A Father's Embrace

Chapter Twenty-nine

Friendship

"Sango-san, are you sure there's something there? I don't hear or see anything," Maiki spoke quietly.

"It's there. I'm certain of it. Can't you sense its yoki?"

Her answer came after a moment's hesitation. "No. I don't think I know how."

"Well, can't you smell it?"

The inu-shibunyo snuffed at the air, but there was one strong odor that blocked out any and all other scents. "No. All I smell is the smoke from the fire. Ugh. My hair and my clothes reek of it too..."

"Maiki-chan, pay attention."

"Oh... right," the teenager felt a bit foolish worrying about her hygiene while there was the potential threat looming just beyond their vision.

Sango quietly crept towards the next tree over, scrutinizing the darkness beyond. Stealing a glance around the large pine, she moved on towards the next. Meanwhile, Maiki watched the slayer from the fireside, being that she was completely inexperienced with this sort of thing. When the exterminator verified that the third tree was clear, she headed towards the forth, nearest to Kazuki's tent. It was when Sango stepped beneath this tree when Maiki picked up a faint rustling from above.

The shibunyo's eyes darted up into the thick branches of the mighty pine just in time to see an orange blur lunge towards the other woman. "Sango-san! Look out!"

The exterminator looked up just in time to see the large, snarling tiger yokai leap from the coniferous boughs. Reacting quickly, she brought Hiraikotsu to her front, shielding herself from the creature's razor-sharp claws and deadly fangs. Sango instantly fell backwards under the beast's massive weight. Her head hit the ground rather hard, knocking her out. Luckily, Hiraikotsu was still lodged between the tiger and herself. Shocked, Maiki barely registered the sounds of two zippers flying open as Miroku and Kazuki sprung from their tents.

"What's going-- Mother!"

"Sango!"

Miroku pulled an ofuda from his white under-kimono and flung it at the yokai. The beast screamed as holy energy bit into its flesh. At the same moment the bolts of electricity ran across the tiger's body, Maiki felt a strange jolt run through her body. Her eyes became vacant, and her body went slack. An unknown force seemingly held her in an upright position. At that moment, she appeared to be unaware of everything around her. However, neither of the junior slayer nor the monk noticed her vegetative-like state.

Though the ward effectively caused the tiger to withdraw from Sango's prone form, the beast was not deterred from continuing its attacks. The holy energy of the ofuda wore off after a moment, and the yokai turned back towards the group. It leapt away from Sango, no longer seeing her as an immediate threat, to take a better position for an attack. While it was distracted, Kazuki took the opportunity to grab Akkiwareru and prepared to launch the boomerang at the beast.

"Akkiwa--"

"Kazuki! No!" Maiki called out, having suddenly snapped out of her stupor just in time to take in the sight of the apprentice exterminator as he was about to release his weapon.

The boy nearly fell over when he pulled back at the last moment. "What?"

"Don't hurt her!"

"You really are stupid! It's going to kill us unless we kill it first! Don't you realize that!"

Maiki rushed towards the boy's side. "But you don't understand! You can't hurt her!"

"Can't? Or shouldn't?"

Miroku, who had rushed to his wife's side, tried to ignore the teenagers as they bickered back and forth. After checking Sango over, and satisfied that she was unharmed, he pulled another ofuda from his kimono and turned back towards the yokai. However, the beast had already had enough of the children's irritating banter, and launched its next attack.

"Kazuki! Maiki-san! Watch out!" the monk called out.

Two sets of widened eyes turned just in time to catch the image of teeth and claws coming down upon them. Just as his mother had done mere moments ago, Kazuki used Akkiwareru to block the lethal attack. Only this time, the weapon was protecting two instead of one. Unfortunately, even with the strength of one yokai exterminator and one shibunyo, they were unable to prevent the beast from forcing them onto their backs. Luckily, they were able to use their combined strength to hold the boomerang far enough above them so that the tiger could not reach them with its claws.

Maiki growled through clenched teeth. "Don't be so stupid."

Kazuki turned his head to his right to look at the girl. "Me? You're the one who's stupid!"

The shibunyo didn't return his glare, only continued to stare at the snapping jowls of the yokai. "Don't do this," she demanded. "Don't you realize that if you don't stop this right now, you'll be killed."

"You baka! If I do stop, we'll both be killed!" he scolded.

Maiki ignored him. "I know you've lost a lot, but this isn't the answer."

Now the junior slayer was confused. "What the hell are you babbling about?"

"The Shikon shards won't bring him back. You know that. So stop this right now before you or someone else gets hurt!"

Kazuki blinked confusedly, the irate expression leaving his face. He looked from Maiki to the tiger and back to Maiki again. Then his face quickly shuffled from bewilderment to realization to skepticism. "You're trying to reason with it?"

She continued to ignore him. "Stop risking your life for something so foolish! What about your cubs, hm? If you die here, tonight, what will happen to them? Are you willing to let them die too?"

To Kazuki's utter disbelief, the yokai stilled in her attacks. Her yellow eyes gazed intently down upon the shibunyo, whose golden eyes stared back at the yokai with determination. Though the tiger still bared her fangs fiercely at the girl, she strangely seemed to be listening to Maiki's words.

"Leave here now," she ordered, though her vulnerable position gave her little to no authority. "Leave here and never think of taking the shards again, and we shall not harm you. Think of your children. They need you now more than ever."

As Maiki finished, her tone grew less forceful, much softer, almost pleading, but still steady. Kazuki looked back up at the yokai, completely silent, watching and waiting for the creature's next move. In the corner of his eye, he could see that the shibunyo was completely calm and confident. After several moments, the yokai started to glow. Her form morphed as she was engulfed in a blinding orange light. In the blink of an eye, she vanished, and the force of her weight pushing down upon the teenagers was instantly lifted.

Both teenagers sat up after the tiger yokai had left. By now, Sango had regained consciousness, and was sitting next to Miroku under the tree from which the yokai had originated. Having missed Maiki's words, both the monk and senior slayer wore expressions of bewilderment when the tiger suddenly departed. Kazuki, on the other hand, was in complete shock and disbelief. He stared at Maiki with a questioning glare.

But the shibunyo failed to acknowledge his silent inquiry. The aura of confidence had drained from her body and now she sat, staring blankly at the ground, shaking slightly as the weight of the entire situation finally hit her. Only when the sound of a opening zipper filled the air did Maiki even move, and that movement was restricted to only a slight twitch of an ear.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked as she stifled a yawn, having just woke up from a very deep sleep. "What's with all the pale faces? Why does everyone look like they've just seen a ghost?"

Sango looked over to the other woman with a bit of worry. 'She didn't hear any of the noise? It seems Maiki-chan is right... if that yokai attack didn't wake her, then I don't know what would...'

"Kagome-san, did you not hear any of our shouting or the growling of that yokai?" the monk inquired.

"Yokai? When? Just now?" she asked a bit frightfully, earning a confirming nod from Miroku and his wife. "Is everyone okay?"

Kazuki ignored the banter of the adults, and continued giving Maiki his fixed stare. "What the hell was that all about?" he growled quietly so that only the girl could hear.

She glanced briefly at the boy before returning her eyes to the ground. "I saw it. I saw everything that happened..."

"Saw what happen?"

"It was horrible. Her mate... He was killed by a rival while trying to protect her and their three cubs. It... it was a one-sided battle. He never had a chance... but he bought his family enough time to escape. She grieves for him terribly. She just wanted the shards so she could try to bring him back..."

The boy narrowed his eyes at her skeptically. "How do you know all this?"

"I- I'm not sure. But somehow, I just saw it. I saw it happen... through her eyes... from her memory, perhaps..."

Kazuki averted his gaze as he contemplated Maiki's confession. After a moment, he spoke. "You know, if you hadn't have said those things to convince that yokai to leave, I would have to think that you've gone insane. Talking like that, I almost think you really have..."

The shibunyo didn't respond to his slight barb. Her saddened gaze fell unrelentingly upon a rock sitting in front of her. The boy sighed at her solemn disposition. "Look, Maiki-san, I didn't mean it. I don't think you're crazy. It's just that... Things like that, being able to 'see' others' experiences or 'feel' their emotions... It's just not... It's not--"

"Normal, right?" the girl replied with a hollow chuckle.

"Well, yes..."

"Heh. It figures. Not only do I not look normal, but now I can't even act normal either." Maiki suddenly turned her head away from Kazuki, hiding her face from his view. But she didn't move to get up and get away from him. She sighed deeply. "I- I don't want this, y'know," she barely whispered with a slight hitch in her voice.

Kazuki was immediately alarmed by the sudden tone of defeat in the shibunyo's tone and posture. Unsure what to do, he gently pressed her to elaborate. "What do you mean? What don't you want?"

She sniffed slightly, trying to hide the fact that she had done so. She could feel the threat of tears stinging her eyes, but she refused to give in to their onslaught. To cry was to show weakness, and she wouldn't expose herself, especially not in front of Kazuki, regardless of the fact that he was being unusually and strangely considerate towards her. She was unwilling to take the risk of showing her vulnerabilities to him when he could and probably would revert to his former self and use such vulnerabilities against her.

But she answered him nonetheless. "This. Everything. I'm a freak like this, y'know. I feel like more of an outcast now than I did before I ever came to this era and found out what I am. Before I could just blend in with everyone, and just pretend like it didn't bother me when they scorned me just because they wanted to. But now look at me. One glance at me and they'll have every reason to dump on me. Now I'm something that even I can't really understand. I've got all these new, strange senses and everything just seems so... tangible and overwhelming.

"On top of which, I seemingly have this ability to 'read' minds or something, and I can't control it. I have no choice over when I can use this ability or what it is I'll 'see' or 'feel'. And... I just wish I didn't have to see the things that were shown to me. And if all this wasn't bad enough, mama is completely stressed out and I'm very worried about her. She may not act like it, but there's something bothering her. But she's stubborn as all hell and she'd refuse to tell me what it is that bugging her, only cuz she doesn't want to 'burden' me with her problems. I wish I could go back to a week ago and stop myself before I ever climbed down into that stupid well."

When Maiki finished, Kazuki was quiet for several moments, allowing her words to reflect in his head. He really never stopped to consider all the troubles and worries afflicting her since coming to this world. Having been too consumed by distrust towards Maiki and griping about the inconvenience of making this trip with her, Kazuki hadn't realized that perhaps, she was dealing with more problems than he. And he found himself feeling guilty; selfish even.

Not knowing how else to deal with the situation, Kazuki did the only thing he could think of. "Maiki... If it means anything to you... I just want you to know... that I'm sorry."

The shibunyo jerked slightly in surprise, and turned her head just enough to peak at the boy from the corner of her eye. "Sorry? For what?" she wondered skeptically, her voice growing a bit sarcastic.

Kazuki scratched the back of his head, slightly uncomfortable. He fumbled over his next few words. "Well, you know... for being such an asshole to you, I guess..."

Maiki drew her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs as she rested her left cheek on her knees so that her head was still facing away from him. "Don't worry about it. It's not something I'm not used to. It's no big deal," she stated in defeat.

He took a deep breath of air. "No... I should not have done or said all those things... And... I really am sorry for acting the way I have."

"Are you sure? I mean, you're not just saying that, are you?"

Kazuki scowled. "Of course I'm not just staying that, baka! I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!"

The shibunyo lifted her head and turned towards the boy with a small grin, though sadness still lingered on her features. "Okay. I believe you. I'm just not used to getting apologies from people, is all. Well, except from mama..."

An unsettling silence settled between the two. The crackling of the low-burning fire nearby and Kagome chatting while tending to Sango's head wound were the only sounds in the campsite. Kazuki attempted to look busy by examining Akkiwareru for damages. Maiki picked some of the twigs and pine needles still clinging to her clothes leftover from the attack.

"So," the junior exterminator started casually. "Is your world really that bad? Are people really that cold to you?"

Maiki stilled her efforts of ridding herself of the invasive pine needles. With a deep breath, she replied, "Well, most of them at my old school were like that to me. They tried getting their kicks out of me. The boys liked to harass me by asking me out on dates, just to see what my reaction would be. Since I knew they were only trying to tease me, I'd usually just tell them to 'fuck off', but they still found that to be amusing. Girls, on the other hand, would act nice and sincere to me to my face. But to be seen with me in front of the general public's eyes... that was a crime against humanity, I suppose. When they were with their 'true' friends, they'd either sneer at me or just ignore me altogether."

An inquisitive expression crossed the boy's face. A few things that Maiki had just said hadn't made much sense to him, but he understood most of it. "So, if they treat you so horribly, why do you want the mamori-ishi? Why would you want to go back to that sort of life? To return to being a victim? Is it really worth it to you?"

The shibunyo thought about his question. He almost had a point. But she relented. "I wish it were as easy as not going back to that situation. But I have a life there. I can't just abandon it... as much as I would like to sometimes. I have to finish school, and be there for mama through the divorce she's gonna have to face when we get back. In order to do all this, I can't look how I do now." She paused for a moment. "Besides, it isn't all so bad. I'm supposed to be starting a new school, whenever mama and I return to the future. Maybe things will be different. And if not, I still have at least one friend."

"Oh?" Kazuki said curiously.

"Yeah," Maiki confirmed with a single nod. "Izumi. She and I have been good friends ever since we started school together. No matter what's happened, good or bad, we've stuck together."

"Oh," the junior slayer replied a bit despondently. "She sounds... nice."

Maiki was a bit confused by his seemingly disappointed tone. "Well, yeah. She is. I wouldn't be friends with her if she wasn't." She looked up into the night sky with a sigh. "It sucks that I have to transfer schools, though I don't mind doing it for mama. It's just that I know I won't be able to see Izumi as often anymore since mama and I now live on the other side of Tokyo. And with the school year ending so soon, I doubt I'll make even one new friend before summer recess..."

"Well... maybe... you already have," mumbled the boy.

"Hn?" She snapped her face towards him with a quirked eyebrow, wondering if she had heard him correctly. Her left ear twitched atop her head.

Kazuki stammered, feeling slightly uncertain. "Uh.. that is, maybe you will..."

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "No. Maybe you were right the first time." She returned her gaze towards the heavens, the grin remaining on her face. "I think I have already made a friend."

The junior slayer glanced at the shibunyo from the corner of his eye. Though she was no longer facing him, he could still see the honesty on her face, and he had heard the sincerity in her voice. A sense of relief washed over him. He followed Maiki's gaze into the starry sky. Though he said nothing more, a grin matching Maiki's sprouted from his lips. And in the cool night, the shibunyo and apprentice exterminator sat in companionable silence.

A/N: I will no longer be posting reviews at the end of each chapter. Please read the updated Author Note at the end of Chapter 28 for details. I have created a message board where you can find responses to your reviews. You can find the link on my author page.

All I will say, and I feel I need to get this off my chest, is that (up until now) I replied to every reviewer because I feel that each reviewer deserves the acknowledgement for leaving a review for my story. Readers are not obligated to review, and by giving a response to those who take the time to do so was my way of saying 'thank you'.