Faithful By: RecklessAbandon and OtakuSailorV
Chapter 11:: Hilarity Always Ensues
(A/N:: Go check out 'Ears', the AU version of this story.)
They returned to the castle to find it in, well, ruins almost. Entei had taken refuge, along with Kanna and Kohaku, outside. Suikotsu had disappeared, Renkotsu was yelling every which way, Hakudoshi was hanging from a door, and Jakotsu and Bankotsu were behind it all.
Kyoyume gasped, putting her hands over her mouth in shock. "Oh....kami-sama...." She whispered, feeling Naraku go rigid with anger next to her.
"THEY'RE HOME!" Renkotsu screamed. Bankotsu and Jakotsu skidded to a halt in front of Kyoyume and Naraku, smiling in the way that said 'we're extremely afraid of your wrath'.
"What happened here?" Naraku asked, trying to keep his voice calm, though his eyes were shooting sparks.
"Suikotsu went to visit Kikyou...Hakudoushi was causing problems so we took care of him...and we were...uh...trying to cook and it went wrong and Renkotsu-sama got mad." Jakotsu explained.
'And I thought I was a bad cooker.' Kyoyume thought, seeing Naraku's face getting redder and redder. "Wrong how?" He asked, gritting his teeth.
"It umm...blew up...."
Kyoyume heard a growl force it's way out of Naraku's throat. "I...see....." He hissed.
Jakotsu whimpered. "Nothing really bad...just loud enough to wake up Renkotsu and get him yelling, so we were running away from him...."
"Nothing really....bad...." Naraku hissed. "YOU CALL THAT NOTHING REALLY BAD?!" He exploded. "THE WHOLE DAMN THINGS GONE!!"
"...Umm...yeah...we're really sorry Naraku-sama..."
Naraku fumed, striding past them without a word. "Oh...." Kyoyume said, ears lying flat against her head.
Hakudoushi squirmed at his uncomfortable perch. "Naraku-sama help me!" He whined.
Naraku peered up at him, glaring, and went on without a word as if he hadn't seen the boy. Kyoyume came up with a sigh and picked the boy from his hanging position. "You ok?" She asked tiredly.
"I think I'll be okay."
"That's good." Kyoyume said, dropping back down to the ground and putting the boy on his feet.
"...Do you think Naraku's gonna hurt something?"
There was a large crash from inside. "Possibly." Kyoyume sighed.
"I hope not..."
Kyoyume smiled softly at him. "You'll be fine." She promised him, ruffling his hair with one hand.
"No, Jakotsu and Bankotsu were pretty good babysitters."
"Were they, now?" Kyoyume asked delightedly as more slamming and breaking noises came from inside the wreckage.
Naraku walked out ten minutes later, followed by Jakotsu, Bankotsu and Renkotsu, they were later joined by the rest of the castle. "I guess we need a new place to live?" Hakudoushi asked.
Naraku made a growling noise in answer. "Yes." She said quietly, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But where?" Hakudoushi asked hopelessly.
"I know!" Jakotsu piped up. "There's an old abandoned castle, just to the west, its really nice!"
"Abandoned castle?" Kyoyume asked confusedly. "That might work." Hakudoushi said.
"Yeah...c'mon, its not too far!"
Everyone followed, with Kyoyume and Naraku following at a melancholy pace.
"I'm sorry." Hakudoushi told him.
Naraku grunted. "It's ok." Kyoyume assured him with a smile, patting his head.
They got to the castle at sunset, it was bigger than any other castle they had ever seen. It looked like it was inhabited recently, just not anymore. "Do you like it?" Jakotsu asked him hopefully.
Kyoyume looked it over. "It looks familiar...." She mused to herself.
"The guy who lived in it was killed by Lord of the West." A singsong voiced bird squawked flying away.
"Ichiyasha..." Gasped Kyoyume lightly, her voice barely audible.
"...Yeah! I remember fighting him a long time ago...he was cute." Jakotsu mused. "But it's empty now!"
"Yeah..." Kyoyume whispered, not so sure if she wanted to go in or not. Hakudoushi tugged on her hand though. "Come on, Kyo-san."
"See its empty, everyone is gone...it has lots of food stored too!" Bankotsu exclaimed happily.
Kyoyume nodded, looking around. It hadn't changed at all since she had been dragged in. It was as if he hadn't touched a thing after that night. Kyoyume shuddered, trying to forget. 'That was just a nightmare.' She told herself, shaking her head.
Naraku snuck up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Kyoyume jumped; a small gasp of surprise coming out.
"Sorry if I scared you." Naraku told her.
Kyoyume shook her head, noticing it was just Naraku with a sigh of relief. "No, I was just...thinking..."
"About?"
"Things..." Kyoyume answered, peering at the walls again. 'So strange...' She thought, feeling her sword pulse at her side suddenly.
"Tell me."
Kyoyume sighed, the sword pulsing again. "This castle..." She began.
"Was Ichiyasha's." Naraku finished. "I know, but Sesshomaru killed him...."
Kyoyume nodded. "I know...it's just...memories..."
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry..."
Kyoyume smiled at him. "I'm not. You're here."
He smiled a little and hugged her a little tighter. "Good."
Kyoyume smiled at him. "Thank you."
He laughed a little. "Never a problem."
"Wow! Hey! This place is huge!! Kyo-san, come here!!" Hakudoushi called from some other room. Kyoyume sighed and followed his voice, her sword still pulsing at her side. "coming!" She called after waving goodbye to Naraku.
He was standing in a room that was absolutely gargantuan. "This can be Entei's room right?" He asked. The ceilings had to be 50 feet high!
"Sure, why not?" Kyoyume said with a smile as she looked about. The room was indeed huge, it could definitely hold the giant horse and with room to spare too. "I'm sure he'll love it."
Hakudoushi went and found a blanket big enough for the horse to sleep on and led him in. "Okay Entei, this is your room." Hakudoushi explained.
The flaming horse neighed appreciatively, trotting over and laying down on the blanket. "He does like it." Kyoyume observed with a smile.
Hakudoushi smirked. "Thought so."
Kyoyume laughed, as the horse seemed to smile at its new surroundings.
She decided to walk more around the castle so left the huge room that Entei was now in to find the others.
Everyone seemed to be in a different room, investigating it closely. Even Renkotsu was looking over a room with interest.
Kyoyume found herself back in the nicest bedroom with Naraku. "Very nice place." She admitted.
"It was very well kept." He said, touching the nearest wall with one hand.
She nodded a little, still a little nervous about being in this castle.
"What's the matter?" He asked, sensing her nervousness.
"I didn't. . .its just weird being here..."
Naraku looked at her for a moment before he seemed to accept that that was all that was troubling her. "You'll get used to it, besides, he is not here and will never come back." He said after a moment of silence.
"Yeah."
There was another pause between them in which they both stared at the walls, wondering what to say to the other. "It's a wonder it hasn't rotted away. Usually, a Demon Lord's castle disappears when he dies. He must not have had such a spell on his castle." Naraku stated finally.
"He wasn't the strongest demon lord, nor the smartest, it is expected he wouldn't know to do such a thing." Renkotsu explained, having walked by and heard his comment.
"Still, a Demon Lord is a Demon Lord. Though he may not have been bright or strong, he still could have put a simple spell on it to ward away at least nosy human travelers." Naraku said, rubbing the wall with one hand again. "Though he probably didn't care that much for the castle in the first place. Either that, or he thought he was so strong that he didn't need a spell to ward away possible assassins."
Renkotsu nodded in agreement and disappeared down the hall again.
"So strange..." Naraku mumbled to himself, but shrugged it off. "He was a fool, nothing more."
Kyoyume nodded, then smirked. "I wonder how he got himself killed."
"If Sesshoumaru killed him, Kagura or that human girl, Rin was involved." Naraku said, a touch of bitterness in his voice.
"...Yeah, I thought so." She agreed.
Naraku smirked. "At least no one has to worry about that fool anymore. It was probably a waste of time and energy killing him."
"Yes."
Naraku stared at her for a moment, wondering if he had upset her, she still seemed uneasy about the whole thing. "There is nothing to fear." He told her lightly.
"I know." She told him with a light smile.
"Are you sure you are ok?" He asked, raising one eyebrow in question.
"Yes." She insisted.
He smiled, showing a slight sign of relief. "That's good."
"Yeah...just a little tired from the trip."
"It was a long walk." He noted. "Even though Jakotsu said it wasn't that far."
"Well, he's a mercenary, they're used to long journeys so it must've seemed like it was a couple of seconds or something."
Naraku smiled softly and nodded in agreement. "I suppose you are correct." He said. "See, you are right sometimes."
"Of course." she said, mocking him.
He smirked and was swiftly at her side. "Tsk, tsk, you should not mock me." He joked.
"Why not?"
"Because it is not lady-like to mock." He informed her, knowing her answer as her ears gave a little twitch.
"Well, I must do it more often then."
"Ah, but then others will think of you as a bad kitty." He said with a smirk as she smiled at him.
"And I care?"
Naraku smirked wider. "Well, you should."
"I don't want to." She countered smiling.
"You really don't care what anyone else thinks of you?"
"Not one bit." She said pleasantly.
Naraku smiled back at her. "You are one funny kitty." He commented.
She made a little cat noise in her throat. "Am I?"
He nodded slightly. "Yes."
"Okay...now I'm bored...."
Naraku smiled slightly, not sure how to answer. "Why not amuse yourself finding a good room to stay in?" He asked.
She looked around and jumped into the bed in the middle of the room. "This one works, or did you want this room?"
He smiled. "No, no, you can have it." He insisted.
"No you can have it."
"Are you sure?" He asked, watching her steadily. "I do not mind letting you have the room. There are many more to choose from."
"Why don't you just share it?" Jakotsu asked strolling by the room casually.
Both Kyoyume and Naraku turned toward the door, but the warrior had already passed and was on his way down the hall. "Maybe he's right..." Kyoyume mumbled after a few seconds of confused silence.
"The bed is big enough..."
"Yeah..." Kyoyume agreed, eyeing what she was sitting on with a slight touch of pink on her cheeks.
"We did it before...."
Kyoyume nodded, remembering how Renkotsu had stolen her old room. "Yes, we did..."
"Okay..."
"So, I guess we're sharing again." Kyoyume said with a grin, getting up from the bed.
"Guess so."
"Heh." The silence reigned for minutes after Kyoyume had given her nervous laugh. Unsure of what to say to the other, both of them stood awkwardly in the room, trying to act like the wall or floor entranced them.
"I'm...going to sleep." Naraku said finally.
Kyoyume nodded, side-stepping out of the bed. "Okay."
Naraku got in and was almost instantly asleep, snoring loudly.
Kyoyume curled up near him, noticing that it was getting pretty dark out.
He smiled a little in his sleep, but didn't move.
The last thing Kyoyume remembered as she started to fall asleep, was the dull twitching of one of her ears, and the strange sense of security that had overwhelmed her as she slept.
They woke up the next day because of the bright light shining into the window near the bed.
'Wonder what time it is?' Kyoyume thought as she opened one eye lazily.
"LUNCH!" A voice called through the castle.
"Noon...?" Kyoyume groaned, opening both of her eyes and sitting up, rubbing them fitfully as she yawned.
Hakudoushi walked in. "You two have slept long enough, it's time for lunch...but no worries, Suikotsu cooked today."
"I didn't know what time it was..." Kyoyume used as an excuse as she got up. "Well, at least Suikotsu's cooking...."
Kyoyume began poking Naraku, trying to get him to wake up.
"Hey, get up." She said as she watched him stir under the blankets. "It's time to eat."
He mumbled incoherently until he finally stood up blinking a little.
Kyoyume smiled as she kneeled beside him. "Good, you're up."
"Right...where's the food?"
"Where the food ALWAYS is." Hakudoushi said sarcastically. "In the dining hall. If you get lost, I'm sure you can follow your noses." With that, the little boy disappeared.
They found it alright. And the food was pretty good, better than anything Kyoyume could've 'cooked'.
Kyoyume smiled at Suikotsu. "You're really good, Suikotsu-san." She complimented.
"Arigatou, it seems that a band of mercenaries are not the best of cooks."
Kyoyume laughed slightly. "Haha, I suppose that might be true of many types of warriors. I can't cook either." She admitted with another laugh of embarrassment.
Jakotsu, Bankotsu and Renkotsu all nodded. "Well, I can cook, thankfully for you guys." Suikotsu joked.
"We'd be lost without you." Jakotsu proclaimed in a sing-song voice.
"I think the whole castle would with Kyoyume's cooking skills...don't even get me started on the time Kohaku and Hakudoushi tried cooking."
Kyoyume smiled nervously. "Haha, yeah..." Though, Hakudoushi looked slightly disgruntled by the comment.
"What? You nearly blew up half the place." Naraku defended.
Kyoyume looked puzzled for a moment before Hakudoushi grunted. "Yeah, let's see you cook then."
"I can't." He admitted sheepishly.
"Hah!" Hakudoushi cried triumphantly, pointing to the man with a smirk. "I KNEW it!! That's why you never cook, you always dodge around it and complain about how WE can't cook!!" Hakudoushi started to laugh so hard that tears ran down his face.
"WHAT?! I'm an evil super-genius NOT YOUR HOUSEKEEPER!"
Hakudoushi laughed harder, falling on the floor and kicking for air. "Evil super-genius!!"
"Smarter than you." He snapped at the laughing boy.
Hakudoushi sat back up, but couldn't stop giggling madly. "Yeah, yeah." He said, waving one hand at Naraku whom looked angry.
"And you-" he started, grabbing the small boy and grinding his knuckles into Hakudoushi's skull. "Are my faithful minion."
Hakudoushi gagged for air suddenly, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Ow! OW!! Hey!!" He wailed, trying to force Naraku off him.
Naraku dropped him on the floor and sat back down, taking a large bite out of the apple he had picked up.
"You're so mean!" Hakudoushi whined from the floor, rubbing his sore head. "No one loves me but Kyo-san." He cried, climbing into her lap with a sniffle.
Kyoyume giggled a little at his childish antics. "That's right, suck up." Narkau mumbled through a mouthful of apple.
Hakudoushi stuck his tongue out at him. "You wouldn't dare hit me while Kyo-san's holding me." He teased, snuggling up against her.
"You're right, I wouldn't wanna risk hurting Kyo-san, I'll wait 'til you're sleeping."
Kyoyume giggled as Hakudoushi squirmed further into her protection. "I'll scream." He warned, as if that might prove something. "And you'll miss me."
"Right."
"I'm the cute one, you have no choice but to miss me." Hakudoushi claimed as he held tightly to Kyoyume's arms.
"Not anymore, Jakotsu is officially the cutest, and Kanna, and Kohaku, you're going down on the list Hakudoushi." Naraku told him blandly.
From across the table, Jakotsu beamed, as Hakudoushi paled. "Is that true, Kyo-san?" He asked the cat-girl, looking up at her expectantly. "Am I not cute anymore?"
"You're cute Haku-chan..."
Hakudoushi brightened and looked at Naraku evilly from out of the corner of his eye. "Really?" He asked, happy again.
"Yes...but so is everyone else in their own way except..." she started, then she leaned to whisper in Hakudoushi's ear. "Except maybe Renkotsu, he's such a bully."
Hakudoushi laughed. "You really think so?" He asked as everyone leaned in to hear who was the exception to being cute.
She nodded.
"That's true." Hakudoushi agreed, nodding as well. Suddenly, he noticed everyone leaning in to listen to them. He smirked at them all. "Nosy, are we?" He asked them all at once.
They all acted as if they hadn't done anything. Naraku taking another crunch from his apple.
Hakudoushi smirked wider, rocking back and forth on Kyoyume's lap gleefully. "Hee hee." He giggled.
Naraku finished his apple and launched the core at Hakudoushi hitting him on the cheek.
"Ow!" Hakudoushi yelled, grabbing the core as he rubbed his cheek. "Jealous?" He asked as he tossed it back, still rubbing his cheek.
Naraku mumbled something that sounded like a harsh 'yes'.
Hakudoushi smirked, not minding the blow to the cheek if he was annoying Naraku who had beaten him moments before.
Naraku picked up an orange, and with amazing accuracy, hit Hakudoushi right in the forehead with it, knocking the child off of Kyoyume's lap.
Hakudoushi rubbed his forehead, where the orange had hit and moaned his anger. "You meanie." He whined.
"You deserved it." Naraku snapped.
"What for?" Hakudoushi asked as Kyoyume looked from one to the other, wondering if she should comfort the hurt boy or leave him be.
"Being you."
"What a horrid thing to hit me for." Hakudoushi huffed, crossing his arms.
"Besides I really don't think Kyoyume appreciate the extra weight on her lap, fatty."
"I'm not fat!!" Hakudoushi screeched. "And you're one to talk, you lazy-ass! You barely ever move and are always eating!"
"I'm not fat you ungrateful child!"
"Well, you'll get fat!!" Hakudoushi retaliated, sticking his tongue out.
"I'm a demon how can I get fat?!"
"You're only HALF-demon"
"Well half is enough brat!" He retorted impatiently.
Hakudoushi stuck his tongue out again. "Nyaah!" He taunted.
"Keep it up and you'll be locked in your room for a month with no food." Naraku growled.
"I just bust a hole in the wall or roof and escape." He said with a careless shrug.
"It's the concept of it brat."
"Well, not even the CONCEPT scares me."
Naraku walked over to the younger version of himself as he was intended to be and grabbed him by the back of his neck, stomped over to the window which was up quite high and tossed him out carelessly.
Kyoyume watched nervously, unsure if she should go to the child's rescue or not, but Hakudoushi, she was sure, could take care of himself and wouldn't be hurt that badly. Fidgeting in her chair, Kyoyume let the confused thoughts roll around in her head as she tried to decide what her next move should be. "Damn you!" Hakudoushi cried angrily as he was thrown, breaking in on her thoughts.
"YOU DESERVED IT!" Naraku called out the window laughing.
Distantly, Kyoyume could hear Hakudoushi's voice cursing Naraku for all he was worth. At one such comment, Naraku furrowed his brows in half-anger, and half in some other emotion that Kyoyume could not name correctly, and he slammed the screen back over the window, muffling Hakudoushi's screams.
"Stupid brat." He muttered sitting back down.
Kyoyume stayed silent, her ears laying flat against her head in confusion. She didn't know whether to agree or not. Turning her head slightly, Kyoyume noticed that the others had left long ago, even their dishes gone. 'When did they...?' She thought, turning back away and trying to remember if she had heard them leaving any time during the argument.
Naraku mumbled something under his breath and looked over at Kyoyume.
Kyoyume, feeling his gaze on her, came out of her own musings and looked up at him with a small smile.
He smirked a little and shook his head. "Stupid brat Hakudoushi is."
Kyoyume nodded, silently, feeling her mind slipping back into her own musings slightly.
There was a peaceful silence hovering in the room as they both sat there, deep in they're own thoughts.
Kyoyume mused to herself, wondering what she should do. She wanted to say something, but was clueless as to what. Looking around the room, she finally stood up and walked out of the room, only half-aware of what she was doing.
Naraku looked up as Kyoyume abruptly stood, he got up and followed her, wondering what to make of her actions.
Kyoyume stopped as she reached the railing, and looked out at the gloomy day. 'Was it gloomy like this that day...?' She wondered to herself, trying to recall some distant memory, not even noticing that Naraku was watching her.
"Kyoyume."
It was as if she had been sleeping, her whole being felt a jolt run through it at the sound of his voice and her name. Her ears stood alert suddenly, and turned in his direction as her head moved toward him. "Hai?" She asked, feeling her mind un-cloud.
"You seem distracted."
Kyoyume smiled sheepishly. "Ah, Gomen nasai, I've just been thinking and didn't notice I was acting strangely...."
"I see."
"Heh." Kyoyume said, a touch of pink in her cheeks. "You don't believe me, do you?" She asked, knowing he probably thought she was hiding something from him.
"Exactly."
"Heh, I should have known." Kyoyume answered, wondering hiw she would put her thoughts into words. "It was gloomy like this, I think, that day." She said finally.
"What day?"
"The day we met." Kyoyume said rather quietly.
"Oh..."
"Heh." Kyoyume said again.
"Why are you thinking about that?" He asked.
"I'm not really sure, it just kinda...popped into my head." Kyoyume said, furrowing her brow in thought.
"Oh."
"Yeah, it was just a random thought...."
"I see." He said wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You wouldn't happen to be thinking about leaving me would you?"
Kyoyume smiled at him brightly. "Of course not." She answered truthfully.
"Good, I wouldn't know what to do without you."
"And I wouldn't know what to do without you either."
End Chapter