"Hmm, ok. I'll go get A-Un!~" Rin chirped before skipping off. Sesshomaru watched with a blank look. Mayu frowned.
"It's alright Sesshomaru-sama, she understands." She whispered in a soft tone making him glance down at her for a moment. Rin soon came back with A-Un while Jaken quickly snagged the reins from her.
"Come on girl, if we don't leave now we won't get there until dawn!" Mayu glared at Jaken before walking over picking up Rin and carefully putting her on A-Un.
"Sesshomaru-sama and I spoke last night, we are flying home, not walking." She spoke in a rather harsh tone looking down at Jaken. Sesshomaru then turned and started walking out of the village. Mayu jumped on A-Un taking the reins from Jaken, she flicked them making A-Un follow Sesshomaru, stepping on Jaken in the process.
"Why you." Jaken growled under his breath before getting back up and quickly running after Sesshomaru.
"Safe travels!~" Kagome called as she waved, Rin and Mayu quickly waving back.
"Bye-bye!~" Rin called back. With that, they left.
"Eri!!!~" Rin called as the group landed. Eri and Chikara looked, Eri smiling and quickly running over making Chikara look at his now empty hand for a moment, then he looked annoyed for a moment. Once they landed, Rin carefully jumped down and ran over hugging Eri.
"Welcome back.~" Eri said sweetly kneeling down and returning the hug. Sesshomaru stepped up as Jaken let his Mokomoko-san go.
"Eri, there is something I need to ask of you." Eri looked up before standing and bowing.
"Of course, what is it?" She asked standing straight once more. Sesshomaru glanced up at Chikara for a moment, then closed his eyes.
"I, you, and Mayu will discuss it in my workspace." He said as he began to walk.
"Can I come?" Rin asked making Sesshomaru stop and glance back. He thought for a moment, then nodded as he walked once more.
"Yay! Let's go!" Rin said taking Mayu's hand nearly dragging her along. Eri giggled at this and walked beside them. Once they got to the room, Eri closed the door behind the small group as Sesshomaru placed a hand on his desk, many papers laying on it messily.
"Eri, tell me more on Haha no hōyō." He simply said making Eri wear a confused look.
"What of Haha no hōyō?" She asked. He looked back at the others.
"Haha tsuki." He clarified making Mayu wear a confused look.
"Mother moon?" Rin asked softly looking up at Mayu who fell silent. She didn't realize there was an actual term for the moon in their culture. They really did see the moon as their mother, huh?
"Haha tsuki? Hmm, well that's a touchy subject." Eri muttered.
"How so?" Sesshomaru asked.
"W-Well, the celebration for Haha tsuki has gone on for so long that the true origins and explanations are foggy." She explained.
"What is Haha tsuki, do you know?" Mayu asked making the two glance over at her.
"Well, some say a daiyōkai lives within the moon and that's who Haha tsuki is." Mayu nodded.
"Just as I thought. Then, I have a plan." Mayu said with a smile.
"Being?" Sesshomaru asked.
"There has to be a way to contact Haha tsuki and explain why you all fell out of your customs, I'm sure if she's aided you all for so long she'll understand and forgive you." Sesshomaru thought for a moment.
"Now there's a new question. How do we contact Haha tsuki?" He muttered making the room fall silent.
"Is there a shrine dedicated to her?" Rin asked making the other three look down at her.
"A shrine." Sesshomaru whispered.
"I do not know of one myself, though, I could ask your mother for you. As an empress, she should know, some information is kept from us below royals." Eri suggested. Sesshomaru let out a long-drawn breath, Mayu could tell he didn't like that idea.
"We have no choice." He muttered before closing his eyes. Mayu thought for a moment, then sighed.
"I'll ask her for you if you can get Rin settled back in." Sesshomaru's eyes snapped open and to Mayu.
"We discussed this." He snarled making Eri give a confused glance.
"I am aware, but none the less, if you sent me to gather this information it matters not." Mayu spoke before walking to the door.
"You will not leave this office." Sesshomaru growled making Eri tense trying to figure out why he was being so harsh to Mayu. Mayu opened the door and looked back with a smile.
"I suppose I forgot a suggestion, learn how to accept help." With that, she walked out. Sesshomaru stared for a moment before growling.
"That damned girl. Eri, make sure my mother doesn't do anything." He spoke in an irritated tone.
"Yes my lord." Quickly, Eri left to catch up with Mayu. When she did, she placed a hand on Mayu's shoulder making the girl stop and look over at Eri.
"What on earth happened when you were gone?" Eri asked, a little concerned. Mayu sighed.
"Where to start." Mayu muttered before clicking her fingers.
"Well, the trip was overnight because we walked instead of flying as we did coming home. So, I and Rin slept on A-Un's back. My hair must've loosened because Rin pointed out, and surprising enough, Sesshomaru-sama fixed it for me." Eri giggled.
"He saw me helping his father and mother with their hair for a meeting, after that he asked if I could teach him, so I taught him many styles. I'm surprised he remembers even after all this time." Eri giggled, then muttered.
"Oh! Sesshomaru also got worried because he didn't know what a crush was." Eri gave a confused look.
"I-It's a human term for when someone has a strong interest in someone as a potential partner. Anyway, Rin has a crush on a little boy in the village and it was the cutest thing ever!" Mayu squealed.
"Oh, Sesshomaru must watch that boy like a hawk." Eri said before laughing, Mayu soon joined.
"Oh yeah he does! Hmm, what else." Mayu thought for a moment.
"Oh, the uh, dance." Eri's eyes sparkled.
"You danced with him?!" Mayu quickly shushed her.
"Don't tell him I told you! B-But, it was odd. Pleasant, but odd. He acted calm, then he vented too." Eri frowned.
"I see, he's just like his father." Mayu tilted her head.
"W-Well, you see, when I and Chikara got married Sesshomaru's father stood in as my father, walking me down the walkway I mean. My father had died when I was just a pup, so I was ever so honored that the lord himself wanted to take his place for him. When the father-daughter dance came, he once again stepped in, that was when he expressed all his joy for me. I suppose they hide their true feelings until they can sneak it in subtly, as a lord they must remain calm at all times by standard after all." Mayu frowned.
"I'm sorry you lost your father." She muttered. Eri smiled and shook her head.
"He was painfully ill, it's better this way. Th-Though, can I ask what Sesshomaru said? You sound awfully worried about it." Mayu nodded.
"He said that his father may be resting peacefully, but his death brought suffering upon the empire, and now he has to somehow fix it. He's scared Eri, I know he is. He talked more about it when he requested me to join him in the hot spring." Her eyes widened.
"He actually let you bathe with him?" Mayu turned bright red.
"I uh, it was late and I thought he had already gone since I mentioned it to him early that morning. So I went thinking I would be alone, then I saw him. I was about to leave but he told me to join him, and trust me when I say he was not taking no for an answer." Eri giggled.
"Oh, he really likes you. Funny enough, men call us women bashful, but males of our kind refuse to bathe with a female- or, uh, whatever they're interested in- without being very comfortable around them. So, you should really be honored, I'm quite surprised that he took that much of a liking to you that fast." Eri explained.
"O-Oh." Mayu stuttered feeling her heart race. Eri laughed at this.
"Aww, has someone fallen for him?~" She teased.
"I-I don't know. I mean, he is handsome and rather kind. He told me to stop hiding myself from him and asked if I still feared him. Then he told me that he is my lord, and it's in his right to protect me." Eri smiled.
"Right away I knew he felt more of you than a servant, that's the way he is with all of us. He sees us as his pack, not anyone below him." Mayu smiled.
"Huh." Mayu whispered.
"If I may ask, why is he so stern with you about his mother?" Mayu perked up.
"Oh, he mentioned that he didn't trust her with me." Eri frowned.
"He fears she'd hurt you it seems." She whispered. Mayu cleared her throat.
"Anyway, we should go talk to her." Eri nodded. With that, they walked to the main hall.