Wow has it been a long time! I apologize for the amount of time it's taken me to update. Work, school, and just life in general has been pretty hectic and I haven't had much time to myself to work on this fic. I did manage to finally get this chapter completed, though I'm not so sure how pleased I am with it.
The next update will probably take quite a while, as I'm leaving Miami and returning to Pensacola tomorrow. Again I apologize for the long wait and hope you enjoy this newest installment!
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It was early morning when a pair of knuckles rapped against the wood of Rin's door, arousing Keikai from her slight stupor. Shaking her head to clear her drowsiness, Keikai reached for the handle on the door.
Sticking her head out, she immediately recognized who it was. The stance alone would have given him away.
"Sir?" she greeted respectfully.
"Keikai." Kajuu's eyes raked her body, inspecting her from head to foot. "I see they located you at last then."
He almost sounded displeased. Keikai held back her frown.
"Hai, sir."
"Ah." Kajuu's gaze slid off her, past her shoulder and into the room. "How is she?"
Keikai knew he was inquiring about Rin without having to ask. "She sleeps, sir. She was up most of the night and is very tired. The lady needs her rest."
"I had no intention of waking her I assure you," Kajuu said. His orange eyes focused once more on Keikai. "I'm here for you actually."
"Me?" Keikai blinked in surprise.
"Hai. Sesshoumaru has requested an audience with you. Mamoru will be taking over for you in your absence."
"Mamoru?" Disbelief colored Keikai's words. "But she was-"
A figure moved from where it had been standing in the shadows, coming into Keikai's line of sight for the first time. Unwounded and definitely alive, Mamoru stood silent and oppressive beside Kajuu.
Keikai gaped at her. "You were-"
"You must have heard then," Kajuu interrupted a little louder than was necessary. "About her death."
"H-Hai." Keikai quickly regained her composure, trying to keep her attention to the tiger since Mamoru's presence unnerved her. She knew from past experience that the cougar had never been much of a talker but her silence now was almost menacing. Keikai's hand unconsciously tightened around her spear. "There was a rumor going around about a soldier being murdered inside the castle walls. Rin told me last night that it had been Mamoru."
"Sesshoumaru revived her," Kajuu elucidated shortly. "Last night."
Keikai forced herself to relax. The cougar had done nothing threatening. Maybe the revival was why Mamoru seemed so ominous. Keikai didn't think that she would act exactly normal if she had been brought back from the dead either.
"Now, Keikai, if you would please follow me." Kajuu stepped to the side and spread his arm, an invitation for Keikai to move from her spot.
An edging of nervousness twitched Keikai's gut. Why did Sesshoumaru want to talk to her? Was he going to remove her again because Mamoru was functional? She doubted it - it'd be unwise to only have one bodyguard guarding Rin day and night - but that wasn't going to stop her from feeling nervous. If she were forced to return to being a soldier and be torn away once again from Rin after all she had confessed to herself...
Funny how her feelings had changed so radically, changing her in the process, in such a minuscule amount of time. Actually it wasn't funny. It was bittersweet, happy for the aver of her emotions that had swirled within her for so long without being alleged, but also longing for the past when there wasn't the struggling paradox of youkai and human and what was acceptable for both. It had always been on the edge of her conscious, evident in the treatment she had received from General Oomaka, evident in her desire for the girl's attention and approval.
She had wondered before if she had been emotionally dependant on the human. Now she knew she was.
"Keikai," Kajuu prompted. He raised an impatient eyebrow at her.
"My apologies, sir." Keikai took one last look behind her, imprinting to her mind Rin's features. Just in case the worse happened, she didn't want to forget.
She moved out of the doorway and into the hall, following the already walking Kajuu. She looked behind herself, watching Mamoru move into her routine spot outside the door.
That too made Keikai nervous for an entirely different reason. She would have felt safer if Mamoru had gone inside the room. Rin had already been attacked once.
Narrowing her eye, she quickened her pace to catch up to Kajuu.
"Sir?" She spoke lowly so neither Mamoru nor anyone else could hear. "Are you sure it is wise to leave only Mamoru guarding Rin-sama?"
Kajuu glanced at her over his shoulder. "Oh?" He sounded flippant, as if he were not taking her question seriously. "Do you think that Mamoru is unfit to do her duty?"
"To a degree yes," Keikai answered his question bluntly, never minding the consequences of her directness. "After her death and the consequences of her untimely death, I am suspicious."
Kajuu stopped in his tracks. He turned to face her. "Suspicious of what? Mamoru? Rin's own bodyguard?"
He leaned towards her, his face mere inches from her own.
Keikai resisted the urge to step back. She knew the move to be an intimidation tactic. And damn if it wasn't working. "Perhaps I am using the wrong word," she corrected herself. "Wary might be more accurate."
"How much do you know about the occurrence with Dezaia, dear Keikai?" Kajuu asked abruptly.
"Most of it, if not everything," Keikai answered. She wondered what Kajuu was getting to. "Rin-sama told me about it."
"Ah." Kajuu returned to standing straight. "Then I do not need to divulge it to you. Because if you are suspicious of somebody who has been responsible for the girl's safety for a number of years without a single incident or fault until recently, than you are just as suspicious," he continued, voice chilly. "If you believe that Mamoru is a suspect, than you too are a suspect. You were missing when Rin was attacked after all and could not be found until afterwards. Unless someone can vouch for you, you are under the same lock and key as you supposedly think Mamoru is."
Keikai's jaw fell a little. "What? Are you accusing me of letting Dezaia in here to maul my own charge? And not having anyone to vouch for my whereabouts?" Her voice was rising. Swiftly she was losing the control she used to have, the control a soldier should have. She was aware of it but didn't practically care. She was horrified by what Kajuu was implying. "I was with General Ookama where Lord Sesshoumaru put me-"
Kajuu shook his head. "No, no. Enough," interrupting and silencing her. "I am simply proving a point. Everyone is a suspect, Keikai. Everyone. It is good for you to be suspicious."
A tiny scowl appeared on Keikai's lips. Pushing aside her personal feelings, she said, "My charge's security and health is my utmost worry and concern. After what happened, I am more nervous than ever for the girl's safety. "
Kajuu nodded slightly. "Understandably so and her security is my topmost priority as well. Do not fret though." He swivelled around, resuming their walk towards Sesshoumaru's office. "I promise that there is nothing to worry about. Mamoru is trustworthy and I myself have made sure that she is fully able to perform her duty. The revival restored her one-hundred percent. She is well."
Keikai said nothing. She still wasn't totally convinced but let the matter drop. Kajuu was obviously done with the conversation and she would get no leeway in trying to bring it up again.
A second late, they reached Sesshoumaru's office. Kajuu rested his hand on the handle of the door. Before opening it, he faced Keikai.
"Remember, Keikai. Everyone's a suspect." He raised a finger to her face, showing his seriousness. "Remember that."
Keikai only looked at him.
Without saying anything else, Kajuu pulled the door open for her, ushering her within.
A bit perturbed, Keikai entered the room. She half-expected Kajuu to come inside with her but he closed the door behind her, giving her a slightly chary look as he did so.
Alone, Keikai turned to face the dog demon.
Sesshoumaru was sitting at his desk waiting for her. He looked up at her entrance.
The sun was behind him, framing and illuminating his physique. His refulgent features from the light made him look surreal and fake, as though he were a being too beautiful and powerful to be of this world.
It would have made Keikai's breath hitch, if it were not for Sesshoumaru's expression being stony and deadpan. Apparently he was the same old Sesshoumaru - cold, callous, and unimpressed. These last few weeks hadn't changed him like they had Keikai.
"You summoned me, my lord?"
"I did." Sesshoumaru laid his hands on the arms of his chair, getting comfortable. He wasted no time in getting to the point. "As you know, I have restored you to your previous rank as bodyguard to my ward. But do not think I am doing this as a favor towards you or out of the kindness of my heart." He spat the last few words. "I did not have sufficient time in order to obtain a replacement for you due to recent developments so do not delude yourself into believing that you are irreplaceable or invulnerable. I will not tolerate failure." He leaned back in his chair and regarded her carefully. "Consider this your last warning. Do not slip up again. There will be no more second chances."
"Hai, sir." Keikai held back her anger, allowing the words to pass through her throat unchoked. The nerve he had was unimaginable. He spoke to her as though she were a simpleton.
But he does have a right to say those things.
The guilt caused her to lower her eyes, the anger abating as her thoughts clamored inside her head. It was the hard truth. Keikai had made an error, passed bad judgement, and she had to pay the price for it. She deserved to be punished after what had happened.
"Now," continued Sesshoumaru, "since you were returned to your duties, did you speak with your charge last night?"
She raised her gaze to his face again, puzzled as to what he was getting at. "Hai, sir, I did."
"Did she tell you anything about the incident with Dezaia?"
Keikai visibly flinched. "She did, sir."
"And?"
"She left out the finer details but she told me the gist of what had happened. The dog demon had tried forcing himself on her."
"He didn't succeed?"
Keikai wasn't startled at the question. In the back of her mind she recalled Rin's scowl when speaking of the Western Lord and the girl's obvious disinclination towards him. She knew that the girl was not speaking with him. "No. Thankfully he did not."
"Is the girl damaged?"
"Physically she is fine. Emotionally she is damaged. She considered the dog demon a friend and his betrayal hurt her. She cried for a long bit last night."
At her words, Sesshoumaru's stare switched from her to the desk top. His eyes lost their cool focus and turned virtually vacant. Keikai was thunderstruck. Never had she seen her lord look so dismayed.
"Irreparable?"
"No. She is strong. She will recover. It will take some time and the incident is too recent in her mind but she will heal and forget."
Sesshoumaru grunted. He shifted his position and she descried it to also be a shift to his chronic frosty disposition.
"Did she talk to you about anything else?"
"Pertaining to what, my lord?"
"Just answer the question," Sesshoumaru growled.
Keikai couldn't help but wonder if he was using her as a spy. "She told me lots of things, my lord," she said. "About her time in the village and her journey back here. She also told me that assassins had been after them. She said that was how she had gotten that bruise on her head." Keikai stopped and waited for his response, hoping he could provide some answers.
"Did she say who the assassins were after?"
"She said they were after the infant."
Sesshoumaru snorted in disbelief. "The fool," he muttered under his breath.
Keikai had to grudgingly agree with him. Rin was being foolish. Unless the infant were heir to some rich and powerful kingdom, there was no plausible reason for assassins to be after a child. No one in their right mind would go out of their way to hire an assassin to kill an infant, even if it were out of revenge because of some injustice the parents had done. It simply wasn't worth it.
"Did she say anything else about them?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Only that the assassins attacked the baby at the village weeks ago. The infant was poisoned in an attempt of kidnapping. Rin volunteered to bring the baby here to cure the poison."
"She volunteered to bring it here?"
"Yes, sir."
Sesshoumaru's claws dug into the arms of his chair, splintering the wood. Keikai could see him grinding his teeth.
"And why did she do that?"
"It is the child of some friends of her's at the village. The monk's child. When it was poisoned the villagers did not have an antidote in their possession. Rin believed you had one so she offered to bring the child here in order to get it cured. That is all she really said about the matter."
"Was there anything else then?"
"There was not much else, regarding the assassins or the child. Only that they were attacked three different times over the course of a few days." Keikai paused before continuing. "The taijiya was the one who protected her. Rin said that he risked his life for her, nearly died for her twice."
Sesshoumaru did not reply. He glared to the side, absorbing what Keikai had just said.
The brat had protected Rin to that extent? Nearly died for her?
Sesshoumaru scowled. This was why he had left the brat for dead, why he had refused to revive him despite the threats of his brother and the tears of the sister taijiya. He had a feeling, a premonition, this would happen.
Agitated, Sesshoumaru rose and faced the window, his back to Keiseki. "How close is she to this taijiya?"
Keikai noted the change in his voice, how it had grown colder and stonier. He was displeased. "I am not certain, my lord, but I do know they are friends."
"Does she notice this one in a different light like she did the kitsune as well?"
Keikai vaguely recalled their conversation from quite a while back when Sesshoumaru had confronted her about the relationship between Rin and the kitsune. Back when Rin had first started becoming aware of her sexuality. "She did not mention anything of that nature. In fact, she hadn't mentioned him too much before she left for the village. If I remember correctly, she had been reunited with him right before she departed."
"But they are close, aren't they?"
"Yes," said Keikai slowly. "After what they had been through together, they have formed a rather close bond. Rin does have an affection for the boy but they are not lovers. There has been no sexual contact whatsoever made between them."
Sesshoumaru grunted, glaring at the scene outside his window, as though he could melt the entire world if he looked hard enough. His claws dug into the fabric of his sleeve.
It was moronic to worry about the girl like this. This wasn't like the kitsune, who would create a despicable hanyou offspring. The taijiya was human.
So why did it bother him so? Why did it make him so edgy to think of Rin detouring elsewhere than his castle and his care?
Sesshoumaru ground his teeth, his claws digging painfully into the flesh of his arm. "You may go." He was tired of talking.
Keikai bowed her head respectfully, nevermind that he wasn't looking at her. Stepping back, she let herself out, discreetly opening the door in hopes of not disturbing the aggravated Western Lord.
He didn't pay any attention to her and she softly closed the door. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead. The day already felt too long.
She turned, intent on heading back to Rin's chamber. She halted.
Kagura was standing there. The wind youkai looked blithe, as though content with herself for the first time.
"My Lady?" Keikai questioned.
"You love her, don't you?" Kagura said it without preamble or clarification.
Keikai blinked a moment. "Yes," she said catching on. She smiled, feeling warm and free and happy. "I do, my Lady."
"Good." Kagura smiled back. "Me too."
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It was a warm sunny day, one of those days that made all your worries disappear, leaving you clean and elated. Souten couldn't help but revel in it. She rarely got those type of days where she was carefree and lighthearted. There was always something that needed to be done, always something to do, always something demanding her attention. Running a kingdom was hard. Rebuilding it was even harder.
But today she could rest. She stood on a cliff, surrounded by grass and sunlight. There was a valley in front of her and she stared down at it.
Youkai bug corpses littered the valley. They were strewn across the terrain in all directions, as far as the eye could see.
Souten smiled. Her heart swelled in her chest to the point it became almost painful with the jubilance she felt.
Shippo had just slaughtered all of them for her, a gift to show his undying love for her.
The kitsune appeared behind her. He draped his arm across her shoulders and Souten's smile widened. She cuddled closer to him.
"Did you do all this for me?" she asked.
"Of course," he answered without a moment's hesitation. "I would do anything for you."
Souten squeaked like a little girl, happy tears pricking her eyes.
"Do you like it?" he asked her.
"Hai!" she exclaimed. "I love it!"
"Good."
They stood there for a long moment, enjoying each other's presence.
Then Souten's smile turned into a coy, sly grin. "Is there anything else you could do for me?"
Her expression beckoned him closer and his arm slid down from her shoulders to her waist. He leaned down till he was a mere few inches from her face.
"Your wish is but my command," he replied silkily.
He descended towards her, shortening the distance between them. Souten closed her eyes and puckered her lips. Shippo was just about to press his mouth over hers when-
Chomp.
"What?" said Souten.
Shippo blinked. He and the landscape around her wavered.
"What's happening?" she demanded.
"Chomp, chomp," said Shippo. "Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp..."
He faded from sight and Souten was surrounded by darkness. Only the noise remained.
Souten opened her eyes and knew right away she had been dreaming. She groaned and turned onto her back, laying an arm across her eyes. It figured that it had been a dream. Nothing good like that ever happened to her unless she was dreaming.
Chomp.
Souten frowned at the strange noise. She sat up and looked around herself to try and find the source of the odd racket.
Koryu was standing on the floor near the foot of the bed. The small dragon was staring upwards, his attention captivated by something in the air.
"What are you doing?" Souten demanded of her minion.
The dragon turned towards her. "Good morning, Souten-sama!" he chirped.
Souten ignored the greeting. "What are you doing?" she asked again.
Koryu returned to looking upwards. "There was a bug in here," he answered placidly.
"A bug?" Souten grabbed Raigekijin from where it leaned against the wall. One zap and that bug would be toast. "Where is it?"
"It's gone."
"Gone? Where'd it go?"
"I ate it."
Souten was silent for a long moment, unsure of what to say. She settled for something simple. "Oh," she said.
Well, that explained what those chomping noises had been.
Shaking her head, she replaced Raigekijin and lifted herself from the large bed. The chill from the room hit her bare skin, causing goosebumps to rise on her flesh, and she rubbed her forearms. She was accustomed to sleeping in the nude, only not doing so when she was in unsafe territory. Last night she had shed her armor, figuring Sesshoumaru's castle was safe from any potential threats.
Thinking of Sesshoumaru reminded Souten of his human ward. After observing Shippo's unfaltering pursuit of the girl for days on end, Souten had expected a regal woman decked in jewelry with powdered face and long flowing hair. Had expected someone so unbelievably beautiful and fine in every way and fashion that it would blow her mind. But this girl, this Rin, didn't match Souten's predictions at all. Grudgingly she did have to admit that the girl was by no means unattractive, by human standards anyway, but she was no where near the attractiveness Souten had anticipated.
Instead, there was a softness to her Souten hadn't foreseen, something Souten could only describe as being real. Rin wasn't a hime at all. She was just a girl, a regular human girl.
Souten didn't like it one bit. She scowled.
She was a warrior and a Queen, but she couldn't recall a time anyone had told her she was beautiful or pretty. That wasn't her goal, wasn't what she had wanted to achieve. She had wanted to impress people with her skills and performance, not her looks. But now, stuck in the Western Lord's castle with his ward lounging like a precious white lily in the halls attracting all attention, Souten wanted to be pretty.
She scowled more.
It was a silly desire, meaningless and unimportant when it came to her goals. She was jealous of the girl, that was all. Jealous that even though she were just a human, she had everything Souten had and more without having to lift one finger. She didn't have to strive and strife for everything she had, didn't have to struggle as Souten had struggled. Rin didn't appear to be too pampered but this castle hadn't been built by her. Rin had been granted a wonderful gift.
Souten doubted Rin knew how lucky she was. It made her a tad angry at the inequitableness of it all. It was unfair that she had to fight for everything while Rin had it handed to her. She couldn't even get the man she desired without fighting for his affections because Rin had already handed it to her.
Didn't she deserve a break? Didn't she deserve happiness just as much as Rin did?
Souten shook her head angrily.
It was stupid to think this way. It didn't matter if she had to toil for the things she wanted. What was important was she got them done. And she couldn't forget that her kingdom was her paramount liability.
What about Shippo then?
Souten's fingers dug into the flesh of her upper arms. She hated her traitorous mind.
Silencing her thoughts, Souten strode to the closet where her armor hung and dragged it out. She dressed herself and retrieved her spear.
"Come on," she said to Koryu. She headed for the door.
"Where are we going, Souten-sama?" The red dragon scuttled after her.
"To bother Shippo."
"And do you know where the kitsune is?"
Souten recalled the last time Koryu had asked her that question. But this time she didn't grimace at her error. She merely shrugged. "Who cares? I always get lost anyway."
Koryu was the one who grimaced. "Well," he sighed, "at least you're finally being honest."
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Kohaku awoke to the sun creeping out the window and across the floor, flooding everything with its brilliant glow. He blinked, scrubbing at his eyes with his fist to focus his vision. Mindful of his wound, he slithered upright and glared at the high window.
They were very fashionable and striking, beautiful in their design. But damn they let a lot of sun in.
Disregarding that, Kohaku looked to the side where Keiseki was nestled in the chair. The infant was still sleeping, undisturbed by the rays of light.
"At least that makes one of us," Kohaku murmured, shooting another dirty look at the window.
Rubbing the back of his head, he frowned, trying to remember last night. He did remember Rin leaving with Souten and Shippo and how he had been waiting for her return. Or tried to at least. He must have fallen asleep in her absence.
Kohaku grimaced. Oops.
There came a soft knock at the door and Kohaku looked sharply at the wood. The door was opened before he had time to respond and Rin poked her head in.
She was smiling brilliantly, eyes sparking with merriment.
Well, she's definitely not mad about last night.
He was relieved to see her smiling though. It was a clear sign that she was recovering from the terrible event that had befallen her, returning to her perky temperament.
"Good morning," he greeted her.
"Good morning!" she chirped, exuberant and lively. She stepped out of the doorway and walked further into the room, veering to the side to check on Keiseki. "And good morning to you too!"
Keiseki slit open one eye. She batted a hand at Rin, a gesture of dismissal. Rin laughed, undeterred by the grouchy baby.
Another figure entered the room behind Rin as she was busy pestering the child. It was someone he Kohaku hadn't met yet; a female decked in armor with two red marks resembling a sort of mustache on her upper lips. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her face was stern. She regarded him silently as she stood beside Rin.
"I'm so glad to see you awake," Rin turned away from Keiseki to Kohaku. "I came in here last night and you were passed right out! Didn't even twitch a muscle when I opened the door."
Kohaku grimaced again, dragging his attention away from his inspection of the stranger to her. "Sorry about that. I guess my taijiya training is waning in my old age."
Rin giggled. "Old age indeed. And no need to apologize. I do want to introduce you to someone though. I wanted to do it last night but I didn't want to wake you up." She stepped fluidly to the side, making room for the stern looking woman. "Kohaku, this is Keikai-sempai, my bodyguard. You remember me mentioning her, don't you?"
Kohaku nodded slightly, comprehension dawning on him.
"Keikai-sempai, this is my friend Kohaku."
Kohaku paused at Rin's way of introducing him. It stunned him still to hear her openly pronounce him a friend. Not that he wasn't but he wasn't used to being referred to like that.
"Greetings, Kohaku-sama," the bodyguard, Keikai, said, taking a step forward and bowing her head. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Rin-sama has been telling me so much about you."
Next to her, Rin blushed and quickly averted her eyes elsewhere. Kami, why did she have to say that!
"Oh. I s-see." Kohaku was blushing just as hard. Kami why did she have to say that!
Keikai couldn't help but smirk a bit at their expense. Growing serious, she said sincerely, "I am in your debt, Kohaku-sama. You protected my charge when I was unable to, saved her life at your own expense. For that I thank you."
Kohaku stared at her, stupefied. Never, as far back as he could remember, had someone thanked him for saving somebody else and been truly genuine about it. Villagers had grudgingly thanked him for killing youkai attacking their homes or for saving some poor soul from getting devoured, but at the same time they scorned him.
But, unlike the villagers, Keikai's irises were candid, not disdained. She was being honest, authentically thanking him and meaning it.
"You're welcome," said Kohaku. "And you don't owe me anything. It was the least I could do. It was," he glanced at Rin, some deep part of his heart hoping she understood exactly what he was trying to say since he was too cowardly to just spit out that he would always protect her, "a pleasure."
Rin smiled at him, the blush returning a tad to warm her cheeks. She would have squeezed his hand but with Keikai right there she was too embarrassed and shy to show her affections.
"Although," Kohaku continued, "Rin did save my life. So I guess we are even." He grinned at her, trying to remove some of the sober atmosphere.
Rin giggled. "Not quite even I think and let's keep it that way. No more getting into situations like that again."
Kohaku chuckled. "You're telling me. At this point I couldn't fight a caterpillar, much less anything else."
Rin giggled again and Keikai let out a chuckle of her own.
It was important to Rin, for some reason, that Keikai approve of Kohaku. Giddiness fluttered in Rin's heart upon seeing her bodyguard laugh at Kohaku's self-deprecating joke. It seemed that the boar youkai liked Kohaku despite the fact he was a taijiya.
"Well," said Rin, "I suppose we should go get Maniakku-sama and…and…uhhh…"
She trailed off as the sounds of a loud commotion traveled down the hall to their ears. The noises sounded like they were getting closer, drawing towards the room.
"I told you it was this way!" someone, a male, was yelling. "All you had to do was ask the damn guard for directions and we could have saved fifteen minutes of worthless wandering!"
"Quit whining!" someone else snapped back, a female this time. "It's not like you knew the way anyway!"
"Yeah but I'm not dumb enough not to ask for directions unlike somebody!"
"Are you kidding! All that guard told you was to sod off!"
The door was slammed abruptly open. Shippo and Souten came stomping in with a vexed Koryu floating behind them. Neither the kitsune nor the Thunder Queen looked too happy. Shippo's tail was frazzled and he glared at Souten angrily, who glared right back.
Kohaku and Rin shared a slight grimace.
"Doesn't matter what the guard said," Shippo sneered at the Thunder Queen. "What matters is I stopped to ask for directions. Just because the guard didn't give me any directions don't mean sh—"
"Don't curse in front of the baby!" Souten whacked the kitsune on the head.
Shippo hissed, rubbing the spot she had hit him. "Sweet merciful love of Kami!"
The violent move prompted a much more awake Keiseki to start laughing hysterically, bouncing excitedly in her seat at the racket going on.
Koryu, having put up with the two's bickering for the last half-hour, decided to state his thoughts on the matter brusquely. "You two are obnoxious."
Souten hit him too. "Nobody asked you!" She straightened and noticed Rin, Kohaku, and Keikai for the first time standing there staring at them. "Oh," she said calmly. "Good morning."
"Ah," said Rin, befuddled by the sudden change in temperament. "Good morning." Her hand was on Keikai's arm, letting her bodyguard know that the two screaming youkai were not threats.
Kohaku simply shook his head.
"Sorry for the rude interruption," Souten continued. "But you know how Shippo is."
"Me!" Shippo squawked. "It was you who woke me up and then got us lost! And you hit me!"
Souten rolled her eyes at the livid kitsune. "We were trying to find this room but got turned around somehow," she explained to Rin. "The castle is pretty complicated to navigate."
"Bullsh—"
Kohaku coughed loudly, giving Shippo a pointed look. Shippo scowled and made a sound that suspiciously sounded like a keh in response.
Rin grimaced. "That's partly my fault. I should have shown you around the castle last night. It was so late though I didn't even think about it. I looked for you this morning too but both of you were gone. If you'd like I can show you now. I have to go get Maniakku-sama anyway."
"Sounds like a plan," Shippo replied, having recovered from the tiff and acting his normal self. "Not that it'll make one difference. Souten will still get lost."
Souten snorted. "As if you won't."
Rin chuckled nervously and ushered them out the door before they managed to get into another squabble. "I'll be back in a bit," she said to Kohaku. "I have to go get that formula from Maniakku-sama and he needs to come look at your wounds again."
"Alright," Kohaku answered.
He was disappointed that she was leaving already. He missed her constant company. For the last day and a half he hadn't had her at all to himself. There was always someone else there, mostly Shippo.
Kohaku did understand; Rin did have duties here and the kitsune was in an alien territory so of course he would cling to the girl who was familiar with it.
He still missed having her around him though.
Rin smiled and stepped out the door. Once closed, she sighed heavily, feeling bad for leaving the taijiya so soon. She hadn't had much time to spend alone with him since Sesshoumaru and Shippo had arrived and she missed being in his company. It wasn't like it had been when they were traveling here. It wasn't just him and her and Keiseki and the woods around them anymore. There were so many more ears here, so many more things that needed to be done. But it was better to get them out of the way as soon as possible rather than put them off. She didn't want to rely on Sesshoumaru anymore so it was up to her to get them done on her own.
"Come on," Rin called to the kitsune and Thunder Beast. "This way."
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"So you are Shippo?"
Keikai stood facing the kitsune in the hall right outside Maniakku's work room. Rin was inside getting, or trying to get, the batty shrew to come with her back to Kohaku's room. Keikai, Shippo, and Souten had been left outside.
Shippo grinned proudly back at Keikai. "That would be me."
Keikai hummed low in throat, intrigued to finally meet the friend Rin had spoken of for so long. "You have known Rin-sama for a long time, haven't you?"
"A fair amount of years," Shippo replied with a shrug. He frowned, thinking about it. "Yeah I guess it has been a long time. Funny how time flies, huh?"
Keikai grunted.
She was finding this Shippo to be everything she had suspected from Rin's telling of him. He was happy-go-lucky and laughed at the world like it was all one big joke, but at the same time he appeared to have a big heart. He was caring and considerate of the people he cared about – Keikai had seen it in the way he reacted with Rin and the Thunder Beast Queen, Souten in a lesser degree. He was a true kitsune, even if he had been raised chiefly by humans.
It was also easy for Keikai to see why Rin had been attracted to him once upon a time. He had a charisma about him that most males only dreamed of possessing. Without trying the fox demon could easily charm any female.
The Thunder Beast Queen, on the other hand, was the opposite of him. She was aplomb and had a poise about her that spoke of independence and hard won goals. She beheld the world with a seriousness that contrasted Shippo's comical view. What she wanted she strove for, what she didn't want she ignored. There was a fieriness to her, determination, and a humor that only Shippo seemed capable of bringing out. Unless the kitsune provoked her, she was otherwise quiet and kept to herself. She hadn't spoken much while Rin had been showing them around for the last two hours.
There was a crash from inside Maniakku's work room, followed by Rin's worried and exasperated voice asking if he was alright.
"That's the fourth one already," Shippo commented, awed. "How does he do it?"
"It's a gift," replied Keikai, half-serious and half-joking.
Rin stomped out of the work, making a miffed noise under her breath. "I adore him," she said to no one in particular, "but I have to admit I'm extremely annoyed right now."
"I believe I have a cure for that," Maniakku called from back down in the room.
"No, no," Rin said hurriedly, "don't worry about that. Just come look at Kohaku. Jinsoku too if you can."
Maniakku waddled up the stairs, holding in his small arms a bundle of bandages and other assortments. A glass jar was one of them and Rin swiftly snatched it away ere it could be dropped by the loony shrew youkai.
Maniakku halted when he saw the other three youkai waiting by the entrance. He peered at each of them individually. "None of these look like Kohaku. Have you disguised him?"
"No," said Rin, holding her patience and trying to ignore Shippo's guffaws. "He's in the room."
"Oh. Well, are you the one the conception medicine was for then?" Maniakku directed his question at Souten.
To Rin's astonishment, the Thunder Queen actually blushed.
"Ex-excuse me?" Souten spluttered.
To Rin's astonishment, the Thunder Queen was actually blushing.
Shippo was caught somewhere between laughing and grinning like a cad, as if he were the reason Souten would need a medicine like that. "I like this guy!"
"Maniakku-sama," said Rin, eyebrow twitching, "she doesn't live here. Now if you would please." She gestured down the hall.
"Oh, yes, yes." Maniakku shuffled his way down the hall, the others trailing him. "Oh!" Maniakku cried suddenly, making the others jump. "Did I tell you, Rin-sama? I found a cure for scraped elbows! Just combine sandalwood with some burdock root and then some burnt garlic and a splash of ginger—"
"That's nice, Maniakku-sama. You should tell me all about it!" Rin replied loudly, feigning enthusiasm. Just…later."
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Sesshoumaru stood over the spot of the crime scene with Mamoru and Kagura. The dog demon was inspecting the area meticulously for any signs that might reveal something. Kagura was generally just there for support.
She watched Sesshoumaru's nose twitch, his sensitive nostrils working.
He turned to Mamoru. "This is the exact spot where you died?"
There was a heavy mixture of different scents and it was hard to distinguish one from the other. The smell of Mamoru's blood was strong, but there was no other that stood out starkly. The odor of Jogon and Kajuu he recognized, along with his own, Kagura's, and Rin's. Sesshoumaru wasn't getting anywhere.
"Yes, sire." Mamoru pointed to the blood stain on the floor.
"Why were you heading this way?"
Mamoru blinked. "I heard a noise. I came to investigate it."
"Where was Jogon standing?"
Mamoru moved, coming to stop at a spot close to the wall.
"And then?"
"He stabbed me. I was caught off guard so I didn't have time to retaliate. He cut my throat before I could fight back or yell for help."
"If you were investigating a noise, don't you think you should have been on guard?"
Mamoru said nothing. She only stared at him.
Kagura clicked her tongue. "How interesting."
Sesshoumaru shook his head, disgusted. What useless, useless help he had.
Regardless, like Kajuu had said, there was no other sign or scent of blood besides Mamoru's. Whoever had attacked her had been remarkably efficient. Or lucky.
Either way, this wasn't helping him solve the riddle of what was going on and it was starting to grow late.
"You're dismissed."
Mamoru bowed and walked away towards her quarters.
Kagura watched her go. "Well, that didn't help much," she said once the cougar was out of ear shot.
"No, it only proved that I have inept help who can't defend themselves worth a damn. What's the point of having soldiers if they can't fight?" Sesshoumaru growled.
"Or bodyguards," Kagura added. "Is it a good idea to leave Mamoru as a bodyguard to Rin? She obviously isn't all that efficient. Getting herself killed in the first battle she's had since being established as one isn't exactly a sign of good merit."
Sesshoumaru nodded his head slightly. "Yes, but it will take time to find a replacement. Until then, she will have to do. There are other guards in the vicinity. More than before."
"So that's that then," Kagura ended the conversation. "I'm heading to the room then I suppose."
She turned and headed off for their bedroom, leaving Sesshoumaru alone.
Sesshoumaru stood a moment longer then turned to follow her. As he walked there, he passed by the room the taijiya was being kept in and his keen hearing picked up on the voices inside. He paused, titling his head marginally towards the door.
Their words were muffled but he could effortlessly discern the voices and who they belonged too. Keikai, Souten, the accursed kitsune, the brat taijiya, and Rin.
Rin laughing.
Sesshoumaru knuckles itched, desiring to knock on the door. He promptly smothered the urge. He clenched his fist instead.
Without another sound, Sesshoumaru went to his room, wrangling the entire time with the image of a smiling face that belonged to a child turned young woman too fast and too soon for him to catch.
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It was nearing night when Rin, Shippo, Souten, and Keikai gathered inside Kohaku's chamber, having just returned from the stables. Maniakku had checked on Kohaku and Keiseki some time ago, alerting Rin that both taijiya and infant were healing nicely. After that, Rin had gone with him to see Jinsoku.
Jinsoku had been ecstatic to see her. As soon as Rin entered the stable, he began whining insistently for her attention.
He hadn't been quite as elated to see Shippo. When the kitsune got too close to the stall, Jinsoke bared his teeth and attempted to bite him.
Shippo's feelings towards the horse were mutual, not that Rin could fault him for it. The kitsune spent a good two minutes yelling curses at the animal, telling Jinsoku that Inuyasha hated him and never wanted to see him again. Rin didn't entirely understand the last part and by the look on Souten's face, she didn't apprehend it either. Shippo was just plain weird sometimes.
They had spent some time in the stable, waiting for Maniakku's evaluation on Jinsoku's health and paying a visit to AhUn. Once Maniakku was finished, Rin escorted him back to his work room before heading to Kohaku's room.
The sun had nearly set by the time they had all gathered into the room.
"I can't believe you came all this way because you were worried about me, Shippo-kun," Rin commented, glancing up at the kitsune sitting across from her. "You were supposed to stay and guard Inuyasha-sama and the others."
"Well, that proved fruitless, didn't it?" Shippo held down Keiseki's hands, watching Rin change the infant. "The assassins weren't anywhere near the village. I didn't smell them at all and Inuyasha was healed when I left so it's not like no one is there to watch over Sango and Miroku. They're doing okay, by the way," Shippo said to Kohaku over his shoulder. "Miroku was conscious when I left and Sango was due to wake up anytime."
"Really?" said Kohaku. He hesitated a moment then asked, "Did the houshi say anything?"
"We told him about what happened with Keiseki," Shippo answered, keeping his eyes on the pre-mentioned baby. "He was upset understandably but calmed down a bit after we explained what was going on. He doesn't have a clue who would send assassins after him though. Obviously they weren't after Miroku or Sango if they went after you. But why someone would want Keiseki is beyond me."
"We don't know either," Rin confessed.
"Assassins wouldn't go after a common village baby," Souten cut in matter-of-factly. "Assassins cost money. No one would waste money like that and believe me I know. My father was killed by assassins."
Rin paused in changing Keiseki. The female youkai had said maybe ten words the entire day. She had never cut in before, unless it was to tell Shippo off. The way she spoke that sentence so casually baffled Rin.
"If they aren't after Keiseki then who are they after?" Shippo prodded the armored female.
Souten shrugged. "Someone else."
"But they've always gone after Keiseki," Kohaku protested. "They tried to kill me because I was a threat but–"
"But maybe you're the target," Souten finished before he had a chance to. "Maybe you just confused their attempts to kill you as an elimination of a threat. Maybe they were actually trying to kill you because you're the one they were assigned to kill."
Shocked silence descended on the room like a glove.
Rin looked desperately at Keikai, imploring without words that the boar youkai confute Souten's theory.
Helpless, all Keikai could do was shrug back. Souten was right.
Kohaku's lips parted, a great fear seizing his heart. Could the female youkai be right? Had he really confused the attempts at his life for something else? If that were true...then it was his fault Sango and the houshi had been injured. It had been his fault that Keiseki had been poisoned, his fault that Rin was forced to go through all they had been through for nothing. If he had never come to the village none of this would have happened. Once again he was hurting those he cared about most. He truly was cursed.
"It doesn't matter now," Rin said softly, breaking the heavy silence. She gathered Keiseki in her arms and rose. She walked to the bed and placed the infant gently down beside Kohaku. "We're safe–" She stumbled over the word, vividly remembering Dezaia. She swallowed, clearing her throat. "The assassins won't get in here. There's no more reason to talk about it."
"Rin–" Kohaku began.
"I said there's no more reason to talk about it!"
Kohaku stared at her.
She dug her fingers into the sheets. "What good is it if we just go around pointing fingers? What matters is we got Keiseki cured. That's what was important and that's what we did. It doesn't matter who it is. Not right now at least. Let's just be thankful we're all here and we're all safe, okay? It's not going to do any good stirring up trouble for no reason. After Kohaku is healed and we get back to the village we can discuss it then with the others but not before then. Souten-sama may be right; maybe it really isn't Keiseki they were after but right now we can't determine anything. Kaede-sama and Kagome-sama I'm sure will be able to figure it out. Let's just wait till then, please?"
Rin looked at Kohaku and Shippo out of the corner of her eye, waiting for them to solemnly nod in agreement. Souten and Keikai she omitted. Neither female knew any of the Shikon Hunters except Shippo beyond an acquaintance so their opinions would be more based on knowledge than for personal reasons. They were objective towards the situation, having not been there from the beginning and only getting involved now.
Once she had received both male's nods, Rin sighed and pushed the hair out of her eyes, righting her shaken bearings. "Well, aside from whoever the assassins are after, we still have to get Keiseki back to the village," she said in a much calmer tone. "Miroku-sama and Sango-chan must be out of their mind with worry by now."
"I can take her back," Shippo offered. "I can fly some of the way, carry her the rest."
"How long can you fly for though? Didn't Inuyasha say you couldn't hold it for long without exhausting yourself? If that happens and the assassins are after you, they're bound to catch you."
Shippo crossed his arms huffily over his chest. "Yeah that's true. But Kohaku definitely isn't going to be in any condition to take her anytime soon so that's better than nothing."
"I could go," Kohaku sharply corrected the kitsune. "I may be injured but I'm not incapable of it. I'm not crippled."
"No, it'd just be a stupid idea," Shippo shot back. "If those assassins injured you to that extent the first time what do you think will happen if you tackle with them now? The battle would be over before it even started. Your horse isn't even adequate enough at the moment to go running around in the woods for Kami's sake."
Kohaku subdued the urge to snap at him. Shippo wasn't purposely trying to be mean by pointing out Kohaku's weakness. It was a valid reason and a perfectly true one. Kohaku just hated knowing he wasn't strong enough to complete what he had promised everyone he would do at the village. He had failed yet again.
"Oi enough," Rin scolded the two of them, stopping them before they got into a verbal fight. "We'll just wait a couple more days for Kohaku to heal and then you can go back together and be twice as safe. I hate to make Miroku-sama and Sango-chan wait any longer," here an unhappy frown marred her brow, "but it's for the best. If those assassins are still out there, Keiseki will be better protected with two people watching her rather than one."
Kohaku and Shippo refused to look at each other. Rin tapped her foot on the ground, waiting for their answer.
Really, they are like children.
"Yeah," Shippo finally agreed reluctantly. "I suppose."
Kohaku merely raised a disgruntled eyebrow at him.
"Thank you, Shippo-kun." She shot a look at Kohaku.
Kohaku struggled between his hurt male ego and his conscience telling him what a baby he was being. "It's better than nothing," he managed to ground out.
Rin relaxed. "Thank you."
She felt a tap on her shoulder and glanced behind herself.
"It is time for me to switch with Mamoru, Rin-sama," Keikai informed her.
"Oh, yes." Rin hugged her bodyguard. "I'm so glad you're back, Keikai-sempai. I'll see you first thing tomorrow."
Keikai smiled fondly and stroked the girls head. "Good night, Rin-sama."
"I should go too," said Souten. The Thunder Beast Queen looked disturbed for some reason. "It's starting to get late."
Shippo grunted his agreement. "Yeah. Long day." He stepped towards the side of Kohaku's bed and swept Keiseki into his arms. "Good night you little wubbie-wubbie-woo!"
Keiseki burst into giggles, kicking her feet rapidly. She reached out a hand and tried to pull at his hair.
"She's so cute," Shippo commented. He jerked his head back to avoid getting his hair snagged. "So much cutter than all those other girls I waste my time with."
Souten grew frigid. "What'd you just say?"
"Ah," said Shippo and he sneaked a cautious glance at Souten. He swallowed upon seeing the infuriated expression on her face. Quickly he deposited Keiseki into the chair. "I'll just be off then."
Rin moved to the side, allowing him to flee out the doorway Keikai had just walked through. Souten followed after him, Raigekijin held tightly in her grasp, and Rin pushed the door closed, raising an eyebrow when there came a strange thunking sound and a high-pitched yelp from down the hallway.
Rin shook her head. "What a strange pair they are," she mused aloud.
"You're telling me," Kohaku remarked.
Rin grinned and moved to stand by the side of his bed. "I'm sorry about forcing you to go with Shippo-kun." She grimaced. "I know you two dislike each other."
"We don't dislike each other," Kohaku repudiated. "We just don't get along."
Rin laughed and sat down beside him. "I think that might be the same thing."
Kohaku shrugged. "Maybe. I don't dislike him though, honestly. He just…bothers me…a great deal."
Rin laughed again. "Well that certainly explains it!"
"Doesn't it? But, despite my feelings, it is a better idea for both of us to travel together, I will admit. Guess I won't be able to rely on him for directions though."
Rin nodded, leaning backwards. "That's true. I can get you a map if you'd like. Keikai probably knows the way better than I so I'll ask her."
"That would work. I remember some of the way so it shouldn't be too hard. We did get sidetracked so better to bring a map and be safe rather than sorry."
Rin nodded with a slight hum. Then she grinned. "You and Shippo can play 'I spy' together too, to pass the time."
"Hah!" Kohaku snorted. "Like that will ever happen."
His body vibrated when he snorted and Rin suddenly realized she had leaned up against his side without even noticing. Kohaku hadn't said one anything about it. He was acting like he hadn't realized himself.
Rin smiled and felt a blush stain her cheeks. Luckily it was too dark in the room for him to see it.
She shifted a little, making herself comfy and snuggling into his side, careful not to put too much weight on him and hurt his wounds.
"I like that bodyguard of yours," Kohaku declared out of the blue. "She wasn't what I imagined but I like her. She cares about you a lot."
"I know. I care about her a lot too. She's like a mother to me; always has been since I came here years ago. I was very lucky to receive her as a bodyguard."
Kohaku yawned widely, his eyes drooping a smidgen.
"Are you tired?" Rin inquired.
"Yeah. Kami knows why. I haven't moved out of this damn bed all day."
Rin giggled softly. "I'll bring you somewhere tomorrow, I promise. The field will be nice. You'll like it there."
Kohaku grunted, already dropping off.
Rin gazed down at the taijita, smiling affectionally because she couldn't stop herself. Gently she smoothed the bangs away from his face and, before she totally knew what she was doing, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead. "Good night," she whispered.
Kohaku breathed on peacefully undisturbed. He didn't stir or open his eyes at her touch or voice.
But Rin could have sworn she saw him smiling.
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Since it's been so long I'm going to forego individual replies, plus it's already late and I have to be up early tomorrow.
But a big thank you to:
Ihuntathraeil, Angel Of the Fallen Stars, Questofdreams, Evil-Zukin, Vengeance1980, Attic Cat, snowecat, badgerwolf, Raniatlw, Ashe Nightingale, purplepeopleeater, td, Museless Shinigami, IceRi, Wyntermajik, foreverendless, PrincipessaR16, Chimaikaira, Kiomi-chan, theoracle10, Pepper-the-rezo-loves-meg, Teenage-Angstist, The Happy Stalker Ball, Aida-chan, KayaWolfGirl, Sango Demon Slayer Chick, Firestorm2004, dividedangel, lil-sis4556, Serra-owns-inuyasha, InuxKag's son youkai, Sango'n'Miroku4ever, The Celestial Hunter, Keiko Y, Cool-chick-rae, Shinju148, tiff, nessie6, Crazy, clutsyangel27, surfergurl16, shadowgirlashleigh, Sierrakoi, Keiko Yuki, Beautiful Massacre, starcommander, lilmayhem, PervertedNinjaKitten, Kerin-Sama, SeaShells, cutemara, kitty, Rachey Himura, Lucifer's Daughter, Sherri, MerryMeetBlessedBe, The Baka Ranger, ladie shinomori, kikyosesshoumaru, grace, shadowthing247, Vanessa, magic16, EdxWinry, swimchick1614, sioned, moonsiren06, magiclover53, XxLadyxRinxX, and everyone else who has e-mailed me or commented on my LJ
For all of your support and patience when it comes to this fic. Hope you enjoy the newest chapter and thanks for reading!
(I apologize for any names I missed, any misspelled names, or any spaces missing, it was not done intentionally.)