Memory of a Soul
Airian Reesu (Ailian Rhys)
Chapter Nine: Barrier
There was a wonderful song playing; the staccato rhythm of rain for percussion, the faint tinkling of wind-tossed chimes for melody, and soft splashes in liquid-thin puddles forming in-between the paving stones of the walk for the mood. To further add to this, the air smelled sweet, new, heavily perfumed with nature's natural cleanser.
Rinako sat back against the woven support of her low chair, watching the waterfall tumble down over the eaves only a few feet from where she sat. She didn't mind the damp in the least. As long as she was outside again, Rinako would have gladly stood out in the rain.
The fact that it was on the veranda of an ancient palace overlooking an amazingly beautiful garden didn't mean a thing to her. Especially not this palace.
"Are either of you two hungry?"
Rinako glanced over at the young man at her side. He was sitting on a cushion between her and the stairs that lead down into the garden. Ryoichi gave her a soft, yet at the same time wry, grin.
"If you are, I can get you somethin', you know. Kane-san can bring it out."
Kane-san, as Rinako had learned earlier, was the name of the grumpy woman who'd come to take her yesterday. Not really a great fan of the lady's attitude, Rinako couldn't help but to admire her resilience. She didn't appear at all fazed to be working around a demon.
The young woman couldn't keep from smiling lightly at the memory of the woman grumbling about not having electricity, as she'd come to give them their breakfast that morning. But, as Rinako had learned as well this morning, there was indoor plumbing nearer to the back of the mansion, where the so-called "servants" were staying. It had been quite pleasant to finally take a shower and get cleaned up, even if it did mean that the old Grump had to wait for the two of them outside the door the entire time.
"Azarni-san? Rinako-san? Are you two even listening to me?"
Rinako turned her gaze in her friend's direction while nodding absently. Azarni was watching the rain, her brown eyes glimmering in the faint light. Her attention seemed to be focussed inward, however, staring deep within at something Rinako couldn't see. Yet, she was generally relaxed, lying limply against her own chair, her legs stretched out in front of her. And so Rinako let her be.
"We're just enjoying being outside is all, Ryoichi-san," Rinako replied verbally at last, her attention on Ryoichi again.
To her amazement, Ryoichi shifted slightly, a grimace of guilt crawling onto his face. "HnI see"
Rinako frowned. "Ryoichi-san?" Sure, he'd helped to abduct both Azarni and herself, and he'd been part of the ceremony that'd killed Sachiko. He was even a demon. But Rinako still couldn't help but feel a bit of affection for him. He tried so hard to be light-hearted and kind around them and he appeared to be a generally nice person, all faults and deeds aside. And she knew that she always had been softhearted.
Too bad they couldn't have met under much different circumstance. Perhaps it should have all stopped at the caf
"You do know that you're only out here becausehe requested it." His startling green eyes gave her an apprehensive look, as if waiting to see how she'd react.
Rinako knew who he' was. She felt a shiver run down her spine; she wasn't sure if it was from the weather or thinking about the night before.
She didn't know how to feel about their little meeting. One part of her was terrified, knowing that she'd sat so long with a monster. Another part felt vaguely relieved. She had never been able to speak to anyone about her mother. Never in her life had she been able to just rant out her feelings like that. And he hadn't said a word. For that, she was grateful.
There was a small piece of her, however, a small nagging insidious thing, that had sprung up as she left last night. It did not frighten her as much as disconcert her.
It was a sense of gentleunderstanding, a touch of sympathy and pity. As she had gazed upon such an ancient being—living and breathing in a world he did not know, being brought back from eternal sleep to faces he had no recollections of—it had sprung up to start burning its little smoldering flame in the back of her heart.
And that was her compassion coming to play again. And Rinako knew she should not feel that way. Or at least her mind did.
But her mind didn't seem to hear that minute, compelling voice that whispered to her. But her heart did.
The same heart that had loved her mother despite all of her shortcomings. The same heart that was willing to forgive Ryoichi. The heart that made swift, absurd decisions that, after finally thinking it through, seemed to be the best path.
Rinako mustered a genuine smile, reaching out to take Ryoichi's hand, ignoring how his eyes grew double in size. She was going to follow all of her intuitions, she decided. There was something inside her that seemed to understand more than her mind gave her credit for.
"Do not feel so badly about it, Ryoichi-san. At least we are outside. It's not so caged out here."
Ryoichi just stared at her for the longest moment, before his eyes drifted down to their clasped hands. Rinako followed his gaze, taking in his smooth, rounded nails that had once been claws.
Claws just like his.
Thin, yet strong fingers tightened their grip on her hand, giving her a comforting squeeze in reply to her own. "You are a truly remarkable person, Rinako-san," Ryoichi remarked, softly enough that it was barely distinguishable over the rain. He gave her a wavering smile that was much more genuine than his earlier grin.
Rinako was about to dissuade his high opinion of her person; she was just an overly compassionate girl who gave her heart too easily. Yet, before she was about to speak, Azarni's voice stopped her.
"What's happening over there?"
Two heads swiveled in her direction, following a shaking finger as it pointed to the other side of the garden. There, between the pouring rain, they could see a tall, white figure stalking towards the back boundary of the grounds, where the forest and cliffs rose in an inky black backdrop.
Ryoichi dropped Rinako's hand, leaping to his feet. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" he questioned aloud, his forehead creasing with confusion.
No one answered him. Rinako sat still as a statue, watching that predatory gait as the taiyoukai strode through the pristine shrubbery and flower patches of the garden. Something cold and metallic glittered in the dim gray light, the rain bouncing off it in all directions as if not even water wanted to get near what she recognize now to be a sword.
She did not miss the small form that came hurrying out after him, weighed down with layers of cloth. Rinako recognized her easily enough, noticing the red hair that labeled her as Yayoi. She also saw as well as heard the stirring of the other people in the castle, faces peering through the rain from distant porches to see what was happening. A few even stepped out of doors farther down from where the trio sat. Their whispers were like a rattlesnake's hiss under the pounding rain.
"What is he doing?" Ryoichi exclaimed, moving towards the steps. Azarni's arm finally fell to her side and she clenched them tightly in her lap. Rinako glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and saw that she looked as white as ghost.
"Azarni?" she questioned, softly.
The other girl looked at her, her eyes the clearest they'd been since they'd arrived. There was a sense of understand behind them. "I think he doesn't like it here," she said quietly, so that Ryoichi could not hear her. "Sachiko wouldn't have. I know it."
Rinako stared at her friend in amazement. It was a short moment, as Ryoichi suddenly cried out in surprise. Rinako's eyes darted over to where he stood at the edge of the veranda, his toes on the top step and one arm around the nearest pole. He was leaning forward enough to get wet from the rain, the drops running in thick rivers through his hair.
"What's wrong?" Rinako asked, getting to her feet as well. His expression unnerved her. It was a type of mindless wonderment, almost euphoria, giving his eyes a glassy appearance. Rinako laid a hand on his stiff shoulder and he openly flinched, his wide green eyes jumping to her face.
"What is it, Ryoichi?" she demanded with more force this time.
He blinked at her, dazed. "It's just that—"
He was cut off by Azarni's scream. Rinako looked out onto the dark gray landscape before her just in time to see the demon draw back his sword. Something dark and red curled about the pristine blade; twisting and writhing like it was alive. The whole air about him seemed to glow with a bloody mist, made even more apparent by the dark, drenching rains.
That mist made the hair on the back of her neck prickle and her stomach turn into cold knots. Rinako knew why Azarni had screamed.
"Ryoichi?" she managed to whisper, even as that mist grew in size, reaching out to swirl within the demon's pearly locks even as he shifted into an offensive stance. Yayoi had come up to him then, faltering in her steps as that dark power grew. Rinako watched her take a few hasty steps backwards, one hand coming up to her chest. Her face, full of fear and awe, was illuminated clearly by the crimson light.
"Oh, by the gods," Ryoichi muttered, his fingers digging spastically into the wooden post. Rinako felt her eyes widen, watching as his nails started to thicken and lengthen. She took a step back, knees quaking underneath her. Her heart was pounding an erratic rhythm in her throat and she swallowed.
The whole palace seemed to stand still as the taiyoukai finally swung his sword. The phosphorescent blade arched downward gracefully through the air to strike at nothing Rinako could see. Yet, it seemed to hit something, rebounding backwards with a deafening clang that sent every nerve in Rinako's body tingling.
The demon stumbled backwards, yet maintained his footing as that red energy came hurtling back at them. He leapt to the side just as it swept past, flying in a rumbling wave towards the side of the property, where it engulfed a whole line of weeping willows, turning them to ash in an instant.
To Rinako's amazement, the demon didn't seem to give the destruction a second glance. Instead he rushed forward, spinning on his heel so that his shoulder rammed into his invisible foe.
The air crackled with electricity suddenly, seeming to shudder under the pressure. Streaks of florescent blue light sprung up from where the taiyoukai was caught up against the unyielding air that now looked like a sheet of solid, translucent plastic looming an undeterminable distance to the sky.
Ryoichi cried out suddenly, as did a hundred other voices. And Rinako was surprised to find that her voice was one of them. She took a step back just as the cracks that ran along the invisible surface pulsated once, before exploding into an orb of crackling, blinding energy. It sent shock waves rebounding to the far-reaches of the complex. Rinako stood frozen as one came towards them. Her eyes closed on their own accord against the mind-numbing brightness as the power washed over them.
But it did nothing. She felt nothing. Her eyes cracked open. It had come, and then was gone, leaving not even a charred splinter in its wake
But
Against her better instincts, Rinako turned her eyes in the direction of the explosion, waiting to find a sickening sight.
The demon appeared to have been thrown several feet from the impact, landing crouched with his legs firm against the ground underneath him as his sole arm held up the brunt of his weight. It was a position that only someone flexible could have contorted into and it reminded her strongly of an animal crouching before striking prey. His long hair was scattered around him like a cloud of ribbons, still being tossed lightly by the aftershock even as the rain continued to pelt down. Even from here he looked completely drenched, his fine garments slick with rain.
Yet, despite that, he seemed relatively intact. In fact, he was soon on his feet again, casting back the rope-like hair.
Rinako felt her jaw drop. What happened? Why had he? How?
Ryoichi stirred beside her, relaxing the death hold he had on the innocent column. He tossed back his own wet locks as well, his eyes darting to meet Rinako's. She flinched; taking in the oblong, slitted pupils that stared back at her. They were filled with a mixture of stunned shock and fear.
Ryoichi look as if he had noticed her withdrawal and the dazed look faded away. He blinked a few times, before frowning lightly. "Rinako-san?"
"Your eyes, Ryoichi" Rinako whispered, hoarsely, feeling her legs waver beneath her again. Her hand fell onto the railing and she gripped it tightly. "They've changed."
Confusion evident on his face, Ryoichi lifted a hand up towards his face, stopping halfway as his new claws came into view. He jumped in surprise, starring at his hand in stupefaction.
"What in the hell?" He suddenly whipped around to stare out into the dark. "Yayoi" he whispered, breathlessly, his fingers once again sliding over the column, seeming to ignore the deep gashes that now ran along the one side.
Rinako followed his gaze, watching as Sesshoumaru finally moved, crossing over to where Yayoi was. She was on the ground now, laying in a tumble in the mud, held up by only her arms. Yet, she got up at his approach, drawing her ruined kimono tightly around herself.
"Yayoi!" Ryoichi shouted, forcefully, making Rinako grimace at the volume. He cast around behind him, searching for something Rinako didn't know. Then, with clear resignation, he hefted the chair Rinako had been sitting in, before dashing out into the rain.
"What are you doing?" Rinako called after him, her voice echoing in the dark.
Ryoichi kept running, hurtling straight towards the two figures on the opposite end of the grounds.
"Ryoichi!" she tried again, before giving in to the inevitable. Her shoulders slumped and Rinako leaned heavily against the banister.
"Why is this happening?"
Sesshoumaru wasn't one who would normally fault and second-guess his own actions. But, for once, he had to concede that he shouldn't have done that. After the explosion it was all he could do to stay on his feet, ending in a rather undignified crouch in the mud.
His eyes narrowed, staring out into the dark where he knew the damned barrier was. Water ran in sheets down the planes of his face, over the slick strands of his hair. Sesshoumaru blinked, stopping his inspection of the invisible shield to shake the water out of his eyes.
That was what he hated the most about any type of precipitation; the fact that it was hard to see with the tiny little missiles of rain or snow pelting you so relentlessly.
Tossing back his long hair, he sat back on his heels, releasing the pressure on his arm, and at the same time Toukijin, the hilt of which was nearly imbedded in his palm, pressed flat into the drenched ground. The end of Tenseiga's scabbard scrapped against the mud as he moved, pushing the hilt into his hip. His sensed the sword pulse, trembling in its casing as a faint blue light swirled around the lip. Immediately after, he felt the familiar touch of the sword's power crawl over his skin.
Annoyance flashed through him. What did the sword think he was, a weakling pup? Its sudden over-protectiveness was irksome; for never before had it reacted to such simple things as cuts and bruises. And he was certain that was the extent of all the injuries, if any, he'd sustained from the paltry conflict.
Tenseiga's blue light flickered suddenly, before pushing against him a bit more forcefully, an oddfeeling within its healing warmth.
Sesshoumaru couldn't keep from frowning lightly, looking down at the weapon at his side. Strangely enoughhe could understand it.
How can a sword feel guilty? Or for that matter, feel at all?
Not exactly in the best disposition to try to fathom the complex weapon, he pushed the thought aside. Now to get out of this muck and discover what had gone wrong.
He knew one reason already; had known it since that morning. Although he never would have imagined he'd go so far because of it.
Sesshoumaru had met the dawn with a sense of restlessness that had soon developed into a sense of being contained. The oppressive moisture and chemical odor of the air had done nothing to settle him. And, although loath to admit it, it had even begun to become a sort of paranoia. By the time the sun had risen completely he had been pacing.
Which was something he rarely—or, more precisely, never—allowed himself to do. It was waste of energy and time, something that could easily be put to another use.
The trouble was, there was nothing to put it to.
Which wasn't the best thing for him right now, he'd realized quickly enough. Not having something to occupy himself with meant he was unfocussed, and such a thing was further delay his regeneration.
Not the physical aspect—for Tenseiga had finished that off admirably—but the spiritual. That had been the main cause of his restlessness—he still did not have his youki under control. He could feel it even now; churning about him like some newly tethered beast that was waiting to find a way to escape.
Youki was on principle rogue, unwieldy. And his was even more so, now. Normally, although wild, it could easily be contained by a youkai since it was joined to them at birth, and only to them. Yet, his had run rampant for so many years after his death and was not accustomed to being controlled by a master any longer. He needed to stamp his rules into it once more, regulated it as he had been trained to do all his life. For youki was of the earth and needed to be controlled like a spirited beast, integrated into the manifested being. Only with control could one have power.
His was not very inclined to be saddled again, it seemed.
This struggle within his own core was starting to wear thin at his nerves. Yet, Sesshoumaru had not become as powerful as he had been by simply forfeiting such a fight.
However, if today's actions were to be taken as a forewarning, it seemed that he would have to redouble his efforts to subdue that power. Being so irritable, irrational, and quick-tempered was not how he wished to be. It wasvery much like Inu-Yasha.
No wonder that half-breed had often found himself in trouble. He had always acted as recklessly as Sesshoumaru had that afternoon. It was an all out miracle the mutt hadn't been killed for his stupidity.
Sesshoumaru grimaced, openly, one fang sinking into his lower lip. He didn't like comparing himself with that half-blood, even in his own mind. But the childishness of that statement did not escape his notice. Inu-Yasha was dead, after all.
And besides, he could get control of himself again. Inu-Yasha, with only half-blood, could not. Although, he had had a surprisingly tight hold on himself, considering whom he was. Which could only be due to that damn sword of his.
Not truly understanding why he was thinking about the half-breed at a time like this, Sesshoumaru shook his head again, before pushing himself to his feet, lifting Toukijin from the ground. Silently cursing his erratic mind, the taiyoukai stared out into the darkness to his invisible enemy.
He had never seen such a barrier as the one that loomed between him and the forest beyond. There had been a small number of times when he had needed to circumvent such a nuisance, the one that first came to mind being Naraku's. He had fought through the vexatious warding, despite the drain it had been on his energy. And then the bastard would create others that Toukijin could not break. Which had been highly tiresome, if he remembered correctly.
Naraku, whom it seemed, did not exist any longer. Although Sesshoumaru could not clearly recall the half-breed's end, he knew it was so. It was instinctual, as if, although his mind did not remember it, something in him did.
Although one did not readily know what lay outside' of his makeshift prison.
As that thought came to mind, Sesshoumaru's gaze drifted over to the inu-mutt. She was sprawled ungracefully on the muddy ground, her dark eyes wide in the gloom.
Ah yes. How this vixen had come across such an extraordinary barrier was something of interest. It did not harm anyone. It simple would not allow him to pass. It was as if the air had solidified like stone, unyielding even to a weapon of Toukijin's caliber.
It, oddly enough, perplexed him. Sesshoumaru had never heard of such an invention before. There was no threat to it. Nothing to keep him here besides the fact he couldn't leave.
Yet, every barrier could be broken, surpassed. All it took was patience.
Which he seemed to be severely lacking lately, much to his indignation.
Curious despite himself—and only vaguely recalling that he should be furious with her—Sesshoumaru approached Yayoi, watching the mutt stumble to her feet, gangly arms and legs fumbling like a newborn colt.
She stared at him through the pouring rain, thick tendrils of her hair matted onto her face, the rouge and other cosmetics she wore on her face melting like wax down her skin. He could faintly smell what he thought to be their processed scent from where he stood, as well as the stench of wet human.
Forcing himself not to wrinkle his nose in disgust, he gazed at her steadily, waiting for her to explain. The wench did not say a word, however, staring intently at the muddy ground, as if waiting to be punished.
"How long will this remain?" Sesshoumaru questioned her calmly, after it was apparent she was to remain mute.
Yayoi's red head snapped up, shock plain on her face before it was smoothed over. "I do not know, Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered, her voice nearly drowned out by the thudding rain. She shook her head, hair flying away from her face. "It shall not be much longer, I suppose. You are not Sachiko, after all."
"Indeed," the taiyoukai answered, tersely.
That was when the voices echoed across the lawn, loud and clear over the rain.
"Yayoi!"
Sesshoumaru's head snapped up, whirling around to face the voice of that tori-mutt. Why was he there? He was supposed to be with—
"What are you doing?"
The taiyoukai stopped dead, watching the little scene on the veranda. She was there, calling after the tori. Sesshoumaru didn't notice the man who was hurtling towards the two of them. His interest was in the young woman.
"Ryoichi!"
Why hadn't he noticed her before? Sesshoumaru frowned, his marked brow furrowing slightly. He did not know how much she'd seen, but by the fear in her tone, it had to have been at least some part of the whole display.
Something within him twisted unexpectedly and he fought back a grimace. He feltashamed, oddly enough. Never in his life had he shown Rin this side of him, the ruthless, dangerous side, if he could avoid it. And now, after finding her again, it was one of the first she had seen.
Which should not disturb him as much as it was. It was irrational, to care so greatly on such a pointless topic. Why did a human's opinion matter at all; it was terrible enough that youkai-mutts held him captive here. To worry over a pathetic human was completely useless.
But that did not explain what was happening to him now. Sesshoumaru continued to gaze at the young woman through the rain, and for the first time that day, felt himself calm. The once wild youki came to curl around him as if it had spent its energy for the day and was content to rest to try again tomorrow. Closing his eyes, he attempted to drag as much of it together as he could, drawing and releasing a steady breath.
Someone was coming towards him.
Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped openly instantly and he moved just as Yayoi called out, nervously, "Ryoichi! How kind of you to bring a chair"
The mongrel-tori came to a stumbling halt where Sesshoumaru had once been, holding a low seat in a rather comical fashion in front of him, as if he had intended to actually do something with the pathetic weapon. And Sesshoumaru knew that was what he had conceived it to be. He could sense the mutt's fear rolling off him in waves. Fear that was smothered deep within a sense of protectiveness that blazed bright in his eyes.
A stiff silence fell between them all before Sesshoumaru spoke up, his tone dry. "I did not know that you are now offering entertainment."
Ryoichi flushed all the way up to the roots of his hair, dropping the seat to the ground with a wet thud as his arms fell slack to his sides. His eyes darted from Sesshoumaru to Yayoi.
"Yayoi-san" he whispered.
The redheaded woman gazed at him steadily with her dark eyes, not saying a word. Sesshoumaru could clearly see that something passed between the two of them with that gaze, but he highly doubted that it was telepathy. It was something more similar to a mutual understanding.
"Tori," he ordered, briskly, breaking their silent communication effortlessly. The young man turned to him, bowing slightly despite the expression of puzzlement he wore. "H-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The taiyoukai lifted his chin arrogantly, ignoring the rivers of water that ran icy fingers over his skin. He knew he looked positively drowned. "We will return to the palace now. Come with me."
Ryoichi blinked up at him dumbly, his face contorted into an almost amusing expression of surprise. "B-but—?"
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "I will not stand in this rain any longer."
After another moment of hesitation, the mutt yielded. Ignoring the shivering female that stood in the rain beside him, the taiyoukai spun on his heel, sheathed Toukijin, and started towards the house, Ryoichi trailing obediently behind.
But, instead of entering through the door he had exited from, Sesshoumaru approached the porch Rinako was on. He could see her slight form resting against the banister, leaning forward to peer into the rain. She appeared to notice his approach, jumping backwards into the shadows of the overhang.
The taiyoukai continued his solemn march towards the building. The mud pulled at his feet, clutching his embroidered shoes in its suction-like grip, coating them like thick war paint. Thick strands of his hair kept hitting his face, coiling like snakes against his neck and behind his ears. His sleeves felt as if they would soon be trailing across the grass; they were that laden with water.
He knew that his wardrobe would be a sorry sight in the morning
Not that that truly mattered at this moment in time. It was something that could easily be rectified with a few swift orders.
There was something far more pressing that he needed to attend to.
He reached the stone path that swept up towards the wooden steps. Not even looking to see if Ryoichi was keeping up, he increased his pace. He could hear voices up on the porch and see the movement of shadowy shapes. Both stopped the instant his foot hit the first step.
Sesshoumaru had not truly understood how much the rain had been annoying him until he actually got out if it. It was a subtle relief not to have those insistent needles against his skin. He stood in silence for a long moment, allowing himself to become adjusted to the sound of the rain against the roof and the distinct oppressiveness that was already forming on the edge of his consciousness.
There was a slight movement to one side of the darkened porch. Turning languidly, Sesshoumaru's sharp eyes clearly saw Rinako step in front of the other human—who was that again?—and square her shoulders.
Slight amusement filtered through his mind and he couldn't help but smirk—perhaps even smile—at this show of bravado. He knew she couldn't see it, however, and he had no trouble keeping it from his voice.
"Rinako-san."
This seemed to startle the young woman and she started, taking a step back. Her fear rolled off of her in waves. Sesshoumaru felt his shoulder involuntarily stiffen as the scent reached his nose. What more, that once calm beast inside him stirred, slowly coming awake.
And it was then that he realized something that he should have seen earlier. That part of him, that demonic energy that had run rampant for so long, actually recognized the girl standing before him. That had been what induced it to calm slightly before; feeling the presence of something else it remembered—in some mystical sense no one knew of—other than Sesshoumaru himself. A sort of old memento used to recall an old memory. And, being a part of Sesshoumaru, it knew precisely what Rinako had been.
Someone who was not meant to be frightened.
The taiyoukai scowled, before grimacing slightly as an unfamiliar rage rippled through him. Rage at himself, no less. Was he truly that concerned about the welfare of this human woman?
He didn't have to answer that question. He knew the answer long before he'd even posed it. And, like everything else in this whole damn place, it set out to unbalance him. Something he would never have admitted to himself in the time before was now so clear. Certainly death did not affect one so deeply.
Although he was positive that not many youkai had ever been able to share in this experience.
Sesshoumaru was certain that his lack of control over himself was one of the greatest reasons for this moment of dubious clarity. And, once again, it irked him. Everything seemed to be getting under his skin lately.
Realizing that they were now all standing in strained silence as his mind wandered, Sesshoumaru knew he had to end it. Fixing Rinako with a wondering gaze that she could not see, he spoke, softly. "You are acting rather brave, Rinako-san, placing yourself before that other mortal as you have done. For that I must commend you."
Large brown eyes widened and darkened with surprise as well as confusion. There was movement behind her as that other woman drew back, yet Sesshoumaru kept his attention on Rinako. She seemed to be studying him, although it was far too dark here for her to see properly. Perhaps she was looking for something she didn't need to actually see.
"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said at last, bowing her head slightly. There was a gasp from the girl behind her as well as a startled cry from Ryoichi. "I do not wish for Azarni to come to harm." Here she hesitated, before speaking with a voice that tried, and failed, to sound confident. "And you willsee to this, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru ignored the sodden clump of hair that lost its hold on his slick skin to fall over his left eye. He was far too occupied with contemplating the small slip of a woman before him. The girl who had just seen him acting so viciously not so very long ago and was yet placing so much trust in him and his goodness of character. Such a request could only be asked of one the solicitor knew would fulfill the task, this he knew.
And, just as that little human girl had posed a similar question to him long ago, albeit for herself and without words, Sesshoumaru found that he could not deny her. It was his weakness.
And that he had acknowledged years ago.
Right before his death.
"If you ask it of me, Rinako-san," he told her, evenly. "I shall do so. In spite of the fact that I do not quite understand your reasoning in this matter," he added, his tone changing slightly as he raised an eyebrow in unseen question.
Her eyebrows drew together in a light frown and she bit her lip. Sesshoumaru's nerves went on edge at the sight, but he forced himself to calm. He knew, although his expertise was rather limited, that humans always had had a queer penchant for self-mutilation. It never resulted in much, and therefore was not very troublesome.
Rinako cleared her throat, awkwardly. "Sesshoumaru-sama" she faltered.
"Do not trouble yourself to tell me, Rinako-san. It is not of the greatest concern." Sesshoumaru realized the harshness of those words right after they came to mind, but, not really knowing what else to say, he'd said them anyway. Although he'd tried to take some of the bite out of them, the best he could, anyhow.
Rinako gazed up at him, squinting in the dark. She studied him, before shaking her head slightly. Then she did something Sesshoumaru never expected from her.
She smiled.
"Ah, Arigatou gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru-sama."
But, Sesshoumaru wasn't seeing the young, modern woman any longer. In her place was a small black-haired child, gazing up and waving with her patented smile. "Come back soon, Sesshoumaru-sama!" And then she turned to run out into her long since dead patch of flowers, leaving in her wake the small woman standing in the dark.
Sesshoumaru snarled silently, one of his fangs tearing into his lip, a wound that was quickly mended.
Damn his memory.
Thankfully, no one appeared to note the youkai's sudden anger, because Rinako continued. "You have been veryhospitable, towards us, Sesshoumaru-sama. And for that, I must thank you again."
"Rinako!" the small female behind her, hissed. "What are you doing?"
Rinako ignored her. "And I hope that you'll feel better soon."
Ryoichi made a noise of disbelief behind them as Sesshoumaru involuntarily tensed again. "Hn" he grunted, not really knowing what to say to that. If it had been anyone else, he would have. But not Rinako.
Rinako's smile widened.
Sesshoumaru turned suddenly, the drenched sleeves of his haori slapping against his legs instead of billowing gracefully as they normally did. Trying to ignore this less than dignified display, he went to enter the palace and leave this troublesome woman behind, even if it meant being within the constricting walls again.
"I'll be seeing you again, ne, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The taiyoukai stopped, his back turned to her. "If you wish it so, Rinako-san," he told her, quietly, even as his eyes drifted shut in something vaguely resembling suffering. There was a beat of quiet, before he tilted his head in Ryoichi's direction. "See to it that they get back to their rooms, tori. Then come to me."
Not waiting for his reply, Sesshoumaru walked back into the realm of oppressive walls and thoughts that was the palace proper.
He did not really know how long he would last here before something snapped. Be it either his control or something else.
And she wasn't helping any.
At least for his pride.
*
Natsuko lay on the floor, knees drawn up to her chest as she stared at the blank wall ahead of her. She knew that something was happening outside; she'd just witnessed the flood of servants scurrying to get out there. She had also experienced the dizzying, sickening feeling of something she did not want to know tingle at her nerve ends. That had been what made her leave her position against the wall to huddle on the floor.
She knew whom it was that caused that feeling. The taiyoukai.
Fingers that had long ago become claws reached up to touch the ring that hung in her lip and she shivered. Never, in all her life, had she ever been close to such a person, such a thing, that radiated so much malice. And she had finally understood, as that deceptively slim hand had come up effortlessly to clutch at her chin hard enough to bruise the skin along her jaw, exactly what it was that Yayoi had dragged up.
It was something that deserved to be dead in hell.
Natsuko withdrew her hand, flexing the thin fingers as she watched the elongated nails slowly fade back into normal ones. Not only was he a monster, but also by having him here she was becoming one too. It was beginning to terrify her to a much higher extreme now, now that she knew how he was capable of behaving.
She didn't want to become that.
Natsuko lifted her head, hearing the sounds of the other servants filing back into the palace and she knew that whatever had happened was over. She decided it would be prudent to vacant herself from the area, in case the taiyoukai came back.
She did not want to see him again.
As she struggled to her feet, Natsuko was already planning for the next time she could get out of here. She was going to go straight to Nishioka-sensei. She realized now exactly how over her head Yayoi had become and Sensei was the only one who could help.
He was the only one who understood the danger.
Natsuko squared her shoulders, pushing back her hair before starting down the hallway. She was going to make sure that Yayoi ambitions did not get the best of her. She had to.
Yet, even as those strong, confidant words flitted through her mind, so did something else. Growled, angry words from that animal that had held her against the wall:
"You smell foul. Disgusting like this whole era. And I will trust neither."
--
A/N: .
Well look at that.
A chapter done in less than a month.
I think the world is coming to an end
[Okay, not seriously, but it had the dramatic effect, don't you think? ^__^]
As you can see, here is the next installment of Memory. And, as I said, last chapter, a few things were explained. And, then, new questions came up. [I keep digging myself in, don't I.]
And look! An action scene! I loved that action scene. I never knew I could write one, but there it was, that whole section in less than an hour. A miracle. That, as well as the fact I didn't have to fix too much of it after the big writing boom. Which is even better. ^__^
I suppose that's what I get for listening to dark music as I wrote it.
And now, in the next chapter, time will actually move. And they will all rejoice. (At least I will). And there will be Rin/Sess scenes, old memories, even a small bath scene –to a point anyway. So, let's see how long this one'll take me.
Until next time!