Within the dark void, a silver sun illuminated by cool blue flames looked down upon the earth below. Whether or not one could call what was below the sky an earth was perhaps the trickiest part of it all. A black water beach could be seen stretching towards some place covered by mist. Wooden stairs beginning from the sandy shoreline into the grass and to an arbitrary place just beyond the line of sight were waiting for someone to walk upon them. They could either be inviting passersby to their doom or to their prize. A woman's voice lingered in the serene winds pushing and pulling against the water's currents like a soft song, but there were notes in between the lullaby that were eerier than let on. Atop the water were three boats anchored down to simply bob to and fro as the high tide followed the low tide in rhythmic cycle. Tarai-bune boats, to be exact, of varying colors on the inside were waiting for visitors. One boat had a paddle with silver, green, and orange cloths along the shaft and writing on the blade. With the writing being aged, it was hard to tell what was written on that paddle. The other boat had a paddle with black, brown, and bright blue along the shaft, but there was no writing on the blade. Instead, the blade had a brush at the tip and was rounded more versus the flatness of a traditional paddle. Inside of the boats were small nets with bobs of similar coloring to the paddle shafts.
An old man was sleeping in one of the boats with a fishing rod strapped to the side and his paddle submerged in the black water. He was snoring, but slumber was probably the only definitive thing within this dimly lit world. He wore islander fishing garb of red, white, and yellow coloring and had a straw hat on his face. In his boat was a glass bottom just a few inches from his seating bench and pillows on the bench. The pillows, his fishing rod's grip handle, and possibly his paddle blade all shared his clothes' colors. When he heard the screams of five different people and large splashes, he shot up and searched around for the people but saw nothing but straw as the hat never moved. When he lifted his hat, he heard the women speak up first.
"Ew! What's in this water? It's all slimy!" Yuko complained, wiping the water off her face.
"C'mon, Yuko," Homugi said, pulling the girl's hand. "There's some boats over there. Anyone see Meioshi or Liuxian?"
"I have this imp here," Liuxian replied, pulling Lord Jaken out of the water for him to spit out whatever grossness decided to enter his mouth.
"Ugh! Get me out of this place this instant! Feels like mucous!" Jaken demanded, flailing his arms about.
"Sis, you here?" Liuxian asked, looking about to see if Meioshi popped up yet.
"Meioshi!" Homugi called, checking her surroundings for bubbles. It was impossible to see anything in the black waters. "I can't smell her scent at all. She might still be underwater."
"She is not in these waters," the old man said, gaining everyone's attention.
"Huh? Who are you, old man?" Jaken questioned, ceasing his struggle in Liuxian's grip.
"I am the male head of Nintojo in mortal skin. My purpose is my name," the old man answered, leaning back in his boat. He pointed to the other boats and said, "You, my master, belong on the boat with the green and orange paddle. There is much for you to learn. Monk. Bring my master to his boat. You belong on the boat with the brown and blue paddle."
"I will bring your master to his boat when you tell me where my sister is," Liuxian said, narrowing his eyes at the elder.
The old man hummed with some annoyance but regarded Liuxian's request. He was simply worried about one of the women, namely the one missing from their group. He turned to his fishing rod, tapped it a few times, and waited for the line to respond. The red top of the bob shifted for a moment before rapidly sinking into the water. He rushed to his feet to look into the water and hummed with thoughtful surprise when the water started turning blue and green and the slime was being pushed away. Something zipped across the surface, making the old man turn his head to follow the direction of the zipping waters. They were pointing to the shore.
He then said, "This 'sister' of yours is not here. She is on the other side of the island."
"Very well," Liuxian replied, swimming to Jaken's designated vessel to place him safely inside. Once complete, he nodded and swam to his. When he entered it and turned to the old man again, he asked, "And what of the ladies? Are you so cruel that you'd let young beauties sit in this dark muck?"
"The spotted one joins my master," the old man replied. "The healer joins you, monk." He waited for the girls to enter their designated boats before continuing, "I am named Seisuiki the Sage of Wisdom. The 'dark muck' you swam in was the heart of Lord Sesshomaru."
"My lord's heart is this black slime?" Jaken questioned incredulously, mouth agape with shock and awe.
"Aye," Seisuiki replied, nodding slowly.
"So, was the witch right all along? Nintojo represents qualities that me lord lacks? His mind is black and slimy because of the lack?" Jaken questioned.
"Nintojo is the reflection of Lord Sesshomaru's heart in physical form. You, my master, have been wielding a fraction of the might that his heart holds. When you purified Nintojo, you erased the reflective quality of the staff and entered the true domain of your lord."
Yuko hummed in thought, looked to the sky, and then to Seisuiki to ask, "What about that pretty moon up there? What's that supposed to be?"
"That is a sun, healer. It contains all of his good qualities such as patience, self-control, respect, and compassion," the sage answered.
"Yeah, that's a good size for it," Yuko said, scoffing.
"Why is Meioshi on the other side of his heart? What's over there?" Homugi questioned.
"Inside of Lord Sesshomaru's domain are three types of boats: the fishing boat, a vessel representative of learning, the pleasure ship, a vessel representative of all manner of good fortune, and the warship, a vessel representative of conflicts to come. This Meioshi is currently within the space of his heart that he locked away centuries ago. Look at my water bobble. It represents her. The water surrounding her is clean and still. If you look closer, it is the dark muck that is pushing against her waters, seeking to submerge the bobble in darkness. No matter how much the muck pushes, the water remains calm and pushes back gently. The zipping of the water from the bobble to her location is her behavior around Lord Sesshomaru. Her path is clear and with an end. She has succeeded in learning what she needs to either power through struggle or move on to her reward in life. This confuses our lord, and it is this confusion that is feeding the beast within him. One that he could never control," Seisuiki informed.
Meioshi... Homugi thought. So, your teachings really are for the betterment of the people around you! But what about... Sesshomaru? What are you to him in his heart?
"Which is?" Liuxian probed, raising an eyebrow out of interest.
"Only my master is capable of seeing it in its pure, chaotic form," Seisuiki answered, shaking his head at the young monk. "That is if he succeeds in learning the Mozō-me technique."
"What is this technique, Seisuiki?" Jaken questioned.
"It is the easiest way to learn of wisdom but the most dangerous way to aid Lord Sesshomaru. You will learn a significant part of our lord's past that crafted him into the man you know now, and you will have to decide how you wish to interact with the reason the Nintojo was birthed for him," Seisuiki replied.
"What about my sensei?" Yuko asked, gaining the old man's attention. "She's all alone in this guy's heart probably fighting his monster. What's she got to do with this?"
The old man smiled toothily with an odd twinkle in his eye and replied, "Is it not obvious?"
"You said he was confused by her. That's vague," Liuxian responded, folding his arms to think of the answer.
"Why is the answer so vague when you stated it clearly?" the old man challenged.
"Eh?" Jaken and the girls questioned, exchanging glances at each other before returning their attention to the old man.
This demon lord is singling my sister out... because he doesn't - ? Liuxian gasped when something came to mind. When he heard a battle cry in the distance, he then thought, He doesn't know what she is to him!