NARAKU AND RIN.
The sun had just barely rose above the horizon, enough to make the early morning frost begin to sparkle under it's warming rays and start to melt them away.
The small fire in the cliff side shack had went out sometime during the night, which had caused the people sleeping within to awaken in shivers.
A certain spider hated being cold, and was more irritable then normal because of this, having been woken up far too early when his sister hit him and demanded he go find more wood.
Naturaly his response had been to tell her to do it herself, and attempted to roll over and fall back asleep. He COULD have fell asleep again in seconds if a little girl had not also been awake and chose that exact moment to jump on his back like he was some kind of horse.
"Uncle Naru! It's cold in here! Can you make me another blanket? It was so amazing watching you do that last night. Does it hurt when you use your body to make things like that? Can you still feel things from those removed parts? Can Kanna and I finally go outside today?"
"Mmmmm... Go bother Kagura." He mumbled, cringing at being called another different name this morning. The girl had been using different ones since his arrival, claiming to be testing them in order to find one that fit better... Not that he understood why...
Kagura laughed and stepped away, hands raised and a clear look of amusement on her face.
"Oh no, dear brother... I've had her since before sunrise. It's your turn now."
"I'm asleep."
"No your not, your talking!" Rin pointed out with a giggle, causing him to groan and hide his head under the blanket.
"Kohaku and I are going out for more wood and food, since you refused to do it." Kagura said while walking away, and he quickly tried to get up but the child was still on him.
"Wait! I'll do it!" Naraku tried reaching out to stop her, even using one of his vines to attempt to snatch her foot to keep from leaving him, but she and Kohaku were out of his reach while riding her giant white feather out the doorway.
He released a sigh of defeat and once again tried to hide his head, but it did nothing to stop the clearly wide awake bouncing girl on his back.
"Uncle Naru, why does Kagura ride a feather thingy? Shouldn't she be able to make that barrier thing you use to fly? Is it true you made her? How is she your sister then?"
"Do you EVER stop asking questions child?" Naraku whined from his spot on the floor as she bounced on his shoulders, not even nearly awake enough for this girl to start the seventh round of 'Ask the spider a million things'.
"But Rin is just trying to know more about you! Like, if you can make things from your body how come you don't just make a whole house? Or more wood to burn so we don't have to go looking for it, unless that would hurt?" She answered happily, not seeming to notice or care of his tired state or the darkness of the morning.
"I understand you want to know things but must you ask them all at once?! In just the past three days I have answered over a hundred questions that even Akane didn't think of... Get off me."
"But how come you don't just make a house? OH! Or a castle! I heard you were hiding in a castle once not long ago, did you make that one or steal it from somebody-"
"Child if you do NOT get off my back then I will refuse to answer any and all questions for the rest of your human life!" Naraku snapped, not enjoying being her toy.
And just like that she hopped off, but instead of acting frightened of his tone she just started dancing around the fire pit.
"So can we go outside today? It's so cramped in here... Right Kanna?"
Naraku groaned like and old man as he slowly stood up, running his hands thru his hair and looking over to his precious little sister, who simply nodded in response to Rin.
She was sitting in the corner in complete silence, watching them like a doll, and he couldn't help but smile at her. It wasn't exactly a secret just who his favorite sibling was.
During his absence the mirror child had fully recovered from the attack of Hakudoshi, not a single crack was on her body anymore, which pleased him. But just the thought of what had happened to her made his blood heat with the desire for revenge. Even more so knowing that the whole ordeal of Sesshomaru's possession and Akane's near death all had to do with that brat...
"Uncle Naru! Your doing the thing again."
"Eh?" He blinked out of his thoughts to find that his mood swing had caused the miasma to start to flow out and around him like dark clouds of smoke, and his hair was moving on it's own as if alive.
Not wanting to frighten her, as he had done the day of his arrival when informing Kagura what had happened at the borderland, Naraku quickly calmed down and forced the miasma to fade.
"Sorry, I was just thinking something." He said with an apologetic look, but the girl was just staring at him in awe, no fear this time at all in her face.
"Oh, that's okay. After the first time it's not so scary. Papa's eyes go red alot but yours is a different shade, almost kinda purple too, that's kinda neat. Why does your hair move like seaweed when you go all spooky? Can you do that when not spooky?"
"Spooky..." He repeated, staring down at the odd human child, an amused grin slowly taking form.
She didn't even let him answer her first question before moving right on back to the one from a few moments ago, looking back at Kanna and then him again.
"So can we go outside? I want to show Kanna how to jump in a leaf pile! Last night she told me she never has before. Then I asked if you don't let her play, but says she never wanted to before, so then Rin was like YOU HAVE TO PLAY! So can we pleeeeease? You want to now right Kanna?"
Both looked to the white girl, who once again gave a simple nod of the head.
He found it strangely cute that despite her lack of emotion and communication skills, Kanna and the more talkative Rin seemed to be... friends.
Naraku had to give credit to this human girl, she didn't give up when she wanted to make a friend, and was somehow bringing out a slightly more lively side to Kanna, not that many people would notice this difference, but he did rather quickly.
"See? Even she wants to go outside! Please?" Rin asked again after seeing that small nod and took it as if the other girl had also expressed boredom.
While this girl was driving him crazy, he couldn't help but laugh at her persistence
"I guess you can play a little while, until Kagura and the boy return. We'll need to be moving onward to that little village you all stay at soon anyway, as the dog lord ordered to meet him there, so might as well be today. I just needed to recover my stamina for the flight."
"Oh? We're going to fly there? Do I get to be with you or Kagura? Kohaku says he's normally with her so does that mean Kanna and I come with you?"
He took a breath, counting to ten and doing his best to not snap again.
She meant no harm in all the questions, he just wasn't used to being around someone ten times more energetic then himself. Not used to children at all really.
"Do you... want to fly with me? Or would you prefer Kagura?" He said calmly, also somewhat curious what she would choose. Her lack of fear or anger towards him so far had to be one of the strangest things since meeting Akane. While the child had given him a long rather comical lecture about his past bad behavior, she didn't seem to hate him for it.
Rin paused in her dancing circle to silently stare at him in an odd way.
It wasn't possible she caught that he was expecting her to reject him, was it?
That mature look that would cross those warm brown eyes sometimes was starting to almost unnerve him a little bit, like right now.
"What?! Do you or don't you?" He said, for some reason trying not to blush.
Suddenly she smiled, twirling in a small circle with her arms out as if to fly.
"Rin wants to be with you of course!" Said in a singsong voice.
This was a mild surprise, causing him to blink and frown a little as she continued to make circles while slowly moving over to him, then in a fit of dizziness she nearly fell.
Naraku cought her easily before she hit the wooden floor, and gave a disapproving glare to the child blinking up at him with an innocent smile.
"Will you PLEASE stand still for a moment? How one earth does the dog lord put up with all your chatter and running amuck?" He sighed, exhausted before the day even started.
She simply jumped out of his arms and did one finale twirl, then seemed to make a point of standing perfectly still with her hands behind her back.
"Papa doesn't seem to mind as much as you." Was the simple reply.
"More like he's a master at ignoring people." He pointed out with a huff.
"Well... yes... especially if it's Jaken..." Rin's eyes suddenly grew wide just as his own did, both forgetting something until right this moment.
"Did you leave Jaken tied to that tree all night?" She asked, a look of worry and guilt growing.
Naraku chuckled, having just now noticed that it was indeed more quiet this morning then the past couple despite the girl's talking. There was a definite lack of whining in the room.
Three days ago, after he and Sesshomaru parted ways, Naraku had decided at the last minute that it would be best to go back for the little green imp, since he would need someone to assist in watching over the human child and said imp was already used to doing that when the dog was away.
He also had thought it might make the girl more at ease to have someone she trusted with her, since he himself had no clue how she was to react to him.
Had he known she wouldn't be too afraid, and already knew what was going on thanks to Kagura explaining things to the girl, Naraku wouldn't have bothered placing back on the Akane appearance and gone to fetch the annoying creature.
There hadn't been a moments peace since Naraku had found Jaken in the woods not far from where he and Sesshomaru had their little fight, most likely trying to catch up to his lord after being left behind with Inuyasha's group by accident. Both men had completely forgot about him.
Once he had the screeching little thing in his grasp he had taken off, not bothering with the disguise while trying to explain everything to the imp kicking and threatening to bite him.
The only thing that made Jaken calm even a little was seeing Rin unharmed, but even still he didn't believe a word of what anyone was trying to tell him.
To say the least, the past three days had been very loud and frustrating.
"So? Did you leave him in the tree all night or not?" Rin repeated with a poke to Naraku's stomach, once again bringing him from his thoughts as he batted his eyes innocently at her.
"Heh... I think I did... My mistake."
"Naraku! How could you?" Rin glared and crossed her arms, mimicking Akane so well that he actually winced and felt a little bad about it.
"What? He hasn't stoped insulting me since he showed up! I just wanted an evening of peace for hells sake, and besides, YOU forgot about him too."
"Yeah but you're supposed to be the adult and remember stuff." She pointed out.
He gaped at her, speechless, because damn she had a point.
"W-well that's not fare... Kagura could have said something too..." He muttered, pouting.
The girl shook her head, and was reminding him so much of a scolding Akane.
"You're the oldest person here, it's your job to be the adult." She added with a hard stare.
"But I HATE being the adult!" Naraku whined, not liking the fact a human child was starting to make him feel even younger then her. Why was she acting all responsible anyway?
Suddenly something tugged at his sleeve, and he looked to see Kanna by his side.
She was pointing out the door, and if he didn't know better would think his sister was showing a hint of amusement in her blank eyes.
"You might... Want to go get the imp... It could have froze to death."
This caused a shiver of fear to shoot down his spine, and he looked back to the human girl with a hint of nervous panic in his voice.
"Ah, would Sesshomaru be angry if I accidentally killed the toad?"
Rin frowned, a thoughtful look, then began to nod so fast her hair became more a mess then it already was this morning.
"Papa acts like he doesn't care, but I'm sure he thinks Jaken is a friend."
"Shit... I'll be back then." Naraku groaned, now hoping the little loud green thing hadn't turned into some kind of ice toad in a tree...
The human child was still scolding him for forgetting the imp when he flew out the door, and as much as it was annoying, it was more amusing then anything. In just these few short days with the girl he could tell that Akane had become a big influence on her behavior, with freaky random bits of the dog lord tossed in as well. It made this Rin girl an interesting little person, one he would be lying to himself if he were to say he wasn't already somewhat attached to her.
Her lack of hate towards him was a large shock, especially given the fact he had her kidnapped and nearly killed months ago. Yet, somehow, she seemed to understand that during that time he had not exactly been his current self. Something else she asked a million questions about, but at least those were more easily answered then some of her others.
A muffled moaning sound caught his attention as he flew, making him recall the reason he was even outside so early to begin with. Taking a breath, trying to prepare for the onslaught of high pitched screaming he no doubt was about to face, he dove down into the trees bellow.
Naraku wasn't all that surprised to find Jaken precisely where he had left him, gagged and tied high up an a tree, high enough that most wouldn't even know he was there if it were not for all the godsforsaken noise he was making. Even more now that those yellow eyes were glaring daggers down to Naraku, who was just grinning up at him.
"I do say, I think you are a lighter shade of green today. Is that normal?" He teased, causing the imp to writhe and kick in place, no doubt cursing him under the gag.
Watching only made the grin on his face wider as he pretended that he couldn't hear the loud muffled noises being cast his way, placing a hand to his ear with a quizzical look.
"Did you say something? Are you thanking me for placing you high up and away from predators? Well you are most welcome! Now would you like to come down?"
If looks could kill the imp would have Naraku buried already, but he merely batted his eyes up in his best innocent expression, pretending to be confused.
"No? You want to stay there? That is a most odd request but if you insist..." He turned to leave, a pure evil smile making his eyes light up, it had been so long since he'd had fun.
Now Jaken was flailing about and making so much noise it was hard to believe he had a gag at all, making Naraku turn back around with an amused laugh as he rose in the air to the right level, eyes locked on the imp with now a far more serious and dark expression.
"I have no problem leaving you tied up like this. It would be very easy to just drag you around on a rope behind me the entire flight to that little village. So unless that is how you would like to spend the trip, I suggest you refrain from insulting me any more then you already have..."
Jaken stilled in his flailing, audibly gulping as Naraku got dangerously close, raising a hand and forming a sharp pointed blade from his flesh.
"Do I make myself clear toad?" He said with a small hiss to emphasize the threat while waving the blade in front of Jaken's wide eyes.
Yet another gulp, followed by a dramatic nodding of the head was the imp's answer.
"Perfect! I'm glad we're in agreement!" Naraku said, mood swapping from dark and threatening to perfectly fine and amused once again, using the blade to slice off the ropes keeping the imp to the tree in one solid swoop, absorbing the weapon back into his hand once done.
Sadly, those ropes had been the only thing keeping Jaken from falling, and the moment they were cut he let out a screech while tumbling down, snapping one or two branches along the way.
Naraku blinked and stayed floating a moment, somewhat surprised by how fast the little green thing fell like a rock, having literally forgotten it was not the type to fly on it's own.
When he at last went and landed on the ground, the imp was laying in a daze as sticks and twigs lay all around him in a very comical way, which made it very difficult for Naraku to sound sincere when offering his hand out with an apology.
"That looked a bit painful, need a hand up?"
Wide yellow eyes blinked out of the daze and stared at Naraku's outstretched hand as if it had snakes for fingers, and he quickly stumbled to his own feet and backed away with a huff.
"Of course it was painful! Why would you let me drop like that? I could have easily broken something and then Sesshomaru-sama would have your head for it!"
"He's already had my head, as well as many other body parts now that I think about it, but sadly not in the way I would like." Naraku stated matter of fact, a little sad sigh at the end when thinking of all the other ways he much rather have had it happen.
"That's not what I meant and you know it! How dare you even mention something so perverse about my lord! If he were here you would pay for that comment!"
"And I would enjoy every second of the punishment." He couldn't help but retort with a grin.
Jaken openly gaped at him, and his pale green color from the cold was quickly being replaced by a dark shade of red before he sputtered and flew off into so many insults and explaining how his lord would no way make it an enjoyable thing... blah blah blah... How dare he... blah blah blah.
Naraku sighed deeply while doing his best to tune out the toad, having not missed hearing this creatures screeching voice in the least, and quickly chose to refrain from such jokes simply so he would not have to hear the thing come to Sesshomaru's verbal defences.
"Fine, FINE. Now shut up or be gagged again." He snapped, half tempted to do just that.
Thankfully the imp seemed to catch on to his half serious threat and clamped his mouth shut mid-sentance, but the death glare was still fully present.
With another sigh he wondered just HOW the mutt had such a loud bunch in his little pack, then Naraku turned and began walking back towards the cliff, the imp scuttling behind and muttering something about how much easier it was to keep up with Naraku's pace compared to his lord's.
After a few blissful moments of peace, which was odd given that he normally hated silence, Naraku glanced behind him with a bothered frown.
"I'm not walking that fast, you CAN walk beside me you know."
Jaken, who had been walking close behind but staring at his own feet, looked up with a very openly shocked expression at the offer. He quickly moved to walk beside Naraku, glancing up now and then but keeping whatever thoughts he had to himself.
The two made their way out of the woods and up to the cliff side, and the imp only let out a small yelp of shock when Naraku's barrier suddenly appeared around them before they began to rise.
Once on the deck the barrier disolved and their feet hit the wooden floor.
Jaken ran inside to find the girl, and Naraku remained on the deck, turning to watch the sun as it went higher, yet still not yet mid day. Kagura and the boy should be back soon, and he would let everyone eat and the girls play a bit before they set out again.
If things went well they should be at Akane's little village by the next morning, and then he would have to figure out what to do with the twin incarnation of his he had left there months ago.
He had let that one think itself to just be another puppet, hoping by doing so it wouldn't also start plotting his death like half his incarnations tended to do, and he needed it to look like him so that it would cause the humans of the village to be used to his presence.
Naraku couldn't help but wonder if Akane had discovered that incarnation, and what she might think about how he had been keeping her little home away from home safe.
Would that help her to forgive him?
At least a little bit, especially now that he had managed to save her mate?
What would he do if she was still angry with him...
A loud screech, none other then the toad snapped Naraku's attention, and the little thing came marching out waving his staff as if trying to be threatening.
Clearly by the expression the creature was angry and afraid.
"N-now what is the meaning of this?! Where's Rin?! If you did anything, and I mean ANYTHING to that child last night, you bastard so help me I'll-"
"Excuse me?! As if I would ever harm a child!" He snapped, eyes flashing with quickly growing anger at the horrid accusation.
"You DID. You killed that Kohaku boy, and nearly had him murder Rin! So you can play all nice but I don't believe it for a second. Now where is she?!" Jaken pointed out with a little sneer, waving that two headed staff at him.
"That wasn't exactly me back then, how many times must I explain this?" Naraku sighed deeply, anger deflating since the imp had a point, hating that his past would never leave him alone.
Yes back then he had done much he regretted now.
But he was getting sick of feeling bad for things done under the influence of others.
He simply waved the imps accusations away and went back to watching the sky.
"I'm sure the girls are just hiding from you or something. They seemed bored when I left."
Jaken actually had the nerve to send out a small blast of fire from the staff, one that Naraku just barely moved out of the way in time before turning on the idiot with a hiss.
"Will you cut that out?! You could set this whole shack on fire and I spent way to long building this for it to go up in flames because of an oversized frog!"
While the imp did look afraid of his glaring, he was brave enough to not fully back down as he waved the staff as if to send out another blast.
"If you didn't do something to Rin then this is even more bad! I know when Rin is playing, and there are not many places to hide in there. I LOOKED already and I'm telling you she's GONE!"
"WHAT?!" His eyes went wide as he moved past Jaken in a rush, going inside and looking around to find that there was no sign of either of the two girls.
He couldn't sense Kanna anywhere either.
Fuck!
Naraku stood frozen, eyes darting around the small space despite knowing for a fact that it was empty, a cold panic quickly swept over him.
If something happened to either of them he would never forgive himself.
Was it possible that Hakudoshi had found their little safe house despite all of the precautions?
Naraku twirled around, snatching up the surprised imp by the collar and began to fly full speed outside, only for him to run smack into Kagura in the doorway, both had been flying, so Kagura just kinda bounced off his barrier a bit with a gasp of shock.
"What has you looking all terrified and pissed at the same time?" She chuckled with that teasing tone while fixing the parts of her feather that he had crashed into.
"The girls are missing! I have every right to look however I want at the moment." He snapped while trying to move around her, about to take off.
Naraku was out the door and flying above the trees, about to call on his Siamyosho to search and begin trying to focus his erratic thoughts enough to open the mental link he had with Kanna, but his sister managed to catch up to him.
"I hate to break it to you, because seeing you in worried big brother mode is actually as sweet as it is freaky, the girls are not missing. I know where they are."
This caused Naraku to abruptly cease flying, and once more Kagura bounced off his barrier because of his sudden stop this time huffing in annoyance at him but looked more amused then mad as he turned to gape at her. Now feeling foolish and embarrast for his panic.
"Well then? Where are they woman?" Jaken demanded, still hanging from the grip Naraku had on his collar, which he had nearly forgot he was holding and released the imp to stand.
Kagura glared at the rude tone, and chose to ignore him, instead looking at her brother to answer.
"Kohaku and I returned with some food, shortly after you left according to Rin. She was very persistent that I take them outside somewhere so she and Kanna could play while we prepared the morning meal. She claimed you said it was okay." At the last part she offered a look of apology, clearly feeling bad about making him worry.
Naraku took a deep breath and held it, calming himself, running a hand over his face when releasing the breath and wondering even more so how the dog could handle things like this so well.
"I did say they could go out... And I didn't specifically say they had to wait for my return, I simply assumed I would be back before you and the boy..."
"With Rin you have to be VERY specific about details." Jaken piped up, but also seemed to be calming down a bit, plopping down to sit in the barrier and wiping his brow.
"I'll remember that for later times." Naraku chuckled, shaking his head and just glad that he had not somehow lost not only his sister, but Akane and Sesshomaru's child.
"My dear brother, is babysitting turning out to be too much trouble for you?" Kagura teased while floating next to him, grinning a little behind her fan.
"Of course it's not!" He huffed, crossing his arms and not wanting to admit defeat.
If Sesshomaru could somehow manage to keep that child out of trouble on his own when Akane was away then surely he could just as well!
He just... needed more practice.
