By Any Other Name

Touya had been alone by the stream for over an hour, while Jin supposedly cleaned the infant girl, of the filth she had been living in, for the past three days. Touya's eyebrows were drawn together and he was quite close to forming a classic frustration vein on his forehead from sitting so long with out anything constructive to do. Initially he had worried that Jin might try to run away with the little girl, but his fears were put aside once he felt Jin's youki very close by. And as much as Touya realized the severity of what had happened to the village and to the infant, he also felt it necessary to get back to working on this mission before Reisho and the others decided to send for them.
'That won't be pretty picture,' Touya thought to himself as he stared into the stream's flowing waters. 'When Reisho realizes how long we have been gone, that will be only one of the many things he will have "issues" with. I can just imagine his face when he hears that we not only failed in our mission to save the village, but that Jin may want to keep an infant around the encampment. What Reisho will do once he finds out that the girl is a half breed...' Touya shuddered just thinking of his leader's reactions to other similar situations.

During other instances when survivors had been found at various sites across the Makai, Reisho would usually take the easiest route and sell them as servants. Touya had always found it odd that the Shinobi clans saved these demons only to give them a life that was worse than when they first began. It seemed wrong...to lift one's spirits and thrash them upon proverbial rocks. How ironic; Jin and Touya's lives shared that quality with the victims of the Shinobi...raised hopes and shattered dreams. That was how best to break their will. Touya's face was scrunched up into a bitter countenance; he looked pained, like his very soul was being twisted.

A sudden burst of sound caught his ears and he lifted his head up in a jolt. Touya was hearing the loud laughter of a wind master. It came from where Jin and his charge were sitting by the tree. He got up and half stalked over with an annoyed look on his features. The ice demon was half prepared to yell at Jin for making him wait so long, while the wind master had been goofing off...as usual.

'Despite the severity of this situation, we are still on duty as trained, and professional members of the Shinobi clans, and...' his thoughts stopped there when he reached the pair. His feet stopped almost as quickly only to perform a classic anime fall down. There Touya was, preparing this big responsibility speech, which in Jin's case was often delivered on a daily basis, only to find Jin tickling the baby's belly with his nose making the weirdest noises Touya had ever heard.

As Touya got up from his fall, he sweat dropped hearing gibberish coming out of Jin's widely grinning mouth, as he entertained the giggling infant, who seemed to answer with the same nonsense.

"Tha i toilichte. Am bheil a' chraobh mòr? Tha sinn ag òl leann. Nach eil thu a' faireachdainn math? Tha iad a' smaoineachadh gu bheil mi a' seinn! He he he...you really like this, don't you Einin?" Jin laughed out loud again and nuzzled her stomach with glee, taking in her scent. Touya could only stand on the side of the pair and watch as Jin became putty in the infant's small hands. 'Jin better be careful or she'll walk all over him one day...one day? Great now he's got me thinking this girl is going to be around for a while!'

"Jin, I never knew you were one to babble with children in such gibberish. Imagine if the other Shinobi saw you now, or Urameshi? How can you even pick all of those nonsensical words out of your head so quickly?" Touya asked quite innocently. Jin instantly frowned with his mouth pursed and his eyes half lidded. A little frustration vein began popping on his forehead as he turned to the ice demon.

"It's not bloody gibberish ya' silly, little ice pixie!! You bloody well know it's Gaelic, I yell it at ye all the time. Gods, it's my native bloody language for St. Patty's sake! And if Einin likes it then it should be good enough for you!"

"You call that a language?" Touya scoffed, knowing very well what Gaelic was and that this little poke at Jin's expense would make his friend even more annoyed; sometimes Touya did things like this just to make his friend fume in a fake way...Jin never truly became enraged at moments like this; "all in good fun" was a phrase that came to Touya's mind, and these moments often helped clear any tensions lying in the air. As the ice master had predicted, for the moment it appeared the dreariness of that day had left them in a more lighthearted frame of mind...being able to argue as they always did put things in a better light. Jin's vein twitched at Touya's insincere jab and mumbled something under his breath.

"What did you say?!" Touya exclaimed his blue pupils getting smaller. At this juncture Touya was the one forgetting how to hold himself in check by remembering it was "all in good fun".

"I said 'Pog mo thon'...it means kiss my..." he put his hands over the girl's ears before yelling, "Ass!" Touya sweat dropped again and almost dreaded asking his next question, but it pecked at his mind and he moaned inwardly at bringing this upon himself.

"Fine, fine. Gaelic is a 'bloody' language, as you term it. But what is an 'Ay neen'?" he asked as he sat down, honestly perplexed at this word Jin kept repeating to the infant. In all of the times Jin had gone on a swearing torrent in Gaelic, Touya had never remembered hearing that particular phrase uttered...though there were many others with which he was well acquainted. Jin looked at him incredulously before responding, like he had expected Touya to know what it meant.

"What's the matter with your noggin today? It's her name o' course! Einin...it means 'little bird' in my language. Every time she makes that cooing noise it sounds like a little chirping birdie," he said as if it should have been apparent to Touya. His ice demonic friend opened his eyes even wider than before. This little verbal exchange had gone beyond amusing, and into dangerous territory, because now Jin was getting ideas in that brain of his, which often led to trouble with Reisho.

"OH NO! We are not doing that Jin! No way, no how!"

"Doin' what pray tell?"

"We are not her parents nor are we her foster parents, for that matter! What made you think you had the ordained right name her in the first place?!"

"What?! Don't be gettin your trousers in a twist; Einin needed a name...we couldn't just keep callin' her 'it' or 'the baby'. She deserved a proper name, and besides she gave me her blessin'," Jin said as if it made everything copasetic with all parties involved. Touya sweat dropped twice and rubbed his hand down his face before responding.

"SHE gave you her blessing?"

"What ya' got wax in your ears? Like I said SHE gave her blessing!"

Touya just stared at him for a moment...'Jin's lost his mind...he thinks infants can verbalize requests now. If Reisho doesn't kill him first he'll put Jin in a mental ward,' he finally thought to himself.

"She sounded real happy and all when I asked her permission, so I logically assumed that she meant 'yes'. Why are you fightin' this so much?" Jin asked before feeling a light bulb go off over his head.

"Oooohhhh, I get it now," Jin said, smirking like an elf. He quirked an eyebrow before continuing. "Well then Touya go right ahead; sorry for not thinkin' of it sooner; it was selfish of me." Touya stood back up with the most confused look upon his face. 'What on earth does the idiot have on his mind now? I'm once again afraid to even ask...damn my stupid curiosity.'

"What are you babbling about now?"

Jin frowned a bit at this and then said a-matter-of-factly, "Well...you didn't get to name her too. That IS why you're really upset, right? I named her with out even thinking of what you may want to call her. You saved Einin as well after all! So go ahead, give her a second name!" Touya looked like he was about to fall over, again. "Well go on, she likes hearing different languages and the like...you just know you want to name her. As much as you try to hide these things I see right through ya, me friend. You are just as fond of Einin as I am so don't try to deny it," Jin finished, grinning widely.

Touya's expression softened as he looked at his partner. He was right of course, at least about knowing what Touya really thought through his facades. But he did not yet feel the same bond that Jin did with Einin...she was still an orphaned stranger who was part of the job in Touya's mind.

Touya then glanced to Einin and met her intently curious gaze for the second time that day. Jin noticed this and, even though he does not seem to be the most perceptive of demons, he realized just what needed to be done. The wind master all of a sudden handed her over to Touya and started walking back to the burnt village. At first Touya panicked holding Einin out at arms length. Though he had helped save her life back at the village, Touya had always been a bit squeamish around babies and young children. He gritted his teeth unsure of what to do...he may have instructed Jin about how to hold her, but practicing what one preached was an entirely different matter.

Unbeknownst to Touya, Jin was trying to give them the same time together that he had been lucky enough to receive. He wanted Touya to care for Einin as much as he did; then maybe his ice demon friend would understand, in the near future, why Jin was going through with what he had recently planned while paying with Einin...

"Jin! Where are you going? What do I do if she starts crying?" Touya yelled at Jin's retreating form. Einin had already begun to whimper at the loss of body warmth and this made the ice master even more nervous. "Jin!"

"Don't worry your little blue noggin, Touya. I'm just gonna go get our notebooks and your cloak...we left them in the town remember? Besides I don't want Einin back in that place ever again. Don't worry I won't even be gone five minutes!" Jin nearly chuckled back, before disappearing into the brush. Touya sweat dropped, his eyes wide and looked at the infant still being held away from him in his hands. She looked back at him with the same look of: 'Ok...what now?'

"Name a child that isn't even mine to begin with...well I never...(mumble, grumble, mumble)," Touya had begun...well grumbling obviously, about ten minutes after Jin had left him alone with Einin. The demon had formed a patch of solid ice over the stream for him to sit upon, cross-legged and ponder what to do next. Einin lay safely tucked in Jin's warm cloak on Touya's lap, cooing and gurgling occasionally. 'Jin did not even think to go and find her food!' Touya thought incredulously. But he knew all of his grumbling was just a way to postpone the inevitable. Jin's stubborn nature would not let Touya leave this forest with out giving Einin a second name.

"You know that giving you a second name may just confuse you, right?" he asked Einin. She responded by cooing more and reaching up toward Touya. The ice demon looked perplexed and placed his arms on his knees while leaning into Einin's face with a questioning look. "What?" He got his answer immediately.

"OOOWWWWW! Let go of my hair!" Einin had grasped the shiny looking green bangs of Touya's forehead and given them a sharp tug, watching in amazement how they sparkled like snow. She giggled in delight at this and used her other small hand to grab some of his blue hair...earning herself another exclamation from the older demon.

"AACKKK! Stop!" Touya gritted his teeth not knowing how to dislodge himself from the little hands with out hurting her. 'I guess we should be grateful that the burns are not serious enough to impede her movement...she certainly seems functional enough!' Touya then sighed and stopped fighting Einin's hands when a realization came to mind. 'Jin is not planning to let Reisho take her...is he? Giving her a name was more personal to Jin that he let on...it implies a permanence to our relationship with her, and telling me to do the same is his way of making me just as attached! As good willed as his intentions may be, Jin is still trying to make me do something I may not be able to do....although he's not just being selfish, but is trying to help all three of us in fact. He probably sees Einin staying with us as the only decent thing to do. But...we can't though...demons in this line of work were never meant to have the lives they desire.'

Touya closed his eyes in a defeated way and felt Einin let go of his hair. He sat back up, and ruffled a hand through the mat of blue hair in frustration and said, with out opening his eyes, "We can not keep you young one...I am sorry but that is the state of things. When we get back to head quarters I will be forced to hand you over to Reisho. He will decide where you are to go, now that your home is gone. I wish, truly and honestly, that things could be different, for you and us alike. Jin will probably never forgive me for this...but a life with us means a life of shadows, to which the only end is death. There is no light there and I do not think you would choose to be a part of it." Touya simply continued to sit up straight, feeling the wind go through his shining green bangs. He opened his eyes slowly when he felt something clasp onto the finger of his left hand.

Touya let out a little surprised exhale of breath, then watched silently as Einin held his finger close to her mouth before nibbling on it affectionately. Touya realized she was so young that Einin did not even have any teeth yet. She looked him straight in the eye for the third time and he finally noticed how deeply blue they were, like small sapphire gems. Einin no longer looked questioningly at the ice demon, or confused. She seemed to know she was quite safe where she was, holding Touya's finger as if telling him not to ever leave her.

This endearing gesture on Einin's part made the corner of Touya's right eye water slightly before turning to crystal on his cheek. He gazed at how small and delicate her own fingers really were in comparison to his larger fingers, which were rough and worn from years of battle. 'You know her hands will become more torn and battered than even your own if you leave her to Reisho's whims...' an inner voice told him. He brushed her digits lightly with his free right hand. This made Einin giggle and reach out toward Touya's face. He leaned in obediently, initially dreading another firm yank to his scalp but instead he was welcomed by a soft touch. At this his eyes opened wider. She pressed her tiny hands onto his face almost cupping his pale cheeks. Touya, with out thinking, brought his hands under her small body and lifted her closer to his face so that she could reach. She started to rub her little hands up and down his features, and then chirped happily, "Nah!" At this Touya's heart finally melted and he dipped his face in to nuzzle her affectionately. He noticed that she no longer smelled of death or filth; her scent was new and refreshing, like flowers after a light rain.

Einin giggled at this attention and wrapped Touya's face in a gentle embrace. It appeared that she had chosen what she wanted. 'Hmm...it seems she is able to give her blessing...well I guess Jin has what he wanted...I will never be able to let myself leave her now,' he thought as he nudged his nose on hers. Touya then heard a slight cough and jerked his head up quick to see a smirking Jin leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. He had brought back Touya's cloak and the notebooks as promised, but looked as if he had long finished his task with a contented grin playing on his features. This grin was softer than the others he had shown recently and Touya knew his friend had been there for a time, watching the pair form their own bond.

"Not interrupting anythin' am I?" he asked coming over to the still sitting pair. He grinned knowingly as Touya blushed from being found out and tried to put on a less obvious expression.

"No...we were just finishing up," Touya said as he stood with Einin cradled in his arms. He walked over to Jin passing Einin to his taller friend before taking his own cloak and wrapping it around his shoulders.

"Well?" Jin said not waiting for Touya to finish dressing.

"What do you mean 'well'?" he asked, fiddling with a clasp on his cloak.

"Don't you play innocent with me Touya," Jin started his expression becoming more solemn. Touya finished to finally meet Jin's sincere gaze. "You know I don't mean her name at this moment."

'So Jin knows what I have been contemplating. Well, that should not be surprising. He's asking if I will take his side or Reisho's when the time comes,' Touya thought. He paused looking at both of the demons before him. He sighed heavily and then answered, "You are lucky she is so persuasive." At this Jin grinned from ear to ear and abruptly leapt onto Touya's torso, with Einin in the middle. Touya, not expecting this in the least, gave a stifled cry as he fell hard to the ground, while being strangled in Jin's enormous bear hug.

"ACK! Jin let go you big oaf! All I said is you are lucky...we still have to see how we are going to manage this back at head quarters...our time with her may not be as long as we hope so do not be expecting that much," he was able to gasp out. Jin then raised his head up, still hugging Touya, and grinned back at the ice demon.

"I know that may be true, but with someone like you on my side, old friend, I know we can pull anything off!" Touya just looked dumfounded before smiling to himself. 'Ach finally...the real patent pending Touya smile I have not seen in ages...Einin really must have pulled an OOC number on him to make him smile so sincerely!' Jin thought joyfully pleased with himself.

"Fine, fine, now get off me dummy before it starts to rain some more." Jin obliged still holding Einin in his arms. As Touya stood he said, "Now that that is settled we should start going back to the head quarters. Reisho is most likely having a fit by now!" As he started walking to the West, Jin called to him.

"Well??" Touya stopped for a second without turning. He needed no clarification as to what Jin was asking now.

"Hikari," he said. Jin looked perplexed, but thought the sound of it suited Einin just fine.

"What does that fancy word mean anyway?" Jin asked as he pulled up just behind Touya, readjusting Einin in the little sling of cloth he had made to lie over his chest snuggly. The ice demon waited a moment before turning his head to look Jin meaningfully in the eye.

"'That which takes away the darkness'," he said simply before facing west again and moving onward. Jin's face was blank for a moment until the true meaning hit him straight in the head like one of his own wind gusts. He smiled a real, honest smile as he looked at his companion walking ahead. 'So...I guess that settles it then. In our own ways, we have both agreed on the action we will soon take. Who knows? Perhaps this is our way out of the dark...may it be so.' Jin stopped his thoughts to look down at the precious bundle in his arms. He grinned and brought her face up to his, as he caught up with Touya on the pathway to the Shinobi encampment.

"Ha! I knew he would be unable to resist a pretty little angel like you! Uncle Touya's shriveled old heart just grew ten times bigger, yes it did...yes it did!" Jin babbled idiotically making Einin giggle and coo. Touya's face grimaced a little at being called "Uncle" and Jin could have sworn he heard the ice demon mumble under his breath, "Pog mo thon."

TBC