"I must admit, my son, you've found a place worth revisiting," Milady said, drinking wine and eating exotic dishes. "I might actually entertain the notion that you have a lady friend worth remembering or keeping. What is the holy maiden's name?"
"Daughter, behave," Hikozaemon II reprimanded, taking the wine away from her.
Having his family around again was... interesting. His mother was on mortal soil once again, his grandfather was out of hiding in the Council of Elders, and... well, would it be too farfetched to wonder how a full family dinner would be? As in...? No, that'd be a terrible idea probably. Inuyasha and Kagome around his mother at the dinner table? Outrageous and scandalous. She would never. But..., Rin and Jaken would be with them? She could tolerate that, couldn't she? Eating some of the different foods himself, Sesshomaru was surprised by the taste of some of the spices brought in from the foreigners. It wasn't bad at all, honestly. He took a peek at Yamashi's table as he was laughing about something with the ambassadors. He and Yuko were a good-looking couple. Even Yatsumi and Ichi were a handsome pair. The ladies that Meioshi had chosen were all very lovely. Nihipali was in heaven. He hadn't stopped swooning since one of them kissed his cheek as gratitude for her flowers. An interesting fellow indeed! Fool. King Weevil was just as terrible Nihipali around the ladies. One of them danced for them both and performed excellent fan handling. Others actually spoke a secondary language to the ambassadors.
Meioshi had to have been behind that. If Yamashi's rough start as a Nihonese ambassador was true, he wouldn't have been able to pick out or convince the ambassadors to teach the ladies much. They would have been strictly entertainers. Sesshomaru did think about Yamashi's words earlier, however. Was he truly going to be at the mercy of a human woman? Hearing Homugi's voice, Sesshomaru turned to see her also dancing. Her kimono was wider in the skirt and fluffier. Her furs looked fuller than usual. The winter coating usually changed for inu, so maybe she brushed her spotted furs more. She was wearing makeup herself. She looked beautiful. It didn't take him long to notice that a dark inu soldier was watching her intently, though. While a part of Sesshomaru wanted to protect Homugi from another man's lusts, it didn't look like Reijiro was that kind of person and... some of Homugi's moves seemed intentional. Almost... like she knew Reijiro was watching her. She performed a high kick that made her fans cover her legs as she slowly rose up to reveal her body from behind them. Reijiro was actually impressed by her elegant acrobatics and clapped. When he was done ogling, he moved on to eat and drink. Their interactions made Sesshomaru think about Meioshi's Wishing Tree.
Well, it wasn't quite a Wishing Tree, was it? Ohta said it was the tree of life goals. Was Homugi's wish being granted by this unknown soldier? Was she even ready? Was it his business to know? He wasn't hoping to win her heart or anything, but... Sesshomaru had felt solely responsible for her pain. It was clear that he messed up when she yelled at him. She was a beautiful, strong girl. He always thought that. He didn't want that ruined... and the lack of knowing what to do did just that. Perhaps, it really was her time to find "the one". It's as his mother and grandfather had said. She could be the embodiment of female empowerment for the inu women as she was meant to be. Her rogue status was a blessing in disguise. After all, it earned her the attention of another rogue. Sanraku, who was munching on many foods and actually being flirted with by one of the dancers, was probably another fine choice in man. O-ho. His soldiers were an attractive duo, it seemed. Reijiro made a joke at Sanraku that made them both laugh and that seemed to gain attention. The scene sort of reminded Sesshomaru of when his father would laugh with colleagues about things. His mother would entertain his father mostly through dance.
That, his lordship could say he missed about his childhood. His mother would pull Toga away and simply slow dance with him as they did when they were younger. Their eyes would lock, their pacing was unified, and they often smiled at each other either competitively or lovingly. They would even play around sometimes. His mother would make a joke about Toga's dancing skills, and Toga would think of something to say in return for a moment before it came out either seductively or equally as playfully. He remembered one night. It was raining. His grandfather was playing a tugging game with him on the side of the dining room.
"A toast to your great victory, Lord Toga," one demon said.
If he remembered correctly, it was a basabasa youkai by the name of Hachigoro. He wasn't a high-end political figure, but he was a form of spy. It was an odd profession for him since he wore bright colors, but he was able to shapeshift into human effortlessly. Toga had protected Hachigoro's grove village in exchange for information. No one knew about the information or Hachigoro for that matter. They only knew he was well-known for keeping tabs on human events in silence and remaining secluded in his bamboo groves. Now that Sesshomaru was thinking about it, he wondered if Hachigoro was a helper for the Fukuyama family. Milady said she had seen Hasumi, the sunflower miko, run through the village with a group in tow. She had intended to follow them, but Hikozaemon II stopped her to ask a question. Since Hasumi was missing for many years, maybe Toga was trying to figure out how to sniff her and her surviving family members out. There was no telling really.
"Well, as nice as this dinner is, I have some entertaining to do," Milady said, rising to stand.
"Entertaining? We could have found dancers for this if you wanted, Lady Difficult. We have bored you already?" Toga asked through chuckling at his wife's antics.
"This is meant to honor your victory, my love... I missed you," Milady said, looking into Toga's eyes with sincerity.
He didn't understand the look his father gave her at the time, but Toga's eyes had created this smolder when he locked eyes with Milady. He was slow to smile, but he did and rose to his feet. Milady produced two fans from her kimono and opened her arms out to walk backwards. Sesshomaru didn't understand the exchange at all, but it looked like time had rewound for them. Toga knew the exact moves to make. He knew where to sway, which fan to take, the speed of the dancing pace, even the shape and form of Milady's body against or away from his. He knew where to place his chin, hands, and cheeks. Milady knew exactly how to tempt the great general. Where he swayed, she played. Where he quickened his step, she matched and spun about to make him chase her. Where she pivoted, he wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. They knew how to be... well, together again. It didn't require sexual touches. It just required those simple words. The "I missed you" was a reprieve for the whole family and any friends among them. It told everyone that things were okay. That the night was calm again. Much like Hikozaemon II had said to Toga when the younger flopped on his father's lap to yawn and stretch. When you return home from a great battle, you can breathe again. You can drink wine, enjoy food, enjoy company, enjoy your family. You are blessed to have something to return to - something that you built to cherish and love after a victory or a defeat. Let your home life take away your worries.
"That is how your parents met, my young one. That dance lit a spark in your father's heart and made your mother playful," Hikozaemon II explained with a soft but small smile. It was rare to see him smile.
"They met dancing, Jikomo?" little Sesshomaru had asked, looking up at the elder.
That was how first love looked to Sesshomaru. Love was transcendent, playful, evoking. It made a boring event like political dinners and talks into something so much warmer. He supposed seeing the wild boar couples reminded him of that time, and seeing Homugi and Reijiro lock eyes like before reminded him of the way his parents used to dance. As the night went on, Sesshomaru had grown tired. He wasn't sure what to make of this feeling, but he was just plainly tired. His feet felt heavy, and his mind was slowing down. Instead of going to sleep like one would, he decided to go out to collect flowers again and just tour Heiwa for himself. Nihipali gave him the flora journal to peruse through. He'd explore the bustling village some more on a nature hike. Perhaps he and Yamashi weren't so different. They liked walking around through nature hikes. Jaken tagged along with Sesshomaru as usual, but a familiar friend also came along. Sesshomaru had almost forgotten that his original tour guide was here.
"Ah, might I travel with you, Lord Sesshomaru?" Moeru asked, carrying a small bottle of wine and a snack box with him. "Our families look like they are retiring for the night."
"Indeed," Milady said with a loud yawn and small growl.
"You are looking for your friend, my young one?" Hikozaemon II asked.
"No. Scoping this town out for personal reasons," Sesshomaru replied. "You know how to get to the ryokans?"
"You are experiencing fatigue, my young one. Do not push yourself. Rest," Hikozaemon II suggested.
"You are not sleepy, father?" Milady asked.
"No, I am quite awake. I do smell an ominous presence nearby, however. I do not know what this village does with its enemies, but its leaders may want to evaluate the situation," Hikozaemon II informed.
"... I will look into it for now. The leaders might be occupied. I could use the walk," Sesshomaru said, leading the way out of the banquet area.
______________________________________________________
"Hmm... interesting," Jaken said, looking through the pages of Meioshi's flora journal. "It seems the witch has quite a few favorite flowers, but I didn't realize she listed favorites that her family once shared. It seems her father liked the ninmenju tree a lot. It's not located here, but there is a secret place overlooking the outskirts of Heiwa where you can see its top in the mountain valley dividing Heiwa from its sister town, Mizuonimura. This other town is where Heiwa's army is trained to fight in wars as a... third-party service. My, look at the information about it! Lady Meioshi documented the flora that exists over there, too! The Green Pheasant was right about the witch, after all. She is an inquisitive mind with an insatiable quest for knowledge. What was her training like as a soldier, I wonder? She is an odd teacher."
"Ah, Lady Meioshi doesn't like to talk about it much," Moeru informed, earning Jaken's attention.
"So, I've heard. She mentioned the same thing when that Azumamaro beast questioned her and Elder Kirameku Ha," Jaken said. "What's so shameful about it?"
"... It's not shameful, just... heartbreaking, I suppose," Moeru started, trying to figure out how much to reveal. His two new comrades have been with Meioshi for a while now. Maybe it was okay to explain bits. "Do you know a woman, or rather a priestess, named Lady Kaede?"
"Oh, yes, actually," Jaken replied, folding his arms. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm not sure if she told you this, but she was Lady Kaede's apprentice when she was about twelve years young," Moeru explained, making Sesshomaru turn to him quickly. My, was the world small!
"WHAT!?" Jaken questioned with a squawk.
"You wouldn't think it, but Lady Kaede taught my girl a great deal about medicine before Meioshi simply advanced herself beyond what Kaede could teach," Moeru said with a light laugh. "That flora journal was the tell-tale sign that Meioshi was going to be more than just some nurse. That journal is aged. She started scribbling and documenting things in it when she was a child. As she's gotten older with apprentices of her own, she's refined it to what you see. Having Lord Kirameku Ha as a gardening expert also helped reshape the journal. I believe the elder has a copy of his own as well. Her father encouraged her to draw whatever she saw and describe them in detail to keep her busy. Her mother taught her how to dry flowers and herbs for teas. It was the beginning of her studies to becoming a doctor. No one knew it yet. Save for her grandmother, Lady Umehana, who I'm sure you've heard about given the funeral or Lord Kirameku Ha's presence on the estate right now... and her general."
Moeru became remorseful at the mention of the man, but he continued, "Izuhara Toshimichi, a fine young man. While Meioshi was schooling herself in advanced medicine, General Izuhara took an interest in her. She was adventurous as you know. Often smiling and playing, but she was an adept fighter, excellent teamaker, and she was once quite the dancer. In Heiwa, there was once an old school that trained the youth for work at the emperor's palace called Yanagisawa School. Well, that school had a program for young ladies with immediate family members with a military background. Meioshi's grandfather, Lord Arimasa, was one of the founders for this program. It was meant to train young girls how to be wives to soldiers. The program was so popular that it became a social club for the girls, and the demonstrations were also a sight to behold. No one really knows how Izuhara found Meioshi, but it had to have been when she was studying in Kaede's village. Supposedly, or at least according to the villagers here, he had never been to Heiwa before. He had never heard of Mizuonimura either, but he took an interest in the third-party service and kept them in mind when he couldn't draft enough men for missions or battles. That one visit put much in motion, and... it changed Heiwa as a whole..."
Sesshomaru thought about Meioshi's garden and the girls that were there. Were they maybe club mates? That woman, Miki... She was Meioshi's dancing rival she said. Meioshi's old kimono and aquarium was there. She mentioned sneaking off to go swimming at the beach. That woman never stayed in one place, did she? Such a busy body! Picking a flower, Moeru looked at it and smiled warmly at its appearance. A beautiful gem.
He then said, "When young General Izuhara visited Heiwa, he came just in time to see Meioshi's infamous Niji Shaku dance. I believe her dancing instructor still has the painting from that day. I wish I could have seen it! I heard it was beautiful. The Green Pheasant could tell you more about it. He was late to its viewing, but he was there. She performed two dances that day. Her nighttime dance was the one that you could say... won Izuhara's heart."
"What?" Sesshomaru questioned with outrage. He didn't like the sound of that at all.
Moeru laughed at the response, but Jaken was quiet. He eyed his lordship's body language and growing fangs. Moeru continued, however, and said, "Well, Meioshi was in the social club for wifehood as a junior bride, after all. That's just what I believe happened, though. As rumor would have it, General Izuhara had intended to make a wedding arrangement. Lady Umehana fought to deny him this because Meioshi was so close to finishing her apprenticeship. She had done so much to prove that she could be a doctor. My lady simply didn't want for Meioshi to lose her progress in exchange for wifely duties. General Izuhara took to that, however. He wasn't offended by the denial, according to the rumors, but I believe he kept a spot open for Meioshi to become an emergency medic within the third-party service. She wouldn't lose her position as a doctor that way, and she could train to be a wife for a soldier still. It would just be advanced. I'm not sure how true this all is, but I do believe Meioshi respected Izuhara greatly. He was the only man who acknowledged her title as a doctor and allowed her to go into battle with the other men. If Izuhara did have feelings for young Meioshi, she wasn't aware of it."
Sesshomaru didn't like any of that at all, but he did admire Umehana a lot more. He heard a noise in the distance that interrupted things, though. That enemy his grandfather sensed was getting closer... and it was big.
"Well, this is a fine kettle of fish, isn't it?" a familiar voice asked.
"Lady Meioshi!" Moeru called.
She was in her battle armor. It was time to fight...