Disclaimer: I've never owned Inuyasha, and I never will.
Author's Note: AHHHH! I'm such a bad authoress! Bad, bad Ichimu. I really don't get it. How can you guys stand me? Really, I'm so bad! GOMEN NASAI! I didn't mean to make you wait for forever for this chapter, but things have been coming up, meaning rehearsals. I'm playing Cinderella in a production of Into the Woods, and we only have like three weeks to pull of this show, so I'm dying. I come home from rehearsal, and all I do is practice, it's insanity, and it's consuming my life!
Anyway, to make up for it, this chapter is unusually long. I'm sorry if there are type-o's, but I'm just way too exhausted to check for any. This chapter isn't half as good as I was hoping it would be, but I hope you'll enjoy it.
I'm not making any promises, but I hope to have the next chapter up before the sixteenth.
Now, enjoy! (or don't, that's ok too.) Just please remember to review!
Translations:
Baka (bah-kah): Stupid
Ee(eh): Feminine yes
Iie(ee-yeh): No
Mou (moh): An expression of exasperation
Nani (na-nee): What?
Sumimasen (su-mee-mah-sehn): Excuse me/ I'm sorry
Chapter 18, A Web of LiesIt was disturbing, really. Scarlet could find no other word for it. How could she have let this happen? It made her feel dumb, made her feel as though her mistress's work had been for nothing…
'No!' Scarlet said silently, pushing her thoughts away. She had worked too hard and for too long to permit that kind of thinking. She couldn't let herself get depressed, couldn't lose her edge. She would just have to be more careful in the future, she decided. That was all there was to it…
Or was it? She had performed an act she never would have normally committed, just to keep the oji and hime safe. True, it had long ago been-
She cut off her thoughts and looked up. She was sitting on the porch of the old shrine, her back against the splintered wood. Rain fell steadily beyond the cover of the porch, trailing down the dirt path, carrying small twigs and crumbled leaves with it. The building had collapsed many decades ago, but the porch had somehow remained mostly intact. There was a violent history surrounding it, but despite it, Scarlet had always found a measure of peace here, especially when it rained. There was stillness and solidity here that she found nowhere else.
Scarlet let her hand slip into her kimono. Her fingers ran over the fiery phoenix that had been tattooed on her chest. 'A strange birthmark,' they had said. Scarlet smiled bitterly; if only they had known…
A sudden crunch of earth on the trail caused Scarlet to look up. Sango was there, her countenance mild. Scarlet blinked at her and quickly brought her hand up in mute greeting. Sango nodded in return, and then approached. The princess was still dressed in her magenta-checkered kosode and green apron. Her wakizashi was clipped to her waist. Sango took a seat across from Scarlet, and wrung out her mahogany locks. "Yu said you would be here," Sango explained after a moment.
"That so," Scarlet mused, looking back across the barren landscape. She suddenly wished it was spring, and pulled her kimono tighter around her.
"It's pretty here."
"Ee."
"Scarlet…-chan."
Scarlet started and looked up at the princess, her icy eyes wide.
Sango flushed and looked at her hands, which she had folded neatly in her palm. "Sumimasen…" she muttered.
"Iie," Scarlet said immediately, a small smile brightening her face. Sango looked up in surprise. "You can call me Scarlet-chan, if you want. We should by now, shouldn't we?"
Sango smiled in response. "Mm. And you can call me Sango-chan…that is, if you want to."
A pregnant pause followed, and their smiles faded into the bleak morning.
"Houshi-sama is awake," Sango said softly, shifting her position.
"That's good news," Scarlet replied.
Another pause followed, and Scarlet felt the weight of it crush her. Sometimes more meaning could be found in the pauses than in the conversation. This time, although Sango's pleasantness hinted at nothing of the sort, Scarlet knew by the pauses that Sango had come to ask Scarlet something she wasn't comfortable asking…and Scarlet had a pretty good idea what that something might be.
"I wanted to ask you something…" Sango started, her intense mahogany gaze moving from Scarlet face to the ground. Here it comes, Scarlet thought, biting her lip. Sango looked at Scarlet again, and there was renewed determination in her eyes. "What was it that you did to houshi-sama last night?"
Scarlet's stomach knotted, and her face tightened with distress. Sango saw the effects of her question, but did not back down from it. Scarlet would have to have an answer for her. But what to tell her? There was a web of lies surrounding the princess already in concern to so many important details. Should Scarlet become one of those details? Could she face having to lie to Sango again and again? Or did she tell Sango the truth and risk what knowing it might mean to the princess?
Or maybe she could provide just a colored truth?
"I learned it from my mistress," Scarlet answered. "I put some salve onto my fingers. Combined with heat, it can be used as a sleeping aid. Because Miroku was already fatigued, he fell right to sleep." The surprise that crossed Sango's face caused Scarlet to don a bitter inner smile. 'Surprised now, hime?' she thought darkly. 'Wait until you hear the whole truth.'
Despite her surprise, Sango seemed satisfied with Scarlet's answer. She looked back down the path toward the hut. "What about Yu? How did she pick up houshi-sama so easily?"
Scarlet chuckled suddenly, and Sango started in response. "Sumimasen," Scarlet apologized, covering her mouth with her hands. "Of course you wouldn't know anything about that. Well, each of the Chiba siblings has their own specialty, don't they? Although blind, Jou is the most skilled swordsman I have ever met. Ton can soar through the trees like a monkey, and move with startling speed. Yu, meanwhile, possess an incredible and unreal amount of strength."
"What are they?" Sango asked, her mouth hanging open.
"A talented family," Scarlet lied with a shrug.
Sango frowned, as if detecting Scarlet's lie, and hugged her knees to her chest. "How did you become involved with them?" she asked.
Scarlet pursed her lips. As the saying went, one lie really did breathe another, even if they were only half-lies. "My mistress took them in when I was still a young girl. They had been ostracized from their village because of their unusual talents. This was after Jou was kicked out of the army and their parents died in a plague."
Sango shook her head in mild astonishment. "And they've stayed with you ever since?"
"We became fast friends," Scarlet said, thinking back to the actual situation. Yu had despised her openly, Jou had kept his loathing quieter, and Ton had greatly mistrusted her. Of course, she reminded herself quickly, none of that had been without reason. "They came with me when my mistress…died."
There was another silence, and then Sango stood. She brushed her hands on her olive green apron and then offered her hand to Scarlet. "Let's go," she said with a smile. "We have to leave now if we want to make it to the Takara kingdom in good time!"
Scarlet started at her hand in surprise, and then reached up to accept Sango's hand with a smile of her own. They had walked halfway down the trail together when Scarlet stopped. "Ne, Sango-chan…" she said softly.
Sango looked at her. "Nani?"
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said to you the first time we met. That maidens-in-distress comment," Scarlet said, pushing a crimson-tinted lock behind her ear. "I was clearly mistaken. You're perfectly capable of handling yourself, aren't you?"
Sango blinked and then smiled. "And I'm sorry I called you a whore and a coward." She squeezed Scarlet's hand. "You're not too shabby of a survivor either."
They smiled warmly at one another before continuing on toward the hut.
(-)
"Sango, I'm hungry," Miroku moaned for the five-hundredth time.
Sango rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I told you already, houshi-sama, we'll stop to eat at noon."
Miroku whimpered loudly. "But that's so far away!"
"That's because it isn't anywhere near lunchtime yet. Mou, houshi-sama, it's still morning!" Sango pressed, her temper rising.
"I'm hungry, too!" Jou and Ton chorused, turning toward Sango.
"Well, I'm not putting the food pack down until noon, so you'll just have to deal with it, you crybabies!" Sango snapped, lifting her chin indignantly.
Scarlet and Yu chuckled as they watched the scene.
"Please, Sango!" Miroku pleaded, throwing himself at Sango's feet. Sango jumped in surprise at the gesture and then quickly skirted around the starving prince. Miroku grabbed her ankle.
"S-stop!" Sango ordered, shaking her ankle to free it from Miroku's grasp.
The party of six was walking along the highroad out of the northland to the Takara kingdom. They had been walking since dawn and now the sun was out, traveling slowly along its pathway through the sky. Snow lingered in patches amongst the rice patties and villages the group passed, but the day was warm and pleasant. Birds sang in the trees and small animals moved through the brush.
"Yare yare!" a voice called suddenly from above. "It isn't even spring yet and already we have two lovebirds."
Sango froze, her eyes widening. Miroku jumped to his feet, turning his face to the sound. Jou, Ton, and Yu instantly moved into a defensive circle around Scarlet. Sango saw the youkai first, his silver body coiled around a tree limb high overhead. "Ginmaru!" she shouted in horror.
Ginmaru dropped from the leafless boughs to the road with the grace and ease of a dancer. He straightened, his black eyes flashing. "Konnichiwa, Sango-san, houshi." He turned, surveying the couple's companions. "I see you've acquired some friends since last we met." Tipping his head, he muttered, "Scarlet-san, so nice to see you again."
Scarlet bristled but said nothing in response. Jou and Ton moved in front of her, prepared to defend her from Ginmaru, but she pushed through their arms. Yu watched quietly, her dark eyes revealing nothing of her thoughts. Miroku drew Kyoden's katana from its sheath. Holding the weapon before him, he squared off his shoulders and glared darkly at Ginmaru. "Are you here for a rematch, Ginmaru?" Miroku asked, reaching out to pull Sango behind him.
Ginmaru arched one eyebrow. "Yare yare, houshi. Let's have some patience, shall we? There's someone we're waiting for. Then we can fight all you want."
"Who?" Miroku demanded, tightening his grip on Kyoden's katana. "Naraku?"
Ginmaru blinked, and then his mouth parted to allow a long series of guffawing to come out. "Naraku? No! No, you baka houshi! Why would Naraku waste his time on the likes of you?" He reached up to wipe tears of mirth from his eyes, his laughter subsiding. "No, Naraku is already on his way to the Takara kingdom."
"I'm the one he's waiting for," a cold voice from behind declared.
The members of the small company whirled, and there was Ezakiya Ryudaisetsu, his golden eyes flashing hungrily as he settled to the earth. Behind him, a swarm of youkai covered the sky and moved to block out the late morning sunlight. "Konnichiwa, minna," he cooed, looking from Sango to Scarlet.
Miroku frowned and narrowed his eyes, bracing himself to withstand an attack from both sides, but Scarlet was already moving. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, her hands flying in furious motion. When he turned to her, he saw that she was exercising a series of complex seals, her icy eyes focused on Ryudaisetsu. Ginmaru noticed as well and called out in warning, but Scarlet had already finished her seal.
There was a flash of blinding light, and then everything went still. Ryudaisetsu was standing stiff and erect, his eyes burning with fury. He opened his mouth to summon a counterattack through the power of his words, but nothing came out. He paled in astonishment. No one moved; everyone was watching Scarlet and Ryudaisetsu. Furious now, Ryudaisetsu attempted to change back into his dragon form, but all he managed was to grow horns and blue scales. He could not complete the transformation. Scarlet smirked and then collapsed.
The battle began.
It happened so fast that Miroku didn't have a chance to blink before Ginmaru was on him, slashing at his chest with his steel arm. Miroku stumbled back, bringing his shakujou up to halt the youkai's advance. Then Sango was on her feet, rushing at Ginmaru with her wakizashi poised over her head.
Ginmaru dodged easily, and his hand whipped out to knock the wakizashi from Sango's hands. The blade went flying through the air to settle in the moist ground on the other side of the road. Sango leapt away, reaching for her pouch of poison powders.
Miroku ran at Ginmaru and the two of them met in a flash of sparks as their blades came up. Miroku quickly pushed the youkai away with a kick to his stomach. Sango was there to meet him, and tossed a handful of the poison powder across the youkai's back.
Ginmaru howled in pain and whirled around, bringing his steel arm up in an attempt to slice open the princess's stomach. Sango bit her lip and flipped back, out of the way of the deadly limb. Ginmaru sneered in response, his black eyes sparkling with checked fury. Landing softly in the snow, Sango went to work. She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and took her Hiraikotsu from her back. Then, with the speed of a hawk, she dove at Ginmaru.
The youkai sidestepped, easily avoiding the blow. Miroku was there, however, and brought his shakujou around roughly to catch Ginmaru in the stomach. The youkai doubled over the holy rod and then went flying across the road into a grove of trees. There was a deadening crash as he made contact with an oak, a cloud of dust and splinters, and then it all went still.
Miroku ran up beside Sango. The princess glanced at him, a fervent flash of mahogany glory, and then took position. They stood back to back, facing out against the onslaught of youkai.
Yu, Jou, and Ton were already fighting. Ton was swinging through the youkai's ranks, throwing kunai knives left and right. Jou, meanwhile, was working through the hoards, slashing with his sword with the skill of a legend. Yu was picking up the larger youkai that Jou had felled, and using their huge forms to crush other smaller youkai. Scarlet was unconscious, strapped to Yu's back with a makeshift harness.
Sango and Miroku exchanged a quick glance, and then moved to aid their allies.
Suddenly, there was a scream from the right flank. Miroku and Sango looked up, their eyes widening. It was Yu who had screamed. Miroku took off without a second thought to the matter, sprinting blindly through the youkai in the direction of the scream.
He pulled up short and struggled to take in the scene before him.
Ryudaisetsu was standing over Yu, his golden eyes flashing with triumph. A hideous chuckle was pouring off his smiling lips. Yu was clutching her ankle while trying to get to her feet, her eyes wide with horror. And in Ryudaisetsu's arms was Scarlet.
Yu whirled around, spotted Miroku, and screamed, "Save her!"
Miroku leapt forward, bringing up Kyoden's katana, but a sudden blow from the right sent him flying in the other direction. He hit the solid form of a youkai, causing his head to swim and his vision to blur badly. He shook his head, blinked a stream of blood out of his eyes, and pushed himself to his feet.
Ginmaru stood not six feet in front of him, cool triumph shining in his eyes. He was badly bruised, and scathed in several places, but other than that, he was unharmed. A smirk shone on his face, confident and sly. He started moving towards Miroku, his sword-arm rising.
Hiraikotsu swung into view, landing with force in between Miroku and the threatening silver youkai. Ginmaru jumped back, and both he and Miroku turned to see Sango advancing, her wakizashi shining in her hand. "Get away from him!" she ordered Ginmaru.
Ginmaru for a moment lost his composure and bristled, his lip curling to reveals his rows of pointed teeth. But then he was back to his usual self, and a small smile appeared on his face. "With pleasure, hime." He raised his steel arm and rushed at Sango.
The princess was so surprised and halted so suddenly that she lost her balance and fell over. "Sango!" Miroku shouted in warning, already moving to stop Ginmaru. 'It's too late!' he thought in dismay. 'I won't catch him in time.'
Sango gasped and closed her eyes tightly as Ginmaru brought his sword up from the kill. But instead of being severed in two, a second later she found she was quite whole, flying through the air. She thought for a moment that it was Miroku who had saved her, but looking up, she saw Ton's boyish face. "Ton!" she gasped.
The boy looked at her and smiled. Then they were on the ground, and Miroku was there, helping Sango to her feet. He was scolding her, but she wasn't paying attention. Ton stood idly by, looking at the ground.
"Ton," Miroku said suddenly. The boy looked up at him. "Your sister is over there." He pointed in the directed her was speaking of. "Ryudaisetsu has Scarlet."
Ton went immediately pale. "What!" he said in disbelief.
"Hurry," Miroku urged. "We'll be there as soon as we can."
Ton was gone in blur of sound and color, flying to his sister's aid.
"Yare yare," a familiar voice chided. "Don't make promises you can't keep, houshi."
Miroku whirled around, catching Ginmaru's arm with his shakujou just inches above his face. He looked back at Sango. "Sango," he shouted. "Go help Scarlet!"
"But!" Sango protested.
"Go!"
Sango frowned, furrowed her brow, and then took off after Ton. Miroku sighed in relief, and turned towards Ginmaru. The youkai was smiling nastily. "That was a brave move, boy, but also very stupid. It's obvious that she means a lot to you." His smile grew. "When I capture her, I'll make sure you get front row seating to her impending torture."
"That won't happen," Miroku said with a determined frown. He pushed Ginmaru's arm away, and straightened his proud frame. "Our battle ends here, Ginmaru."
(-)
When Sango arrived on the scene, Yu had already regained her footing, and was fighting ferociously alongside Ton. Ryudaisetsu, although Scarlet had sealed his voice and morphing ability, was winning. Yu kept slipping and stumbling, a result of the pain caused by her ankle. Ton could not move fast enough to avoid Ryudaisetsu's fierce attacks. Ryudaisetsu was fighting by forming balls of youki in his throat and spitting them out at the battling siblings. Sango set her jaw and moved into the scene.
Ryudaisetsu looked up as she approached and smiled hideously. He wasted no time sending a ball of blue-tinted youki in her direction, and she swerved to miss it. However, Ryudaisetsu's shot had been swift and accurate, and it still caught the princess on the left shoulder. Sango twisted her face in pain and rolled away.
Yu jumped up to cover her momentarily, throwing a log at Ryudaisetsu's frame. The clever dragon creature brought Scarlet's body up, and allowed the woman to take the force of the blow on her shoulder. The woman shivered, but did not regain consciousness.
Sango reclaimed her feet and watched in depression as Ryudaisetsu knocked Ton to the ground his a sound slap. "We…we can't win like this," she realized.
Immediately, she was ashamed with herself. She straightened, pouted in determination, and thought, 'That's not right! I'm the princess of the Kawate kingdom! If I give up hope, then how can I help the people of my kingdom?' She took a step forward, her dark eyes shining. "I have to win!"
Yu looked around at her statement, and nodded. "Yes, Sango, we have no choice, do we?"
Sango nodded and darted forward, thinking back to all the times she had fought youkai before. What was wrong with her? she wondered. She wasn't weak, then why had she been acting so weak? Needing houshi-sama to protect her was absolutely unforgivable. And how many times had he risked his life for her? Sango shook her head, clearing it of those related thoughts. She would revisit them later. Now, she had to concentrate on the battle.
Sango reached into her pouches for a handful of exterminating powder, and chucked it at Ryudaisetsu. The powder caught him in the eyes and caused him to howl in mute agony. While he was stunned, Ton threw a dozen kunai knives at his feet, pinning him to the road. Yu grabbed his horns and pulled his head back, exposing his neck. Sango brought up her wakizashi and sliced at the demon's neck.
However, the scales that had grown there allowed only for a small slit to appear on the youkai's throat. Sango, Ton, and Yu leapt away from the creature, avoiding his violent thrashing.
The wild thrashing that occurred shook Scarlet awake. The woman blinked twice, took in the scene, and then raised her hands. They caught Ryudaisetsu on the thrat, just over where Sango had managed to cut him. The dragon went still at once, his golden eyes rolling wildly in his head until he found Scarlet. There was nothing less than terror shivering through him as he realized that Scarlet was awake. The woman tightened her grip, and once more Sango saw something strange pass from Scarlet's hands and into the dragon.
Ryudaisetsu burst into violet flames immediately. Yu jumped up, grabbed Scarlet, and leapt away from the burning dragon. He howled once, and then Ezakiya Ryudaisetsu was gone.
There was a moment in which no one moved, and then Scarlet freed herself from Yu's hold. She straightened her kimono, and fixed her crimson glowing hair. Sango watched her for a moment, and then her eyes fell on the ashes that marked the remains of Ryudaisetsu. "Wh-what was that?"
Scarlet looked at her, a frown on her lips. "It would be better for you to forget what just happened here, Sango…-chan," she said evenly.
Sango blinked in surprise. "What?"
"I said, you should forget what you just witnessed, Sango-chan. Nothing good can come of such knowledge."
Sango shook her head. "No." she said softly. Then, with more power, she continued. "No! Scarlet-chan, I've seen that before…that strange power flowing out of your hands. I saw it when you healed houshi-sama. You told me your mistress had taught it to you, that you put salve on your hands and used heat to create a sleeping aid. What about this time, when you set Ryudaisetsu on fire! Did you use another salve, another trick?"
Yu glanced at Scarlet, but Sango couldn't read her expression.
"I told you to forget it, princess!" Scarlet thundered, clenching her hands into fists at her sides.
Sango was taken aback by the woman's sudden anger, and her mouth fell open. "Sc-Scarlet-chan…" she breathed. "Won't you tell me? If something's bothering you, I can help…I want to help. Please, Scarlet-chan, let me help you."
Scarlet looked away, her icy eyes troubled. "I can't…" she whispered.
Sango took a step forward, her hand rising to touch the older woman's shoulder, but Scarlet shied away. And then Ton was there, frowning at Sango. Sango started and backed up, surprise darting across her face. "Scarlet…" she whispered. Scarlet did not move. "Scarlet-chan!" Sango's voice was desperate now, pleading.
Scarlet shook her head and walked away. She did not look back.
- Ichimu