Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach and Inuyasha characters, mangas, animes, movies, etc. They belong to copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al and Rumiko Takahashi et al, respectively.
Secrets Abound
Early Souvenirs
Kirara pretended to be asleep while the girls got up and dressed the next morning. Enjoying the sun where it came in the window and hit the pillow she was laying on; the chore was an easy one. Tuning out the feminine chatter of the three young women, she focused on the male complaining in the next room. Each boy had a distinct timbre to their voice, so it wasn't hard differentiating who was saying what, even through the thick wall. When a scuffle ensued, she growled quietly and gave up on pretending to be anything but wide awake. Jumping down from the heavenly softness that she'd been resting on, the nekomata stalked to the door and mewed demandingly.
Tatsuki stopped her stretching to open the door, giving no thought to what would happen if a hotel employee caught them with an animal in the room. She stuck her head out long enough to see where the cat demon was going. Kirara performed the same mewing with the boys' door and the martial artist was surprised when the portal opened within moments. Closing the door to their suite, Tatsuki left the male portion of their group to the tender mercies of their chaperone.
Hopefully, the fire cat wouldn't be too merciful.
Chad stared down at the nekomata silently while Ishida and Ichigo tussled in the background. When a chair was knocked over by a thrown archer, the gentle giant cleared his throat. "Ichigo…" he uttered when Kirara's ruby eyes narrowed in displeasure.
"I'm a little busy here," the daiko returned, cracking his knuckles.
"Ichigo," he tried again, moving out of the way when Kirara darted around his legs. She put herself between the combatants, crouching in anticipation of pouncing.
"Uh…" Ichigo glanced down, eyes widening at surprise at their visitor. Attention focused on the demon, he didn't notice the reishi arrow coming his way until it took a piece out of his shirt. "Hey!"
Kirara, fed up with the fight, she transformed into her saber-toothed form and turned on the Quincy. Baring her fangs, she let a roar rumble through the room. The noise stopped all action in the room, Keigo inadvertently shutting off the television in response to the unspoken reprimand. When she was satisfied that they weren't going to continue the fight, she turned to glare at Ichigo. Stomping her right front paw, she gave another rumble, letting them know that she wanted an explanation.
"He started it," the Shinigami representative began, taking off the shirt he was wearing and tossing it in disgust on the unmade bed. Digging around his suitcase, he grabbed another and yanked it over his head.
Kirara tossed her head and turned to Ishida. She sat down, waiting until someone said something that would convince her not to punish them. So far, it wasn't looking good.
"Kirara-san, I understand that these reservations were rushed, but making all five of us stay in the same suite was not a good idea. I had no choice but to lay next to this lout the entire night and it was most uncomfortable." Ishida pushed his glasses up, hoping that he sounded reasonable.
"Agreed," Ichigo snarled, yanking a comb through his hair. It didn't do much.
Kirara bowed her head, shaking it back and forth. A restless night did not make for happy teens. Opening her mouth to say something, she realized that they wouldn't be able to understand her in her current form. Standing and giving a stretch, she let her youki swirl around her in preparation for transforming.
Ishida and Ichigo came to the same conclusion within moments of each other. All thoughts of their fight forgotten, they tensed as dread filled them. The other three teenagers in the room watched in amazement as Kirara began reappearing in a humanoid form. "Kurosaki, did you not once describe Yoruichi-san's transformation exactly like this?"
"Yeah…"
"And doesn't she…?"
"Yes! My gods, Kirara-san, no!" Both boys began blushing profusely, horror filling their eyes as they watched a naked nekomata stand before them. Chad could be heard choking, while Keigo and Mizuiro felt blood drip from their noses. Turning their backs so they couldn't see her, Ichigo tried breathing deeply to get blood back to his brain while Ishida gazed determinedly out the window.
"Like you haven't seen a naked woman before," Kirara scoffed, going into the bathroom and finding an unused robe that she could put on. Returning, she noticed that all five friends were still silent.
"Actually, we haven't," Ishida said weakly. "At least not intentionally. Yoruichi-san once did much as you just did when she was helping Ichigo heal but the rest of us have not had that sprung on us, thankfully. Until now," he amended.
"Oh, what a blessed sight!" Keigo sighed in bliss. "Mizuiro probably has, playboy that he is. He always has older girlfriends."
Mizuiro nodded, discreetly wiping his nose clean of the blood. "None have ever been quite like you, Kirara-san." He gave her a winning smile, thinking that his charm might work on her as it did others.
Kirara glared at him briefly, regretting her actions. Turning to the fifth member of the shocked group, she found Chad in a bit of a comatose state. "Sado-kun?" she asked worriedly.
"Do the Americans allow such things?" he asked. "You probably shouldn't have done that here," Chad finally managed.
"No, it was my error, but I could not communicate well enough in my larger four-legged form. My apologies for scarring you for life."
"Seen worse," Ichigo excused. At the moment he couldn't recall what would be, but something would come to him eventually. His face was finally returning to its normal temperature. Taking one more deep breath, he perched on the edge of the bed and sighed. "What did you want to say?"
"Fighting is foolish, young men. I will not have this mission compromised because you decided you couldn't handle bunking together for one night."
"He flopped around like a fish out of water, Kirara-san," Ishida complained. Glancing at the others, he found no help there.
"Perhaps because my bunkmate snored."
"I do not," the archer shot back. "You are normally dead to the world when you're exhausted. What ever was the problem last night?"
"Maybe he didn't like being away from Rukia-chan," Keigo offered.
"He has become quite accustomed to her presence," Ishida mused. "Kirara-san, I am beseeching you. Please let our next accommodations have separate beds."
"It does," she sighed and settled for running a hand through her already disheveled hair. "I am willing to drop this matter if you are. We'll be going down to breakfast soon so please finish getting ready. Once our stomachs are filled, we will depart and go into the city proper." She turned to the door and opened it, glancing out briefly to make sure she wouldn't be seen. "And no more fighting," she admonished one more time before closing the door behind her.
Returning to the girls, she was surprised to find them in high spirits, some of what transpired having filtered through to them via the feeling in their friends' spiritual energy. Rukia gazed at her with mirth in her eyes. "You did a 'Yoruichi-san,' didn't you?" the ice wielder asked.
"Apparently. I am afraid I scarred them for life."
"Doubt it," Tatsuki snorted. "Probably got a thrill out of it."
"Asano-kun and Kojima-kun, perhaps. The other three…"
"Blushed to their toes, no doubt." Rukia chuckled. At least she could be assured that Ichigo and the others would remain true gentlemen. She'd be surprised if they ever had sex outside of marriage at the rate they were going. She thought it was kind of sweet how they weren't a slave to their hormones. Asano and Kojima on the other hand, she expected nothing less.
"They were utterly mortified," Kirara agreed, gathering her small satchel and going to the bathroom. "So nice to know not all modern teens are perverts," she mused before closing the door.
Orihime paused in brushing her hair and tilted her head to the side in thought. "I wonder what made the boys fight. They've been getting along so well lately."
"If their suite was a duplicate of ours, I imagine the sleeping arrangements were not entirely to their liking," Rukia answered, making sure her bag was packed and ready to go when they returned after breakfast. Tatsuki was doing the same, the grin on her face never wavering.
"Ah, boys don't like sharing, do they?"
"Not beds, I don't think," the Shinigami returned. It took all three females to return Orihime's clothes to their confined space and by the time they were successful, Kirara was ready to go downstairs.
Collecting everyone out in the hallway, Kirara did a mental count to ensure no one tried to stay behind. One kitten, two kittens, three kittens… She'd never had so many at once to keep track of and hoped she didn't lose someone along the way.
While the boys avoided eye contact with her, they did not let the early morning horror stop them from consuming large quantities of food. Sesshoumaru had told her that their spiritual energy required refueling at the most basic level and she didn't doubt that they could eat the average mother out of house and home.
It was a good thing she wasn't an average mother.
It was as they were leaving the hotel that the first sign of trouble appeared. Two large men in black suits and ear pieces flanked Kirara and the teens as they were starting toward the exit. She stopped, a quick motion of her hand halting the children as well.
"Lady Kirara, His Majesty requires your presence." The one on her left made to take hold of her arm and was forcefully pulled away by Ichigo. The daiko tightened his grip meaningful, the glare he was well-known for at full force.
"It's all right, children, there is no need for concern. Please take my keys and go to the bus. You'll find it in the parking lot quite easily. It has a rather distinctive design." She handed her fob to Ishida and shooed them along with her tails.
Once they were out of the way, Kirara placed her hands on an arm of each guard and squeezed until they were in pain. "Listen and listen well. If you know who I am, then you know I am not to be trifled with. Your emperor will have to wait. I have more pressing matters to attend to right now. None are which are to see him. When we wish to have an audience, he will be the first to know. Is that understood?" The promise of pain was clear in her tone of voice.
"But His Majesty is not one to be disobeyed!" the younger of the two protested.
"He is not my ruler. I have no need to follow his edicts. And another thing. If you ever, ever, accost those under my protection again, you will wish you were never born." Ruby eyes glittered with her anger, and it was clear she meant every word. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have eight teens that I cannot leave alone for a second. There's no telling what mischief they'll get into."
Turning on her heel, she left the building with her tails held high. Wandering through the parking lot, she headed straight for the small tour bus she had brought to transport the teens. Chad was still storing the luggage when she caught up and the tall adolescent nodded at her as she approached. Following the young man onto the bus, she retrieved her keys from Ishida and sat in the driver's seat.
"Kirara-san?" Ichigo questioned, concerned that the two men might have tested her patience a little too far. He could imagine her leaving them writhing on the floor in pain.
"There is no need to be concerned. They are alive and well. We will be getting a formal 'invitation' to the royal household soon." She navigated into traffic and made her way towards Manhattan. The going was slow, and she allowed the need for concentrating on the road to cool her anger. When she arrived home, she would be putting in a call to Sesshoumaru. A nasty suspicion had begun in the back of her mind that perhaps the reason they weren't told about this new "Naraku" was because the youkai ruler was him.
Hearing the children speak among themselves about the sights, she focused on the present and began a short tour guide-like lecture. For most of the students with her, they would never return to New York City and she wanted them to enjoy what they could while here. When traffic ground to a halt near her high rise, she turned around briefly to watch them.
"It's something else, isn't it? Tomorrow if the weather is good, we'll go see the Statue of Liberty. It's a bit touristy but we should relax while we can. Once your friends from the Soul Society have some news, we'll focus on why we'll really here."
"We should probably track down Watanabe-san," Ishida mused.
"A member of my staff is keeping track of her whereabouts. We should introduce ourselves naturally, hopefully without frightening her. I've had no word about her being followed so for the moment, I believe she's safe."
"If she is a permanent resident of the city, they may just keep watch on her work and home. There would be no need to follow her until they're ready to kidnap her," Ishida continued.
"You are correct," Kirara said, continuing forward with the vehicle. "Although she is in college, she has a job to help supplement her expenses. Living in this city is hardly cheap."
Pulling into the underground garage of her building, Kirara made her way to the spot she normally parked the bus and pulled in with little effort. Taking her time, she allowed the teens to climb out and mill around the cavernous interior of the garage. There were a few more buses like the one she'd driven, each with the distinctive "Nekomata Enterprises" logo on them. None of the kids had commented on the design gracing the exterior of the bus but it was probably only a matter of time.
By the time she exited the conveyance, the luggage had been unloaded and Ichigo and his friends had made their way to the elevator in the middle of the lot. Pausing briefly to search the large space for intruders, Kirara joined them within moments and casually pushed the button.
Ichigo and the others followed her in and waited several moments while the elevator climbed dozens of floors. When it finally stopped, the daiko was pretty sure they were on the top floor. Something that was reinforced when they exited directly into a penthouse.
His friends began exclaiming over the view, suddenly typical tourists. The height of the building allowed them to look out on much of the city. Normally he'd only get this kind of vantage point while he was standing on reishi hardened air. "Nice place, Kirara-san," he complimented just as several small mews chimed in greeting.
Rukia, following his gaze, fell on the nekomata as she knelt onto the carpet and gathered several small kittens into her arm. Tiny in their size, the animals had two tails, making it obvious they were nekomatas. "Ichigo," she breathed, her eyes wide with longing.
"Yeah?" he asked in apprehension. Inoue was already exclaiming over the cuteness and he had a feeling Rukia wasn't far behind.
"I want one," his partner declared. She rushed forward with the healer to make of the kittens, leaving the orange haired teen sighing.
"Of course, you do." Ichigo groaned as Ishida and the others chuckled beside him. His dad had said to have fun, not bring back a cat demon.
Then again, if Rukia said she wanted one, Isshin would probably allow her to bring the kitten home. In case she hadn't figured it out yet, Byakuya wasn't the only one who doted on her. Maybe the mission would sidetrack her long enough so that she forgot about wanting her very own nekomata.
"You're getting a cat," Tatsuki chuckled.
"Am not," the daiko declared.
"Are too," his childhood friend shot back. "She'll ask Kirara-san if she can take one home and once she agrees, Kuchiki-san will turn her eyes on you. Even if you say your dad won't allow it, she'll just call him up and ask. You know what'll happen then. And these aren't regular cats either. I have a feeling they're very clean. The perfect pet for a clinic owner. And the twins will fall in love instantly."
"I can see it happening," Keigo agreed, having met the rest of the Kurosaki family.
"I would take one, if I could," Chad commented and went to join the girls making of the kittens. For their part, the tiny creatures were enjoying the newcomers.
"Ichigo! Kirara-san said I could have one!" Rukia called, holding up a nearly all-white kitten to her face.
"Kirara-san!" he protested, aware that he sounded like he was whining. When all she did was look at him he tried another tact. "They're your children, right? How can you give them away?"
"They are nearly ready to leave the nest. Their mission in life is to become companions to strong warriors. Kuchiki-san is perfect for them. And it seems Noe has deemed her worthy."
Noe, the kitten of Rukia's choice, mew her agreement and kissed the Shinigami on the cheek. She climbed up on her shoulder and settled there in contentment. Her siblings chirped from their mother's arms and Kirara chuckled.
"It seems Aithne, Banva, Dara, Jocolin and Lua are wishing to be chosen too. Are there no other takers?"
"Unfortunately, we are not allowed any animals in our apartment building," Tatsuki said. Orihime seconded her friend regretfully and Chad nodded in disappointment.
"There's always the future. I am sure these will not be the last to be born."
"Oi, midget, aren't you forgetting something? You're going to have to ask the old man for permission." Ichigo smirked when she paused in her adoration.
"You are correct, Ichigo. One moment." Rukia pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed the number to the Kurosaki household. "Ah, pardon for disturbing your sleep, Otou-san…"
Ichigo slapped his forehead and knew it was all over. Ishida patted him on the back while laughing. "You could have brought up the fact that she'll have to go back to the Soul Society eventually. Or that Byakuya might not allow her to have Noe in the manor."
"Oh, please. Urahara will find a way to fix the first problem and Byakuya's almost as twisted around her finger as the old man."
"Your dad said it was okay!" Rukia grinned and tucked her communication device away.
"And now you have a cat," Ishida ribbed. One of the others climbed the archer's leg and made herself at home on his shoulder. Ichigo snickered and took a picture for future amusement.
"And now so do you."
A/N: I got on an Irish kick so here are the meanings of the names for the kittens: Noe (peace, rest, Mist of Heaven), Aithne (little fire), Banva (the name of a goddess), Dara (Halo of the Moon, wisdom, compassion, gift, brave, daring), Jocolin (One who glides with beauty), and Lua (moon).