Reacquaint

Kintsuke bolted as soon as she knew Inuyasha couldn't see her. She needed to get as far from this place as she could before the demon lord arrived.

Several miles away, she finally allowed herself to slow to a casual stroll. This far out, no one that was likely to interfere would be able to hear or see anything that might happen. She wouldn't even try to fool herself; if Sesshoumaru wanted her dead still, he would come for her.

'Let him. Surely after all this time he can be convinced to let it go. Some of his father must flow in him somewhere…'

If he pressed, she would be happy to show him just how much she'd grown. She wasn't the weakling she had been back then; she would make that much known at least. She frowned to herself as Kintsuke realized she was almost excited by the prospect. Somewhere, a tiny part of her wanted him to come.

She shuddered suddenly, ears perked painfully to catch every sound.

There was his scent again.

Her eyes combed the forest around her, then cast up, following the arch as he alighted down into the grass before her like a nightmare manifest. She froze, locking eyes with this being she recognized, but could no longer say she knew. His presence fell heavily on her shoulders, nearly washing away her conviction.

His power...it was enormous. As much as she had herself improved, he had done the same twice over, at least. Her inner demon snarled, nervous and confused; his expression was not what she had expected it would be, and she narrowed her own from the uncertainty she now felt.

He was coming closer now. She shifted to run.

"Stay," he said sharply.

She couldn't help but pause. He held no authority over her any longer, but she wasn't ignorant of the likely consequences should she so blatantly disregard this hellish god. She squared her shoulders and faced him again, exuding every bit of confidence, calm, and grandeur she could muster.

His eyes ran slowly along her form, seeming to examine her as he closed the distance between them. She shivered slightly, but not from the cold. His scent was enveloping her, just as heady as she remembered, and it was making her uncomfortable.

'Too close.'

'Don't move.'

'He's too close!'

'Do. Not. Move.'

The wind shifted, and an echo of memory shot through her like electricity as his mokomoko brushed against her and settled around her feet.

"My hanyou..."

He sounded almost breathless, and the hint of something akin to relief in his tone made her heart skip. She rolled her tongue against the back of her lips to part them and felt more than willed herself to speak.

"Sesshoumaru."

Something glinted in his eyes, something foreign and unsettling, reigniting her desire to flee. She held steady.

"Why are you here?" he asked plainly.

"I had wanted to speak with Myouga, but he is nowhere to be found. I'll be leaving shortly."

"To find the flea?"

"That as well."

"Why else?"

"That is my business."

His eyes narrowed. 'There's the cold bastard I know.'

"This is my territory…" he stated simply.

He was trying to establish his authority here, but he'd not held any over her for many a year, and she was not about to let him start again.

"And I am on my way out, as I said."

She stepped carefully over his longer, more luxurious mokomoko, walking around him.

"To find Myouga…or to avoid this Sesshoumaru?"

She could hear the smirk that pulled at his lips.

"Both."

"What is it you fear?"

Fear? She growled to herself, turning sharply to fix him with a blazing expression.

"I fear nothing. You are well aware that my desire to avoid you is in the interest of my health. You are not so forgetful."

His expression puzzled her, and he considered for a moment.

"That is no longer necessary."

She refused to let him be so vague.

"Are you saying I am allowed here again or that you will no longer hunt me?"

He tilted his head a bit, again considering.

"I will not pursue a vendetta so long passed and unwarranted."

She blinked at him again, confused. Was he being…considerate, mature? Where was the ice in his eyes, the sneer in his tone? His pettiness, his cruelty, his haughty words; they were all missing, and it bothered her. Surely, everything that Rin girl had said couldn't be true…could it? No, she just needed to give it time. He would show his old self when given the opportunity, and she wasn't keen on giving him one. Having no words, she simply inclined her head to him appropriately and turned to leave again.

"You insist on leaving, then?"

"You are awfully interested in my business. It's unbecoming."

He did not reply as she began to walk.

"Hanyou."

She sighed to herself, pausing once more to glance at him.

"What?"

He slid his gaze up, through the leaves, searching for something in the clouds.

"Tell me your name."

'My...name? You didn't care back then, so why do you care now?'

But her pride compelled her to answer. Only those with names truly existed in this world, and he would know hers, know that she finally existed, that she was significant.

"My name is Kintsuke."

Something in her chest ached as he repeated it smoothly, eyes closed. They opened again a moment later and, without another word, he was gone, back into the clouds to leave Kintsuke alone in the snow.

***

Inuyasha was crouched on the roof of his hut as Kintsuke finally returned that evening. They glanced at each other, and as he narrowed his eyes at her she slipped her hands into her sleeves, preparing for what would surely be a line of questioning; Sesshoumaru's scent was still all over her.

"What did Sesshoumaru want?"

His tone was suspicious, but Kintsuke knew it wasn't directed towards herself, but at his brother. She hadn't even begun to piece together and work through the implications of what few things were said between them, so had little in the way of an answer for her fellow half-breed.

"He…wanted to know my name."

"Your name?"

She nodded.

"Kinda an odd reason to go chasing after someone that's obviously run away from you, ain't it?"

Kintsuke simply smiled.

"Sesshoumaru is…strange."

Inuyasha snickered.

"Ain't the word I'd use for it."

She just smiled to herself, looking away for a moment as he hopped down from his perch, making as though to walk with her, and she fell into step with him, heading for Kaede's hut.

"Inuyasha."

" 'Sup?"

"Could… Would you mind not mentioning this to the others just yet? I myself am not sure exactly what happened."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's your business."

He shrugged, but she could tell that the request had bothered him. As they ducked into the old miko's hut, however, they each resumed their usual demeanors. Rin and Kagome were already there, helping Kaede prepare the evening meal.

Kintsuke was quieter through the small talk than usual tonight, picking through her dinner the same way she did the jumble of half-formed thoughts sand suppositions that held her attention and focus. One thing she knew for sure. She would leave the village either tonight or tomorrow, Myouga or no. She'd stayed far too long and was more than ready to move on, especially now.

As though responding to the very thought of him, however, Myouga arrived in his usual manner, quickly popping back into shape from Inuyasha's strike.

"Greetings and salutations, master!"

"What you got this time, flea?"

"Got? Oh! No news, just thought I'd, you know, come see how things are!"

Inuyasha grunted, not believing the tiny demon for even a moment.

"I saw Sesshoumaru on my way here. Come to visit Rin again, did he?"

"Like usual."

Myouga nodded, and something about it made a thought dawn on Kintsuke.

She motioned him over, holding the flea firmly between her fingers once she had him. She lifted that hand to hide her lips from being read and so she could speak not even at a whisper.

"Myouga."

"Y-yes?"

"Why did you leave almost as soon as I arrived here, knowing I wished to speak with you?"

"W-well, you see, I had a bit of pressing business that simply could not wait."

"I see. And, were you aware of Sesshoumaru's impending arrival?"

"Ah, that is to say, he is rather consistent in his visi-"

Rage shot through her, contracting her fingers to crush Myouga between them before flicking his flattened body away.

Inuyasha watched him flutter to the ground. "What'd he do this time?"

Kintsuke simply went back to sipping her tea as Myouga groaned.