The Sins of the Father
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InuYasha Crossovers › General
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Adult ++
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Category:
InuYasha Crossovers › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
22
Views:
13,459
Reviews:
144
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Awakening
Chapter 6:
~Tokyo, 2012~
Yuki was having the time of her life. Sparring with the kitsune was exhilarating;
for the first time she had an opponent whose skills surpassed her own, and who
was strong enough to fend off her most vicious attacks. She was a little disappointed
that her sword did not completely transform the way that it had inside the house,
but perhaps it was a good thing -- they were doing enough damage to their surroundings
as it was.
The fox parried each and every thrust of her sword easily, and with a smirk.
He taunted her as well, causing the hair on Yuki's neck to rise in irritation.
‘Oh, how I would love to knock that smug grin off the face of that baka’,
she thought to herself as she attacked him once more, this time from the side.
His eyes widened in surprise when she managed to strike him with the flat of
her blade, sending him flying into the side of the well house. He hit the wall
with a very satisfying crack, but still continued to grin at her.
"You're a lot like your father, you know," Shippo snorted. "A
lot of brute strength and luck; not much skill though."
"WHAT?!? I'll have you know, I am a 1st dan in Kendo already," she
spit out, rather viciously.
"Oh, and I suppose you gained that rank with a bokken. Sorry kid, but real
swordplay is much different. Not that you need to know many techniques, given
the weapon that you have and its capabilities."
"Oh? Well, you think you're so great, who taught you?"
"Your Uncle," he answered, as a ghost of a smile played across his
face.
"My Uncle?"
"Yes. The Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. He was quite
a task master. I had to train for decades before he would allow..." he
trailed off, his smile being replaced by a small frown.
‘My Uncle was the Lord of the Western Lands?’ Yuki asked herself rhetorically.
She was fascinated by the little bit of information he had let slip, and couldn't
help herself as she pressed him for more.
"Could you tell me more about my uncle? And my father... and all that other
stuff okaa-san mentioned?" she asked hopefully.
Shippo regarded her for a moment before nodding in assent.
Excited, Yuki walked over to the Goshinboku and sat down on the bench her great
grandfather had built in front of the tree. The tree had always been a source
of comfort for her, and she instinctively sought it out, knowing that whatever
Shippo was going to tell her would affect her deeply.
An hour later, she was glad she did, as she slowly closed the photo album in
her lap. She approached the tree to examine it, and found the hole left by the
arrow which had sealed her father, so many centuries ago. She brushed her fingers
over it lightly, before pulling away. It all seemed, well, like a big fat fairytale
-- except without the happy ending.
A part of her was stunned by what she’d heard, and yet another part easily accepted
it as if she had known all along -- as if there was something, someone inside
of her confirming the kitsune's recollections of the events that had shaped
her mother to be the sad, solemn woman she was today.
"Why now?" she finally asked, as she withdrew her hand from the tree.
"Pardon?"
"Why did you come now, with your son covered in human blood? So he needed
the help of a miko, but surely there are mikos in your time that could have
helped you. Why my mother?"
Yuki was genuinely curious to know. Shippo had an unreadable expression on his
face as he answered her.
"First, mikos that would be willing to actually assist someone of youkai
heritage are non-existent. Second, your mother is the only one that I would
trust with my son's life. Third... there is some unfinished business that I
need her help with."
He frowned for a moment, before looking over to the house. The pale pink haze
that had surrounded the structure was now gone.
"Well, the barrier is down. C'mon kid, let's go back in. It's very late,
and I for one want to see if Kagome was successful." 'And if she's okay',
he mentally added.
Yuki frowned, getting the feeling that Shippo was skirting around something
very important. Still, he was right, they could go back in the house now, and
she was worried about her mother. She collected the photo album and her sword
and silently followed the kitsune back into the house.
~~~
Kagome waited until the man beside her settled into a peaceful sleep before
getting out of the bed. She winced as she made her way over to her dresser;
she was quite sore and would probably be so for a while. She tried to ignore
the pain the best she could, and went about doing what had to be done.
She grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a simple black t-shirt and placed them
in a neat pile at the foot of the bed for Shinta, since his own clothes were
covered in blood, and his obi was a lost cause. Kagome gathered up his bloodstained
clothes and headed for the laundry, where she tossed his entire outfit in the
washer and added a couple different types of detergent before starting the cycle.
Once that was going, she went back to her room and found some clean clothes
for herself. After grabbing a simple outfit consisting of a high necked pullover
and a worn pair of jeans, she quietly left the room, being careful not to wake
its occupant, and made for the bathroom.
Her first priority was to take a shower. She needed to get clean. She felt dirty,
impure and she wanted nothing more than to wash all evidence of what had taken
place off of her. When she finally did get into the shower, she set the water
as hot as she could stand it and adjusted the pressure on the showerhead to
maximum. The hard droplets fell against her skin almost violently, stinging
her flesh as she grabbed her loofah and scrubbed herself until her skin had
a slightly red tint to it. She washed her hair, again, for the second time in
one day. Not that it needed it, but she needed to do it. When there was nothing
left for her to wash, she fell to her knees in the porcelain tub and wept. She
let the water run over her and down her back; all the while praying to Kami
for the water to wash her sins away with it, but knowing all too well that her
prayer would go unanswered.
She felt such shame. She had gone to such great lengths to save Shinta for Shippo,
but had not expected to either enjoy it or be marked as his mate. Her intentions
were only to pacify the youkai enough so that Shinta could regain control of
himself. Never had she thought he would have made the blood bond permanent by
marking her. Now, she was mated to a hanyou whom she didn't know, didn't love,
and worst of all, was unaware of the fact that they were mates.
After about a half an hour, she forced herself to step out of the shower. She
towel dried herself and her hair the best she could, and then pulled a brush
through her still damp hair. Once she was satisfied, she hazarded another look
at herself in the mirror and paled. Had she thought she looked like Kikyo before?
Now she was convinced, for only Kikyo had had that hardened, deadened expression
in her eyes. Filled with a momentary and irrational rage, she threw the hairbrush
at the mirror, and managed to crack it neatly down the middle. Kagome snorted.
What was another seven years bad luck when bad luck was all she seemed to have?
'Oh, Inuyasha... how I have failed you. Yousha, koishii... yousha, Inuyasha...
'
She pulled herself together the best she could, and made her way downstairs
where she curled up into a fetal position on the couch. A clock chimed, announcing
the late hour. The sudden noise startled her, and brought with it the realization
that her daughter was still out with Shippo. Absently, she reigned in the small
amount of energy she’d used to create the barrier, and sat upright on the couch,
waiting for the two to enter.
When they did Shippo immediately joined her on the couch and brought her into
his lap where he stroked her hair and whispered words of comfort into her ear.
'How the roles have changed', she thought bitterly, and couldn't help
but think that if she had stayed in the Feudal era to care for Shippo, how different
things would have turned out for everyone involved.
~~~
A strange noise caused him to stir from his slumber.
His eyes were heavy, and his muscles ached. A musky scent permeated the air,
mixed with the metallic scent of old blood. Startled, he shot up with a jerk,
and immediately realized that he was naked and in a dark room the likes of which
he had never seen before.
'What? Where... where am I?'
Kenshin did not awaken in his room at the Kamiya dojo like he expected to. Instead,
he found himself in the strangest bedroom he had ever seen. Strangely, he had
been sleeping on a western style bed instead of on a futon. The bed was covered
in a richly colored quilt with a floral pattern, and the sheets were soft and
silky, indicating wealth. There were also a number of foreign items scattered
amongst the furniture that he did not recognize. Did some Lord have a grudge
against him, and arrange for his incarceration? Was he drugged somehow? No,
that wouldn't make any sense; for surely they would not have left him so well
accommodated.
Confused, Kenshin looked around for his possessions. His keen eyesight pierced
through the dark of the room, only finding his sheath, which was propped haphazardly
up against the wall. His sword and clothes were gone. At the foot of the bed
was a set of western style clothes.
'These will have to do for now, that they will,' he told himself silently,
and proceeded to don the strange garments. The pants were strange - there was
no tie that he could use to secure his scabbard; instead, they contained a stretchy
material that seemed to conform to the size of his waist. There was nothing
for it - he'd have to hold his scabbard. Perhaps it was best; considering that
his sword was missing, he'd have to use the scabbard itself to defend himself
if necessary.
He searched his mind for a hint of where he could possibly be, and found nothing.
The last thing he remembered was returning from the market with a day’s supply
of tofu. The sun had nearly set, and his body was starting to feel sluggish,
indicating that the night would be accompanied by a full moon.
He brought his hand up to wipe the sleep out of his eyes, but stopped short
as he smelled the unmistakable scent of human blood. 'What happened? What
have I done?', he thought, as he examined his hands and saw the dried blood
underneath his normally well-kept fingernails.
Kenshin felt the Battousai inside of him go on alert, and he pinched himself,
hard, in an attempt to keep control. He needed a level head to assess his situation,
and could not afford to let the volatile Battousai take over at the moment.
There was a window by the bed and he chanced a look outside. He noticed that
there was a small shrine nearby. While he still didn't know where he was, it
was something to go by. Did he have any enemies among the Shinto priests and
priestesses in Tokyo? He was near positive that he did not.
Kenshin made his way through the dark of the room and to one of the doors, which
opened up into a much smaller western style bathroom. He had only seen such
a room in the house of Takeda Kanryuu, and the existence of such comforts did
nothing to lessen his concern.
There was a strange switch against the side of the wall. Curious, he flipped
it. Unnatural light suddenly filled the room, and he blinked a couple of times
as his eyes adjusted. The room smelled of sweet things, like fruit and flowers.
Unusual, considering the small porcelain commode and its obvious purpose. As
he looked around, he noticed a cracked mirror fastened securely to the wall.
The damage to the mirror looked intentional, and for a moment he wondered what
had happened.
Finding nothing else of interest, he left the small room and made his way back
through the bedroom and out the other door into a small hallway. He came upon
a set of stairs and descended as quietly as possible. When he reached the bottom
of the stairs, he found himself in another small hallway, off of which branched
several rooms. One room seemed to be a kitchen of some sort. Another room seemed
to serve as a sitting area, and before he even entered, he could sense that
it was occupied.
He hid in the dark of the hallway, and approached the sitting room cautiously;
his senses on high alert as he examined the occupants of the room. There were
three of them; all of them possessing dangerously high levels of ki. A young,
white haired girl leaned against the wall. Something about her was putting the
Battousai on alert. His eyes narrowed as he assessed her. She was young, perhaps
not much older than Yahiko, and her relaxed stance radiated confidence. The
girl had an old katana by her side which at first glance looked unremarkable,
but when he examined it more closely, he could see that it emitted a powerful
ki all of its own. Kenshin was confused; how could something that was not alive
emit ki? He turned back to the girl.
She was delicately sniffing the air, and her head abruptly turned in his direction.
He caught a brief glimpse of her knowing, yellow eyes, and knew that he had
been detected, at least by her. His muscles tensed, as he anticipated her attack,
but to his surprise she did nothing but raise an eyebrow before focusing her
attention back on the other two figures in the room.
Satisfied that she was neither going to attack him, nor give away his present
position, he shifted slightly so that he could get a better look at the other
two who were huddled close together on a western style couch; a man and a woman.
He wasn't able to make out many of their features from his current location,
but was able to determine that the male was anything but human from the type
of ki he was emitting. A youkai, he realized with a start as his heart rate
increased slightly. He had never believed in the legends of such creatures,
but here was proof that he could not deny. Suddenly the man's head turned to
the side, and he saw that the top of his ear ended in a point instead of a gentle
curve. Definitely not human. Perhaps that's what had been bothering him about
the girl.
He looked back at the figure against the wall, and for the first time noticed
the triangular tufts of white fur on the top of her head. 'Those are her
ears,' he thought with wonder. Could she be a youkai as well? No, her ki
was similar to that of the man, but also mixed with something completely human.
Kenshin shifted his gaze over to the third occupant of the room, and his heart
rate noticeably increased. He was unprepared for the onslaught of unexpected
emotions incurred by the sight of the petite, beautiful woman in the arms of
the youkai. He felt intimately connected to her, in a way that he had never
been with Kaoru or even Tomoe, and was instantly overcome with no small amount
of rage and jealousy. Instinct was telling him that she was his; his to hold,
and his to protect, though he knew not how or why. Something inside him snapped,
and he burst into the room with a feral growl.
'Mine.'
The youkai looked startled for a moment, and then answered with his own growl.
He was shocked to find that he understood the guttural sound on an instinctual
level. The youkai was telling him in no uncertain terms that he was comforting
her, and to back off; she would not be harmed. This was almost too much for
Kenshin, and he lunged forward, intent on challenging the youkai, with only
a sheath as a weapon; even as his rational mind balked at such an act.
The two figures on the couch released their embrace and stood, while the girl
up against the wall snarled and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Shinta! Iie!" The youkai commanded. The fact that he had called
him by the name he was given at birth cut through Kenshin's rage, and brought
his rational mind back into play.
"What? How... how is it that you know that name?" Kenshin finally
asked, as his breathing evened out a little. He was confused, and felt true
fear at his situation. He had spent many years learning how to keep his emotions
tightly controlled and the Battousai under lock and key. And now, his control
was being taxed heavily by these strangers. Just what had happened?
"I should know it. After all, I gave it to you... my son."
Kenshin's eyes widened for a moment, and then narrowed as a flash of gold appeared
in his irises.
"Iie. Do you take me for a fool? I know not where I am or who you are,
but I know well that I am no son of yours, youkai; that I do."
"Stubborn and possessive. Both are traits we kitsune have in abundance."
The dark haired woman leaned over to whisper something in the other youkai's
ear, and the youkai nodded in response.
Again, he couldn't control the low growl that came forth upon seeing her so
close to the youkai.
'By Kami, what is with wrong me? I do not even know that woman!'
The woman seemed to understand, and hesitantly moved away from the youkai and
toward him. When she got within reach, one of his arms snaked out seemingly
of its own accord and pulled her against his chest, hard. He dipped his head
automatically to rest in between her neck and her shoulder, and inhaled her
scent. That simple act did much to calm him down and bring him back to himself.
Once calm, he released the petite woman, horrified with himself at taking such
familiar actions with her.
"Forgive me, Miss. I do not know what is wrong with me," he said as
contritely as possible, as she peered at him from behind a pair of sapphire
blue eyes.
"Shinta..." she began softly, and he had to repress a shiver at hearing
her speak his name. He had such a violent attraction toward this woman it was
embarrassing, and it further confirmed his conviction that he had descended
into madness. For did he not have strong feelings for Kaoru-dono?
"Please, miss...?" he trailed off, hoping she'd supply him with her
name.
"Kagome."
"Please, Kagome-dono. Please call me Kenshin. I have not been called by
the name Shinta in many years, that I have not."
He watched as Kagome shared a look with the youkai, who simply shrugged his
shoulders in response.
"Kenshin, then. What, if anything, do you remember about the last couple
of days?" she asked, her voice filled with compassion.
"I remember returning to the dojo from a trip to the market. After that,
I woke up here," he answered her honestly. Again, he was surprised at himself
for being so candid - it was not in his nature to trust people he did not know.
Somehow, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this woman could be trusted.
It was baffling to him.
Kagome shared another look with the youkai, and then closed her eyes in brief
pain.
"It's typical of post traumatic stress disorder. Your mind is simply closing
off that which it does not wish to see. I'm sorry Shi-- er, Kenshin-san, but
you need to remember. Forgive me," she said, and her delicate hand brushed
against Kenshin's forehead.
He curiously observed that there was a pink glow coming from her fingers, before
she touched him. He was about to ask what she was doing, when the events of
the past couple of days exploded in his mind.
"NO! Oh Kami... Kaoru!" He wailed, as he dropped to his knees
in despair.
~~~
A/N: Yes, I know – it’s another evil cliffie! Next up, we finally get to see
what really happened at the Kamiya dojo, as Kenshin relives his memories.
Someone emailed me to ask about where this all takes place in the RK timeline.
This is before the saitou/kyoto/shishio arc, and really takes place just after
the first Tokyo arc wraps up. I will reference anything up to that point and
stuff from the trust/betrayal OVAs.
Japanese Words:
Taiyoukai – great demon
Goshinboku – God tree
hai - yes
iie - no
okaa-san - mother
hanyou - half demon
koishii – beloved
yousha – forgive me
sakabato - reverse blade sword
onegai - please
youkai - demon
Kami - God/Gods
~Tokyo, 2012~
Yuki was having the time of her life. Sparring with the kitsune was exhilarating;
for the first time she had an opponent whose skills surpassed her own, and who
was strong enough to fend off her most vicious attacks. She was a little disappointed
that her sword did not completely transform the way that it had inside the house,
but perhaps it was a good thing -- they were doing enough damage to their surroundings
as it was.
The fox parried each and every thrust of her sword easily, and with a smirk.
He taunted her as well, causing the hair on Yuki's neck to rise in irritation.
‘Oh, how I would love to knock that smug grin off the face of that baka’,
she thought to herself as she attacked him once more, this time from the side.
His eyes widened in surprise when she managed to strike him with the flat of
her blade, sending him flying into the side of the well house. He hit the wall
with a very satisfying crack, but still continued to grin at her.
"You're a lot like your father, you know," Shippo snorted. "A
lot of brute strength and luck; not much skill though."
"WHAT?!? I'll have you know, I am a 1st dan in Kendo already," she
spit out, rather viciously.
"Oh, and I suppose you gained that rank with a bokken. Sorry kid, but real
swordplay is much different. Not that you need to know many techniques, given
the weapon that you have and its capabilities."
"Oh? Well, you think you're so great, who taught you?"
"Your Uncle," he answered, as a ghost of a smile played across his
face.
"My Uncle?"
"Yes. The Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. He was quite
a task master. I had to train for decades before he would allow..." he
trailed off, his smile being replaced by a small frown.
‘My Uncle was the Lord of the Western Lands?’ Yuki asked herself rhetorically.
She was fascinated by the little bit of information he had let slip, and couldn't
help herself as she pressed him for more.
"Could you tell me more about my uncle? And my father... and all that other
stuff okaa-san mentioned?" she asked hopefully.
Shippo regarded her for a moment before nodding in assent.
Excited, Yuki walked over to the Goshinboku and sat down on the bench her great
grandfather had built in front of the tree. The tree had always been a source
of comfort for her, and she instinctively sought it out, knowing that whatever
Shippo was going to tell her would affect her deeply.
An hour later, she was glad she did, as she slowly closed the photo album in
her lap. She approached the tree to examine it, and found the hole left by the
arrow which had sealed her father, so many centuries ago. She brushed her fingers
over it lightly, before pulling away. It all seemed, well, like a big fat fairytale
-- except without the happy ending.
A part of her was stunned by what she’d heard, and yet another part easily accepted
it as if she had known all along -- as if there was something, someone inside
of her confirming the kitsune's recollections of the events that had shaped
her mother to be the sad, solemn woman she was today.
"Why now?" she finally asked, as she withdrew her hand from the tree.
"Pardon?"
"Why did you come now, with your son covered in human blood? So he needed
the help of a miko, but surely there are mikos in your time that could have
helped you. Why my mother?"
Yuki was genuinely curious to know. Shippo had an unreadable expression on his
face as he answered her.
"First, mikos that would be willing to actually assist someone of youkai
heritage are non-existent. Second, your mother is the only one that I would
trust with my son's life. Third... there is some unfinished business that I
need her help with."
He frowned for a moment, before looking over to the house. The pale pink haze
that had surrounded the structure was now gone.
"Well, the barrier is down. C'mon kid, let's go back in. It's very late,
and I for one want to see if Kagome was successful." 'And if she's okay',
he mentally added.
Yuki frowned, getting the feeling that Shippo was skirting around something
very important. Still, he was right, they could go back in the house now, and
she was worried about her mother. She collected the photo album and her sword
and silently followed the kitsune back into the house.
~~~
Kagome waited until the man beside her settled into a peaceful sleep before
getting out of the bed. She winced as she made her way over to her dresser;
she was quite sore and would probably be so for a while. She tried to ignore
the pain the best she could, and went about doing what had to be done.
She grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a simple black t-shirt and placed them
in a neat pile at the foot of the bed for Shinta, since his own clothes were
covered in blood, and his obi was a lost cause. Kagome gathered up his bloodstained
clothes and headed for the laundry, where she tossed his entire outfit in the
washer and added a couple different types of detergent before starting the cycle.
Once that was going, she went back to her room and found some clean clothes
for herself. After grabbing a simple outfit consisting of a high necked pullover
and a worn pair of jeans, she quietly left the room, being careful not to wake
its occupant, and made for the bathroom.
Her first priority was to take a shower. She needed to get clean. She felt dirty,
impure and she wanted nothing more than to wash all evidence of what had taken
place off of her. When she finally did get into the shower, she set the water
as hot as she could stand it and adjusted the pressure on the showerhead to
maximum. The hard droplets fell against her skin almost violently, stinging
her flesh as she grabbed her loofah and scrubbed herself until her skin had
a slightly red tint to it. She washed her hair, again, for the second time in
one day. Not that it needed it, but she needed to do it. When there was nothing
left for her to wash, she fell to her knees in the porcelain tub and wept. She
let the water run over her and down her back; all the while praying to Kami
for the water to wash her sins away with it, but knowing all too well that her
prayer would go unanswered.
She felt such shame. She had gone to such great lengths to save Shinta for Shippo,
but had not expected to either enjoy it or be marked as his mate. Her intentions
were only to pacify the youkai enough so that Shinta could regain control of
himself. Never had she thought he would have made the blood bond permanent by
marking her. Now, she was mated to a hanyou whom she didn't know, didn't love,
and worst of all, was unaware of the fact that they were mates.
After about a half an hour, she forced herself to step out of the shower. She
towel dried herself and her hair the best she could, and then pulled a brush
through her still damp hair. Once she was satisfied, she hazarded another look
at herself in the mirror and paled. Had she thought she looked like Kikyo before?
Now she was convinced, for only Kikyo had had that hardened, deadened expression
in her eyes. Filled with a momentary and irrational rage, she threw the hairbrush
at the mirror, and managed to crack it neatly down the middle. Kagome snorted.
What was another seven years bad luck when bad luck was all she seemed to have?
'Oh, Inuyasha... how I have failed you. Yousha, koishii... yousha, Inuyasha...
'
She pulled herself together the best she could, and made her way downstairs
where she curled up into a fetal position on the couch. A clock chimed, announcing
the late hour. The sudden noise startled her, and brought with it the realization
that her daughter was still out with Shippo. Absently, she reigned in the small
amount of energy she’d used to create the barrier, and sat upright on the couch,
waiting for the two to enter.
When they did Shippo immediately joined her on the couch and brought her into
his lap where he stroked her hair and whispered words of comfort into her ear.
'How the roles have changed', she thought bitterly, and couldn't help
but think that if she had stayed in the Feudal era to care for Shippo, how different
things would have turned out for everyone involved.
~~~
A strange noise caused him to stir from his slumber.
His eyes were heavy, and his muscles ached. A musky scent permeated the air,
mixed with the metallic scent of old blood. Startled, he shot up with a jerk,
and immediately realized that he was naked and in a dark room the likes of which
he had never seen before.
'What? Where... where am I?'
Kenshin did not awaken in his room at the Kamiya dojo like he expected to. Instead,
he found himself in the strangest bedroom he had ever seen. Strangely, he had
been sleeping on a western style bed instead of on a futon. The bed was covered
in a richly colored quilt with a floral pattern, and the sheets were soft and
silky, indicating wealth. There were also a number of foreign items scattered
amongst the furniture that he did not recognize. Did some Lord have a grudge
against him, and arrange for his incarceration? Was he drugged somehow? No,
that wouldn't make any sense; for surely they would not have left him so well
accommodated.
Confused, Kenshin looked around for his possessions. His keen eyesight pierced
through the dark of the room, only finding his sheath, which was propped haphazardly
up against the wall. His sword and clothes were gone. At the foot of the bed
was a set of western style clothes.
'These will have to do for now, that they will,' he told himself silently,
and proceeded to don the strange garments. The pants were strange - there was
no tie that he could use to secure his scabbard; instead, they contained a stretchy
material that seemed to conform to the size of his waist. There was nothing
for it - he'd have to hold his scabbard. Perhaps it was best; considering that
his sword was missing, he'd have to use the scabbard itself to defend himself
if necessary.
He searched his mind for a hint of where he could possibly be, and found nothing.
The last thing he remembered was returning from the market with a day’s supply
of tofu. The sun had nearly set, and his body was starting to feel sluggish,
indicating that the night would be accompanied by a full moon.
He brought his hand up to wipe the sleep out of his eyes, but stopped short
as he smelled the unmistakable scent of human blood. 'What happened? What
have I done?', he thought, as he examined his hands and saw the dried blood
underneath his normally well-kept fingernails.
Kenshin felt the Battousai inside of him go on alert, and he pinched himself,
hard, in an attempt to keep control. He needed a level head to assess his situation,
and could not afford to let the volatile Battousai take over at the moment.
There was a window by the bed and he chanced a look outside. He noticed that
there was a small shrine nearby. While he still didn't know where he was, it
was something to go by. Did he have any enemies among the Shinto priests and
priestesses in Tokyo? He was near positive that he did not.
Kenshin made his way through the dark of the room and to one of the doors, which
opened up into a much smaller western style bathroom. He had only seen such
a room in the house of Takeda Kanryuu, and the existence of such comforts did
nothing to lessen his concern.
There was a strange switch against the side of the wall. Curious, he flipped
it. Unnatural light suddenly filled the room, and he blinked a couple of times
as his eyes adjusted. The room smelled of sweet things, like fruit and flowers.
Unusual, considering the small porcelain commode and its obvious purpose. As
he looked around, he noticed a cracked mirror fastened securely to the wall.
The damage to the mirror looked intentional, and for a moment he wondered what
had happened.
Finding nothing else of interest, he left the small room and made his way back
through the bedroom and out the other door into a small hallway. He came upon
a set of stairs and descended as quietly as possible. When he reached the bottom
of the stairs, he found himself in another small hallway, off of which branched
several rooms. One room seemed to be a kitchen of some sort. Another room seemed
to serve as a sitting area, and before he even entered, he could sense that
it was occupied.
He hid in the dark of the hallway, and approached the sitting room cautiously;
his senses on high alert as he examined the occupants of the room. There were
three of them; all of them possessing dangerously high levels of ki. A young,
white haired girl leaned against the wall. Something about her was putting the
Battousai on alert. His eyes narrowed as he assessed her. She was young, perhaps
not much older than Yahiko, and her relaxed stance radiated confidence. The
girl had an old katana by her side which at first glance looked unremarkable,
but when he examined it more closely, he could see that it emitted a powerful
ki all of its own. Kenshin was confused; how could something that was not alive
emit ki? He turned back to the girl.
She was delicately sniffing the air, and her head abruptly turned in his direction.
He caught a brief glimpse of her knowing, yellow eyes, and knew that he had
been detected, at least by her. His muscles tensed, as he anticipated her attack,
but to his surprise she did nothing but raise an eyebrow before focusing her
attention back on the other two figures in the room.
Satisfied that she was neither going to attack him, nor give away his present
position, he shifted slightly so that he could get a better look at the other
two who were huddled close together on a western style couch; a man and a woman.
He wasn't able to make out many of their features from his current location,
but was able to determine that the male was anything but human from the type
of ki he was emitting. A youkai, he realized with a start as his heart rate
increased slightly. He had never believed in the legends of such creatures,
but here was proof that he could not deny. Suddenly the man's head turned to
the side, and he saw that the top of his ear ended in a point instead of a gentle
curve. Definitely not human. Perhaps that's what had been bothering him about
the girl.
He looked back at the figure against the wall, and for the first time noticed
the triangular tufts of white fur on the top of her head. 'Those are her
ears,' he thought with wonder. Could she be a youkai as well? No, her ki
was similar to that of the man, but also mixed with something completely human.
Kenshin shifted his gaze over to the third occupant of the room, and his heart
rate noticeably increased. He was unprepared for the onslaught of unexpected
emotions incurred by the sight of the petite, beautiful woman in the arms of
the youkai. He felt intimately connected to her, in a way that he had never
been with Kaoru or even Tomoe, and was instantly overcome with no small amount
of rage and jealousy. Instinct was telling him that she was his; his to hold,
and his to protect, though he knew not how or why. Something inside him snapped,
and he burst into the room with a feral growl.
'Mine.'
The youkai looked startled for a moment, and then answered with his own growl.
He was shocked to find that he understood the guttural sound on an instinctual
level. The youkai was telling him in no uncertain terms that he was comforting
her, and to back off; she would not be harmed. This was almost too much for
Kenshin, and he lunged forward, intent on challenging the youkai, with only
a sheath as a weapon; even as his rational mind balked at such an act.
The two figures on the couch released their embrace and stood, while the girl
up against the wall snarled and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Shinta! Iie!" The youkai commanded. The fact that he had called
him by the name he was given at birth cut through Kenshin's rage, and brought
his rational mind back into play.
"What? How... how is it that you know that name?" Kenshin finally
asked, as his breathing evened out a little. He was confused, and felt true
fear at his situation. He had spent many years learning how to keep his emotions
tightly controlled and the Battousai under lock and key. And now, his control
was being taxed heavily by these strangers. Just what had happened?
"I should know it. After all, I gave it to you... my son."
Kenshin's eyes widened for a moment, and then narrowed as a flash of gold appeared
in his irises.
"Iie. Do you take me for a fool? I know not where I am or who you are,
but I know well that I am no son of yours, youkai; that I do."
"Stubborn and possessive. Both are traits we kitsune have in abundance."
The dark haired woman leaned over to whisper something in the other youkai's
ear, and the youkai nodded in response.
Again, he couldn't control the low growl that came forth upon seeing her so
close to the youkai.
'By Kami, what is with wrong me? I do not even know that woman!'
The woman seemed to understand, and hesitantly moved away from the youkai and
toward him. When she got within reach, one of his arms snaked out seemingly
of its own accord and pulled her against his chest, hard. He dipped his head
automatically to rest in between her neck and her shoulder, and inhaled her
scent. That simple act did much to calm him down and bring him back to himself.
Once calm, he released the petite woman, horrified with himself at taking such
familiar actions with her.
"Forgive me, Miss. I do not know what is wrong with me," he said as
contritely as possible, as she peered at him from behind a pair of sapphire
blue eyes.
"Shinta..." she began softly, and he had to repress a shiver at hearing
her speak his name. He had such a violent attraction toward this woman it was
embarrassing, and it further confirmed his conviction that he had descended
into madness. For did he not have strong feelings for Kaoru-dono?
"Please, miss...?" he trailed off, hoping she'd supply him with her
name.
"Kagome."
"Please, Kagome-dono. Please call me Kenshin. I have not been called by
the name Shinta in many years, that I have not."
He watched as Kagome shared a look with the youkai, who simply shrugged his
shoulders in response.
"Kenshin, then. What, if anything, do you remember about the last couple
of days?" she asked, her voice filled with compassion.
"I remember returning to the dojo from a trip to the market. After that,
I woke up here," he answered her honestly. Again, he was surprised at himself
for being so candid - it was not in his nature to trust people he did not know.
Somehow, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this woman could be trusted.
It was baffling to him.
Kagome shared another look with the youkai, and then closed her eyes in brief
pain.
"It's typical of post traumatic stress disorder. Your mind is simply closing
off that which it does not wish to see. I'm sorry Shi-- er, Kenshin-san, but
you need to remember. Forgive me," she said, and her delicate hand brushed
against Kenshin's forehead.
He curiously observed that there was a pink glow coming from her fingers, before
she touched him. He was about to ask what she was doing, when the events of
the past couple of days exploded in his mind.
"NO! Oh Kami... Kaoru!" He wailed, as he dropped to his knees
in despair.
~~~
A/N: Yes, I know – it’s another evil cliffie! Next up, we finally get to see
what really happened at the Kamiya dojo, as Kenshin relives his memories.
Someone emailed me to ask about where this all takes place in the RK timeline.
This is before the saitou/kyoto/shishio arc, and really takes place just after
the first Tokyo arc wraps up. I will reference anything up to that point and
stuff from the trust/betrayal OVAs.
Japanese Words:
Taiyoukai – great demon
Goshinboku – God tree
hai - yes
iie - no
okaa-san - mother
hanyou - half demon
koishii – beloved
yousha – forgive me
sakabato - reverse blade sword
onegai - please
youkai - demon
Kami - God/Gods