An apology from the author:
OMG I am sooo sorry this took so long to come out1 I've been really busy lately and had no time to write. But now I am back to my usual schedule:
Monday- nothing
Tuesday- nothing
Wednesday- hmmm… I got nothing
Thursday- um… nothing
Friday- N-O-T-H-I-N-G
Saturday- still nothing
Sunday- Church in the morning… but otherwise… nothing!
So that means you will be seeing a lot more of this story! Mhmm!
Chapter 9: Jealousy?
Above us next to the sun,
There lies the child of shame…
Hanako's voice could be heard from miles away…
Let you here his name
In heaven and our hearts
Star of happiness, star of wonder,
You see everything above us…
Bo sat listening to her sing. He had no idea she had a voice so unearthly and strange, but so enchanting to listen to.
May you contemplate your heart
Always, forevermore,
Always, forever…
Bo clapped as hard as he could. "That was amazing! Where did you learn to sing?"
Hanako blushed slightly. "Oh come on Bo… it wasn't that great…" He had heard from Jaken that she liked to sing and then forced her to sing for him. "'Course it was!" he complimented, "I am completely shocked. Your voice is as beautiful as you are yourself. Her face turned scarlet red. "Wh-what are you saying Bo? I am not pretty…" she giggled. He smiled at her, "Yes you are."
"No I'm not," she responded.
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are!"
"No I'm not!"
They both laughed as Bo continued to tease her.
Jaken cackled. "Look at them. You would think they had known each other for a while now, yet it has only been a day," he said. Sesshomaru, who was next to him carefully watching the two, showed to reaction to his words, and yet inside he was angry about the entire situation. He eyed both of them from a far distance, seeing them flirting like they always had.
There they go again… he thought annoyed. They had been at it ever since he had first seen the demon. Why doesn't he just make a move on her and get it over with? Anger began to come across his once solemn face.
Rin had been watching Sesshomaru ever since Bo had come, and noticed how tense he had been acting. She came up behind him and tugged on his sleeve. He turned around to find himself staring up into a pair of big brown eyes, which looked at him with deep concern. " Why is Lord Sesshomaru so mad at Hanako?" she asked him. He batted her arm off of his sleeve. "I am angry with no one," he said. But he knew he was bothered by the fact that Hanako had not spoken to him ever since Bo had arrived, but would never admit it to himself.
Rin was not convinced. "But your face looks so sad," she exclaimed, "and you never stop looking at her." She put her hands on her hips. "Lord Sesshomaru is very mad at Hanako," she confirmed out loud. Sesshomaru paid no mind to the child. "Believe what you wish, Rin, even though it is not true." He took one last longing look at Hanako, who was still playing around with Bo. He watched Bo take her by the arm and lead her beyond some shrubs. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, and he followed the two, not trusting them alone. Rin watched him follow them, which only more convinced her of her suspicions.
Beyond the shrubs, Hanako was gazing into a puddle on the ground, seeming dazed and confused. Bo was at her side. Hanako touched her own face, her eyes getting lost in the reflection, to make sure what she was seeing was real. "That… is me?" she said in disbelief. Bo nodded. "Yup. It sure is," he laughed, "You don't get out much do you Hanako-chan? How often do you look in a mirror?"
She gently put her fingers in the water, watching it ripple. "No, that's not it…" she said. She hadn't seen herself since after she stopped purging her food. She had remembered having a bony face and dark circles around her eyes, and arms that were like sticks. But now, she looked somewhat normal, like a normal everyday maiden.
"What's not it? Why have you not seen yourself before?" he asked. She looked away from her own reflection and then to Bo. She blinked a few times. "I-I didn't mean to pry!" he said, realizing his own actions, "I was just curious. I'm sorry…". Hanako looked down. "It is… a long story… I don't really want to talk about it." He nodded. "Okay." But it only made him more curious to know more about her. He had suspected it for a while now, that maybe Sesshomaru had abused her in the past, or taken out his anger on her. She had some old bruises and scars on her, an especially large one on her leg. The only thing he could think of is cruelty, and the only one who would be able to inflict those kinds of wounds was her lord. He decided to pry further, for her sake.
"So…" he began, "How long have you been a slave to Sesshomaru?" he asked, determined to get an answer. She shrugged. "Not very long. Why do you ask?" He became slightly more suspicious, and decided to go a little further. "Well, where did you get those bruises from?"
Hanako became nervous. She did not want to answer his questions any longer. "I'm… just very clumsy…" she lied, managing a really fake looking smile that anyone could see through. Bo knew she was lying, only making him believe his theory more. "Those do not look like falls… they look more like… stabs… you know, from a knife?"
She said nothing. She could not think of any more lies other than 'Oh I did that myself!' but that would be implying she was suicidal…
He did not avoid his point any longer. They were alone, no one was watching (well that's what he thought, not knowing Sesshomaru was standing close by, watching their entire conversation). He bent down closer to her level. He let out a sigh, knowing that if he were right, she would most likely start crying to him. He let his voice become gentle and soft, and quietly spoke into her ear:
"Hanako, Sesshomaru didn't give you those scars… did he?"
Her head spun around. She gazed at him, appalled that he would even dare to think that. "No! He would never! I told you already, I'm just not the most poised person in he world, and I fall down a lot…" she looked down at her reflection once more. "If anything… he helped me…" she said softly, just barely above a whisper.
He put his hand on her shoulder. "You must face the truth once in a while. He never took out any anger or frustrations on you at all?" he asked again. He was completely confident in himself, and knew that he was right, despite how much she denied it. She was not graceful, but no one could ever fall down that badly. Her scars looked liked they were once deep wounds, and other ones on her back looked like wounds from a whip.
"Please don't say that, Bo-chan. He didn't I promise. It was me…" she pleaded him. But he did not listen. "Then who did this? These look like they were serious wounds," he continued.
Sesshomaru stepped closer to them, allowing himself to be seen. They both turned around after hearing the bushes rustling. They were both stricken with fear that he was to be angry with them for talking about him, Bo especially.
"And what right do you have to be making assumptions about a situation you could never even begin to understand?" he said, his face still as calm as ever, "You, a middle class demon from the North, accusing me of such a thing?" he stared Bo straight in the face. "For your information, I do not have the time to go about whipping my slave. Nor do I have any frustrations I would enjoy taking out on her," he said in defense of himself.
Bo bowed to him. "I'm sorry… I was mistaken… I beg of your forgiveness…"
Sesshomaru looked down at the pathetic being before him. Why Hanako was so fond of him he did not understand. "Please Lord Sesshomaru! Don't do anything to him. He was only concerned for my sake and make an incorrect guess." Hanako begged him. He looked over to her. She was wearing a sorrowful look on her face. He snickered and turned around and began to walk away. "Unfortunately, I also do not have the time to go about whipping those who oppose me as well…" he said.
Bo bent upward after he had left. Man, he thought, that guy's scary…
Hanako gently touched his back. "Thank you for your concern, but if you must know, these wounds were from a previous lord of mine, not Sesshomaru," she said, gathering up all of her courage to talk about the incident again, "In fact, when he heard about what happened to me, he went on ahead and slew my old lord," she said, a small smile crossing her face. It was okay, him knowing that much. He did not need to know just how far the abuse had gone. No one else needed to know.
"Wow… really?" Bo said, looking back to where Sesshomaru had walked off. Geez, did I mess up… accusing the "hero" of the crime. I better go apologize… Sesshomaru did not seem like the sort who would "save" or "help" anyone, but to have done that is somewhat the sign of someone kind, in a sort of twisted way.
Hanako embraced him lovingly. "Its okay! I forgive you!" she teased. Bo was very pleased to receive her hug, and hugged her back, but not teasingly. He wanted the chance to hold her in his arms, and to tell her how he truly felt about her. He did not want her as a friend, but as a lover. And the fact that she had been abused was enough to kill him. He hoped she was not hurt too badly, and held her tighter, gently stroking her hair. He pulled her face close to his, observing her shocked but pleasantly surprised facial expression. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to let it all out of him. Maybe she loved him, too?
He opened his mouth to speak, but a scent distracted him. He let her go, and turned his face in the direction of the scent. "What is it Bo-chan?" she asked, still a bit surprised by his strange actions, which had seemed a little bit too friendly. His entire face lit up. "My clan! It's the scent of my clan from the North! They are around her somewhere!" he said with excitement, running off in that direction, leaving Hanako by herself in the woods. She was quite dazed from his long embrace. She touched the spot on her face where he had touched her.
Bo…Rin came up behind her. "Hanako-chan? Why are you here all alone?" she asked.
"No reason…" she said, sounding far away.
"Where is Bo?"
"He said he smelled his clan. He went to go find them…" Her voice still sounded far away.
"What do you think of Bo?" Rin asked curiously.
Hanako snapped out of her dreaming. Why was Rin getting so personal? "We are friends. Very good friends."
"Lord Sesshomaru is very mad at you," Rin said, "Because you like him better. He is jealous I think."
Hanako looked at Rin. Sesshomaru did not seem like the jealous type. And why would he get jealous over her? She began to laugh.
"Where did you hear that from, Rin?" she asked.
"I didn't. I guessed. I'm a good guesser, Hanako-chan. And now I am guessing that he likes you and you like him. So you should be with him and not Bo."
Hanako stopped laughing. What Rin was saying was not funny anymore. "But that is illegal. Never say things like that Rin. It would never work. And I don't like Bo like that. Or Sesshomaru…"
She remembered her feelings for Sesshomaru. She knew she did have a somewhat of a small thing for him, but it was nothing big. So that was okay, right? She would not be in trouble for telling Rin that, would she?
…
She decided against it. Rin would most likely go tell him if she told her. And the last ting she wanted was for him to know.
"Why is it so illegal? I do not understand. Why is it so bad for slaves?" Rin asked again.
"it just… is…"
"You should not be a save Hanako-chan. Then you could be with Sesshomaru."
"N-no its not like that. Don't ever say that again Rin. Someone could hear and I could get in big trouble…"
"Why would you get in trouble?" Rin asked. Her face was sad.
"How can love be a sin?"
Hanako paused.
How is it that love could be a sin?
"I do not know myself. But that is just the way the world works, I suppose…" she lied. "Now come Rin. We must get out of this forest soon. When the sun first begins to set, this is demon country." She took Rin's hand and led her out of the forest. They walked down the hill back to where Sesshomaru and Jaken were standing.
Jaken put his hand to his forehead. "This is such a big problem!" he exclaimed with great stress.
"What is Master Jaken?" Rin asked, coming up to him.
"That damned war is costing us a fortune! We have to pay for all the repairs…" he said.
"Oooo Jaken said a bad word!" Rin said, covering her mouth.
Hanako looked up to Sesshomaru, who did not look too pleased himself. "But you have money right, Lord Sesshomaru? Why can you not pay for the repair of your domain?" she asked.
Jaken answered for him. "We'd be broke!"
Hanako bowed to Sesshomaru with great respect. "If there is anything of mine I can sell to get you more money, I would be more than happy to. Like the loom, or I could lend services to someone in village," she suggested.
Sesshomaru spoke without looking at her. "I do not want you working for humans," He said simply.
Jaken looked back and forth. "Where is that Bo demon that has been with us?"
"He picked up the scent of his clan. He went to go see the source, and will most likely be back soon." Hanako informed him.
"That stupid demon! Holding us back! We were supposed to leave this place a while ago!" Jaken shouted.
As if on cue, Bo came through the trees. He waved at Hanako. "Sorry to leave you like that. I was just in a rush…"
Before he could finish, Hanako had thrown her arms around him.
"Bo-chan!" she yelled happily.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened at the sight of Hanako embracing Bo.
He smiled at her. "What's with the big hello?"
"Did you find your clan, Bo-chan?" she asked, still with her arms around him.
He sighed. "No… it was just a campsite where they had been. But they are probably close by. I'm afraid I'll just have to stay with you a little while longer…"
"Yay!" she shouted, hugging him tighter.
Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken were left staring at them with dumb looks on their faces. Jaken gazed at them together, taking it what he was seeing. Rin looked up at Sesshomaru. He could feel it, the anger and hatred rising up from the depths of his heart, slowly eating away at him. His amber eyes burned the image of Hanako and Bo together like that. He had once asked where the big welcome he had always gotten from her whenever he had come back from a long journey was. And there was his answer! It was right there wrapping itself around Bo instead of him! And how come she hadn't even been talking to him much lately? Because she had been too busy flirting around with Bo to even look at him. He glared at them. Seeing her with that man… it makes me sick!
Sesshomaru turned away from them. If he were to see anymore, he knew would gag. "We are leaving," he said, his anger apparent in his voice. They all followed, Hanako and Bo holding hands behind him. He could feel their affections for each other just by looking at them, their vibes reflecting off of their image. He loathed it.
Why am I so angry? It is only my slave with another man. Why does is concern me? He thought. His feelings for Hanako were unknown to him, and he had not yet figured them out. All he knew was that he felt nothing but pure anger when she came in contact with any other male that wasn't him.