Episode 63: How to Crash a Wedding II
She was running very fast. Actually, she was sprinting. Her feet were so fast, only afterimages were left. Her lips were in an O-shape, as if she was about to smooch someone and her hands were straight as sticks. Like a train, they went up and down alternatively at the same time her legs took a step forward. In seconds after Rin announced the woman coming in their way, she was right in front of them.
By the telltale of her costume, which consisted of a plain white kimono top with very long sleeves that extended down to her knees, (for the outer kimono coat she had been wearing she lent to Mika), a green obi with a golden belt and a lighter shade of purple hakamas, it was Yukuro. Plus, her red lips, green eyes, and small nose very uncommon, so it wasn't a fake Yukuro.
She halted, her hands gripping her hakama as she took in deep breaths. In between the breaths, she coughed. Soon, she gathered enough energy to speak. But instead, she took run again, all the way to Sesshoumaru, where she reached out and grabbed Sesshoumaru by the collar of his kimono top. She shook him side to side and began to say in her echoing loud voice:
"YOU STUPID IDIOTIC JERK GOOD FOR NOTHING MAN!!! WHERE ARE YOU WHEN MIKA NEEDS YOU? WHAT KIND OF GUY ARE YOU TO MIKA? I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE IS HAVING YOUR CHILD! WHY DID YOU LEAVE MIKA BY THE TREE? WHY DIDN'T YOU EVER COME BACK? WHY SESSHOUMARU? WHY ARE YOU SO STUPID???"
"Stop shaking me," Sesshoumaru said, removing her hands with his right arm. Yukuro let go and took a few steps backward, while her brain was currently sorting the mess and analyzing the conclusion she had reached for why he had left Mika by the tree and never came back. Once her brain had finished calculating the possible results, she shouted her first assumption.
"IS IT BECAUSE YOU FOUND ANOTHER WOMAN? A DAIYOUKAI PERHAPS? MAYBE THAT USELESS WILD DOG THAT FOLLOWED YOU THAT NOW IS MYSTERIOUSLY GONE? YOU DIRTY LITTLE PLAYER!!!"
Sesshoumaru was not denying anything, so that couldn't be it. Yukuro let her heart pump blood to her face, creating a red hue on her white complexion. But before she knew it, her face was now a purple.
"OH… I GET IT. YOU FORGOT ABOUT HER DIDN'T YOU??? YOU FORGOT ABOUT MIKA WHEN YOU LEFT HER BY THE TREE? YOU INSOLENT JERK!!! NOW SHE'S GETTING MARRIED UNWILLINGLY!!!"
Sesshoumaru was still not saying anything. But by the way a sweat drop trickled down the side of his cheek, Yukuro knew she had found it. She had found his guilty cause and she was going to use that excuse to bring Mika back from the underworld. But why wasn't he moving? Why wasn't he saying anything? Did he not get her message?
They waited a few more seconds before Yukuro flared her nostrils at him.
"WELL? WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE? WHY AREN'T YOU TALKING? GET YOUR BUTT OVER THERE ALREADY!!! YOU CAN SMELL YOUR WAY THERE CAN'T YOU, YOU DISGUSTING LITTLE PIECE OF TRASH THAT NOBODY WANTS, NOT EVEN A HOBO!"
To prove that the yelling and constant anger she had to put up with these worthless men all for the sake of poor Mika who didn't deserve any of them was not good for her health, she grabbed the head of the staff that Jaken was carrying. With one arm, she picked up the staff and Jaken. She gawked at Sesshoumaru, threatening him with her eyes that if he didn't start moving and start saving, she was going to kill him and his servant.
Rin, who was now sitting on her three feet rock, was quite amused. This was probably the best argument she had seen so far.
"I don't care if Mika's getting married," Sesshoumaru said finally. "It was her decision, wasn't it?"
Yukuro had it. She flung Jaken, who clung to the staff for protection at Sesshoumaru, who didn't catch Jaken and let him fly right into the dirt. The staff dug itself into the earth, slamming Jaken's green toes into the rocks painfully.
"You don't care? YOU DON'T CARE???"
"Well," he began, but Yukuro had already seized his neck.
"YOU HAVE TO CARE!!! IF NOT, I'M KILLING YOU BEFORE ANYONE ELSE DOES!!!"
"You can't kill me—"
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken said, squeezing his toe as if it were falling to pieces. "Please, just go rescue that human. I don't want to die!"
"That's right Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin said, getting down from the rock. She pointed a finger up to the sky. "Mika-san is waiting for you!"
The daiyoukai scowled. "Fine," he said grudgingly.
Yukuro cackled. Behold the power of ganging up!
~O~O~O~O~O~
"Jiro!" the sister of the bat demon, vampire thingy cried. She was over him, her hands pinching his cheeks. Mika and Bankotsu stood shocked.
"Don't die! You still have a long way to go! Misa-chan is waiting for you—"
Mika slapped Bankotsu. "No way."
"Why'd you slap me?"
"I just felt like it."
"Why you…"
All of a sudden, Jiro revived. His black eyes were once again staring upon the world, his hands and arms moving, his legs kicking and soon standing back onto the ground.
"Misa-chan—"
"MY NAME IS MIKA!" she cried, losing strength. These two siblings had a problem with names.
Then, all of a sudden, the sun was gone. At first, it did nothing. But when Jiro's eyes landed on Mika, she thought she felt the hunger was now a predator's desire. She reached up and clutched the arm of the nearest person, which was the braided mercenary, and waited for what was coming next.
Then, for once, he pronounced her name right. He shut his eyes, as if he knew Mika was suspecting something because of the glint in his eyes. Or maybe he was just tired of fooling around.
"Mika-chan, we aren't finished yet. The ceremony is still half-way done."
He means the wedding, doesn't he, she thought to herself. "Um, I don't want to."
Bankotsu nudged her. "Don't "um"."
"Uh, okay… I said I don't want to marry you."
And then, he frowned. His eyes reopened, now a dark violet. He bared his fangs at her. "You don't like me do you? Just because I'm a youkai," he said. "I knew it. All humans are like that."
Mika shook her head in reply. "No, it's not that, it's just—"
Jiro opened his mouth in some sort of short laugh and charged at her. She heard the ravens cackle in the distance and fly off as the sky began to darken. He pushed away Bankotsu, her fingers leaving his arm first, before he knocked her down. She hurried to get back on her feet, but only to be pushed back down again. Was she going to be eaten?
"Mika!" Bankotsu cried, probably not even worried.
She felt her consciousness fading, her eyesight blackening as she felt something crawl up her neck. She could hear something being squeezed, or possibly being torn. Her eye rolled down. She saw Jiro's fangs piercing her neck. Maybe it was the blood crawling down her neck.
Itchy…so very itchy…
She knocked him away, only to have her hand scratching madly at her neck. Soon the wound was worsened as the blood was splattered onto the floor. It was so annoying, like the scar on her neck. She scratched and scratched until Bankotsu held onto her wrist, screaming words she couldn't hear. But she wanted to scratch the skin.
"Mika! Don't scratch it!"
Her eyes began to lower. She rolled her eyes to his neck, where she found a small red mark. He had been scratching too. Then finally, her eyes closed. Her heart slowing down a dying pace. Something green seeped out of her mouth as her eyes turned dull.
"Her blood is very delicious," Jiro said, as if he had just finished a meal. He reached up and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. His eyes glittered with menace. "Maybe you'll be next."
Jiro's sister laughed in the background as she walked up next to her brother. "Ara, but he's mine, Jiro. All mine," they chanted.
Bankotsu raised a hand to his neck, where Jiro's sister had bit him.
'Ha! How brave of you
human, entrusting your comrade with a nice task.' The woman's
eyes were not of foolishness now. Intent of evil was hidden in those
black orbs, Bankotsu knew it. 'Too bad she won't be getting there
with you. You know, she seemed to hold affection for you. Hee,' she
said, charging at him. But he didn't move, so Jiro's
sister pushed him against a wall, the rocks trying to pierce his
back. Her hand slapped his neck and she grinned. 'Your blood
isn't bad at all. Shall I have a taste?' She cackled and leaned
in to help herself to his blood. However, just as the sweet,
succulent liquid reached her tongue, she felt something in her
stomach. She took a step backward and looked at her stomach. There
was a knife placed there. She pulled it out, groaning as she threw it
aside. 'How did you—' But Bankotsu only greeted her with
a smirk. He had stolen it a long time ago, when he was eating at the
place in Mount Hakurei. The man and Yukuro were too shocked at their
discovery, and he had slipped it into his armguard while no one was
noticing him. Who knew it was so useful. At once, the woman
reverted back to a gentler form. Or rather, a scared, intimidated
form. She looked up at the man with fearful eyes and choked when she
thought she saw amusement in his sadistic eyes. 'You're… a
monster…' 'Hm. Am I?' 'You use your "innocent
boy look" to get close to people… you were going to kill that
girl weren't you?' Bankotsu's grin wasn't replaced
with a frown. 'Maybe.' He thought back to the time when he
actually tried to, but the situation was turned around instead. The
woman searched for the mark she had created on his neck. He wasn't
making a move to scratch it. But the venom they carried was very
irritable on the skin… 'Looking at that vampire bite huh?'
He reached up and scratched it. 'It's itchy… not.' 'St-stay
away! If you come near me—' But she knew just staying
there on the floor wasn't helping so before Bankotsu could even
begin what sadistic thoughts he had in mind, she ran out the other
way, gripping her neck and coughing. Bankotsu was a frightening
individual.
But Jiro's sister remembered too. She bit her tongue as if doing that could take back her words. She seemed to suppress her demon instincts and reached out to touch her brother's shoulder. "Never mind. Jiro, don't go after that man."
"What harm could happen, Onee? He's just a boy," Jiro said, completely underestimating what Bankotsu was capable of doing.
"He is a demon!" she shouted. "We have to save that girl! So, don't kill—"
But Jiro was not as experienced as his sister. Besides, to him, Mika's blood so alluring. It smelled so sweet, so strong, and so very beautiful. He wanted it. He needed it. Mika was going to be a grand feast for him.
However, Jiro wasn't the only one desiring Mika's flesh and blood.
A roar echoed across small forest. Above them was a mass of celestial snakes, circling the cave. When Jiro was about to rush toward Mika who Bankotsu was supporting with his arms, one of the largest dragons descended. The impact of its heavy weight made the plateau shake. It roared again as its eyes landed on Mika.
~O~O~O~O~O~
"We're almost there—" Yukuro was about to say when Sesshoumaru looked up in the sky. "What's wrong?"
Dragons found her here? His hand clutched the hilt of Tenesiga.
"The ryuu," he said.
"Huh? What about them?" She turned to face the bunch of snakes in the sky. "Are they particularly dangerous?"
"I awakened them," he said in his usual short explanations.
"Why?"
"They love the blood of the daiyoukai. It is rich in protein. I disturbed a breeding mother. Because Mika is…"
"The blood of a daiyoukai huh? Wouldn't they be chasing you?"
"To kill a baby before it can kill them is the best way to feast," he said, walking a few steps ahead before leaping into the air.
Yukuro raised an arm as if she could catch the daiyoukai, but only let it fall back to her side. She admired the way he stayed calm. On the other hand, she panicked at everything, not even able to really help Mika. Then, after shaking her head, she made way to the scene by sprinting madly.
~O~O~O~O~O~
When Mika's eyes awoke, she was not in the arms of Bankotsu, but in Sesshoumaru's lap. She blushed and sat up immediately, but he pushed her back down.
"S-Sesshoumaru!" she said; her intent to hide her happiness given away. Of course, Sesshoumaru only gave her a blink before turning away to face the slain dragon.
The head had been cut off, but it wasn't that easy to cut off a dragon's head. It must have been the help of Tenesiga's sword; she assumed and looked at Sesshoumaru. He didn't look back at her, but she knew he had killed it. She closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer to the dragon before telling him he was fine. But Sesshoumaru refused to let her sit up.
"Just lie still," he said, putting her down on the ground. "Don't go anywhere until I come back."
"Okay," she said, even though she doubted him coming back.
Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru had every intention of coming back. He simply wanted to "speak" to Jiro, but Jiro's sister ended up talking to him. She told him with a huge smirk on her face that he was busy crying out his man feelings. Sesshoumaru didn't buy it.
"Then again, it's quite amazing that little girl has such a cool guy protecting her," Jiro's sister said, slapping his back as if he were an old friend. The daiyoukai grimaced. Bat demons were very stupid indeed.
"You don't think otherwise?" he said.
"Otherwise?" The woman held her hand to her chin. "You mean, you didn't come here of your own will? I thought you were her brother or dad or something."
Sesshoumaru almost let his composure go and let his mouth hang. He didn't want to be related to Mika in any way, either a spouse or a sibling. He cracked his knuckles as he endured Jiro's sister's ramblings. If she wasn't planning to stop talking soon, he was going to make her. He had enough of people's chatter. He just wanted to go back to his quiet and lonely life.
"I was forced to come here," he said, narrowing his eyes at Mika when she glanced at him. The girl blinked and turned away sadly.
"Hmm… you're so mean! Poor Misa-chan…" She shook her head. "Well anyway, Jiro might be following his wife so; I hope you take care of him!"
At once, something awoke in Sesshoumaru. "Wife? What wife?"
"Oh, Misa-chan!"
"Mika's married?"
"Yeah!"
Bankotsu, who was sitting by a dying campfire with Yukuro, chuckled. "I wonder how this is going to turn out." Yukuro on the other hand was busy hitting her head on the ground. She was really wondering if those "vampires" were even allowed to live. With pea-sized brains like that, they couldn't even survive one day. That woman was going to get it, she just knew it. And most likely that idiotic brother too. I mean, why tell your enemy something that would trigger your death?
They watched as Sesshoumaru flashed his glares onto the woman, who was laughing as if he wasn't even looking at her. Her idiocy must be helping her immunity, they thought as she called out to Jiro. The bat demon boy jumped out the cave and was so happy, he squealed at the sight of Mika lying on the floor. He also ignored Sesshoumaru's warning stares. Yukuro covered her eyes with the palms of her hands as she heard the daiyoukai approach the miko.
"Misa-chan—wait," he said, turning around to spot Sesshoumaru. "Who are you?"
Sesshoumaru stared at him some more to see if glaring really didn't work. Of course, Jiro was still immune to it. Then he said, "You love her?"
He nodded. "Yep! We're married too! We're going to have lots of children!"
Mika gagged. "No way. I am not married to you."
The vampire bat demon thingy patted her head and stroked her bangs. "It's okay, we'll name half of the children Mi and the other half Ro."
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" she shrieked. She brushed away his hand. "Stop touching my hair!!!"
"But Misa-chan, we're a couple now—"
"There wasn't even a wedding you dummy. You call bringing a bag of bones outside a cave a marriage?"
"It's because I didn't kiss you yet—"
"Don't even dare touching my lips with yours," she threatened, but it was ineffective. Jiro was still holding her hand and stroking it as if it were some precious object.
"Are you sure she's single?" Sesshoumaru said, interrupting their conversation. Jiro blinked and demanded some answers from the daiyoukai, who had his head turned just in case he ended up losing his pride. He was still too cowardly to face Mika and Jiro, but the direction he was going was working definitely.
"Mika might not be single. Therefore, she might be having an affair. Hasn't that even occurred to you, you piece of trash?"
Bankotsu began guffawing and pounding the gravel with Yukuro. "THAT IS TOTALLY CRUEL!!! AHAHA!"
"I'm a bat demon!"
"So, vampire," he snapped, "she's pregnant and she's not married to you. She's not going to have your children. That's all there you need to know."
A gush of cold wind passed by as Jiro's hand left hers and flied to her stomach. He stroked it a few times and held his head close to it. He even sniffed it, which of course to Mika's knowledge was unnecessary, disgusting, and terribly rude. She slapped him twice on each side before he finally stopped examining her body. He glanced up to Sesshoumaru with watery eyes and then—
Laughed like crazy man.
"YAY! WE'RE GOING TO NAME OUR CHILD MI-RO!" He hugged Mika and kissed her head. "Ah, Misa-chan, I love you—"
At this, Sesshoumaru had it. He pulled out Tenesiga, whose blade was gleaming with the remains of the technique it had used on the dragon. He pointed it menacingly at his nose and made sure his glower was as deadly as possible. "You must be mistaken. Shall I cut off the top of your head and fix your brain a little?"
"Eh? What do you mean?" Jiro asked, completely unfazed that a sword with a pointy end was about to pierce his nose.
"Whether Mika is pregnant or not, it has nothing to do with you."
"But… we're married—"
"Mika is not pregnant with your child," he said, his voice getting edgier every second. He slashed the air, with the intent to kill him, and watched as the black void slowly made its entry as a crescent of a moon. Jiro screamed and jumped out of the way as it tried to suck him in. But after he dodged it, Sesshoumaru went ahead and cut the air again, squeezing the bat demon in another tight situation. He dodged that one too and for the rest of the night, Sesshoumaru chased him around until he finally admitted that he was not married to Mika.
"Onee! He's so mean," he blubbered as his sister patted his head.
"It's okay. Competition will never get in the way of love," she said, with tears running down her cheeks as well. She cuddled her brother and made a fist at Sesshoumaru. "I won't forgive you for making my little brother cry. You'll do well to remember me, and the revenge I will have someday."
The only reply was a draw from Tenesiga to slice her head off too, but Mika stopped him just in time. After they sat down, Sesshoumaru eyed her with the most dangerous look and whispered a threat in her ear.
Nobody knew what he said, but it must have been dreadfully horrible if Mika was blushing everytime she stroked her stomach.
