I apologize for my absence. January has been a very stressful month, with a lot of exams and one in particular who would determine the rest of my year. Fortunately, I was admitted, even though I probably lost a few years of my life due to stress.
Anyway, here is the 20th chapter. Please enjoy and don't hesitate to review =)
This chapter is based on episodes 13 and 14 of Inuyasha the final act.
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Chapter twenty
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After the congress the court had migrated to a lavishly decorated hall and had proceeded to mingle. Lady Inukimi immediately had a tongue of demons surrounding her while Sesshomaru looked completely emotionless and bored surrounded by his own fans.
Hikaru and Rin had quickly become bored, observing ladies smiling coyly behind layers of silks and lords conversing with straight faces.
So they had snatched a plate of pastries and eclipsed themselves to the quiet, moon lighted gardens. They had settled on the grass and placed the plate between themselves.
"The sky is beautiful here." Hikaru commented softly as Rin settled beside her.
The girl replied nothing and petted a dozing Kuro before passed her friend a little sweet cake, her blue eyes reflecting the twinkling sky. There was no need to say anything.
"They say stars are openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pour through and shine down on us to let us know they are happy."
Both girls looked around to see lord Mizake walking up to them.
"That's beautiful." Rin commented as he sat down beside them "Like your story."
"Thank you little hime." The lord smiled, accepting a cake that Hikaru handed him wordlessly "I like to think that stories can teach us better than any long speeches. A message carried in one is easier received than anything else I discovered."
"I'm not sure people appreciated the message you tried to convey." Hikaru said, blue eyes staring at him unblinkingly.
"That's the only inconvenient." The male sighed "There's a unique message, but a thousand of interpretations. Tell me, if you resume what you have earned from my story earlier in one word, what would it be?"
The two little girls frowned, trying to put a single word on all the things they had thought during his speech.
"I'd say…tolerance." Rin finally said.
"Unity." Hikaru added.
Mizake smiled "That's your interpretation, but other people might have thought differently. Though, I will tell you. I'm glad you understood my story that way."
Hikaru looked at him curiously and Rin smiled.
The lord got up and dusted his hakamas before smiling.
"I must go now. Your company was quite agreeable little himes. I hope we meet again."
"Us too lord Mizake." Rin said, waving as the male walked away.
"Hikaru, Rin."
The girls turned around to see Sesshomaru standing on the wooden pathway.
"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin smiled and bounded to him, Hikaru close behind "We were looking at the stars. Did you know stars are our loved one sending us a message from heaven?"
Sesshomaru blinked passively at her before looking around "Was someone here with you?"
"Lord Mizake talked with us for a little while." Hikaru informed him "Sesshomaru-sama, if you could resume the story Mizake-sama narrated earlier in one word, what would you choose?"
Amber eyes looked down into blue and after a while the demon lord replied.
"Provocative."
"Provocative?" Rin asked curiously "What do you mean by that?"
"Hn. It's time for you to go to bed."
Rin pouted a bit but didn't insist. She knew better.
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"Hikaru-chan?"
"…Yes?"
"Are you sleeping?"
Hikaru shuffled around to face a wide awake Rin.
"No. I can't." She frowned anxiously, her ears twitching nervously "It's all those demonic auras surrounding us. There're too many, I can't relax."
This much was true. She even didn't have Kuro with her. She had left the kit with Kohaku.
Rin sighed "Me too. But we have to sleep. Tomorrow we depart again."
Hikaru nodded "I'll be lying if I say I don't want to go, but it'll be the last time we sleep in a real bed for a long time."
Rin frowned before straightening.
Hikaru's ear pricked and she looked up to her friend, putting herself up on her elbows "What are you doing?"
Rin replied nothing. She only took the hanyo's wrist and dragged her up before leading her outside.
They crossed the silent corridor and Rin knocked on Sesshomaru's door.
The screen opened and the lord appeared, looking down expectantly at them.
"Can we sleep with you Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked.
Hikaru's ears moved around nervously, blue eyes widening when realising what Rin was doing. Sleeping with Sesshomaru! But…
Amber eyes gazed down at them for a short while before the demon silently stepped aside.
Rin smiled and entered, pulling forward a nervous and slightly twitchy Hikaru behind her.
Sesshomaru closed the screen behind them and walked back to his bed, the girls padding behind him.
He slid under the covers and Rin was quick to join. The crawled under the warm sheets before climbing on the other side and settled here, content.
Hikaru was a bit slower, nervous. She nonetheless snuggled under the covers on his other side, careful not to touch him.
They eventually fell asleep, Hikaru quickly relaxing.
When he was sure they were deeply asleep, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and let slumber take hold of him. When they were outside he couldn't sleep like that. He needed those nights to catch up.
He woke up when he felt the sun on his eyelids.
He felt warm weights at his sides and it took a second to remember he had let the girls share his bed.
Looking down, he saw Rin snuggling against his torso, her cheek against his chest and her back against his arm, her breathing so soft it was barely audible.
At his other side Hikaru was also deeply sleeping, half on his stomach. Her ears in her sleep were relaxed, drooping slightly. A sleepy half smile was stretching her lips while Rin let out contented sighs from time to time.
He had to get up and prepare for the day.
He once again looked at their peaceful sleeping faces.
With a soft sigh he laid his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes.
If he had been a cat (as disgusting as the thought was) he was sure is inner beast would have been purring. As it was, it was rumbling happily.
He sighed, internally this time.
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Jaken sighed.
"What's the matter master Jaken?" Rin asked.
"What's the matter?! Can't you sense anything?!" The kappa yelled before turning his gaze back forward, morose.
"Leave it be Rin-chan." Hikaru whispered "Jaken-sama is in a bad mood because Sesshomaru-sama is."
Rin's eyes widened momentarily before the girl nodded. Indeed for a few days now their lord had been a bit more sombre than usual and had hit Jaken more frequently. They had left the western shiro in a relative good mood, but it had fallen low quite quickly.
"Why do you think he is in a bad mood?"
Hikaru frowned thoughtfully "If I had to make a guess…I'd say because of his incomplete meidou zangetsuha. But I can't be sure."
"Of course it's because of that you stupid girl!" Jaken yelled before resuming his moody silence.
Rin sighed and shook her head.
Hikaru's ears pricked when she spied a teenager seemingly waiting for them. She frowned when she saw he had no eyes. She and Rin exchanged a glance when Sesshomaru stopped in front of him, but refrained from commenting out loud.
"Lord Sesshomaru." The boy greeted "Do you wish to know the secret behind your sword? Do you wish to know what Tenseiga is lacking?"
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed "You're going to tell me what Tenseiga is lacking, really?" "Yes. It must trouble you greatly. The fact that Tenseiga's meidou has yet to achieve a complete circle."
"How dare you!" Jaken yelled "How do you even know about the meidou zangetsuha?"
"Silent Jaken."
"Who? Me? I didn't say a word milord."
"Why do you always lie like that master Jaken?" Rin asked.
"Leave him be Rin, he's just a coward." Hikaru said.
"I'm not you disrespectful girl!"
"If you wish to know more I suggest you follow me." The unknown boy began walking away.
Sesshomaru followed, the others trailing after him.
They left the grassy plain to the rocky mountains.
"Milord." Jaken asked as they were crossing a natural stone bridge "Are you acquainted with this strange looking boy?"
"No."
"Well then, might not this be a trap of some kind?"
"A trap, really?" Rin asked.
"It makes sense." Hikaru shrugged "They lure lord Sesshomaru with saying Tenseiga is lacking something and then they the ambush us."
"In that case." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed "I'll have to kill him."
"The boy." Kohaku suddenly exclaimed "He disappeared."
Hikaru's ears twitched as she heard a sound and she looked up to see a purple ball of energy heading to them.
She felt more than saw Kohaku jump on AhUn and lead the twin headed dragon away.
The attack destroyed the stone bridge and Hikaru heard a yell and looked down.
"Master Jaken!" She exclaimed, looking as the kappa began falling down.
"Jaken-sama." Kohaku called "Grab this."
He threw the chain of his scythe and the little demon managed to get hold of it.
"I did tell you this could be a trap!"
"Are you alive master Jaken?" Rin asked.
"Of course I am!" The kappa climbed the chain to them in record speed "Are you disappointed?! Did you want me to die?!"
Hikaru grabbed his front clothes and slapped his face determinedly "Get a hold of yourself master Jaken!"
She put him on AhUn and smoothed his haori, disentangling the chain around his neck.
She handed back Kohaku his weapon and glanced at the man who threw the attack, a mask wearing demon with purplish grey hair and a red little eye.
"Who is he?" Rin asked, frowning.
"How should I know?!" Jaken yelled "But I don't like him. He looks arrogant."
The unknown demon threw another attack and Kohaku veered AhUn to the left just in time to avoid it.
"This is…" Rin recognised.
"The meidou zangetsuha." Jaken nodded "But it is a lot littler than lord Sesshomaru."
"Perhaps." Kohaku said "But it's a full circle."
"That's right!" They heard the demon said "Meidou zangetsuha was originally my technique until your father stole it from me. He took it, along with my face."
He took of his mask Rin grimaced.
"Yuck." She said. Hikaru beside her agreed.
The fight resumed, AhUn dodging from time to time a few astray meidous.
A bundle of scents reached Hikaru's nose and she turned away from the battle to see Inuyasha and his group running to them.
"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled before throwing a wind scar.
"Kohaku!"
Hikaru looked to Sango, who had only eyes for Kohaku.
"Sister."
Hikaru looked behind her to see the boy looking at Sango.
Sister…
Kohaku was Sango's brother?
Now that she thought about it, there was a certain similarity in their scents. They both seemed to be demon slayers and they also had similar facial features.
But then why Kohaku wasn't with them? Family was important and had to stick together. There was so much sadness in Sango's eyes.
Looking behind her, she saw the guilt in Kohaku's eyes, mixed with regret and sadness.
Hikaru turned to Rin and the two girls shared a look.
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"Jaken-sama?" Rin asked, looking from the fire Kohaku was poking to the brooding kappa "Where did Sesshomaru-sama go?"
The green toad sighed "It pains me whenever I think about how Sesshomaru-sama must be feeling."
Hikaru turned contemplative, exchanging a thoughtful look with Rin. She would be lying if she said she perfectly understood, but apparently Tenseiga was but a mere part of Tetsusaiga.
She frowned. It didn't make any sense. Jaken had spoken of their lord's father like a hero. Why would the great lord be so harsh to his oldest? A father was supposed to love his children equally.
She stayed deep in thought, sitting on AhUn and balancing her legs while looking at the sky. She vaguely heard when Rin began singing broken nursery rhymes to keep herself occupied and smiled when Jaken began snapping at her.
A new scent, sickly and disgusting, wafted by her nose and she sneezed before freezing. She knew this scent!
"Go and run!" Suddenly yelled Kohaku, straightening and grabbing his scythe hurriedly.
Hikaru gathered Kuro who was sitting beside her and stuffed him in her kimono before searching for the source of the scent.
"Kohaku, it's been a while. How careless of you."
Gasping, everyone turned around to see Naraku standing right behind Kohaku. Rin jumped up with Jaken who cried out in surprise.
"Have you come for my shard?" Kohaku asked angrily, whirling around to face his opponent.
"For what other reason would I be here? It's the last shard. With this the shikon no tama will be complete."
He smirked "Kykio, who once purified your shard and protected it, is no longer here. There's nowhere for you to run."
His hand shot up to the boy who recoiled, raising his weapon and cutting Naraku's hand before darting away. The demon only huffed amusedly before reforming his hand and sending tendrils after Kohaku.
Kohaku tried to flee but tripped at the last second. However, before Naraku could touch the shard, blue flames shot up and entrapped the hanyo.
"Kohaku!" Rin exclaimed, running to AhUn with Jaken "Come on! Now's our chance!"
Hikaru helped her and Jaken climb on the twin headed dragon and Kohaku joined them quickly, jumped on the beast's back and grabbing the reins before surging the steed forward full speed.
Unfortunately Naraku quickly caught up to them, not that Hikaru was that surprised. The demon did some speech the girl barely listened too, focused on the tentacles attempting to behead Kohaku.
She raised her hands and a disc of ice shot in an arc, severing the tentacles and colliding with the cloud of miasma.
"How dare you defy me you insignificant little girl." Naraku said in a half displeased, half mocking voice.
"AhUn fly faster." Rin urged, supporting Hikaru as the girl bent forward, tired.
However they were quickly overrun by the miasma and AhUn was thrown away, dislodging his riders from his back.
Hikaru landed on something squishy and straightened to see a squawking Jaken.
She smiled sheepishly at the furious kappa before coughing as the miasmy invaded her nose. She covered her mouth and nose with her kimono sleeve before looking around.
A roar made her look to her left and she saw Sango and Kirara facing off Naraku. She spied orange on the other side of the feline and ran around her to see Rin.
"Rin-chan!" She called, going to hug the girl "Are you alright?"
"I am." Her friend said through the mask she was wearing "But Kohaku…"
Hikaru followed her gaze to her the boy up, holding his weapon. His hand was shaking violently.
"What's happening?" She questioned.
"Naraku is controlling the shard in Kohaku's neck and is trying to make him behead himself.
Hikaru frowned but was distracted by the boy's abrupt fall before she could say anything. Sango suddenly threw her giant boomerang and despite Naraku's arrogant certainty that she wouldn't touch him, the blade sliced him, twice.
Kohaku collapsed and Rin and Hikaru were beside him in an instant, Rin shaking him to wake him up.
Hikaru bit her lower lip and restrained her friend when it became obvious the boy wouldn't wake up.