This is a surprise chapter, and it's going to be from Athanasia's point of view. It mentions what happened during those three months when Zuri wasn't present.
⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
Athanasia's POV
'Zuri, something is going on. It seems like this body is unable to hold both our souls. I'm sorry. This body is too weak for two souls,' I say as I grit my teeth. I take over my body and continue to communicate with Zuri, but something suddenly hits me.
I can't feel her presence.
"Zuri, dear, are you feeling any better?" I hear Toga asking while gently putting his hand on my head.
However, before I have any time to correct him about my identity, I hear Sesshomaru saying, "This is the Goddess."
I chuckle at how sure he is of his answer. For some unknown reason, Sesshomaru is able to recognize the difference between Zuri and me without the change in our scent. He might have cheated at the start due to the difference in eye color, but how is he cheating now?
I slowly get up, making sure my body isn't in any kind of pain. For a moment, I try to find Zuri again in my subconscious, but I fail. I hate it when I fail to recognize the situation I'm in. It's frustrating.
"I need to rest. She will probably come back tomorrow," I announce and leave Inuyasha's nursery to go to my room.
Before I leave the room, I take a glimpse at both Sesshomaru and Toga, seeing the difference in the expressions each holds. One is filled with anger whereas the other can't hide his worry. This household has so much in common with Anubis. I don't feel comfortable here.
Zuri, you must show up soon.
I head to my room and glance at the book Zuri leaves on the nightstand. She doesn't know how many memories it holds. I sigh and put the Shikon Jewel Sesshomaru gave her on the book then head to sleep.
In irritation, I wake up from some distant noises. I don't know how long I have been sleeping, but I'm sure it's not enough time because my body still feels like a rock. I stagger to the door and slightly open it to ask Irgal, "What's that noise?"
Irgal gets startled by my unexpected appearance and takes a step back before formally answering, "It's the young Lord, my Lady."
Young Lord?
In frustration, I ruffle my hair and walk towards the crying sounds, seeing the maids rushing from all directions.
What's going on?
I find the door to Inuyasha's room open so I invite myself inside. Toga stands there with a restless Inuyasha in his arms. He tries to comfort him, but it seems like he is failing. I've said this word a lot today. I sigh and approach him while asking, "What are you doing?"
Toga glances at me and replies, "You seem exhausted. I'll have Inuyasha's room changed. You there, follow-"
I internally sigh at his way of taking care of things and decide to cut him off, "Has he eaten?"
"He was just fed, my Lady," The maid answers, and I try to think of another reason behind his restlessness.
"He was comfortable with Zuri so why is he like this now?" I share my thoughts with Toga who seems lost as well. Suddenly, an idea sparks in my head. "Give him to me," I urge Toga who blankly gives Inuyasha to me.
As expected, he is quiet now.
I chuckle and glance at Toga who seems to want an explanation so I give it to him, "This body has been beside Izayoi for a while. Like any other newborn, he just misses his mother." I smile at Inuyasha and tighten my hold on him to make him feel more safe.
"I'll take him to my room. You can go back to look after your affairs," I state and leave the room to head to mine.
"Excuse me," Irgal stops me, and I look back at him. He doesn't lift his face and keeps his head low while saying, "I'm aware you are the Goddess. What title would you like me to call you by?"
I take a few seconds before answering him, "You can keep the current title. I won't be here for long."
⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕
⟪One month later⟫
I won't be here for long, my ass.
I sigh and continue to walk in the palace's garden while being comforted by the soft moonlight. The breeze comes and goes to harass my hair and dress which Toga gave me a few days ago. The dress seems to have a foreign taste from this land. The silk is soft and light more to my taste than the kimonos filling Zuri's wardrobe.
At a distance, I see Toga walking towards me so I walk towards him as well. "You seem to fancy this place," He remarks since I have been walking here every day.
"It's tranquil like the world I live in," I say and his expression changes to uncertainty. I chuckle and elaborate, "While Zuri is in control of this body, I have a world of my own. For others, it's dark and lonely, but for me, it's peaceful and silent."
"I understand," he briefly says, and I take a glance at his face. I'm glad color came back to his face after Izayoi woke up. He was so stressed out and unable to focus on his role as a ruler. He must love Izayoi dearly. How lucky!
"Toga," I call his name and pause for a second before proceeding, "You mustn't be wary of the future. Unlike demons, Humans leave memories so make sure to have as many as you can with Izayoi."
He chuckles and rubs the back of his head while saying, "I understand, and it seems your habit of calling me by my first name won't subside, will it? Only two daring people call me Toga. One is Inukimi, and the other is you."
"Well, you seem like someone who might forget his name if not called by it. Be grateful to those who do," I sassily answer and wink at him.
"Anyway, I came to let you know that Inuyasha is in your room. Take care of him," He changes the subject and walks away.
"But Izayoi is awake, why won't he sleep with his mother?" I ask in frustration, stopping him.
He slyly turns in my direction and approaches me then leans towards my ears, whispering, "Because I will be the one to."
I widen my eyes as a scene from the past comes to my mind.
'Did you have a fight with your wife again?' I ask Anubis who is sulking under a huge tree with his eyes closed.
'Yeah, she is such a nuisance. I think I should ask for a divorce and marry you instead,' Anubis jokes after pulling me close to him.
I sigh and flick his forehead, saying, 'Your wife is the Goddess of time. She'll just change time to have you as her husband again. Plus, she loves you, and I don't think there is anyone who will be able to adjust to your lifestyle other than her.' I stick my tongue out at him and slip away from his grip.
I start laughing at Toga's dirty comment. He sure is the descendant of that bastard of a friend. Tears leave my eyes as an excuse for my laughter.
"Well, I will make today an exception. He might not be able to sleep by his mother's side if things stay like that," I playfully warn Toga who takes his leave.
I head back to my room and excuse the maid so I can be left alone with Inuyasha in peace. I gaze at him in wonder. Why does all the Inu clan have silver hair? Anubis has black hair. They must have inherited the golden eyes since it's a given. Seeing the dead is in their blood, but still why silver hair?
Akuru is part of the Inu clan too yet he has ginger hair which is weird. I remember that Akuru had a full Inu-demon father and the Goddess of Fortune as his mother. Wait, that Goddess had ginger hair. I facepalm at the realization of how dumb I am for forgetting such basic information. The Goddess of Time, Anubis's wife, had silver hair. She was the only Goddess with silver hair, just like how I am the only person in this universe with purple hair.
Children of the Gods used to inherit the features of their mother and the abilities of their father, only rare abilities from the mother are inherited, and since she is the Goddess of time, this clan is able to slip through time. I sigh at the realization behind the reason Sesshomaru was able to follow Zuri to the other world, and Inuyasha to follow Kagome. The Shikon Jewel is just a catalyst for them.
The time I have spent in the future is taking a toll on my memory.
I unintentionally take a glance beside me to look at Inuyasha for a moment and then back at the ceiling, going back to my thoughts, but that's when it hits me. Inuyasha isn't beside me. He rolled to the other side of the bed and is about to fall. I quickly leap to the other side to catch him while saying, "You really made me use my powers to save you. Or probably myself from Toga and Zuri's wrath."
Let's sleep young one.
⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕
⟪One week later⟫
"It's kind of disappointing to see the number of swords decreasing on your back," I remark as I see Toga heading somewhere.
"Ah, I handed the Tenseiga to Sesshomaru. He wants to find a way to bring Zuri back without needing to wait," He answers, and I get surprised by the answer because it means that Sesshomaru is feeling restless without Zuri which is questionable.
I brush it off and ask him where he is going, but he surprises me with his answer, "Would you like to join? It might put you in a difficult position, though."
Now, I am interested.
I follow him with Ah-Un side by side, as I ask, "Still won't tell me where we are going?"
"No, since you might run away," He playfully answers, and I laugh to my heart's content.
"What makes you think there is something I fear?" I say between my laughter.
"Fear doesn't revolve only around death. You can fear losing someone or causing the one you love pain. Fear can have multiple colors so don't take it lightly," He says, and suddenly my laughter comes to a halt.
It's been a very long time. Seems like I forgot why I was running away from everyone and everything. Now, I remember the time I feared to lose Anubis. I feared the coven wouldn't succeed in helping me, and I will remain to keep watching Anubis lose his mind. I feared so many things. How stupid of me to forget!
"We are here," Toga announces, and I get confused.
I only see the wide ocean. What does he mean by we are here?
I hear him sigh and say, "There is a barrier."
Okay, now I feel embarrassed. How many times do I have to show my stupidity in front of this man? Damn it.
I take another look at the area and see the huge ship which I happened to see before. As we approach, I recognize a certain face. Before giving Toga the lead to introduce us or even land before me, I jump off Ah-Un and right in front of Kirinmaru's face.
"Hi there, low life," I smirk at him, feeling satisfied with what came out of my mouth.
Kirinmaru grits his teeth, and I feel him clenching his fist as he angrily says but without yelling, "Who are you calling low life?"
I smile at him and answer, "You." I quickly erase the smile and say, "You nearly killed my beloved Sesshomaru-" I pause for a second and correct myself, "Zuri's beloved. Anyway, did Toga bring me here to end your life? Are you that desperate to die?"
Kirinmaru looks at Toga and asks him, "Do all Gods look down upon their descendants like her?"
"Who said you are one?" I remark. It's easy to recognize the difference. "Your half-sister might be one, but not you," I intentionally annoy him.
"I think this is enough," Toga says behind me, and I feel his hand on my shoulder. I glance up at him, and he makes eye contact with me so I let it slide and decide to give Kirinmaru a break.
"What brings you here? I don't remember inviting you," Kirinmaru says while turning to head to sit on his so-called throne.
"You weren't invited to my mansion either so I have decided to invite myself to yours," Toga firmly says and continues, "Inukimi thinks it's best for you to sign this. With the Goddess present in this time, I need to have as many allies as possible."
Oh, he is preparing to protect me from the other Gods. How romantic and unnecessary!
"Listen Inu no Taisho, I have no intentions of being your ally, but if you are desperate to have me as one then bring my daughter back to life," Kirimaru says with anger filling his eyes.
"I ca-"
"She can't be saved," I blurt out, cutting Toga's words.
Kirinmaru leaps from his throne and angrily holds my collar, saying, "I heard you are close to the God of the underworld so what do you mean by she can't be saved."
He already knows that much!
I narrow my eyes at him and elaborate, "It means Anubis already sent her body and a large portion of her soul to the other world. I know this because we had a similar experiment like this in the past. That mountain will be able to hold the remaining shards of her soul for another 200 years so make sure to say your goodbyes."
Kirinmaru listens to me without uttering a word and lets go. He silently walks towards Toga and takes the scroll. He opens it and takes a moment to read it then places it on the table and signs it. Without uttering a word, Kirinmaru leaves after signing the scroll.
Looking at him walk away like that makes me start feeling sorry for him. He must be frustrated because he was behind Rion's death. Of course, he didn't intend to lose her, but the end result remains the same. She still died because he ignored Toga's warnings of him being a careless father.
"I got what we came for. Let's leave," Toga states, and I follow him to who knows where.
On our way, he unexpectedly says, "You shouldn't have said that. It would have been a hassle if hadn't read the instructions because of those words you said."
"Why? What is written there?" I curiously ask.
"Kirinmaru is close to the South ruler; therefore, one of the clauses is for Kirinmaru to speak to him," He elaborates that's when a question sparks in my head.
"What about the North? Is there a ruler there too?" I ask.
He oddly sighs and answers, "He is annoying, but I'll have to go. I guess I have no other option. If I send Sesshomaru, he might cause a diplomatic crisis."
⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕
⟪Two hours later⟫
He might cause a diplomatic crisis.
I think I'm the one who is going to cause one. The second we entered the North Kingdom, I thought it was going to be an icy land, but it's far from that. It's heaven-like. However, the crisis isn't about how beautiful the land is, it's about the ruler. The word beautiful is not enough to describe him. He looks like a fragile glass ready to break. A flower with a mesmerizing fragrance that everyone wants.
Why am I describing a man with the word flower?
"The moment I heard about your arrival, I ordered everyone to prepare for your stay. I'm extremely fortunate to finally be graced with your presence," The Northern Lord says, and I find his way of talking strange but kind of familiar. Familiar in a weird way.
I watch him as he hurriedly approaches Toga and puts his hand around his waist then whispers in Toga's ear, "Are you finally accepting my proposal?"
I side-eye him, but I see him looking back at me with a sinister look which brings shivers to my body. I take back everything I say, this guy freaks me out.
"No," Toga firmly says and removes the Northern Lord's hand as he proceeds after clearing his throat, "I came here to ask for a favor."
"I accept," the Lord immediately and happily answers without hearing what Toga is about to say. "Is the favor in that scroll?" The Northern lord opens the scroll he stole from Toga a moment ago when he wrapped his arm around him.
Toga sighs and agrees. The Northern Lord takes a moment to read the scroll and nods his head in satisfaction then asks a maid to bring him a pen to sign.
Thankfully, we don't stay long in that creepy place and leave the moment Toga takes back the scroll. I curiously look at Toga and ask, "What proposal was he talking about?"
"Marriage," He answers.
"What? Does he want Inukimi or Izayoi?" I ask in surprise and panic.
He looks away and whispers, "No, me."
Sesshomaru, let's cause a diplomatic crisis together.
▬•▬•▬•▬•▬•▬•▬•▬•▬•▬
I intended to write everything that happened in those 3 months in one chapter, but as you can tell. This chapter seems to be endless, so I decided to have another one. There won't be a specific day of release since it's a special chapter.
Chapter 37 will be published according to the schedule (Saturday)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
See you later 🍬
-👑 Noorie.