Chapter Text
ACT 1
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A slight breeze rustled through the leaves above (Y/n)'s and Rin's heads. The last rays of afternoon light—on the precipice of dusk, but not quite—filtered through the foliage, casting dancing shadows at their feet as they walked. It was comfortingly calm after their day of foraging, but it was harshly interrupted as (Y/n) sneezed as dust and pollen were placidly stirred by another bout of soft wind.
The young girl at (Y/n)'s side, tilted her head back to look at the woman as she irritatedly rubbed her nose. Rin, in an effort to garner (Y/n)'s attention, tugged on (Y/n)'s outer kosode near the hip. The woman sniffled again, but her (e/c) gaze found Rin's.
“Is something wrong, Rin?”
The black-haired girl shook her head and smiled innocently, seemingly delighted to be in (Y/n)'s company again, despite having only being apart for a few hours. They had met two years ago, and the familiarity between them had come wordlessly and immediately, soon indistinguishable from kinship. It was common for the pair to pass long afternoons and lingering evenings foraging to stave off starvation. Lately, though, spring was finally emerging from the clasps of winter, and the fields demanded tending. A superstitious lot, the villagers usually kept their distance from (Y/n); an outsider from beyond their borders, spoken of in lowered voices and sidelong glances, her presence tolerated but nothing more. The unease only increased tenfold when (Y/n) took little Rin under her wing.
The collective village generosity started and ended with the pair being granted a worn and weathered fishing hut on the outskirts, where the pair's supposed collective misfortune would be less potent to the villagers. Even so, (Y/n) supposed, a little superstition could be ignored, when the days were long, the work heavy, and help was useful. In return for her labor, she was given a ration, which, was more valuable to her than the villager's opinions of her.
(Y/n) smiled back, playfully ruffling the girl's hair. Her ministrations were met with an amused huff, before the woman returned her attention forwards, not particularly fond of the idea of mindlessly walking into an obstructive tree branch.
The warmth and comfort of the scene was abruptly shattered as the sound of a branch snapping echoed through the trees. A cacophony of warning bird chirps and calls resounded immediately after. (Y/n) tensed and pushed Rin closer, pulling a small utility blade from her obi. The blade was hardly noteworthy, more of a tool to cut plant stalks or scale fish, but just enough to poke out a vulnerable eye.
"Rin, stay close," (Y/n) commanded; her voice barely above a hushed whisper.
The silence that settled over the forest was perhaps even more disturbing than the initial shock. Dead silence. A chill ran up her spine. (Y/n) was hardly a warrior, and was largely hesitant in her ability to protect herself, let alone Rin too. Still, she refused to admit defeat before an enemy was even introduced.
The moments passed and the forest seemed to return to life again—birds and bugs calling out to one another. Rin became increasingly antsier, picking at her nails as she stayed huddled at (Y/n)'s side. (Y/n) scanned the surrounding forest again, staring into the shadows like it was a challenge, before deciding to just get home as quickly as possible. (Y/n) offered a calloused hand to Rin, while she kept a firm grip on the measly weapon in the other.
The closer they got to the village, the more Rin wanted to branch away; pulling and tugging at the older woman's hand, before finally letting go. The woods near the village were relatively safe, a large portion of their daily routine spent outside of the village, but rationally (Y/n) couldn't ignore the possibility of danger. It'd be difficult to acquire help should one of them be injured and she highly doubted any of the villagers would investigate if they entered the woods one day and never returned.
(Y/n), not wanting to be separated from the child, kept pace with the skipping Rin, until she suddenly stopped to peer around the thick trunk of a tree.
“Rin…” (Y/n) trailed off, copying her junior’s actions, and examined what caught Rin’s interest.
A man, radiating elegance, lay propped against the trunk of an ancient, gnarled tree. His silvery-white hair was drenched in the fading orange light, adding to his ethereal complexion. Evenly parted bangs framed a lavender crescent moon; two symmetrically aligned magenta stripes were printed on his cheekbones. A red-orange tint lined his eyelids. Noticing the odd markings, (Y/n) quickly realized the man was not human at all.
“We need to leave,” (Y/n) whispered in a hushed tone, "Now."
The not-so-subtle noise further alerted the yōkai of the duo’s presence, the man suddenly lunging forwards and growling viciously at the unwanted visitors. To (Y/n)’s horror, she noted the rather large fangs situated in his mouth and the blood-red hue of his sclera. (Y/n) and Rin gasped in synchrony, Rin instinctively clutching onto the woman at her side, while (Y/n) inched towards the closest tree. The (h/c)-haired woman felt Rin shake in fear for a brief moment, then noted the weight of the small child’s hands suddenly disappearing from her garments a short moment later.
(Y/n) watched in abject terror as Rin took two steps forward, effectively leaving the cover of the leafy foliage. Fearing for Rin's life, (Y/n) grabbed Rin's wrist and pulled her closer.
"Rin, what are you doing?" (Y/n) hissed.
Rin made a vague gesture and then unstrapped the bamboo water container she kept at her side. (Y/n)'s lips tightened and she looked toward the yōkai who had resettled against the bark of the tree. He watched the two calculatingly, a certain maliciousness coiled beneath the surface of his skin. Fearing for Rin's life, but also being perfectly aware of Rin's impulsive, altruistic tendencies, made a snap decision. She'd rather handle the situation than Rin decide to sneak out to handle it herself.
"Keep yours, Rin," (Y/n) said, and unstrapped her own. It was then she realized she still held the blade in a tight grip. She didn't need to look at the demon again to know it would be utterly useless against him. She passed it to Rin, gently closing the girl's fingers around the hilt. "You stay here and if something happens you run to the village immediately. Understand?" Rin nodded sternly. (Y/n) figured that should be enough, and she emerged from the foliage to approach the aggravated daiyōkai.
His gaze bore into (Y/n)'s skin as she approached, yet he didn't make a move as she set the container at his side. An obvious frown of displeasure marred his features, but he simply watched. (Y/n) bowed slightly then backed away from yōkai until she had reached Rin's side.
"Let's go," (Y/n) whispered, hurriedly ushering the girl away. The woman briefly glanced back, only to find his eyes still inescapably locked on her.
~ + ~
With a series of muted noises and passionate gestures, Rin had convinced (Y/n) to return to the injured daiyōkai’s resting spot. As the moon crawled across the sky, (Y/n) and Rin finally returned. He had not moved since earlier that evening and the water they had offered remained seemingly untouched. He made for an almost perfectly idyllic statue in his state.
(Y/n) took a breath to secure her courage, then quietly placed a make-shift leaf plate containing a skewered, cooked fish and the minimal results of their scavenging that day. It wasn’t much, but Rin and (Y/n) hoped it helped the recuperating yōkai in some way or another. Truthfully, the woman mostly hoped that his quick recovery meant he would disappear faster. (Y/n) turned to leave, padding softly back to Rin when they both heard the injured man speak.
“Mind your own business,” the demon warned monotonously, “I don’t eat what humans eat.”
(Y/n) looked over her shoulder, not quite able to mask her displeasure, but quickly returned her gaze to Rin and yet again ushered the child away from what she assumed to be a great threat to their wellbeing.
~ + ~
The cold water trickled over (Y/n)’s bare feet, an assortment of pebbles poking awkwardly, and sometimes, painfully into the soles of her feet as she worked calmly at her task. Rin was a few feet upstream participating in the same task. They had both rolled their garments up to the knees, but the stray ends and bottom trims were wet with the cold, moonlit water.
The soft sounds of Rin’s success, combined with her suddenly standing upright, alerted (Y/n) of her achievement. The woman smiled proudly and waded over to the black-haired girl. A small fish was clasped in her hands, but the look of surprised happiness more than made up for the fish’s meager size.
“Good job, Rin,” (Y/n) complimented, “We’ll-.”
The woman was interrupted by a middle-aged man’s triumphant exclamation: “I knew it!”
Rin dropped the fish she had captured and (Y/n) quickly shifted her larger body to shield her junior.
“(Y/n)! Rin! You’re the culprits!”
The woman cursed quietly, having a vivid premonition of what was to come. The men were angry, large, and most importantly, in a group. They were more than capable of overpowering the two with little to no effort; and, as she predicted, the duo was carelessly dragged from the water. (Y/n) quickly reacted, tucking the eight-year-old behind her arms and against her body.
The group of five men pushed (Y/n)’s body to the ground, her arm taking the brunt of the fall for both Rin and herself. She winced, but refused to cry. To cry meant showing weakness, and that was something she refused to do in front of her opposers.
“You stole the fish from the fish preserve. After all we've done for you!”
"We need to eat!" she retorted vehemently.
Her argument fell on deaf ears. (Y/n) was harshly kicked in the back by one of the five men, followed by a boot connecting with the woman’s forearm. She momentarily released Rin’s figure, which she immediately regretted when a man’s kick connected with the little girl’s side. Rin groaned, and (Y/n) quickly tried again to cover the girl’s body to the best of her ability. The beating continued for longer than (Y/n) would like to remember, but eventually, she was pulled up by the front of her dirt-smudged kosode.
“If you try this again, woman, we’ll beat you to death!” the original middle-aged man snarled; overconfident for someone who could only attack in a group. As if to prove his point, he threw her to the ground. (Y/n) struggled to her feet, helping Rin do the same. The older of the pair winced, noting multiple spots of significant pain, but forced her own suffering down to quietly walk Rin away from the belligerent men.
“Damn! What a creepy pair! ”
“Can’t be helped.”
(Y/n) and Rin retreated to the shack they shared on the outskirts of town. They helped clean each other’s wounds and eventually curled up side-by-side on a dismal bed of grass and straw. Both were thoroughly exhausted, aching and too weary to notice the rumbling of their empty stomachs.
~ + ~
The sun rose a few hours later, much too soon for (Y/n)’s taste. She groggily pulled herself out of bed, waking Rin and initiating their daily morning routine. (Y/n) picked the straw out of Rin’s black hair and pulled some of her black locks into a little side ponytail. It fitted the innocence of the little girl and (Y/n) found herself smiling as she did so. When (Y/n) was finished with the girl’s hair, Rin began to refill her water container, before handing it to her senior.
"Thanks," (Y/n) said. She took a sip, to appease that worried look that glinted in Rin's eyes but returned the container back to the child's hands. "Keep this for yourself today. I'll carry it tomorrow, alright?"
Rin nodded, but tugged on (Y/n)'s clothes as the older woman moved to relight the fire; trying, but failing, to hide a grimace as she stretched. Rin vigorously shook her head no, before she went to relight the fire. (Y/n) huffed a short laugh, as she instead went to prepare some of the ration she was given for helping in the fields yesterday. She likely wouldn't be welcomed to work for the next while, even if her help would be beneficial. She sighed, but started on their task nonetheless. They would get by, they always did.
That afternoon, the pair were walking towards the demon’s location, Rin carrying another makeshift plate. Due to the failure of the previous night, its contents were a few strips of herbs the duo found while foraging that very morning. The pair arrived at the daiyōkai’s clearing, Rin handed their prize to (Y/n) and, like the two previous encounters, approached in Rin's stead as the weight of his gaze dragged her down.
“No thanks,” the white-haired male rejected, not even blinking as the woman approached. Rin prompted by the third rejection burst from the foliage and towards the demon, falling to her knees and making a muffled wordless plea to the man.
"Rin!" (Y/n) exclaimed but silenced herself as Rin continued. The girl gestured to the food still in (Y/n)'s hands, though the demon completely avoided eye contact, opting to stare off into the distance.
“I told you I don’t need anything.”
Rin sighed dejectedly, stood, and then tugged at (Y/n)'s garments. Noting the mood of both the demon and Rin, (Y/n) decided they ought to leave. She brushed Rin's bangs comfortingly, then offered a small bow to the yōkai. (Y/n) didn’t want Rin to be injured further, and while he appeared to be calm, (Y/n) feared he would revert to the viciousness he displayed in their first encounter.
“What’s with the bruises on your face?”
"Oh," (Y/n) shifted uncomfortably, touching her cheek tenderly. She had felt the aching but had hoped the bruising wasn't serious. Rin looked towards (Y/n), tugging on her kosode again, and their eyes briefly met, both considerably more curious about the injured demon before them. He tilted his head, though he still avoided eye contact with either of the girls.
“If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine.”
(Y/n) blinked and examined Rin who had let out a soft gasp at his words. As the silver-haired male finally looked at the pair, her eyes sparkled with wonder, his golden eyes leisurely examining the pair before him. Rin beamed brightly, and naturally, (Y/n) followed suit, unable to not smile at Rin's expression.
The golden-eyed male shifted his attention from the younger girl to her older companion, taking note of the bruises blossoming along her face, paired alongside an obvious look of love in her (e/c) eyes as they interacted. The trait caught the his attention, intriguing him to an extent he would never openly admit.
“What are you smiling about? I only asked you a question,” he uttered in monotone.
(Y/n) blinked, then looked into the white-haired yōkai’s golden eyes. “Sometimes," she replied softly, "You can’t help but react when you see your loved ones happy.”
Rin happily looked towards (Y/n), the latter gesturing for the girl to stand and take their leave. (Y/n) committed to another slight bow before leaving, Rin mimicking her movements, and then they both shuffled away to continue foraging for an ever elusive meal. Their spirits flew higher than when they had arrived. (Y/n) felt his gaze burning on her back, but this time, it seemed less hair-raising.
~ + ~
Rin and (Y/n) had failed to find anything edible but were somewhat reassured by the knowledge they had a few sparse stores at home. (Y/n) idly commented on things along their walk, pointing out the quick splash of a jumping fish or the almost noiseless retreat of turtles as they neared the shelled creatures. Rin nodded mutely, excitedly pointing out things she spotted as well.
The woman had grown accustomed to Rin’s muteness, as two-years will often do, and they had found ways to communicate regardless. (Y/n) had arrived at the village and had been given the gist of Rin's predicament, but the village's easy acceptance of the woman had morphed quickly when she explained why she had been travelling alone. (Y/n) had never learned more, and likely never would, but, more importantly, Rin and herself were no longer alone.
The duo soon arrived at their waterside shack. (Y/n) entered as she usually did but promptly stopped at the sight before her. (Y/n)'s hand automatically reached for Rin’s figure, assuring she was placed behind her; out of sight. Her other hand pulling the blade from her obi. Rin quietly clasped the older girl’s kosode, her hyperaware gaze shifting warily between the intruder and (Y/n)'s tense form. A man in a ragged fur vest and faded forest-green undershirt was greedily slurping the girl’s water reserve. (Y/n) felt a pang of anger course through her body at the sight.
“Excuse me, sir, that’s ours,” (Y/n) stated, her voice adopting a sterner, colder tone. In defiance of her collected appearance, the woman was endlessly grateful to whatever gods existed that her voice didn’t nervously crack or that her racing heart didn’t implode at the mere thought of speaking.
The man, in surprise, turned around, “What? Is this old hut yours?”
(Y/n) nodded firmly, keeping her blade by her leg and just out sight. The one-eyed man appeared as if he was going to respond, but was interrupted by the frantic cries of the nearby villagers.
“Wolves! Wolves!”
The man visibly responded to the distressed cries, sputtering as he roughly pushed past Rin and (Y/n).
The man cursed, before he uttered an ominous, “They’ve caught up already!”
The man determinedly fled from the shack, jumping into the river and attempting to swim across the width of the flowing water. The woman and her smaller companion could only watch in abject terror as a pack of wolves bound into the water after the thief. They converge upon the one-eyed man, dragging him underwater and dragging him to the shore of the river.
Seeing this, a black-haired man, dressed in fur clothing and metallic armor approached the captured man. “I searched for you, thief!” he proclaimed, “Now hand over the Sacred Jewel fragment you stole.”
(Y/n) wasn’t absolutely positive of what the men were discussing, but she had heard rumors and watched with morbidly rapt interest; Unable to tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding before her.
“All right. I won’t run,” the thief states dejectedly, digging into an inner pocket of his now waterlogged vest. He silently pulled out a small purple shard, placing it into the hand of his captor. The commander of the wolves, certainly a demon, smirked, his sharp canines on full display, and resumed an upright stance. Then, as if nothing had happened, he began to walk away.
“Thanks," the thief said, a glimmer in his eyes and a flicker of relief in his tone, "You’re... uh, gonna lemme go?”
The black-haired demon laughed and suddenly lashed out, brutally murdering the defeated, one-eyed thief. (Y/n) took this as their cue to run and quickly seized Rin’s shaking hand, pulling the lightweight girl into her arms as she began to dash into the dense forest.
As they ran, a chilling, “You can stay in the village and eat what you like” echoed in (Y/n)’s ears. In her fright, she quickly thought of the silver-haired daiyōkai they had been assisting, praying that he would, despite his blatant detachment, be willing to do, something, about the wolves. If not for them, at least because the wolves had approached too close to him. Excited yips and howls echoed through the air, joined by the terrified screams of the villagers.
Panting and the clicking of nails on rocks could be heard fast approaching. (Y/n) ignored all other thoughts and just kept running. In her blind panic, (Y/n)'s foot caught on a root protruding from the downtrodden dirt path. She collapsed, careful to avoid crushing Rin under her weight, and instantly tried to stand again. Yet the brief moment of weakness, allowed the wolves to shorten their hunt, the feral brown-pelted canines pouncing on the weakened pair. (Y/n) could only cry in agony as she tried to shield Rin from the brunt of the wolves' attacks while kicking and fighting for their lives.
~ + ~
“Lord Sesshōmaru!” a staff-wielding imp yelled atop a two-headed dragon yōkai as they embarked on the task to find their missing master. “Lord Sesshōmaru! Please answer! Where are you?! Lord Sesshōmaru!”
The yellow-eyed imp received no reply from his lord, making the servant sweat worriedly: “Is it possible that Lord Sesshōmaru… was slain in one sweep by Inuyasha?” He pondered over this as he eyed the ground far below, but something eventually clicked mentally, resulting in the large-eyed creature mumbling again. “In one sweep?” he repeated, “Talk about one sweep…”.
The imp landed the dragon yōkai he was riding, allowing the beast to rest as he pondered over his nagging thoughts. He sat atop the brown-scaled demon, childishly picking the petals from a wildflower, alternating between “testing his sword” and “not” with each white petal he plucked. He gaped in shameless astonishment as he landed on “testing his sword.”
“He was testing his sword?!” he exclaimed standing up, staring in shock at nothing in particular, “Lord Sesshōmaru! Would you have let me die that time?! Lord Sesshōmaru!”
A perfectly aimed stone suddenly connected with the small imp’s head, forcefully knocking him off the sleeping dragon demon. He landed in the grass beside the scaled, brown beast, awakening the creature from its idle slumbering.
“Lord Sesshōmaru!” Jaken cried, noticing the approaching form of the fur-wearing demon lord.
The green demon hopped atop one of the dragon’s two heads urgently asking, “Were you testing your sword on me?!”
“Weren’t you looking for me out of concern?”
“Err… well,” the small imp stuttered, “Lord Sesshōmaru, I’m so glad to see you well…”
Another well-aimed stone smashed into Jaken’s large head, sending him once again flying to the ground. Sesshōmaru watched his servant stoically, but a spontaneous gust of wind drew his attention away from the small form of the imp.
Sesshōmaru turned his head to face the direction of the smell that started to permeate the air, quietly mumbling, “The smell of this blood…”. Sesshōmaru, curious, began to follow the familiar smell. It didn't take long before he found the source of the smell, the barren path leading to where two humans had met their end.
“What is that?” Jaken questioned, pointing out the battered bodies of two females, one older and the other younger. The imp approached the grisly scene in an unperturbed manner, “Oh, they’re a goner.” He briefly examined the corpse of the woman, “Must have been attacked by wolves… She’s been bitten to death.”
Sesshōmaru stopped behind Jaken, seemingly undisturbed by the brutal murder of the girls before him. Yet, there was nagging in the back of the lord’s mind, the older female’s words echoing in his consciousness. His golden gaze fell on the wolf corpse a few feet away from their bodies. A small blade had been jabbed into the eye of the wolf, the hilt having broken off in the struggle. A last act of defiance.
“Lord Sesshōmaru, do you know these humans?” Jaken questioned curiously, looking back at his master in question. His lord, however, simply drew his skillfully crafted sword, resulting in Jaken shouting a surprised: “Lord Sesshōmaru!”
The white-haired yōkai paid no heed to his blustering servant, rather he watched as the underworld’s henchmen appeared before his eyes. “I can see them,” he noted mentally, quietly watching as they got closer to seizing the lives of the girls. “Should I try it? The power of the Tenseiga.” Sesshōmaru questioned himself aloud.
“T-test it! Lord Sesshōmaru, what did you just say?” Jaken sputtered in disbelief, still shaken up by his previous encounter with the blade.
Sesshōmaru, apparently making a decision, deftly destroys the goblins of the netherworld in one fell swoop. He sheaths his healing blade and crouches beside the body of the woman. He carefully leans her form against his armored chest with his available arm, watching in silent surprise as the woman’s eyes begin to groggily open. It takes a moment for the woman to process the entire situation, but upon realizing Rin wasn’t beside her, she quickly snapped to full attention.
“Where’s Rin?” she asked hoarsely, her body not fully recuperating from the gruesome experience.
The golden-eyed male did not respond, simply looking toward Rin’s body which was also slowly awakening from death. (Y/n) felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she attempted to sit upright, Sesshōmaru helped her to a sitting position as he eyed her inquisitively. (Y/n) crawled to the small brown-eyed girl, pulling Rin into an embrace both desperately needed. Sesshōmaru's gaze again briefly fell to the wolf, before he huffed in amusement. They were nothing, if not interesting.
“They've come back to life!” Jaken exclaimed in disbelief, “Lord Sesshōmaru… did you save those girls with the Tenseiga?” The imp’s master failed to respond to his question, rather he stood and continued to walk down the worn path.
“Lord … Sesshōmaru…,” the servant muttered in disbelief, “Lord Sesshōmaru saved a human... two at that! I’m almost in shock… But didn’t he just say that he was testing it? T-then … Did you really test that sword on me?! Lord Sesshomaru! I am so sad! I am so sad! So sad is Jaken!” The imp burst into tears, wiping them away with the sleeves of his dirt brown kariginu. "Lord Sesshōmaru! You are so cruel!”
(Y/n) and Rin paid little heed to the whining green creature, rather they intently watched the form of the white-haired demon lord as he walked. (Y/n) and Rin shared a look, both unanimously deciding to follow their aloof savior. (Y/n) released her hold on the black-haired girl and stood. Rin held out her hand, to which (Y/n) took in her own. The duo smiled at each other before hurriedly jogging after the male to catch up.
“Huh?” Jaken uttered, noticing the pair up ahead, “Lord Sesshōmaru, please wait!”
Sesshōmaru considered his actions as he walked, toning out the calls of his servant and the sounds of the girl’s footsteps.
“Hmm… Tenseiga, huh?” he wondered to himself, “It made me save two humans.”