The Hot Springs

Author Notes:
hajimemashite: "nice to meet you." This translation is not literal, but it is fairly accurate.
obasan: "aunt." Do not confuse with obaasan, which is "grandmother."
ojisan: "uncle." Do not confuse with ojiisan, which is "grandfather."



~~~~~~Two Kilometers South of the Great Northern Ravine, Late Evening~~~~~~
The army had moved fast in the remaining daylight. Though Genbu was certain that they had a good eight-kilometer lead on the army last night, they must have traveled past sunset and set out again before dawn. By tomorrow morning, they would be at the ravine, and he knew that the only options for crossing would be to spend two months building their own bridge, or to find the bridge twenty-five kilometers to the east. If they went west looking for a bridge, they would not find one for thirty-two kilometers.

In any case, the ravine would delay them for about four days, and it was another seven days, if you ran, to get to the main castle of the Northern Lands. For the army, it would take fourteen, so they would be lucky to get there in eighteen days--that is, if they could find the castle that quickly. Not many humans knew the location of the ruling demon’s headquarters.

We'll be ready, and Toku will have returned by then as well.

The army was squeezing through the forest by traveling an overgrown path that once was used by a local village, but now was used only by deer and other small game. From his spying spot amongst the branches of a tree, Genbu looked for the leader of the army, keeping in mind the physical description that he had asked of his mother while he was at home. Several rows of foot soldiers came first, and then a group of horses flanked on both sides by more foot soldiers. There were six men on horses: the two in front carried the flags of their army, the two in back looked like officers, and the two in the middle looked like they were related by blood. The older one matched his mother’s description, and the younger one had a nasty wound on his forehead, probably thanks to his father.

Genbu smiled.

He sat there for another half an hour, counting their entire army and all of their siege supplies. With the numbers in his head and a phoenix demon that waited only a hundred yards from the path, Genbu carefully eased away from the solid branch beneath him. Hopping to the next branch, he checked once over his shoulder to be certain that he hadn’t been detected, and when he heard no shout of warning, he continued on his way, moving from tree to tree until he reached his ride.

Though the army would take eighteen days, the phoenix demon, when pushed to its limit, could reach the castle by breakfast the day after tomorrow.

"Oi...we’ve got to push it now. If you go your fastest, I’ll feed you an extra bucket of those spices you like," Genbu promised, giving the fushichou youkai an incentive. The bird puffed up its feathers at the idea, looking happy, and Genbu swung up to the saddle, patting its neck.

"Let’s go."


~~~~~~Inuyasha’s Home~~~~~~
"Mmm! I’ve missed your cooking, okaasan," Karran praised, savoring the last bite. Rin smiled, picking up the empty plate. She found that her appetite had fled, but she would try to eat later--it was unavoidable, anyway, since Sesshoumaru would force food down her throat if he suspected that she hadn’t eaten.

"I’m glad you liked it," she smiled, setting the plate in the water basin near the door. She turned to look at Karran again, but her daughter was already on her feet, leaning over a lightly snoring Jaken.

"I’m surprised Jaken-sama did not fall off of Ah-Un on our way here...his eyes were so bloodshot when he arrived at my master’s home," Karran whispered, smiling. Her eyes changed a bit then, and she straightened, lifting her nose into the air. Rin came to her feet as well, her heart palpitating faster. She had learned to distinguish that look on her family’s faces--the look of a recognized scent.

"Otousan is with Inuyasha-sama and what must be his son...and a woman," she smiled, looking to her mother. Rin was already making her way to the front of the house, ready to open the door. She could hear voices and hurriedly pulled the door aside. Inuyasha walked in first, completely ignoring Rin as he carried a woman inside. She was unconscious, dressed in a bizarre fashion, but she was very obviously the same girl who had helped Rin deliver every one of her children.

Inuyasha walked down the other hallway where the bedrooms were located. The next person that came in looked so human that Rin had a visible reaction to him. Must be Inuyasha’s son. She felt Karran walk up behind her and realized that neither of them had actually met Kouryoku.

He seemed distracted, his eyes fixed upon the corner around which his parents had disappeared. Rin stepped in his line of sight, though, catching his attention.

"Hajimemashite," she said, bowing. "I am Rin, your aunt," she said, offering him a tentative smile. He seemed a bit skeptical for a split second, but then remembered his manners and bowed in return. She saw her mate enter then, who silently watched the rest of the exchange.

"This is my only daughter, Karran," she said, gesturing to the female who was standing as quietly as Sesshoumaru. "She’s your cousin--well, your quarter-cousin, I suppose," she admitted. Karran hesitated for a split second before she very gracefully bowed, hands clasped in front of her. Her mother watched her warily, hoping that something horrid didn’t spill out of her mouth. Instead she remained quiet, much to her mother’s grateful surprise. Rin couldn’t miss the surprised look on Kouryoku’s face, either.

"I am honored to meet you, obasan...Karran-san," he said quietly, not really looking at Rin and mostly looking at Karran. Sesshoumaru looked to his daughter, who appeared thunderstruck by meeting Kouryoku. Reacting on instinct, he stepped between them.

"You should check on your father," he suggested to him, blocking Kouryoku’s view of his ravishing cousin. Duly turned away, he took a step back, nodding once to Rin before he walked around the west corner. She noticed the exchange as well, and wasn’t really sure what to make of it. Karran disappeared towards the kitchen, and Rin was left standing there with her mate, looking at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"What was that?" she asked quietly. He didn’t answer her for a second, and she couldn’t see any particular expression on his face. Stepping closer, she peered around him to look down the hallway that led to the kitchen and saw her daughter sitting down at the table. "Did they recognize each other? Do you think they’ve met before?" she guessed, poking her husband’s side. He looked down at her.

"No, they haven’t met. But I do not want her alone with him," he declared, seemingly impassive and blasé about it. She squinted her eyes up at him, knowing when he was hiding something that made him uncomfortable. It finally dawned on her when she replayed the scene in her mind, especially the part where he stepped in between the two gawking children.

"It was love at first sight, wasn’t it?" she said beneath her breath, sounding wistful. The way their eyes held, and the look of surprise on Karran’s face... "And because he’s three-quarters human, you don’t want her even thinking of becoming his mate," she clucked, her tone disapproving.

He looked down at her, his mask slipping a bit.

"You have no objections to this?" he asked, the incredulous one now.

"Well...it does seem a bit wrong," she acknowledged. "They are...cousins, after all." Sesshoumaru waved that aside, looking over his shoulder to see if Karran had moved. She was still at the table so he turned back to his mate.

"That does not matter. Their only blood relation is my father, and he was genetically perfect, as am I. Humans are the only ones that suffer the consequences of intermixing among close family members, and on that score, she and he are unrelated entirely."

"That settles it then. They can do what they like," she smiled, unsure what "genetically" meant, but glad that he settled her only misgiving. Maybe he learned the word from Kagome. He made a frustrated noise.

"I’ll not have her marry someone who is almost human," he ground out, his anger showing--one of the few emotions he had no trouble displaying.

"...But you married someone who’s entirely human," she quietly countered, genuinely hurt. His lips fell ajar as he realized his mistake, and his eyebrows scrunched inward as a rare apology rose to the tip of his tongue. She shoved away from him, though, and made to walk around him on her way towards the kitchen, but he grabbed her elbow, hauling her into his arms.

"Let go of me!" she furiously whispered, trying not to alert their daughter, who could probably see them if she only turned her head. Rin glanced at his face, and suppressed a gasp at the open expression he displayed to her. He looked...desperate. Her feet dangled in the air, and his beguiling mouth ventured dangerously close.

"I sometimes forget, but you remind me everyday," he said, his meaning very vague. She continued to push away from him, but he only held her tighter, inexorably pulling her higher against his chest, closer to his lips.

"What are you talking about?" she softly demanded, leaning her head away from his seeking mouth.

"I thought to never tell you this, but...I am no longer concerned about the repercussions, and can say that you hold an authority over me that makes you more powerful than I could ever imagine to be. I apologize for doubting that," he whispered, his lips an inch from her own. She was indescribably moved, and her body relaxed in his arms.

His kiss soothed and aroused at the same time, and she was embarrassed to be so openly affectionate when they were in their daughter’s line of sight. Her breasts tingled, and the tips tightened despite her hesitance, but she felt him slowly drawing away. Her feet touched the floor again, and his arms loosened. He didn’t draw back entirely, though, and kissed his way to the bend in her neck. She turned her head to look towards the kitchen, and was not surprised to see Karran staring at them, but was surprised by how unaffected she felt by it. Karran turned away again just as Sesshoumaru leaned back, his hands gently falling away. Rin looked to her mate.

"I forgive you then," she whispered, looking up at him. He nodded once, a tiny smirk sitting on the corner of his mouth, and briefly glanced down the kitchen’s hallway.

"Talk to her, and I’ll see what is happening with my brother," he said, turning to the other hallway. Rin nodded, watching him as he disappeared around the corner.


~~~~~~Above the Northern Forest, "Cold Wood"~~~~~~
Genbu was bent low over the head of his phoenix demon, which sped over the trees so fast that they blurred, and rocky hills came and passed within minutes. The moon rose high overhead, barely visible behind thick clouds that blocked the stars. He had to reach his commander, and prepare their army to counter the somewhat formidable siege weapons that were coming their way. Though his commander had orders to fortify the castle, there was no reason for haste in carrying out the order--now there was.


~~~~~~Inuyasha’s Home, the Kitchen~~~~~~
"I am honored to meet you, obasan...Karran-san."

Karran had stood there speechless. Something indescribable was happening to her, and her physical reaction to it had frozen the words in her throat. Kouryoku was incredibly handsome: long, black hair tied in a high ponytail, a very strong jaw, and beautiful golden eyes. He was the same height as her own father, and she could feel the strength emanating from him. He wore the traditional clothing she was used to, but the entire ensemble was black, and it not only emphasized his smooth, clear complexion, but also made his eyes stand out even more.

And though the contrast was there, he was a darkly charming creature, and she was a fool to think that his looks were not tugging upon her heart’s strings.

She coot not tear her eyes away, held in his gaze by some unknown force. However, her father had stepped between them, and she had blinked rapidly, as if released from a spell. Backing up a step, she could hear her father dismiss him and felt a foreboding in her stomach. Shaken, she had walked to the kitchen and sat down.

The look and scent of him, and her response, played inside her mind’s eye over and over again. She shifted her legs slightly, and felt a warm wetness that astonished her. Paranoid that someone could tell, she looked to the front of the house, and saw her father in a lusty embrace with her mother. When her mother turned her head to look at her, Karran shied away, returning her gaze to the tabletop.


~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rin entered the kitchen and noted her daughter’s odd silence. Checking the food first, she then sat next to Karran and folded her hands in her lap. She waited for Karran to speak first, but after a couple of minutes, it was obvious that Karran didn’t know that she had been so transparent.

"Wasn’t it nice to meet Kouryoku after all this time?" she began, not cutting directly to the subject but landing close to it. Karran smiled and nodded, but said nothing. "He’s certainly as handsome as his mother is beautiful. I remember Kagome-san when she was the age she is now. I was merely eight-years-old at the time, but I have always had a good memory."

"I see," was all Karran said, her voice strangely weak.

"When Kagome-san helped me give birth to Tai-chan, I learned that she had already borne two sons. Yuuki was just a baby, almost a year old, and Kouryoku was four," she explained, pausing in thought. "Hmm, I wonder where her other son is...well, I won’t bother her about it--she’s obviously going to have enough problems as it is." Karran nodded distractedly, her mind already elsewhere. "I noticed, you know," she said mutedly, leaning closer to her daughter. Karran caught the undertone and looked askance at her mother.

"As far as I can tell, Kouryoku felt the same, and I know he’s a good boy if Kagome-san raised him. You reacted to him quite visibly...unless, of course, I’m misinterpreting what I saw. Am I?" she asked, sitting close enough now that their hips touched. Karran’s eyes were brimming with tears, and Rin wondered why in the world she would be crying.

"I’ve..." she started, her voice the tiniest whisper. Rin had to listen carefully to catch it all. "I’ve never felt anything so powerfully." A tear fell, and she was quick to wipe it away. She looked over Rin’s shoulder, as if expecting to see her father there. Then looking directly into her mother’s eyes, she went on, "my heart was frozen and wildly beating at the same time. My breath caught inside my throat, and my head was swimming so much that I became dizzy in seconds." Rin watched her daughter slowly close her eyes, her head rolling back as if she were reliving it.

"I was instantly wet between my thighs--it’s still damp, even now," she admitted. Rin gasped, completely shocked, and an admonishment formed on her lips. Karran went on, though, not letting her mother talk. "I know it’s what I’ve been missing. I felt it so keenly that it was all I could do to bow to him," she said. She looked at her mother, and Rin could see that the exchange, however brief and uncoordinated, had shaken her daughter to the core. A worried look then passed over Karran’s face, and she leaned forward to speak in a hurried whisper,

"He’s almost human, and father would never let me near him if he suspe--"

"He knows, Karran...but don’t worry about him. You have my blessing, and your father will come around. Count on me," she reassured her with a wink. The relief in her daughter’s eyes was plain to see, and all the tension in Karran’s body eased away. Rin pulled her into a hug, and Karran set her head on her mother’s shoulder, looping her arms around her waist.

"Did I tell you that I like your kimono?" she complimented. Karran laughed lightly and snuggled into her mother’s arms.


~~~~~~Inuyasha’s Home, the Master Bedroom~~~~~~
Sesshoumaru found the right bedroom easily with just his ears, and stepped quietly into the room. Inuyasha had placed his mate on a large futon covered with furs and strange-looking pillows that had what looked like tassels on them. Sesshoumaru thought of the futon in his and his wife’s bedroom at his own estate, and felt annoyance as he remembered how bare it is. A single silk sheet covered the girl, who was still in a deep sleep. Kouryoku turned when Sesshoumaru entered, but his expression was unreadable. Inuyasha looked up after a long couple of minutes, still sitting next to her.

"How long will she be asleep?" he asked calmly.

"Rin was asleep until the next day’s zenith,\s Ses Sesshoumaru’s simple answer. Kouryoku took a step forward, looking more closely at his mother. It hadn’t seemed like it was she when he first saw her. She smelled the same and mostly looked the same, but she acted differently that he had remembered. Then again, she was his mother, not his friend--mothers act differently.

Inuyasha sighed, looking down at her. Brushing away the hair that had fallen onto her cheek, he then stood up, walked around the futon.

"Might as well eat then. Smells good," he said, obviously reluctant to leave the bedroom. They all left quietly, and Inuyasha shut the door behind him. They made their way slowly to the kitchen, having to cross the front han thn their way. Sesshoumaru was reminded of the undercurrents between his daughter and Kouryoku, and imperceptibly stiffened in annoyance. It has been a very annoying day.

He unconsciously led the group through the halls, and was the first to see his wife embracing his daughter, who looked a bit upset. Karran could hear them coming, he was certain, and it wasn’t long before she was sitting normally again, looking as if nothing had happened. The other two didn’t seem to notice, for they were discussing what to do with Kagome overnight, and all three entered the kitchen within a moment’s time.

"Ah, Inuyasha-sama! I hope you like curry--you had the spices...rather strange bottles, I must say, but I assumed that you might eat it. There’s plenty for everyone," Rin said, rising smoothly to serve the food.

"Arigatou, Rin-san," Inuyasha said evenly, sitting down at one end of the table. Rin was amused to see Sesshoumaru take the other end. Kouryoku took the seat across from Karran, next to his father, and Jaken was still passed out in the corner of the room. She was so interested in the newest development with Karran that her head was constantly swiveling from the curry pot to the table as she dished out two portions. Karran was wisely keeping her eyes downcast to avoid a strange scene, but Kouryoku was not taking such measures and stared at her as if she were dessert. Setting the plates in front of Inuyasha and his son, she said,

"Feel free to eat the rest. I think I might make up another plate for Jaken, though," she mused, looking to Sesshoumaru, who raised an eyebrow at her.

"If you can rouse him from unconsciousness," he answered.

"Are you not eating, Karran-san?" Kouryoku asked, catching Sesshoumaru’s attention.

"I have already eaten, thank you," she answered, fidgeting with the sleeves of her dress. Though Sesshoumaru gave no outward reaction, he wondered where his brazen daughter went. What she said reminded him, though, and he asked,

"Rin...have you eaten any food?" She was currently shaking Jaken’s shoulder, holding a heaping plate of curry in one hand. Jaken’s eyes cracked open, showing just how tired he was, but he sat up anyway, and wordlessly took the food offered.

"No, but I am not hungry," Rin answered, inwardly stomping with frustration since he noticed so soon. Kouryoku began to eat, grudgingly taking his eyes away from Karran. Inuyasha seemed too distracted to really notice anything, and ate with his eyes on his plate.

"You will eat something...I caar yar your stomach rumbling," he pointed out, not giving an inch.

"Inuyasha-sama, will you have enough room for us to stay the night?" Rin asked, avoiding the topic entirely.

"You and my brother can have the room closet to the front. My son sleeps in--"

"Do not change the subject, Rin," her mate affirmed, coming to his feet.

"My son sleeps in the bedroom furthest back. Karran can choose either of the remaining bedrooms. One is next to the master bedroom and one is next to Kouryoku’s bedroom."

"I am not hungry!" she pouted, setting her hands on her hips. Sesshoumaru looked inside the curry pot and found it empty. There was still some food on the table, though.

"You are hungry. You just have no appetite. But you need food," he explained.

"I’ll sleep in the bedroom next to Kouryoku-san...to give you and Kagome-san more privacy," Karran said to Inuyasha, her eyes daringly flicking to Kouryoku.

"I’ll eat in the morning," Rin reasoned.

"You will not sleep there," Sesshoumaru said to Karran. "And you will eat now. At least a bowl of rice," he said to Rin, pointing at the pile of rice that still remained on one of the plates on the table.

Rin could see an argument building, mostly from Sesshoumaru’s attempts to control things, and decided to end it. Walking to the kitchen door that led to the back porch, she motioned for him to follow her, and he reluctantly but coolly did so, pretending as if it were his choice to follow. Once they were out of sight, she turned on him, wondering where her cool-headed mate had gone.

"Why are you so obtuse? I will eat in the morning--you can even feed me if it will calm your ire. And Karran will sleep wherever and with whomever she wishes."

"I am not obtuse," he countered, earning a disbelieving frown. "I know that Karran can take care of herself."

"If he breaks her heart, all we can do is be there to pick up the pieces," Rin said, stepping close.

"I know that you are too nervous to eat." He looked to the garden on his right, noticing the stone lamp again.

"So let’s just go to bed. You can make me forget why I’m nervous," she whispered, sliding her hands up his chest. He took a deep breath, his gaze returning to her. Thinking for a few seconds, he nodded, and they both returned to the kitchen. Inuyasha had only just finished eating, and was about to stand up.

"Ah, I’ll get your plate, Inuyasha-sama," Rin offered, walking more briskly. He waved her away, though.

"I can wash these dishes. It’s the least I can do after you prepared such a meal." Rin nodded silently, looking down at the two still seated. Kouryoku was trying to draw Karran into a conversation, but she was resisting a bit, probably because three parents were also in the room. Excusing herself, Karran stood up, kissed her mother’s cheek goodnight, and said she was going to get some air in the back garden.

"We’ll be going to bed," Rin said, bowing to Inuyasha, who was beginning to pile dishes into the water basin. He nodded, wishing her a good night, and she and Sesshoumaru left, headed towards the front bedroom. Kouryoku’s eyes were drawn to the rear kitchen door, and Rin smiled to herself as she left.


~~~~~~Inuyasha’s Home, the Garden~~~~~~
Outside, Karran took a few shaky breaths of the cooler night air. In the kitchen, she could feel his gaze on her whenever it roamed near--and it came near quite often. She had felt warm from the inside, and wondered idly if the flame of her sword’s power was awakening. Borrowing a pair of outside slippers from the back porch, she stepped down to the garden and strolled to the stone lamp in the middle. It really was a very striking adornment, but...it seemed out of place. She walked up to it to examine the clean cuts of the head of the lamp, and noticed some faintly etched writing along the side facing north. The writing was small and not very deep, but it seemed that the lettering had not aged at all, even though the stone looked at least a couple of decades old.

"Here lies Yuuki, beloved second son of Inuyasha and Kagome, whose light shall burn here forever," she silently read to herself. Her father had shared memories with them of his half-brother, all of them bored complaints of Inuyasha’s over-exuberance, but the dog demon she saw was the opposite of exuberance. Her shoulders sagged as she realized the source of her uncle’s sorrow.

Her mother had thought that the younger son was elsewhere, earning his fame, but he had been here all along, buried in the garden. She swallowed, knowing how it would feel if she ever lost one of her brothers. Kouryoku-san...

"His was a bright light--not even death could extinguish that," a voice said behind her. Karran stiffened, surprised and excited at the same time. She was a bit angry with herself for letting down her guard, but his voice was silky and deep, subtly soothing her pride.

A voice in the back of her mind then chuckled sardonically: you know hardly anything about him, but it’s obvious that he knows how seductive he really is.

"I didn’t know," was all she could say in response to his statement. She heard the scuff of his shoes as he stepped closer, and tried not to react visibly. I’m no child. I can handle myself around a male! she firmly told herself.

"I wouldn’t doubt it. Our fathers don’t jump at the chance to have any real conversations. I don’t think I even met your father until today--at least, not that I can remember." Bracing herself, Karran stood up, turning to face him.

And she was grateful that she had prepared mentally, for his looks had triple-effect in the moonlight, which seemed to cup its pale hand around the strong curves of his cheekbones. She saw his eyes widen slightly, and hoped that she at least looked composed, if not graceful.

Kouryoku wondered how such a beautiful creature could exist. She was as luminous as he was dark, and the moonlight made her glow with her own inner light. The distracting pins in her hair glinted and teased for him to pull them free as the baubles that hung from them danced in the soft tresses of her silver hair.

The silence stretched on for an awkward moment before Karran finally spoke.

"It may be very belated, but I offer my condolences, Kouryoku-san," she said, her voice soft as if trying not to break the tension.

"Thank you. ...Perhaps we should talk of something else, though. And please, call me Ryo," he offered, showing her a gentle smile that tweaked the dimples in his cheeks.

"What do your friends and family call you?" she said, putting her hands behind her back to hide their slight tremble.

"Well...my father and friends just call me Kouryoku, and my mother calls me Koko," he joked, his smile lopsided. Karran couldn’t help it and laughed, trying to keep the sound light rather than her usual boisterous laugh.

"My mother does something similar with my brothers...none of their nicknames are very flattering," she responded, backing up a step and making to turn around. "Let’s walk a bit then, Ryo-san."

He nodded, easily falling into stride beside her. They began to take a path that led through the back gate of the property.

"Tell me about your brothers." Karran looked at him askance, wishing that she didn’t have to be the one speaking.

"My eldest brother is Inutaisho. He’s generally quiet--much more reserved than any of his siblings. He looks a lot like your father, actually," she began, looking over once in a while to see if he was getting bored. "I have the feeling, though, that he’s got a perverted side to him," she said, and wished she could have slapped herself. Why do I always say things like that?! Kouryoku laughed, though, looking at her.

"Honesty is a good thing to hear," he consoled, seeing her discomfort.

"I am not certain, but I believe Tai-chan is at home right now, holding down the fort, if you will," she said. Kouryoku nodded. "My second eldest brother is Toku. He’s not quite as tall as my father, but he looks the most like him, except for a moon on his forehead--I only have that," she explained, touching the marking briefly.

"I was wondering about that--our grandfather had a similar mark, correct?" He turned and stopped, looking closely at her forehead. Karran turned as well, blinking rapidly. His hand reached up, and she froze in place. His fingertips lightly brushed the purple mark in the center of her forehead, tracing it as her eyes crossed themselves in an effort to watch his hand. She forced her next words through her throat,

"My father says that it symbolizes a mental power somewhat akin to telepathy. I don’t know exactly, though. The only time I felt telepathic was the day my mother died. I could feel her mind leaving her body as we sat out in the hallway."

"A sad day, to be sure...your mother is a very kind person. Isn’t it strange to see one’s mother when she’s so young?" he asked, going to a more companionable topic. They continued their walk, leaving through the gate.

"Yes, it is!" she adamantly answered, fisting her hands. "I wasn’t even sure for a moment if it was her! I had this image in my mind of a person with gray streaking through her hair and a kind but sagging smile," she joked, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"My mother looked very trendy," Kouryoku said, confusing Karran. He looked and saw her uncertainty, then laughed at his thoughtlessness. "Trendy like...fashionable for her time," he explained. Karran thought this to be the perfect opening, having heard rumors of time travel from her master, who used to live in this area when Inuyasha and Kagome were still fighting Naraku.

"Then your mother truly is from the future? What year?" she asked, her voice husky with excitement.

"As of this year, it’d be 2065. I don’t go there that often anymore, though," he said, glad to have something exciting to talk to her about. He had the feeling that there were few things that would surprise Karran.

"How do you get there? I’ve heard so many things that I don’t know what is true and what is fantasy."

"The infamous Shikon no Tama granted me a boon since I am my mother’s son, and activates a well not too far from here. I travel through it. In five-hundred years, this will be a buzzing metropolis, and the well is guarded within a shrine nestled in that metropolis." He took a quick glance and saw how her face was lit up with interest. "Clothing is certainly different, as you’ve seen on my mother. ...Everything is different, to tell the truth. I’m not even sure how to explain some of the marvels invented in the next five-hundred years."

"Were you educated in this future time, too?"

"Aa, I went to the schools that my mother chose for me. I hated being there, but my brother made it bearable since he went with me--for a time. I finished high school without him, though..." he trailed off. Karran inwardly grimaced and decided to veer the subject.

"High...school?"

"I still wish to hear of your other brother," he said, obviously done for the moment. Give and take, Karran-san, he said to himself, seeing her disappointment. They were rounding the top curve of the forest path, now on their way back. Their steps slowed, though, delaying the return to the house.

Karran smiled, thinking of her third eldest brother.

"Genbu is...I suppose the best way to describe him is his laugh. It’s very hearty, like the joke is the funniest thing he has ever heard. He has Toku’s markings, but his face is squarer, and his build is a bit heavier. No one can match his sword technique. In a fair fight with all of us, if none of us tired and we had the time, he would win after a few days’ fighting," she said, a laugh in her eyes. Kouryoku returned the smile, now completely enchanted by her.

"And what of yourself? How would your brothers describe you?" he asked, stopping and turning towards her. Karran hesitated, and for good reason.

Brazen, outspoken, a bit perverted, and certainly randy. That’s how her brothers would describe her. She was the bane of her mother’s existence even before she learned of mating, for she always spoke her mind before thinking of her words. Her first lover was a wolf demon, a distant nephew of Kouga, the wolf tribe’s leader. It was a hot, sweaty, wonderful act, and though they completed it awkwardly, they certainly got to the crux of why mating was so joyous. She knew that she did not bear the human female curse of feeling pain her first time, and so enjoyed it even more. She and the wolf demon made love many times over the next year, but his parents soon mated him to another. Karran and the wolf demon, having never held feelings towards one another beyond a lukewarm affection, were fine with the arrangement. She was glad to hear that he had taken well with his new mate, and that he was already a father.

Between then and now, she had taken several lovers, most of them wolf demons due to a strange string of happenstance, and her longest liaison was six years. She thought it strange that she had never spoken of love, or even though about it all that often, and there was a night when she wondered if she was even capable of love.

Several years had passed since she had taken a lover, and she had spent most of it training with her master, a strange demon meant to devour the souls of those destined for Hell--being devoured was a worse fate, for the soul was wiped from existence. The Soul Devourer was an excellent trainer, teaching her the theory of her elemental sword and then letting her exhaust herself trying to practice it.

Karran, for one of the few times in her life, was at a loss for words, uncertain of what she could say about herself that would flatter without sounding boastful and without revealing her...somewhat perverted side.

Kouryoku, after a long nce,nce, wondered if his question was too probing.

"Shall we return to the house?" he suggested, earning her attention again. She nodded, relieved that she didn’t have to explain her personality. They turned towards the house, very slowly walking, and Karran could not contain her next question.

"Why don’t you visit the future all that much, Ryo-san?" she asked. Kouryoku looked askance at her, choosing his words carefully.

"The future is...very fast," he slowly described.

"Fast? I...I’m not sure I understand," she said, puzzled.

"It’s hard to put into words. The...rhythm is faster. There’s more to do and less time to do it in. And communication is much faster."

"You mean, letters?"

"Yes, people still write letters, but...it’s easier to make a phone call, for example--err...I guess that doesn’t help," he said, reaching up to scratch his head. "Imagine a device in your home: you pick up a part of the device, setting one end next to your ear and the other next to your mouth. Then, set within the device, you push a set order of numbers that correspond to the address of another similar device in someone else’s home. The device rings on their end, and when they pick it up and hold it in a similar fashion, you can speak to each other in real time." Karran had been listening intently, and then suddenly jumped with surprise.

"Really?! What a marvelous device! Does it work anywhere?"

"Well, yes--you just need the set of numbers, and the other person needs to have the device," he said, leaving out the need for telephone lines and satellites to make the explanation simpler.

"But...you say that you dislike the rhythm?" she prodded, getting back to her earlier question.

"So many things are different there--small tasks are made infinitely easier, tha that makes room for other difficult chores that no one in this time has to deal with. There are so many more people, too, and you feel closed in, swept up with the rush towards an expedient end."

"I think I am beginning to understand. I doubt that I can ever fully grasp your feelings, though," she quietly said, suddenly feeling naïve despite her age. She calculated in her head that Kouryoku must be fifty-eight-years-old. She was still only forty-one, and though she would be easily halfway through her life if she were human, her demonic blood made her immortal. Compared to her father, she was a baby.

The rest of their walk was spent in silence, but a companionable one. He had been easy to talk to, and she began to feel calmer around him, finally.

When they passed through the back gate again, Kouryoku turned to her suddenly.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked.

"No, I’m fine. I think I might like to get a bit of sleep," she admitted, thinking of how taxing the ritual with the Shikon no Tama was to be if her research was correct. That reminds me...I need to speak with Inuyasha-sama.

"Then...would you like to hear more about the future?" he offered, speaking a bit too quickly. Karran caught on, and smiled shyly.

"I’ll dream of it tonight, and then ask you tomorrow if my dreams are correct," she hedged, walking around him towards the house. He slanted a smirk at her, sensing the game she was playing.

"Will you dream of me as well, Karran-san?" he dared to ask, his voice low. She took a quick intake of breath, feeling a warmth spreading downward to the top of her thighs.

"Let us hope so, Ryo-san," she answered, turning away then. He watched her walk back to the house, not certain if he would be able to restrain himself from following her to her rooms. So he waited a moment, walking around the garden and distracting his thoughts from the subtle way of her hips. When he felt secure in returning to the house, he patted the stone lamp on his way inside.


~~~~~~Inuyasha’s Home, the Master Bedroom~~~~~~
Having finished the chores in the kitchen, Inuyasha carefully slid open the door to his bedroom. Lips pressed thin and jaw set, he entered the room, sliding the door shut just as quietly. Her scent had already permeated the room, a delicate and feminine allure. She was still lying upon the futon in the middle of the room, though he could see that she had shifted to her side while he was gone. The moonlight coming in through the cracked shutters barely lit up the floor in front of it, but he could see the lines of her face clearly. That’s when a knock came at the door.

"Inuyasha-sama? May I speak with you?" a soft voice said. It was his brother’s youngest, the one who was going to perform the ceremony with Kagome and his brother’s wife. He stepped to the door, opening it. Karran stood on the other side, a hesitant look on her face.

"Am I disturbing you, Inuyasha-sama?" He shook his head, stepping out into the hall and closing the door again.

"I needed to tell you something privately, which is why I did not mention this earlier. It involves a certain...preparation before the ceremony can be completed," she began to explain, her voice barely a whisper. Inuyasha became confused, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

"If my research is correct, the soul of the powerful priestess inside the Shikon no Tama will require a sacrifice from my mother and your wife. I cannot be certain at all what this sacrifice will entail, but once it has been given, the priestess will grant immortality based upon answers that they give to her questions. I am fairly certain, though, that their immortality will not be stand-alone. It will be based upon your own. As long as you are alive, she is alive. It’s a gift meant only to join your souls forever, whether it’s in life or death."

"And the preparation you mentioned?"

"If immortality is granted, it will be like her body is forever suspended from damage, whether it’s age, battle, or disease. If she is wounded, the wound will heal very quickly. She will never age, and she will never grow sick. This means, though, that if she is yet a virgin after the ceremony, you will have to break the hymen each and every time you mate," Karran explained, waiting for some sort of explosion from him.

"What?!" he whispered furiously.

"And immortality does not come pain-free--each time you mate, it would hurt her," she said, her voice even quieter. Inuyasha’s jaw was stiff with anger.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" he asked.

"I will delay the ceremony for as long as you need, but you must take her virginity beforehand. We cannot delay, though, for who knows what foul demons are sweeping towards the Shikon no Tama even as we speak."

"I can take care of them," he said, his control back in place. Karran wanted to say then that another Naraku might appear, or something even worse, but even if he could defeat him, who knows if he could protect his mate and village at the same time. However, the very confident tone of his voice told her that he was powerful enough to do just that, and she kept the comment to herself. And well, otousan is here, too.

"I would suggest that you take her virginity soon, all the same. Please let me know when you have done so, and I will wait a day for her to recover her...aplomb," Karran finished lamely, having tripped over her words already today.

"Have you told this to your father?" he asked, a bit mocking. Karran ignored the tone.

"If you knew my father, you wouldn’t have asked that--he has probably already mated with her more times and in more ways than I can count on my hands," she said, her bawdy nature showing in her words. She saw a faint blush on her uncle’s face, and inwardly smiled.

"Oyasumi, ojisan," Karran said. He nodded and went back into his bedroom. Karran looked down the way she had come, and softly gasped when she saw Kouryoku idly leaning against the hallway’s corner wall. How long has he been standing there?!

She gave him a hasty bow and felt a betraying blush creep up to her cheeks. Turning towards her room, she walked around the opposite bending corner of the west hallway, spying her room on the very end of the hallway. Kouryoku’s bedroom was directly across the hall. Once she was halfway down the hall, she felt a chill go up her spine and she couldn’t tell if she liked it or not. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Kouryoku rounding the corner as well. Her heartbeat picked up, and she forced herself not to walk any faster. She wasn’t sure if it was shyness or embarrassment or arousal, but her blood was racing. She was rarely shy, and never embarrassed, so the obvious conclusion...

Reaching the door to her bedroom, she reached up to grasp the handle. However, another hand followed, one that was attached to an arm covered by a pitch-black haori sleeve. It prevented her hand from pulling open the door, and Karran stood there, quietly panting. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating against her back, and the spill of breath that stirred the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Come to my room," he whispered, his voice deep and rough. She looked at his hand, covering the back of hers. His skin was only a shade darker than hers, but his hand was so much larger, and she could only see the tips of her fingers. The back of her hand burned from the light touch of his palm.

Then she felt rather than heard him move, stepping closer to her so that they touched. She took in a shuddering breath, and her eyes closed.

"Karran," he whispered. She could have sworn that she could feel his lips graze the back of her neck, and a shiver stiffened her spine. "Come to my room," he cajoled. "I know you felt it, too. And even now...ahh, my e ofe of smell doesn’t lie, Karran," he said, a smile in his voice. She felt a blush suffuse her cheeks, somehow upset to know that the demonic blood in him had given him the same keen sense of smell that it had given her--for it was obvious that she was wet again.

Karran knew herself to be a passionate creature, but she had never given herself to another so quickly after meeting him. She had been friends with her first lover for several years before they made love, and the shortest time she had known a lover before mating with him was a few months. Her only hesitation now was that she would feel as if she gave her favors easily.

But then again, it had been so long, and she wanted Kouryoku more than she had ever wanted anybody.

"Ryo..." she said, her voice barely audible even to her own ears. Her gasp, though, was loud enough for him to hear when she felt a bulge pressed against her backside.

"Just nod...and I’ll do the rest. Come," he said, and she felt his lips touch the tip of her left ear.

Karran nodded.


~~~~~~Inuyasha’s Home, the Front Bedroom~~~~~~
Rin fell back to the futon, covered with a fine mist of sweat and gasping for air. Her body was flushed, shuddering with aftershocks of pleasure. She was quickly covered by her mate’s body, which followed her down.

"Are you distracted yet?" he asked, his voice gruff. Rin softly moaned, feeling her flesh penetrated yet again.

"What?" she asked in reply. He smiled down at her, kissing away the confusion that scrunched up her eyebrows. Moving over her, he whispered,

"Never mind."


~~~~~~Inuyasha’s Home, the Master Bedroom~~~~~~
He had considered sleeping in the corner so that she would not be surprised to see him next to her when she woke up, but the temptation was too great for him to deny. So Inuyasha shrugged off his outer coat and set it on a low cabinet in the corner of the room. Then, sliding under the sheet with his mate, he curled close behind her, curling his arm over her side and finding one of her hands with his own. No unusual noise or scent came to him, and he drifted off to sleep.


~~~~~~Elsewhere~~~~~~
The overpowering pull of the Shikon no Tama called, and he would be a fool not to answer it. Everyone had whispered that it was destroyed, but it had reappeared yet again. Leaving his nest, he took to the skies, his demonic instincts telling him which direction to take.