Disclaimer: Ha ha! You all think that Inu yasha isn't mine... (voice whispers: "it's not") But I will convince you one day! I shall lay claim and prove that it IS mine! (echo: is mine... is mine... is mine...) (voice again: crazy... crazy... crazy...)
A/N: Yah! I know how much you've all missed me, right? (crickets) Um... anyway! I'm here with another chapter of Only Human, winding down the story dangerously close to ending. But it's good... I hope. He he, I hope you enjoy! There's- once again- a lot of dialogue, but I hope that doesn't deter anyone. Alright, so ONWARD!
Chapter Thirteen: Playing the Game
"I'll be just fine, pretending I'm not; I'm far from lonely and it's all that I've got" -The Used: All That I've Got
He suddenly looked a little nervous. It was a flicker on his features, so brief that to blink would have been to miss it, but Mai noticed it nonethe less. "You went to see my mother," she accused, obviously bursting with happiness. "She told me today when I went to see her after school. To say the least, I was surprised. Talk about in knock-me-down-with-a-feather shock. And she said so many nice things about the guy, that I could hardly believe it was you. But I know that it was; there's no other explanation. I want you to know that what you did was one of the sweetest things anyone's ever done for me; and I'm not going to let you deny it."
She had been talking too fast to let him voice any protests, but he seemed to be regrouping so she sped off again. "She was so happy that I told one of my 'friends' about her; it really made her day. The flower was beautiful by the way."
"I don't know what-"
"No," she commanded, cutting him off. "I'm not going to let you lie."
There was silence, and he kept his head turned away from her, conveniently keeping her from looking in his eyes. While resolutely resolving to be patient, Mai could not help but be a bit annoyed. She saw no reason for him to be so difficult all of the time
"Well?" she questioned bluntly.
He almost sighed. "Damn. I was hoping you wouldn't find out."
That certainly didn't quell her annoyance. "You idiot!"
"If you're going to insult me you could at least choose slightly better discourtesies."
"Fine! Vexatious bonehead; stubborn jackass."
"Oh, so much better."
Mai held in a growl. "Just shut up for a second. Did you really think that my mother wouldn't mention someone I knew coming to see her? And why exactly did you not want me to know? Your actions really meant a lot to me."
"I just thought it was none of your business really."
"Of course it's my business, it's my mother! I think that I at least deserve an answer to my question. Are you purposely this infuriating?"
"No, it just comes naturally."
"Well, stop pissing me off. You're such a mystery- kind one minute and snarlingly cruel the next. But every time I try to get close enough to solve you, you move away. Can't you just be honest with me?" She ignored the fact that she wasn't being completely honest with him. So what if it had stopped being about merely melting him into his new persona? He would probably be appalled at how she currently felt, and there was no way she was going to push him away farther.
"Being 'solved' does not sound pleasant at all. And at any rate, I'm doing all that you can possibly ask of me. I don't know why I wanted to keep that a secret from you, it just seemed like the easiest-and best- thing to do. It is not a big deal."
"Oh yes it is, I am not letting you play that one down. I was so happy when I found out that you did that, and you are going to let me thank you for it." The silence that followed her speech hung over him like a great 'or else'.
"Really? Or else what? What if I don't let you?"
She was getting really angry then. But suddenly, she realized that he was just baiting her along. He was making her upset on purpose, to distract her from what he did, and probably for his own amusement. She could do the same thing to him. Suddenly it became a game.
Mai smiled her most sun-shiney, sugary sweet smile at him. That raised suspicions immediately. "Don't worry, I'll think of something truly horrible. Now! How do you want to be repaid?"
"I don't."
A sarcastic gasp. "You don't? Such a kind act without wanting anything in return- how selfless of you, Sesshoumaru."
He tensed. "It wasn't meant to be a kind act."
Mai couldn't help but internally grin as he dug himself deeper. "What?" she asked in a tone full of fake disbelief. "You mean, caring enough for me to go see my ill mother for a cheery visit- even bringing her a flower- was supposed to hurt me? Well, if that's the case, then I'd love to see what you'd do to please me."
He looked at her ferociously, a glare etched on his face. Though she tried to hold it in, her act was spoilt by the snicker she couldn't help but let out.
"Do not tease me woman," he said, danger signals in his voice, "do not dare tease me."
"I'm not teasing you!"
"Mai," he warned growlingly, "I am not a patient man. I don't appreciate being treated like a fool. Stop."
Not even noticing his casual use of her name she sighed. "You really can never take a joke."
"Maybe you just can't recognize one."
"Wha- Oh! You big jerk, you were just being mean so I'd stop joking around. You didn't really mean it."
"Well Mai, that's incredibly perceptive of you."
She was getting riled again. "Don't you think that you may have overdone it? Just a little? If I had been anyone else, that probably would have scared me!"
He shrugged. "My goal was accomplished, that's all that matters."
"I'll get you back."
"You can't even compete with me. I am the master at these mind games. Don't hurt yourself trying to keep up."
She gritted her teeth and said, "Oh that's so funny."
Sesshoumaru smirked. She couldn't believe it. Then she said, "I'm still going to find a way to thank you. Don't think you can make me forget about that."
She had guessed exactly what he was trying to do. By teasing her and making her angry, he had hoped to lead her thoughts away from the task she had originally wanted to complete. Now that it was after the fact, he felt rather silly at ever having done the deed in the first place. He almost wished he could go back and undo it. He hadn't wanted her to know about it.
It wasn't his fault that he had felt restless and compelled to wander. The park held no amusement for him that day, and his feet decided to go tread new grounds. It also wasn't his fault that he happened to pass a talkative man on the street. The meaningless ramble was annoying and he had turned to tell the man to be silent, when he caught sight of a bundle of flowers in his hands. All rationality left him then, and a hasty, nearly unbelievable plan formed in his head. He told the man he wanted one of those flowers, and after buying it- which appeared to be the reason the man had been rambling at him in the first place- he headed straight to the hospital Mai had let slip her mother was staying.
So it wasn't even his fault that he had done it. And he really hadn't wanted her to know.
"How do you want to be thanked?" she asked, still persistent.
"I believe I said before that I don't."
Mai playfully pouted. "There has to be something I can do for you."
"No. I don't think so."
Suddenly an idea came to her. "What if I could help you find a way to end your curse? I do know of this strange little shop where they have a lot of things dealing with magic and spells. The woman who owns it may know about these things, and at the least may be able to offer some good advice. Please let me take you to see her."
He was silent. Mai, though admittedly after a long while, had given him a small grain of hope. If the owner did know something that could help, he would have what he had wanted for 500 years. Perhaps he wouldn't put up as much of a fight as he had intended.
Taking his silence as an unwilling consent she stood up. "Well then, come on. Let's go."
"No need, dear!" a voice called from a few bushes nearby. "I don't think that you'll need anyone else; I'm here, and I have all the answers." A short old woman stepped out, looking pale and calmly excited.
"You!" he snarled at her, not bothering to hide his surprise. "You're the old hag who did this to me."
Then he turned frighteningly to Mai. "Was this part of your plan of 'thanks'? Getting this bitch to come here and humiliate me more? She cursed me in the first place!" He faced the wizened figure once again. "Damn you, you wretched sorceress. Damn you!"
"Calm down," Mai told him, scared of what he might do if any more of his mind went out the window. She kept a tight hold on his arm. "I don't know her; she leapt out of those bushes over there! I had no idea, so don't get angry with me." To the old woman she said, "I don't know who you are, but I'm not going to let you do anymore damage. This is my time, and I'm going to help him. Whatever you try to do won't affect that in the least- it just won't matter to me." Then as an afterthought she added, "Why did you change him in the first place?"
"You cannot understand dear, nor am I allowed to tell you. That is his part of the past story in relation to my own. If I were you, I would be more interested in the future of his story, and how that relates to yours."
Mai didn't respond. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, who clearly wanted nothing more than to beat the helpless woman to a pulp, and she sighed.
"By the way," the woman interjected, in a sly tone, "after listening in on your conversation, and of course having kept up with your actions for years, I wanted to tell you that you're free."
"What?" Mai asked, "I don't understand."
"Not you fool. I was talking to him." She nodded regally at the only man there, and surprisingly, he seemed to relax. His eyes were practically begging her to explain further, and the request was granted.
"I have no hold over you any longer. You are free to go on without worry of the future. You are no longer immortal."
"You mean- the curse is broken?" His voice was soft.
"Yes!" She replied quickly, "And I'm glad to see that you no longer want to kill me. But now you have a decision to make."
"A decision? What decision?"
"Well, if you could be patient I am trying to tell you. You have to decide what you want to be. For if you are good, I may just have the power to return you to your youkai form. But then again, you may have grown accustomed to being human. I don't know. And of course, if you do decide to be returned, there will be conditions."
"You're the woman I was telling him about," Mai said suddenly. "You are the one that works at that little shop. I suppose this is what you meant when you told me that you were the helper of destiny."
"Of course dear," the old woman returned. "You couldn't have believed that our meeting was merely coincidental? If it wasn't for me pushing you about your own destiny, you may have ignored this poor soul's cry for help." She disregarded Sesshoumaru's growl, obviously not pleased with being called a 'poor soul'.
Mai continued. "Well if you are the helper of destiny, then don't you already know his? Don't you know then what he's going to choose? Wouldn't you know all destinies?"
"Of course I know what he's going to choose," she answered snappily, "But if I just forced it on him, it wouldn't be a choice. He would come to resent being pushed into it, and think that it was the wrong path. Therefore, his destiny wouldn't suit. I'm perfectly aware of what's in his mind and in his heart; I just wish he would hurry up about it."
After that, everyone was silent. Mai watched him pace slightly, thinking over all of the things that had been said. Then he announced, "Tell me all of my options. What am I allowed to do, and what will the conditions be?"
"What? I've told you already."
"Well," he said, trying to be patient, "tell me again."
Mai stood in the background as the explanation was going on. She watched the scene carefully, but the words just didn't reach her ears. The old woman looked impatient, and the man looked incredibly thoughtful. That surprised her; he had never before seemed so quiet and pensive. He had been silent, certainly, but... that time was different. She wanted so badly to know what he was thinking about.
He noticed suddenly that she was staring. "What?" he asked defensively, his voice gruff. "What is it?"
"I was just wondering. I want to know what you are going to choose. It's your destiny, you can finally start living freely. Isn't it great?"
"Yes," he answered curiously, "I have been searching for his for so long."
Mai forced a smile. "You finally managed to do it. Somehow you redeemed yourself, and you'll get to be your old self again."
He cast a sidelong glance at her as the old woman began to speak again. "To be nice, I'm going to give you twenty-four hours to decide. Spend the rest of today enjoying your human form, as it may be the last time you ever see it. And let Mai come with you. After all, she is the one who saved you." And with that, the strange old woman walked away, humming a tune along with the wind.
"Can I really join you?" Mai asked hesitantly, breaking the silence. "After all, I do owe you a favor."
"Wouldn't it be more of a favor if you would just leave me alone?"
Though his words were sharp, they packed no sting. She was too used to him to actually mind it. She rolled her eyes. "Oh that's really true. I'm going to take that as a resounding 'yes'. Let's go!"
"I won't do anymore good deeds if this is what I get in return."
"Well most people don't want anything in return to begin with. Don't be so selfish, it's not very flattering to you." She grabbed his wrist to pull him into action.
"I suppose you'll give me no choice," he sighed.
She laughed. "Yeah! That's a good boy."
End A/N: Okies, everyone, another chapter all completed. Now! If you want, review! Tell me if you want Sesshy to remain human or change to be a demon! Ok, so I already know what it's gonna be, but it's still nice to hear whatcha think. And, just a warning, the next chapter is GOOD! Thanx for reading!
LOVE AND PEACE! -A.D.D.