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-Chapter Thirty-Three-
.:Strawberries and Stars:.
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Clara
"You hold it wrong."
I blinked as I stared at the sword in my hands. I looked up at Sesshoumaru, puzzled. "But Momitsumi once said to hold it like this," I said, tilting my head. I had one of my hands close to the guard of Shinsei, while the other near the pommel.
"If you held a katana," he said, rather snidely, his eyes on my hands.
"But isn't this—"
"Shinsei," he went on, eyes returning to mine, "is a longsword."
"Never question Lord Sesshoumaru, you silly girl!" Jaken screeched. The imp was standing near the brook, arms folded rather smugly. For a moment, I had a fleeting mental image of Jaken holding pom-poms and cheering on Sesshoumaru. I quickly pushed the image from my mind.
"A longsword," I echoed, looking at the sword in my hands. "Wait…weren't those common in Europe?" I looked up at him. "By any chance, have you been to Europe?"
He quirked an eyebrow. "No," he said tersely.
"Lord Sesshoumaru's swordsmanship is absolute, you dotty girl!" Jaken crowed. I huffed. He was getting annoying.
Sesshoumaru seemed to think so as well, because he threw Jaken a glare. "Gah, forgive me for being too noisy, milord!" Jaken screeched, immediately falling prostrate.
"Return to the others, Jaken," the demon lord commanded, folding his arms.
"But…but milord," Jaken stuttered.
"Now."
"You better not give Lord Sesshoumaru any trouble, you hear?" Jaken said to me as he walked past Sesshoumaru. "Milord is being most generous in offering to instruct you! You should be grateful, because not many has the privilege of having such a—" Before he could finish the sentence, Sesshoumaru's black boot made contact and sent him flying into the trees. "Milooooord!" Jaken screeched as he vanished amidst the bamboo.
"He was giving me a headache too," I commented as Sesshoumaru turned back to me. For an instant, I thought I saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes, but I might have been imagining it.
"Pay attention," he said sternly, cold eyes narrowing.
"Sorry," I said hastily, blushing. And the Terror Teacher of the Year award goes to…
"You are very easily distracted." He was suddenly an arm's length away from me, looking down at me with an imperiously cold look.
I gasped, taking an involuntary step back. It wasn't hard to imagine why I was distracted. I hastily pushed the thought aside. I needed to get it together.
His eyes landed on my hands again. Before I knew it, he was suddenly behind me, arms going around me as he placed both his hands on top of my own.
Huh? I was thankful that my back was turned to him. My eyes widened in surprise, and my face felt so hot, I might as well have been running a severe DNA-scrambling fever.
He moved my hands so they were together on the sword's grip. "Closer," he said calmly. It did not help that his breath brushed against my ear! I felt a shudder go through me. And he was wondering why I was so easily distracted. I inwardly scoffed at that.
He was in front of me again, arms folded across his chest, eyes narrowed as his gaze travelled from my head to my feet. "Your stance is wrong."
I inwardly sighed.
He suddenly drew out Tenseiga, and fluidly shifted into position. I gaped. I'd never really paid attention to the way he fought before, because—truth be told—he was much too fast. But as he positioned himself, he deliberately slowed his movements. The way he moved was so graceful, it was like dancing. It should be a crime for a man to be that graceful!
In the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru was suddenly in front of me, Tenseiga's point held close to my throat. My eyes widened in surprise. I didn't even see him move…
"You are much too easily distracted," Sesshoumaru said again, lifting an eyebrow.
I sighed again.
It was going to be a long, long, long night.
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Sesshoumaru
"Again."
I watched as Clara swung Shinsei. Granted, the girl was slow—she was human, after all—however, she was a quick learner, if she put her mind to it.
"You leave yourself open to attack," I said, eyeing the sword she held, before meeting her gaze. "Had you faced an opponent, you would undoubtedly be dead."
"Right," she said, rather dryly.
I watched as she positioned herself and swung the sword in the manner I taught her. Hn. Taught her. To think that I would be teaching this girl how to wield a weapon…
Truth be told, I wanted her to be able to defend herself. It was the reason I had not acquiesced to Momitsumi teaching her. Momitsumi was, to all intents and purposes, a lady not a fighter. I had been proven correct at the beginning of the session, when Clara had gripped her sword wrong.
As I watched her move, I could not help but think—what had happened to the weak, crying girl I had protected all those weeks ago? In my eyes, the young woman in front of me was as bodily frail as before, but I would have been a fool not to notice the will of tempered steel that she seemed to possess.
"Ah!"
I was snapped out from my thoughts as Clara's sword flew past me, narrowly avoiding my face by an inch. Hn.
I looked at her as Shinsei landed with a dull thud behind me. "Sesshoumaru!" Clara cried as she rushed to me, eyes wide with undisguised surprise. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean—!"
I ignored her as I turned towards the sword. Shinsei had fallen on its point, its hilt in the air. I grasped it by the hilt. I was surprised that I could touch it in the first place, a matter I would have to look into later on. Turning back to Clara, I held it out to her.
Her eyes locked with mine for a moment as she took the sword. For an instant, I saw myself reflected in those sapphire eyes of hers. I then remembered: those eyes were the first thing I noticed when I first met her.
"Again," I said as I handed her the sword. She blushed as she took the blade from me.
As I watched her swing the sword, a single thought ran through my mind…
These emotions were a bother.
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Clara
Ow.
My arms were cramped. Severely.
I could think of nothing else as I slumped against the tree near Ah-Un. The sun was just rising. Sesshoumaru and I had come back a little while ago. Said demon lord was currently lounging under a clump of bamboo, a hand resting on a bent knee.
He had been merciless last night, always saying 'Again', until I'd made a hobby of counting how many times he'd said the word. I'd counted eighty-seven. Maybe it wouldn't have been eighty-seven, if I wasn't so distracted…
I sighed.
I had to work on the distraction part. Sesshoumaru was right—I was too easily distracted sometimes, and it would not do to be distracted in a fight.
Beside me, Momitsumi was curled up against Ah-Un and Rin, still asleep. Unlike Sesshoumaru, she seemed to enjoy her sleep.
Momitsumi had been incredulous about Sesshoumaru teaching me ("As much as he is to be my lord, I do not trust him," she had said). Initially, she'd wanted to go with me, but I'd told her that I trusted Sesshoumaru completely. She'd relented, but given Hitori instructions to keep his ears open in case something should happen.
I glanced at Hitori. He was leaning against a tree behind Ah-Un, near Momitsumi. His eyes were closed, but I had a feeling that he was alert to anything that could pose a threat to the demon princess he had been charged with guarding.
Hm…
My eyes fell on Momitsumi again. I had a feeling regarding those two. It nagged at me ever since Momitsumi and I picked figs with Hitori. For a moment, I wondered if Momitsumi trusted me enough to open up to me. I wanted to talk to her in private.
"It's rather rude to stare." Momitsumi's eyes snapped open and she sat up, grinning at me. Despite just having woken up, she looked unruffled.
"Um, I was just thinking," I said hastily.
"My, whatever about?" she asked as she combed out her golden hair with long, slender fingers.
I shook my head. "Maybe later," I said. "Good morning, by the way."
She returned the greeting and turned to Hitori who, I wasn't too surprised to see, was already awake. "Clara and I will be going for a walk," she said to him as she stood.
Huh? A walk? But…I just sat down.
I watched as Momitsumi approached Sesshoumaru, who looked up at her with a bored expression. "Good morning, my lord," she greeted dutifully.
He nodded. I felt glad that he wasn't as crabby towards Momitsumi as he was yesterday. "I wish to take a walk with Clara," Momitsumi went on.
Sesshoumaru's eyes met mine for a moment before turning back to Momitsumi. "Do as you wish," he said, before turning his gaze elsewhere. Honestly, sometimes I did wonder what went on in that head of his. What did he think about, I wonder?
"Come Clara!" Momitsumi said briskly. She was suddenly in front of me, offering me her hand to help me stand. I smiled at her as I pulled myself up.
Hitori made a move to follow us, but Momitsumi stopped him. "Tend to the little ones when they wake up," she said. He looked hesitant, but nodded.
Momitsumi led me into the forest. We were silent for a moment as we walked farther on, out of Sesshoumaru's earshot. We passed by the fig tree from yesterday. There were still some figs left. I made a mental note to pick some before we returned.
"So," Momitsumi said as she stopped, "tell me, Clara, how was your night with Lord Sesshoumaru?" She was smirking at me.
I sighed and rotated my shoulder, which still ached. "Rough," I said, my eyes falling on a shrub of strawberries nearby. I made a mental note to pick some for Rin and Kohaku.
To my surprise, Momitsumi suddenly let out a loud peal of laughter. I turned to her, my eyes widening. "What?" I said quickly. "Is there something on me?"
"Oh, Clara!" Momitsumi said, guffawing, as she clutched her middle. "I-I-I haven't laughed so hard in my life!"
I looked down at myself. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with me. "You…you are such an innocent!" Momitsumi said, as her laughter died down to a fit of giggles. She covered her mouth with a hand.
I tilted my head. "Innocent?" I thought back to what she said, and what I said. My eyes bugged out. "I…I didn't mean it that way!" I said hastily, blushing.
My flustered expression only brought on a fresh wave of laughter. "You have never been with a man before, have you?" she said conspiratorially.
I flushed again. "You…you're such a pervert," I said, stuttering.
"Oho!" she said, chuckling. "I have never been intimate with a man before either, and yet I am not as lost as you when it comes to such matters."
I looked away, embarrassed. In the present era, I'd never had the opportunity to go on dates. My mother had made it an absolute rule that dating was possible only after college. I shuddered as I remembered the chaperone she had gotten me once. That had been embarrassing.
But wait…this seemed like a perfect opportunity to ask her something. "Not as lost as me…because of Hitori?" I asked her.
She immediately fell silent, and there was such a serious look on her face that I cringed. Had I been too forward?
"How can you tell?" she asked at last, giving me an intent look. She glanced around and spotted a fallen log. She sat down and patted the space beside her.
I sat next to her, relieved that she wasn't upset about me asking. "I…I'm not really sure," I said quietly. "I just had a feeling. From the way you acted around him, to the way he would look at you sometimes. And the way he smiles at you when you're not looking."
She laughed quietly. "And to think I could hide it," she said, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of us. "Do you suppose Lord Sesshoumaru suspects?"
"Um…I'm not really sure," I said. "I think not. Jaken once said that Sesshoumaru wasn't emphatic, so…"
Momitusmi sighed, and bit her lower lip. She seemed to be thinking to herself. It was silent for several moments, as she mulled through her thoughts. Overhead, a few pheasants flew past, their wings casting shadows on the forest floor.
"I met him when I was still a pup, a child, if you will," she suddenly said. I turned to her, surprised. She smiled thinly at me. "My grandmother is a demoness from the mainland," she went on. "My father, mother, and I were traveling by sea to visit her. Yes, Clara, even demons enjoy traveling in luxury. I may have been a demon, but I was still a sheltered child, and being on a ship was a new experience for me.
"I was quite an inquisitive child. Everything on the ship fascinated me. I wasn't worried, because, frankly, I was a demon, albeit a very young one. However, my father had to pull me away from the stern on more than one occasion. I had been fond of looking into the water, to search for ningyo.
"You can imagine what happened next. I slipped and fell into the sea. I was a demon—you'd have thought I would have merely flown back onto the ship. I panicked and lost focus as I fell into the water. The worst part was, my lord father and lady mother failed to notice.
"I thought I was going to drown! And just as I thought so, I felt a pair of hands pull my own. A moment later, my head broke through the surface. I thought I had been saved by my father—what a sight that would have made—but to my surprise, I found myself looking into the eyes of a young slave boy.
"His name was Hitori, and he was a slave from the mainland. The captain of the ship had purchased him, to help him run it. He was a very fast swimmer. He took hold of me, and swam towards the ship, where my father flew down to retrieve us both. I received quite a scolding then.
"Hitori and I became good friends while we continued on the journey, though my lady mother did not approve of her child befriending a slave boy. My father saw the potential Hitori held, and offered to buy him from the captain, who agreed. Long story short, when we returned from the mainland, my father had Hitori trained so he became a soldier.
"We still saw each other, on occasion, for it would not do for me to be seen with a soldier, and a soldier who used to be a slave boy at that! But Hitori was one of the few people with whom I could be myself—no rules, no formality, just me. We became good friends, even if our time together was limited.
"At some point—I think it was two hundred years ago—I fell in love with him. I had thought that he had come to care for me as well. One day, I confessed to him. You know what he said? 'My lady, forgive me, but this cannot be. You are my princess. I am your servant, and nothing more.' I was so hurt. More so when my father announced that I was to wed Lord Sesshoumaru, the all-powerful, cold-hearted Lord of the Western Lands.
"I was even more hurt when Hitori merely congratulated me on my betrothal! I had never been more hurt than I had been then. I felt that my life was so wretched. I wanted to run away, far from the rules, far from the regulations, far from the hurt I felt. But…I was my lord father's daughter, and I was honorable enough. If Hitori did not want me, then I had no choice but to do what my lord father wanted. I was going to wed Lord Sesshoumaru.
"And then I met you and Lord Sesshoumaru," she went on, her smile widening. "And, as you know, our Binding Ceremony did not push through, because Lord Sesshoumaru left to save you."
"He actually saved the castle, not me," I mumbled.
"Nonsense!" Momitsumi huffed. "I am quite thankful that that ceremony did not push through. If it did…" She shuddered. "Anyway...a few weeks after the failed ceremony, my lord father and Lord Sesshoumaru's lady mother thought it would be best if I accompanied Lord Sesshoumaru in his quest for Naraku, so that I may become more familiar with him. I was adamant that I wanted to Hitori to escort me. At first, Lord Sesshoumaru's mother refused, due to obvious reasons. But, fortunately, my father knew Hitori to be honorable—he did not know of my one-sided love for him. And so, here we are!"
She smiled at me, almost expectantly, as though waiting for my reaction. I shook my head. "I don't think your feelings for him are one-sided," I said.
She raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that?"
I shrugged. "I don't know—there are times when I can see him looking at you. See him smile when you laugh."
Momitsumi looked at her hands, folded on her lap. She looked sad. "Hitori…has never shown interest in me, not since the day he saved me from drowning. He has been my friend and protector, but he is distant." She sighed.
She then turned to me, a very serious look in her eyes. "Clara, I…I do not wish to wed Lord Sesshoumaru. I cannot imagine spending the rest of my existence alongside him."
I didn't even have time to feel relieved to hear her say that. I was more preoccupied with the melancholy in her voice. "But won't your father reconsider?" I asked. Momitsumi was a kind person, and I didn't want her to be miserable.
She scoffed. "Since when have betrothals ever taken into account the feelings of both parties?" she said. "No, they take into account the land and power of both parties, never their affections."
"That's horrible," I said.
"It is," she agreed, nodding. "My parents married in that manner. Over time, they grew to love one another, for they complemented each other perfectly. Lord Sesshoumaru does complement me. We can barely tolerate each other, as it were."
She let out a final sigh as she stood, looking down at me. "Thank you," she said suddenly, smiling at me.
I stood. "For what?"
"For being…a good listener," she went on. "And…this may be rather sentimental…thank you for being a good friend."
My eyes widened in surprise. I'd always thought that she regarded me as nothing more than a distraction from the strict confines of the society she lived in. I felt touched. "Oh, Momitsumi!" I said and, before I could stop myself, I hugged her.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she gave me a crooked smile. "I will never understand humans," she said.
. . .
Momitsumi and I returned to the camp, our arms filled with figs and strawberries that we'd collected. Rin and Kohaku were already awake. They were both sitting around a fire, bowls of fish stew in their hands. Hitori was sitting across from them. He seemed to be telling them a funny story, because a second later, Kohaku let out a loud peal of laughter, followed by Rin.
The moment Momitsumi and I entered, Hitori looked up and nodded respectfully at her, before he turned his attention back to Rin and Kohaku. Momitsumi let out a small sigh as she approached them. For a moment, I watched as Hitori offered her a bowl, which she accepted with a smile.
I watched as Hitori continued his story, his eyes occasionally finding Momitsumi's. How could he not like her? Granted, he did seem a bit distant and perfunctory, but…there was no mistaking the warmth in his eyes as he looked at her.
Speaking of distant…
I glanced around the clearing, and spotted Sesshoumaru resting underneath the same clump of bamboo earlier. It didn't look as though he moved an inch. His eyes were fixed on Rin and Kohaku, but they had a detached look in them, as though he seemed to be thinking of something else.
Hesitantly, I made my way over to him. He looked at me as I sat beside them. He raised an eyebrow.
"I was wondering," I began, feeling self-conscious as I realized that I was still holding on to my fruits. Eh. "What do you plan on doing? About Naraku, I mean."
He turned his gaze back to the sky. "Do you have any knowledge of the final jewel shards' location?" he asked idly.
I frowned. "Sorry, no," I said. "I was actually thinking of leaving for a bit, to find Inuyasha and Kagome. They don't know about Naraku, and maybe they know something about the other shards. Or better yet, maybe Miroku and Kagome can tell me what to do about Naraku."
"You wish to leave?"
I looked down at the fruits I held in my lap. As much as I didn't want to leave them, I had to find Inuyasha and Kagome. And I didn't think Sesshoumaru would willingly seek out his little brother.
"Well, yes," I said at last, turning my eyes back to him.
He narrowed his eyes. "Don't be foolish."
"What?" I said, dumbfounded. "Listen, I know you don't want your time wasted, which is why I'm going to look for Inuyasha and Kagome on my own. I think I'll have to take Kohaku with me, though."
"We will leave soon—" he went on, as though he didn't hear me.
I wanted to slap a hand to my forehead. He was just so confounding sometimes! "I told you, I have to go find—"
"—if you wish to find them," he finished, raising an eyebrow.
I blinked, surprised. "We're going to look for them?" I asked. I couldn't help it—I felt happy that he would willingly help me find them…though, the reason may have had more to do with pragmatism than anything else.
"Naraku is within the jewel. Suffice to say, the jewel must be completed," Sesshoumaru said, eyes fixed on a point in the sky.
I smiled as I looked down at my lap. "Well, thank you," I said, looking back at him. He was giving me a rather aloof look.
"Why are you smiling?"
I hastily looked back down at my lap, willing myself not to blush. "Er…because I'm feeling…grateful," I managed. Even to me, that sounded pretty lame.
He raised both his eyebrows slightly. There was a puzzled expression in his eyes. "Grateful?"
Well, he was being talkative. "Yes, grateful," I affirmed. On an impulse, I held out a strawberry to him and gave him a small smile. "So, thank you."
Sesshoumaru stared at it for a moment, before taking it from my hand. I blushed, happy that he'd accepted it. He turned his eyes back to the sky as he bit into it. See, Jaken? Even Sesshoumaru could stomach fruits.
. . .
After everyone had finished eating, we decided to set out. Once again, Sesshoumaru led the way, with Jaken by his side. We didn't know where Inuyasha was, but I had a feeling Sesshoumaru would know where to look for his little brother. Hm…brotherly intuition? I tried not to laugh at that.
Momitsumi was walking beside me, while Rin and Kohaku walked beside Ah-Un. Hitori was walking behind us. Momitsumi occasionally shot me a teasing look, wearing a smirk of satisfaction on her face.
"What?" I asked. "You've been giving me that look since we left."
Her only response was to grin and jerk her chin toward Sesshoumaru's back. I blinked, and she chuckled as she leaned towards me, and whispered one word, "Strawberries."
I blushed. I suddenly realized that Rin was also looking at me from over her shoulder, and giving me a mischievous little smile herself. "You…you guys are crazy," I stammered.
"You're such an innocent," Momitsumi said snidely.
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Kagome
"I don't understand why you have to go back," Inuyasha muttered as we trudged towards the Bone Eater's Well. We'd left Sango, Miroku, and Shippo at Kaede's.
I sighed. "Inuyasha, I've been gone for quite a while now," I explained—for the fifth time. "I have a lot I need to catch up on, otherwise, I might fail school!"
Inuyasha scoffed as he crossed his arms. "I still don't get why you need to finish that 'school' thing of yours," he said, huffing.
"I told you, it's so I could get ready for the future—find a job, make a living, and all that," I said.
We stopped at the well, and Inuyasha turned to me, his head tilted to one side. There was a solemn look in his eyes, a look I'd seen only rarely.
"I thought you'd want to spend your future here…with me," he began slowly.
My eyes widened in shock. Though Inuyasha and I were together, I had never really taken into consideration what the future might hold. But Inuyasha's words only made me realize…sooner or later, I would have to make a choice.
I blushed. "Inuyasha…" I was at a total loss for words as the full weight of his implications hit me—hard. I would have to decide whether or not to spend the rest of my life in the Feudal Era with Inuyasha. The thought of leaving my family to be with him…
I looked down. We were quiet for a moment, the only sound was that of the wind as it whispered through the treetops. Sooner or later, I would have to make a choice.
Inuyasha suddenly tilted my chin, so I looked up at him. The tender look in his eyes—it was rare to see such a look in those eyes. "I'm not going to force you to choose," he said slowly. "Not now. I won't rush you. I'll wait."
Hearing Inuyasha say that he would willingly wait for me—he'd never said that before. "Oh, Inuyasha…"
"Besides," Inuyasha said, suddenly looking annoyed. He raised his voice. "If those idiots would quit eavesdropping, that would be great!"
Huh?
Inuyasha turned to the bushes. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara suddenly popped out of the bushes, all looking sheepish.
"Oh, uh, you heard us," Miroku said, scratching his head.
"Duh," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "Dog demon, remember?" His ears twitched as though to emphasize his point.
"Actually, you're only half," Shippo pointed out.
Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched. "Get back here, you twerp!"
Shippo laughed as he ran away from Inuyasha. "Get back here, and face me like a man!"
We laughed. "Anyway," I said, turning to Miroku and Sango. "Uh…tell Inuyasha I'm going on ahead."
. . .
"Sis, you're back!" Souta said, as soon I stepped out of the well shrine. He had been sweeping a few leaves. "Good timing, too."
"Timing?" I asked, as I closed the Shrine door.
He nodded. "Clara's mom is here again."
That surprised me. "You mean, Mrs. Rose?" I said. He nodded, and I followed him into the house. True enough, Mrs. Rose was kneeling on a cushion at the kitchen table, a cup of green tea in front of her.
"Oh, Kagome, you're back!" Mama greeted as soon as I entered the kitchen.
Mrs. Rose turned to look at me, a smile on her face. "Hello, Kagome," she greeted. I stared at her for a moment. She looked as though she belonged on a Victoria's Secret catwalk, not in an office playing CEO. It was such a waste that the only thing Clara inherited from her mother were her eyes—Clara's eyes were more sapphire than icy, though. I quickly pushed the thought from my mind.
"Hello, Mrs. Rose," I greeted as I sat down across from her.
"Would you like something to eat, Kagome?" Mama asked. I smiled and nodded at her.
"Mrs. Rose has taken to stopping by," Mama went on as she bustled about, preparing lunch.
Mrs. Rose nodded. "I was hoping that Clara might come back," she said. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she missed her only daughter. "Tell me, how is Clara?"
"Oh, don't worry, she's—"
Before I could finish, the door to the room suddenly slid open. "Hey, Kagome, you didn't bother waiting for me," Inuyasha said, folding his arms and pouting.
Mrs. Rose's eyes widened in surprise, her gaze traveling to Inuyasha's head—to his ears. Inuyasha stared at her. "Uh…who're you?" he asked.
"Inuyasha, this is Mrs. Rose, Clara's mother," I said, as I tugged on his sleeve. "We've met her before, remember?"
He sat down beside me. "Clara's mom? Oh wait…I remember, you're the one we saved from Riyara," he said thoughtfully.
Mrs. Rose nodded, her eyes still fixed on Inuyasha's ears, which were twitching. "As I recall, you were the rather rude boy," she said.
"Hey!" Inuyasha snapped.
"Inuyasha…" I said, sighing. I turned to Mrs. Rose. "Anyway, Mrs. Rose, this Inuyasha. His elder brother is with Clara at the moment."
She tilted her head, eyes narrowed in a very over-protective mother way. "Your elder brother? Who? I thought Clara was with you, Kagome."
Didn't Clara tell her about Sesshoumaru? I guess she didn't have the time? "Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's elder dog demon brother," I began. Her eyebrows rose. "He's taking Clara to Mt. Tenku, a mountain in the far north, so she can train."
Mrs. Rose gave Inuyasha a flat look. "Your brother?"
"Unfortunately," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes.
I raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. Though he didn't show it, I knew deep down—as in, deep, deeeep down—Inuyasha actually cared for his elder brother.
"Don't worry, though, Sesshoumaru is more than capable of protecting her," I said quickly.
Her eyebrows rose even higher. "And are they traveling alone, together?"
Oh. Come to think of it, I did recall Clara saying her mother 'protected her like a lioness' from the opposite sex. "Not really," I said. "They're traveling with a little human girl, Sesshoumaru's servant, and our friend's little brother."
She seemed to relax at that. She sighed. "Do you know when she'll be back, though?"
I shook my head. "I'm not really sure," I said slowly. "Don't worry, like I said, Sesshoumaru's quite a fighter—he'll protect her."
She sighed and looked down at her lap. "I miss her," she said abruptly. She looked up at me. "Quite a lot, actually. I miss her playing piano for me."
"Clara plays piano?" I asked, surprised. I never knew that before.
Mrs. Rose nodded, and she smiled fondly. "She's very good at it, too."
"Inuyasha," Mama interjected. "Would you like something to eat as well?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh…yeah, sure, I guess." Mama beamed at him. She then set down several plates of food on the table. Inuyasha's nose twitched, and I chuckled.
Mrs. Rose shook her head as she looked at Inuyasha. "Sometimes, I still find it hard to believe," she said quietly, resting a cheek against her palm.
"About the Feudal Era?" I asked.
She nodded. "It seems…like the stuff of legend and myth," she said. She gestured towards Inuyasha. "Certainly, he's not what I thought a demon would be like."
"There are demons that look…demonic," I admitted. "Inuyasha is a half-demon, but his brother, Sesshoumaru, is a full-demon."
"And does he have horns on his head?" Mrs. Rose asked, raising an eyebrow.
I had a fleeting mental image of Sesshoumaru with horns, and carrying a pitchfork. I didn't know whether to laugh, or be disturbed.
"Uh…he looks quite human enough," I said. I decided to leave out the fact that one of Sesshoumaru's forms happened to be a giant dog with acidic drool. I had a feeling she would freak out.
"I worry about her," she continued. She looked into her cup of tea, and sighed. "I had so many shortcomings as a mother to her."
I reached out and placed a hand on her own. "Don't worry," I said. "I'm sure she misses you. And I'm sure she's perfectly safe."
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Clara
I screamed.
We were camping close to a river. Rin, Kohaku, Momitsumi and I were sitting along its bank, dangling our feet into the water.
Rin and Kohaku were both poking a giant earthworm with a stick. A giant earthworm that happened to be one inch in diameter…and that happened to be creeping close to my hand!
I jumped up and scrambled backward, much to Momitsumi's amusement. "It's just a worm, Clara," Rin said. She and Kohaku were both giving me mischievous grins as they gently pushed the thing towards me with their sticks.
"D-don't!" I yelped, taking another step back. It was…it was…disturbing. Disgusting. The way it crawled! It's slimy body…! I would rather face an army of Naraku's minions than that thing!
"It's so amusing to see Midoriko's reincarnation afraid of a worm," Momitsumi said, chuckling. To my horror—and surprise—she unflinchingly picked up the thing in both of her hands! I felt nauseous. I hated worms. I had an incident with a bucketful of worms when I was a child—I never got over it.
"See?" Momitsumi said as she took a step towards me, the thing slithering serenely between her fingers.
"Stay back!" I said, taking an automatic step backward.
She grinned, and thrust the worm close to my face. "Boo!"
I shrieked and jumped backward. "Ow!" I said, as soon as I felt something hard against my back. I stiffened and looked up to find Sesshoumaru looking down at me, an elegant eyebrow raised. Huh. I thought he'd wandered off somewhere.
I blushed, and hastily turned away…only to find Momitsumi holding the creature an inch away from my face! "Stop it!" I screeched, backing into Sesshoumaru. A small part of my mind was surprised that he hadn't pushed me away yet. The major part was preoccupied with the worm in front of me.
"It's cute, isn't it?" Momitsumi said, cooing. She was enjoying this!
I squirmed. I felt Sesshoumaru's breath against my hair as he let out a small sigh. "It's just a worm," he said, his tone standoffish as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I didn't have time to blush. Momitsumi was still holding it out to me.
I took refuge behind Sesshoumaru's back. "To you, it's just a worm!" I snapped at him. "To me, it was a bucketful of childhood trauma."
"Enough," Sesshoumaru said to Momitsumi.
I peeked at her from over Sesshoumaru's shoulder. She threw me a teasing grin, before turning to back to Sesshoumaru. "As you will, my lord," she said deferentially. She traipsed back to the riverbank and gently placed the worm on the soil.
I let out a sigh of relief as Sesshoumaru turned to face me. "A worm," he repeated tersely, an elegant eyebrow raised.
I shrugged as I stepped away from him. "Don't judge me," I said, feeling defensive. "Everyone's afraid of something…" I let my voice trail off as I regarded him for a moment. I've often wondered if he feared something. But then again, he didn't seem like they type of person to be afraid.
"Hn," he said, as he turned away without a second glance.
. . .
"What about that, Clara?" Rin asked, later that evening.
We had just finished eating, and Rin, Kohaku, Momitsumi, and I were lying in the grass, looking up at the stars. Sesshoumaru was sitting underneath a tree, his cold eyes fixed on the warm fire in front of him. Hitori was sitting beside Ah-Un, staying close to Momitsumi.
Rin had taken to counting the stars with Kohaku, and I was pointing out the different constellations that I knew of. We were lying a little ways apart from the fire, so we could see the stars better.
I traced out a constellation with my finger. "In my country, we call that one Orion, the hunter," I said as I pointed it out to them.
"O…rai…on," Rin said, having difficulty with the name.
"I only know their Latin and Greek names, but I think it's called something else here," I said thoughtfully, placing my hands on my stomach. "I forgot the name, though."
"Tsuzumi Boshi." I turned my head on the grass, towards Sesshoumaru. To my surprise, he stood and made his way towards us, folding his legs gracefully beneath him as he sat an arm's length away from where Rin and I were lying on the grass. He looked up at the stars, a faraway look in his eyes as he folded his arms across his chest.
He must have been bored.
"Tsuzumi Boshi," I repeated, thoughtful. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder, and turned towards Momitsumi, who was giving me another one of her teasing smirks. I blushed and turned away from her, as Rin tugged on my arm.
"What else, Clara?" Rin asked, pointing at the sky.
I scanned the skies, looking for a familiar constellation. "That one," I said, pointing, "is called Cygnus, the swan."
"Hakuchou," Sesshoumaru said, for Rin's benefit.
"Thank you, my lord!" Rin said, smiling toothily up at him.
"Hn."
I smiled to myself as I pointed at an all-too familiar star. Oh, the irony. "That one," I said, "is the brightest star in the night sky—Sirius, the dog star."
I couldn't help but glance up at Sesshoumaru. He was regarding me with a queer look in his eyes. I couldn't tell if he was amused or if he was annoyed. Deciding that it was the latter, I quickly looked back up at the star.
Rin giggled beside me. "Like Lord Sesshoumaru!" she said, looking up at her lord.
"Hn."
I think he didn't find it amusing. I felt my cheeks warming from embarrassment. "Yes, like Lord Sesshoumaru," I muttered, completely forgetting that he could still hear me. Oddly enough, I found myself humming Jann Arden's Insensitive, as I continued to stare up at Sirius. It really was so bright…
A quiet melody suddenly pushed out Insensitive. I found myself humming it as I thought of Sesshoumaru, and my eyes widened in surprise. I sat up.
"Clara?" Rin asked as I made my way towards Ah-Un.
"I'm fine," I reassured her. "I think I've had enough of stargazing, though." I rummaged through my backpack that I kept hitched to Ah-Un's saddle. Grinning, I pulled out a notebook and a pencil. Truth be told, I'd planned on studying during our travels, but that just…slipped out of my mind.
I settled myself beneath the tree that Sesshoumaru had occupied earlier, near the fire. I leaned my notebook against my knees and flipped it open to a blank page.
Frankly, I missed playing the piano. I'd been playing for a good ten years—my father had taught me, before he passed away. I have never composed a song on the piano before, but I think I could.
I drew a series of musical staffs, followed by a G-clef at the beginning of the first staff. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and hummed that slow melody, letting it run through my mind. I opened my eyes and set several notes on the staff.
No, that wouldn't do—I erased three of the notes, and hummed quietly to myself. My eyes involuntarily strayed from the notebook to look at Sesshoumaru and the others, across the fire. He was still looking up at the stars. Rin laughed as she pointed out imagined shapes to Kohaku and Momitsumi.
Sesshoumaru's eyes suddenly snapped to mine.
I blushed and hastily glanced back down at my notebook. I added several beamed notes and smiled to myself. I had a feeling that this piece would suit him perfectly.
I didn't pay much attention to what was going on around me as I continued. I could hear Momitsumi and the others getting ready to sleep. But I couldn't stop now. Several notes were jockeying for position in my head, and I wanted to put them on paper.
"What are you doing?"
I looked up, surprised to find Sesshoumaru standing in front of me. I quickly snapped the notebook shut, though I didn't think he could read musical notation, anyway.
"Um…" Oh, you know, just composing a song for you. "Studying—I haven't studied in a while, you see. My brain is getting mushy."
He turned his back on me. "Jaken will awaken you in a few hours," he reminded me as he wandered into the forest.
A few hours…
I inwardly groaned as I opened the notebook. I think I knew what to name this piece…
The Terror.
I shook my head and quickly erased the title. I thought for a few moments, before writing one word above the page…
Distant.
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A1969: done!
Inuyasha: you're still alive? I thought you were dead.
Kagome: Inuyasha, be nice!
A1969: yeah, yeah—I know. But, seriously, updating was impossible, before I finally graduated from nursing school. There were a lot of requirements, you see. Anyway, I'm free for a whole year, before I move on with my life, and I'm making a lot of efforts to update regularly. I'll be focusing more on this story, and update the others when I have 'that burst of creative energy'.
I realized that it was a big mistake on my part to make so many stories, without finishing either one. Huge mistake. Guess they were right when they said multitasking is less likely to get the job done.
By the way, I'm sure I'm not the only one, but have you guys ever tried finding any music to listen to when you write, music that just seems to match the scenes you're working on? Well, if anyone's interested…
Clara and Sesshoumaru scenes – Love Will Take You, Angus and Julia Stone
Momitsumi's Reminiscing – Everybody Hurts, Avril Lavigne
Inuyasha and Kagome – Wherever You Will Go, The Calling
Stargazing – Insensitive, Jann Arden
Clara composing – Shakespeare in Love, Layla Kaylif
Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews, guys! And please give me some feedback ; )
Inuyasha: otherwise…Meidou Zanget—
Kagome: Inuyasha, sit!