Chapter Text
ACT 1
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Golden rays of sunlight filtered through the rustling leaves, bathing the dark foliage in mesmerizing orange-yellow hues and casting a delicate, but fierce shade of light upon all that could be seen for miles. There was a slight breeze in the air, rustling (Y/n)’s hair, and involuntarily forcing her to sneeze as the dust and pollen were placidly stirred by another bout of soft wind.
A young girl walked alongside (Y/n)’s form. Her head tilted back to look at the older girl as she rubbed her nose irritatedly. The child’s small hands kept a firmer hold on (Y/n)’s free hand, earning a confused, but pleasant look from (Y/n).
“Is something wrong, Rin?”
The black-haired girl shook her head and smiled innocently, enjoying the company (Y/n)’s presence provided. The woman smiled back, always enjoying the warmth in the child's eyes and smile. (Y/n) was much like an older sister to the small, eight-year-old girl, and Rin was much like a younger sister to the poor, twenty-one-year-old woman. Fate had brought them together two years prior as (Y/n) journeyed, and both were grateful that the world had offered them that second chance at familial bonds. Life was difficult and by no means comfortable, but they found solace in the other's emotional and physical support.
(Y/n) smiled gently and returned her attention forwards, not particularly fond of the idea of mindlessly walking into an obstructive tree branch. A sudden twig snap and a burst of warning birds' caws immediately sent both girls’ survival instincts into overdrive and hopelessly shattered the warmth of the sunset-lit scene. (Y/n) gently released Rin’s hand to push her form closer to her own body.
"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. The older woman was unconfident in her ability to protect both herself and the smaller child, but she refused to admit defeat before an enemy was even introduced. The woman reached for the nearest stick - not quite heavy enough to cause serious damage, but just enough to poke out a vulnerable eye.
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 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 impromptu 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 is 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 rush to their aid in any sort of circumstance.
(Y/n), not wanting to be separated from the child, kept pace with the brown-eyed girl until Rin 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 a tree. His silvery-white hair was drenched in the fading light, adding to his seemingly perfect 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 (f/c) yukata 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 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. "You stay here and if something happens you run to the village immediately. Understand?" Rin nodded. (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.
~ + ~
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 the girl’s offered apparently remained untouched.
(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. Both of the girls' dirty yukatas were rolled up, 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 yanked 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.”
(Y/n) was harshly kicked in the back by one of the five men, followed by a boot connecting with the woman’s forearm. The (e/c)-eyed youth momentarily released Rin’s figure, which she immediately regretted when a man’s kick connected with the girl’s side. She 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 yukata.
“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 and then took her senior's hand, already pulling her out and away for a new scavenging trip.
Roughly an hour later, the female pair were walking towards the fair-skinned 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 male.
"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 the (Y/n)'s garment. 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. The older girl didn’t want her 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?” the male questioned. (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 yukata again, and their eyes briefly met, both considerably more curious about the injured male before them. The demon 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, but the obvious look of love in her (e/c) eyes as she watched her smaller friend interact. The trait caught the male’s attention, intriguing him to an extent he would never openly admit.
“What’re you smiling about? I only asked you a question,” he uttered in monotone.
(Y/n) blinked and looked into the white-haired yōkai’s golden eyes, “Sometimes 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 they both shuffled away to continue foraging for a satisfying meal. Their spirits flew higher than when they had arrived.
~ + ~
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, but she often felt a pang of sadness when she noted Rin’s want to speak, but the inability to do so. The older female wasn’t sure if she was born mute or if a traumatic experience had altered her vocal cords. To be honest, (Y/n) had the feeling she would never quite figure out the full story.
The girls 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. Rin quietly clasped the older girl’s yukata, also noticing the unwanted presence of the older male and hyperaware of (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 flash 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, gently pushing a nervous Rin closer and hooking her arm around the girl’s shoulder. 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).
“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 male 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 smirked and resumed an upright stance. Then, he began to walk away.
“Thanks, you’re gonna lemme go?” the thief questions, some form of relief evident in his tone.
The black-haired male 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 save them from the wolves frightfully chasing after them. If not for them, at least because the wolves had approached too close to him.
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.
“Blood… and the smell of wolves,” Sesshōmaru concluded mentally, turning his head to face the direction of the smell, quietly mumbling, “The smell of this blood…”. Sesshōmaru, curious and somewhat concerned, begins his endeavors to examine the source of the smell. He collectedly walks along the path the unfortunate pair had met their end upon.
“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.
“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 older woman. He carefully leans her form against his armored chest with his available arm, watching in mute surprise as the woman’s (e/c) 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 in a soft manner. (Y/n) crawled to the small brown-eyed girl, pulling the girl into an embrace both desperately needed.
“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. The girls 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 females 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.”