Okay normally I would respond to your reviews at this section, but lately I have been getting numerous e-mails about this new rule of not responding to the readers. Maybe I am not reading the rules close enough that I missed that one, but I rather not risk it and have my stories pulled. Then you guys would never get to know the ending. However, this is going to be a fun chapter, and I am not going to work on the plot-line here because I want to answer your reviews. Although I was a little disheartened by the last written chapter of Lupen Heart not getting any reviews except one. So, I might pull that one off if noone is caring for it.
So, without further talking lets move into the chapter.
There is little to be said for thoughts, but perhaps this should not be so. The common quotes 'A penny for your thoughts,' or a pence or whatever the amount might be sublet to. Be that as it may, this is currently what most of the group companions on this non equanimity journey was doing. This action was being done deeply with an extreme penance for most that had been done over the past few months of life. However, before we check on our normal companions, perhaps we should check back to the home dimension of the erstwhile princess.
Hotaru bowed, as was custom to do in this situation, if you looked close, you would notice a smirk itching at the corner of her lips. Raven strands splayed around her face blocking it from close scrutiny. However, it was hard to keep a docile solemn expression of wanting forgiveness in an error when Haruka was currently laughing heartily at the same situation. Honestly, who knew that the ever calm time guardian would look so much like a scolding mother. All she had done was venture a question of her princess, since she had only three weeks to know her, and as always Setsuna would smile calmly and wave her away. So she 'borrowed,' a time key intent on spending a little more time with her princess. Personally Hotaru couldn't see anything wrong with this plan. Obviously, they were given the power to protect the princess, so she would just pop in and travel with the princess for a bit. Really, that's all, demons be darned if they crossed her path.
"Hotaru!" Setsuna called. Hotaru looked up and sparkling amethyst eyes locked with scolding garnet. Setsuna sighed, noting she had lost her charge's attention a long time ago. She also noted with a tick of her eyebrow that Haruka was still laughing. Setsuna turned on the wind senshi with an upraised eyebrow. "Of course, this is your doing." She said calmly to the chuckling Haruka. The laughing immediately stopped at the comment and Haruka looked confused.
"Exactly, how is this my doing?" Haruka inquired, side noting Michiru entering the room.
"Your influence." Both Setsuna and Michiru chimed, and Hotaru observed as the once lecture to her turn onto Haruka. For a minute or so she watched the humorous scene, when she absently curling her fingers around the time key reminded her of her prime objective. Visit the princess, and protect her, as was in the senshi oath. Hotaru by passed Kikyo who had also been invited to stay with the outer senshi until they could situate her firmly in their world. Also, so Haruka could keep an eye on the budding relationship between the Earth Prince and The Priestess. Personally she thought it sounded like a wonderful fairytale, a lot more romantic then a prince and a princess. Since there is always a prince and a princess. Shaking her head from the ludicrous thoughts her brain had taken she concentrated on the realm of Pluto's gates and vanished.
Kikyo paused as she came upon the scene of the elder three outer senshi quietly, but gesturing wildly, arguing. Clearing her throat, the debate stopped and the trio turned toward her. "Exactly what is going on?" She inquired. Setsuna answered her.
"Hotaru had borrowed a time key.." Setsuna started, but Kikyo interrupted.
"Hotaru?" She murmured. "You mean the Hotaru who just left?" She asked, clarifying her information. The three outer senshi glanced at the spot Hotaru was last scene standing, then at Kikyo, then at each other, with a concise nod they sprinted off. Raising their transforming wands as they entered into the next room, in a flash stood the three eldest senshi. Pluto swivelled her garnet rod in an arc as the room shimmer, transporting the trio to the realm of the gates.
Hotaru, now as the senshi Saturn found her way blocked by a long staff like Key. Sheepishly she glanced up into frowning garnet, and took a step back away from the gate. Only to trip over one of Uranus's feet, knocking her into Neptune, who fell into Uranus who nailed Pluto. In a span of a second it wasn't barred as Pluto fell with a tight grip on the key, which tripped up Saturn again, who fell into the open time gates. A groan issued from the pile of bodies, before they separated, and glanced disparagingly at the fluctuating colors of the bared time lines.
Neptune gazed at her partner with an ironic smile. "Somehow, this is your fault." She told Uranus. Who shook her head with indignation, and pointed at Pluto who merely raised an eyebrow.
Saturn landed with a thud as her knees caught her weight against the ground. Glancing around, she harkened to note that this was not the dimension she was aiming for. Of course when you trip into the time line, you are not exactly concentrating on your destination. She flicked a curious glance upwards as she mused on returning to the time gates to try again. Then she shrugged, it's been awhile that she had a true piece of freedom. So without further conscious worry, she set off into a northern direction, or at least what she thought was a northern direction.
Pluto sighed, shaking her head, as she shifted throughout the numerous timelines. An aggravated tick was forming mentally as she absently wondered how hard was it to track a single presence that was well-known to her. However, every time she closed on the little senshi's person. She flittered away, time hopping through the dimensions. Since each dimension had it's own time gate, by the time Pluto transferred to that gate, Saturn was already gone. Frustrated, and concerned over what may become irreparable damage to the dimensions, Pluto tapped into her more latent powers. Locking each gate Hotaru had already hopped through, and locking all the ones she hadn't. Trapping her in the dimension she was aiming for in the first place.
Saturn smiled at the landscape that had been described to her by the princess. She sat down with closed eyes to narrow down the princess's position. Absently noting that Pluto had locked the gates, shrugging it off, she forced more concentration. A huffed sigh escaped her lips, as she encountered several large powers, some light like her princess. Settling for a group of two large powers, two semi-large ones, and a couple of small ones she set off. Only to be stopped by an angry She-Mantis demon. Flicking a loose bang of raven hair, she sliced the mantis in half with her glaive and continued on. Making sure to seal the soul into the underworld of this dimension.
Usagi picked her head up as she felt a shift in certain aspects of power. One, that the time gates were locked and she wondered at that for a moment. When she felt the second shift, but this one dealt with souls of the passing. Shaking her head with a tsk, she mentally marked it off as Pluto taking extra measures that no unwanted person could travel between the gates. The other shift she notched it to Naraku, probably recalling some soul for information on them. On a side long glance to her closest traveling companion, it being the young lord of the Western Lands, she noticed that he was tense and his hand rested on the sword he never seems to use in battle. Yet, so intent was she on her companion at the moment, that she forgot a very important piece of information. Though she had been tied to Naraku with the jewel shard, she wasn't connected to him in such a way that she could note his movements. She only had access to those parts of power, such as the feeling of the passing souls, when a senshi of that element was around. However, this seemed to slip her mind, as she let a bemused smile curl at her lips as she caught the young Western Lord glancing at her.
Sesshomaru fought off the curiosity that followed when he caught the smile in his direction. Clipping it, he turned his attention back to the Tenseiga which had warmed considerably for a few moments. His musing turned further inward as he returned to all the information that he had on the twin fanged swords. Mindedly ignoring the fact that the key to a lot of information about the twin fangs walked not more then a few steps in front of him. However, when he came across this thought, he had a small mental war on which way his thought process should follow. Counting the fact that he held some latent grudge against his father, or maybe he didn't want to appear weak to the elder Western Lord he refused to ask for the information. Yet, he couldn't threaten his own father in front of young Rin and Shiori. Also, a small voice inflicted that action would also not render well with the tigress either. To which started a different mental war, that made him forget his first one, and left him looking into the smiling orbs of said tigress. To which he affronted by growling at some random thing past her shoulder, which set the group on alert. That which made Sesshomaru sigh inward at the clear misdirection.
This misdirection fooled everyone except the shrewd elder Lord, who smirked mentally, but outwardly assumed an alert position. This was almost second nature to InuTashio, as he used the same facade when one of his latent mates had taken to scold him for something. Making it fairly easy to see the relation between Sesshomaru, InuYasha and himself, as they all seem to master the facade of pretending one thing, while doing another. However, he decided to help his eldest this time by drawing out his sword and rushing into a close wooded area in the same direction. All the while winking as he bypassed his son, with an elegant leap, he skewered a small rodent demon for lunch. Holding his blooded sword with his trophy he marched back with an itching smirk. With a quick snap of his wrist the lunch flipped off the blade right into the open hands of Sesshomaru. "Lunch!" InuTashio called out, mentally smirking at his son's blanch when the blood made contact with some of the long boa across his shoulder.
Enjoying the small plan needling at him, InuTashio sheath his blade and pointed back to the woods. "There's a strong smell of fresh running water, why don't you ladies wash up for lunch as we cook it." InuTashio volunteered. He saw the objections building, and he waved them off with a continence. "You can also gather some fish, and berries on the way back if you want to help." He offered and then observed as Kaede gathered a pack while Usagi darted toward Rin, picking her up and balancing her on one hip while reaching for Shiori. Clasping the other child, she balanced her as well on her hip, and ran quickly toward the water as the children screeched in happiness. Meanwhile Kaede was yelling at her speeding companion to slow down for the children's sake.
Glancing at his son, he straightened his expression to a clean one. "Since I caught it, you cook it." He ordered. Full well knowing that Sesshomaru disdained such homely chores, noting that Jaken normally built the fire for most meals. He made the wonder at the thought if Sesshomaru ever did learn how to cook. As the servants did it at the castle, and Jaken seem to do it now. If he didn't, it would make his plan work so much easier. "I'll be back with fire wood, then I'll take a small dip as the woods will most likely coat me with dirt, and the ladies will most likely be done." InuTashio told his son. Don't mistake the fact that Sesshomaru knew how to make a fire against knowing how to cook, these were two different things. Without waiting for a response from his son, he gallivanted into the woods.
Sesshomaru alternated between glaring at the rodent and his father's fading form. He normally ate things raw if he did eat, as he didn't bother with cooking. However, he noted that though the rodent would be enough to feed them all, the humans can't eat it raw. Some how he made curious venture, that this might be a silent challenge to him from his father. With that frame of mind he glanced almost sorrowfully at his pristine kimono. He took pride in his appearance, as a lord should, and noted he would already have to scrub his boa clean of the drops of blood that had splattered on him. With a silent sigh, he place the rodent on a clean piece of plain, unwrapped his boa from his body and undid the sash around his mid section. Sitting cross legged, he unhooked his armor, and rolled down his upper kimono baring his chest. Folding the kimono backwards, he redid his sash to hold the upper part from touching the ground. Finding a flat piece of non-grassy plain, he set to work skinning clean the rodent. He was interrupted moments later by his father placing the wood down beside him. Setting the rodent down, he instead started on the fire, as it would take a while to fully catch. Absently he noted the short supply of tender and kindling. Needing a bit of a fire-starter, he slice through the muzzle of the rodent, pulled out the cartilage and laid what was left in the middle of his wood. Deciding it would take needless time to wake the slumbering Jaken, or hunting down two flat sided rocks, he picked up the staff of heads and flicked it with a swish which issued it's common flame. The fur from the muzzle caught nicely as the muscle inside held as a good slow burner. He pyramided the small branches over the small flame, and kneeled back to make sure the fire would burn correctly. Once it reached the first level of small sticks he place two thicker ones against the pyramid and went back to work on skinning the rodent.
It was about this time that Usagi finished bathing, however she noted that the lake that had bowled from the river was split by a rock wall. So she let the children continue playing under the watchful eye of Kaede. Slipping on a thin undergarment she turned to Kaede informing her that she was just a shout away fishing. Kaede nodded and waved her away as she tickled Rin into submissive dunking as Shiori tried her best to escape from the snaking unoccupied arm of Kaede which had just waved Usagi away.
Sighing Sesshomaru placed the half skinned rodent down. His claws had matted fur, and a light flesh build up under them. Letting his poison burn it off, he made his way to part of the running river to rinse out the poison. Waking Jaken to keep an eye on the burning flames. Squatting down beside the river bed, he started scrubbing off one hand. When a soft splash caught his attention, he stood and whirled around to see a water clad tigress stand from the water side with two fish in her hands. Though he knew her to have a slim build, both by observing her fight, and their clash as well, this was the first time he clearly noticed it. He shook off his inattention and finished cleaning off the poison, heading back to the fire where he found Jaken asleep again. Mindlessly he put a log onto the fire, and finish skinning the rodent. Only to have two fish dangle before him, with a quick nod, he accepted the fish, and began skinning them as well. "I'll be back with a few more, okay?" he heard her state. He tilted his head in her direction as acknowledgment. "Alright." She chirped and moved on.
Usagi shook her head at his way, but shrug as was accustomed and dived back into the river to grab four more fish. Quickly she delivered these, and wandered back to where they had bathed, to change into dry clothing. All the while she had kept her gaze from the ground to the fish, noting nothing different about her companion. Setting down beside him, with a clean, semi-rough rock from the river bed, she finished cleaning the rodent, and the five fishes that had been skinned. Sticking sticks through each of them, she at last turned to Sesshomaru to await the last fish. It was then she noticed his state of dress, and using the excuse of watching him skin the fish in wait, she watched the upper body ripple each time a certain muscle was used or a breath was taken.
Sesshomaru was distinctly aware of her presence adjacent to him. Though loosening his alert tension to her as he saw her finish off the skinning jobs. He may of nodded his thanks, but his attention was on his task, so as the poison in his claws would not surface and spoil the fish. Finishing he held the fish out to her, so as she may scrape it clean, but the fish remained in his grasp for a bit. Wondering at the pause, he glanced up to notice sapphires locked on what he thought was the fish. Absently, he wondered when they had last ate, as she had return a couple of days ago, and hunting had been scarce. Also adding when they did catch something she gave most of hers to the children. Sesshomaru wondered what her world might have been like then, if she had eaten there as well. 'Maybe hunting scarce in her world too?' He added in thought. Sighing, it broke his thoughts, and Usagi's staring. "When did you last eat well?" He inquired. Leaving his reasoning to being Rin and Shiori would be sadden at the lost of her.
Usagi stumbled at his question, as she was embarrassed to find she had been caught staring. However, he had also provided her with a reason to this halt on conscious thought. "Eat well?" She mocked. He nodded while holding up the fish. She considered her appetite, slightly legendary in her world, and remarked that she hadn't eaten well since Naraku first captured her. "A while ago." She answered. Seeing his scrutinizing glance he nodded, and offered the fish to her, she blinked at him in confusion.
"Eat." He remarked, handing her the raw fish. She blanched at him, while he wondered at the reaction.
"What?" She asked. He figured that she wanted to save the most for the children again.
"Eat." Sesshomaru pushed, holding the fish closer to her.
"But.." Usagi muttered, raw fish wasn't on her high list of food.
"There is plenty for the younger ones, now eat." He intoned, and observed as she delicately picked the fish from his claws.
'Well, I can consider it sushi.' She thought, while carving a small piece of raw fish to chew on. Sesshomaru watched her closely for a bit to make sure she really was going to eat it, before turning back to the fire to figure out cooking.
Meanwhile InuTashio had finished grooming as it were, and had watched the scene with joyous interest. Beside him was Kaede and the two children which he had halted earlier. "I think we need some fruit." He offered and lead Kaede and the children to a wild berry patch he had happened upon. Observing Kaede as she worked seriously picking the berries with an docile flair, thinking she need to have a little fun he chucked a hand full of berries at her. Blissfully ignoring they had all just cleaned, the children followed through on the action, and what was berry picking, became berry war.
A grunt drew Usagi from picking the fish bone clean, as she gazed at the intense concentration on Sesshomaru's face. Glancing at the bone, she decided to repay the favor, and kneeled beside him. He looked at her as she picked up one of his claws and made him rotate one of the fish. "Even browning means it's ready, but if you want the inner meat well done with out charring the outer body you do this." Usagi explained, as she prodded one fish with a clean stick, piercing the skin. She drew the stick out showing him cooked white meat. Usagi was no ace cook, but years of camping out with her family, and tutelage under Makoto gave her some clue. Both parties firmly kept their thoughts away from their locked claws.
Look, one of the senshi made the scene, which does have a reason. Yes, this clearly focused on one group. But as I said this was merely a fun chapter, trying not to touch on the plot line, but maybe shoving the romance along. Would you like one of Inu-tachi, and Kouga-tachi? Sorry for the wait though, finals was rough, and I start school again Monday, I only get a two week holiday between semesters. By the way, I am going to finish this story first, then Stella's Secret and Holidays. To knock those out. Then I'll work on my others while trying not to put up another idea. Please review,
Much Luck,
WolfchildBlazer.