A1969: awww! I love you guys so much! Thank you for all the reviews, and for reading, and putting this story on your favorites and alerts!
Inuyasha: someone's looking cheerful.
A1969: of course I am! I'm really grateful to the readers, you know. Also…
Kagome: we still have Jaken! *hugs Jaken*
Jaken: Lord Sesshoumaru, heeeelp!
Inuyasha: let him go, Kagome!
A1969: yeah, Jaken's not the only reason—I watched The Avengers again!
Sango: that must be the…tenth? Twentieth?
Miroku: isn't that a little too repetitive?
A1969: hey! Nothing is boring if you've got Loki and Tony Stark!
Sesshoumaru: humans—their idiocy is astounding.
A1969: you are such a meanie. You should watch is sometime. Anywaaaay…enjoy!
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-Chapter Forty-One-
.:An Interlude, Part III:.
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Kagome
"Thanks, Kagome!"
I sighed as I closed my purse. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi each took a burger from the large pile on our table. "You know," I said, taking a burger myself, "how come I always get to buy the food every time we come to WacDonald's?"
"That's because you're always absent from class!" Yuka said, as though it were obvious.
I blinked. "Eh?" I said, as a waitress bustled past our table. "What's the connection?"
"You get to save up all your allowance," Eri pointed out, taking a bite of burger.
These guys were going to eat me into bankruptcy!
"By the way," Ayumi said, smiling at me. "When will Inuyasha be back at your Shrine?"
They looked expectantly at me. "Uh…er…I'm not…really sure," I said slowly. I had to tread carefully around these guys. They were acquainted with Inuyasha already. How long would it take before they found out the truth?
"Why?" Eri asked, raising an eyebrow. "Does he have class? Speaking of which, what school does he and his brother go to?"
Think, Kagome, think!
"Uh…he's…homeschooled!" I said, grinning. "That's right. He and his brother are homeschooled…because they're just too…busy to go to a regular school."
The three of them glanced at each other. "Busy with what?" Yuka asked, leaning across the table. Her eyes were narrowed almost suspiciously at me. I inwardly flinched.
Think, think, think! Wait a minute…Sesshoumaru was a lord, wasn't he? Ruled the entire Saikoku region of Japan five hundred years ago, right?
"They, er, own a lot of companies," I said, leaning back and sighing. Ah, well…Sesshoumaru did seem like the corporate type, and Inuyasha could clearly fill the role of the 'younger-brother-learning-to-be-more-responsible-i n-life' type (soap operas did come in handy, I guess).
"Ah!" Their loud exclamations made other customers turn and stare.
"Kagome!" Yuka said. "You mean Inuyasha was that rich, and he was working at your shrine?!"
"His brother was trying to teach him the value of money." Hey, now that I had a background story, the lie came easily enough.
"But what about their parents?" Ayumi asked, worried.
"They're…orphans," I said, raking a hand through my hair. Yeesh…this lie just kept getting deeper, and deeper.
"It's so romantic!" Eri exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
I blinked. "What on earth are you talking about?" I asked, bewildered.
"Inuyasha, the orphaned rich boy, and Kagome, the sickly, common girl!" Eri said dramatically, her eyes sparkling. She was president of the Drama Club, after all. "Just imagine…Inuyasha grows up with a domineering elder, brother who probably kicks him around! Inuyasha becomes a bitter, rich, bad boy delinquent—and then, he meets Kagome, and turns over a new leaf!"
She suddenly wrapped her arms around herself. "I like it!" she said, giggling.
I stared at her, my eyes popping. "That's…a little too dramatic," I pointed out. Though, truth be told, the domineering elder brother who kicked him around was spot-on.
Ayumi nodded in approval. "Kagome, you're a good influence on Inuyasha," she said. "If I were you, I would spend more time with him. It can't be good being stuck with a brother like that all the time."
These guys…!
All right, I think this was going too far. I was about to say something, when Yuka suddenly turned to the window. "Oh, it's raining," she remarked.
True enough, a light drizzle began to fall outside. Good thing I'd brought an umbrella with me. "We should finish this, before it really starts pouring," I said, grabbing another burger.
"By the way, Kagome," Eri said, as she peeled the wrapper of her last burger. "The Drama Club is supposed to be putting on a play for the school's founding anniversary." She smiled. "Seeing as you and Clara could use the extra credit, would you guys be interested in joining?"
"When is that again?" I asked, sheepish.
"The fifteenth of December, Kagome," Eri said.
I stared at her, intrigued. "I'd be interested in joining," I said. For a moment, a mental image of Inuyasha complaining flashed through my mind, and I quickly pushed it aside. "I'm not sure about Clara, though. You'd have to ask her yourselves."
"It would be really great if she'd join," Eri said, sighing. "She's good with the piano, right? We could use the help. We need someone to play the piano and to compose a couple of sheet music."
"What about the Music Club?" I asked, nodding at Ayumi.
She sighed. "Chiyo, our pianist, broke her arm," she said, shaking her head. "She can't do it. We could use other instruments, but it would be nice to have the complete ensemble."
"What will you be performing, anyway?" I asked, wiping my mouth with my napkin.
"We don't know yet," they said in unison.
I stared. "You don't know yet?" I repeated.
"Ms. Kondo wanted something Western," Eri said, shrugging. "She says the school has been putting on the same local legends for the past several years. She wants to try something fresh this time."
"But we do have a list of possibilities, though," Yuka said. She dug through her backpack, and pulled out a sheaf of papers. She passed them to me. "Look through them, Kagome, and pick which one you think is best."
"Wait…me?" I stammered. This was a thick stack of papers to go through!
They nodded. "Read the synopses for them, and choose the most interesting ones," Eri said. "You can ask Clara to help you!" She smiled sweetly at me. Eh…It was the look she had on when she didn't want to hear 'no' for an answer.
I sweat-dropped. "Er…but…" I had to study…I also had extra classes…and then, there was the Feudal Era and Naraku! Maybe I shouldn't join. But, the extra credit!
"Don't worry, we won't give you a heavy role, in case you get sick," Ayumi said.
"But…"
"Thanks, Kagome!" they chorused, grinning.
I leaned back, and sighed. "You're welcome," I said, defeated.
"Anyway, we should get going," Eri said. "It's raining cats and dogs."
The rain was falling heavily as we made our way out of WacDonald's. We opened our umbrellas, and started walking down the street, when I suddenly felt something that made me stop. It was an aura. An all-too familiar demonic aura…
I spun around, and my mouth hung open in shock.
Clara was walking towards us, but she wasn't alone. She was sharing her umbrella and happily talking to an all-too familiar demon lord, who slowly turned his cold eyes towards me.
"Sesshoumaru?!" I practically shrieked, pointing. It was one thing to see him here, in the modern era, fighting demons, but it was a completely different thing to see him here, sharing an umbrella with Clara! For a moment, I felt disoriented.
Clara's eyes immediately snapped to me, and I saw them pop open wide with surprise. "Kagome?!" she said, just as astonished as I was.
"What's going on?"
Oh, shoot. I completely forgot about Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi!
"Hey, it's Clara!" Eri said, coming towards us. Her eyes fell on Sesshoumaru, and she blinked. "Eh? Who's this?"
"Wait a minute," Yuka said, narrowing her eyes at the imperious demon lord. I saw the way her eyes raked Sesshoumaru from head to foot, lingering—a little too long—on his face. "Did you just call him Sesshoumaru, Kagome?"
Clara looked as panicked as I did. She was gripping the handle of her umbrella so tightly, her knuckle turned white. Oh, kami! This was it! Our secret was out! It was all oveeeer!
"Isn't that the name of Inuyasha's elder brother?" Ayumi asked, eyes locked on Sesshoumaru, who glared.
Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!
"No, way!" Eri said. "But…I don't get it…I thought you were in a coma, Clara? How come you know Inuyasha's elder brother?" She raised an eyebrow as she stared at Sesshoumaru, a funny look in her eyes.
I inwardly panicked. Inuyasha could get away with wearing his clothes here, but Sesshoumaru was a different thing entirely! What on earth was he doing here in the first place?!
Clara looked anxious. "Er…I…uh…" She glanced up at Sesshoumaru, her cheeks tinged with red, before she turned back to us. "We're dating."
My eyes bugged out. Clara might as well have been a brand new shade of red. Sesshoumaru turned to her, an inquiring look in his cold eyes. I take it, he had no idea what 'dating' meant, but I had a sneaking suspicion he would be asking Clara later (which, come to think of it, would be very entertaining to see).
"Dating?!" Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi said. "But…how?!"
Clara's smile looked pained. "Er, we met in the States, actually," she said. Very subtly, she nudged Sesshoumaru's foot with her own. "His dad is…my mother's…business partner. Yeah, that's right."
Oh, darn.
"I thought you said Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were orphans?" Eri said, staring inquiringly at me.
I saw Sesshoumaru throw me a glare, and I resisted the temptation to throw away my umbrella and bolt for it. This guy was scary!
"Was!" Clara exclaimed. She laughed awkwardly. "Sorry. His father was my mother's business associate, actually. Er…if you don't mind…we have to go. Sesshoumaru is…going to an anime convention. See you later, Kagome!"
To my surprise, she grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand, and, without further ado, strode off. We watched them go. As I watched their retreating backs, I couldn't help but grin. Well, you gotta hand it to Sesshoumaru—it didn't look as though he was pulling his hand away from hers anytime soon.
I clenched my fists in determination. C'mon, you two, just admit it already! It can't be that hard, can it?
"He's weird." Yuka's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I turned to her. "Huh?"
"I mean, he's super-hot and obviously the strong, silent type," she went on, "but you'd think that someone who runs a company wouldn't waste his time going to an anime convention." She shook her head in disapproval.
"I think it's cute," Ayumi said, smiling. "That way, he isn't all stiff and uptight."
I blinked at her. I was rooting for him, and all, but seriously? Look up the definition of the word 'uptight' in the dictionary, and you'll probably see a picture of Sesshoumaru right next to it.
"You know," Eri said, tilting her umbrella slightly. "Can we please get a move on, already? We've been standing in this downpour for ages, if you guys haven't noticed!"
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Clara
"That was close," I said, sighing, as we turned a corner. Really, really close. For a moment there, I thought Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were going to find out. I made a mental note to have a chat with Kagome about the possible excuses we were going to come up with in the near future.
"You seem to fear those humans," Sesshoumaru said, glancing sideways at me. Thankfully, he didn't sound disdainful about it.
I turned to him. "I wasn't afraid," I corrected. "I was just worried that they would find out what you are."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Have they not seen a demon of my standing?" he asked.
I suddenly stopped in my tracks, and so did he. Bradley's words suddenly echoed through my head:
"But…as the years went by…the demons sort of…disappeared."
I bit my lower lip. Why, though? What had made the demons disappear? Were they really all gone, or were they just hiding? But Bradley had said that he could no longer sense the demons as the years passed…
"Clara."
Sesshoumaru's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. With a jolt, I suddenly realized that I was still holding his hand. I blushed.
"S-sorry," I said, pulling my hand away from his. I shook my head, and we continued walking. "To answer your question…No, they haven't." I hesitated, before going on. "Demons don't exist in this world, Sesshoumaru."
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Explain," he said succinctly.
"I don't really know," I said, "but Bradley mentioned that he was sealed within the painting for five hundred or so years. As the years went by, he said that he could no longer feel the presence of demons. That they just…vanished."
He frowned infinitesimally, golden eyes intently staring ahead of us. People walked past us, and they stared at Sesshoumaru, who didn't even bother to take note of them. It looked as though he was in deep thought.
In all honesty, Bradley's words bothered me. Why did the demons fade away from reality? Growing up, I'd heard horror stories about demons, ghosts, vampires, and whatnot. And that was all they were—stories. Fiction. Legend. If demons like Sesshoumaru were so real five hundred years ago, what had banished them to the realm of myth?
Had they all…died?
I glanced discreetly at Sesshoumaru as we rounded another corner. He was still in deep thought. Occasionally, his eyes would sweep around him, as though he were looking for something. Was he trying to find the presence of another demon?
No…The thought of something killing off someone like Sesshoumaru was just…inconceivable. Could you even kill Sesshoumaru?
I knew he was strong, I knew he was powerful, I knew he would be insulted if I told him, but I couldn't help it—I was sick with worry. I actually found myself wishing that a random demon would suddenly pop out of the street, just so I would know that Bradley was wrong.
"Sesshoumaru?" I asked hesitantly.
"What is it?" he asked.
I didn't answer right away. I glanced up at the falling rain, which was starting to slow down. I turned back to him, and he frowned slightly. "I was wondering…" I said hesitantly. "Can you be killed?"
He stared at me. "Do you wish to slit my throat?" Wait, was he actually being sarcastic?
"Of course not!" I huffed. I looked down at my feet. "I was just…Bradley said that the demons disappeared. I was just wondering…if something bad would happen to you." I blushed. "I'm just…just worried, that's all."
I glanced hesitantly up at him. His cold eyes were fixed on me, almost thoughtfully. What was he thinking, I wondered?
"You worry too much," he said quietly. He pulled his eyes away from mine, and stared ahead. I was surprised to see that we were already at my street. The rain had become a slow drizzle by now, but the skies overhead were still dark.
"I can't help it," I said, my cheeks warming. "I worry about the people I care for, Sesshoumaru."
He turned to me. What was that look in his eyes? I couldn't tell…
"Be concerned for your own wellbeing," he said quietly. For a moment, I thought he might frown, but his face remained impassive.
I inwardly winced. Was he…annoyed that I was worried? I wasn't sure. You couldn't be too sure when it came to Sesshoumaru. "Sorry," I mumbled.
"Don't be foolish," he said tersely. The rain finally stopped falling, and I closed my umbrella.
I glanced surreptitiously at Sesshoumaru. I was surprised to find that he was looking down at me. Blushing, I hastily turned away, and my eyes widened in surprise. We had stopped right in front of the gates to the house. They were wide open, and I could see my mother's black Accord parked in the driveway—the engine was still running.
My eyes darted to the passenger side door, which suddenly swung open, and out stepped Bradley. He was wearing a pair of denim jeans, a navy blue shirt, and a denim jacket. Mom did very well, in my opinion—he looked adorable.
Bradley suddenly turned to us, saw Sesshoumaru, and waved, a grin breaking out on his face. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" the little boy called out, running towards us. As he looked up at the demon lord, I couldn't really help but think—Sesshoumaru was good with children, whether he knew it or not. Huh.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the demon child, an analytic look in his eyes. Bradley's grin widened, and he was about to say something, when the sounds of the engine suddenly died out.
Oh, no.
My eyes darted to Sesshoumaru. His eyebrows knitted together. He must've seen the panic in my eyes. And yes—there was bound to be panic. Alexis cannot see him. It was silly, but I couldn't help but feel like a guilty teenager about to be caught with her boyfriend.
Not that he was my boyfriend. I blushed. No, I was just worried about what my mother would say, and how he would react. Sesshoumaru could be really peevish, when annoyed. Besides…I didn't think it was a good idea for Alexis to meet him, especially since she wasn't keen on me returning to the Feudal Era (that, and the fact that Sesshoumaru managed to destroy the most of the roof of her building).
"You have to go," I said to him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you presume to order me?" he asked. I noted that he sounded somewhat waspish.
I sighed. "Fine. Can you please go?" I asked, trying not to sound exasperated.
"Why does Lord Sesshoumaru have to go, Clara?" Bradley asked, tugging on my sleeve.
I looked down at him. I was about to reply, when the driver's door suddenly opened, and Alexis stepped out. My eyes popped. Oh, shoot!
I quickly turned to Sesshoumaru, and blinked. Eh? He was gone. Already. For a moment, I felt a rush of disappointment surge through me, before I quickly pushed it aside.
"Clara, you're back," Alexis said as Bradley and I entered the gates. "How was school?" she asked, as I kissed her on the cheek.
"Great," I said nonchalantly.
"Clara," Bradley said, tugging on my skirt. "Where did Lo—"
I quickly covered Bradley's mouth with my hand. "Bradley, there's something on your mouth!" I said, grinning, and hoping that he would take the hint. Alexis raised an eyebrow at me.
Bradley blinked, and I removed my hand. He seemed to have taken the hint, because he didn't say anything else regarding Sesshoumaru.
"By the way, Clara," my mother said, as we entered the house. "You and I need to talk later, after dinner."
. . .
I dropped my backpack on the floor as I shut the door to my bedroom. Sammie came rushing from beneath my bed, barking as she tried to lick my shoes.
"Hey," I said, giving her a pat. She licked my hand affectionately.
I turned to my vanity, and took out the Sacred Jewel I'd hidden inside my jewelry box. I had felt apprehensive about leaving the jewel here, but—remembering what had happened last night with Bradley and the shadow demons—I thought it was the better option.
I stared at the jewel in my palm, disbelief coursing through me. Naraku's darkness had grown to the size of a pea. I sat on my bed, eyes fixed on the jewel. How many days had it been since Kagome and I had purified it? Five days…?
Kasai's words echoed in my head again. If Naraku's darkness spread fast…did that mean that my spiritual energy was weakening? But, no…five days was pretty long, right?
Frowning, I took out my cellphone and dialed Kagome's number. "Higurashi residence!" Kagome said cheerfully.
"Kagome?" I asked, hesitant.
"Clara!" she said. "What's going on? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "I was just wondering, would it be all right if you came around? I need your help with the jewel—Naraku's darkness is spreading again."
There was a pause. "I'll be right over," she said at last. "I actually wanted your help with something, too."
"Right, I'll wait for you," I said, before I hung up.
I bit my lip as I stared at the jewel. Admittedly, I felt scared. Seeing Naraku's darkness growing because of my waning spiritual energy only made the probability of dying all the more real…
I raked a hand through my hair, frustrated. My hair was somewhat damp from the rain. Sighing, I stood, and locked the jewel in my vanity drawer, before I marched off to the bathroom. Maybe a warm bath would help clear my head.
. . .
I sighed as I leaned against the bathtub, the warm water coming up to my chin. I raised a hand in front of me—my fingers were wrinkled. I clenched my fist. See? I was fine. I couldn't possibly be dying…
The truth was, what made me so afraid of dying was losing everyone I'd come to care about. It was frightening, the thought of leaving them all behind. I shook my head, and gently slapped both my cheeks. Get a grip, Clara.
I got out of the tub, and wrapped a towel around myself. As I was wrapping my hair in a towel, Sammie started barking frantically. "Bradley?" I called. Sammie was afraid of Bradley, seeing as how he was a demon (which was unfortunate, since Bradley constantly wanted to play with the puppy, only to have her growl at him).
I pushed the door open. "Bradley, you know Sammie can't play with you," I said, sighing.
I froze.
Sesshoumaru was standing at the foot of my bed, looking down with cold amusement at the puppy who was barking frantically at his feet. He abruptly looked up, and his eyes met mine. I suddenly became very, very, very aware of the towel I'd wrapped around me.
He raised an eyebrow—amused?—as I felt my face warming. "What are you doing here?!" I yelped, my face hot. If I could have wished for anything at that moment, it was to vanish into oblivion.
He didn't answer. Instead, Sesshoumaru's eyes darted to the door, which suddenly swung open, and in strode Alexis Rose. Oh, good lord! Can't I get a break?!
"Clara, I wanted to tell you that Elliot will be—" Alexis abruptly stopped and stared, her eyes blinking as she took in the scene in front of her. Her eyes drifted back and forth between me and Sesshoumaru, her eyebrows threatening to vanish into her hairline. For a moment, her eyes lingered on Sesshoumaru, bemused, before she fixed her astonished, steely gaze on me, eyes lingering on the towel I was wearing.
Please, Naraku just kill me. Now.
She suddenly smiled very sweetly at me. Oh, no…it was the 'You-know-how-I-feel-about-boys-you're-about-to-di e-now' smile. I'd never seen her look so sadistic in my life!
"Clara!" she said, in a voice as sweet as poisoned honey. She spoke in Japanese. She smiled at Sesshoumaru, and the demon lord stared impassively at her. "Who's your friend?"
Personally, I would have preferred to be doing introductions properly dressed, but Alexis's smile grew sweeter by the second. That was the thing with Alexis—the sweeter her smile grew, the angrier she was getting.
"Mom…this is Lord Sesshoumaru," I said, deliberately emphasizing the title.
She turned to Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru, this is my mother, Alexis Delacroix Rose." This was just too awkward.
"Charmed," Alexis said, eyes narrowing ever so slightly at Sesshoumaru, whose look remained impassive.
No, no, no. You do not narrow your eyes at Sesshoumaru. Just…no.
"Okaaay," I said, clearing my throat.
Alexis still continued to stare at Sesshoumaru. Her eyes were, for the moment, puzzled. "Queer," she muttered. "You remind me of a young man I met briefly in France."
Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, and I blinked at my mother. I switched to French. "Please tell me you didn't have an affair with that 'young man you met briefly in France'," I deadpanned.
I knew what her past was like before she met my father. It was one of the many reasons why she didn't want me to get involved with boys.
"Don't be silly," she huffed, in French. "I met your father on the same night. I owed that young man quite a lot." She shrugged, before her eyes sharpened. "And now," she went on, in French. "Why are you undressed?!"
I blushed. "I was in the bath!" I exclaimed. "It's not my fault that you people just barge in without warning!"
She glared at me, and crossed her arms. "What are you implying?!" I huffed.
At that moment, Bradley appeared in the open doorway. He blinked, his emerald eyes jumping between me, Sesshoumaru, and my mother.
"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Bradley said, immediately running up to the demon lord. He immediately latched on to Sesshoumaru's fluffy pelt, hugging it and grinning from ear to ear. The demon lord looked down at him with nonchalance. His tolerance towards Bradley never ceased to amaze me.
Bradley suddenly looked up at me, head tilted to one side. "Why is Clara undressed?" he asked.
I blushed again, gripping the towel even tighter. "I'm not…!" You know what? Never mind.
. . .
I came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later wearing a sweater, and a pair of black yoga pants. Sesshoumaru was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, while Bradley lay sprawled on my bed. Alexis, I was glad to see, had long since left.
Sesshoumaru stared at Sammie, who was crouched in front of him and growling. As I watched, the demon lord narrowed his eyes and Sammie yelped in fright, immediately bounding towards me.
"Did you just scare my puppy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Sesshoumaru. I picked Sammie up. She was shaking. Huh.
There was a funny look in his cold eyes. "Your pup?"
I suddenly remembered that Sesshoumaru happened to be a dog demon. Oh. That explained the funny look. "My mother gave her to me," I said hastily, "as a pet."
He nodded once, and I sat down next to him. The puppy whined in my arms. "Can I play with her, Clara?" Bradley said, leaping off the bed.
I hesitated before handing Sammie over to Bradley, who looked delighted. Sammie growled, and Bradley grinned. "You and I will be best friends!" the little boy said happily. "I'll bring her back, Clara, I promise!" And with that, Bradley was out the door.
"See?" I said, smiling as I turned to Sesshoumaru. "You have nothing to be worried about—Bradley's all right. He's just like a human child."
"Hn." His eyes were fixed ahead of him, staring at what, I didn't know.
"So…" I went on. "Does this mean you're going to leave now?"
He turned to me. "Perhaps," he said quietly.
"Oh." I stared at my lap, feeling another rush of disappointment. "Because," I went on, trying to control the heat in my cheeks. "If everything's all right in the Feudal Era, you could…you could stay. I mean, my mother has met you, anyway, so it's no big deal now, really. Not that you should, it's just that you could." Why was I so prone to babbling?
I could feel his eyes on me, and my blush deepened. I didn't dare meet his gaze. "What do you think?" Sesshoumaru asked.
I turned to him. "You do whatever you want to do, Sesshoumaru," I pointed out.
"Precisely," he said, smirking.
Wait a minute. Sesshoumaru was smirking? Admittedly, it took a while for my brain to register what it was seeing. I didn't sign a death warrant, did I? I gave myself a mental kick. Well…He looked ridiculously handsome when he did it. Wait…stop! Stop, Clara. Just…stop.
I blushed, and hastily looked down at my lap. "Why are you so vague?" I asked, not looking at him.
"Oh?" he said. "My words are quite understandable."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked, turning to him.
"What do you think?" he countered.
"You know, you can't answer a question with another question," I pointed out. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to."
He didn't answer. Instead, he stared at me, his golden eyes intent. I could feel my cheeks warming, but I didn't pull my eyes away. There was something in his cold eyes, something I couldn't understand…What was that look?
Sesshoumaru suddenly turned towards the door, and it swung open to reveal Kagome standing in the doorway, her backpack slung over her shoulder. For a moment, she stared at us, then grinned a Cheshire-cat grin.
"Was I interrupting something?" she asked innocently. "I could come back."
I my cheeks flushed. She was worse than Momitsumi and Rin!
"Don't be silly!" I said, standing up. I retrieved the jewel from the vanity drawer, and sat back down on the carpet, away from Sesshoumaru.
Kagome threw Sesshoumaru a wary look before she sat down beside me. "What were you two doing?" she asked, in English. "Because, whatever it was, it looks as though Sesshoumaru wants me out of here." She grinned.
"We were just talking!" I blurted, in English. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sesshoumaru narrowing his eyes at us. I take it, he was frustrated with the constant switch in language. "Why is it that you people jump to conclusions so quickly?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Later," I muttered. I switched to Japanese. "Anyway, Kagome, I need your help with the jewel."
Hesitantly, I opened my palm. Naraku's darkness stood out prominently in the center of the jewel. "It's grown." Sesshoumaru was suddenly beside me, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the jewel in my hand.
"Not by much," I told him flippantly. I didn't want to sound worried—it was actually bigger than last time.
Kagome seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because she said, "Well, it hasn't really spread much."
Sesshoumaru stared at us, probably wondering whether or not we were idiots. "Anyway," I said hastily, before he could say anything. I held out the jewel to Kagome, and she grasped my hand, enclosing it with both of hers.
"You might want to back away a little," Kagome told Sesshoumaru.
The demon lord raised an eyebrow at her, before crossing his arms. "Who do you think I am?" he asked coldly.
"Right," Kagome said, both sheepish and wary. She turned to me. "Ready?"
I nodded. I stared at our joined hands, and focused. As our hands glowed with purifying light, I suddenly felt nauseous. I ignored the nausea as I channeled my spiritual energy into the jewel. Even without looking at the jewel, I could feel Naraku's darkness lessening…
"Okay, stop," Kagome said, pulling her hands away from mine.
Immediately, a wave of vertigo came over me, and I felt myself falling sideways. Before I could hit the carpet, I felt Sesshoumaru's arms around me, drawing me close to him. I heard the jewel fall to the carpet with a muffled clatter, heard Kagome's worried voice.
I leaned against Sesshoumaru's fluffy pelt, and gripped his sleeve tightly in my fist. The room was spinning! It was like going on a wild rollercoaster ride.
"Sorry," I said, keeping my eye closed. "It's just a head-rush. I'll be fine." I opened my eyes to find Sesshoumaru looking down at me, frowning. I blushed. He was quite…close.
Another wave of nausea came over me, and I immediately shut my eyes. Oh good lord, please do not let me throw up on him!
"Clara?" I could feel Kagome's hand gently rubbing my back. "Should I call your mother?"
I took a deep breath, and pulled away from Sesshoumaru. The room stopped spinning, and I blinked. "Sorry," I said, smiling at them. "I'm fine. It was just a head-rush."
Kagome raised an eyebrow, and Sesshoumaru frowned at me. "I am!" I insisted. "It was just vertigo, you know." I picked up the jewel—Naraku's darkness was smaller now. I cleared my throat. "Anyway," I went on, turning to Kagome. "You said you wanted my help with something. What was it?"
She looked doubtful. "Seriously, I'm fine," I repeated firmly. "It was just a little head-rush, Kagome, no big deal."
"Indeed," Sesshoumaru said. Every syllable seemed to drip with sarcasm.
I took a deep breath. "I'm honestly fine now," I said, giving Kagome a level stare. "What was it you wanted me to help with?"
Kagome reluctantly retrieved her backpack, and drew out a thick stack of papers. She set them on the carpet in front of me. "Wait…what are these?" I asked. "Please don't tell me this is homework!"
"Yes, and no," Kagome said. Even she sounded pained.
I blinked at her. "This is actually for extra credit," she went on. "Eri is head of the Drama Club, and they're going to put on a performance during the school's founding anniversary on December fifteenth. She wanted us to help them out. She wants us to go through these synopses, and pick something she might like."
"But," I began. "Shouldn't she do that herself?"
"My thoughts exactly," Kagome said, sighing. "Anyway, Ayumi was wondering if you'd play the piano and do some composing."
I raised my eyebrows at her. "Er…aren't we a little too busy for all of this?"
"She didn't want 'no' for an answer," she said, sighing. "Besides…you can compose while we're in the Feudal Era, right? And they did say they would give me a minor role, in case I get sick again."
"But…don't we need to be there for rehearsals?" I asked. Honestly, this was not something I could afford to put on my plate at the moment.
"Well, we can talk with Eri tomorrow," she suggested. "For now, let's just see which one of these would be good."
Kagome and I spent the next thirty minutes reading through the papers on the floor. It seemed as though Eri had randomly Googled examples of fiction, and copy-pasted them. There were a lot of synopses to go through, ranging from folktales to Disney to parables and fables and poems.
As Kagome and I read, Sesshoumaru stood from his spot on the floor and walked around the room. From the corner of my eye, I could see him inspecting everything in sight—from my computer monitor, to my desk lamp, to the books on the shelves.
I had to stifle a giggle when he took down the Polaroid camera from my shelf, and inspected it with narrowed eyes. This must be all so foreign to him. I made a mental note to briefly explain a few things to him later. Somehow, the image of Sesshoumaru attacking a household appliance seemed both cute and alarming. Argh! Focus, Clara.
As I browsed through the papers, a poem suddenly caught my eye. "Demon," I murmured. I knew this one—Alexis had once read it to me when I was a child, probably hoping to plant in my head the notion that all men were demons (oh, the irony).
"What's that?" Kagome asked, scooting over.
"It's a poem by Mikhail Lermontov," I said, showing her the papers. It was translated into Japanese. "It's about a demon named…Demon. He was both immortal and powerful, but he was also lonely and troubled, despising everything in the world as he wandered from place to place.
"One day, he met a priestess—I mean, princess—by the name of Tamara. He fell in love with her, but she was already betrothed to Prince Sinodal. Demon killed Tamara's betrothed out of jealousy, and ardently pursued her. Tamara was frightened, so she decided to enter a convent to escape him.
"However, Demon followed Tamara to the convent, because he believed that his love for her changed him—made him righteous, made him good, made him a better person. Tamara was afraid, at first, and she tried to resist him. But it was difficult, because, in him, she saw neither angel nor demon, but a tortured soul. Demon eventually won her over, and he kissed her. However, his kiss was fatal, and Tamara died. The angels bring her soul to Heaven, and Demon is condemned to loneliness, doomed to wander the world alone forever."
As I finished, I suddenly became aware that Kagome was listening with a rapt expression on her face, her mouth hanging slightly open. She blinked, and shook her head.
"How absurd." I was surprised when Sesshoumaru spoke up. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, arm on a bent knee. He was staring at the papers I was holding.
I shrugged. He was a demon, after all. He must've found it silly, a demon falling in love with a human girl…
"Well, that was a bit depressing," Kagome agreed.
I nodded. "And, somehow, wrong," I said quietly. I mean, really, Demon did become good—why couldn't he be with Tamara? Not that I was personally interested…It was just a story, after all. A poem, actually.
"Let's pick this," Kagome said suddenly, tugging the papers from my grasp. "Eri will love this, I'm sure of it. She did mention that Ms. Konda, their Drama Club advisor, was looking for something 'fresh'."
"But that's really gloomy," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"A foolish ending to a foolish tale," Sesshoumaru said dismissively.
Kagome shrugged. "Eri loves tragic romance," she said. "She'll like this one, I'm sure."
"I don't," I muttered.
. . .
I pushed open the door to my mother's study. Alexis was sitting on her desk, a cup of coffee beside her. She was reading a sheet of paper, no doubt company business. I lingered by the doorway, hesitant. She had been very quiet during dinner, not saying anything, not even making an offhand remark about Sesshoumaru who, last time I checked, was currently in the garden.
"What are you waiting for?" Alexis's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I grinned sheepishly as I sat down on the chair in front of her desk. "So…" I began. "You and I were supposed to talk."
She put the papers down, and stared at me over interlocked fingers, her icy blue eyes piercing. "Clara," she said slowly. "I don't think you should go back to the Feudal Era."
I bit my lip. This was what I was afraid of. "Mom, I know you're worried," I began. "But I'll be fine, honestly. I can watch out for myself, you know. Besides…I have friends there who'll help me."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Friends like Sesshoumaru?"
I flushed. "Yes," I said. "He's quite strong, you know."
"Yes, and I have a feeling he's the one who smashed the roof of my building," she deadpanned.
I gave her a sheepish laugh as I rubbed my neck. "Ehe…that happens sometimes?"
She sighed. "The point is, it's just too dangerous," she said. "Before, I didn't mind, because I wasn't really sure how dangerous. But after what happened last night…" She shook her head. She suddenly reached over and grasped my hand in hers. "I just don't want to lose you, Clara."
Kasai's words rang through my head again…
"You see, a soul is meant to be whole and pure. When the other half would meet the other, both would try to become one…"
"What do you think happens when a soul leaves the body?"
I…couldn't tell her about that. No, definitely not.
I gave my mother a reassuring smile. "You won't," I said. "I'll be fine, I promise." I tried to ignore the gnawing guilt inside me. I should tell her, but…she would only worry more.
"Why do you want to help them?" my mother asked, frowning. "Clara, if we hadn't come to Japan…in fact, if we decided to stay in Kyoto instead of Tokyo…do you really think you would have met them? Do you really think it would be any of your business?"
I stared at her. True. What if we didn't come to Tokyo? Originally, I had planned on staying in the States—I hadn't wanted to come with my mother to Japan at all. But…
"But we're here," I said quietly. "And I have met them. I have to help them. Mom…all my life, you and dad have always protected me. You always gave me whatever I needed and whatever I wanted. I didn't have to do anything for myself—I always depended on you and dad. You didn't even let me get a part-time job."
"Because that wasn't necessary," she pointed out.
"I know," I said hastily. "I'm very grateful for everything you've given me. But this time…I want to do things for myself. I want to help them."
She frowned as she stared at me. "I'm just worried, that's all," she said softly. She paused for a moment, her eyes darting upward to the ceiling. She sighed as she looked at me again. "This Sesshoumaru had better do a good job of keeping you safe," she said at last. "If he doesn't…well, I have a cartridge of .44 Magnums, and I haven't tested them yet."
I grinned sheepishly at her. "I don't think you can hit him, though." I winked.
She smirked as she folded her arms on the desk. "Try me," she said.
We stared at each other, and we chuckled. "Your father would have said that," mom said, smiling. "He would have taken a shotgun to any boy you met."
I stared at her, surprised that she mentioned my father. "Well, you're just as good as he was, I'm sure," I said, grinning.
She smiled for a moment, before her expression turned brisk again. "By the way," she said, shuffling the papers on her desk. "Elliott will be visiting tomorrow."
I raised my eyebrows. "Elliott is?" I asked, surprised. Elliott Summers was a childhood friend of mine. He and I spent a good portion of our childhood trying to sneak out of the boring meetings our parents insisted on dragging us to. He didn't get along well with his father, because they didn't see eye-to-eye when it came to Elliott's passion—designing clothes.
"His exact words were: 'Auntie Rose, I need to get away from this place—it's too stuffy, and pops just threw away my sketchbook, all my designs were in there…' et cetera," Alexis said.
I shrugged. "That does sound typical of Elliott. Will he be staying with us?" I asked.
"I insisted." Alexis put the papers down, and raised an eyebrow at me. "You'd better be careful—if that Sesshoumaru of yours is staying, Elliott might find out what he is."
"Yeah," I said dryly. "Elliott will be very interested in Sesshoumaru, I'm sure of it."
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Kagome
"Watcha doing, Kagome?"
I shrieked as I jumped back from my desk, startled. Several books fell to the floor, papers strewn all over the carpet. I whipped around to the window to find Inuyasha perched on the sill, blinking innocently at me.
"Inuyasha!" I huffed, placing a hand over my chest. "You startled me!"
"Keh!" he said, as he slipped into my room. He settled himself on the floor and crossed his arms. "Anyway, where were you this afternoon? I came by, and you weren't here."
I picked up my books. "I was with Clara and Sesshoumaru," I said, sitting back down at my desk.
"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha said, surprised. "You mean he's here, and you didn't tell me?! Are you crazy?"
I rolled my eyes, and turned in my chair to face him. "You don't believe Sesshoumaru's still a bad person, do you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He hesitated. "He's a big a jerk as any," he muttered.
"Inuyasha," I said, rolling my eyes. "I think he's changed, you know. He's not as bad as before."
Inuyasha was silent for a moment. "Keh!" he huffed. "Lovesick idiot. It's disturbing, actually."
I sighed. "Gee, Inuyasha, for a 'lovesick idiot', he's certainly not that big on showing it," I said, opening my books. True, I don't think Sesshoumaru told Clara how he felt—and I don't think Clara was going to tell him how she felt. Those two are such idiots! I wanted to bang their heads together, and knock some common sense into them!
"He's here, isn't he?" Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "Trust me, Kagome, if Clara can't tell, she might as well be blind."
"Anyway," I said, turning back to my books. "How are the others doing? Have they found a way to remove Kohaku's shard?"
Inuyasha was silent for a moment. "No," he said at last. I turned back to him—he was frowning. "Kohaku doesn't know that Clara will die if we don't take his shard. We can't find a way to remove his shard without killing him—and Jaken's being a pain. He makes a good punching bag, though. I can almost understand why Sesshoumaru keeps him around."
I rolled my eyes. "You know," I said slowly. "If we can't take Kohaku's shard yet…maybe we should get Kouga's for the time being?"
Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "Do you honestly believe Kouga will give up his shards that easily?"
I shrugged. "If he hears it'll help Clara, I think he will," I said. "Inuyasha, Kouga's a good guy, remember? He'll help us out, I'm sure of it."
Inuyasha scowled heavily at me. "That wolf will always be a pain, Kagome," he huffed.
I blinked, and grinned. "Are you jealous?"
He blushed. "Don't be silly!" he snapped, clenching his fist. "Why'd I be jealous of a mangy wolf like him? Keh!"
I pushed back my chair, and stood in front of him. He looked up at me, frowning, his eyebrows meeting in the middle. "Just admit it!" I said.
"I ain't jealous!" he snapped.
I grinned then, on an impulse, I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. Inuyasha spluttered, his face even redder. "What the hell was that for?!" he huffed, embarrassed. Truth be told, Inuyasha looked cute when he was embarrassed.
I shrugged. "Nothing," I said innocently.
"Nothing?!" he snapped. "That was just nothing?"
"It wasn't just 'nothing', Inuyasha, it was a kiss!" I said brightly, sitting back down at my desk. I heard him faltering, and I giggled.
Inuyasha frowned, and huffed. "Girls," he muttered.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Clara
I couldn't concentrate.
I sat at my desk, several books strewn in front of me. I tapped my pencil against my notebook, trying, in vain, to memorize the formulas that swam in front of my eyes. Well, maybe it would help if a certain demon lord would stop drilling holes into my back with his eyes.
I sighed, and spun around in my chair. Sesshoumaru was sitting on my bed, leaning against the headboard, arm on a bent knee.
"By the way," I said dryly, eyes on his feet. "I don't think it would kill you to take off your shoes." Seriously, the universe wasn't going to implode if he showed his bare feet, was it?
He raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't answer. I hesitated, before I stood and sat on the bed next to him. "Anyway," I said. "What do you plan to do here? Or…will you be leaving tomorrow?"
"What do you think?" he asked.
"You know," I said, sighing. "You have to stop being so vague sometimes."
He stared at me for a moment. "No," he said, after a moment of silence.
He wasn't going to leave? I beamed at him. "Well, if you're going to stay for a while, there are some things I need to tell you!" I said brightly.
"Such as?" he asked apathetically.
I thought for a moment, eyes fixed on my lap. "You have to make sure no one finds out what you are," I said slowly. "You have to be inconspicuous." I stared at him for a moment. "You can't use your powers here, unless absolutely necessary, and…we have to do something about your outfit."
He narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm not going to suggest that you wear human clothing," I said hastily. "It's just that, I think you should remove your armor, and that fluffy"—he glared—"and that…pelt. People won't mind if you wear your haori and hakama, I think. Inuyasha does get away with it."
His brows furrowed at the mention of Inuyasha, and I plowed on. "And…people will believe it if we say that you're an albino, because of your hair and eyes." Oh good lord—I was trying so hard not to laugh at the serious expression on his face.
"And, as for your markings…" I tilted my head and frowned, eyes fixed on the crescent moon and double stripes on his face. "We can just say…Hm…" I tapped a finger to my chin thoughtfully. I didn't think he would like it very much if I smeared foundation on him. "We can just say they're non-permanent tattoos…you did go to an anime convention." I grinned at him. Hey…this was actually fun.
"These tattoos…what are they?" he asked.
"They're marks that humans place on their skin," I explained. "They get tattoos to express themselves. Some are downright weird, some are sweet, some are practical." I shrugged.
He nodded curtly. Sesshoumaru may be dismissive of humans and anything that had to do with them, but I think he wasn't opposed to learning.
"But…" I went on. "I'm not sure what to say about your ears." Congenital anomaly? I think he'd kill me for suggesting it. "I think we could…" On an impulse, I leaned towards him, and ran my fingers through the tendrils of silver hair on either side of his face. I untucked the strands from behind his ears. Good thing his hair was quite long—it covered the pointed end of ears completely. Huh…his hair was quite silky, too…
I suddenly realized what I was doing, and promptly felt my cheeks reddening. Very hesitantly, I met his gaze. To my surprise, his eyes weren't cold—they were intent, almost intrigued as he stared at me.
"Um," I said. "Sorry…" I pulled my fingers away from his hair, but he caught my wrists in each of his hands. His grip was like iron.
I looked into his eyes nervously. There was a strange look in his gaze, something I hadn't quite seen before—confusion? Annoyance? What? I blushed, and hastily looked down at the duvet. It felt as though my heart was doing a jitterbug—it was beating much too fast.
"Clara," he said quietly.
Hesitantly, I looked up at him. My eyes widened in surprise. What was he doing? There was a determined look in his eyes. I felt his grip on my wrists tighten, felt him pull me closer. It was as though my stomach vanished as he slowly placed my arms around his neck, his eyes never leaving mine.
Sesshoumaru placed his hands on my waist. I froze as he leaned in towards me, tilting his head slightly to one side. Oh…he was…was he…going to…
I didn't know. A moment later, everything turned black.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Sesshoumaru
Clara suddenly closed her eyes, and slumped against me. Her arms slackened around my neck as her head fell onto my pelt. I let out an audible sigh as I held her close. This girl was frustrating.
Hn. Humans.
I carefully lowered her onto the bed, before I stood up. I looked down at her. Her breathing was even, and her expression was somewhat serene—she had merely fainted. I draped the bedding over her. She stirred, but her eyes remained closed.
Frustrating, indeed.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
A1969: end of chapter!
Miroku: you know, I think you guys should let go of Jaken now—he's getting boring.
Sango: but…
A1969: Miroku's right—we need someone else to torture during these post-chapter scenes.
Inuyasha: I vote Sesshoumaru!
Sesshoumaru: *glares*
A1969: no, someone epic…
Sesshoumaru: oh? And what are you implying? Am I not epic enough?
Kagome: *twitches* OOC…Amazing!
A1969: fine, we need another epic person to torture. Now, do your thing, while I think!
Kagome: that's it for now! Don't forget to review!
Miroku: oh, and…who should we torture during these post-chapter scenes? *wink*