Series: Inuyasha
Title: Shadows Against a Shoji Screen
Rating: pg13
Genre: romance/drama/action/mystery
Main characters: Rin/Shippou/Sango/Miroku/Kouga gumi
Disclaimers: Inuyasha is not mine, at all, or in the least. I only pay a humble homage to Takahashi-sensei's work.
AN: I hate this chapter. I really do…that is why I have done a "double post", just to save your sanity. Please read it. Don't hate me. You might like it. I love you all. Just READ the damn thing. ;) thanks. Have a nice day.
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Shadows Against a Shoji Screen
Chapter 24
Stumbling in the Dark
Their travels, up to this point, had been as unpredictable as the weather. With the rain came small floods, landslides and days sitting within small and gloomy caves. At the time the experiences had been a thorn in their sides, detaining them from the mission at hand. Time was constantly their enemy, battling against them and winning at nearly every occasion. Weather laughed and spat in their faces and pelted them with rain and lightening.
Perhaps time had grown uninterested with them. Perhaps it was their perseverance which now seemed so boring, for there was no detaining them in the journey.
The two had managed to buy a bit of tofu from the last town they had passed through. It proved to be good quality, firm and fit for browning. The scent wafted up now, through the needles and branches of the pine trees and towards the heavens. The surface of one of the sides was a deep golden brown with small lumps appearing every now and then on its surface.
Rin, having just finished turning over the tofu with a stick she had found and cleaned earlier, sat back on the stone and smiled contentedly to herself.
This is life.
Memories of her childhood flashed vaguely in front of her eyes, like shadows rapidly disappearing in the growing twilight. There had been happy moments such as these, hadn't there? There was the browning of tofu, laughing, and merriment—or were these things all an illusion she had created?
Rin did not know.
The golden afternoon sun shone through the leaves causing dappled patterns on the soft and green forest floor. A few late flowering plants were in full bloom in these patches of sunlight, affording the best view of the sky and the heavens to which they could manage. The day had grown clear after the morning fog had parted, leaving the day balmy and comfortably warm.
Yet autumn, like so many other things, was on the wing. All that remained now was the predicted rains from China. Yet hopefully, hopefully, she would reach Sesshoumaru's estate by then. Those rains were her ultimatum, as was the moon in the sky. Every night as it waxed towards the full, a fear grasped at her heart and would not let go.
Leaning farther back so that she looked up directly into the sunlight and the speckled leaves and needles, Rin let out a satisfied sigh. It seemed strange; she thought to herself, that she could be so happy when her purpose of the mission was so sinister and imperative.
Blinking in surprise, she grinned as Shippou peered over her, his hazelnut eyes large and dilated as though he had just finished walking through some dark corner of the forest. His cheeks were flushed, but he was grinning broadly from ear to ear. Yes, their journey was dark—but she could not live in the dark, she had to have sunshine, like Shippou, to keep her going. She had to remember happiness as she moved towards sorrow.
"Hello, Shippou," Rin greeted to him, sitting up and turning to look directly at him. She giggled at the sight. He was really quite adorable, being drenched in water and its weight causing his ears and tail to limp. He was grinning softly now, his eyes dancing before her in a way they did occasionally.
"I take it you caught the fish?" Rin questioned, adding sweetly, "Or did you become one?"
Shippou took this opportunity to shake himself dry, causing millions of droplets of water to fall onto her, and eventually absorbed by Rin's skin and clothing. Yet, at this moment, her face was full of rivers of the water and her light yukata clung limp to her skin, accentuating what would normally not be seen beneath the thin cotton layer.
Turning quickly away after giving her a quick appraisal of the damage and noticing the effects, Shippou began to devote his attention to the food while successfully ignoring the onslaught of exasperated sighs.
But he could not look away. Glancing up at Rin unconsciously, Shippou found his gaze mesmerized to the spot. His feet seemed glued to the ground, a look of astonishment and revelation washing over his skin like a warm breeze from the south.
Believe in the man facing you now
Just narrow your eyes
The way in which the late afternoon beams of sun hit her glistening body caused a small translucent layer to glow around her, giving the appearance of something that should not have been allowed on earth, due to the brilliance in its every essence.
For a single moment, it was only them and the golden sunlight—gleaming like a pebble under an illuminated beach. There were only their eyes, and the depths and secrets that each held. For that instant there was only longing and hope against the odds, there was only the unspoken, the hidden. Their moment was a short lived as the pause between the first and second drops of a rain storm.
And then, like the rain, all poured down. One by one, faster and faster until it was all a large blur, the picture, the eyes, the sun, the moment obstructed.
As the two stood, transfixed to the very spot, the sound of loud voices broke through the serenity of the calm forest. The sound of gruff male voices approaching at great speed reached them off guard. Shippou's ears swiveled in alarm, and lunging for the branch of a mulberry bush, he hastily grabbed a leaf and tackled Rin, pushing her to the forest floor. For one brief and tender moment, they lay quiet, their breathing heavy, and their cheeks aflame—but it passed, as did everything. With a gentle 'poof' it was no longer Shippou who rested comfortably atop her, but a dark and dimly lit area that looked like the inside of a hollow rock.
As she lay there, huddled into a fetus position, Rin remembered suddenly that Shippou was no ordinary human, but instead a youkai with powers she could only wish for. She could hear his voice whispering gently in her ear, yet his face was not present, only a familiar and comfortable warmth from his body heat. She blushed and was thankful for the darkness.
"Stay still…and try not to breathe," he instructed strictly from his position caught like a fly between time and space.
Nodding, Rin slowed and quieted her rapid breaths and calmly opened her eyes.
A few moments later, the sound of crunching pine needles and leaves could be heard followed by a, "Oh, someone is cooking something?"
From farther away, a softer and deeper voice questioned, "Oh? Really? Anything good?" His accent seemed more formal compared to the first, as though it was not the country but the town in which he had spent his childhood.
"Fish and tofu," another voice from in front of the first voice commented. The sound of sniffing followed.
"Yeah," snorted another voice, tramping through the fallen leaves, "That sounds real good…god, I could use another stew."
"Stew…" the first voice whispered quietly in awe, as though the idea of stew itself was holy in some way.
The softer and deeper voice offered, "I could make some, if you want. Though, I don't suggest that we take the fish and tofu from whom ever was here earlier. I thought I saw some wild onions a way back, and if you catch some fish, I could have the stew ready by sundown."
Rin, as she remained perfectly still in the small cave that Shippou had created with his body, thought that the deeper voice seemed more educated and hardly as gruff and wild as the other two. She was rather interested in the soft-voiced man, surely he could not be a mercenary bent to kill someone they came across in the woods.
The voices died and the crunching of needles and twigs faded into the warm softness of the late afternoon. And yet, still, Shippou did not transform back until five minutes had passed. Before he did so, he questioned, his voice materializing out of mid air, "Do you think it is safe?"
Rin squirmed a bit, it felt like the rock was closing in on her and her legs had fallen asleep from huddling in the position for so long. Her yukata had also come slightly undone as well, and she was too cramped to try to fix it under the blanket like structure that Shippou had transformed into.
"Yes. They have been gone for about five minutes, after all." Her voice was a little more impatient than she had intended.
Shippou did not transform back, but instead continued to whisper, "You did not sense it because you are human, but those were wolf youkai…and they have very powerful noses. I wouldn't be surprised if they noticed me."
Rin sighed and insisted, "Shippou. Transform back right now, I'm suffocating."
A sigh, and then: 'poof'.
Looking up, she found that Shippou had fallen on top of her and was sprawled across most of her body. It didn't help that the breast to her yukata was beginning to become unfastened.
The two looked up at each other, waiting for the other to move; and perhaps for probably the second time, Rin was struck by the multitude of colors present in his eyes.
And then…
Someone coughed. And it wasn't Shippou or Rin.
The two swerved their heads in shock, and saw that two men were leaning against a particularly ancient pine tree some three meters away. One of them wore the garments of a traveling monk, his metal staff leaning causally against the bark of the tree. His hair was slicked back and tied into a neat ponytail with only a few strands escaping its grasp around the edges. His eyes were slightly droopy which gave him a pleasant and amiable look. The sly grin on his mouth only added to this personification—yet, it was a common fact that some of the most dangerous of travelers played the mask of kindness so well that nearly all that crossed their path could not resist their charm.
The second man was slouched casually against the tree, his hair long and luxurious, although rather uncombed and unruly. His eyes were deep and dark, and were set into his face at such an angle that it gave him an extremely cunning look. Like the man who sat next to him, there was a lazy grin swept across his features, although the grin that looked kind, looked devious on the other. The second man with the unruly hair was dressed in a mixture of animal skin and woven fabric, all worn soft and comfortable though much use.
The second man shouted, "Took you long enough!"
Rin and Shippou still hadn't moved from their provocative position, yet now they stood up quickly and brushed themselves off, their cheeks aflame. Yet they wasted no time in demanding answers from the two men.
"What do you mean, 'took you long enough'!?" Shippou snarled bitterly; rather angry at himself because he had not realized that the two men were sitting so close. Against his will he had become distracted as he looked at Rin's huddled figure in the dark.
"You didn't know we were there?" The second man with unruly hair continued, chuckling to himself, "And you're a fox youkai?"
"Now, now, Kouga," the first man in the monk attire spoke for the primary time, "There is no reason to tease the young. As you can see, we have put them ill at ease."
"Especially," the second man's eyes flickered to the girl who was pulling nervously at her yukata, "the female."
The first man snorted, shrugged and ran his hands through his tied-up hair.
"What do you want?" Shippou demanded angrily, stepping in front of Rin to block any attack that might issue forth. He did this unconsciously.
"The use of your fire, perhaps," The first man with the tied back hair replied smoothly, adding, "Making one is so cumbersome."
Shippou blinked at the reply. He had not expected such an answer. Who were these people?
Suddenly, his ears began to swerve violently as the traces of footsteps began to issue forth from the same general direction as before.
"I hope you guys caught some good fish, not like the minnows we had for dinner last night!" The second man with unruly hair yelled, still not standing, although the subjects to which he was directing his conversation had yet to appear.
Rin and Shippou did not say a word, but watched in bewilderment as ten other men materialized quite suddenly out of the low lying brush. Many of them had the general look of the second man; long unruly hair, pelts for clothing, and a lean, hardened look to their features which made them seem humble and amiable as well as bitter and malicious.
They were quiet as the entered into the circular space and looked from Rin and Shippou to the unruly haired man.
The men were quiet and motionless and waited.
They all knew when to talk, and when to remain quiet; Kouga had taught them that much.
"So," said Kouga, rising from the ground, munching nonchalantly on an apple that his counterpart has offered him earlier, "You're a kistune youkai, hm?"
Shippou stiffened, and stood up straighter as though trying to seem older than he was in reality. His eyes were large and dilated; however, they gave away his underlying emotion: that of fear.
"And what is it to you?" He bristled, his tail nearly standing on end, growing rather bushy.
Kouga continued to munch, and the first man, Miroku, who had been seated with him earlier, withdrew from a knapsack he had a small pot and a knife and began to peel potatoes.
"Nothing really," Kouga replied smoothly, flashing a devilishly handsome grin towards Rin who was giving him death glares. "Just curious. I mean, after all, there are many different types of ways you can torture kistune. I love it when their tails get fluffy when they are scared."
The men chuckled at this remark.
Plops came as sweet potato chunks began to fall into the pot as Miroku carefully peeled them, glancing up every now and then, grinning in amusement or pity.
"Why you—!" Rin growled, lunging towards Kouga, her fists ready to punch him in a variety of particularly sensitive spots.
Shippou, however, stepped in front of her and whispered seriously, "No, Rin." Although Shippou was still a young youkai, this was not to say he was not tall or well built or strong. Perhaps Shippou's only downfall was that he was still wet behind the ears. Oh, yes, he knew how to defend himself from years of martial arts training as well as honing in his youkai skills—yet experience had yet to give him that weathered and confident look to his shining eyes.
"Ah?" Kouga questioned amusedly, still circling the two, "Rin chan, is it?"
The group chuckled at this remark as well.
Kouga, opening his mouth to speak promptly closed it and turned quite sharply to see that another member to the party had joined the group and voiced her opinion upon arrival.
"Kouga, that's enough. Leave them alone."
It was Sango who was leaning against a crutch and resting against the side of a pine tree which Kouga had been formerly relaxing against.
Kouga turned on her and snapped angrily, "Keep out of this, wench!"
Miroku's eyes turned stormy, and from his hunched position on the ground, he looked up suddenly and warned, "I would not use such language, if I were you."
Kouga opened his mouth to say something, but then promptly shut it in anger and indignation. His eyes simmered, however, and narrowed.
Although being told what to do was something that Kouga despised above anything else in the world, he did have to admit it was one thing to be told by an inferior than by some one he admired. Sango was a strong and brave woman who could handle the conviction of her words—she could handle some of the strongest of storms, as was already proven by a number of incidents having occurred on the journey.
Turning towards the fox demon (who was quivering like a dried leaf of winter) and the girl who stood behind him, he snorted and growled impatiently, "Move aside you two."
The 'two' did not budge, but instead stood resolutely. Between them lay the fire that was beginning to die down.
"No," Shippou insisted, stepping closer to Kouga's form that slouching at ease.
"Oh?" Kouga snorted bitterly, flexing his claws and running his nails against his jaw line which was in slight need of a shave.
"We were here first." Rin insisted from behind him, her large eyes glowering angrily into Kouga's lackadaisical expression.
Sango was now moving towards the two, though still closer to Kouga. Her breath was not quick and shallow, so there seemed to be no apparent ailment to her form. It was for this reason that Shippou and Rin found it odd that she should be relying on the crutches.
"We are terribly sorry to have troubled you," Sango began, a gentle smile resting on her tired, if not pretty, features, "But we have come a long way and still have much farther to go this evening. It would save us at least an hour and a half if we could use your fire."
Shippou glared from the woman to the wolf youkai, an angry, bitter and decisive expression in his eyes. He didn't for the life of him trust this wolf youkai, or any of his henchmen. Yet, the woman and the man who was now slicing onions (having finished the potatoes), seemed very much different from the two. It was as though they were from a cultured place and had suddenly happened upon the youkai by chance and decided to accompany them.
"I…," Shippou began testily, his eyes narrowed slits of umber.
"Why didn't you say so in the first place!" Rin insisted from behind him, now stepping up so that she now lay in front of him perhaps a foot or so. Her usual radiance and cheerful quality had returned, and Shippou was not sure whether to be intrigued or annoyed by her innocent conduct of character.
"Rin…," Shippou began through his grated teeth, reaching out a hand to pull her back to his side.
"We are travelers ourselves, so we understand how long it takes to get a fire started," Rin continued, completely oblivious to Shippou.
The other members of this foreign group seemed startled as well, as though they had never met such a bubbly or trust worthy girl, especially out in the middle of the wild. A few of the men were murmuring amongst them selves, and nearly everyone else was blinking in apprehension. Even the woman seemed rather astonished by Rin.
"Do you need any help at all?" She called to the man who was slicing onions, "We were planning on camping here for the night, so we have no rush to get going unlike you."
Miroku, looking up from the onions, his eyes heavily infected with tears, sniffled, "If it is not a burden."
After all, he was cutting onions.
Rin, rushing forward, a smile permanently plastered on her features gushed, "Why, it's no trouble at all! I can improve my cooking skills which are already lacking. Poor Shippou, he has had to put up with my food during the duration of the trip!"
Shippou coughed and looked down at the forest floor littered with pine needles. A flush was creeping up the back of his neck.
Kouga smirked as he watched Rin chatter amiably with Miroku. A moment later, he commented to Sango as he squatted down and poked at the fire with a stick before adding some pine needles, "Well, as they say. Do no evil, but do much good."
Sango laughed gently as she placed the tofu and fish large leaves from a nearby mulberry bush and walked over towards Shippou.
*
By the time the stew had been served and prepared, the group had some how managed to form a primitive sort of respect and friendship. This was due mainly in part to Miroku, Rin and Sango who were determined that there was to be no bloodshed. The group of ten sat around the dying fire and held soft and low conversations. Although, from time to time, Kouga could not help but tell a bawdy joke causing the men to erupt into laughter while Rin and Sango flushed in embarrassment.
"Boys will be boys," Sango sighed, resting her face in her palms as she tried to cover the color that had bloomed on her cheeks.
Rin had just gulped and nodded.
It was now dark, and all members of each party were too tired to continue on that day. The stars from the heavens had begun to peak out from behind the great towering trees, and occasionally sparks rose up into the shadowy night, as though they searched for paradise.
Many of the men had retired to the far corners of the meadow and were snoring softly in the grass or leaning against a fallen log. The crickets had begun to sing, a soft sweet and lulling song that tugged at peoples eyelids causing them to droop. Only five remained awake at this moment; those which held a secret bond though all were unaware of this connection. Their connection was the brotherhood: to destroy the one person that had caused them, or loved ones, so much pain; Naraku.
Kouga and Shippou continued to glare at one another from time to time, having never actually forgiven or accepted the other. Sango and Miroku ignored them and listened to Rin who was telling them a story that her instructor had recited her some time ago. When that ended and all had laughed, the group remained quiet as they sipped at cups of weak tea.
A few minutes later, Miroku, who had been quiet most of the night, recited,
"Lone moon, no clouds, we stumble through the night."
All looked at him in some trepidation, and Sango questioned curiously, "Did you come up with that right now?"
Miroku chuckled, finished his tea and poured himself another cup, "No. Not in the least."
He seemed content to leave it at that, though all in the group found the answer dissatisfactory. Rin, voicing a question very softly (for she had grown drowsy by this point in time) inquired, "Who wrote it then, Miroku-san?"
The advisor turned to look at the girl, his eyes strangely sad in the mixture of moonlight and firelight. A smile hung at his lips, but heavily so, as though it brought him pain to think of a memory so fondly. It was lack of hope that seemed to overwhelm him.
"A friend of mine, Kagome-sama."
Sango nodded, having had heard the tale before. She was not jealous that he remembered the poem, not in the least. For, Miroku pointed out, it was one of the few private things he had been able to learn about Kagome in the short time he had stayed with her.
Although, he had explained, Kagome was a very cheerful and open person by nature, there were points during the day in which she would become subdue and anxious. In the morning, he had explained, she would be bright and chipper and willing to take all battles that were presented to her and even those that weren't. Yet by the time late afternoon rolled around, the prison-like quality of her situation had had time to seep and ferment within her. So, when Miroku did have a moment to spare, it was usually in the afternoon, which was the time, of course, when she chose to retire to her room. Miroku had always wished to befriend Kagome, for the reason he felt because she needed a friend.
"Lady Kagome?" Rin questioned, moving slightly, her voice more awake now, as though that name had triggered something within her. "Lady Kagome…"
Sango, looked towards Rin, "Do you know of her?"
Rin remained quiet for a moment, her eyes gazing unfocused into the flame. But suddenly they cleared, like the moon reappearing during the eye of the storm.
"Yes, I thought that name sounded familiar," she confided, absently watching as Kouga adjusted his posture and sprawled out against the log yawning loudly. "She must be the woman who is staying with Sesshoumaru-sama."
For a moment, all was quiet. It was brief, like a flash of lightening. There and gone before you had time to realize its existence.
"Kagome-sama? Of the Higurashi family?" interrogated Miroku, leaning towards Rin, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly hanging open in shock.
"Well, yes, I do believe so. She was married to Inuyasha, was she not?" Rin questioned hesitantly, leaning against Shippou slightly for support. She did this unconsciously and Shippou glanced down at her, rather startled. Miroku and Sango had turned rather frightening, their eyes wide, their mouths open, an incredulous and half crazy look in their eyes.
"She still is," Miroku explained hurriedly, "And you say that she is staying at Lord Sesshoumaru's?"
"Wasn't that Inuyasha's brother?" Sango questioned.
"He still is," Miroku sighed, running his hands anxiously through his hair, "But this is not what we had planned for at all! We had expected her to be at Naraku's fortress. At least we have vague idea where that is, but Sesshoumaru's—his abode is hardly known of by outsiders!"
"Why do you wish to find Kagome-sama?" Shippou demanded, although gently.
"We wish to bring her back, of course! You do realize she has been kidnapped, do you not?" Sango whispered dubiously.
"No, Sesshoumaru-sama would never do that!" Rin insisted vigilantly, her words full of spite, anger and fury. She was standing now, her undone hair gleaming in the firelight, her eyes full of the flames of the fire itself. Kouga watched her quietly, but said nothing. His eyes merely reflected her glow.
The two were rather taken aback by her change of character, and promptly closed their mouths and looked up at her expectantly. It was now, however, Shippou's turn to gaze in awe at Rin. Although he had known her only for a period of three months, he had never expected this much strength of spirit to be present in her.
"He would never do that," She insisted, her eyes watery. Rin bit on her lip slightly, and waited.
Miroku was the first to speak; his voice hushed, humble and hollow, "But, Rin, how is it that you know of Sesshoumaru's conduct? By nearly all accounts I have heard the man is ruthless, cruel and wicked."
Rin stepped forward and swung her arm, her hand connecting with Miroku's face, the sound echoing through the night. She had slapped him. Kouga jumped up from his position on the log, ready to pounce. Shippou stood up as well, but only because Kouga had done so. He did not trust the youkai at all.
Miroku had not moved, his face pointed downwards, looking towards the ground, the imprint of her hand still fresh against his placid features. Sango had said or had done nothing of the sort; instead, she looked up at Rin in a mixture of fascination and astonishment—as though pieces from a long forgotten puzzle were finally fitting into place.
"Never say such things about Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin whispered fiercely, her tears hot and full of anger, "Do not judge someone you only presume the worse of."
Miroku's form was still, except for the slow movement of his lips, as he formed the words, "Forgive me then."
The crickets sang sweetly, the trees swayed in the night breeze.
The five were quiet, all gazing from one to another. Shippou glaring at Kouga, Kouga staring at Rin in amazement, Miroku looking towards the pine needled covered ground, Rin glowering at Miroku, her eyes full of tears, and finally Sango who was looking up at Rin.
"You know him then…," Sango whispered softly.
Rin swerved her head towards Sango and admitted, "Yes."
"And Sesshoumaru would not kidnap…" she continued.
"No. He would never do something so dishonorable." Rin gulped, angrily rubbing away the tears from her eyes.
"Then it must have been Naraku. It must have been he…," Sango paused, and bit her fingernail apprehensively. Her eyes were darting like the movement of a sparrow, or the hopping of a cricket. Finally, she conceded, "If what you say is true, then Kagome must have been kidnapped, not by Sesshoumaru; no, it must have been Naraku, though he planted her at Sesshoumaru's fortress."
Rin's eyes grew wide and the epiphany fell atop her with the full force of a galloping horse. Yes, it all made sense now! At first when she had heard the information a three month ago, she had found it strange that her guardian should allow another human female into his fortress. Yet, if it had been Naraku's plot to plant her at Sesshoumaru's compounds…and lure Inuyasha…
"My God…," she breathed her voice thick and full of electricity like the oncoming storm.
Clouds billowed in the distance, and some twenty miles away, the dim roar of thunder could be heard. Above, however, the night was clear, calm and contemplative—there was not even an inkling of what lay behind the next range of mountains.
"Yes, Naraku…his plan is more cunning than all could have imagined," Miroku whispered darkly, rubbing his cheek in pain.
"What fools we have all been," Sango swore bitterly, "Stumbling about in the dark. What fools…"
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AN: …read? Review? Onegai shimasu??