Togisumasa Reta Ha Jewel part 2

"You want to sell the Yama oroshi clan's body parts?" Ichi asked, furrowing his brow.

"Bingo, bro," Yamashi replied.

"For what? Not... labor, right?" Ichi questioned, flinching a bit at the imagery running through his mind.

"Nope. Blacksmithing," Yamashi answering, earning an 'ohhh' response from his brother-in-law.

Yamashi was actually leading the men to Kirameku Ha and Meioshi. For the disgraced prince, it felt very similar to his times as a captain on war fronts. Once he was permitted to remove his inhibitors, he would return to his full demonic power with his trusted axe. However, he fully intended to get closer to Sesshomaru in order to understand the man. Something didn't quite add up to the wild boar prince. As the leader of the Welcoming Committee for the youkai district, it was partly his responsibility to ensure that Sesshomaru didn't cross the line in trying to seize Heiwa as his territory. Everyone worked entirely too hard for these past couple of years to make the village a peaceful hub for his kind and the humans. Yuko had already been put in harm's way around the inu prince. Yamashi refused to allow any more harm to come to her.

Kirameku Ha and Meioshi were observing the children bringing sweets to the fire rats and playing around. As chaperones, the two samurai engaged with the festival's youkai festivities for a change. Their families were enjoying themselves and interacting with every new development this year's heritage festival was able to bring. Even the other Kairyu warriors were stopping by to see how things were progressing! It was a delight to see Emperor Kunimatsu able to enjoy the festival to its fullness. He was probably learning all kinds of things since the presence of the fire rats made his stay last longer. The First General also came by almost every hour to check on the emperor's safety, but he visited Meioshi's home in her absence as well. The Kairyu warriors were suspicious of the mysterious representative of the First General. He paid his respects to the villagers, but he never let anyone see him without the helmet and mask and he seemed to drink often. He wasn't a drunk, per se, but... well, no one could really read him. He wasn't present just yet, but he may show soon.

Atasuke, the supposed leader of the fire rats, was the only one not falling for the bait. He seemed to be waiting for Sesshomaru's orders and followed him around until he was dismissed. Homugi and Yuko were following behind the men and gossiping about the events until they spotted Meioshi playing with Kishi and Hasumi. Once they got close enough, they ran to her with joined hands. Homugi blushed at the contact but not out of romantic feelings for Meioshi's apprentice. It was more like she was acknowledging her life of freedom and happiness at long last. She could physically see for herself that humans weren't so bad, at least not the ones that Sesshomaru seemed to know. While the blue merle beauty didn't quite understand his lordship's relationship with the village doctor, Homugi found she didn't care about it. Receiving a hug from Meioshi, Homugi blushed profusely before returning the sweet embrace slowly. When she rested her head onto Meioshi's shoulders, Homugi started to remember her times as a child at the Wishing Tree with Sesshomaru and Takamuku. It was a silly wish, but... she had wished for a wife, too. Not so much a woman to marry, but a woman to befriend and look to for guidance like a sister. Being in Meioshi's arms felt so warm and relaxing. Before she knew it, Homugi felt tired like her entire spirit, mind, and body was seeking rest. Her clansmen might look down on her for this silent thought, but she wanted to stay in the doctor's arms like this for a little while longer.

Kinzo was extremely observant of Heiwa, but he paid special attention to his new sensei. He wasn't sure of how to live his new life away from the onmyoji village. It was all he knew. As much as he wanted to rejoice, there was a sense of foreboding making his chest move uncomfortably. Seeing Meioshi smiling and playing with Kishi was the only thing putting him at ease. It wasn't until his parents held him in their arms that he had a chance to really breathe and realize that he would never live a peaceful life if he didn't trust in the person who helped him. He supposed that it was the goddess's words that struck him with some fear. Meioshi wasn't the one meant to save the onmyoji but another. Someone else that Maboroshi no kohime had trusted. What happened to that person, though? Where was he? That blue dragon knight also mentioned that one of his predecessors was missing from the wall. Was it all true? Did his former patron goddess have a sexual relationship with his predecessor? Was he going to be next? Kinzo was worried about so much, yet... he wasn't. Meioshi and Kirameku Ha welcomed him with open arms despite him never showing them his face. They never struck him or made him play music. He would have them as instructors - formal instructors - in whatever he wanted. He wondered... if they would let him be a child for a while since his childhood was ripped from him in favor of slavery.

Jaken was uncharacteristically walking slowly up to his lord to await his command. He had made a decision for himself about something. He just hoped Sesshomaru would not be angry with him.

"Yo, Doc," Yamashi called, earning Meioshi's attention.

"Yo, Bacon Bits," Meioshi replied jokingly, imitating her apprentice's husband. She was pretty good at it. She got his stance and all.

Yamashi smirked at her before nodding and saying, "Since the prince of pups won the baking competition with his dog biscuits, I'm grantin' his wish and joining him for a mission. Mind watchin' my woman?"

"I'm not a child or a trophy, ya jerk! I can take care of myself just fine!" Yuko argued.

"You didn't give me what I wanted in the bedroom. I suggest you practice while I'm gone to make it all worth my while," Yamashi said with a confident smirk. He didn't look at Yuko and didn't need to, honestly. She was redder than a rose at his remark.

"Practice what?" Homugi questioned, looking at Yuko.

"Why, Lady Yuko! Is it quite possible that one of my books will be missing from my inventory should I check the shelves?" Meioshi asked with an interesting face. Sesshomaru was visibly frowning at the memory of the beach... and his spanking.

"Sensei!" Yuko whined with a cute pout, making Meioshi giggle.

"Well, she should be busy with plenty of work while you're away. With so many fire rats visiting this humble abode, we'll have to be on the lookout for the weevil youkai next," Meioshi informed, wrapping her arms around Homugi's waist. She noticed that the inu beauty was experiencing a bit of fatigue. Medical senses were tingling.

"Can we catch 'em, doctor?" Hasumi asked with stars in her eyes. "What do we do with them?"

"We have to gather all of the crumbs that the fire rats left behind and make them into a big piece of rice. It's like making a bait," Meioshi explained. "If the weevil likes it, then he leaves behind his special sugar. With that sugar crystal ball, the winner makes the fabled Raindrop Cakes."

"Hang on, so Little A-roo has to make the Raindrop Cake like his dog biscuits?" Hasumi questioned, scrunching up her nose. "I ain't eatin' no doggie cakes!"

"We'll help him make the cakes, my little miko. He has to make just the right number of them for the weevils first. That's the hardest part! As the legend goes, the weevils take what's left behind by the fire rats to their children. You have to guess correctly how many children the weevil parents are feeding. But, it has to be done to get all of the colors for the raindrop cakes," Meioshi informed. "After that, we're his lordship's little helpers until all of the sugar is used. It's a lot of baking!"

"How many kids do weevils even make?" Hasumi questioned.

"The queen granary lays up to 400 eggs at the maximum. Their confused cousins can lay up to 300 eggs at the maximum. Common weevil ladies don't lay very many. Usually, they have anywhere between 1 to 50 children. It depends on who shows up," Meioshi informed, releasing Homugi to kneel in front of Hasumi. The sunflower miko looked horrified at the sheer number of children a queen could have. "Lucky for us, I've never seen a king granary! That would be a lot of pastries!"

"No kidding!" Hasumi remarked, head exploding from the idea of having to bake 400 cakes.

"Let's see if my little ones remember how to identify the classes of the weevil youkai. Musuko!" Meioshi called, earning a 'hm' before running over to her. "For a favorite snack, how can you tell which class a weevil youkai belongs to?"

"The stripes on his back and the tip of his snout," Musuko replied cheerfully. "King granary has gold stripes on his back and a deep brown to black tip on his snout. Confused flour cousins have more of a deep yellow stripe and no snout. They mostly go for breads or pastries with a lot of flour stuck to the bottoms. He digs under them to eat. We call them confused because they try to be sneaky like weevils but aren't! Commoners have light brown stripes that look like sensei's eyes."

"Huh. I guess I caught a confused flour cousin then," Hasumi said, scratching her head to try to remember. "It didn't have a snout."

"In the meantime, we have some cleaning up to do. The festival is almost over! We're just waiting for the weevils to appear. I believe all but one fire rat has made it to the ravine," Meioshi informed, looking at Atasuke.

"Oh, the pretty lady is looking at me!" Atasuke said, blushing and rubbing his hands together. "I should have brought a gift for her!"

"Don't be fooled by her appearance," Sesshomaru warned, closing his eyes calmly.

"You find me pretty, my lord?" Meioshi asked jokingly with a devilishly smirk.

"I find you ordinary," Sesshomaru replied curtly. "I am escorting Atasuke to his home and leaving elsewhere. I expect you to find other clues to the whereabouts of my Meido Stone while I am absent. Your incompetence as a servant has left me with the responsibility of going to the Yama oroshi territory with another group of men instead. Use this time to make yourself useful."

Meioshi narrowed her eyes at him but didn't get angry this time. In fact, she laughed mischievously and then smiled like a scheming cat. "By your command," she said. "Yamashi. Ichi."

"That face can't be good," Ichi said, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back to stretch his spine.

"I've a favor to ask of you..." Meioshi said as seductively as she could manage. It was enough for Sesshomaru to open his eyes and look at her.

________________________________________

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Sesshomaru thought, brow twitching.

"I'll tell you what... that lemon and chamomile oil? Mm, good shit!" Ichi complimented, holding up chef hands and kissing the air.

"Really?" Reijiro questioned with some interest. "And that was in oni girl's sex book?"

I work with perverts... Sesshomaru thought.

"I prefer using it in the morning. Guaranteed sex the coming night," Yamashi remarked, carrying his axe over his shoulder. "I don't know who invented the Rock-a-Bye, but, whatever god living at the peak of the mountain did, we need to have a meeting. I need to see what goes on in his house."

"Oh, you do that, too?" Ichi questioned, brows arched out of interest. "I bought a gallon of oil for nothin'. I could've just borrowed it."

"Is this for a massage or... coupling?" Reijiro asked.

"Both," the wild boar brothers replied.

Yamashi felt more like himself with his prized weapon in hand, but the wild boars were not a shy people either, so he was even more comfortable with this topic in mind. By Ichi and him being married, they didn't mind having discussions about love and life. What was unusual to them was the inu men being so closed up about it. Well..., maybe not so much Reijiro. Yamashi's been paying close attention to him, but the disgraced royal's sights have honed in on Sesshomaru just as much if not more. Jaken was not with Lord Sesshomaru's caravan, per his humble request. Though Sesshomaru would never admit this out loud ever, he actually preferred his company over this band of riffraff. At least he'd shut them up or divert their attention somewhere else. Anywhere else! This was maddening! Evil, little skank! He should've popped her when this conversation started. He knew it was her idea. He knew it! She was only sexy when she was plotting his demise. He meant she only spoke sexily - ! No, she wasn't sexy! It was just that voice! Yes, it was her voice that implied things were going to go awfully when in use. That's what he meant. He hated that witch so much!

"A woman's mind works differently naturally, so you have to give her 10 to 30 minutes to transition her from thinking about the dishes or work the next day to thinking about the 'intense fellowship' you're looking for," Yamashi explained, indirectly quoting Meioshi's book. "That book is like an elder scroll for married or courting couples. I haven't read the one for teenagers, but Yuko used to have a copy."

"I'm convinced she stole both of ours," Ichi grumbled. That book helped get through puberty a lot!

"That pervert drew children in those appalling conditions?" Sesshomaru questioned with visible outrage.

The disgraced prince and yappy farmhand turned to Sesshomaru with a surprised or amused look in their eyes. It was hard to tell which one. While the wild boar royalty didn't understand why Meioshi was insistent on sex talk being a primary conversation starter, it became infinitely clearer on why with that one remark. Reijiro was not a virgin. Sesshomaru, on the other hand...? This was going to be good.

"With the parents' permission, yeah," Ichi answered honestly with a smirk. O-ho, what's this wide-eyed expression that the lord of the western lands possessed? It almost looked like he was a step away from blushing. Ichi then said, "She draws her patients for more personalized records. Child patients have thicker record books than certain adults, and elderly patients might have similarly sized documents. She takes details of everything from body weight to body changes. Her measurements are very precise. She used to do all of that for joro so that diseases or deformities could be detected and treated earlier. Even the children of joro were cared for thoroughly. That's how she started out. It switched over from that to family services once Yuko took on apprenticeship and more people were coming to her for medical advice. She's been at this work for years, Lord Sesshomaru. You shouldn't be so surprised at her meticulous findings."

"The parents allow their children to engage in such foul activities in front of another adult they don't know?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"Why's that your main concern?" Yamashi asked, smiling toothily. "You think she'd go for a younger guy? Ichi just told you she does those drawings for medical reasons, not pleasure."

Sesshomaru snapped his attention to a rock and marched away with a slight fury. It wasn't like he didn't know Meioshi was a thorough person. It was... well, Kita... He knew what he heard! He could see the silhouettes in the art studio. Kita enjoyed being drawn and so did Lady Uo! What if that's how it starts? What if Meioshi draws young, impressionable children and then grooms them to...? No, then her relationships with Ohta and the grapple bears wouldn't make sense. She went through legal hell to make sure they were safe and didn't sell themselves to disgusting, ill men. But! Sex was a sacred, taboo thing! Sure, he heard his parents engage in it in his youth, and he didn't mind doing that with someone he truly cherished someday, but making books about it was sacrilege! There was no romance, no privacy, no...! No...! It just sounded wrong! Children shouldn't know about sex until they're ready! Even then, that's a decision and an action that deserves some secrecy. What about the whole "honoring tradition" thing in Heiwa?

"... These books are for couples, specifically. In Heiwa, we have traditions here that permit young men to court unmarried or widowed women in their own ways... A common way is the yobai where a young man formally asks the woman to spend the night with him... When I started nursing, families were already built on blade-thin foundations. Educating couples on the different aspects of courtship has done a better service... you would be surprised by how many courting persons come to me for advice, even going so far as to sneak into my house during the nights. I don't do this work out of perversion. It's to protect couples."

Sesshomaru stopped in his walk for a moment, remembering when he spoke to Meioshi after Kita's session. He then thought, Your books... protect the young, too?

"Then why is she watching you, other humans, doing... things to each other?" Jaken asked, careful not to be too loud.

"Trauma therapy," Kita answered simply, earning noises of confusion. She looked to the sky and said, "Demons like you probably wouldn't understand it much, but... some of us need this sort of thing. It's more than what you think... I think having someone... who knew my pain and was willing to fight for me... changed everything... I felt safe, protected... You can call the doctor many an evil name, but she is exactly what she promised to be... a healer..."

Suddenly, a thought came to Sesshomaru. Actually, it was more like a memory. An exchange - beautiful and full of philosophical wisdom - between a father and son. His grandfather, Hikozaemon II, was seated at the pond of the royal grounds. Night-blooming orchids and glowing mushrooms illuminated the grass to make it blue and green and whimsical like the scales of a dragonfly glimmering in flight. His father, Toga, was walking up to his grandfather that night in a rare show of childish curiosity. His hair was down that night and his clothes - a colorful pairing of greens and pinks that seemed unusual for the indigo lover - were softer than his usual armor. Sesshomaru had forgotten that he used to know his grandfather's language quite well, at least enough to switch from Nihonese to it when addressing his grandfather. Though the elder knew Nihonese, for some reason, Sesshomaru's parents stressed that they use native tongue when speaking to Hikozaemon II. Unless the elder himself spoke Nihonese, then they would all speak Nihonese. How his lordship had forgotten about that was a mystery to him, but he reasoned that the loss of the language came from the heartbreak of the past. Looking back on everything now, from his journey alone to his run-in with Naraku, it was unfair to separate himself from his grandfather. Maybe, in the end, that's why Sesshomaru was accepting his new role with the Okuri-inu. Maybe that's why his grandfather's words were echoing in the folds of his childhood memories.

||... ... ...||

"Fùqīn," Toga called softly before sitting beside Hikozaemon II.

"My flirty son," Hikozaemon II replied, turning to Toga with soft eyes.

He gasped lightly when Toga flopped on his father's lap and mewled before stretching out. If he were in his true form, it would look like he was stretching his spine out and spreading the toes of his grand paws before letting out a big breath. Big breaths cause tornadoes, though. Can't just do that. Toga hadn't behaved this way since he was a pup, so the elder merely chuckled and pet his youngest one's head like he used to. For young Sesshomaru, he was pleasantly surprised. He didn't understand why his father didn't simply go to bed if he was so tired, but he was frozen in place by his grandfather's response. When Toga yawned with that slight whine and huff, Hikozaemon II adjusted the man and then continued to pet his head. It was sweet. The elder kept his gaze fixed on the scenery, but he seemed aware that his son wanted attention.

"Why are you not asleep, my flirty son?" Hikozaemon II asked after a moment of silence had passed.

"I'm so over these laws," Toga complained. "They don't make sense!"

"Which ones?" Hikozaemon II asked, smirking.

"All of them! But, we were looking at the marriage laws a little while ago. Pup wanted to play," Toga explained. "It shouldn't be like this! We didn't follow the laws and neither did you and mom. We're all happy, right?"

"You cannot expect the native youkai to be so welcoming to our ways, my flirty son. The reason your mother and I did not follow traditional marriage laws was because our laws were different. We were different. We had to compromise and defy what we knew. You know of our story. These natives have ensured their survival the only way they know how for many years. We challenged that through our union," Hikozaemon II commented.

"Is there no way to make the challenge into a law, father?" Toga asked quietly, blinking slowly.

"What do you wish to change?" Hikozaemon II asked.

"Love isn't just a human emotion to be tossed aside in favor of power. You are strong and can strike fear into countries with a simple glance..., but you are one of the most loving people I know. You rejoice in your own way when something pleases you. You've been influential to us. When you are angry, we can feel it. How you respond to what has angered you is how we sometimes respond. You call us down to dinner and expect everyone to be there. When someone is not, you wait until they show. If we are training late in the evening, you stop us and make us sit at the table. It's never out of discipline or strictness, though. It's out of love. You want to make sure everyone reconnects at the end of the day. You want peace in the home, so... What is it about love that we, demons, find to be weak?" Toga asked. "You are not weak, father."

Hikozaemon II looked down at his son, flattered by his words and how he remembers his actions, and replied, "The natives have a strong ignorance towards the definition and identity of a true youkai. I get angry at them because they keep trying to make youkai interchangeable with a demon. You are not a demon, my flirty son. You are a youkai like your mother and me. We are guardians. Whether or not you want to include spirit after that is up to you. Your ability to mate and produce living young, I would say, takes away the spirit labelling. This is why I never refer to anyone as a youkai, personally. You are either a guardian or you're not. Many times, one is not, so I do not regard them. The natives here rely very heavily on primitive beliefs with no beneficial proof to their efficiency. In truth, it is because our primitive natures do not understand the power that comes from love. By nature, demons feed upon the weak for more strength. The weakest tend to be the humans. They emote constantly and have short lifespans. The natives fear emoting like a human because they believe their lifespan will shorten to that of a human. This simply is not the case."

"Youkai... how are we true inu while they're not?" Toga asked.

"We have dinner together," Hikozaemon II answered with a smile. When Toga looked up at him with some confusion, the man continued, "The reason why I stop you from training is because I am celebrating your devotion and ability to defend yourself. I am pleased when you remember to wash up and pray before you slam your face into the dumplings which are usually hot. Love celebrates your might regardless of how you feel about your own progress. Everything that you do to prepare for battle or a meeting is rewarded before the army claims its victory or the court claims your time. I want to see you at the table so that you never forget who truly supports you. Let the natives admire your valor in combat. I admire nights when you spill fruit jelly on the floor and have your mother spank you with a spoon out of play. It is a reminder that I have never loved in vain and have fought the right battles to obtain this peace. My young one carries your mischievous spirit within him. Love rejoices in truth, progress, and growth. It is what gives you a real life. You are a true inu because you have lived a real life. The natives have not. Be an inu, my flirty son. Rule these lands with the life you have lived in mind."

||... ... ...||

The life you have lived in mind. Good moments and bad moments equally celebrated and used to guide others. Sesshomaru had far more bad moments run his life than good ones. The few good ones he did have, he hardly remembered. Perhaps, it was best to say he hardly acknowledged them. What does it mean to truly protect the young? Is it just shielding them from harm or educating them about all things adult? Meioshi... she's so much like Hikozaemon II... in a different way. They are both influential. She sat at the creek bordering the haven at the okiya village the way Hikozaemon II sat at the moonlit pond. Did he worry about things the way she did? Women do think about much, it seems. Perhaps..., he wouldn't like it, but... is there more to that sex book than just portraits truly?

"You're thinking pretty hard over there, Maru-sama," Reijiro said, disturbing Sesshomaru.

"We are not close. Do not refer to me with such a casual name," Sesshomaru replied coldly.

"It's either that or Sesshy-sama. Sounds girly," Reijiro remarked with a smirk.

"It is Lord Sesshomaru."

"When you're an Okuri-inu squad leader, you got it. Otherwise, Maru-sama," Reijiro challenged with some seriousness laced in his joking tone. "Oni girl's just screwing with you 'cause you implied she was ugly. Where are we going anyway?"

"Forest of the Flying Inu. It is where the Okuri-inu once lived. The Gogyo Stone of Water is there. You are hereby Pissy-san if you call me by that name again," Sesshomaru threatened.

"Joke's on you. I am pissy sometimes," Reijiro said with a smirk. "If you're not into oni girl, you should probably stop thinking so hard about what she does. It's not all that important. Respectable and sweet but not important."

"... Unfortunately, what she does is important for more than one reason..." Sesshomaru started. He sensed something in the distance. The air was getting colder...