The Messenger
Chapter 6
By: Rachynn

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Over all, the afternoon had gone relatively well. Her danish lay forgotten as she relayed a very condensed version of the past few weeks to the newcomer at her table, Naraku. He listened, casually nodding his head at times, looking in her direction, and paying attention to her.

That was a nice feeling.

Afterwards, he invited her out to the art gallery that he had been heading to.

She stared at him, once he had asked her. Was he joking around?

"Really?"

He smirked. "Yeah, why not? It's a kind of a social get-together anyways, and it's expected to bring along a guest. You're lonely, so you should think about coming."

She didn't particularly like his blunt statement about loneliness, but did she have anything better to do? She hadn't thought of any plans past eating, and given her recent agenda, the rest of the afternoon was wide open.

There was silence as a cool ocean breeze wafted past them lazily. She felt her hair pick up and drift in the wind. Why not?

"When is this art gathering?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Around 6 O'clock tonight at the National Art Gallery. We have a private show room rented out just for the occasion. Who knows, you might have fun rubbing shoulders with the rich socialites and pondering boring, priceless art that a child could have painted."

She laughed. He made it sound as though the gathering was nothing more than a dinner party some close friends.

"Are you really inviting me just because I look lonely? Think about my position, you tried to kill me 15 years ago, and now you're inviting me out after meeting me again 20 minutes ago." She could hear the echo's of his cries in her mind, the gunshot as he took aim and pulled the trigger. Of course, it wouldn't work, couldn't work. She couldn't die, the attempt was futile. All the same, he had tried to shoot her, and that had a profound affect on a person's state of mind. Could you blame her for being slightly suspicious?

He didn't say anything for a moment.

"I'm not the same person who I was fifteen years ago. I had a lot of problems back then, and then you show up and tell me in that voice that was so god damn cold that my daughter was dead. You can't have expected me to be perfectly calm."

"Fair enough."

"Besides, my life is different now." He paused. "You don't have to say yes, I was just trying to help you feel welcome in a world that is obviously different than yours."

"So you'll pick me up around… what? 5:30?" she asked. She didn't believe him for a second, but she wanted to figure out what his real motive was. Maybe going with him to this human gathering would help her to figure out how his brain was ticking.

He disguised his shock at her easy turn around rather well. "5:30 sounds good. Where can I pick you up?"

"I don't live far from here, but how about we meet on middle ground? There's a park close to my house, we could meet there. It's the one with the huge willow tree's and the river running through it."

"Oh yes, I know that park. I'll pick you up at the gate?"

She nodded and smiled. She had been through the park numerous times. It had a twisting maze of rhododendrons and a slow running river that was shaded by beautiful willow trees. The ducks would swarm around anyone carrying a bag of food, quacking happily. She liked it there.

"I don't suppose that you have any formal wear?"

She raised an eyebrow. "So it's a formal party at an art gallery? Just what sort of man are you, Mr. Naraku?"

"A unique man."

"Fine, keep some of your secrets. I'll pry them out of you eventually." It was a shame he wouldn't know just what she meant by that statement. He was up to something, of that she was sure. Now she just had to find out what.

She stood up and straightened her dress. "Well I've got four hours to find a nice formal dress for tonight. You'll excuse me Mr. Naraku?"

He folded the newspaper he brought with him and stuck it under his arm. "You forgot your danish." He pointed.

She looked at the half eaten, flaky pastry lying on the table and shrugged. It had tasted good, but suddenly it seemed so unimportant. "You can have it, I no longer need it."

"That's a waste, think of the starving children all around the world who would kill to eat a whole danish." He almost sounded like he was condemning her and mocking her at the same time.

"So give it to a starving child."

He didn't say anything, just stood there with his newspaper under his arm. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a red polo shirt; it looked almost nice on him. She kept herself from blushing. Never before had she thought to look at the clothes that a subject was wearing, or comment on how good or bad they looked. What was so different about Naraku?

She gave a final wave and disappeared down the boardwalk, in the direction of a dress shop she had passed the other day. Silently, she wondered what the events of tonight would bring about.

Author's note(s): Yes. It's a short update, but it's an update. Congratulations to the three people who guessed Mystery Man's identity correctly. Some of your guesses made me smile; by the way, which is a good thing, I need to smile more.

By the way, I hate Naraku's name. I keep spelling Naraky, instead of Naraku and have to go back and re-type it.

As for where this story is going, I might just have it figured out, emphasis on the might. If you're freaking out about the whole lack of Inuyasha-ness, I apologize, but I do promise that he will be along… later rather than sooner. It will be fun! If what I have planned, actually happens!!

I'm going to give a plug for my other story on the go "Trust Me". It's slightly influenced by a certain historical-esque manga (props if you can guess what it is, but to do that you'd have to read it), and Inu/Kag, something I haven't actually written in a while.

Also, if you CARE, I have a myspace. (Yes, I did sell my soul to that god forsaken site.) The link is on my profile page.