In Full Bloom

Chapter 4: Remnants of the Past

In the moonlight, he saw her – her long dark hair that fell past her knees settled behind in waves. She seemed immersed in the full moon, glancing at it longingly as if the moon and she had a history of sorts. His eyes honed in on her from the shadows, tracing her curvatures of her face and body. In a conversation long ago with his father, he learned that this woman came from a strong political family of merchants. She was once an aristocrat, and now a knight, stripped of all status in society.

On her lap, she held a cup filled to the brim with sake, the surface reflecting the bright moon. She wore her usual attire, and besides her, her mask leaned on her thigh. It had not been long since his father removed her mask, and he constantly questioned as to why his father would commit such a foolish act. Humans were not to be trusted, he told his father. But his son's words were met with ignorance, as the dog general continue to drabble himself in court and submit to human affairs and cultures.

As Sesshomaru continued to observe from distance, the knight tore her gaze from the moon, peering down into the cup of untouched sake. The demon stilled as the woman's lips parted slightly and began to recite.

"Hana no iro wa
Utsuri ni keri na
Itazura ni

Waga mi yo ni furu
Nagame seshi ma ni"

As she finished, she brought the cup to her lips, only to stop when the demon revealed himself from the shadows. The knight nodded lightly to Sesshomaru, her eyes and lips revealing the happiness in his appearance. "Sesshomaru," she placed the cup down beside her and shuffled over, gesturing to a place for him to sit. "Would it perhaps interest you in doing some moon gazing tonight?"

The demon halted in his steps, staring at the knight from afar. His eyes glinted in the darkness, as he maintained his distance. He was wary of her, for she had somehow wormed herself into the Azai family. His father, a once silent man, spent many of his time with the woman, and his mother showered the knight with gifts of sorts. The dog demon was sure her wardrobe housed a more than fifty or so luxurious robes, but tonight she had opted to wear her knight attire instead.

"Ono no komachi," Sesshomaru uttered, taking the knight by surprise. She clapped her hands, her body full of glee. "So you know of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu?"

"Indeed." The demon answered from afar. His eyes swiveled to her sword lying beside her and returned to her diamond shaped face. Then his eyes unwavering, he continued. "She was a foolish woman."

"Perhaps," the woman responded as she lowered her eyes and her voice dropped to a whisper. "But I do think there is some pity to be held for her. A woman during the Heian era was restrained to her household and marriage."

"She chose her path, when she could have attained the so called happiness you humans call it. Instead, she died alone, withering into old age. Is that not illogical, by your human standards?" Sesshomaru asked as he quirked a brow.

The knight laughed lightly, covering her lower half of her face with her sleeve. "Yes, we do wish to be happy. But Ono no Komachi saw past that, for if she eloped with her lover, she would gain the glory she had in the Imperial Palace. Forgoing her greatest love allowed her uplift her status in court through the words of her poems."

"Foolish nevertheless." Sesshomaru stated blandly, beginning to turn on his heel. He had only desired for a walk in the cool night to escape his thoughts, not to engage in conversations over poems of dead poets. Furthermore, this was with the human knight, a woman who he tread carefully on as he kept his guard up around her. She was not to be trusted, not to be talked to-

"Sesshomaru," the woman's voice eagerly bit out behind him. He paused in his steps, the clinking of the sword on his side subsiding. "Would you please stay with me for a little while?" Her voice urged with longing. The dog demon spun towards her in an attempt to retort her request, only to see her brown eyes wavering. In her depths he could see the loneliness and pain reflected in them, and he began to open his mouth to answer her behest, but the images began to blur and fade.

Sesshomaru's eyes immediately shot open, with only the darkness to welcome him. With a snarl, he pulled the futon off his body and rose to where his hakama hung. The rooster's cry resonated in the distance as he tied the obi furiously around his waist.

The entrance to his room slid open and he felt the familiar youki pour in. He felt the wind demoness slip in behind him, her red eyes eyeing him curiously. "You look pale," Kagura muttered through the folds of her fan.

Sesshomaru did not answer her as he whisked Tokijin from a stand and slid it into the confines of his obi. "You will be leaving now?" Kagura asked as she stood from a corner, clad in her red kimono.

"Yes."

"Hmmm. You seldom sleep, especially in my house. Tell me, did you dream of her again?"

In an instant, Kagura found herself pinned between the wall and the tip of his sword. He had traveled across the room, unsheathed his sword and successfully caught her by surprise in a matter of seconds. Her neck was bared to his weapon as her eyes peered in his golden ones. His grim expression revealed nothing as usual, but Kagura grinned as the act alone revealed his anger.

She brought up a hand, pushing away the sword with the end of her fan. A smirk on her face and the demoness merely danced away, fanning her face. Sesshomaru lowered his sword and returned it to his side. He gave her one more glance and began to walk away.

"Good bye, Sesshomaru. We'll stay in contact as we usually do. Your knight is waiting for you." Kagura stated as she stared the back of the demon disappear without another word spoken to her.

-][-

Rin gazed at the boxwood comb in her hand with longing, as her fingertips lightly grazed the intricate carving. Her hands flew over the scales, slowly working their way towards the end of the comb, towards the whiskers of the dragon. She could not suppress the slight smile that began to grow as she brushed the wood.

In her younger years, there were no gifts to be had in the House of Knights. She, along with other orphaned children, trained from dawn till nightfall – honing on their art of fighting and skill. Gifts were not presented during the training she succeeded at, and even those of the highest caliber were not offered anything in return for their continued excellence. Only more training and more tasks existed, till a Lord of Lady arrived at the House of Knights and requested a knight suitable for them. And even then, the act of being picked as one's knight was considered a godsend amongst the knights in training, for it presented them an opportunity to the outside world.

In more ways than one, Rin mused as she continued to play with her newfound gift, she was lucky. Her Lord, though distant and lacked trust in her, did not mistreat her. He did not beat her into oblivion to demand her utmost loyalty and obedience. When Rin first arrived at the infamous Azai Castle, she was worried – out of fear that she would be confined to the castle for the entirety of her life and abused like the knights that sorted into poor houses and clans. But the demon had yet to lay one finger on her.

The rustling of leaves from behind pulled Rin out of her thoughts. She fumbled with the comb and quickly tucked the object deep into her obi, giving it a pat when she was satisfied with its disappearance. She then rose from the rock she sat upon and turned, bowing slightly to her Lord's return.

"My Lord," she spoke softly, opening her eyes to look at his boots. She closed them once he turned towards her. She wondered where ventured off to when he left her alone at their made camp. She could only assume it was to communicate with Kagura, as she provided intel on the court to her Lord. Rin did not dare to ask her Lord, unsure as to whether he would give her a proper answer.

There was a brief silence that hung over the duo as Rin remained bowed halfway. Her Lord, continued to stare, examining the new cloth that she wore. The orange and crème kosode suited her, for the old knight uniform settled disdainfully in him as it reminded him of the one woman who managed to overturn his father's reign. He spent only a fraction of his life knowing the other woman, yet each memory of the long haired human remained seared into his very mind, unable to wither away like most old memories. He could not forget the soft and gentle voice of hers during their long conversations of poets long gone, and neither could he forget her mannerisms.

Realizing he had once again treaded far into the past, Sesshomaru regained controlled of his self and turned away from the knight. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Has the book revealed anything since my departure?" He asked, peering down at the hilt of his token sword, Tokijin.

"No, my Lord," the girl replied. Sesshomaru furrowed his brow at her response. The quest at hand proved to be worsening day by day, as the book the Emperor threw at him unveiled nothing. Each page prevailed in its everlasting whiteness, reminding him of the snow that fell on the Azai grounds during harsh winters. The demon frowned, and walked forward. His patience grew thin, as the intelligence Kagura supplied remained scarce and the Emperor continued to stay in a fragile position. The curse hung over him ominously day by day, and it wore on him, though he did not show it.

"If I may ask," the girl interjected as she followed in the demon's footsteps, "what is the purpose of this book? There is nothing to be seen in these pages, save for-"

At that, Sesshomaru stopped in his path and swerved towards the girl, his eyes meeting hers once more. He did not notice till now that on one side of her head, she had pulled her hair into a tail of some sort. In all his life, he had never seen a more ridiculous style – and if seen by the women of the imperial court, their gossip would be endless for days to come.

"Do not question the task at hand, knight." He warned in a low tone. Upon gazing at the neglected Tenseiga along her waist, he met her gaze once more. "It is not in your position to question the matter at hand. Merely observe, follow my orders and we will return to Azai Castle before the first snowfall."

The girl's face scrunched up in anger, but her retaliation did not come. Instead, the creases in her face disappeared and she nodded her head in slight recognition. "Yes, my lord. Forgive me for my improper question." She said bitterly.

"Hn." With the swing of his arm and the rustle of his hakama, he continued onto the path they had been walking on earlier. "We will be arriving at the House of Hosenki. Present yourself accordingly and do not embarrass me."

Rin, recovering from her earlier downfall, returned to walking behind the demon, eyes caught onto his fine, white hair. "Hosenki?" She asked offhandedly and realized her mistake in a matter of seconds. But the demon did not retort this time, and answered her question.

"Hosenki is a Lord of the court and an old friend of my father's." Sesshomaru said in a stoic voice. The curiosity flared in Rin once more as the questions of Sesshomaru's father multiplied in her head, but Rin bit her lip and held back the thoughts. Perhaps talks of his father would be too sensitive as a topic, as she had yet to see his father in person. Not once did she meet the great dog general at the Azai castle, and the imp Jaken only labored over the man's past great deeds.

"He is in charge of overseeing the jewels the women and men of the court drown themselves in," the dog demon continued in his stoic tone of voice. "All the treasures, paintings and poetry of the castle are appraised and kept under his care. It is a rather useless and menial task for a demon lord." Sesshomaru added with disdain.

Rin nodded in response, readjusting the straps on her mask. "And when shall we arrive at his castle, my lord?"

"As fast as the legs of a human can walk," he simply stated, leaving Rin behind whose mouth was agape beneath her mask.

-][-

Upon arriving on the grounds of Lord Hosenki's castle, Rin feasted on the view. Surrounding the castle on all sides, fields of countless flowers grew freely. The grass reached up to her knees, causing Sesshomaru to snidely remark at the unkemptness of the grounds. She passed his criticism without much thought, enjoying the overgrowth. Flowers were a rare sight in the House of Knights and only an occasional dandelion grew on those lands. At a young age, Rin learned to preserve flowers, by plucking the plant and placing it between the pages of book. Though she had only collected dandelions and other weeds, she proudly displayed it to her fellow knights in training, causing many to giggle in delight at her "dandelion book".

The knight repressed her urge to pick at the flowers, for that would cause her Lord to frown in disappointment. She continued behind the demon, humming as she went, causing the Lord to raise his brows ever so often.

At the gate of the castle, Sesshomaru once again presented the golden plaque he had flashed to the guards at the entrance to Imperial City. There was no question, only grunts from the castle guards, as they waved to the upper deck to open the doors for the duo. Rin stared in awe still as the guards cranked the chains to raise the wooden gate. Her smile deepened behind her mask as she stepped into the castle's threshold.

Unlike most castles, the castle was painted in a shade of red. Women and men frantically paced all over, each person holding onto objects in their arms. Rin noticed, that each object differed – some men held paintings, while other held vases. Some even carried bits of jewelry. Rooted and dazed to the spot, she glanced up at Sesshomaru for answers. However, his face remained unfazed as he walked past the cacophony and absurdness of the situation. Once again, questions plastered in her mind, but remained lodged in her throat when a being from the shadows cleared his throat and humbly bowed before the dog demon.

"General Sesshomaru," the demon rasped, his many trinklets from his neck dangling above the ground. "What brings you to my humble home?"

The demon, much to Rin's surprise, draped himself in deep purple clothing. He was of short stature, his head barely reaching the girl's hips. But what stunned Rin were the two antlers that protruded from his temples that could graze the bottom of her chin. With a yelp, she remembered her status and lowered her eyes quickly, along with the rest of the body.

Sesshomaru nodded only slightly in recognition, keeping his hands folded behind his back. Though Hosenki was much older than the dog demon, he did not show too much respect, for his position was higher in the court. "Hosenki," Sesshomaru drawled, dropping the formalities. "There is something that I require your assistance in." His eyes trailed the bustling servants. "And this would be the perfect time to do so, knowing your strange yearly customs."

"Ah yes," Hosenki purred as he rose and began to stroke his mangled beard. "But I am a mere jeweler, am I not, Sesshomaru?" He chided. "A jeweler who only knows the existence of treasures and nothing more, as a young dog demon once told me many years ago." Red eyes rose to meet fiery golden ones, and Hosenki chuckled. He shrugged and turned towards the main entrance, outstretching his arm in the purple cloth.

"Now then," he bowed once more, this time in an inviting gesture. "Shall we discuss this over tea?"

After being transported down countless hallways of bustling servants with treasures in their arms, Rin and her Lord found themselves in a large room. The room pleased Rin, as it smelled strongly of lavender incense. She noted that her Lord was uncomfortable with the smell, as he scrunched his nose several times before their aforementioned tea arrived. As a woman placed the tea onto the wooden tables in front the guests, Rin refrained from drinking first, like she had done at Kagura's. Instead, she watched Sesshomaru's every step, not wanting to draw attention or cause reprimand from her Lord.

Hosenki arrived moments later, this time dressed in orange royal robes. He seated himself in front of Sesshomaru, occasionally glancing at the knight by his side, who was rather curious in nature. He noticed the fumbling of her thumbs, along with the side glances she gave to the dog Lord. Chuckling to himself, he poured out his tea in his cup and raised it.

However, the only sound that could be heard was the gulping of his own tea, as Sesshomaru continued to stare and the poor girl continued to fumble with her digits.

"So, what business do you have with Hosenki's treasure castle? Perhaps you are looking for treasure yourself, Sesshomaru? If I remembered correctly," Hosenki hummed as he thumbed his golden necklace. "You did not hold much attention to the likes of jewels, vases or paintings."

"I still do not," Sesshomaru answered. "But I do come bearing questions of my father."

Hosenki raised his brow and cup, sipping his tea. "Your father?" The older demon mused. "If I remember correctly, you desired for his death in order to prove your worth. So what questions could you possibly want from me about a man dead for a century at least?"

"Questions that you perhaps will know the answer to, considering you are the jeweler of the Imperial Court." Sesshomaru answered. Before Hoseki could offer his rebuttal, Sesshomaru projected his voice in a louder and harsher tone.

"Years ago, when my father still traveled with that woman," the demon growled, balling his hands into tight fists. "You were aware of their final quest?"

Hosenki hummed into his drink, returning to the past. He nodded demurely, hiding his smirk and glee at the outrage of the younger demon. "Why, yes. I was aware of their quest. But alas, I only know that they embarked on a quest. What they accomplished remains a secret to me, as it has been guarded by the royal line." His fingertips twirled the porcelain in his hands. "But I did take some part in aftermath." From across the room, he could feel the heat of Sesshomaru permeating. Hosenki knew that although Sesshomaru's strength could never possibly surpass his fathers', the dog would not hesitate to lob his head off in one swift swoop.

"I guarded the prize that returned. Your father was condemned to death on his return to the court, for doing the forbidden. I never knew of its contents, as it was sealed by the mikos in a large black box. The box itself was locked away and guarded, but when the throne lost its power to those of Shoguns, less and less guards were ordered to guard it. And finally, the inevitable happened." The horned demon sighed and scratched his head. "I returned from an excursion from China, and returned to only the ashes of a black box, its contents still remaining unknown to this day."

His eyes rose to meet Sesshomaru's as he lifted his tea cup to his lips. "Your father and that woman died with those secrets. I suppose not even the current Emperor knows of what laid in that box."

Hosenki could not read Sesshomaru's face, but moments later, he noticed the slight furrow in his brow and the downwards curve of the dog demon's lower lip. In one swift motion, the demon lord rose from his seat and left the room, leaving no message or thoughts. Hosenki watched as his knight rose on her knees to follow after her lord, but cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"Do not bother running after him, child. When he is angry, he only broods silently. I assure you he will return to his usual self by night. It is the same as when he was a child." Hosenki urged. He motioned towards the tea. "I've noticed you've left your tea untouched. Please feel free to drink some." He remarked with a smirk.

Rin frowned from behind her mask and gave one more glance to the paper screens Sesshomaru left wide open. Outside, she could hear the clamoring and shouting of servants shuffling their tasks and objects. Turning her head away from the gaze of Hosenki, she lowered her mouth to the edge of the porcelain, sipping a small portion before laying it back down on the table. The liquid was now lukewarm, but the taste of chrysanthemums was not lost.

"Your entrance into the Azai Clan caused quite a commotion in the court, child. You are aware that you are the first knight to be selected into the Azai clan since the incident two hundred years ago?"

Rin shook her head and sighed. "I do not know much about Sessho-, Lord Sesshomaru." She bit her lip at her mistake and continued. "I have been unaware of anything outside of the House of Knights and he does not talk to me much. There is a large bridge between us. It's maddening," Rin laughed nervously. "I did not even know of his father's death until you told us moments ago."

Hosenki hummed and thumbed the underside of his cup. "I'm afraid I do not have much I can help you with. That is his nature, unchanged even after multiple centuries. His father's death only strengthened that. He has become more vicious, and bitter."

"If there is one thing you will learn about Sesshomaru, it is that he will not stop at anything to pursue his conquest for more power. Anyone is a pawn in his mind. You especially, will be the first to be cast away if you are of use in his future plans. He has no respect, no morals, and a hell ton of hate for humans."

Rin tugged at the hem of her sleeve, inspecting the colors and pattern. She did not know how to respond at Hosenki's harsh history of Sesshomaru. She swallowed, tasting the bitter residue of the tea at the tip of the tongue. Closing her eyes in frustration, she gripped the hem of her sleeve. She felt like a fool thrown around. She had first lost hope and regained it when the journey began – but at the very mention of Hosenki's words, her strength shattered like the frail leaves that crumpled in a child's hand in autumn.

The foolishness only grew within as she recalled the words she managed to utter at the entrance of Kagura's house. She wanted to prove what she was worth, that she was a reliable knight, and desperately wished for his trust. But after several weeks of traveling, she had still been unable to close the gap between them. Cheeks flaming and sweat beading, she held her masked face in her palms. What appearance did she show him at Kagura's house? She had promised to show him a stronger side, a side able to protect him and be able to make him trust her.

And what if she was a mere pawn in the plans?

She could not bear to bring herself to the answer, but in the back of her very mind, Rin knew the truth of the basis of their relationship. Once the journey was over, he would return to Azai Castle and leave her there till the end of her life. So be it if another knight challenged her position – he would not bat an eyelash regardless of her defeat or victory. If she simply disappeared overnight, if she lost against another knight, he would probably not notice. Thus was the cruel reality, and Rin hated it.

Hosenki, feeling uncomfortable, rose from his seat and walked over to the bent knight. He placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it.

"I have prepared a room for you and Sesshomaru. Make yourself comfortable in my house. The annual Great Fire will be soon – perhaps you will wish to participate in its festivities."

And with that, the jeweler left the knight, who whittled down to her barest form of a girl, to sob at the pitiful life she had been forced to live.

-][-

That night, Rin finished a hearty meal with several servants. She forced small talk, asking about their daily lives and about Hosenki. She immersed herself in conversation, but her thoughts aimlessly wandered back to Sesshomaru, who she had not seen since his abrupt departure earlier in the day. While the female servants began gossiping about the appearance of a wandering soul in the night, Rin began to nod off. When her head began to rest on the table, the other servants tugged at her kosode and urged her to return to her room for a proper rest.

Giving her proper thanks for the meal and talk, Rin trudged towards her room, attempting to remember the directions a servant had gave her. She fumbled with her mask, retying the ribbons as her fingers felt heavy as she readjusted the red string. This would be something she would have to grow adjusted to. She could not gain the trust of her Lord, and thus, he would never remove her mask.

She marched onwards towards her room, passing by a lit one slowly. Through a slight crack, she saw the figure of the dog demon hunched over an oak table, eyes scrutinizing a scroll. His face was still as ever, reflecting little emotion. Biting the lower edge of her lip, Rin raised a hand to the screen. Her fingers trembled at the touch, but pulled back quickly, like a moth to a flame.

Sesshomaru eyed the crack, noting her presence. He watched the familiar orange kosode flutter by and shifted his eyes back to his letter from Kagura. Then seconds later, the girl burst into the room, slamming the screen open. She was a ridiculous sight, her kosode that he had chosen for her on a whim to snuff out memories, with her childish hair on the side. He peered into the depths of her mask, noting the glint of her brown eyes.

Then, as if her defiant entrance did not happen, he turned his eyes back to Kagura's letter. "I do not tolerate such insolent behavior. Leave before-"

"Why do you hate humans so much, my Lord?" The girl belted at him, her chest slightly puffed. Sesshomaru slowly turned his eyes upwards towards her, folding the letter and placing it in his sleeve.

"And on what grounds does this Sesshomaru have to answer to you, a human no less?" He asked with a harsh tone. He could smell the fear oozing from her, but her defiance seemed to be louder in volume.

"Because I, Rin Ohtori, am your knight. And as your knight, the one I serve must place the his trust in his knight, to protect-"

"Protect? That is laughable, especially by the likes of you." Sesshomaru placed a hand on his upturned knee and rose. He approached the girl cautiously, his eyes locking onto hers. She did not break the stare. Holding his head in a high fashion, he circled the girl, like he had seen vultures staring at their prey. "You, who is the lowest ranked in the House of knights. You, who cannot wield a sword properly…" He neared her back, his head higher than her by many and lowered his head towards her ear. "Tell me," he whispered against her ear, his right hand meeting hers and forcing her shaking palm upright. "Are these the hands of a warrior who has seen blood and war?" His nails traced the soft skin lightly, teasingly. "Strange. I would have imagined that there would be more callouses from holding a sword."

With a huff, Rin tore her hand away from his grasp and turned away from his body. She faced him once more, her other hand gripping the one he had just touched.

"You are a human." Sesshomaru grit through his teeth. "Your life is short, and you are willing to prolong it through any means. You only do not think that way because of your supposed innocence. But when the time comes, when death nears, when the Gods tempt you with eternal life, you would cast away all you have known."

Sesshomaru turned away, towards the entrance Rin had come powerfully from in, and paused in his steps before the door. "You remind me of my father – a man who could not amount to his greatest for a simple emotion, and someone who is too warped in his silly ideals."

As the demon left Rin who now stood in the room, rooted to the spot and speechless, she glanced at her palms. Though they were not soft as a noble woman's, they lacked the callouses that many knights wore proudly. As she remembered the light tresses of his nails against her palm, she shivered in fear that his own hands could easily end her life.

-][-

Author's note: I'm terribly sorry for the long hiatus this story has been put on. (Yikes, a year!) I had to juggle with school and kind of lost heart in the plot, but it has been renewed. I didn't stop writing however, and struggled to put out other stories – but alas, all of them returned back to this one. Please enjoy, and leave a review if you liked it or have constructive criticism! I am glad to say however, Sesshomaru and Rin will be interacting more from now on!

Big, big thank you all who have reviewed and read this story! It's motivating and more reviews would definitely help!

Izayoi recites a poem by Ono no Komachi, one of the famous poets recorded in Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. The Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of a 100 poems by 100 poets. Below is the translated poem:

Color of the flower
Has already faded away
While in idle thoughts
My life passes vainly by
As I watch the long rain fall.

FIRST THREE CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN HEAVILY EDITED. They may be edited more in the future. Reread if you must.

This chapter is unedited, will be edited within the course of this week.

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