As soon as Chio-san left his house, Nezumi Jirou (vulgo Rat) darted to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of cheap tequila. He winced and squinted as it went down
his throat, remembering better-tasting bottles of cologne and cleaning solvent, but he needed a drink, at least to soothe the shudder in his hands. This was the first
time in his long life that somebody came and told him a secret, just for him to know- and Rat loved knowing things, especially secrets. His rats told him everything
they heard, and rats can slip anywhere. Hell, wherever you are now, dear reader, there's a decent chance of a rat watching you from a crack in the wall, and if you're
in Tokyo, then this rat will report straight to Nezumi Jirou.
(writer's note- that's not actually true. I hope.)
Rat lit a new candle since the old one was flickering out. His power bills were unpaid for months,he remembered, but now it's all going to change. Rats- real rats-
scurried at his feet. He picked pne up and stroked it's fur thoughtfully.
-We'll buy a lot of food, sweetheart.- He assured the rodent.- We won't be hungry for a while.
It's easy to find information, and information is worth a lot, but somehow all of Rat's attempts at extortion ended in broken bones. The tip of his long nose was stuck pointing left, and his shoulders were uneven... But even with a broken nose Rat could smell profit. He had learned of Naraku long ago, when the human Kagome first returned from the portal well, and now, would you look at this- there was someone right next door who'd give an eye to learn things about Naraku.
Rat checked his notes, then ran out of his house directly to Chio's.
Sumire was sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant and clicking her chopsticks impatiently. She was the only one there, but the waiter was still late.
Finally, he sauntered over with a huge platter under a silver cover, and laid it on the table. When he uncovered it she saw a rich dish of seafood, topped
with red caviar and a plump squid. For some reason it looked delicious.
-How much does it cost again?- she asked.
-Free, if you admit that you're a demon.- Said the waiter, and squinted his yellow eyes severely. His hair, white as snow, billowed back. Then, just as she noticed
that the plump squid had the head of Naraku, it crawled off the plate and ran up her arm.
-Are you?- Asked the waiter, and knocked on the table with a large wooden soup spoon.
*bang bang*
-ARE YOU?!
*BANG BANG*
Sumire shot up in cold sweat. She had dozed off on the couch. She brought a slim hand to her forehead, trying to shake off the nightmare, when suddenly another bang
came. It was real. Someone was knocking on the door.
-Coming!- Sumire yelled and went to get it.
-Can I come in?- Asked a small man from the doorstep.
-No.- Sumire found herself saying, before she could give it any thought. When she did, however, she couldn't think of a better answer. The man was an inch shorter than
her, with a hunched back, stunted legs and a long, mousy face. His lower jaw protruded forward, his nose was broken and shifted to the side, and alcohol was the nicest
thing he smelled of.
-Oh.- He said. Even his voice was squeaky.
-Who are you?- Sumire demanded.
-I'm the next door neighbor.- He explained, clicking his tongue in between words.- We need to talk.
-No, we don't.- Sumire asserted, before it occured to her that no one in the world deserved the name "Rat" than this thing.- I mean, why?- She corrected herself.
-Because I know things about Naraku.- the man said, in a low hiss.- And you want to know them. Now follow me.- He turned around and started walking away.
-Where?!- She called after him.
-My house.- He explained simply. -Since I can't go into yours, let's go to mine. I'm polite.
Rat's house was worse than Rat himself, and that's saying something. Papers were scattered everywhere, the power seemed to be cut off since the only source of light was candles scattered around the living room. Things squeaked in the corners, and the stench could make a sewer blush. The rodent man had insisted on fixing her a drink, so now Sumire was holding a dirty glass full of either liquor or windshield cleaner.
-So, what do you know about Naraku?- she started.
-More than anyone in this era knows.- He answered simply.- What do you want to know?
-This era?- She repeated his words.
-Oh, yes, that's a good place to start.- The rodent man gulped from his own glass, and explained- See, Naraku is not from this era. He originates in the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.- Judging by his smug face the man was proud to know those words.
-And how did he get here?- Sumire raised an eyebrow.
-Easy.- The man clicked his tongue. -A portal. See how much I know? A well portal it was.
-A good portal?- Sumire offered.
-A well portal, a portal that's located in a well.- Rat retorted, offended.- I'm not stupid. Everyone knows that portals come in wells.
Everyone but me. Sumire sighed.
-OK, what else?
-Also...- Rat narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to her for conspiracy. His breath was not mustard gas, but close to it. - Naraku is evil.
-I heard that already.- the girl shrugged and looked away. What is it with everyone lately, coming to her and telling her that Naraku is evil? After what she saw, she could guess that by herself.
-Do you?- The rat was taken aback.- You know those things? You know that he killed many people in search for the Jewel of Four Souls? You know that he makes mischief wherever he goes, and kills whoever helps him? Do you know that he doesn't even spare children?!
-I don't know why would I care.- She explained. -And you don't have to tell me.
-But I will, yes.- he moved closer. -You must know.
Sumire sensed a great discomfort. The world started to assume a greenish color before her eyes, and the smell of the rat had her holding down vomit. The repulsion was stuck in the back of her head, slowly gaining more and more, distracting her. Suddenly she wanted to jump on top of a chair, get away from that man and his buckteeth. It just felt somehow that if she wouldn't, he'd bite between her toes like a real rodent.
-You care, because if he stays in that era...- Rat held a dramatic pause.- Then the demons will feel his evil first of all. You among them.
-So why don't you fight him, if you know it?- She couldn't help but wonder.
-Me?!- The man cringed back, and stuttered for a few seconds. -M-me, no-no-no, I'm weak. I'm small. You're tall and strong, you have friends. You do it.
-A-ha.- Sumire stretched, and got up to leave.- Is that all?
-No.- He smirked. -Also, your best friend is his accomplice, and they'll right up hang her when they catch them.
-Chio?!- That made Sumire stop. It also made her angry.- Are you saying that my friend is conspiring against the demon race?
-Yes!- The rat beamed. -Isn't that horrible? You could save her if you stopped them, the punishment for her will be grave.
Suddenly it became hard to breath, harder to see, and down right impossible not to choke the life out of the squeaking pile of bones that was Rat. The only thought that took her off it was that she really did not want to touch him. She turned and made a beeline for the door.
-Hey, what about my pay?- Came a shriek from behind her.
-Pay?!- Sumire turned again. Easy now, he's not all there, there's no need to kill him. And Chio did promise someone to steal the power gem, so the rodent might have a point.
Somehow it only made Sumire madder.
- You know very important things because of me!- Rat yelled. Behind him she could see a thickening pack of tiny, real rats.
-Now pay me!- He shrieked.
-Pay... You?- Sumire just dumbly repeated after him.
He was green, the candle light was green, the papers were also green. Everything dulled into an even green.
A huge insect covered in yellow stripes buzzed down from the ceiling and fluttered around the room, looking for an exit.
Chio completed the third run around the block, and walked straight into the club. She wished there would be a bouncer, just so that she could push him away. That would help her feeel a little less tense. Something needed to be broken, preferably soon. She clenched her fists inside the pockets of the coat, and felt the tips of her throwing knives.
-Naraku!
Her voice echoed back at her. The club was dark and empty.
She halted, then took a breath and walked into the club. It felt bigger now. The clacking of her heels, even her breath- everything had a ghastly echo.
-Naraku!- She yelled again, but her voice didn't come as loud.
-Chio-san.- A voice called, and the lights clicked on. Naraku was sitting at a chair at the far end of the hall, leaning his elbows on the armrests. Chio wondered if he ever watched human television, and if so, how much.
-Hey.- She nodded at him.
-To what do I owe the pleasure?
You killed the first four entries on the list I sold you. Not cool, bro.
-Just wanted to know how the gem hunt was going.- Chio smiled. -That's all.
-Really?- Naraku smirked. He had a way of smirking like a serial killer. At times it looked cute. This was not one of those times.
Chio pulled off her necklace and felt her antlers grow back. That's better. She really needed to be reminded of how Naraku is just a hanyou, whereas she was descendant from a long dynasty of powerful demons.
-No, not really.- She said. -I wanted to know what the hell you're doing with that list I sold you.
-Chio-san, I don't understand.- He was unmoved by her confidence, which caused said confidence to shrink like a turtle's head. -You wanted out of the gem-hunting business. You didn't mind me continuing. You sold me that list. What business is it of yours, what I chose to do with it?
-You're involving humans.- She spat.- This concerns me, this will backfire at me soon enough. I did not agree to play that game.
-What game?- He gave her a mocking innocent look.
-Oh, I'd like to know that too.- She bristled.- What you did has nothing to do with stealing the gem. You didn't need to kill anyone. What kind of game are you playing?!
Naraku looked aside and gave another of his Lecter smiles. This one was somehow more disturbing than all the others.
-That's not something a piece in my game need to know, Chio.- He spoke quietly.
Sweat ran down Chio's neck, as she reached into her pocket and clutched to the knife.
-So, you fancy me a pawn.- She established in a low growl. -We'll see about that.
With that she turned around and clicked her heels towards the exit... But the door was suddenly thrown closed. A foul, poisonous stench filled the air. Chio turned around and threw a blade at Naraku, but it missed by a good foot since she suddenly saw two of him, and two of everything else. Something buzzed above her head, and she couldn't tell if it was real or not.
- Chio-san, you lied to me. - Naraku's voice boomed through her head as her knees weakened and buckled.- There I was thinking that you don't know the location of the gem, when you kept it near you the whole time!
She tried to fight it, tried to throw another blade but it was suddenly as heavy as the earth. She spilled to the ground in a puddle and heard her cellphone fly out of her pocket on impact and slide on the ground. Then it lit up and started ringing. Naraku's hand came in view, picking it up.
-Why don't you answer that?- His voice came from above her after a pause. - Why don't you ask for help?
The cellphone opened and was pressed to her cheek. A barely known voice came from there, saying something she didn't understand.
-Help.- She managed out. It took a lot of breath.- I need help. I'm at...
As she relayed the address into the phone in a painful wheeze, she heard Naraku above her, chuckling to himself.
Somewhere else in the city Kenta stood frozen, a beeping receiver in his hand. Then he set it down and went to assemble his naginata.
When the world regained color, Sumire found herself kneeling on the floor with Rat's neck between her hands. The airr was hot and dry, filled with smells of blood and smoke and sewer, and with loud shrill squeaking. The lighting flickered around her. .
Figures. The house chock- filled with paper, just knock over a candle and it went in flames.
-Hey, wench.- The rat wheezed out.- Here's what you should do. - His voice was weak and urgent.
The fire roared, almost drowning out his words, but Sumire heard. She just couldn't be bothered with it right now, because right now she was tired, down right exhausted. A voice in the back of her head told her that the burning house is full of white-damp and she had to get up and walk to the door, but the voice sounded awfully like Kenta's so she waved it away and drifted off into a blissful sleep, devoid of crazy Naraku's and Yorimaru's.
Instead she had a different dream, one colored in a vivid Matrix green. She was watching Tokyo from above, through a rift in a mass of green clouds. She hovered down, through the rift, through the air, and the outskirts grew closer, the district of derelict factories, and finally the familiar building that housed the bar. She could see right through it, and she saw a well. Every brick of this well she saw separately, each outlined in green, and she saw them go deep into the earth. The well itself extended beyond that, past the concept of this world, farther than any well had any right to go. And through it, latching to the bricks with slimy arms, crawled Evil. It had many faces, many desires, it was grand and tortured and strong, and it was making it's way into the city that had long forgotten such evil could exist.
It became painfully clear to her that the well had to be shut down, and the head of the ugly snake cut off. The Evil could not be allowed to pass.
It was vital, more important than her peace or life. She had to get up. And she did.
Rat was left on the floor, watching his ceiling burn. He felt happy with sending the nasty wench to her death. Nobody had tried to strangle him for knowing before, no one set fire to his house, but she did. He opened his mouth and tried to call the rats, but the air was like sandpaper and only a squeak came out.
A squeak should have been enough, but it suddenly occurred to him that there wasn't a single rat in the house. They ran from the fire and left him to die.
Rat was offended by that, but he was also very tired. He took one more breath, another lungful of smoke, and closed his eyes. The burning gases were hard at work, denying his body oxygen, but he felt warm now, and content. He closed his eyes and drifted away.
The full meaning of events didn't trickle down to Sumire until she was a long way from the house. She took her cellphone and dialed the fire department, and tried not to think about her part in them. It wasn't the arson she was worried about. She couldn't remember the details, but what she did patch up suggested that she had tried to murder Rat. The thoughts flew in, so confusing that she had to stop and put things in order.
Naraku is very dangerous.
Chio might be working for him, therefore Chio might be in danger. She sounded very suspicious when she went out, so the odds that she's with Naraku are decent.
I may have tried to strangle Rat and burn his house.
That thought brought a lump of bile up in her throat, so she had to phase to the next one.
Somewhere, somehow, I need to find a concrete mixer, so for now I'll focus on that.