Nanashi felt so rushed in the next two days, getting ready to go to Alaric with Hiei, Kurama, Yasha, Kirin, and the new head of the king's stables, Kohaku. Kohaku had replaced Jin when Jin was dismissed, which made Nanashi nervous around him, not sure what he might think of her.
There was no time to worry about that however with all the packing they had to do. They were taking ten hippogriffs with them on the journey that was going to last at least twelve days, which was going to be long for them all. Alaric was a mountainous area, which was going to slow them down when they reached there. The hippogriffs could fly, but not all day for twelve days straight.
The morning they were supposed to leave arrived, which was stressful. Nanashi had taken up with Kohaku to help with the hippogriffs as they remembered her from when she volunteered with Jin. The temperamental, all black hippogriff, Fury, would not let anyone but her and Kohaku touch him as he was agitated about the trip. It ended up with her being the one who would ride him as he was less snappy with her than Kohaku.
Asa, Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, and Yukina came to them to see them off. Nanashi wished Haruto was still there, but he was still down South closing his inn and restaurant to move up here. She was sad to miss saying good bye to him as well.
What did surprise her was seeing Yukina of all people pulling Hiei aside and speaking with him privately. Later, when Nanashi asked him what it was about, he showed her the tear gem she had given him, and how she had asked him to try and search for her long lost brother in Alaric.
When they finally left, the trip was monotonous. Traveling, traveling, and traveling day in and day out. At night, Nanashi shared a tent with Hiei, while Kurama shared with Yasha, and which left Kirin to share with Kohaku.
During the day, Nanashi either rode Fury or flew with her wind dragon's wings as much as she could. It was exhausting, but being exposed to Kirin, a full demon, pushed the wind dragon to get stronger, which pushed her to get stronger. She also pushed her to fly and keep flying to get stronger. Losing her original wings was devastating. Getting her wind dragon to conjure up a pair from itself was not the same, but close enough. She had the complete and independent freedom of the sky unlike the others did when they flew on the hippogriffs.
On the seventh day of traveling, she had managed a full hour of flying on her own at the end of they day's travel. She stumbled into the camp, half collapsing near the fire Hiei had gotten going for the six of them.
She felt Hiei watching her, but he had not come near her. They all were used to her being like this at night that it was nothing much to be concerned about. Besides that, Hiei had warned her privately that Kirin was watching them, watching all four of them to see which one was going to be the best candidate for Lord Mukuro. Demons valued strength. If any of the three of them came up to Nanashi, babying her for stumbling exhausted into the camp, Kirin would see it and would tell Lord Mukuro. It would make her look weak and would make the one who comforted her look weak. If she exhausted herself, then she would still have to take care of herself and pull her own wait in the camp.
Nights were their own kind of exhausting. Hiei told her in their tent that she would have to keep it down as Kirin would hear them. He made it so difficult though, rolling around with him on the sleep mats and sleeping bags. One night in particular she had to cover her mouth as he took her from behind lest she cry out into the night.
One the morning of the eighth day, she woke up feeling more exhausted than when she went to sleep when Hiei finally let her. She saw Hiei was already up, dressed, and ready for the day. She rolled over on the sleep mat, groggily extricating her unclothed self from the sleeping bag. She reached over to her rucksack, blinking as she pulled out clothes she could wear for the day. She wondered if when Lord Mukuro chose her to be his heir, if he would give her a chance to recover from the journey before putting her to the test.
As she started getting dressed, she felt his heavy gaze boring on her. She put her shirt on, blinking up at him. "What's wrong?"
He stared at her quietly, making her feel a sense of unease coming off of him. Did he know she was thinking about? How she was already planning to be Lord Mukuro's heir instead of him. She knew he wanted be chosen, too.
He grunted under his brief, looking slightly agitated. "You need a day to rest," he commented. "You're exhausted."
"No," she frowned at him. That was a ridiculous idea. "We only had four more days of traveling to do. I can rest when we get to Alaric Castle," she reasoned. "Besides, I am getting stronger. I can fly longer now than I used to. And I want to..." she hummed to finish her sentence.
"You want to be chosen as the heir?" Hiei said, cluing in.
She had kept getting dressed. She had finally finished getting her pants on for the day. "All four of us want it," she answered honestly. "I can keep going. I want to keep going. If we rest for a day, especially for me, my chance is gone." She stood up. "I won't give up my chance that easily," she said determinedly. She stepped out of the tent, joining the others in getting ready for the day.
The next four days were somehow double exhausting for her, even though they were exposed to more demons now in the area, which forced her to become stronger. She pushed through it, managing two hours of flying solo the night before they reached the castle.
The next day, the last day of traveling, she kept herself on her hippogriff all day, whether she liked it or not. She needed to rest. She needed to make sure she entered the castle, she did not look exhausted, or tired, or weak, or anything like that. She felt so limited on Fury, not being able to instantaneously change direction if she wanted to.
In the afternoon, they finally reached Alaric Castle, a large, ma cab looking thing in the middle of the largest mountain range in the country. The rocks and trees were thick around the area, making for a good set of natural fortifications. It was intimidating looking, but she liked it in an odd way. She wanted it to be hers as soon as possible. One more night and then she could start her training or whatever it was to prove herself to Lord Mukuro. It would also be the last night she spent with Hiei. That thought made her feel nervous and sad.
Once the hippogriffs were dropped off at the stables, the six of them went up the castle, settling into their own rooms. Nanashi liked that she was sharing a room with Hiei, seeing as this would be the last night they were together for a while.
They only had a little bit of time in their rooms before they were expected down to dinner. She could have had a chance for a quick nap if she wanted it, but she resisted the temptation as that might make her look weak. Nanashi felt a little too over focused about trying to appear strong, trying to think of how she could show Lord Mukuro she was the best choice out of the four of them. She could not imagine how she could stomach it if Kurama or Yasha were chosen instead. They were her friends, which made her conflicted to think even that. Yet she was determined to get it. If not her, Hiei. She could stomach Hiei getting it.
They went down to dinner, Nanashi dressed in an outfit she hoped conveyed that she was strong. She was also expecting to see Lord Mukuro finally. Yet at dinner, it was just Kirin, Yasha, Kurama, Hiei, and herself in the dining room.
The five of them sat down at the table in the dining hall together. The room was dark, and dimly lit. It was almost too hard to see anything properly. The servants that came and served them were silent. The whole room itself was silent as no one spoke as they ate. Nanashi was not willing to be the one who broke the silence first. She forced herself to eat everything that was served, even though she was so nervous that she was not hungry at all. She did however look about the room, trying to see where Lord Mukuro might have put a camera or something to spy on them from. Maybe he even was a telepath like Hiei and was watching them all through Kirin's eyes or something.
When the meal ended and the plates were cleared away, Kirin finally spoke. "Hiei's been chosen," he said, standing up from his chair.
The world seemed to tilt for Nanashi. She gasped, not fully comprehending Kirin meant even though his words were very clear.
"How?" Yasha exclaimed. He also did not seem to understand at least.
Kirin explained, "Lord Mukuro has been watching each of you since you arrived at the castle. Hiei is the best choice of the four of you."
Nanashi looked over at Hiei, noticing he was even surprised. Kurama was only studying Kirin. "What was the reason?" he asked quietly.
Kirin paused, eyes squinting. It confirmed to Nanashi Lord Mukuro was in fact a telepath and was connected to Kirin's mind in someway. "Not the king's puppet and not pregnant."
Nanashi gasped, thinking in a fast frenzy, distracted by Yasha's reaction. "I'm-we're-" he gestured between Kurama and himself, "we're not puppets for the king. We have little interest in doing whatever the king wants."
Kurama put a hand on Yasha's shoulder, getting him to stop and calm down. "An adviser and a queen's brother could look like that, from the wrong angle."
Yasha was still huffing, ruing in his own jealousy and rejection. Nanashi could not blame him. They had not even met Lord Mukuro in person and Hiei was just chosen without word or warning.
"I'm not a puppet," Nanashi said, thinking out loud. If she was not chosen because she was a puppet, then... She gasped, covering her hands over her mouth. She pushed the chair out, looking down at her stomach, placing a hand on it. "There's no way..." She looked over at Hiei next to her. From one look at his face, she knew he already knew. "You knew. You already know..." she breathed. "How long?" she asked, brow knitting. It was a rush of information and emotions to process. Lord Mukuro did not chose her because she was pregnant... she was pregnant.
"Four days... and then three days..." he told her. He did not look to willing to tell her anything.
"I need a minute," she excused. She felt sick to her stomach. She rose up, leaving the dining room before she could get sick in the room.
She slipped into the hallway, sitting herself down in the nearest corner she could find. She sat down, elbows coming to rest on her knees. She put her hands over her face, not sure how to react being just numb. She was tempted to cry, tempted to throw up, tempted to rage, tempted to do who knew what. Yet she only just sat there.
She had no clue how long she sat there in her numbness. She heard someone walking in the hallway, so she looked up. She saw Kurama walking towards her. She stood up,brushing herself off as she did so. She watched him walk up to her, not sure how to react to him being here.
When he got closer, she felt her emotions rising. She closed the distance between him, hugging him and leaning her weight against him. She felt safe with him, like she did with Yusuke. It made her miss Yusuke. She felt a few stray tears slip out, even though she was determined to keep them at bay.
"You ought to go rest in your room," he told her soothingly. She nodded up at him, wiping at her eyes.
She somberly let him lead her to the room she was sharing with Hiei, surprised to find it empty. She felt a moment of panic.
"He's not already gone, is he?" she asked. She was upset about their new upcoming separation. It would be even worse if her running off would lead her to not be allowed to see him to say goodbye.
Before Kurama could even answer, she saw down the hallway at Hiei and disgruntled Yasha coming towards them. It was so awkward to stand there in the hallway the four of them.
"Good night," Nanashi said, breaking the awkward silence. She opened the door and slipped into her and Hiei's room.
Hiei followed in after her, shutting the door behind him. She sat herself down on the bed, stomach clenching, emotions churning. It was so much on her mind right now. Without feeling like she had a chance to properly prove herself, Hiei was chosen in her stead. And she just got pregnant with twins. And that her and Hiei were about to go through another separation, but not the one she was going to expect.
He reached her, standing before her. He was studying her, seeing how she was handling all of it. "It'll be six months," he said, answering the unasked questions. "Once that time is up, you can come back here."
She looked up at him, feeling herself pale. "If you survive," she commented.
"Hn," he grunted at her confidently. "I'll survive."
"I know," she murmured out, wanting to be just as confident as he was. She looked up at his headband. "You contact me every single day," she demanded. He nodded, making her feel relieved. She felt a wave of exhaustion hit her, mixing up in her emotions. He stepped closer to her, placing his hand on her lower stomach. The look he was giving her was conflicted and she felt similar. "I didn't expect this so soon," she admitted. "I wanted to wait a few years," she explained.
He looked away from her face, and down to her middle. "Same," he breathed in a sigh. "Hopefully two boys. That would preferable." She nodded, unsure how much she agreed with what he desired.
He brought himself closer up to her, catching her off guard when he kissed her. She jumped, but sunk into it, not wanting to think anymore. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling him laying down her down on the bed.
She did not think, just let him take the lead, going through the motions. He stripped her down quickly, looking her over as she kept her head downcast. She could feel his eyes all over her, as if trying to memorize what she looked like. He took his own clothes off himself. When he was ready, he brought his weight down over top of her, grinding his hips against hers, trying to excite her. His mouth came down on hers, pressing his lips against hers with unexpected fierceness. She yielded completely to him, mouth following his and legs spread open for him, as much as she felt like trying in the moment.
His mouth roamed away from hers, sinking down to her chest, nipping at her with sharp teeth. She whimpered out at that, hardly wanting to. She heard him growl. He sunk his head lower, nipping at her as he went. His tongue danced along the top of her mound, letting his teeth be included. He grounded his mouth against her, making her also want to squirm away. She felt him slide two fingers inside of her to tease inside along with his tongue. She sighed, bringing her hand down to grip his hair. The other hand came up to her mouth in a fist. She found that even as he worked her over with such intensity, she could not enjoy it. More was laying there waiting for him to stop.
He hissed through his teeth, sitting up and pulling away from her. She could feel his heavy gaze on her, mixed with lust and frustration. She kept her eyes away from his. She felt like she would crack if she did.
"Do something," he whispered in frustration.
She sat up, willing herself not to break down now. The desire to send him off with a good memory conflicting with her desire to just lay down and cry.
Without looking at his face, she scooted to the edge of the bed, making him step backwards away from him. She sank down to the ground on her knees before him. She brought him hard into her mouth, dancing her tongue along him the way he liked. She heard him sigh in a relaxed tone this time. His hand snaked into her hair, pulling on it in an attempt to elicit something out of her. Rather, she took it in silence.
His hands were firmer, pulling her off of him. He took her by the shoulders, guiding her back down to the bed. He backed up, asking, "on your hands and knees."
She did as he asked, moving slowly. He seemed to really like this position. She made room for him on the bed to come behind her. He brought his hands over her backside and hips. She brought her elbows down on the bed, hanging her head low. He brought his cock, rubbing it against her before thrusting it inside of her. He loosed a low moan, taking her with a sense of urgency. She laid her head down on her arms, waiting for him to finish and for it to be over.
She felt him finish in time with a loud groan. "Damn it," he swore.
She let herself collapse on the bed and stayed where she laid. He turned her over, making her realize he did not want to be done just yet. They were about to be separated for months, and yet she could not bring herself to rally the way he wanted her to.
He panted, laying himself on his side down beside her. His hand slid down her front once more, making an effort to make her enjoy herself. She closed her eyes, trying to relax enough to give into him. She panted, closing her eyes and trying not to think. She felt him shift over top of her, sneaking his mouth to tease at the mate bite he marked on her neck. She breathed deeply, hand coming down to grip his forearm. His hand grew rougher with her, fingers pressing harder and deeper. He had her finally, got her. She felt exhaustion wash over her in tune with pleasuring her.
He sat up, sitting back on his knees. He pulled her up with him, tired though she was now. He brought her down on his lap, slipping back inside of her so suddenly. She exhaled noisily, feeling a deep ache starting to take root inside of her. She managed to move with him, trying not to think, just move.
He rose up unexpectedly, making her pull away and sit back down on the bed. He turned her around, taking her from behind once more, harder this time. His hand came over to her hair, using it to pull her up and lean her back against his chest. It was like a repeat of their wedding night. One arm wrapped firmly around her ribs, holding her up. The other hand snaked down to her front, teasing her with such intensity that she hardly thought she could handle it as she came.
When she finished, he let her go. She brought her elbows back down on the bed, finding purchase. She held herself up, keeping her back arched for him, trying to move in time with him. "Nishi," he whispered her pet name.
He pulled back, sitting up on his knees. She lay down on the bed, curled up and panting. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. It was only when he had finally finished and then laid down spent, did she let her emotions finally spill out.