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In a Different Light	By : theMaven Category: InuYasha > General Views: 12680 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 27
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                                                        In a Different Light
                                              Chapter 26: In a Different Light
From the end of last chapter:
            Sesshomaru awoke cold, alone and unable to move, sitting beneath the spreading
branches of a magnolia tree. He wasn’t quite sure where Tenseiga had transported him, but even
with his diminished demonic senses he knew two things. One: Rin wasn’t with him, and two:
there were three youkai very nearby.
            “Lord Sesshomaru, at last we can meet with each other on my terms.”
            He knew that voice . . .
            “I always thought someone should knock you down a peg or two, and it at last seems that
someone has.”
            Sesshomaru scoffed inwardly. A peg or two, indeed. Though he would be the last to
admit it, he was completely helpless–not even capable of standing on his own two feet–and his
father’s old friend knew it. “Bokuseno,” he replied flatly.
            The leafy branches above him shook as the ancient tree youkai laughed. “So you do
remember me. How long has it been, my young lord? A decade? More than that, perhaps?”
            Before the lord could reply, one of the other two youkai he sensed in the immediate area
came bursting through the underbrush, Staff of Heads in hand. “Lord Sesshomaru! Lord
Sesshomaru! This Jakken knew he sensed your noble presence.” The toad stopped before his
lord and bowed low. When his retainer raised his head again, his yellow eyes were twice their
normal size. “Lord Sesshomaru . . . what happened to you?”
            His normally fine white silks were tattered and torn, covered in dirt, blood and various
singe marks, the left sleeve of his haori being completely burned off, revealing the remnants of
his left arm. His master’s hair was in equally poor shape, tangled with twigs and dried leaves,
sullied with dirt and blood, and some of the fine, silvery white strands stood completely on end,
while others had been burned the color of charcoal. But these were relatively small matters that
could be fixed by a dip in the river and the simple passage of time. His clothing and armor
would repair themselves, and a few moments of grooming would have his lord looking like his
old self, as sharp, immaculate and deadly beautiful as always. But there was a larger, more
pressing problem that presented itself to Jakken’s view. There was a large hole in the center of
Sesshomaru’s armor that exposed a gaping, charred and slightly bloody, chest wound that went
clear through the other side of his plating. If the toad had the nerve and the motivation, he could
reach through the hole with both hands and touch the bark of old Bokuseno’s trunk his lord was
currently . . . slumping against?
            He wasn’t certain how long ago his mighty lord had been inflicted with such a grievous
injury, but as of now, the wound showed little indication of closing. Jakken swallowed hard,
tightening his grip on the Staff of Heads. If he, himself, had received such a wound he would
either be dead or rolling around on the ground, howling in pain, tears streaming down his face;
his lord, however, showed no indication of any type of discomfort.
            “Jakken,” his lord growled.
            “Y–yes, lord?”
            “This Sesshomaru dislikes being stared at.”
            He quickly averted his gaze, a cold chill shooting down his spine. “Aye, lord. Sorry,
lord.”
            Sesshomaru picked up on the presence of the third youkai not too far down the forest
trail, grazing on the green grass, the lord assumed. “Jakken, have you followed my instructions?
Have you procured the sheath as commanded?”
            Jakken’s response was interrupted by another bout of laughter from the ancient magnolia
tree. “How soon you forget, my young Lord Sesshomaru. Not a twig from my branches departs
without my say so, and, as of yet, I have not said so.”
            Sesshomaru growled inwardly. Old friend of the family and respected sage or not,
Bokuseno was still one of his subordinates, and as such, subject to his commands. But as the old
tree could be quite wily and pernicious, and he had no desire to be portrayed in such a light in
front of his retainer . . .
            “Jakken.”
            “Yes, lord?” He snapped to attention but, recalling his lord’s words, refused to meet his
gaze.
            “Take Ah-Un and retrieve Rin. You should find her approximately 20 miles east of
here.”
            “Yes, lord. Right away, lord.” He bowed his respects then turned and backed his way
down the trail, clutching the Staff of Heads, keeping his head down.
            “And Jakken.”
            He stopped in his tracks, his head still bowed. “Yes, lord?”
            “Do not return without her.”
            “Aye, lord. Yes, lord. You may depend on this Jakken.”
            “Then go and leave the sword here.”
            “I’ll retrieve it from Ah-Un, now, lord.” The toad bowed again then scampered off after
the dragon, who’d moved further down the trail in search of greener grass.
            “So,” Bokuseno began, “what your retainer said is true. The girl still travels with you.”
            Sesshomaru felt the tree’s bark shift behind him, doubtless forming the warm, but
weathered face he’d become so accustomed to seeing. Though, why Bokuseno chose to do such
a thing when he was incapable of meeting the old demon face-to-face was beyond him. His
father’s old friend could project his voice throughout the grove in either form, with or without
his so-called mouth. The Western Lord simply had the feeling that the old tree enjoyed looking
down on him, and was pleased by the fact that he had no definite knowledge of what went on
behind him . . . Doubtless, the old man was taking the opportunity to make sport of him, putting
flowers or other such nonsense in his hair.
            He growled inwardly at that thought and silently vowed that once his spine reformed
itself and he regained the feeling of everything below his chest, he would leave this grove and
never return. He may still be young, but he was not a child; he was still the Lord of the Western
Lands, and that title alone should demand respect and authority.
            “Well?”the tree inquired.
            Jakken returned with the sword, laid it by his side and took off to carry out his other
orders.
            “My retainer has no cause to make up false tales. Everything he should have told you is
as this Sesshomaru instructed.”
            The trees branches shook again as his deep chuckles resounded throughout the cloistered
grove. “So, despite all the scorn and derision you showed both your father and your younger
brother, you have decided to take a human mate?”
            “That is correct.”
            His laughter increased, shaking the ground beneath them. “Oh, how the mighty have
fallen.”
            Sesshomaru scowled inwardly, cursing Tenseiga for setting him down in the tree’s grove.
            “The noble and mighty InuTaisho Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, the most
fearsome demon in all Japan mated to a flower-picking, smiley-faced, low-born, mortal girl.”
            Sesshomaru was unfazed. This was, after all, the reaction he expected from the ancient
youkai.
            Bokuseno continued to taunt and tease him. “Tell me, young lord, has Hell truly frozen
over? I cannot leave this grove, but still I cannot believe the world has changed that much.”
            “Are you quite through?” the lord responded casually.
            “Not at all,” he laughed. “Tell me, what does a sweet and precious thing like that child
see in such a ruthless, heartless, humorless creature like you?”
            “You would have to ask her,” he replied evenly.
            “I intend to,” he replied. “Being your father’s son, I can see the reason for your
attraction to such a warm, lively and undoubtedly lovely creature, but why she would have the
slightest interest in you is beyond me.” The ancient magnolia tree’s laughter soon died out, and
the grove fell silent. “Hmmm,” the tree wondered aloud. “Perhaps she stays with you out of a
sense of pity and obligation. She is a thoughtful and selfless child, and you did revive her with
Tenseiga, did you not?”
            “That is correct.”
            “Perhaps she seeks to sacrifice her happiness to sate your need for companionship,” he
concluded off-handedly.
            “Nonsense.” That was meant to be an inward retort, not an outward reply.
            “Oh?” the tree laughed. “On what counts? She is not selfless, or you are not lonely?”
            The lord gave no reply.
            “Tell me, young lord, why is it that you revived the small child in the first place? What
is it that prompted you to return a human life to its miserable and lowly existence?”
            An image of Rin’s snaggle-toothed grin sprang to mind. The first smile she ever gave
him. She was beaten and bruised, but still she smiled for him.
            “It was a test,” he said simply. “This Sesshomaru wished to test Tenseiga’s powers, so
he did.”
            “Then why did you keep her with you?” the tree asked. “The sword passed the test and
returned her to life. Why didn’t you abandon the child? Leave her along the wayside?”
            “This Sesshomaru tried,” he replied honestly. “She would not be scared off. She refused
to be left behind.”
            The heartiest round of laughter yet left Bokuseno’s mouth and filled the green grove and
its dappled sunlit trails as a cool autumn breeze whipped through the air, lightly ruffling
Sesshomaru’s tangled tresses. “Perhaps you aren’t as humorless as I thought,” the tree laughed.
“You’re trying to tell me that a full-bred inu-youkai could not outrun or outsmart a simple,
human child?”
            If Sesshomaru could only move . . .
            “Be honest with yourself, boy. You’ll look less foolish.”
            Whether an old fool thought he was a fool mattered little to him.
            “You kept that girl around for one reason and one reason only . . . You liked her.
Anything less and you would have killed her on the spot.”
            Sesshomaru huffed. That may be true, but that was none of the old fool’s business.
            “You kept Jakken around because, despite all his bumbling and ineptitude, he genuinely
likes you, nightmare that you are, and you kept the girl around because you genuinely liked her.”
            “This Sesshomaru fails to the see the point in this discussion, old man. My retainer came
here with a simple request, and I demand to know why it was not fulfilled.”
            “Old man?” Bokuseno repeated. “Demand?” he repeated equally as confounded. “Even
in your currently vulnerable position, you would address me with such pretense and disrespect?”
            Sesshomaru scoffed as he took note of a willowy branch as it snaked its way down the
tree and dangled in front of his face, its end threatening to wrap around his neck. “You wouldn’t
dare,” he replied evenly.
            The branch slowly receded, ascending back to the mighty boughs of the ancient tree
youkai. “You are correct, young lord. I would not. For your father’s sake, I would not raise a
leaf to harm you . . . But there are many others who would.”
            “Should this be news to me?” he asked evenly.
            “Tell me, boy, why didn’t you come, personally, to request a sheath for your intended’s
sword?”
            “This Sesshomaru had other business to attend to. I sent my retainer ahead to reduce
travel time. We are on a deadline, and this Sesshomaru knows it takes time to make such
mystical items.”
            “Oh?” the tree asked. “You did it to save time and not to avoid embarrassment?”
            “This Sesshomaru has nothing to be ashamed of.”
            “Oh?” he asked again. “Tell me you care for the girl.”
            Sesshomaru sat silently. He was under no obligation to respond to the ramblings of the
old tree. His feelings for Rin were no one’s business but his own.
            “No?” Bokuseno asked. “You can’t tell me that?” he prodded further. “Well then, tell
me she cares for you, and you’re simply returning her affections to keep her from feeling foolish
and unwanted.”
            Nothing.
            The tree’s teasing tone intensified. “Tell me that you require my assistance to make a
sheath for your beloved’s sword so that she may fend off humans and demons, alike, that don’t
approve of your unconventional relationship.”
            Again, silence.
            “Tell me why you revived her. Tell me why she’s still with you. Tell me why I should
help you when the rest of the youkai community is bound to turn against you, and you can’t
show me an ounce of consideration even if only for the friendship your father and I once
shared.”
            Still nothing.
            Bokuseno sighed, his former humor and high spirits forgotten. “Young lord . . . when
your father came to me seeking advice on taking Lady Izayoi as a mate, I advised him not to do
it.”
            Sesshomaru quietly absorbed this . . . somewhat surprising information as the mystic
fabric of his garments began to repair itself. Soon, the hole in his haori over his chest had
completely closed, disguising his still apparent chest wound, and his left sleeve, though not
completely finished, now covered his left arm.
            Bokuseno continued. “I had nothing against the young noble woman, and, of course, I
had nothing but the utmost respect for your great father and everything he had done for human
and demon alike.”
            “But?” Sesshomaru prompted, his curiosity piqued.
            “Even the most noble and the most powerful cannot simply do as they please. There are
certain standards that must be upheld in youkai society, as you already know, my young lord.
You reminded your father of those standards quite vehemently on more than one occasion.”
            Yes. He recalled those . . . discussions he had with his father regarding InuYasha’s
mother. He had quite a few . . . choice words to describe the human female, and he’d received
quite a few broken ribs because of them.
            At the time, he simply couldn’t comprehend how his father could place a higher value on
that . . . female than on his own family, his own son, his own kind. But now . . .
            If anyone said such things about his Rin for any reason . . .
            “That is irrelevant,” Sesshomaru said smoothly.
            “Irrelevant?” Bokuseno asked.
            “This Sesshomaru has chosen, and he will not be swayed.”
            “No?” the tree asked.
            “No.”
            “No?” he repeated.
            “This Sesshomaru will not repeat himself.”
            Another breeze blew through the grove, rustling the leaves, stirring up the grass,
whipping up the ends of his hair.
            “Tell me, young lord, what makes you think you can stand against all others when you
can’t even stand against me?”
            The Western Lord raised an eyebrow at the ancient youkai’s sardonic tone. “Is that a
challenge?”
            The tree laughed once again. “You mistake me, young lord, but what challenge can an
injured pup present one such as myself?”
            “In twelve hours time, I assure you this Sesshomaru shall be healthy, whole and well-equipped to handle anything you may wish to throw at him.”
            “And why should I wait?” he asked.
            “Because you are an honorable youkai. It would not do for you to attack an opponent
who is . . . ill-prepared for combat.”
            “And why is it that you are so ‘ill-prepared’ for battle, my boy? Did you anger an army
of mikos and provoke them to purify you within an inch of your life?”
            “It is they who provoked me.”
            “Oh?”
            “They took something that did not belong to them.” He could feel Bokuseno’s eyes
boring into the back of him.
            “Is that so, my young lord?”
            “It is.”
            “And what is it that they took that did not belong to them?”
            Sesshomaru was slow to answer. The old tree already proclaimed to disapprove of their
match. How would he feel if he knew he had already failed in his duties to protect his mate?
Not that he cared, of course. He simply wasn’t in the mood for more of the tree’s taunts.
            “Ah, you can’t answer that one, eh? Well, why isn’t the girl with you, now? Why did
you send your servant to search for her 20 miles to the east?”
            “It is where this Sesshomaru last saw her.”
            “And how could you dare let such a delicate thing out of your sight for an instant?”
            Delicate? Rin?
            “You bastard!”
            “Maybe it’s animal shit.”
            “Fuck . . .”
            And though her fighting techniques had no effect on him, they proved quite useful in
dealing with her abductors.
            “As I recall, the girl was quite prone to stumbling into disaster.” He let loose another
hearty chuckle. “I have yet to come across another who would willingly attempt to climb to the
very tops of my branches. Though the poor little thing nearly fell to her death to do it.”
            But he had been there to catch her.
            “Why will you not provide a sheath for her sword?”
            “Why do you require such a sheath for a mortal blade?”
            “For her protection,” he said simply. “Tessaiga’s sheath acts as a barrier against certain
demonic attacks; this Sesshomaru desires the same level of protection for his mate.”
            “Ahh!” the tree cried out. “Finally, we have it in our young lord’s own words. He is not
referring to the words spoken by his servant, and he is not simply agreeing or disagreeing with
statements made by me.”
            “This Sesshomaru sees no sense in repeating things that are already known.”
            “Perhaps it’s because we enjoy hearing them.”
            “Nonsense. Such things are a waste of time and energy. If you are too senile to recall
the simplest of details . . .”
            “I have forgotten possibly more than you will ever know, my young lord. You’d do well
to remember that.”
            “Of course, this Sesshomaru will remember. I am not senile.”
            Sesshomaru was certain he heard movement directly above him, but as he could not turn
to look, there was no way to definitely know. Damned magnolia tree . . . If he put tree sap and
flowers in his hair again . . .
            “I give you the same advice I gave your father. It is an unwise match. It may make you
happy in the short term, but in the long run, the only things that can come of this are death,
destruction and downfall.”
            Disgrace, Sesshomaru added mentally. On his list of ‘why nots,’ it was death,
destruction and disgrace.
            “Then, so be it.”
            The old tree chuckled. “Does she mean so much to you?” he asked. “Would it be so
horrible to be happy for her instead of with her? Can you not set her aside and choose another,
less controversial mate, and leave her to her own kind? Or . . . if you truly desire her
companionship as a bedmate keep her as a mistress, but do not take her as a mate.”
            “Disgraceful,” he spat out.
            “Oh?” he asked. “Your father kept several mistresses before taking your mother as a
mate, and he briefly returned to those ways after her death and before taking up with Lady
Izayoi.”
            “I am not my father.”
            “No. No, you’re not,” Bokuseno agreed. “You’re not as old, as strong, or as popular as
he was. But, getting back to the girl, if keeping her as a mistress is so distasteful to you and
completely giving her up is out of the question, I suggest you wait a few years. Take her as a
mate if you must, but let her be fourth or fifth mate, not the primary. If she truly cares for you,
she should be happy to take whatever she can get. She is just a human, after all, and a peasant at
that. Lady Izayoi had the right to expect a little more from Lord Toga, being of noble blood,
herself, but your poor little urchin doesn’t have a prayer to stand on.”
            Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed, his ire starting to rise. “I will not leave her to the hands of
another. I will not set her aside. I will not wait, nor will I take any mate other than her. I
revived her because she cared for me. I kept her because I grew to care for her. She stays by me
because I am fortunate. She is not an urchin. I am not my father. I do not want your sheath, and
I did not ask for your counsel. This Sesshomaru has spoken, and this matter is closed.”
            Bokuseno laughed.
            Sesshomaru growled.
            “You have changed much from the days of your youth, young InuTaisho. I recall having
a disagreement of opinion with you a few centuries ago, and you wasted no words on me; you
simply attempted to claw me to pieces.”
            He growled yet again.
            “I, of course, beat you quite soundly, knocked you unconscious and used some of my sap
to adorn your hair with flowers in hopes it would teach you to be more gentle with elder youkai.”
            “This Sesshomaru remembers.”
            “And what was that fight about?” he wondered aloud.
            Sesshomaru glowered.
            “Ah, yes! That courtesan, what was her name? The one you were so taken with?”
            Sesshomaru refused to reply.
            “Come on, my boy, you remember her. You came with your father to discuss taking her
as a mate, and I called her an outright whore. Said she was rutting with all the sons of the four
territories, and didn’t prefer one over the other . . . What was her name?”
            Again, he refused relive the humiliations of his youth.
            “Mitsuko! That was her name!” he laughed.
            “Mitsuko was a whore.”
            “Of course, she was. And a damned good one from what I heard. No wonder you lost
your impressionable little head over her.”
            Sesshomaru growled.
            “She made quite a fool out of you, didn’t she?”
            “If you have a point to make, this Sesshomaru suggests you do it quickly.”
            The tree let his chuckles die down. “Ah, yes, my point . . . You seem to have become
more temperate over the years. You’re not so big of a hothead anymore.”
            Sesshomaru scoffed inwardly.
            “And even I must commend you on the way you handled your brother when his demon
blood took over.”
            Sesshomaru scoffed again.
            “I had wanted to tell you that, but you never paid me another visit. I’m sure your father
would have been proud, as well.”
            The Western Lord put on a thoughtful frown. “This Sesshomaru has his doubts.”
            The tree chuckled. “You’re far better at holding a grudge than your father ever was. Had
your father lived, I’m sure you would’ve put past matters behind you, now. How long has it
been?” Bokuseno asked.
            “Seventy-eight years,” he replied flatly. “Perhaps closer to 79.”
            The tree chuckled again. “See? More than enough time for father and son to make
amends . . . And, even if you couldn’t before, certainly given your current situation, I’m sure
you and he could come to more friendly terms.”
            Friends? Sesshomaru questioned. He had never seen his father as anything other than
that–his father, the great and noble Lord of the Western Lands, the one and only InuTaisho, an
inu youkai without equal. He was not a friend; he was his father and commander. He was . . .
            He’d planned on following his father’s example and procuring a suitable mate in his
later years, producing the required heir to continue his bloodline, and then getting on with his
life as he best saw fit.
            His parents were undeniably devoted to one another, as duty and honor dictated, and
both had been quite . . . amicable towards each other during the stint of their union. But it was
clear to anyone with eyes that their only lasting bond resided within him, Sesshomaru, their only
child.
            When his mother died, his father observed the proper period of mourning, and then he’d
met . . . another.
            “Your father kept several mistresses before taking your mother as a mate, and he briefly
returned to those ways after her death and before taking up with Lady Izayoi.”
            His father was . . .
             . . . Somewhat . . . lax in his schooling in the ways of women, and so there were some
lessons he had to learn for himself–the hard way. Truthfully, some females were only interested
in his title, and others were only excited by the prospect of gaining part of his lands. They had
no real interest in him; they merely saw him as the means to an end.
            The union between his father and mother had been an arranged one. It had very little to
do with . . . love and everything to do with prestige and power.
            Though Sesshomaru had somewhat limited contact with Izayoi, InuYasha’s mother, he
knew enough about her to recognize that she was the complete opposite of his mother. While his
mother had been rather . . . cold, in both temperament and demeanor, InuYasha’s mother, in his
opinion, was too warm and friendly, overly trusting and welcoming.
            Yes, his father had marked Izayoi as his life mate, and had he not died, Sesshomaru
assumed that the two of them would still be living . . . quite ‘happily’ together.
            But, from his father’s failings, Sesshomaru learned one thing–mating for . . . love . . . was
to be avoided at all costs . . .. His union with Izayoi had brought nothing but strife and struggle,
death, destruction and decay. It was best to spend your passions in your youth, getting them out
of your system and clearing your mind, then you could settle down with a sensible match with
someone of your status, and spend your later years in comfort and complacency, watching your
pups grow older as they saw to the lands you’d left them.
            “I give you the same advice I gave your father. It is an unwise match. It may make you
happy in the short term, but in the long run, the only things that can come of this are death,
destruction and downfall.”
            “Does she mean so much to you?” he asked. “Would it be so horrible to be happy for
her instead of with her? Can you not set her aside and choose another, less controversial mate,
and leave her to her own kind? Or . . . if you truly desire her companionship as a bedmate keep
her as a mistress, but do not take her as a mate . . .. If she truly cares for you, she should be
happy to take whatever she can get. She is just a human, after all, and a peasant at that. Lady
Izayoi had the right to expect a little more from Lord Toga, being of noble blood, herself, but
your poor little urchin doesn’t have a prayer to stand on.”
            Yes. He recalled those . . . discussions he had with his father regarding InuYasha’s
mother. He had quite a few . . . choice words to describe the human female, and he’d received
quite a few broken ribs because of them.
            At the time, he simply couldn’t comprehend how his father could place a higher value on
that . . . female than on his own family, his own son, his own kind. But now . . .
            If anyone said such things about his Rin for any reason . . .
            His father was only a male . . .
            But with Rin, since he had discovered his . . . unusual attachment to the girl, every day
had become a struggle for balance, for control. That night, since that night two weeks ago days,
he had found himself . . . feeling things he literally hadn’t felt in centuries.
            Before she had returned, fearing that she would not return, he felt . . . lonely and
abandoned. When Rin had returned to the campsite, there was a brief moment of joy, followed
by an unseemly rush of lust. But that changed when the wind changed, and he picked up
something other than Rin’s scent. Not only had she returned to him late; she was covered in the
scent of that young, human male, that Taro, as she called him. That had made him angry.
Angry, jealous, disgusted and . . . hurt . . . hurt that she had chosen someone that was not him.
            When she had cried at his feet, begging him not to send her away, her words broken up
with sobs, the salt of her tears heavily scenting the air, he had felt pity . . . and remorse . . .
remorse that his actions had caused her such pain. And when she had called him by his name,
sans title, her cheeks red and her soft, lilting voice halting . . . Warmth. He felt a great deal of
warmth at that moment. Warmth, tenderness and this . . . overwhelming need to protect her, to
hold her and keep her safe . . .
            His father was only a male, much like himself.
            His need to stay by and protect InuYasha’s mother . . . was no different than his desire to
stay by and protect his Rin.
            “Perhaps you are correct, Bokuseno. Perhaps . . . had my father lived, we would have
come to terms.”
            “Perhaps?” his father’s friend chuckled. “Do you think any father would let his son stay
so distant for so long?”
            Sesshomaru gave no reply.
            “So you’re still jealous of your younger brother, I see, still convinced that your father
loved him best.”
            Again, no reply.
            “He gave you what you needed, didn’t he? Just as he gave InuYasha what he needed.
Tell me, young lord, what would your life be like without Tenseiga?”
            He had wondered that himself not too recently.
            “Would we be having this talk? Would you have such a large hole in your chest?”
            “Only the Fates would be able to answer that.”
            “Ah, I suppose that’s true. But you certainly wouldn’t have that girl that you can’t seem
to get rid of.”
            “No,” he finally admitted. “No, I would not.”
            “So . . . it would seem that your father did you quite a favor, after all.”
            He gave a slight nod. “Yes . . . It would seem that he did.”
            Bokuseno chuckled, his many leaves shaking. “So, father does know best.”
            By saying his father was right would be admitting that he had been . . . wrong . . . But . . .
he was wrong, wasn’t he? If he had any right to be with Rin, he must have been wrong . . .
mustn’t he?
            “Yes,” he finally concluded. He was wrong to object to his father’s relationship with
Izayoi. It was not his place to interfere and intrude upon his father’s happiness when, as it now
seemed, he had so little joy in his life to begin with. When the others turned against him, he, as
his eldest son, should’ve been the first to rise up in his defense. But he didn’t, and now he had
no one in his corner . . . Not that he needed anyone . . .
            “Humility is a hard lesson to learn, isn’t it, my young lord?”
            He raised a questioning eyebrow in response.
            “Even your father failed to excel on that particular point. He assumed that his power
afforded him the right to simply do as he pleased, without apology and without explanation.”
            “It does,” Sesshomaru replied.
            “It didn’t work on you, did it?”
            Sesshomaru sat silent.
            “When you refused to accept Lady Izayoi into the family, did your father’s beating alter
your opinion at all?”
            “No,” he replied quietly.
            “You cannot win friends through force, young lord.”
            “My father had many allies, old Bokuseno.”
            “I didn’t think I should have to tell you allies are not friends, young lord. Allies may
change allegiances; friends, true friends, stand by you regardless. And, sad to say, your father
didn’t have many friends . . . not even his son.”
            That pain, that ache, that emptiness in the center of his chest . . . It wasn’t from that
female’s mystical attack.
            “Yes, your father knew how to conquer territories and intimidate rivals, and he was a just
ruler with compassion towards all his subjects, but . . . humility was not his strong point, and he
paid dearly because of it.”
            “And your advice?” Sesshomaru asked.
            The tree laughed. “You? Want my advice?”
            “This Sesshomaru did not seek your counsel before on this matter, and told you as much.
But . . . he is doing so, now. I . . . This Sesshomaru would do much in the way of securing his
mate’s safety. If an altercation may be avoided, I wish to do so.”
            “Do you mean that, Lord Sesshomaru?”
            He gave a slight nod in reply. “Yes.”
            Silence suddenly filled the small grove as yet another cool breeze swept through.
            “It cannot be avoided,” Bokuseno finally replied.
            “I see,” the demon lord replied.
            “Even in the best set of circumstances, your union with the human will cause upheaval
and strife. You may have changed, but the times have not.”
            “As I thought,” Sesshomaru nodded.
            “But, my young lord, you may count this ‘old man’ as your friend. I would not see you
end your days as your father did . . . especially when you seem to have so much potential.”
            A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I thank you, Bokuseno.”
            The old youkai chuckled. “I was quite fond of your mother, Lady Sora, as well as Lady
Izayoi. They both complemented your father in their own way. And I shudder to think of
anything bad befalling that sweet girl you couldn’t outrun or outsmart.”
            Sesshomaru chuckled lightly to himself.
            “As an advisor, young lord, my advice to you still stands. It is an unwise match.”
            He nodded his understanding.
            “But, as your friend and as your father’s friend, I wish you all the best that I wished your
father and Lady Izayoi.”
            Sesshomaru nodded yet again.
            “Now,” Bokuseno began, “since Totosai refuses to come within 200 yards of you, let’s
see if we can’t come up with an extra special sheath for the young lady’s sword. Something that
can be used for offense as well as defense.”
                                                                8 8 8
            “Is he all right?” Rin asked.
            It was past nightfall and Jakken had found the young woman in sleeping in the hollow at
the top of a tree, of all places, just where his lord had said–20 miles east of Bokuseno’s clearing.
She hadn’t lit a fire. She didn’t have a blanket, and she was curled up in the tightest ball he’d
ever seen. After Ah-Un had tracked her down, and she’d beaten Sesshomaru’s faithful retainer
soundly over the head for trying to “attack” her in her sleep, they allowed her a moment to jump
in the river, comb her hair and change her clothes before heading back to their lord’s location.
Oddly enough, she threw her old clothes into the river and didn’t blink once as she watched them
float downstream.
            “Jakken!”
            He sat in the front of Ah-Un’s saddle, while she brought up the rear. Unfortunately, this
afforded her every opportunity to yell in his ear, shake him about the collar and give him
sporadic hits to the head. “What is it, girl?”
            “Is Sesshomaru all right?”
            There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the wind was gentle and calm, and the moon was full
and bright. It was the perfect weather for flying.
            “You’ll see for yourself soon enough,” he replied crossly. He wasn’t about to tell her
their lord had a hole the size of half her head in his chest. Women were so squeamish about
blood and pain and such. “And what happened to you, anyway? How dare you run off without
our great and noble lord?”
            Rin scoffed. “I didn’t run off; I got . . .”
            “Got?”
            “Kidnaped,” she replied sheepishly.
            “Kidnaped?” he laughed. “Impossible. Our lord would never allow such a thing. You
must be mistaken.”
            “Did you see my clothes, Jakken?”
            “You always were clumsy,” he replied. “Falling down, ripping stuff, breaking things.”
            “That may be,” she replied stiffly, “but I certainly didn’t try to slit my own throat.”
            The toad turned in the saddle and . . . did notice an angry, red gash reaching across her
throat. Impossible, he convinced himself, turning back around. Lord Sesshomaru would never
let anything happen to the girl. She must have . . . slipped on something, injured her neck on a
stray tree branch or scraped it against a sharp rock . . .
            Yes, that had to be it.
            “Jakken, please tell me if he’s all right. I’ve been worried about him all day.”
            “All day?” he glanced over his shoulder to see her nod. “And exactly why weren’t you
with him? Where did you go? What did you do?”
            “I . . . killed two people.”
            “What!”
            “I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. It was us or them. I mean, they kidnaped me;
I didn’t ask to be held captive and beaten up.”
            “Beaten . . . up?” he squeaked.
            “Oh! Don’t tell him that. I’m sure he feels bad enough as it is, and it’s not his fault. It
was just one of those weird things that happens. I mean, demon hunters aren’t exactly common
things . . . especially ones with holy barriers and Mystic Flames and . . . particularly painful
healing powers.”
            Holy barriers? Mystic Flames? Well, he supposed that could explain the hole in Lord
Sesshomaru’s chest and his rather . . . disheveled appearance. But . . . “How could all that
happen in just the time we’ve been gone?”
            “Well . . . we had one quiet night together right after the festival, and then the next
night... They grabbed me while I was going to the bathroom.”
            That would explain why their lord wasn’t with her. No one ever watched Rin go to the
bathroom . . . It was just too disgusting. But . . .
            “He couldn’t sense them because of the barrier, and there were five of them, and just one
of me, so . . .”
            Five men? Five men took little Rin and . . . beat her? He threw a quick glance over his
shoulder at her. She didn’t look very beaten, but . . . she did say something about “painful
healing powers.”
            Gods . . . how could she live through such a thing? They must have . . .
            Rin laughed. “Everyone who thinks all women are ‘delicate flowers’ certainly never met
these hunters.”
            Wait. What? Women?
            All thoughts of Rin’s “injuries” quickly disappeared, and he fought off the urge to turn
around and rap the girl on the skull with the Staff of Heads for worrying an old man. What
could five females do, after all?
            “I’ve never seen Sesshomaru in such a state. All the blood and the howling and the
barrier . . . Can’t you just give me a little hint about how he’s doing?”
            That was right. Their lord did have a rather large hole in the center of his chest. And he
did command him to fetch Rin and gave him her approximate location . . . “When did you last
see our lord?” he asked.
            “Earlier today,” she said. “He transformed into a ball of light and disappeared
somewhere to the west. Where is he, anyway?”
            The sphere of light. Lord Sesshomaru most often assumed that form when he was too
injured to travel on his own power. At that time Tenseiga would take over and transport him to
safety. So that meant . . .
            “You’ll see,” Jakken replied.
            “By the gods, Jakken, I’ve answered every, single question you’ve asked, and you
haven’t given me one straight answer. I want to know if he’s all right. I want to know where
we’re going. And I want to know why he didn’t come himself.”
            “Killed two people, you said.”
            “Yes! I strangled one and cut the head off another. Is. He. All right?”
            “And these ‘demon hunters’ took you right out from under our lord’s nose.”
            “Yes! They used a barrier, and they’d been tracking us.”
            “And they beat you,” he added.
            “Yes! But, he doesn’t need to know that. As far as he’s concerned, I was just bait in a
trap, do you understand that? There’s no point in him beating himself up for something that
wasn’t his fault and was completely out of his control.”
            Jakken scoffed. Nothing was beyond his lord’s control.
            “Scoffing at me, are you? Well, you weren’t there, were you? You don’t know what
happened, do you? You didn’t see it, did you? You . . . weren’t in the village. You weren’t on
top of the mountain, and you have no idea what he did.”
            “What he did?” he scoffed again. “It sounds to me as if you fell into another pitiful
kidnaping plot, and our lord had to come to your rescue yet again.”
            “He . . . stepped on a little girl, Jakken. He destroyed an entire village–the innocent and
the guilty alike. He bit a woman’s head off and tried to swallow another one whole. And, yes,
I’m very grateful that he came for me, Jakken. And I know that he’d never intentionally hurt me,
and he’d do everything within his power to protect me, but . . .
            “I know you’re probably used to seeing him like that. And I know that’s part of who he
is, and I love every part of him, but . . . I never want to see him in that particular light again. I
never want to put myself in a situation that causes him to be that angry, that frustrated, that
anguished and lost. I . . . I love him too much to see him hurting that badly, so . . .”
            He listened to her sniff and draw in a deep breath.
            “Don’t you dare tell him what happened!” She yanked him out of the seat and dangled
him over Ah-Un’s side. “Do we understand each other, Jakken?”
            The little toad swallowed hard as he glanced down at the ground far, far below.
            “If you can’t see things from my point of view, I’ll understand completely, of course. I
will have to drop you, though. Seeing as how I’ve already killed a human mystic and a very
powerful priestess, doing away with one, miserable toad demon shouldn’t be too difficult.”
            “This Jakken understands!” he cringed, not daring to move for fear of being dropped.
“Not one word! This Jakken won’t utter one word about Lady Rin’s horrendous, torturous
ordeal!”
            Rin laughed, setting him back down in front of her. “You are a little hentai, aren’t you?
Who said anything about torture?”
            Jakken breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be back in the firm, leather saddle as opposed
to dangling in the cold, empty air.
            “They knocked me around a lot, and they kicked me some. And that bastard Takeda
made me lick up my own vomit . . . But that’s not really torture, is it? That’s just disgusting. I
don’t think even Sesshomaru would make somebody do something like that. Like eating shit or
drinking urine. Ewwww! Human waste is so disgusting. And then they did stick this seed in
my head. But it’s not the type of ‘seed’ you were thinking about, you little pervert. They said it
was from the Forest of Grief, and it was awful. It was like reliving all your worst nightmares,
and you couldn’t move because the seed has a paralyzing affect while it feeds on you. Oh! And
I nearly died!”
            Jakken rolled his eyes. He’d never heard someone so happy talking about a kidnaping
ordeal. Crazy girl excited about nearly dying.
            She tapped him on his shoulder. “How long before we get to where we’re going, Jakken?
You know our lord has very good ears, and I don’t want him to hear a word of this. Did you see
the top of that mountain I was beside? He leveled it looking for me. Isn’t that tragic?”
            “Yes, yes. Too tragic for words.”
            She continued talking just as chipper as before. “Have you ever been in love, Jakken? I
mean, is there someone you’d absolutely go crazy for if you couldn’t see her again?”
            Jakken scoffed. “This Jakken would never ‘go crazy’ for any female.”
            “Really?” She laughed. “At your age? Don’t tell me you’re a virgin, Jakken.”
            “Stupid girl.”
            “Well, are you? I’ve never seen you with anyone . . . Or are you a big fan of the tea
houses and the courtesans?”
            “This Jakken would never waste his time or money on such things. Why pay for
something one could easily get for free?”
            Rin laughed out loud. “So. How many have their been, Jakken? Care to enlighten this
‘stupid girl’ with some of your years of experience.”
            The old toad scoffed, a slight smile crossing his misshapen mouth. “You’re too young to
hear about such things.”
            “Oh c’mon, Jakken! Share with me. Where’s the harm? One name. Certainly there
must be one demon that still has a hold on that ugly, green heart of yours.”
            “Mind your own business, girl. Isn’t that the advice you gave me?”
            “Well, even if I don’t want you to comment on it, you know what’s going on.”
            The toad smirked. “Like that morning you gave this Jakken a very loud wake up call?”
            Rin laughed. “I wasn’t that loud.”
            Jakken shot her a knowing grin over his shoulder.
            She smacked the back of his head. “See, you know too much already. One name. You
owe me one name, Jakken. One demon you could never say no to.”
            “Well, that is simple.”
            “Well?” she prompted.
            “Lord Sesshomaru,” he said emphatically.
            “Jakken! That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Haven’t you ever wanted to take
someone as a mate? Anyone at all?”
            The toad huffed quietly as the nighttime scenery passed below. “No one who would be
interested in this Jakken in that capacity.”
            Rin groaned sympathetically and patted the top of his head. “Is there anything more
heartbreaking than unrequited love?”
            Jakken scoffed and shooed her hand away. “This Jakken doesn’t need your pity.”
            “I guess not,” Rin said. “But you do have my friendship. And whoever it is that can’t
see what a good person you are underneath it all, isn’t worth the trouble, anyway. Who wants
someone that doesn’t like you the way you are?”
            Jakken huffed again, slightly tightening his hold on the dragon’s reins. Ah-Un kept up a
quick but steady pace, the autumn wind whipping against their faces, the full moon sinking
lower on the horizon. Minutes passed in silence as they neared their destination.
            “It’ll be so nice to see him again,” Rin sighed.
            “Indeed.”
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Author’s Note: No one, and I mean absolutely no one correctly guessed who greeted our fallen
Western Lord. Heehee . . . I’m such a clever little minx ^ ^ And now we know where Jakken
and Ah-Un went and why.
For the enquiring minds who want to know, I’d say there’s three or four more chapters left,
probably around this length.

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers on all the sites, and I hope I didn’t disappoint,
theMaven :)
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In a Different Light