Disclaimers: Tomorrow... tomorrow... that's what the agents keep telling me. For today the Inu-tachi is still Takahashi-sama's.
(out-of-date comments have been deleted)
(then put back in by the beta)
(then deleted again)
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Three Way Mirror
Chapter Thirteen
Confessions and Confrontations
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Sesshoumaru's realization made no difference in the way he acted toward his brother. He still took the act of the superior, though InuYasha was none too pleased. The younger was presently muttering to Kagome.
"Remind me again why we're letting Sesshoumaru lead?" he grumbled.
"Because he's got a superiority complex," she sighed.
'I do not,' Sesshoumaru found himself thinking.
"Ah," InuYasha complied.
Suddenly Sesshoumaru came to a stop, whirling to face his brother. "InuYasha," he announced. The group members blinked. "You lead for a while." There was obvious strain on Jaken's face that kept him from speaking. Without another word, Sesshoumaru strolled over to where Rin walked beside Shippo, and scooped her up to carry her. Shippo easily bounded to sit on Miroku's shoulder, stopping the monk's attempt at a pass. Sango sped up to walk by Riku, InuYasha shrugging and taking the lead once again, Kagome all but attached to his hand.
"So," Sango said, trying to ease the strange reticence that settled over her fellows. "May I ask how you came to be betrothed to Kiyoshi?"
Trying to hold back the surprise in his voice, Riku blinked several times before replying. "It was just announced one day," he admitted. "I think it had something to do with me following her around all day. She was fairly distant all the time, and I guess the betrothal was just meant to tie her more to the village."
"It didn't work, did it?" Shippo inquired, listening in on the discussion. Riku glanced back at him.
"Not really." Sango shook her head in sympathy. Miroku went through similar actions. "After that, she only became more secluded."
"She doesn't like you," Shippo made a face, jumping to ride on Sango's shoulder and get a better vantage point of the Efáyêth's facial expressions. "She would've stayed if she wanted to be with you."
Riku frowned. "But..." he protested. "She would have to have agreed to the betrothal before the Elders would announce it."
"Did they ask you?" Miroku inquired, easily catching up with the preceding.
"No," the boy muttered. "But--"
"I'm assuming they asked your parents?" Sesshoumaru interjected, suddenly taking an interest in the talk of non-youkai. This earned him a nod. "How would they ask Kiyoshi's parents if she wandered into Ea?"
"That's why she'd have to agree to it herself!"
"You sure they weren't just blackmailing her?" InuYasha teased over his shoulder.
"InuYasha!" Kagome hissed.
"What?" InuYasha replied smartly.
"I never... I never thought of that... before..." Riku said quietly. Miroku felt a wash of pity for the boy, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He supposed he knew what it was like to love and not be loved. With a secretive glance to the boomerang-toting taiji-ya, Miroku sighed, trying to make it sound like he was sympathizing with the boy.
Sango, for her part, adapted the situation much the same as Miroku, though the rolls were reversed. She stared ahead with a small frown on her face, trying to look concerned for Riku. Her gaze stayed steady on InuYasha and Kagome's hands, her look turning longing and introspective. Riku and Miroku were too wrapped up in their own thoughts to notice. Shippo, though, raised his eyebrows as he glanced between the couple up ahead and the expression on Sango's face.
Keeping a steady pace, Sesshoumaru tactfully observed the situation before him. Perhaps this was the reason they had left Kouga behind while the wolf was still asleep. Surely the immature youkai couldn't resist to poke fun at the monk for his interest in the situation. It was painfully obvious to that Sesshoumaru the complete hopelessness of the plight of the two humans. Riku's predicament was less clear, but still left a sharp impression on the Western Lord.
"Hey!!!" Kouga's voice caught up with them. "I can't believe you just ditched me like that!" he roared as he fell into step with the formation. "Switch leaders again, eh?"
"Mind your own business, Kouga," InuYasha grumbled tiredly. The sudden change from the teasing to tiresome demeanor nearly caught Sesshoumaru off-guard. From what he heard, InuYasha was usually tough and callous toward the wolf, but the attitude he observed now was anything but.
'It's just as well,' Sesshoumaru told himself. 'At least now I can verify this predicament with someone without completely giving away my intentions.'
"Kouga," the lord growled, low enough that only the whelp in question could hear. He slowed to keep stride with the elder youkai. "Do you observe anything unusual about these humans?"
Taking a closer-- though discreet-- look around, he shrugged in a distracted manner, so as to fool the others. "Other than Kagome and InuYasha-- oh, and Riku standing between the exterminator and monk-- everything seems normal."
"Are they always this distant with each other?"
Another glance, and a shrug. "The monk and Sango... yeah."
"I shall never understand humans, then."
"You and me both," Kouga agreed, before catching up to InuYasha to make a pest of himself.
Sesshoumaru turned his gaze down to the human in his arms, who was drowsing lazily in the warm day. Even if he could never understand the race, that didn't mean that this particular girl would be raised human. He cast a glance to Shippo, the youkai raised as a human, and back the human girl he was determined to raise as a youkai. Contrast indeed.
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Later that day, during a short break (more frequently than Sesshoumaru, though not as lengthy) Riku thought on InuYasha's words.
Had the Elders truly blackmailed Kiyoshi into the betrothal? And did Kiyoshi have any intention of making it anything but a betrothal?
Again his anger turned to the mysterious hanyou that distracted Kiyoshi's attention. Before that accursed being came along, Kiyoshi's full attention was on him, all for Riku. She'd adored his accuracy in his transformations, and even asked him to help her from time to time. But after that damn hanyou showed up, Kiyoshi's attention was divided, and soon was altogether turned to the other boy, who obviously didn't reciprocate her affections.
It was just the way Kiyoshi was, he supposed. The 'poor hanyou' was too weak to defend himself against other youkai, and he was part coyote youkai, too. He wasn't even native to the lands. Somehow Riku knew that if Kouga were ever to meet Taran, a bloody fight would ensue, and Kouga would be the victor. Taran-- the coyote hanyou-- wouldn't even stand a chance.
Even though there were several rumors about Kiyoshi being treated unkindly by humans, she still defended the honor of the race with a fierce passion. No one could quite understand her because of it, and so marked up the defense as part of her morality.
Riku often suspected that Kiyoshi was just a simple person at heart, even underneath all the spider web patterned complexity. For now, though, it was mere speculation. Nothing could be confirmed until he confronted her.
His attention was suddenly turned east. He could have imagined it, but... After a quick sniff, he was sure.
Kiyoshi was closer.
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(aimless prattle has been deleted)
Anyway, hope you liked it! You meet Kiyoshi in the next chapter! (I think)
Ja ne, minna-san.
