"It's been a long time, Fawks-sama"
"Please, there's no need to call me that any longer" Fawks smiled as she sat down beside the fire haired youth.
"I have to admit, I was surprised you called upon us. Why not ask Kagome and Inu-yasha or Sango and Miroku for assistance?" he asked, tapping ash from his pipe.
"Because they have families to care for and you seemed to be an eternal bachelor" she smirked at him.
Shippo chuckled refilling his pipe, "You've got me there…though I have been staying with Rin and Kohaku. They have quite a litter so I've become better with kids…"
"That's another good thing about asking you to do this. You're a wanderer so you'll be able to hide her that much better…"
Shippo lifted it to his lips, heating the end with his fox fire, "What about you, Fawks-sama? Won't you be joining the pup?"
Fawks shook her head, her eyes swimming, "We…wouldn't be able to hide like that…everyone would know who we were…"
Shippo blew out smoke, "If you think that is best, then I will take the girl. I'll raise her the best I can and protect her until she can take care of herself…"
Fawks reached out, squeezing his hand, "Thank you, Shippo…I know it's a lot to ask…"
"Don't worry, my lady. If it weren't for all of you I wouldn't have lived to this ripe old age" he chuckled.
"Where have you been?!" Mamezo cried as Tensei came through the front door. S
he shrugged, "Out…"
"That's not good enough, pup. What would your mother have done if she came home and found you gone?" Ginzo said gruffly.
"…Mommy's not gonna marry you, y'know. You don't have to act like my papa…" she said, matter-of-factly. Ginzo blushed darkly, giving his bald head the look of an overripe tomato, "W…wha…you…!"
Mamezou snorted, Tensei giggled, scampering away as Ginzo gained chase. Mamezou moved to follow them just as there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find one of the household servants bowing to him.
"Sachiko-sama has requested you back at the palace…"
"Sis? Is everything alright?"
"I honestly cannot say. When I told her you had been called out to Itnasha's residence, she was suddenly desperate to see you"
"Hm, alright" he began, "Oi, Gin…! I've been called back to the palace…!"
"What for?" Ginzo appeared, holding Tensei upside down by her ankles while the child squealed with laughter.
"Dunno, her ladyship has summoned me…" Mamezou shrugged, "Fawks-sama should be back soon, so it shouldn't be a problem…"
"Alright, see you later then…"
"Bye, uncle Mamezou!" Tensei laughed.
Fawks smelled the smoke as soon as she neared the stronghold, her heart seized in fear.
"Fawks-sama…" Shippo muttered from beside her.
"Let's go…" she said hurrying the direction of her home.
"…Tensei is…?!" Mamezou stared at his sister in disbelief.
She gave a cold laugh, "I'm surprised you didn't realize it sooner, Mame-chan. She is his spitting image after all…"
Mamezou swallowed thickly, perhaps she was right, perhaps he didn't want to see the resemblance. "Still…isn't that a bit harsh? She is a child after all…she doesn't deserve to die for who her father is…"
"If that child is allowed to live she could one day contest my son for ruler of the western lands" Sachiko said seriously.
"She wouldn't…" he began weakly.
"And how do you know that? She is just a child now but how will you know what she will become in the future? I have endured too much from Sessho-maru just to have the western lands usurped by his bastard child" she spat.
Mamezou shrank back, he had never seen her like this, not that he could really blame her. Sessho-maru was the only man she'd ever known, she'd loved him utterly and completely and he'd betrayed her. Even though he knew he should hate her, Mamezou couldn't bring himself to despise Tensei. He squared his shoulders, bowing, "I'm sorry, sister but I cannot carry out an assassination order on an innocent child"
"I thought as much…" she sighed dismissively.
Mamezou blinked at her, "Sachiko…what have you done?"
She gave him a cruel smile. "What needed to be done…"