noticed the sound of distant whispering, whispering that had at first been too soft for even his ears to pick up, at least in his distraction. Now, however, the sound appeared to be increasing in volume.
“Osore no honoo”
It seemed to echo all around him, coming from everywhere, and yet nowhere, all at once.
“Osore no honoo”
The blue flames danced all around him, growing higher, and higher, until they met at the top, curving around him to form a perfect half-sphere, sufficiently trapping him within the barrier of fire. He could pass through it, but to do so would mean to once again expose himself to the sensation he had never before experienced so strongly in his entire life, until today. If he would have been familiar with the expression, the proverb “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” would have been deemed appropriate at that moment. Instead, Sesshoumaru was spending a great deal of time pondering over how the kitsune’s magic was in fact strong enough to affect him so vividly. But then he realized the method behind the madness, and had no choice but to compliment the youth, even if only to himself. Shippo could never surpass him in physical strength, and they both knew it. The Taiyoukai was much too strong to be affected by heat, cold, poisons, most purifications (Kagome’s renowned strength came to mind, and he shuddered), blunt force trauma, or virtually anything else. You name it, if it was physical, then he could withstand it. Mental attacks, however, were apparently a whole other matter entirely. Resolving to not show weakness in the face of the unknown, Sesshoumaru tightened the bindings he held over his emotions, and passed through the barrier.
Big mistake.
Everything was blue. He couldn’t see anything else, nor could he smell, he found, which disturbed him even more so than the continuing whispers of “Osore no honoo” that surrounded him. He finally reached what he believed to be the outer edge of the barrier, and passed through that as well, expecting to see the castle grounds they had been battling upon before hand. That was not the sight that greeted him, however. Oh, he was standing upon his castle grounds, all right, but the death and destruction that had previously adorned the area during that fateful battle with the East had unexplainably reemerged. Glancing around the horrid sight before him, the scent of blood and death quickly assaulted his nose. Corpses littered the field, some the bodies of those he happened to know for a fact did not fall during the actual confrontation. Suddenly, he realized, it was as if he were witnessing what was supposedly his greatest fear come to life. The fall of his empire. The fall of himself. A weaker minded individual would likely lose themselves to such an illusion, but while Sesshoumaru was able to keep enough of his mind focused to comprehend that what he was seeing was not real, it did nothing to stave off the feelings he was experiencing in conjunction with the imagery the kitsune was feeding him. He found himself mourning for his fallen generals, and damning his own weakness at having allowed such a thing to happen. He then promptly cursed himself for having believed, even for a moment, that the feelings he was experiencing were real, and then promptly cursed himself for that weakness, instead. It was curiosity, he told himself then, that propelled him to not end the kit’s hoax then and there.
As Sesshoumaru continued to walk through the remains of what was once his home, the number of bodies only continued to grow, until he became acquainted with the visage of those who had fallen during the battle with the panthers that had occurred while Inuyasha still hung motionless in timeless sleep. More and more, the death around him became familiar, a vision from his memories rather than a trick of the mind. The civil war that had broken out shortly after his father’s untimely demise, when he very nearly did lose his empire. He was feeling it all over again. His anger at his father, his loathing of Inuyasha as the youth was unjustly blamed for his own creation, and the inadequacies he felt in secret at the words of those who insulted the weakness of his father, and thusly, insisted that such a weakness was doomed to one day befall himself, as well. As he walked, a thick fog began to roll in all around him, until he could no longer see the ground well enough to watch his step, causing him to use slower, more cautious footing, so as to avoid the fallen soldiers that laid all around him, and not humiliate himself with the indignity of losing his balance and falling.
Then he smelt him. No, this could not be. He was alive and well. Yet, as Sesshoumaru carefully knelt down, flaring his aura in a powerful enough wave to clear away the misty air directly around him, he could not help but to suddenly notice a vibrant kimono of fire-rat red. There, laying not two feet away, was the disturbing remains of his younger, half-breed half brother. Everything swelled inside of him in that moment. He hated the hanyou, did he not? He was to blame for father’s death…or was he? Hadn’t they reached some sort of a truce in recent years? Yes, hadn’t they aided each other in battle against their most recent enemy? This was a trick. He was battling against Shippo, and this was merely an illusion. Yet, know that as his mind did, that did nothing to convince his eyes to not see what they saw, nor for his nose to stop insisting that he could in fact smell the scent of his half-brother’s blood. This is not real the Taiyoukai repeated to himself, the image before him never wavering. All of the fog around him lifted then, as he saw the battlefield anew. Gone were the nameless faces of the countless soldiers who had fought for his father’s land. Beside Inuyasha rested the body of his mate, the miko’s belly round with her unborn pups, as she wore the spider silk that he himself had acquired for her outfit. Beside her was what was left of young Kazuki. Sesshoumaru had to turn his head at the image. As soon as he did, though, he greatly wished he had not. There was his charge, young Rin, not quite as young as when he’d first found her, but still now and forever his child in his eyes. His first instinct was instantly to reach for Tenseiga, but then he recalled how the blade could not be used to save her life a second time. Perhaps he could at least save the others, then? But then to his dismay, he found his father’s sword to be missing from his side. He was certain he had had the fang only moments ago, as he frantically started searching for the blade. Then he saw her. No…this is not real… There, laying in a pool of her own blood, much like how he had come to find her in the snow, was Kagura, his mate. Cradled in her arms were both Suishoukaze and Daichi’s still forms, indicating she had desperately tried to protect their lives, even in place of her own, but the intention had failed.
“Kitsune.” he spoke aloud then, “You will cease and desist this falsehood immediately.”
The feelings fluttering through him were not unlike a human’s reaction to a nightmare, if Rin’s childhood experiences with the phenomenon were any tutor of such concepts. He knew quite well that what he was seeing was false, but was experiencing the emotional reactions to the imagery nonetheless.
“Kitsune.” he said again, his tone of voice offering no room for protest.
Quickly, the images faded, as Sesshoumaru found himself still standing immerged within the blue flames, indicating he had in fact never fully passed through them. He completed the journey then, continuing to pass through the wall of flame until he truthfully did emerge on the other side. Everything was now as it should be, and turning to glance behind where he had just been, he bore witness to the flames as they still stood, before they quickly shrank away into nothingness, Shippo’s form appearing in what had previously been the center of the barrier, as the light from it’s glow receded into his outstretched sword, as though being reabsorbed into its aura.
“Gomenasai.” he whispered softly, truly afraid he had gone too far. While he hadn’t seen the images Sesshoumaru had, he could smell the Taiyoukai’s reactions to them. He had seriously doubted that the great Inu no Taisho would ever “crumble” as other weaker minded individuals would do, and he wanted only to demonstrate his most powerful illusionary tactic, but apparently, the visions had affected him more potently than he’d anticipated.
Sesshoumaru said nothing, at first, but swiftly closed the distance between himself and the kitsune, clinching his single fist around a clump of fabric, pulling the runt up to eye level, a mere four inches from his face. Shippo gulped at the sudden movement, so quick he hadn’t even had time to contemplate moving out of the way, but held his gaze straight ahead nonetheless, meeting the Taiyoukai’s eyes with his own hesitant orbs of green. Finally, the Inu Lord spoke.
“You would apologize to your enemy?”
Suddenly confused, Shippo instantly lost most of his fear, as he slowly stated “Y-you are not my enemy.”
“Indeed.” the Taiyoukai sneered, bringing the kit’s face even closer to his own, until their noses were nearly touching, “A circumstance that is quite fortunate, for you.”
He dropped Shippo with a thud, the kitsune too stunned to even land upon his feet, as he fell quite ungracefully on his ass.
“How was such a thing accomplished?” asked Sesshoumaru, in genuine curiosity.
Climbing to his feet and regaining his composure, Shippo tried to recall the exact words Totosai had used, but after a moment, merely explained what he understood with his own words, instead. “The flames burn the mind, instead of the body. They seek out whatever the person’s greatest weakness may be, and amplify it. It is your own heart that decides what you see and…and I don’t see the illusions myself.” he wished to explain, to guarantee the Lord that his secrets were still safe.
Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding behind Shippo’s words, and then asked “How did you learn to master such an attack, having never engaged in true battle with your blade?”
“Otousan.” was all he said.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at that. “Indeed? Inuyasha, in his schooling of your abilities, permitted such an attack to be used upon his own person?”
That time it was Shippo who merely nodded, and Sesshoumaru’s respect for his brother instantly doubled. He didn’t even want to imagine what horrors befell his brother during Shippo’s training. To willingly subject yourself to such turmoil, for the sake of your child… Obviously, the kitsune would need an “enemy” with which to study the attack, but surely… Shaking his head, he decidedly concluded he would think of it no more. It made his head hurt. His brother truly never ceased to amaze him in both strength and honor. Quickly changing the subject, Sesshoumaru relented that there were more pressing matters to discuss.
“You have my permission to approach Rin. If she accepts you, you may proceed with the mating bond.”
That said, the Taiyoukai turned on his heel, leaving a drop jaw Shippo standing stupidly behind him, while he made sure to keep his stride at a steady, slow pace, despite his desire to run to his chambers. His nose already informed him that Kagura and his children were unharmed…but that image would haunt him for some time.
Once Shippo found himself to be standing alone in the field, he finally was able to shake his head free from its disorientation. Only then realizing that he still held his sword in hand, he sheathed the blade, and slowly made his way indoors, as well. Had he heard Sesshoumaru correctly? Of course he had, he had excellent hearing. But he had been expecting a longer, drawn out courtship. Why had he been expecting that, though? Just because Rin was human didn’t really mean anything, did it? She was the only mortal within the castle, and was offered no favoritism because of it. Shippo had seen the way the others treated her, and in all honestly, he loved it. Those who would have sneered in her presence had been dismissed years ago, she had told him, everyone remaining being only those who were able to accept their Lord’s decision regarding her presence, and not let it affect their loyalty to the West. Gradually, everyone just “got used to it” as they say, and now, to those who still remained in the castle, Rin was simply Rin. Well, as of more recently, she was Lady Rin, but still, she was treated as an equal, and not coddled due to her ningen weaknesses. It wouldn’t make sense, then, for Sesshoumaru to humor her heritage with human wedding ceremonies, and in all honesty, he doubted Rin was even aware of the details regarding “human” mating customs. Kagome had wanted a wedding for the benefit of her family, but Rin had no human family. In the future, perhaps she would desire to go through the motions of a wedding, merely for the human woman within herself that may one day wish to do so, and should that ever be the case, he would instantly grant her request, but in the mean time… Suddenly, Shippo could not stop the toothy grin that found its way to his lips. He could feel his fangs peaking out from beneath his upper lip as a result, but his smile only continued to increase when he then thought of how his Rin was not even disturbed by the sight of said fangs. His smile grew once more…His Rin.
Making his way down the hall, he didn’t even need to follow his nose, having memorized the passageways long ago. A few servants passed him as he strode by, surprising him momentarily with their brief bows of respect, though he recovered quickly enough to offer then the proper, shorter bow in return. Did everyone already know? He supposed it was quite likely. He knew that word had spread, more in the form of rumors than anything else, but it certainly made what he was about to do a lot easier now. Proposing wasn’t nearly as nerve wracking when everyone you both knew already teased the two of you that you would be married one day. He had even caught his mother occasionally singing an American song from her time called “Something to talk about.” Shaking his head in amusement at the memory, Shippo turned down the final corridor, coming to a stop beside a specific, innocent looking shoji screen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s Note:
Well, I hope you all liked the “battle” scene well enough. That was surprisingly hard to do. It was hard to come up with a way to make Shippo seem strong enough, without being too unrealistically strong, and make Sesshoumaru fall victim (to a point) to his attack, without making the Taiyoukai seem unrealistically weak. I hope I pulled it off.
Translations:
Keikogi - The uniform worn for training in Japanese martial arts. I figure Rin is wearing a youkai adaptation of the modern ensemble, consisting of demonic material to help ensure minimal injury. This is why I mentioned it is white, regardless of the fact that I have no idea what color such a uniform usually is, though white is probably still a fair guess for a beginner, anyway. But Rin’s keikogi is spider-silk, and thus, naturally white by default. Literally translated, keiko means practice, while gi means dress or clothing.
Daichi - Just like Sesshoumaru said, it means “Great First Son.”
Kenatsu - Listed as an official attack of Toukijin that Sesshoumaru mastered shortly after acquiring the blade, the term literally means “Sword Pressure.”
Seki Hino - Seki means stone, but can also mean barrier, which is the context I’m using here. The term hino means “of fire” as hi means fire, and no is the familiar possessive. Yes, I know it could also probably have been written as “Hi no Seki” but “hino” as one word is also correct, and I liked that better. Incidentally, yes, bi also means fire, as we are all familiar with “Kitsune-bi” meaning fox-fire, but that is because in Japanese, words that start with an H are changed to B when they are put in conjunction with other words. Go figure. Also, with the way subject placement in Japanese is usually reversed, according to English perspective, anyway, I’m honestly unsure if the term should really still be written as Hino Seki, instead of the other way around. I finally decided to leave it as Seki Hino based upon the Sailor Moon character, Rei Hino (spirit of fire) otherwise known as Sailor Mars. I’ve seen her name written as both either Rei Hino or Hino Rei, which is merely the same phenomenon we come across with Kagome Higurashi vs. Higurashi Kagome. If all else fails, let’s just say I “Americanized” Shippo’s “barrier of fire” for our convenience, hmmmmm? I know, I know, why not just type the damn thing in English in the first place, then? Well…I thought we could all use a little more of SplendentGoddess’ Japanese 101, I guess. Aren’t these fun? Not that I actually speak the language fluently myself, but research, research, research… If you’re actually trying to learn Japanese, though, I’d double-check anything I say with more reliable sources. Better safe than sorry.
Kokoro no Kizu - Another documented attack in the series, this is the technique Shippo first acquires in episode 130 of the anime, when he discovers that he can see the wind scar while placing a fierce bite upon the lizard youkai he had been fighting against. Literally translated, the attack means “Wound of the Heart” or “Wounded Heart” and was translated in the English dub episode as “Heart Scar.” The attack is capable of draining the victim of some of its youki energy each time it is unleashed, as it still affects the wound in the wind where the two youki energies collide. I think it was originally intended to merely be a weaker version of the Kaze no Kizu, but because it is named Kokoro no Kizu, and Kokoro means heart as in spirit, rather than the physical organ, I decided to dub it a more spiritual attack, rather than a physical one. The wind scar can blast you to pieces, while the heart scar, according to my interpretation, would merely suck you dry of your life-force energy. The original bite attack probably wouldn’t be strong enough to accomplish such a thing, but the attack is now amplified when used through Shinjitsuken. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that Shippo could master his “bite” technique with his sword, considering the sword is made from his own fang. Inuyasha’s fang wouldn’t interfere with Shippo’s abilities within the sword, only make them even that much stronger.
Takusan Ken - Another phrase I put together myself that is more than likely inaccurate. *shrugs* It’s simple enough, though. “Takusan” literally means “many” or “a lot” or whatever, while “Ken” means “Sword.” Yes, katana means sword, but really refers more specifically to that type of long, curved sword, while the term “ken” is more generic. This is correct because besides Sesshoumaru’s attack “Kenatsu” it is also the character “ken” that is used for “sword” in the Japanese art Kendo, “do” meaning “the way” as is derived from the Chinese tao (dao) which also means “the way” hence Taoism. The word Shinto is literally an adaptation of Shin Tao, the way of the gods, the art Kendo meaning the way of the sword. Thus, Takusan Ken simply means “many swords”…unless, of course, there exists another word entirely that also means many swords, of which I am unaware. *shrugs once more*
Osore no honoo - This one is simple enough. Osore means “fear” and honoo means “flame” so the term is literally “Flame of fear.”
Gomenasai - Honestly, do I really even need to bother with this one? But for those of you who may genuinely not know, the term means a very sincere “I’m sorry.” Though, I’m not sure exactly how to write it, since I have seen this phrase written both as one word, like I have here, as well as hyphenated, “Gomen-nasai” and even also as one word but while retaining the extra ‘n’ as seen in “Gomennasai.” I’m unsure which written form may be more correct, since Romanized Japanese obviously isn’t their native way of writing things to begin with. You may also see this phrase shortened, written simply as “Gomen” which is technically also still correct, but less formal. It’s a more casual way of saying you’re sorry, and what you would probably want to use in the beginning of a sentence, if you mean to say “Sorry, but…” as Gomen by itself offers the impression of actually meaning “Sorry, but…” On the other hand, if you simply screwed up, and someone got hurt, and you were merely apologizing, meaning to express something like “I am so incredibly sorry, please forgive me.” with no “buts” in your sentence whatsoever, then you definitely want to use the more formal “Gomenasai” instead.
Now that that’s out of the way…
I will let you know that I hadn’t originally planned on doing a very detailed Shippo/Rin scene, but after having been requested to do so, I decided, why not? What’s so taboo about Shippo getting it on, anyway? You almost never see Shippo lemon, and when you do, it’s usually greeted with mixed reactions, most people finding it somewhat “disturbing” somehow. I understand that in our heart of hearts, we still see Shippo as a little boy, but need I remind you that in the canon, Rin is also still a fairly young little girl? Yet people seem to have no problem letting an adult Rin get as hentai as she wants, at least whenever she’s paired up with Sesshoumaru. Shippo is probably the second favorite pairing for Rin (though honestly, how many realistic choices are there?) but you almost always just hear that they are “mated” and that’s that. We jump ahead five hundred years to the future to find out that Shippo had taken Rin at some point in time throughout history, and here, meet their twenty some-odd children. So that’s okay…? We can know that Shippo grew up, and had children, just so long as we don’t actually witness how that came about…is that it? Ha! A pox upon thee I say! To deny our young kitsune his moment of glory…for shame! So it shall be done. On this twenty-second day, of the fifth month, of the year two thousand and seven, let it be known, I decree it! Shippo shall have his moment of glorious citrus fruit! Huzzah!