Tumbling in sand, Meioshi was thrown onto a sapphire platform that formed from seemingly nowhere. She let out a groan and rolled over before rising to stand and scoping her new surroundings. A low grunt caught her ears, but the direction of the sound was muted by the surrounding sandfalls. Looking down, she could see a red and blue yin and yang symbol below her. She was in the blue part. It was a beautiful display of color and mystery, but, alas, she couldn't focus on it now. Her opponent was somewhere.
"You are different, Midoriko," a masculine voice said.
It was Princess Gongsim's knight. He removed his hat to show that handsome face and full goatee again. Gentle, slick warm black hair, light brown skin from potentially a farmer's tan, thin but red lips, perfect almond brown eyes, thick eyebrows, and a fairly strong jaw. Meioshi narrowed her eyes with suspicion, not understanding how she looked anything like the fabled heroine of seven centuries passed, but felt the animosity the man had towards her. An old enemy of Midoriko perhaps?
"Sorry, love, a bit of a misconstrual here," Meioshi said, not drawing her weapon. "I regret to inform you that Midoriko perished over 500 years ago. As riveting as it would be to descend from such a fine bloodline, my ancestors are about half her age. I missed my chance in the gene pool, you see."
"Is that so, priestess?" the knight asked, sharpening his blade over his gauntlet. "Well, I regret to inform you that you both are connected by the cosmic cycle of time. Much like how humans use clocks and zodiac animals to determine the hour of the day, so to do the masters of darkness to know when we will meet our old foes again. I met Midoriko on the century of the serpent. It appears you, little beauty, are responsible for returning her to me on the century of the monkey."
"How so? I have nothing on my person belonging to her," Meioshi said, preparing to dodge the Knight's attack.
"Your dagger, little beauty. That's your bond to her... and to me!" the knight roared.
Abruptly, he stabbed his sword into the red sapphire floor and flicked up the stones to release an oral beam of light to blind Meioshi... and slow down time! Unable to defend herself against the knight's unexpected abilities, Meioshi grit her teeth to bear the brunt of the Knight's slashing attacks, but it appeared he might have been right. The Dai Fubuki blade reacted intensely and a flash of reiki power formed a shield around the good doctor just in time to break the critical attack. She was still cut and blown back by the sheer force of his strength, but she recovered in time to reveal her tanto for combat. The blade did show a woman's face in its reflection, but she was behind unusual structures and didn't look like the beautiful woman Kaede described in her youth. This woman looked angrier, dirtier, soulless behind her eyes. Meioshi could feel the woman's wrath. It was a pressure pushing down on her chest. Then, she disappeared and the Dai Fubuki glowed.
"Right then, let's get crafty, shall we?" Meioshi whispered menacingly.
No forms this time. Biancheng wouldn't allow it and Shanwang was too far away to call for help. Since the sapphires below are light- and time-sensitive, she would have to experiment. Cartwheeling over to the blue side of the platform, Meioshi activated her mianyi and cast a lightning spell on strictly the blue floor before jabbing the Dai Fubuki blade into the platform and twisting it harshly. Without warning, the whole platform rotated and blue bolts of lightning ran into Meioshi's hat, down her body, and wrapped around her feet like shoes. The knight stumbled in shock before racing towards Meioshi to stop her. He leapt into the air, barreled down at her, and threw his sword at the nearest red point to twist the blade the opposite direction and reverse their positions.
It's a clock! Meioshi thought, feeling a kick to her chest that knocked the wind out of her. She coughed up a bit of blood and was slow to recover. The blue side turns the clock forward, and the red side turns it back. Whatever happens in each hour effects you until you turn it. I'll have to hold him back to turn the tanto.
"This is quite the pity, demon knight. I liked you better as the sexy drinking partner," Meioshi said slowly, smirking. "Got my hopes up for naught."
"Your blood will taste much sweeter once the poison takes effect," the knight said, eyes turning glassy and fangs now growing. "You will make a beautiful corpse."
"You're not the first... Or the only... Or the last demon to tell me that," Meioshi said, rising to stand up fully. "But that wine you gave me won't cut it. Dragon wine is the best alcohol, cutie! Heals wounds and nullifies poisons."
Getting into position to defend herself, Meioshi chose to use the Kage o Tasuo technique until she could get to the Dai Fubuki blade again. She wasn't far from it, but it was far enough. Doubly so with the Knight's time manipulation. How was she going to defend herself against that trick? A small thought then came to her mind. Her success would be a long shot, but it was worth trying. The colors on the platform were curved like the yin and yang symbol, only the centers were missing. If the red was the male half, then she was in the female half; meaning, she had to fight using pure feminine energy: patience, calmness, flowing like water. Calligraphy was the source of her calm, sewing the shimenawa was the source of her patience, farming was the source of her renewal, and making medicine fulfilled her purpose.
Changing her hands from fists to open palms, she let her arms move on their own in wave motions. A consistent flow tracing the Zen patterns into sand, paint, water, coals, and leaves. The knight was turning aggressive and quicker. His kicks were knocking her back, but she recovered like a disturbed current. One attack learned, understanding gained. He knows he has to distance her from her tanto to keep her slow. He doesn't know what she's doing. Meioshi centers mianyi into her hands, remembers her grandmother's teachings of the eight elements, and lightly touches the blue sapphire floor to stir it. She becomes a drop of water striking a pond, and her power ripples across the gems below. The Dai Fubuki responds to her.
She discovered something. A brokenness. An incomplete mission. Hopelessness but not from the good doctor. The tanto glimmered and stroked the waves of power.
"You are different, priestess," a voice said to her.
"Midoriko!" The knight growled, demonic features intensifying and disfiguring his face.
"Your fight is as everlasting as mine has been, yet... your power is not pure. It is not trapped with wickedness. It embraced it. Why do you need the darkness?" Midoriko asked.
Meioshi hesitated at the question, looked at her tanto, and started to remember her time in hell. She started shaking like she could feel hell's fire on her feet again, smell the sulfur, hear the screaming souls, taste the blood of the irredeemable. She let the knight punch her and unleash a furious string of attacks. She remembered the titans of hell, the battles she was forced to fight, her bargain with King Biancheng. Amongst the darkness, death, and horror was Tadamasa's kind hands tending to her hair and buckets of sand created from the burned souls of the irredeemable. He built her a sandpit, and she created Zen patterns to cope with the injustice. She cried some nights, worse than the nights in the okiya village, but she drew her patterns until Biancheng ordered she paint her patterns. They became textiles in his palace. Rising to stand, she returned to the open palm defense stance.
This time, she caught the Knight's punch and kick combo and redirected the blows away from her before pushing back with scissored arms with greater force than he was prepared for. Stroking the floor again, her mianyi pulsed to the red floor but didn't complete stretch out to it. The woman was right. She needed equal parts of pure energy with negative energy. That's how mianyi is formed. Reiki and yoki in perfect balance. Some hell travelers need more reiki than others, others need more yoki. It was dependent on the mission.
"Magatsuhi is your embodiment of wickedness, Lady Midoriko if that's who you really are," Meioshi started, determination in her voice. "I've learned that every warrior of light has their own true darkness to defeat. The Nameless General, Honoseiken, and Akarui had Kuroi Nurikabe. Hasumi had Azumamaro. Kinzo and Kishi had their patron goddess, Maboroshi no kohime. According to Lady Kaede, Kikyo and Kagome had Naraku. It is foolish to believe that the battle between the pure and the evil ends with your sole sacrifice no matter how selfless it looks! My way of life, my family name, and my will to fight for those who suffer was never tied to just light or goodness! It's tied to the balance! I don't need to embrace the darkness to obtain true purity. I need to understand it, acknowledge it, make it bend to my will!"
With as much force as she could summon, Meioshi reeled back her fist and absorbed the red energy to punch the platform and manipulate her mianyi to twist her tanto. That forced the platform to crack and rotate. With her lightning returned to her, Meioshi zipped in front of the knight and struck him with her hat. This made him furious and provoked more oral beams to be released. The two exchanged elegant blows in a standstill match until Meioshi was kicked back again. Luckily, she was near the Dai Fubuki blade and turned it again to move the platform.
This time, a bell struck and the walls of the dark arena were crumbling to show Jaken running away from more demons. That's it! The platform had to be turned to certain hours to reunite with her allies!
______________________________________________________________
"My son," Milady gasped with surprise and concern in her eyes.
She motioned to stand from the bench, but Sesshomaru merely sat beside her in silence. Seeing his mixed expression made Milady sit back. Her hair was down again. No makeup and, surprisingly, no markings. He hadn't seen Milady with a fresh face since he was little. She was outside of Meioshi's greenhouse lodge, enjoying the night air. She wore a lovely nighttime kimono set that was a pale pink with orange and purple flowers along the borders and sleeves. A white jade and gold necklace and anklet were on her person along with new slippers. There was a fuzzy ball that looked like Meioshi's dandelion balls on her medical suit at the toes of each one. Sesshomaru assumed the new jewelry set was being worn for comfort and not fashion, but it was hard to tell. He had never seen this new set of jewelry on her. It was more appropriate for her calm nature. As cutthroat and teasing as she is on her throne, very few get to see this other side to Milady. That's why Sesshomaru found his mother.
Who else could he have spoken to about these new... and confusing feelings? He was jealous of his grandfather's relationship with his rival. His rival! And, Hikozaemon II had the nerve to question Sesshomaru's identity and it's parallelism to Inuyasha. If that wasn't offensive enough, he was challenged in front of Meioshi! Pacing back and forth and cursing his grandfather's name wasn't enough, so he went to find an outlet.
Sesshomaru was about to protest to Kirameku Ha, but the old man was speaking to the woman of his past, according to Ohta. Princess Gongsim was what the boy said. Everyone else was practically asleep, save for Yamashi and Yuko for... marital reasons. Nihipali was speaking with the ambassadors about their surplus goods, and Ohta and Kunimatsu were having a slumber party. He didn't know the two were such close friends, but it was probably inevitable given their shared tragic backstory and caretaker during those times. Plus, they would be attending school together from time to time, it seemed. Homugi was with Liuxian and Hasumi, probably learning more about them and their powers, so she would be out as an option. Reijiro and Sanraku went exploring in the night market. It looked like Reijiro had sensed something amiss earlier, but whatever he caught disappeared, so he hung around outside until he was convinced danger wasn't present. He was a good guardian. Snippy as all hell but a good guardian.
"You have been to this land before?" Sesshomaru asked, looking out into the sea. Had to start the conversation somehow.
The only person left that he could speak to was his mother. She was different these days. Far more proactive in combat, walking on mortal soil, and engaging with his associates. She went out of her way to save Jaken and Meioshi. That had to account for something.
"As a girl," Milady replied, returning her gaze to the sea. She was sniffing the air with fondness and new interest. "Your father sailed the seas to see your grandfather's homelands. I went with him as a stowaway! None of this was here when we were on our journey. It was just lush plains and the romantic shores at sunset. Did your father ever tell you that he went with Totosai on his adventure?"
"A few times," Sesshomaru replied, remembering two distinct tales of adventure and growth that made Toga light up. "The one that I found to be the most pointless is the one I suppose I relived in a sense. His journey to the southern lands at the old capital of Takamagahara could be parallel with mine to Mount Hakurei. He went to claim the Amano-Sakahoko from the mountaintop there but was unsuccessful. He instead brought Totosai and Shishido with him to study it. From it, the concept of the Tenseiga was born, but it was created in a different way. It was a secret he never told me."
"Your father had many of those, didn't he?" Milady asked with a playful scoff. "He never told me the secret ingredient to his jalebi. It was his 'mother's traditional secret'."
"What is jalebi?" Sesshomaru asked curiously.
"A dessert your grandmother used to make. She was a fun woman!" Milady said, smiling brightly. "Most mothers and daughters squabbled for control of the house, but we simply had friendly competitions! Toga has his father's features, but he has every bit of his mother's personality. Your grandfather doesn't like to talk about her much. He hides the heartbreak."
"What happened to my grandmothers?" Sesshomaru asked softly, feeling guilty for being mad at Hikozaemon II.
"They passed on, I'm afraid. A sudden illness. Incurable," Milady replied remorsefully. "I don't know if your big-hipped human intends to go as far as the tiangou lands, but I hope she does. I think you'd like to hear the story of how your grandfather met your grandmother. When we return home, I can show you my mother's old home in the forest. It's in disgraceful tatters, but it's there. Old Totosai might like a chance to reconstruct some of our old weapons. After all, he lived in our forest before we moved to the castle."
"Why the forest?" Sesshomaru asked with disbelief.
"Totosai was running away from some abusive demons, so he bargained with your father. If he kept the old man safe, he would craft weapons just for him to match his great power. If you're looking for another parallel, I believe he mentioned that he did the same thing to Inuyasha to hide away from you," Milady teased, making Sesshomaru turn away from her gaze. "That adventure led to a worthy friendship for many years to come, and Totosai learned to craft different types of weapons from the lands we visited. That's how our story started, you could say. I overheard him planning to go seafaring at the tiangou forest and wanted to see my mother's homeland, too, so I invited myself. I wonder if Da Sima is still there. He was kind to us."
"Da Sima?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Blue Banner General of the Imperial Cavalry. A divine guardian of the royals in Zhongguo. You can say he's your great uncle," Milady responded, smile widening and softening. "He taught us the ways of the Chimei Tiangou and showed us our parents' portraits and barracks. I was thinking about your big-hipped human friend not long ago. Why is her connection to us so strong when she hardly knows us?"
"That implies that Rin and Jaken have no meaningful connection to us, which is not true," Sesshomaru defended, narrowing his eyes.
"They are tied to us in a different way, my son," Milady said, facing Sesshomaru with a gentle expression. "Your little Rin was the key to you understanding what it meant to have someone to protect, but she was also the key to me forgiving innocent humans. Inuyasha's mother was not your Rin. With our influence and your alliance with Inuyasha, she will not grow up to be such. Different upbringings create different moral compasses in others. I had to accept that when I resurrected her. I did not bring her back solely to make you happy. It was going to take so much more for me to overlook my hate of that woman and see your love for that little girl. Your Jaken, I believe, represents the mentorship and perhaps brotherhood that Toga felt he lacked. You have a servant who wants to do right by you simply because. I had no such ally and neither did your father. We had friends, but we lost them either in combat or by other means. Jaken... is a blessing. I daresay he is linked to genuity and loyalty. He may represent what it means to be of service to another. Not a slave or a laborer, but a monitor of your growth - our growth."
"... That human child's mother... The little miko who called me A-roo... Were you close?" Sesshomaru asked humbly.
"Very. We were a lot alike as wives and mothers. Rebellious, adventurous, feminine," Milady said fondly. "She used to play with you, and I her daughter. You and Hasumi used to share toys. You were still so little by the time Azumamaro destroyed their village. It's only natural that you would forget. I had practically forgotten about Yonamine over the years myself. Our time as a family has been all but perfect, especially with our roles as leaders of the House of Inu. Your father's affair didn't make anything easier. But..., that girl with the big hips frightens me."
"Frightens you?" Sesshomaru asked, tilting his head minutely. "The doctor?"
"Your Rin and Jaken didn't resurrect Yonamine or Manzo," Milady replied, clutching her hands tightly for support. "Little Hasumi and Lord Doppo should have still been asleep. I cast that spell years ago. I grieved for them! I missed them! Yet, this girl brought them back. I felt so ashamed for forgetting them - for allowing myself to forget about them. Even now, seeing Hasumi so full of life again and wanting a family to grow up with, I - ! I felt like I failed her. She didn't choose me to raise her despite knowing me. She chose her. I had to know why! Then, there was that older man. My old rival from days that were simpler and adventures filled with heritage and discovery birthed a daughter who loved this soldier. The exchange I saw between them showed me the truth about your big-hipped doctor. She is a creature of chaos but not a creator of chaos. In her, there is a small light that pierces through all darkness. She can engulf you in it, but the light never burns you. It does something else. I fear she'll show us more of what we had forgotten about it - what we suppressed."
"... Grandfather doesn't feel that way about her," Sesshomaru said softly. "They speak to each other in another language. They know bits about each other's history. She was looking for a small gift for him, and he escorted her to a field of flowers."
Milady chuckled and said softly, "Toga gets that openness from him. Fuqin doesn't believe me when I say there are times when Toga is exactly like him. Is that why you're here? Because your grandfather stole your new human's attention?"
"He thinks I'm still jealous of Inuyasha. I've grown up from that! I've no reason to care about father's choices anymore!" Sesshomaru argued, finally getting one of his many thoughts out.
"Why did Inuyasha even come up in conversation?" Milady asked, drawing conclusions. Hikozaemon II was a man of few words, but he never spoke without good reason.
"That foolish doctor visited Inuyasha while he was asleep," Sesshomaru said, finally letting it out. "I didn't see her or smell her! How long ago was that?"
"... It appears you are not quite as grateful as we thought," Milady said, gaining Sesshomaru's attention. "You are saying you wish you met this woman earlier, but you forget you hated humans to a point where your late father had to map out a way for you to learn compassion. Something you physically said you did not need many years ago by human standards, especially at the time mentioned if this alleged visit. Despite your new powers, weapons, and experiences, you are still not satisfied with what you have. What did your Rin and Jaken not teach you when it comes to this woman?"
Sesshomaru growled in defense, but he couldn't answer her. The truth was he didn't know.
_____________________________________________________
The ceiling was caving in. Ducking under a windmill slash attack, Meioshi expertly used her hat as a shield and sword. With one final turn, Meioshi backflipped away from the knight and braced for the bell to toll one more time to show Hikozaemon II. Before Meioshi could even see the wall fully crumble, Hikozaemon II materialized behind the demon knight and used his Iron Claw to cut into demon's back while Meioshi unjammed her tanto from the platform and plunged into the demon's heart. The demon knight roared one final time before Meioshi twisted the blade and purified the creature so strongly that it turned to dust...
When the walls fully crumbled, the sight of Goryeo's natural beauty under the rising sun made her sigh in relief. She stretched her arms up in victory and collapsed on her back with a soft smile on her face.
"Hey!" Jaken yelled. "I'm still being chased by these monsters!"
The big demons bellowed menacingly but were silenced by Hikozaemon II's solar blast of flame. Meioshi chuckled a bit at Jaken fainting in the distance before pulling her hat off her head completely and covering her face.
"This country is definitely a wonderland, but I'm DEFINITELY ready to go now..." she said.