InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sedition of Will ❯ Masks ( Chapter 3 )

Sedition of Will

“Masks”

 

Rin had been shadow in the castle all morning. She moved about quietly as her feet could manage and approached every corner with caution; they might reach out and try to take a bite. There had been no sign of Lord Sesshoumaru since her compromising display last night at the bath house, and the thought of bumping into him suddenly made her writhe with distress. She'd really made a spectacle of herself this time. At breakfast Jakken had even commented on her odd behavior.

 

“Did you swallow a bug or something? You're never this quiet!” He accused in his shrill tone. Rin shook her head and flushed. He regarded her a moment then went back to shoveling rice into his mouth.

 

“Well,” he said between bites. “It's a welcome change. Bout' time you learned to quit yapping all the time.”

 

Rin didn't seem to hear him and was staring at her untouched bowl. The toad peeked out of the corner of his eye. Well something was certainly on the girl's mind. Her face always reflected her moods like a mirror. Jakken swallowed a mouthful.

 

“You know, that troublesome peacock teacher of yours had a delivery this morning. I had to drag it up all the steps.” Jakken said, more or less to himself. Rin made no indication she was listening. “She meeeentioned it had to do with you.” He added, drawing out the words dramatically.

 

Rin was poking a finger at her breakfast when she suddenly slammed down her palms on the table, rattling all the dishes. Jakken's chopsticks went flying through the air and he fumbled his hands around trying to catch them.

 

“It came!” She exclaimed, her face suddenly alive with excitement.

 

“What has gotten into you girl!” Jakken shouted, finally trapping his runaway chopsticks against his chest, but Rin was already out the door. He grunted and a small smile tugged at his lips. Yamahara stepped out from the pantry and gave the toad a shrewd grin.

 

“You're getting soft Jakken.” The fat chef remarked, leaning casually against the doorway.

 

“Hmph.” Jakken snorted, pretending to pay him no attention as he finished his breakfast.

 

 

 

Rin practically flew down the central hall nearly knocking over a group of maids, who happened to be a flock canary youkai. They twittered in wonder as a dark headed blur sailed by, that looked something like a young girl. Rin leapt the last few steps and landed squarely outside the door to Kumiko's dojo, shucking open the screen. Rin considered it a dojo since that's where most of her training took place, but it was in fact a beautifully ornate room in traditional Japanese style. Rin stood at the threshold beaming at her teacher who was just now pulling neat little packages out of a crate.

 

“Kumiko-san! Jakken told me it came!” She cried, not trying to contain her glee in the least. Rin always added the “san” suffix when referring to her teacher in a formal manner. Kumiko chucked lightly and invited Rin with a gracious wave of her hand, to which Rin happily complied, kneeling down in front of her.

 

“Little Rin, where are your manners? Ah, never mind. Help me take these out.” The peacock youkai instructed after a satisfactory titter. Rin carefully helped Kumiko remove the rest of the packages wrapped in tidy green rice paper and silk ribbon from the wooden traveling crate, placing them in a methodical line between the two of them. Altogether there were seven parcels of varying sizes and shapes.

 

“Why don't you open this one first?” Kumiko smiled knowingly, and placed both hands on one of the middle packages, sliding it towards Rin. Rin clapped her hands and hovered over the bundle like an owl calculating how to assault a mouse. Exactly one year ago Kumiko promised Rin if she did well with her training she would get her some “very special” items to assist her arts. And just the month before Kumiko suggested with a most suspicious wink that something was on its way. Rin could hardly contain her delight.

 

Rin carefully pinched her fingers over the dangling ends of the silk bow tying the package and drew the string off. Peeling back the thin rice paper Rin's eyes widened to the size of dumplings. Inside the paper lay the most beautiful kimono Rin had ever seen. Carefully she removed it from the paper and spread it out before her. The light silk was soft powdery pink that reminded Rin of a new born kitten's nose. Sweeping down the large belled sleeves cherry trees bent elegantly over a white landscape. Small silver petals fluttered to the hem and Rin wouldn't have been surprised if they fell right off the fabric onto the tatami mats, for they looked so real. Kumiko was busying herself by unraveling the ties on another parcel, revealing a matching obi and inner robe. The thick turquoise brocade of the sash was brushed with patterns of flowering buds in gold.

 

“Kumiko I couldn't possibly! This is too much!” Rin exclaimed, suddenly unable to touch the extravagant clothing.

 

“Don't be silly little monkey! I would not give these to you if I didn't know for certain that you were ready to don them.” Kumiko chided. Rin still stared at the priceless clothing with a look of uncertainty. The peacock youkai placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Rin.” Rin met her motherly gaze. “You have grown into a lovely young woman. You couldn't have made me more proud. You have proven yourself an excellent student, as I have not had for many, many years.” She assured. Rin smiled faintly.

 

“You wouldn't say that if you knew what a fool I made of myself last night.” Rin replied softly. Her shoulders slumped and she felt the room grow heavy. Kumiko pressed her with an inquiring look. Reluctantly Rin recanted last night's embarrassing encounter with Sesshoumaru in the bath house. Crimson rose to her cheeks and she thought for sure Kumiko was about to scold her for being so foolish, but instead her teacher just sat quietly.

 

“Well,” Kumiko started slowly. “That most awkward indeed.” Rin nodded shamefully. She certainly couldn't disagree.

 

“I don't think I've ever felt so stupid. I can't imagine living anywhere else; this is where I grew up. But…” Rin added quietly. “Sometimes I wonder why Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't just send me away. All I do is find new and inventive ways to humiliate myself.” Moisture was pooling in her eyes and threatening to spill over.

 

“But he does not send you away.” Kumiko stated simply.

 

“No…he hasn't.” Rin agreed. Kumiko gazed thoughtfully at her for a moment.

 

“Rin, did Sesshoumaru ever tell you anything about my past?” She asked. Rin shook her head. Lord Sesshoumaru was not the type to share information that he didn't deem crucial.

 

“I was married once. A long time ago before, you were even born. To a very handsome prince. We spent many happy years together.” Kumiko continued. Rin wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

 

“That's wonderful Kumiko-san. No, Lord Sesshoumaru never told me anything about you.” Rin replied politely. She always wondered about her unique teacher's history, but she didn't really see what that had to do with embarrassing herself in front of Lord Sesshoumaru. She must be trying to cheer me up Rin finally decided.

 

“Kazuki was a human, Rin.” Kumiko said matter-of-factly in response to the girl's respectful, yet distracted remark. Rin's eyes immediately flicked up and she couldn't hide her astonishment. Kumiko folded her hands in her lap and gazed out the window. “It's been nearly eight centuries since he passed from this world.”

 

“But Kumiko, you-..you're youkai! How can that be?” Rin cried.

 

“We fell in love. There was simply nothing to be done about it but love each other back.” Kumiko shrugged. “We met at his imperial palace. Back then my clan of peacock youkai often performed at banquets. I was still a young fledgling then.” Kumiko let out a long sigh. Rin was leaning forward so far it looked like she might topple over. “Prince Kazuki said when he first set eyes on me his heart leapt from his chest and belonged to me, all in the same instant. Ahhh, how men can flatter sometimes. Needless to say I found him quite charming as well.” Kumiko said with a wave of her hand.

 

“But…” Rin started.

 

“But I'm a demon and he was human? Yes, there are many who would say that is an unwise match, myself included. We were married with the blessings of his father the Emperor. Many of his subjects objected, and my clan abandoned me.”

 

“Kumiko-San, I'm so sorry.” Rin said in a soft, apologetic tone.

 

“You needn't apologize Rin. Those were the best and worst years of my life.” A brief hint of bitterness crept into Kumiko's tone. “I spent the next fifty years by his side. I believe he lived a very full and happy life. But he was already twenty when we met…” Her voice grew soft and she looked tired, something Rin had never witnessed of her teacher.

 

“He died and left you alone. That's awful…” Rin thought aloud. The sadness was overwhelming. How Kumiko must have suffered to spend the rest of her long life in mourning. The peacock demoness lowered her chin, giving Rin a patient smile.

 

“I will see him again, Rin. In the next world.”

 

“Yes, that is true.” Rin agreed. After a brief pause she ventured uneasily. “Does…Lord Sesshoumaru know?”

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru's father, Inutaisho Toga, attended our wedding ceremony.” Rin felt certain her jaw must have hit the floor with the gape she gave. “The young Sesshoumaru came as well, though I don't think I heard him speak a single word the entire three days of the ceremony! He was a quiet boy, and I think a bit shy.” Kumiko remarked with a wink. Rin blushed. She could scarcely imagine her lord as a boy, much less willingly attending a human-demon wedding.

 

“At that time, the Inutaisho was a great patron of the peacock clan and we had residence in this very castle. Lord Toga was a very kind and wise lord. I still have great respect for him. He was a fierce adversary, but an even greater ally. He had lost his mate not too many years before, but he did not let his grief cloud his judgment. He saw how Prince Kazuki cared for me in earnest. He even honored me by giving me away at the ceremony.” A small glassy tear came to Kumiko's eye and she brushed it away. It could easily have been a stray tear of sadness, or a tear of happy recollection that had escaped from the memory of her wedding. Rin couldn't even find the strength to speak. It felt like great fishing weights were tangled in her ribcage and threatened to drag her under if she struggled to speak.

 

“Many years after my husband died, Lord Toga himself took a human mate. It inadvertently led to his tragic demise, as I'm sure you're aware Rin.”

 

Inuyasha's mother. Rin up straighter. She did not want to miss any of this rare glimpse into Sesshoumaru's past.

 

“Your Lord Sesshoumaru was still a young man, and the loss of his sire fell on him heavily. I think he partly blamed me for his father marrying a human. But in truth, I believe Lord Toga always understood more about the nature of love than most people, demon and human alike could ever hope to.” Kumiko remarked softly. A melancholy blanket had fallen over the room as both women knelt across from each other, helpless to resist it.

 

“Is this…is this why you never treated me any differently?” Rin finally asked, breaking the silence. Lord Sesshoumaru had often announced his disdainful view of her kind in her presence on the battlefield. He made no secret that he disliked humans to anyone, though he had never specifically asserted her inferiority. It had never occurred to Rin as a small child to be bothered by this. Humans had been unkind to her as well, and she no longer saw many of them. In the last few years, however, as her reflection in the mirror budded and changed, Rin couldn't help but wonder what he really thought about her.

 

“Humans and demons are like strings on a shamisen. Its true one might be shorter than the other, but both are capable of creating a beautiful song. Eventually, no matter their quality, will sag and snap in time. The differences between us may be great, but we're all a part of this world. And we will, every one of us, leave it someday.” Kumiko replied. Rin nodded in understanding. But something still plagued her mind.

 

“But if Lord Sesshoumaru blamed you in part for his father's death, how is it you are here?” Rin beseeched.

 

“In truth, I did not think I would ever see Lord Toga's son again. After my husband died I did not return to this castle. My old peacock clan no longer wanted me, and I didn't want to be among them either. I wandered the lands for many years as a traveling shamisen player in the guise of a human. After a time, I settled in a temple high in the mountains and lived a humble life.” A placid look came over Kumiko's features recalling her quiet sanctuary in the mountains.

 

“One day a messenger came from far to the west, summoning me to your Lord's castle. At first I didn't know what to make of this!” Kumiko exclaimed theatrically. “Well I didn't have anything better to do so I accepted Lord Sesshoumaru's invitation and arrived a few weeks later. I don't really know what I was expecting. I was most surprised by what I found. There was a little human girl running around his courtyard chasing a very miffed looking toad youkai!” Kumiko ran her fingers through the air mimicking the juvenile chase. Rin stifled a giggle.

 

“Your Lord explained to me how he had taken a little human girl into his services, though ever the youkai of few words that he is, he did not tell me why. Instead he asked that I consider the old alliance between the dog clan and the peacock clan. The little girl named Rin needed a teacher. He indicated I might be tired of my exile.” Kumiko rolled her eyes in mock indignation. Grin covered her mouth with her hand, giggling even louder.

 

“To tell you the truth I was impressed with your lord. He seemed to have matured significantly since I had last heard of him. He no longer fought incessantly with his younger half brother hanyou, and even teamed up with him to defeat a terrible demon Naraku?”

 

“Yes that's right!” Rin piped up. “That terrible demon was causing all sorts of trouble. Inuyasha and his friends joined forces with Lord Sesshoumaru and they smashed him quite soundly.” Rin raised a balled fist up for emphasis eliciting a hearty chuckle from Kumiko.

 

“And of course after coming here I learned how you came to be with Lord Sesshoumaru. I thought it was most touching the way he used the sword his great sire had left to him to chase your soul back to its body from the underworld.” Kumiko added tenderly. Rin's heart fluttered. She always felt like a warm blanket had been wrapped around her shoulders when thought of the great and unlikely kindness Sesshoumaru had extended to her.

 

Kumiko waved her hand in the dismissively. “In any case, here I am.”

 

“All that time…I never knew. Your husband, Lord Sesshoumaru's father…its all so much. It makes my troubles seem positively ridiculous.” Rin grunted. Kumiko chuckled and patted Rin's head.

 

“I will tell you what is ridiculous. You not opening all these gifts I got for you.” She chided. Rin blinked. She's forgotten all about the paper wrapped parcels lined in front of her. Kumiko wasted no time opening the bundle closest by, to which Rin hastily joined her efforts.

 

All together the gifts were truly magnificent. Kumiko explained how the kimono was by no means an ordinary robe. Besides being beautiful it had a special spell protecting it. No dirt or debris would ever cling to it. It was also lined with dozens of small pockets here and there for hiding small objects. Next there was a hair stick for Rin's very own. It was rumored to be carved from the tusk of a great sea dragon, and guaranteed to piece the flesh of demons and humans alike if need be. A small ivory lotus blossom decorated the point intended to protrude from the hair. It unscrewed to hide a small compartment that Kumiko spent many minutes carefully describing.

 

Kumiko unwrapped a small wooden box from one of the parcels and slid the top off slowly, showing the contents to Rin. Inside was some sort of curious greenish powder, nothing like Rin had ever seen.

 

“This dust is very special and exceptionally powerful. It was scraped off the wings of a rare moth found in only in high mountain caves. They almost never come out and are very hard to find. They are called Dream Moths because when they are startled they release this dust from their bodies. Anyone who breaths it in will fall into a deep sleep and not wake for many hours. Too much inhaled can even kill a person. Or they simply might just never wake up.” Kumiko warned. She then undid the top of Rin's new hair ornament and carefully scooped some inside the hidden container. She secured the lotus back in place and handed both the small box and hair piece to Rin, instructing her to use them with great care.

 

The next package revealed a pair of beautiful wooden zori with silk thongs. The shoes were lacquered in black paint and varnish, giving them a glossy sheen. When Kumiko handed them to Rin she found them to be surprisingly heavy for their small size.

 

“These are special shoes Rin. They look quite normal from the outside, but the inside is filled with lead. You might find them a bit ungainly at first but I assure you they are useful. The varnish is made from the powdered horn of a great youkai ram horns. They will never crack or scratch. One whack from one of these sandals could knock a man out.” The peacock youkai clarified with a wink. Rin grinned and set the zori at her side.

 

The second to last parcel turned out to be a beautiful folding fan painted with a scene of paper lanterns. As it turned out the long spokes of the fan were not made of the usual bamboo, but instead of flexible steel. The fans usefulness was obvious and Rin accepted it with a smile. In the back of her mind she wasn't as pleased with this present though. It reminded her of the unpleasant wind demoness Kagura, whom she'd encountered a few times traveling with Lord Sesshoumaru. She used her wind attacks without regard for the safety of others, and Rin had never liked her very much. Still she tucked the fan in her sash. Rin reminded herself of a saying Kumiko had once recited.

 

The evil is not in the sword, but in the hand who wields it. Of course, Rin wondered if Kumiko had ever seen Lord Sesshoumaru's Tokijin.

 

There was only one rice paper package which remained. Kumiko placed her fingertips on the green material as if to open it, but instead pushed it towards Rin.

 

“This is my final gift, and it is by far the most powerful.” Rin's teacher said in a hushed tone. Rin picked the parcel up and placed it in her lap, removing the silken ties with a quiet reverence. The paper fell away in her hands revealing a simple white mask. It reminded her of the masks in Noh plays, like she'd seen painted on some of the hanging wall scrolls scattered throughout the castle. Except those masks had always been expressive of facial emotions, where this mask had none. Crafted of snowy china, it was unpainted and otherwise unadorned except for the smooth gleam of the glaze. It had two modest holes for eyes and two even smaller holes for the nose. There was no opening at the mouth. A delicate silk string attached at the temples of the mask dangled into her lap. Rin looked up at her teacher, slightly baffled.

 

“This is the Mask of the Cricket Demon. When you put it on you be unable to speak. But in exchange for your voice you will be able to see much more than you ever could before. You will be able to sense the hostile intent of any creature that might be hiding nearby. You will find you can even see in the dark. The mask has many mysteries it may choose to reveal to you. It is nearly indestructible though it appears fragile and plain.” Kumiko raised her eyebrows at Rin to make sure she was paying close attention. Rin didn't very much like the idea of losing her voice.

 

“But, such a powerful artifact…why aren't you using it Kumiko-san?” Rin asked. The peacock gave a noncommittal shrug.

 

“Once you put it on it will look to you to be master until the day you die. The Cricket Mask will reject anyone else who tries to wear it. Only after its master has left this world will the mask accept a new authority. It was left to me by my teacher, and I am now leaving it to you. I'm a bit too old for masks.” Kumiko chuckled. Rin scratched her head.

 

“But why is it called the Mask of the Cricket Demon? This certainly doesn't look like any mask a cricket could wear.” Rin said, wrinkling her nose. Kumiko tapped a finger on Rin's forehead.

 

“Ladies do not wrinkle their noses. It's called the Cricket Mask because there was once a long time ago a great newt youkai. He had a rather small territory in a rather ugly bog. But this was more than enough to content most newts. But not this youkai! He had an unnatural love for theatre and he announced to all the surrounding lords that he was going to put on a great performance. He spent many years working on a play and finally when it was all done he invited everyone to come see it. But alas, no one came!” Kumiko threw up her hands, as the newt youkai might have. Rin was quite entranced in the story.

 

“They say the only people who attended the newt's empty stage were the crickets, and only to chirp. The newt was so furious he made a special mask that he intended to get revenge on the neighboring lords for embarrassing him. When it was finished he put it on and traveled to all surrounding lands and ate up the children of the offending lords!” Kumiko cried.

 

“That's awful!” Rin gasped. Kumiko grinned inwardly. She always knew how to entertain.

 

“After the newt devoured all the children the lords sought revenge and captured him. After a long deliberation they finally agreed to toss him into the sea, which they did. Everyone knows newts cannot abide by salt water and he perished painfully. And thus ended the newt.” Kumiko bowed her head slightly in finale. Rin didn't much like this story.

 

“But how did your family get the mask?” Rin inquired almost hesitantly. She wasn't sure she wanted to know who “perished painfully” this time.

 

“The mask washed on shore and someone picked it up.” Kumiko said with a shrug.

 

“Oh.” Rin said. Kumiko chortled. Sometimes she still wished she could entertain the aristocrats again. She had enjoyed that life very much. Rin wrapped the mask back up in paper. She did not feel like testing it out now. This had truly been an exhausting morning already. Kumiko had stood up and was now pouring them two cups of tea, signaling the lesson was nearly over. Rin joined her at the low table and they sipped their drinks together.

 

“Kumiko-san, if you could do it all over again…would you do it differently?” Rin finally inquired, watching her teacher closely.

 

“You mean about my husband?” Kumiko asked. Rin nodded slowly. Kumiko smiled faintly and looked out the window, as she often did when she was thinking about something troubling.

 

“The short time I had with him was enough to fill a lifetime. You could offer me the world and I would still not take back the time I spent with Kazuki.” Was her lofty reply.

 

“So… it's impossible for demons and humans to…you know. Be, happy with each other? Like that?” Rin asked tentatively, poking her index fingers together nervously. Kumiko set down her teacup and fixed Rin with a long gloomy smile.

 

“You should consider very carefully before you proceed Rin. Lord Sesshoumaru isn't the only man in the world.” Kumiko replied. Color rose to Rin's cheeks at once. She felt like a rabbit whose hiding hole had just been unearthed. “That being said, don't you think you should apologize to Lord Sesshoumaru for interrupting his bath last night?”

 

“Well, yes, but I….” Rin stammered.

 

“He asked me how your lessons were going not so long ago. Why not start by playing him a song?” Kumiko posed. Rin fidgeted fretfully.

 

“I don't think Lord Sesshoumaru would be very interested…”

 

“Nonsense Rin! Lord Sesshoumaru is quite an adept shamisen player. I believe he'd appreciate seeing how well you've come alone.” Kumiko interrupted. Rin jaw fell open. Kumiko glowered and tapped her index finger on Rin's chin.

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru?! Play a shamisen?” Rin gawked. Kumiko offered a small chirping laugh.

 

“Of course, little monkey. A young lords-to-be are trained in all sorts of things. A member of my old peacock family taught him. He was quite good by the time he was only fifty years hold.” Fifty years didn't seem like a short time to Rin but she was no less astounded. “In any case, I believe he'd like to hear you play, but that's never the sort of thing he'd request. I suspect you'll have to offer. And what a perfect way to put that bath house disaster behind you.” Kumiko teased. Rin groaned.

 

“I guess I could try.” Rin answered in a long drawn out breath.

 

Their time up, Kumiko helped Rin gather up her gifts. Rin thanked her very sincerely for the presents, bowing several times on her way out. Rin was also thanking Kumiko for the heart to heart with each bow, though she did not say so. She suspected Kumiko was well aware.

 

As the girl disappeared into the hall carefully carrying her new things, Kumiko approached one of the wide windows in the room and gazed out. The ocean stretched before her view, waves crashing against the cliff far below. Her one-thousandth year in this world was drawing near. The beautiful peacock youkai sighed and leaned against the window pane, gazing out in silence.