Meioshi was waving goodnight to the workers with a bright smile on her face. It was going to be time to retire for the night, but she wanted to do one last thing before bed. Picking up the tongue of a small wagon, the good doctor attached the vessel to her hips like she would at home. Small, empty pots, a shovel, and a sack of dirt were placed in the cart, and she put on straw shoes for this brief trip. She wouldn't be long. She simply couldn't resist collecting a few things was all, and she would be back within an hour or less. Although she had visited Goryeo before, she wasn't terribly familiar with the country like the others were. She had much to learn about the land, but she was thankful that Princess Gongsim was kind, though possibly still in love with her old sensei. Maybe that's why she wanted to go out: to get away from the memories of her lost love.
Sojuro belonged to another now. She accepted that. He is Hidorobo the Blue-Maned Dragon, not her Sojuro. A lot has changed for her within these few months. She found a new friend in an unfriendly inu prince, after all, and his imp and dragon and many more friends. She was even adopted by a cute, little girl who adored sunflowers! While Meioshi could dwell on the many negatives that once plagued her mind..., she chose to push forward instead. It did her no good to dwell on her past insecurities. What kind of role model would she be then? To celebrate the positive changes in her life, she decided to go collecting like she used to as a little girl. She remembered the day when she permanently moved to Nihon. She was heartbroken that she would be away from Liuxian and Shishou, and she cried and cried for a long time. It had to have been for days. She wouldn't stop hugging Liuxian or hiding in Shishou's closet. To cheer her up, her jiji, Arimasa, picked her up in his strong arms and carried her to a field of flowers. That was her very first pilgrimage, and he even taught her how to meditate and speak to her sadness. It was an odd thing: to speak to an entity within you, but the hell travelers were capable of such a power.
After she spoke to Sadness and they became one, Meioshi wasn't overcome by that entity. Instead, she met Hope. Hope was very bubbly and bright, and she loved plum blossoms and snowdrops, hence why she wore some variation of pink, light purple, and white when Meioshi met her. Hope had promised that one day, Meioshi would visit Liuxian like she visited Jiji. So, she did until Liuxian and Shishou moved to Nihon, and the friends were reunited again. On the day of their coming-of-age ceremonies, the friends separated and met their patron gods, respectively. Tonight, Meioshi would find many flowers for Sadness and Hope. She didn't get very far when a shadow covered her entire form.
Startled, she gasped when she saw Sesshomaru just standing there. He stiffened up just a hair like he didn't expect her reaction. Instead of arguing with him, though, Meioshi just sighed and smiled at him before chuckling. Despite his haughty attitude, his lordship seemed to have dog-like ticks every now and then. She caught him with one, the dreaded flinch.
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru? How might I be of assistance?" Meioshi asked, taking out a lovely scarf attached to strange basket handles.
"You work here, too?" Sesshomaru asked in response.
"Hm? Oh! Well, yes and no. Yes, I do health checks and the usual exorcisms required. No, I don't work tonight. I'm going out to collect some flowers," Meioshi replied.
"... For your grandfather?" Sesshomaru asked, reminded of the man with dragon eyes at Heiwa's "nude" beach. "Or your general?"
"More than them, I'm afraid," Meioshi answered, putting on a double-brimmed hat and tying it under her chin.
The scarf must be acting as a mosquito and bug repellant. Honestly, she looked quite cute in it with her hair cascading down and decorated with light jewelry pieces, not that Sesshomaru would ever say it aloud like last time. That was a mishap. The good doctor merely had certain moments where her beauty shined. His mother was right, regrettably. Meioshi was too large and long for him. They were practically the same height, save for an inch or two. Her arms were... almost always covered but her armor was practically form-fitting, ere go she had bulky limbs. Meioshi did have nice legs, though. Sesshomaru could attest to that from their first encounter when she covered her legs in fire to put on element-based protection. They were easily her best physical feature aside from her smoldering eyes. She didn't seem to have any control of their natural glow, but it allowed her beauty to shine through sometimes. Unfortunately, his lordship needed a smaller woman in his arms with less popular features. Her hips were too... symmetrical. Yeah, that's it. He wasn't the type to hold a woman in his arms anyway. It wasn't appropriate... in public. Besides, Meioshi couldn't go anywhere without someone vying for her attention in combat. He much preferred the peace.
... ... ...
WHAT WAS HE DOING? All this woman did was put a hat on! Wanting to hold her had nothing to do with - !
"I wouldn't wait up for me. Please, rest, my lord. The stars are beautiful tonight!" Meioshi said, looking up into the sky much like she did when the dragons took flight.
"Is there a particular reason why you don't like sitting down for longer than a few minutes?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I'll have you know I enjoyed a nice back massage for nearly an hour. But, I do think my bum is more sensitive than usual. I don't know why it was ticklish today," Meioshi said, walking off nonchalantly.
"What!?" Sesshomaru hissed.
"Well, your bum is another set of muscles with skin on it, after all," Meioshi said over her shoulder. "I forget about that sometimes. On that note, have a good night, my lord."
"No!" Sesshomaru barked, lassoing his Moko Moko around Meioshi's waist. "You are going to your quarters and sleeping like a proper noblewoman."
Chuckling at his demands, Meioshi merely walked towards him to loosen Moko Moko's stretched tension and pet the pelt gently. She then asked, "You still see me as a refined lady despite what you know about me now, my lord? ... Thank you. If it'll ease your worries, you can walk with me."
"Your inability to protect yourself is appalling despite how much aid is available to you," Sesshomaru said with a light scoff, trying to escape Meioshi's sudden bout of genuine cuteness. She looked good in fur. God damn this woman! "I care little for your safety. These memorial gifts you are retrieving are the only things of interest to me. Why not collect them in the morning?"
"I quite fancy strolls through the night market, of course!" Meioshi said with a bright smile. "I don't get to shop during the day because I'm working, so I spend idle times in the night. On a more embarrassing note, I wanted to find something for your grandfather."
"My grandfather?" Sesshomaru asked, snatching his Moko Moko back.
"It looked like your mum was upset earlier. He hadn't left her side since we embarked here," Meioshi said, pointing to the lodging Sesshomaru had chosen. "They were on Yamashi's ship when I went back to get the rest of my luggage. She needs something a bit more special from the main road to cheer her up, it seems. I'll have to wait to shop for her. Your jiji has been quite stressed! I heard him sniffing around on the ship and looking for you any chance he could get. He must get quite sick when you're away for too long. It's very sweet."
Sesshomaru avoided the doctor's gaze and felt his chest get warm and move uncomfortably. Well, that's embarrassing. His grandfather was making him sound like a mischievous pup.
"He reminds me of both of my grandfathers. I miss them very much. Spend your time with him well, my lord. You don't want to regret losing that time the way I do," Meioshi advised, dropping her head in sorrow. "I think your jiji might like different gifts. More variety. He seems very familiar with the Silk Road. He's spoken to nearly every ambassador except for the new ones, so he must have traveled often in his youth."
"I don't know much about my grandfather the way you seem to. You know his history and the extent of his knowledge in regard to other languages," Sesshomaru replied, looking at Meioshi quite seriously. "The Green Pheasant knew a great deal about the tiangou. He approached him. I am learning about the Okuri-inu and their origins currently."
"Ah, you are not quite a guardian spirit like Lord Pheasant then. Well, I'm not sure if this will help, but there are different ascension levels to guardian spirits. Upper levels tend to know about each other more versus the lower levels. Much like us holy warriors, actually. I know about the other warrior families within our assigned network, but you couldn't ask me a thing about anyone else. To keep this brief, guardian spirits are capable of protecting the laws of the universe, gods, royals, warriors, items, and certain mortals. It is nearly impossible to achieve the status of Master of the Law as a guardian spirit from what Lord Pheasant has told me. It is the ultimate ascension. Protecting the gods is not difficult, but it can cause mistrust among the ranks. Obviously, the further down you go, the more difficulties there are. It's quite a complex dichotomy!" Meioshi explained. "I would suggest talking to your grandfather about it more or speaking to Emperor Kunimatsu. The little one knows a bit about his patron god, and he seems to be working with him to choose a proper guardian spirit."
"You do not share the same patron?" Sesshomaru asked out of genuine curiosity.
"Heavens no! Thankfully so," Meioshi replied. She spotted something out of the corner of her eye and greeted politely, "Oh my! So sorry! Did we disturb you, elder? This ruins my surprise."
"Worry not, daughter of Usha," a familiar voice said gently from behind Sesshomaru. It was Hikozaemon II in proper sleeping attire. Well, proper Zhongguon sleeping attire. He was embracing his native heritage more and more as he returned to his family's life. "Spotting my cute grandson exploring his surroundings is surprising enough. He has not outgrown his weakness for night markets or foraging, it seems."
Meioshi perked up at this and made an interesting face. She said teasingly, "Oh, I need to hear this. Do go on."
"I will not be disgraced," Sesshomaru said with a light growl.
"'Tis no disgrace. It is simply the reason why you are cute. He always snuck out at night to forage in the crops or the cookie jars," Hikozaemon II said, walking over to Meioshi's cart to inspect a pot in particular and the small shovel she was bringing. "He napped during the day often. It appears you enjoy the same nightly activities."
"I enjoy all parts of the day, elder!" Meioshi cheered. "I'm just collecting plants tonight. I might buy something small for my friends back home. I haven't decided yet. My trip to the Silk Road is a sad one, I'm afraid. I have many funerals to conduct."
"I went to your village for your funeral, daughter of Usha. That is how I met your Green Pheasant. Someone else was buried in your place?" Hikozaemon II asked. It looked like he wanted to keep one of the pots. He had a black one with white and blue spots curving upwards in his hands. Would you call them paws, actually?
"Oh, that was a misunderstanding! My old friend told me about that after you left. We just missed each other at the time. Though, to answer your question, I am 'burying' my family. My patron goddess betrayed us. I blame myself every day for that," Meioshi admitted remorsefully. "My fate was to be worse than death. I'm fighting against the punishment now. I envy the onmyoji clan under my roof in a very small way. They had the chance to cut their ties to the patron goddess, and I removed them from the network by the ceremonial cutting to protect them. My family wasn't so lucky."
"You are part of the Web of Divine Might then?" Hikozaemon II asked.
Meioshi gasped in shock at this. How did - ? "You know of this, elder? How?"
"I entered the lands of Nihon around the time your web was being established. I thought you might have been important in the holy world when I met the Green Pheasant. My brothers and I were exiled from Zhongguo on the night of (what we call) the Tiān Huī. The sky was covered in wings of ash. From it came many magnificent creatures. That was the most beautiful and terrifying I had ever seen Nihon. It was the only time in my life when I truly feared my fate. Among those creatures were the Green Pheasants. Your friend did not tell you this?" Hikozaemon II asked, raising a brow.
"Ah, I might know what you're talking about, actually! My old friend was practically a child at that time. He has lived for many years, but, like you, he ages quite slowly. I will have to ask him, but he did mention that event as the Grand Migration. It's when the three worlds open their gates simultaneously to rebalance something within the universe. Only the Masters of the Law know about this unusual occurrence in detail. The immortals from the heavens choose the people they wish to protect to continue life on our mortal soil, which is how holy warriors are born, and the untouchables from hell deliver the Grand Punishment on individuals who have committed egregious offences. It's a mass cleansing process that is always carefully thought out. Apparently, the youkai are also a part of this process. I don't know how in full detail, but certain species are chosen to maintain the balance in between these large movements. There are times when just the heavens open their gates or just hell opens its gates. Mortals don't know which ones will open, of course. The youkai that is responsible for maintaining the balance, however, somehow or another does know. They close the gates and punish those who opened them," Meioshi explained. "It's possible that they probably choose helpers among the mortals, but I can't say for certain. That's a secret speculation of mine."
"Hmph. Now that I didn't know," Hikozaemon II said with interest. "Perhaps the inugami are related to such a thing. The House of Inu has many high titles within its political standing among the native youkai. The inugami are true guardians and are responsible for choosing their descendants of power. The other positions have often confused me."
"Oh, so Lord Sesshomaru is what among you? I know his father was a great general, according to Lord Aka back home, but you are saying there is more to it than that?" Meioshi asked, retrieving a pot to replace the one Hikozaemon II wished to keep. She then started to walk with Hikozaemon II and Sesshomaru in tow. His lordship had nothing to do and much to learn about what his grandfather knew. "Oh. Is it permitted for me to know such things? Humans are often withheld from such knowledge."
"You shared information you are not supposed to, daughter of Usha. I see no reason why I shouldn't divulge," Hikozaemon II replied, not taking his eyes off the road.
"What information?" Meioshi questioned.
"Your betrayal and punishment. The gods are quite sensitive to such details," Hikozaemon II answered. "Even the information regarding a guardian spirit's status. Only someone who was cast out or being hunted down would be foolish enough to speak. How long have you been out of your web?"
Meioshi grew quiet before she grabbed onto a lock of her hair and started stroking it. She was nervous, but Sesshomaru couldn't tell why. He could only sense it. It took her a while before she said, "Seven years."
Seven years...? Sesshomaru thought. If that black wall demon was right and she was imprisoned for 2 years in hell, then there are five years unaccounted for. How long has she been out of hell? Even more suspicious, why did she have to go back to hell? The main reason for why we met was because of that snow sword she was after. What did she need it for?
"Your heart is pure despite the betrayal then. This is sensible," Hikozaemon II reassured, taking Meioshi's hands away from her hair to lock eyes with her. "Your compassion and empathy make you the leader that you are. Never doubt that. I know very few outcasts who still have a guardian spirit at their side, least of all one of high rank as the Green Pheasant. If you were not abandoned completely and your powers not removed, this betrayal you speak of was completely unjust and was occurring long before you cut your ties to your patron god."
"But how - ?" Meioshi started.
"You told my cute grandson about the levels a guardian spirit can achieve. You were correct," Hikozaemon II admitted with a nod of approval. "I was trained by the gods to protect the royals and betrayed by a goddess for altering the fate of my king."
"You're a third-level guard?" Meioshi questioned, covering her mouth and bowing politely repeatedly in rapid succession. "I'm so sorry, elder! I've been speaking to you out of turn this entire time! I'm so, so sorry!"
Hikozaemon II merely let out a huff to show a chuckle and stopped Meioshi from bowing by holding her chin up and smacking his teeth to show disapproval of her actions. He then said gently, "There is no need for that. I was a king's guard. I am no longer. It is good that you know so much. My cute grandson could use the lesson. But, I believe you are supposed to be foraging for flowers now."
"Ah, hai! Of course!" Meioshi said, bowing and wiping a stray tear away.
__________________________________________________________________
Sesshomaru did not expect to be spending time "foraging" with his rival and grandfather. Perhaps, even more uncharacteristically, he helped collect the foliage of interest to Meioshi and learned a bit more about Hikozaemon II's rank as a guardian spirit. With a caveat, of course.
"You're very good at picking flora, Lord Sesshomaru!" Meioshi complimented, potting different irises. She found some great colors!
"You should see him digging in the carrot patches..." Hikozaemon II grumbled, sitting with his legs folded and looking out to the docks.
"Do you intend to keep your word, grandfather?" Sesshomaru asked, turning to face him.
"Do you intend to dirty your finest clothes on this trip?" Hikozaemon II countered, drinking some tea that Meioshi brought with her.
So, about that caveat... Hikozaemon II may have been a soldier in his past life, but he did not approve of returning home filthy. He expected his family to also be clean, regardless of their royal status, so he made his lordship march to their lodge and change into appropriate attire. Meioshi's mouth actually dropped, and Jaken... well, fainted. Sesshomaru returned to their small group in a largely cream kimono with appropriate fall colors of orange, yellow, and warm black as accents. His mother put his hair up in a high ponytail, but Meioshi was right. Milady wasn't smiling as much and didn't say a word when she adjusted his hair. Although, there was this look in her eyes that Sesshomaru didn't quite understand. It looked like she was looking... at him. She didn't make a single comparison to his father, and she reached out to touch him. But, it looked like she remembered something and put her hand down. She only nodded with approval and looked after him when he walked outside again. She used to do that when Sesshomaru was very small, especially when Hikozaemon II retrieved him to babysit.
"I will out of spite," Sesshomaru replied, raising a brow. "I have had enough of these secrets. Who are you?"
"Hikozaemon II, father of Toga. You know this," the elder said, sipping more tea and taking a deep breath. "You have impressive taste, young doctor. Where did you learn to make tea?"
"Oh, from school," "Meioishi replied, blushing and potting some yellow forest poppies. She wound up getting dirt on her cheeks. "If you passed the lessons for the tea ceremony, you were able to advance your training to tea collector, tea processor, tea harvester, and eventually a tea grower. My great uncle and I have a tea tree orchard around the dojo connecting our family homes."
"You're a tea grower then?" Hikozaemon II asked, pouring himself more tea.
"Unfortunately, I didn't quite finish my lessons. I'm not allowed to grow all the pretty tea trees I would like. I stopped at processor," Meioshi explained nervously, anime waterfall tears spewing out of her eyes.
"You stopped? You can just do that?" Jaken asked, sitting on the sack of dirt.
"You mentioned skipping school to play at the beach," Sesshomaru said, embarrassing Meioshi to the point of her blush getting redder.
"You skipped school to play by the Wishing Tree. I can't believe you tore your wishes," Hikozaemon II said, sipping tea calmly.
"LORD SESSHOMARU! THAT'S BAD LUCK!" Jaken shouted.
"That's quite terrible indeed, but you had to have good reason for such an action. There is very little that you do without purpose," Meioshi said with a more serious expression than before. Such anomaly, this girl. "But, I am curious about something. It's been mentioned that you wanted your own lands to rule, but I've yet to see you do anything of political worth besides repurposing my estate at the okiyas for a group of youkai in need. Do you not have much power for a reason?"
"That is none of your concern," Sesshomaru growled lowly.
"My young one is correct. His political power has little to do with him or his wants for change. It is constantly scrutinized by the will of others," Hikozaemon II replied. "He has to undergo many trials before he can take up the role of ruler within the House of Inu. My suggestion is to do away with it entirely and instead restore the Okuri-inu and its lands. His father's test has been completed after eliminating this odd creature known as Naraku."
"Naraku?" Meioshi questioned, having heard of the name but not knowing who the creature was.
"This Naraku was once a mortal man who bargained his soul and body to demons in exchange for power. He became a threat once he started his hunt for the Shikon Jewel," Hikozaemon II explained, turning to Meioshi. "How interesting! You have not heard of him, have you?"
"Not in great detail like that. My medicine teacher, Lady Kaede, briefly described him to me through letters. She only visited me about it maybe twice. The first time was when the Shikon Jewel had been broken. The second time was when Lord Inuyasha and the previous protector of the Shikon Jewel, Lady Kikyo, had confronted each other," Meioshi explained. "I was told to stand down on both occasions."
"You know my other grandson?" Hikozaemon II asked, placing his tea down.
"HE'S YOUR WHAT!?" Meioshi shouted more than questioned. "B-b-b-bu-but, if Inuyasha is your grandson too, then Lord Sesshom - !"
"Is his older brother," Hikozaemon II finished, smirking slightly. "That is why your connection to my cute grandson is so strong! You know of his kin. Have you formally met Inuyasha?"
"N-n-no, he was pinned to the tree still. I saw him as a child. I had to have been twelve years young at the time. I did speak to him a few times when I visited Lady Kaede, though," Meioshi said, gaining Sesshomaru and Jaken's attention. "He didn't say anything back, obviously, but I was trying to set his soul free. I thought he was bound by that holy arrow for a different reason, so I tried to use my powers to release him. Someone else was already chosen to do this, so I told him such. I didn't know who was meant to release him, but I could see that it was someone from quite far away. Someone that he perhaps needed to right the wrongs done to him. That gave him peace, it seemed. The grimace he once had on his face changed to rest. I found solace in that and just spoke to him about idle things instead."
"What idle things?" Jaken asked, locking eyes with Meioshi with quiet contemplation.
"The night before I was leaving home, Lady Kaede had just told me the story about Midoriko, the creator of the Shikon Jewel," Meioshi said, smiling at the memory. She remembered it like it was yesterday and returned to her task of potting plants. "I retold that story to Lord Inuyasha, but I didn't think he was interested in it for some reason. Something about the story didn't line up with what his soul needed to hear. So, I stopped and instead remembered the story of my ancestor, Unmei. Father Unmei said that he left his birthplace as a child after demons had ravaged his lands, and he was part of the movement to help build Heiwa into the kingdom you all have seen now. Like Lady Midoriko, Unmei was part of an era involved in building something extraordinary and new. In Lady Midoriko's time, she was a witness to the building of the capitals of Nihon much like the other clans of the Web of Divine Might. Temples were being erected simultaneously with the capitals, and her position in them was also very new. I liked to believe that she was handpicked to be a guardian of the Shinto faith like Unmei. They are both holy warriors with immeasurable pureness within their hearts. So, I told Inuyasha my thoughts. Hunting for the Shikon Jewel was not a crime. Wanting to be a full demon or even a full human was not a crime either. He only wanted a place to belong from what Lady Kaede had told to me. But, the Shikon Jewel represents something far more powerful than societal acceptance. I think... he was meant to unify us. That's why his wish was taken from him both times. I believe he had the power to make his wish on both occasions, but either Lady Midoriko's patron god willed it not to be so or some other power was stopping him. I firmly believed back then as I do now that he was never meant to be one or the other. He is unity. The Shikon Jewel was merely a catalyst for his journey ahead. Look at us. I'm supposed to be killing demons like yourselves or at least exorcising you from these lands. That's my duty as a holy warrior, yet I'm more at peace with you here and I'm speaking about what others would call an abomination. His ability to unite humans and demons is so much more than the difficulties he faced as a youth. From what I've heard, he's used his abilities to the fullest."
"What did you hear?" Jaken asked.
"You had a young human ward with you once, did you not?" Meioshi countered with a soft smile. "Imps are notorious for claiming the lives of children. Beyond that, look at this place. Humans and demons from entirely different worlds coexist peacefully. You think I gained nothing from speaking to him? You said you knew my darling mentor yourself, Lord Jaken. Why do you think her village is so safe for others, especially children? Lord Inuyasha sparked that fire in her to protect all children, regardless of their background. Like Lady Midoriko and Unmei, he was meant to build something extraordinary."
"... But I was not?" Sesshomaru asked, stopping his task and rising to stand slowly and menacingly. "You praise him so openly without him speaking a word back to you, yet you dismiss me and put me through trials just like the rest! Even with the tragedies in his life, he gets a better reward."
"Are you still so envious of your brother, my cute grandson? Despite your power and your success in getting the power you need to protect who you want, you still believe he gets more than you?" Hikozaemon II asked, making Sesshomaru bare his teeth and snarl. "I suppose I was wrong. You were never jealous of him. Jealousy is something that belongs to reasonable men. They can learn to become competent and discover their own self-confidence. Only the envious remain so insecure that they have to steal their neighbor's rewards."
"Elder," Jaken started, wanting to defend Sesshomaru but not knowing how.
"Instead of questioning who I am, take this time to question who you are," Hikozaemon II suggested. "It appears you have yet to become a man despite your rush to accept an adult's responsibilities. Your relationship with your brother is analogous. This woman is telling you that. If the Shikon Jewel was a representation of his place in the world, what is meant to be your representation? Clearly, it is not your swords."
That set Sesshomaru off. He stormed off without another word. Jaken called after him and chased behind him for a moment before he stopped. Hikozaemon II was not a foolish man or demon, and he was not weak. He said those words for a reason. He even seemed happy that Meioshi revealed the little tidbit about Inuyasha and Midoriko to him. Unity, new beginning. No, Hikozaemon II is right. Sesshomaru has to go on this part of his journey alone. For maybe the first time in his life since being Sesshomaru's servant, Jaken stood down and let his master go. In order for Jaken to be the servant Sesshomaru needs, Sesshomaru has to discover what kind of leader his world needs. As he stood back and hesitantly went in the direction of his lodging, Jaken thought he heard an odd noise. Feeling the ground move slowly, he picked his foot up quickly to chase the tickling sensation away. The ground was grinding in on itself and turning to sand. Two pairs of eyes emerged from the sand and a creature shot out before Jaken could respond fast enough. Meioshi's screams soon followed and all was quiet and abandoned.
Only the pots of flowers and wagon were left...