You know, I almost didn't post this before work, but I figured people would revolt if I didn't. That and I suddenly remembered to do it.
This week's schedule didn' seem as bad as last week's on the surface, that is until I came home on Tuesday night to find a missive from my parents asking me to get up and get my brothers off to school. I HAD TO GET UP EARLY ON MY DAY OFF! can you believe that? Sniff sniff.
Worst of all my sinuses started draining screwing up my ears and throat and giving one of those perpetual low grade headaches that just hide in the background to strike out at you when you least desire it... Bah! I hate living where the weather is so unpredictable!
Anyways,I decided to saulve these mild disappointments by typing up a little more of my fic and watching about 15 episodes of an new anime I DLed.
In any case, this particular chapter originally didn't exist, but the original version of the last chapter wound up being so long I cut it in half. So there's more running around type action, or rather more action trying to prevent its continuation.
Rumiko TAkahashi' characters didn't know about all of the stunts I would pull on them when they started working for me. Dog Pile at the end of the chapter! La la la la...
Challenging the Devil
It isn't everyday you find yourself leading the craziest bunch of fools to water. Hell, who would want to lead a bunch of fools to water even once? But that, it seems, is a decision left to the powers that be, and the powers that be are a sadistic bunch of bastards wherever and whoever they just so happen to be.
Even so, Aki made it to the hot spring in less than five minutes. Far be it from fate, the universe, and numerous youkai in pursuit to slow her down when there was a hot bath to be had, especially when she had blood and dirt on her clothing and in her hair. And because of her speed in achieving a quick get away to a hot spring, she had won the definite pleasure of a fair number of minutes in the spring alone (excepting the pleasant company of Rin who could use a good scrubbing).
Aki soon had the sulfur-scented area teeming with the burgeoning scent of Lavender and vanilla as she scrubbed her hair and body and clothing with soap. Rin cheerfully received like treatment before sitting down to splash happily in the warm water.
Aki was contentedly soaking in the spring wearing a white sports bra and a pair of cotton shorts. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have bothered to wear the clothing in the spring, but she was pretty certain she'd be interrupted and the clothing comfortably covered the required skin in her book. She closed her eyes to let the hot water work its magic on her muscles.
Rin was quite happy to play in the water. She seldom got the chance to splash around in the water since she started traveling with her Sesshoumaru-sama, not that she minded really. It was just a rare treat is all. When she was little, her parents would always let her play in the water and they would all laugh. She wrinkled her nose at the funny smells in the air. They were kind of sweet and the kind lady had been nice enough to let her have some, but Rin had never experienced such a potent sweet smell. Usually it was the bad smells that were so strong.
Another thing Rin couldn't understand is why a seemingly responsible adult like this nice lady was would do something as dangerous as falling asleep in the water. Rin's parents had always told her not to do something like that when she was little, so she knew it had to be a bad idea. But Rin didn't want to seem like a bad girl herself by telling her new friend something like that; she had learned early on that people don't like to be told when they're not doing something like they should be.
AS Rin pondered this, Aki's nodding head, which had to this point been far above the water line, began to slip closer to the surface of the spring. The little girl sprang into action; it would be poor manners indeed to allow someone who'd been so kind to her to drown. She pulled at the older female in an attempt to remove her from the water's embrace but Rin was so much smaller than Aki her efforts were barely more than futile at best.
Valiantly, Rin continued to struggle as Aki's savior for a few more moments but in the end she was forced to realize that pint-sized heroes are sometimes heroes when they realize they need a bit more help. And Rin was a well-trained pint-sized hero. When the going got tough, she called for the best reinforcements out there. Taking a deep breath in order to support the proper wail of distress Rin Cried out, "SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" The effort drew tears from her little fawn-like eyes.
Rin could rule the world with a few shed tears if she ever turned to evil, as it was the delicate treble of the little cherub's voice carrying through the trees was the proper spur to set Kagome, Sango and Kikyou running fast enough to beat even the incomparable Sesshoumaru as they ran to her aid.
Upon being presented with the underdressed teary-eyed little girl, Kagome whipped off Inuyasha's fire rat haori and wrapped it snugly around the child before the dog boy had the opportunity to protest being divested of any part of his wardrobe. Not that the Hanyou failed to give at least a token protest.
Kikyou had failed to care enough about Rin to not run right past her in order to haul Aki clear out of the hot spring and onto the heated rocks that cupped the pool. She was much more concerned with checking on her recently made stitch work than whether a little girl caught cold running around half naked and wet. Some people really need to work on their priorities. Then again, stitches, especially new stitches are supposed to be kept dry.
Sango had been the only one present, who thought to stop the male advance even with the slowly calming Rin. It didn't take a genius to realize that a partially undressed Rin, Aki and a hot spring could possibly mean Aki would be showing a lot more than any of the boys present deserved to ever get a peek at. Thankfully, Sesshoumaru had been content to comfort Rin so Sango didn't have to figure out how to stop him from going closer to Aki. He was beyond her experience and knowledge. Inuyasha and Miroku, she knew how to best stop them.
After efficiently dressing Rin, stopping the boys, and checking Aki's stitches, the girls were faced with a seemingly monumental problem: Dressing Aki. Now, normally it wouldn't be such a horrendously difficult task but Aki had, in her enthusiasm for cleanliness, washed all of her and Rin's clothes and they were currently drying peacefully in the sun. Kikyou didn't normally carry around spares, Sango's clothes surely wouldn't fit and Kagome's had the same problem.
Kagome now lamented her haste in getting the child covered. If she hadn't used Inuyasha's haori on Rin, Aki could've warn it and someone else's clothes could be used to cover the little girl. AS it was, she was pretty sure the hanyou wasn't going to take too kindly to being stripped down even more and she didn't think Sesshoumaru would just over look them taking the red garment off his…um ward (?) and replacing it with another article of clothing. Going back and revamping your work right after you've finished may be wise on tests and homework, but it tends to look bad in social situations.
Despite their predicament, all three women were dead certain they wouldn't be asking Miroku to remove any clothing. And unfortunately, Sango could only stall Inuyasha so long. Miroku she could just knock out, but Inuyasha?
"Oi! What is your problem!" Inuyasha demanded. What dogboy wouldn't have noticed Sango and Kagome consulting Kikyou in a most frenzied way and assume it was a problem?
"Stop right there, Inuyasha!" Kagome ordered sharply. "We need to get Aki a little more dressed first."
"Well why don't you break out some of the stuff in your bag?" he asked slightly confused as to what the problem was. "I'm sure you've got some clothes stuffed in that behemoth bag of yours."
"If I did have something it wouldn't fit her," Kagome retorted, slightly miffed at having her bag slighted by the very jackass who was partly to blame for its size and weight. Where did he think she carried all that ramen? In ramen space? "And Sango's got the same problem with her slayer suit and she's currently wearing her kimono. Not that it would fit Aki either."
"And Kikyou doesn't carry spare clothing," Sango added.
"What do you mean it won't fit? You're the same size!" Inuyasha asked, incredulous of their stupidity.
"WE could pluck some hair off Aki to use for thread," Kikyou mused out loud, "and try to re-sew some of your garments."
"But that would take too long," Kagome pointed out, completely ignoring Inuyasha's obvious inability to understand.
"True," Kikyou sighed. "Besides, it might wake her up and she sleeps so seldom as it is."
"She can't sleep?" Sango asked in surprise.
"More like she won't," Kikyou answered flatly.
"Would you stop ignoring me!" Inuyasha growled.
"Oh fine." Kagome glared at his interruption. "Sango and I, our clothes will not fit Aki. It would be like Sesshoumaru wearing your clothes. Besides looking totally ridiculous, it simply wouldn't work because the clothes won't cover everything we need them to cover."
"Like I would ever let Sesshoumaru wear my clothes!" boy does he ever miss the point. "And Aki isn't that much taller than you!"
"It's not the height that's different," Sango tried to explain.
"Not all girls are…built the same," Kagome waved her hand futilely in the air and shrugged at the inadequacy of the explanation. There was no real way to explain it delicately enough for a fifteen-year-old girl in mixed company.
Sesshoumaru untied Tenseiga and set it aside while Inuyasha continued to stare at Kagome, still failing to see what she was trying to get him to understand.
Shippou blinked at the adults around him and rolled his eyes. If this is what grown ups always acted like, he was going to stay a kid until he died. Couldn't they stop beating around the bush and just get to the specifics? Seriously, it wasn't like the name of a body part or two was going to kill any one.
Rin was totally on the same page as Shippou. She could identify the problem. She could name it even, but she didn't understand why everyone was trying to get away with being so vague. Unlike Shippou, Rin was on the cusp of wanting to be an adult and where Shippou was prepared to just let the grown up mentality drown them all in inanity, Rin felt she should speak up and Rescue the floundering conversation. "Aki's got bigger boobs!" Rin declared and smiled proudly.
As will always happen in mixed company when the subject of some body part or the other is mentioned, everyone (most especially the males of the party) will turn their attention to a study of the indicated anatomy. Thus Inuyasha and Miroku's eyes gravitated towards their inevitable destination to verify the actuality of Rin's statement. Both were then favored with medium sized rocks thrown in the general vicinity of their skulls. Even Kikyou joined in and clocked the perverts once or twice.
Inuyasha cursed and turned his back. "As if I really wanted to see!" he grumbled and was rewarded with another blow to the head.
Miroku wisely remained silent; he'd accumulated his quota of bruises for the day already, no need to exceed it in such a stupid manner.
Kikyou sighed, "AS satisfying as that was, we still haven't solved the problem."
"Argh! Why can't I think of anything?" Kagome half-heartedly kicked a stone with her foot.
"Ladies, I could-" Miroku began.
"No!" Sango and Kagome yelled in unison.
"We wouldn't want your perversion to taint Aki," Sango muttered darkly.
"Not to mention how incorrigible he'd get wearing any less than he is now," Kagome grumbled in response.
"I'm hurt," the delinquent monk touched his hand to his heart. The girls just rolled their eyes; fully immune to his frequent attempts to guilt them into complacency.
Shippou snorted, "You know it's true."
"I give up! You're all against me," the monk mock wailed. "And so Aki will grow ill from neglect because of your refusal of my offered aid."
Even Inuyasha couldn't stand Miroku's attempted guilt trip, "Shut up! They're not going to fall for it, baka!"
"And yet Aki remains in her dampened condition and obviously mostly unclothed," Miroku pointed out. "Illness cannot remain too far away from such conditions."
"Miroku-" Kagome began in annoyance. She blinked as a ball of red and white fabric flew at her out of seemingly nowhere. The time traveler caught it and opened it up to reveal a suspiciously familiar article of clothing. But he would never suffer himself to be anything but impeccably dressed, right?
Kagome and Sango stared at each other for a moment before altering their gaze to see that yes, Sesshoumaru would sacrifice his wardrobe when the need arose. Still, they couldn't believe it. Neither of them had even thought to ask the stoic youkai for aid in this matter. The taiyoukai wasn't known for having a noticeable streak of generosity or chivalry.
Reviving Aki aside, this seemed terribly out of character for him considering his disgust for anything that happened to carry human genetics of any kind, excluding Rin of course. And Sesshoumaru really didn't seem to have a reason to aid Aki beyond returning her life to her.
Kagome and Sango blinked at him; obviously they had missed something.
Kikyou snatched the silky cloth from the miko-in-training impatient to have Aki decently covered.
With the problem of covering Aki out of the way, the group was at odds. The shard hunters couldn't leave because Aki still had some shards and Rin was wearing part of Inuyasha's wardrobe. Sesshoumaru couldn't leave because Aki was wearing a part of his and Kikyou wouldn't leave without the partial youkai former tutor being awake and leaving her behind. So everybody needed to find something to do or risk bloodshed. Or rather, Inuyasha needed to go sulk in a tree and Miroku needed to find a good spot to watch Sango care for her gear where he wouldn't be too easily caught.
The monk decided to pretend to meditate while Kikyou did it for real. Sesshoumaru being Sesshoumaru was perfectly content to stare at everybody while Rin kicked her feet in the water sitting on the edge of the spring.
Kagome pondered opening her Algebra textbook for about half a minute before utterly dismissing the idea. She was too wound up for such serious and heavy thinking homework, or so she told herself. To be perfectly frank, Kagome was simply avoiding her math problems and theories. Procrastination is not a new concept; even before homework was invented people would put things off until the last minute.
So instead of cracking open her schoolbook, she flipped open the top of Aki's deeper than ever bag and what should be sitting on top, but a perfectly ordinary comb. Kagome glanced at the slumbering woman that used to be her tutor then back at the comb. Surely Aki's excessively long wet hair could use some combing. The teenager nodded to herself and grabbed up the comb before spreading Aki's hair out over a towel to keep the dirt and leaves from it.
Aki had the kind of hair that most would love to play with. It was healthy and smooth. It was well cared for and easily manipulated. Kagome could easily imagine that Aki's hair had been coveted by many and loved by at least her mother. Perhaps Aki's mother had brushed her hair like Kagome's had when she was little.
Kikyou sensed the trouble first. The undead miko was already familiar with the partial youkai's trouble sleeping. Fred had divulged all in his attempts to convince Kikyou to be a little sinful. Even if he hadn't, it was difficult to miss the way Aki never slept until she collapsed and then she didn't stay asleep long enough to do more than minutest amount of good. So she had been watching for the foreigner to start the expected tossing and turning. Something would set it off, or nothing would, but always Aki woke herself up.
Kikyou was hoping that if she stopped the stimulant then maybe Aki would sleep longer. She certainly could use the rest!
"Stop that!" the miko ordered sharply.
Kagome blinked up at her pre-incarnation. "What?" What could Kikyou possibly object to about her combing Aki's hair?
Kikyou stared at Kagome, "Just stop combing her hair." She ordered gently.
"Why?" Kagome asked in confusion.
Kikyou shook her head. "Don't touch her and she might sleep a little longer."
Kagome stared at the glorified clay pot like she was crazy. "What on earth is your problem? I'm not hurting anything. Why can't you just leave me alone?"
Kikyou sighed, a very painful action for a dead woman. Aki's restless behavior had not calmed when Kagome ceased pulling the comb through her hair. "Aki never sleeps for long and it appears it is too late to keep her from waking."
And Aki sat up abruptly and hugged her knees to her chest. The smooth motion was more than her abused body should have been forced to make and it tore a few stitches loose. Her panicked breathing puffed at her hair when it settled around her face. She was aware that there was a crowd of people around her, but she didn't care at the moment. All that mattered was getting the images inside her head back where they belonged.
She was fighting her own brain, refusing to finish the events of her nightmare while she was awake. Bad memories have a way of being stubbornly at the forefront of your mind, and when you do manage to push them away they sneak back to the center of your attention while you are asleep. Aki was convinced she needed to sleep less, as if that would make things better.
As Aki slowly dragged her mind out from under the influence of her nightmare, she dragged her hair back to tuck it behind her ear absently. One stray lock decided it couldn't be bothered to stay where it was put; it rather liked being in her face. Aki blew at it distractedly only to have the stubborn hair settle back where it was. She growled at it in annoyance before trying one more time to tuck it behind her ear.
A small sound tickled her ear and her eyes narrowed in on the source. It would seem that the great Ice Prince was having trouble stifling his laughter. Aki blinked mildly mollified, at least her behavior was so absurd as to crack the indifferent façade of Sesshoumaru, though no one else seemed to want to laugh. Then again, most of them probably hadn't heard her rather quiet growl over Kagome and Kikyou's continued argument.
She glanced away from the youkai attempting not to laugh at her and realized she was wearing an article of clothing that didn't belong to her. No wonder he'd found her amusing, such silly behavior while dressed in clothing that almost swallowed her whole would crack anybody up, Aki admitted.
"Just what the hell am I wearing?" Aki murmured in slight confusion.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Kikyou cut off her argument with Kagome. Kagome looked ready to spit nails but likewise suspended the argument.
"Nothing of import," Aki decided more loudly as she pushed to her feet. She swayed slightly, sending her unbound hair free of the minor restriction of her ears.
"Here let me tie your hair back for you," Kikyou demanded, pushing Aki back into a sitting position. Aki's growl of defiance was drowned out by Kagome's outburst, but neither stalled Kikyou's skilled hands from dressing Aki's hair.
Rin decided that her hair needed tending to as well and seated herself in front of Aki. Aki chuckled, regretted it, and set about finger combing Rin's terribly snarled hair. The little girl obviously didn't get her hair combed very often and ran wild as children do. Aki sighed and proceeded to braid Rin's hair before the child could grow bored of sitting still.
Aki smiled slightly and coughed before taking in a deep breath. Careful not to give away what she could sense she stood and faced the direction of the on-coming threat. A quick glance at the sun had her silently groaning. She didn't have time for this, not if she wanted to get away from the group tonight.
She'd been meaning to pick this fight, but she really hadn't wanted to risk tipping her hand just yet. Well she'd decided to do it; she'd just have to accept that the situation wasn't as ideal as she could wish.
Naraku stepped out into the space on the other side of the hot spring. His smirking countenance glared across the water with gleeful menace. Kagura stood behind him, quite obviously not happy to be there. Despite the decided chill brought by his presence, Inuyasha was too busy sulking to notice the arrival of his most hated enemy.
Naraku looked startled when he found Aki facing him with expectation. Her unwavering glare on him was unnerving as hell. The evil bastard recovered quickly enough.
"What an unpleasant surprise," Aki said coolly. "Did you get that tired of waiting for me to turn your trap against you?" she asked, sweet as icing.
"Oh," He intoned darkly. Naraku shouldn't have been all that surprised that Aki had figured out at least part of the plan, but it didn't matter. The plot to trap her hadn't managed to get off the ground, thanks to Kagura's bungling. "What interesting company you keep?" and he meant it. His information insisted she was solitary, traveling only with a ghost.
Aki snorted, "I can't help who insists on following me. Take yourself for example," and her glare said what she thought of him showing up. "I challenge you, you set the rules."
"Anything goes," Naraku replied smugly. He was familiar with her style of shard collection. "Stakes?"
"Half the Shikon no kakera in your possession," she stated.
"And what do I win?" he asked, ready to manipulate her into coughing up what he wanted.
She smiled wickedly; she already knew what he wanted, "Me." Naraku was always looking to absorb strong youkai and she'd proved herself to be of interest to him, and she knew it. Naraku had already tried to claim her strength. "Weapons? Form?"
The group was thoroughly flabbergasted. What did Aki think she was doing? After all, what sort of idiot wagers those kind of stakes in a fight with Naraku?
"Whatever comes to hand, and whatever form works," he replied to her questions still stunned that he hadn't had to haggle for the stakes he wanted. "What ends the contest? How will the game be ended?"
"The game ends one of three ways," she replied smoothly. "I win by finding evidence of feeling in you. You win by discovering my true name. Or…" she paused dramatically raising the short hairs on everyone who listened. "One of us dies," she finished with finality.
Naraku smiled evilly, he was certain of victory. He knew he had no feelings, and if he did, he could disguise it easily. It was just a matter of time before he found out her name. He began to chuckle evilly, already plotting ways to put her powers to use against his enemies and towards gathering the rest of the Shikon. Naraku had obviously never heard the old adage "never count your chickens before they hatch."
Aki slid into a defensive stance prepared for the first attack from the devious bastard. Her fingers flexed with painful anticipation.
Kagura whispered something in Naraku's ear and he smirked. "You're name is Aki," he declared smugly.
Aki grinned, "Nope, try again." Naraku's eyes widened with confusion. "That is what people call me, but it was not always so. My mother graced me with a different name and that is the name you must find." She shifted again, preparing to attack instead of waiting for him.
Naraku blinked, this little challenge may be a bit harder than he had supposed it would be. He would need to come up with a proper plan to win his prize. Luckily an excuse presented itself in the shape of a hell insect. "WE will meet again," Naraku declared evilly before following the insect as if it had given him news of some importance instead of telling him that his buddies had found this great wasp bar.
Aki couldn't believe it. The bastard was leaving before they even exchanged blows. This wasn't happening. In fact she wasn't going to let it happen, and she launched herself after the fleeing incarnation of evil.
Kagome looked desperately around for something to stop the woman in time. She looked at Inuyasha sulking in a tree. That might do it. Kagome let out a yell, "Osuwari!"
Inuyasha fell off his tree branch and went crashing down and down and down onto Aki as she was just passing beneath him.
"Hey get off!" Aki screamed as Inuyasha got a face full of…something. He was sure he'd get more than a stone to the head if he wasn't careful this time.
Kagome now had three demons cursing at her. One that just fell out of a tree, one that got landed on and one trying to peel his brother off the under clad female youkai on the bottom.