It was late when they stopped that night, as Sesshomaru did not land until they were back to the last spot they camped. Sango had Sumiko forgo the usual training and instead went to clean up before they both fell into a troubled sleep. The trip had been wasted, and Sumiko was hard-pressed not to become depressed about it. She had a feeling that the result would have been similar, or worse if it had been Inuyasha that had taken them instead of Sesshomaru.
The next day they were up early and headed back toward the village. The following couple of days passed in a blur of worry and confusion for Sumiko. They still needed to find a way for her to get home, and she wasn't sure they would find any answers from other people. Somehow she doubted most would be any more accepting of her traveling companions than the monks had been.
Even though Sesshomaru was arrogant and disliked humanity as a whole, and Inuyasha was temperamental, she didn't feel that either of them had done enough to warrant the hatred. She had already seen that there were plenty of humans that were not any better than the two demons in question. Some were even worse.
They were only two days away from the village when Sumiko remembered that there had been more to her trip than just finding information. She still had a request to make of the daiyoukai they were traveling with, and she had a feeling he didn't plan to stick around for long once they were back at the village.
Sumiko had already explained her plan to Sango and gotten tips from the taijiya, so as soon as they settled in camp, she turned to where Sesshomaru was leaning against a tree instead of sparring with Sango. She bowed to him and kept her eyes downcast as she said, "Sesshomaru-sama, there is something I need to discuss with you, please. It has to do with the information you have requested I share."
She stayed like that for nearly half a minute and tried not to fume about the fact that he likely kept her waiting on purpose. Finally, his baritone rumbled out as he said, "Stand, miko, and explain yourself."
Sumiko straightened and looked up as she said, "You have asked that I explain what electricity is, but the two forms of it that arrived with me are both dead and can no longer serve as examples."
He immediately frowned, so she was quick to continue before he could lose his temper. "Even though they no longer work, I believe I can build a generator that would be even better to show you the power of electricity. Instead of relying on something already built and trying to show you the pieces and how they work together, a generator can show you the building blocks from beginning to end. That way, you have a clearer picture of what I am trying to explain."
Several seconds passed after she finished speaking, but she was thankful that he only looked thoughtful instead of angry. Finally, his cold gaze turned to her once more as he said, "This one finds your alternative acceptable. Now explain to this one why you are asking permission instead of simply building this generator to show?"
Sumiko had to swallow to clear the sudden dryness in her throat. He certainly had a way to get right to the point, didn't he? At least it provided her the opening she needed. She just hoped it wouldn't get her killed. "I would have built it and been happy to show you if I already had the materials to do so. Unfortunately, some of them are hard to acquire and even harder to make into something usable. At least in this day and age. However, you are a daiyoukai of great power and influence, so I humbly request your assistance in gathering the necessary items."
He was frowning once again, so Sumiko quickly added a bow and downcast eyes to try and show him that she was asking respectfully. She hated having to treat the arrogant male like he was so much more important, but pissing him off wasn't worth her life.
Again, nearly a minute passed before he said, "Explain what is needed. If it is an unreasonable request, expect to be punished. If not, then this one will consider helping."
Sumiko nearly had a panic attack. What would he consider reasonable? However, not saying anything was a sure-fire way to earn his anger. She managed to stand once again and tried to keep her voice even as she explained, "I can acquire the iron on my own, and maybe the ganseki, but I believe that one may be difficult. If you could perhaps tell me where to find one, it would be a great assistance."
She paused and stole a glance at his face. He still looked as arrogant as always, but at least he wasn't frowning. Although, she knew her request so far had been relatively simple. The next part was what would make or break it. "The last thing I need is a spool of thinly rolled copper. I might have been able to create it myself with the help of the others, but there is no way that we would have been able to create the thin layer of insulating ceramic that is needed to make it useful. That is the thing that I had wanted to ask for your help in making. You have such influence that I hoped you would know of how or where it might be done."
When she glanced up again, she saw his brow was furrowed, but that gave her hope. He wasn't frowning. Thankfully, only a few seconds passed before he said, "Sit, miko, and explain to this one in detail what you need and why."
Sumiko let out a shaky breath. She hoped that meant he didn't think it was unreasonable. She wasn't sure if his punishment would be death or something else, but she had no doubt it would be unpleasant. She immediately sat and started her explanation as soon as he joined her.
It took her nearly an hour to explain how copper was a great conductor but that she needed the electricity to move through it and not from strand to strand when it was coiled. In the end, she had to find a stick so she could draw a few diagrams in the dirt to adequately show him what she meant. By the end of it, his eyes showed that same spark of interest she had seen when they first met, and he saw her iPod. Maybe that meant his curiosity outweighed any frustration he might have had at her seemingly impossible request.
She scrambled to her feet when he finally stood. His gaze was still cold when he looked down at her, but there was something else there that she hadn't seen before. She thought it looked like respect, but she doubted it. There was no point in getting her hopes up that he might see her as anything other than an insect below him.
At least his voice was no longer harsh when he said, "Rest now, miko. The journey is not yet over, and you will need your strength."
Sumiko wasn't sure what exactly he meant by that but was happy to comply. At least it didn't involve punishment. She bowed to him once more before she went back to where Sango was already settled in for the night and joined her friend in sleep.
It was late afternoon two days later when they finally got back to the village. Although it wasn't really home, Sumiko was still glad to see it. The last nearly two weeks had been a lot to deal with, and even though she knew she had training to worry about, at least it wouldn't be as stressful. She smiled when she saw Rin rush over to where Sesshomaru had stopped. She still didn't quite understand it, but after traveling with the arrogant male, she was beginning to see that there was more to him than what he showed. Kids were usually the first to pick up on that kind of stuff.
When she looked away from Rin, she turned to see a worried-looking Kagome standing in front of Inuyasha. The latter was glaring daggers at everyone, especially his half-brother. She ignored the looks as she moved to give Kagome a hug. Sango had already joined them, so Sumiko tried to explain. "We made it to the temple, but we didn't find anything. I'm sorry."
Sango scoffed before she said, "You have nothing to apologize for. It's not your fault those monks were so closed-minded."
Kagome chuckled awkwardly as she said, "That sounds like you have a story to tell."
Sumiko sighed and nodded. "Yeah, but why don't we wait until later. I want to thank Sesshomaru first."
"Tch" Inuyasha was quick to add his opinion. "Don't bother. That arrogant dog won't care one way or another."
Sumiko gave him a wry smile. She didn't disagree with his assessment, but she still turned to where the daiyoukai was standing with Rin. She approached him but stopped a few feet away and bowed as she said, "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama. I know you were only fulfilling your word to get me there and back safely, but I appreciate it nonetheless."
"Hn." That noncommittal noise was about what she had expected, so she bowed once more and turned to leave him behind. However, she had not gotten far before his voice rumbled out. "Miko, this one did not dismiss you."
Sumiko froze and literally bit the side of her tongue to keep from saying something. It took all she had not to roll her eyes as she mentally cursed his arrogance. Still, she was fond of living, so she turned back to face him as she said, "Was there something you needed, Sesshomaru-sama?"
He turned his dispassionate gaze down to her as he said, "Gather your things and be back quickly. This Sesshomaru does not like to wait." His words caused absolute silence to fall as all eyes turned his way. Though it only lasted a few seconds before sound exploded around them.
Sumiko blinked dumbly at Sesshomaru. His order should have made sense. Well, it did make sense in a world where he hadn't said he was going to give her six months, and it had scarcely been two. His brow started to furrow at her lack of movement, but both Sango and Kagome were quickly by her side, and Inuyasha was in front of them with a snarl. The latter was the one to say, "She ain't goin' with you today. Bark all you want, but you said she has six months. See, I keep tellin' them you don't know what honor is. Maybe now they'll listen."
Sesshomaru barely spared a sneer for Inuyasha before he looked directly at Sumiko and said, "This one allowed six months that you might train to become less useless. As you demonstrated during our travels, you have attained nominal control of your miko abilities, so there is no need for further delay."
Sumiko felt panic bubbling up. He wasn't wrong, although she hadn't expected that little stunt of his to result in this. Sango shifted beside her and gave her a troubled look, while Kagome stepped forward next to Inuyasha and said, "Just because you may have seen her manifest her reiki does not mean she can control it easily. That takes time and practice."
Part of Sumiko wanted to let Kagome's words stand—to let her keep trying to convince Sesshomaru that he didn't know what he was talking about. However, his eyes had never left hers. There was something in them—almost like he was challenging her. She was probably imagining things, as the daiyoukai looked down on all humans except for Rin, but she couldn't stop a response from welling up. If he was trying to see if she was more than a helpless human, then she would show him exactly how not helpless she was.
She never broke eye contact with Sesshomaru as she stepped forward and put a hand on Kagome's arm. The action suddenly shut the younger woman up, and all eyes were back on Sumiko as she said, "Kagome, I'm sure I don't know even a fraction of what it means to be a miko, but he is right in that I can control my power enough to not be a hindrance to him."
She then finally looked away from Sesshomaru and pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back. It was less than a second before the whole thing was coated in a thin layer of pink that made Kagome gasp. Inuyasha glared at her as he crossed his arms and said, "So what. You're just gonna give up on goin' home just because you can do that now?"
Sumiko felt an uncomfortable throbbing in her chest at his reminder that she covered by putting the arrow away. She had purposely not been thinking about home, especially not after the debacle at the temple. Though, she couldn't afford to break now, so she shrugged and said, "Of course I'm not. Just because I plan to follow through on my promise to Sesshomaru-sama does not mean I have forgotten about going home. However, that isn't an option right now, so I might as well stick to my promise."
Even though Sumiko had already come to terms with it, she could tell Sango was the only one out of the group that didn't look willing to fight about it. Instead of standing there and arguing until the daiyoukai lost it and something bad happened, Sumiko turned back to him once again and gave him a slight bow as she said, "Sesshomaru-sama, as you have heard, I will not contend your demand. I am willing to go with you now. However, if I could please make one request first."
She kept her eyes downcast as she gave him time to answer. When he finally made that noise she had come to associate with grudging acceptance, she said, "Could you please wait until morning? That would allow me time to say my goodbyes and gather anything I might need for the trip. I trust that you will be able to take care of my needs while we travel, and would never think to question that, but there are a few items of sentimental value that I would like to bring as well, and I do not wish to make you stand here while I do all of that."
No one moved for several seconds after she spoke. The silence was only broken when Kagome leaned closer and whispered to Sango. "She's really good at that. I guess it paid to have her travel with you."
A stifled chuckle came from the taller woman, but no other comment. Finally, Sesshomaru said, "This Sesshomaru will agree to your request. Though if you are going to waste this one's time, I will insist that you also assist Rin in gathering anything she would like to bring. If she wishes it, this one will allow her to remain at the shiro as long as you are there."
Rin jumped up with a happy yell and started to run around while she chanted, "Rin gets to go to the shiro, Rin gets to go to the shiro!"
While Sumiko couldn't muster a fraction of Rin's enthusiasm about going back to Sesshomaru's home, it still made her smile. Maybe traveling with both Rin and the arrogant daiyoukai would show her the side of him that the girl was obviously enamoured with. Though she didn't waste any time before she bowed once again and said, "Of course. It would be my pleasure to help Rin. I look forward to traveling with both of you."
A high-pitched yell came from somewhere behind Sesshomaru as Jaken nearly fell over the staff he carried. He was glaring at Sumiko as he said, "There's more than two of us. And don't start thinking that this means you can do more than bow at the lord's feet. You're still a pitiful human that can't—"
Jaken was cut off and began groveling as soon as Sesshomaru said his name. The imp was practically kissing the dirt when he said, "Yes, my Lord. What might I do for you tonight."
Sesshomaru was already walking toward the woods when he said, "Stay with Rin and help them gather their things. This one will bring A-Un to carry them."
Almost everyone was staring at the daiyoukai's retreating back, but none more so than Jaken. His horrified expression only changed when Rin grabbed him in a hug as she said, "Yay! Jaken-sama gets to stay the night! We'll have so much fun. Rin can even make you a new flower crown."
He immediately started sputtering as he tried to push her off him, but it did little good. Rin only let him go so she could dance around the clearing and pick all the nearby flowers. Sumiko chuckled at the girl's antics, but she was the only one. The rest wore somber expressions as Kaede called to Rin so they could return to her hut and prepare for the following day.
A short while later, the whole group was crammed into Kaede's hut—including Miroku. They had passed the monk on their way to the village. The man had been so happy to see his wife that it took a smack from her before he kept his hands to himself and followed them. Even though Sango's cheeks were red, Sumiko couldn't hold in a chuckle at how adorable the two were together. Miroku wore his red cheek proudly.
Jaken was the only one that refused to enter. He gave the excuse that he could wait until his help was needed. Not that Sumiko blamed him. It was already crowded, and he was short enough that he might have been stepped on.
It took a few minutes for everyone to settle, but all eyes turned to Sumiko and Sango once everything was quiet. Kagome was the first to speak, "Everything is moving so fast now. What happened while you were gone? Plus, you said you didn't get any information, right?"
Sumiko sighed and shared a look with Sango. The older woman shrugged and turned back to tell the gathered people about what they encountered in the temple, as well as how Sumiko had found control of her power. By the time she was finished, Inuyasha was glaring again as he said, "Figures. That damn bastard doesn't care about anyone but himself."
Sumiko didn't miss the way Rin looked down at Inuyasha's exclamation and suddenly felt bad for the girl. It had to be hard for her to admire Sesshomaru so much and have to listen to Inuyasha bad-mouth him all the time. She reached over and put a hand on top of Rin's, where they were clasped in her lap. Sumiko gave the girl a bright smile when she looked up with wide eyes. Rin was quick to return the gesture before they both turned back to the conversation.
Kagome had turned pleading eyes to Sango as she said, "Is there really no way we can convince him to leave her here for now?"
Sango looked away uncomfortably. Sumiko didn't need to hear an answer to know her time was up. She smiled at Kagome and tried to put the younger woman at ease as she said, "I know this is not what any of us wanted, but I already told you that I had no plans to go back on my word. Please don't worry about me. I can't say that Sesshomaru doesn't intimidate me, but I believe he will follow his vow. As long as I show him electricity and give him some information, I am sure that I will be allowed to come back."
She then turned her smile to Inuyasha and said, "Look at it this way; while I am gone, you can focus on keeping this village safe, and Kagome and Sango can focus on figuring out information about the well. None of you will have to worry about taking care of me."
Instead of helping, her words seemed to upset Kagome, and the girl quickly let her know why. "We don't feel like we are taking care of you. Don't think you are a burden."
Sumiko knew she was a burden, even if they wouldn't say as much, but that was only part of her reasoning. She had already decided there was no way she would potentially put these people in danger. She managed to keep her smile bright as she said, "That isn't what I meant. I just thought it would free you all to focus better. Plus, I have every intention of keeping my word."
Inuyasha made a disgusted noise, but thankfully, Sango stepped in. "Unfortunately, Sumiko is right. This is the best way for now." She then looked at Kagome and said, "If it makes you feel any better, I think she is right about the western lord. He won't hurt her as long as she sticks to their bargain. Plus, Rin will be there."
Kagome let out a gusty sigh but finally nodded. "I guess we'll just have to work extra hard to figure out the problem with the well. That way, as soon as you are back in the village, we can send you home."
Sumiko fought another wave of homesickness and smiled even brighter as she said, "That sounds great!"
Once that was decided, the men left, and Jaken came in. His grumbling hardly stopped, but everyone ignored it as the women helped Rin and Sumiko gather everything they would need for an extended trip. Given they were going to a shiro, she wasn't sure they would need it all, but she agreed that it was better to be safe. Plus, it still wasn't too much to carry. The only caveat was that she insisted on bringing her backpack as well. There was no telling when something in it might come in handy. It did not take them long to finish, and Kagome and Sango gave them both a hug before leaving. Jaken followed them out with another complaint about having to keep guard for the night.
A/N: Hello again! I know it has been some time with this one, but I have committed to working on all the ones that haven't had as much love lately. Anywho, I hope you all like where this one is going so far, especially since we see a sliver of shifting from both the main characters. Things back at the castle promise to be interesting, and I hope you are all looking forward to it. Thanks for reading, and cheers!