Too many Skittles…too much typing…must persevere. Only like a kabillion more pages in the notebook, Teresa. You can do it. Kuma-chan believes in you (Kuma-chan is my little pink stuffed bunny that sits on top of my computer and helps me work.) I only have two more days before update day, and if I don't finish typing this story stuff out so I can write up the new chapters of Scarlet and Gossamer Dreams, it'll be another fruitless Thursday. Must…continue…striving onward. I feel my study crown will help me work, so we'll try that. Maybe I only imagine that it makes me work better and feel smarter, but even so…
*****
Something Is Real
Part 16
*****
"Come, Rin. We are leaving." Sesshoumaru simplified his command for the little girl who had gone from white to pink in moments. "Jaken is retrieving Ah-Un."
"I'm sorry I took him without asking." Rin told the tall youkai lord sheepishly. "And that I worried Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Very well, you are forgiven. Now come here." Sesshoumaru was growing very impatient. And that Kohaku brat was holding her hand. He really must have a death wish. "You let go of her. I should kill you for betraying me after I saved you."
"It was you!" Sango rushed forward to confront Sesshoumaru and possibly shield her newly saved brother from any sort of harm. "He wouldn't say how he got rid of the shard, but it was you, wasn't it?"
"I did not come here to chat. Rin, come here." Sesshoumaru's patience was wearing thin.
"What do you want?" Inuyasha growled, seemingly wondering whether it was better to stand where he was guarding just Kagome, or if he should stand closer to where he could protect everyone from Sesshoumaru's attack. He settled for edging slightly forward and setting his hand meaningfully on Tetsusaiga's hilt. And making a really mean face. That would definitely get the job done.
"I'm not here for you." Sesshoumaru blinked at him, affecting his usual, bored face. "Whelp."
"Inuyasha," Kagome was right behind him again, clutching his arm tightly. "That girl, she's that little girl that travels with Sesshoumaru."
"Well spotted." Kagura couldn't stop the sarcastic words from tumbling out until it was too late. She felt much better when she saw Kikyo smile slightly out of the corner of her eye. She wondered momentarily if it should worry her how close Kanna was to Sesshoumaru, but she figured that while he was most definitely dangerous, his anger was directed, and Kanna had nothing to do with it. Plus, he was just so pretty.
"Rin, come to me now. It's time to go." Sesshoumaru's eyebrow arched, which was usually more expression than his face ever showed, but it seemed that Rin had a penchant for ignoring the usual and destroying it utterly.
"She doesn't want to!" Kohaku's voice was full of a surprising amount of conviction, and he instantly had everyone's attention. Especially Sesshoumaru's. Sango's protective sister alert was suddenly blaring. She looked back at her brother briefly as she casually hooked her fingers through Hiraikotsu's handle.
"Rin," Sesshoumaru's voice was deadly calm. Sango's grip tightened until her knuckles were white. "Come."
"She's not your slave!" Kohaku tightened his hold on Rin's hand.
"You seem brave when your sister is protecting you, brat." Sesshoumaru let his golden eyes bore into Kohaku, who was trembling, but still holding Rin firm.
"Don't even think about it." Sango glared viciously, well aware that her anger was not at all intimidating when compared to Sesshoumaru's.
"I came here for her." Sesshoumaru seemed to be addressing the whole group, though his eyes never left Kohaku. "I was not expecting difficulties." He cracked his knuckles angrily, and Hakkaku yelped aloud in fright. Ayame looked over at Ginta and him, standing ready to fight, but looking like all they wanted was to run and hide. Then she looked back at Sesshoumaru. Why were they so scared? This guy was beautiful. Gorgeous, even.
"Rin?" Kagome was pushing past a disbelieving Inuyasha, her face soft and eager to help. "Rin, what do you want to do?" the little girl looked up at Kagome's smiling face and blinked slowly, her grey eyes glimmering. "You can say whatever you want, sweetie."
"I…want to see Kohaku-kun." Rin finally spoke, causing Sesshoumaru to actually scowl.
"Sesshoumaru, I don't think she wants to go with you." Kagome's voice was actually apologetic, and Inuyasha was sure he heard sympathy in her tone as well. He wasn't sure whether he was angry or impressed at her sincerity. He decided that the best course of action was to growl at Sesshoumaru and glare.
"Rin wants Sesshoumaru-sama!" the little girl tugged on Kagome's sleeve.
"You have to pick one, Rin." Kagome told her. There was a long pause. She looked at Kohaku. She looked at Sesshoumaru. She repeated this process.
And promptly burst into tears.
"Rin…don't cry." Kohaku sounded rather helpless, and his words didn't affect the little girl at all.
"It's okay, Rin." Kagome hugged the girl in an attempt at comfort. "You don't have to pick right away. How about we have dinner first? Didn't you say you were hungry?" Rin choked slightly on her tears, nodding fiercely and scrubbing one hand over her eyes. Kagome blinked at Sesshoumaru, and the camp fell silent, waiting for his reaction.
"Jaken." At his master's call, the toad stumbled out of the woods, Ah-Un's reins firmly in one hand. "We will rest here. Eat, if you wish."
"But Sesshoumaru-sama, your—"
"I said," Sesshoumaru interrupted Jaken's protest. "We will rest here tonight."
"Y…yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Jaken looked rather upset. Seeing this, Rin broke away from the people surrounding her and gave him a hug.
"Sorry, Jaken-sama!" she was all sunshine and cheer once more. "I made you worry, but I just had to meet my friends."
"Uh…that's right, don't do that again, Rin." Jaken felt a sudden heat, and he realized that Sesshoumaru was glaring at him again. He pushed Rin away hastily.
"Okay, now let's eat." Rin giggled as people stared at her and then began to gather around the fire, her interference not keeping them from the routine they were slowly building amongst themselves. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" the youkai lord, intent on appearing annoyed and aloof at the same time, didn't realize Rin was pulling at his hand until he heard her voice and looked down at her. "Come sit next to Rin!"
"I do not eat human food." Sesshoumaru's voice was haughty, and Jaken looked guilty as he bit into the freshly roasted fish Kagome had just served him.
"I know, I just wanna sit with you cause I missed you." Rin explained. Sesshoumaru felt his eyes go wide and he blinked in an attempt to correct the anomaly.
"I do not associate with humans." He finally managed. Rin frowned at him for a moment.
"But Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm a human." She told him after some time, as though she wondered whether or not he was aware of this fact. The youkai lord blinked, and Jaken wondered if Rin had finally gone too far. Then Sesshoumaru strode forward as proudly as if it had been his original intention, and sat next to Rin, his back kept regally straight as Jaken scrambled to sit on his other side.
"Sango, did you see that?" Kagome leaned over to whisper in her friend's ear. "He did what she said! A little girl like that."
"I didn't think he took orders from anyone. Just like his brother. All it took was a woman." Sango giggled slightly, garnering Sesshoumaru's scrutiny and immediately blanching. Kagome noticed this and decided to lighten the atmosphere.
"So, have we all met?" she asked, ready to introduce everyone, but no one spoke up. "Kikyo, have you met Inuyasha's brother and his friends?"
"Retainers." Sesshoumaru corrected gruffly.
"We have met." Kikyo had made a small pot of tea, and she was offering a cup to Kagura, who was trying to ogle Sesshoumaru while eating her fish and still appear graceful.
"I've had the pleasure as well." Kagura smiled and fluttered her lashes at the unaffected youkai lord.
"I've never met him." Ayame volunteered, and Kagome sighed in relief before turning to Sesshoumaru, who appeared thoroughly disinterested.
"Ayame is the leader of the northern wolf youkai tribe." She explained to the man, who was intent on keeping Rin's greasy, fish covered hands away from his silk sleeves. "Ayame, Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's half brother, lord of the western lands. And these two are his followers, Rin and Jaken."
"Rin, please behave yourself." Sesshoumaru snatched her hand in his and replaced it in her lap. "Go wash your hands."
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She sprung up and ran off. Sesshoumaru nodded at Jaken, who immediately stood to follow her.
"So then," Kagome tried again at conversation. "What have you been doing lately, Sesshoumaru?"
"It is hardly your concern." Sesshoumaru told her flatly. "However, I have been tracking Naraku."
"Oh! Well, that's what we're doing as well." Kagome brightened immediately. "Have you got any good leads?"
"As if I'd tell you." He pursed his lips in annoyance. Kikyo made a noise like a soft laugh, drawing his attention.
"That means you have no clue." Kikyo explained her amusement. "It's too bad. We will find him in a matter of days, and after we have finished him, your searching will be for nothing."
"Impossible." Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly. "You are no closer than I am."
"If you'd like to believe that, I will not stop you." Kikyo sipped her tea calmly. "But soon enough, all will be revealed."
"Don't be so cryptic, Kikyo." Kagura rolled her eyes. "I think that we'd all benefit from each other's help, don't you agree?"
"We don't need his help." Inuyasha tossed aside a stripped fish skeleton as he spoke adamantly.
"Inuyasha, I think that if we—" Kagome attempted to calm the hanyou, but he wouldn't have any of it.
"No, no fuckin' way." Inuyasha waved his hands, negating whatever logic Kagome had been ready to offer. "Kouga and his damn groupies came. I didn't fight you on it."
"Yeah you did!" Kagome cried in protest, but Inuyasha kept up his rant as if she hadn't said a word in protest.
"And then fuckin' Kikyo and Kagura came, and I let it happen." He continued.
"Real nice." Kagura snorted.
"But I'm not taking on any more trash! We don't need him or his stupid lackeys." Inuyasha insisted. "Bad enough you got me babysitting the taijiya brat and his creepy ass girlfriend, I'm not taking on more kids." At his proclamation, uproar ensued.
"Babysitting? You don't watch out for them at all!"
"She's not my girlfriend!"
"Do not insult my brother."
"Kikyo, give me your knife. It's stabbing time."
"You did not call me trash!"
"Stupid piece of shit."
"Okay, very nice, let's all calm down." Kagome was now standing up, and as she held her hands out in a pacifying gesture, the people around her quieted down. Just then, Rin returned with a harried looking Jaken right behind her.
"I'm back!" she immediately threw her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck, causing his lips to purse slightly.
"Rin, please." He calmly pried her arms loose. "You are nearly thirteen years old. Behave as a proper lady would."
"She's twelve?" Kagome squawked. "She looks eight!"
"Maybe ten." Sango added her age estimate.
"Her behavior betrays her." Sesshoumaru told them. "And shames me."
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Don't say that!" Rin stuck out her lip, and Jaken cleared his throat in warning.
"Don't act up, Rin. You've been enough trouble to Sesshoumaru-sama." He ordered her.
"No surprise she seems young." Sango turned to Kagome, a slow smile on her lips. "Imagine Jaken as your mother."
"You'd think Sesshoumaru could teach her how to act." Kagome speculated.
"AS if he'd lower himself." Kohaku grumbled. "Thinks he's so much better than everyone else. Than all of us put together. He's no better, though. He just can't see that."
"Don't!" Rin grabbed Sesshoumaru's sleeve defensively. "Sesshoumaru-sama is the best! He saves lots of people and he always protects Rin!"
"Rin, no." Sesshoumaru was not in the mood for praise from Rin. It felt wrong, somehow. "I do not wish to discuss this."
"Let's talk about an alliance, then." Kagura suggested. "I think that we could all benefit from Sesshoumaru's abilities, and he needs us to find Naraku."
"He wants to kill my brother, though!" Sango protested. "Absolutely not."
"But think of Rin. She wants to be with both." Kagome turned to the little girl. "Kohaku and Sesshoumaru, right?"
"Yeah." She nodded sharply.
"And I think we could learn to work together." Kagome insisted. "The more people on our side, the better."
"I agree on that point." Kikyo spoke up. "Personal animosity aside, Sesshoumaru is a formidable fighter."
"I bet he is." Ayame smiled at the beautiful man. Ginta sat up sharply as he noticed the looks that both Kagura and Ayame were giving the youkai lord.
"I don't trust him." Ginta spoke up, and Ayame elbowed him sharply.
"I never said I wanted to side with you." Sesshoumaru spoke, his tone sharp.
"Like we need you." Inuyasha sneered.
"Stop being a baby." Kagome told him, her expression firm. "Sesshoumaru, I think you should know that we have a definite plan for finding Naraku."
"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru seemed vaguely interested.
"Don't tell him!" Inuyasha growled, obviously upset.
"Like he can do it without us." Sango rolled her eyes. "He needs us more than we need him."
"Stop, Sango." Kagome frowned at her friend. "He won't kill Kohaku, will he?"
"Not if I have been given no reason." Sesshoumaru spoke slowly, his tone dangerous and low.
"Then I say we work together." Kagome pressed on. "We could use you."
"This is crap." Inuyasha grumbled.
"Shut up, Inuyasha!" Kagura hissed at him. "You're just jealous that he's so much prettier than you are!"
"Is that why you girls are so determined?" Kouga wanted to know. "I don't see what's the big deal. He looks like a stupid dog to me."
"Now, now, let us not cloud the issue with such petty concerns." Miroku turned to Sango, his face solemn. "Sango, how do you feel about this?"
"Well…if he promises not to kill Kohaku, I think it will be okay." Sango decided.
"No, no. I was wondering if you found him…pretty?" Miroku clarified, his head tilted slightly to one side.
"How could you not?" Ayame blushed furiously, and Sesshoumaru sighed in aggravation.
"I don't…well, I suppose he is a bit…but I could never think about even…he hates Kohaku!" Sango spluttered.
"That is good enough for me." Miroku nodded his assent.
"So, will you stay with us?" Kagome asked.
"Please, can we?" Rin was using her unbeatable pouty face on him again. He looked at her wide eyes.
It wouldn't be so horrible to fight with these people. Many had a small measure of skill, and aside from the pale girl, the stupid brat taijiya, and possibly the fox kit, they were all more powerful than Jaken. Certainly more brave.
Then again, the group was positively riddled with humans. Both taijiya, the priest, even the two miko women were still human. And of course, Inuyasha, though he was only half.
But on the other hand, most of those people were exceptional fighters. And Rin was human, too. He somehow forgot that fact quite often. And she could do with the influence of some older women. Though he didn't want the wind youkai or the wolf girl touching her. Both had been shamelessly leering at him ever since he arrived. He was quite used to the affect he had on women, but it was still…annoying.
He could feel the tension between individuals, warning him that if he got involved, it would be with a troublesome human emotional mess. But Rin really did want to stay with them.
He could never refuse Rin.
"Fine."
*****
The End (Of Part 16, That Is)