Naraku's Mind Games
Kagome sighed with releif. Then she grimaced, winced and prepared to beat the crap out of Nobunaga.
"WHADDYA MEAN YOU JUST TOOK THEM?!" she screamed at him. He cringed and tried to back away. Kagome took a deep breath. It wouldn't do for her to kill him...yet. At least not until he told her why the hell he took the jewel out of her bag. And for some reason, Sorai never remembered taking them out either. He had scared the crap out of her. What if they had actually left the jewel behind? And to go so far as to hide it?!
That would practically be theft!
Nobunaga reached inside his hakama and pulled out the incomplete jewel, in a glass case that prevented it's energy rays from being seen, even for her. Kagome snatched it greedily and narrowed her eyes on Nobunaga. "Explain."
He gulped and began. Everyone alround was giving him death stares. That meant Inuyasha's pout, Sesshomaru's uber scary glare, and Kagome's miko special stare. He was lucky that everyone else was too injured to come out of their rooms yet. He took a deep breath and stammered, "W-well when the monk's badger compainion brought you all in, you all were horribly injured. And this castle being full of demons," he waved his hand to show, " The jewel's light was irresistable. So..." he took another breath, "I took the jewel and hid it until you were well enough to protect it again. You probably couldn't sense it with all the demon auras in this castle. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused." He bowed.
Inuyasha flared up. "INCONVINIENCE?! YOU SCARED THE HELL OUTTA US!"
Nobunaga trembled, too scared to look up. Kagome, meanwhile had happily taken the jewel and was inspecting it. "Well, there's no harm done Nobunaga. Thank you for being concerned, but next time, " she leaned put her hand on his shoulder. "Try and tell us before." he nodded shakily.
She turned around where Sesshoamru was playing his own little drama. WHAT? THEY ANNOYED THE HELL OUT OF ME FOR NOTHING?! NOBUNAGA...I WILL KILL YOU!
She laughed. Lets not get viscous sesshy.
Visciuos? You havne't seen anything yet.
And I don't want to. Don't fire or kill him, ok? He really is a good guy.
What would happen if I told inuyahs you said that?
Nothing.
Sure?
Yes.
Fine. With a flash of silver hair, he turned around and dragged Inuyasha out the room by the elbow. Moments later, "SAY WHAT?!"
I told you so.
Cheater. Your forgetting that I can read his mind too. You told him that Kouga had eloped with Sango.
Damn. You were supposed to get all flared up at him...
Shut up.
She stepped out of the room to see a very shocked inuyasha and a smirking sesshomaru. "He's joking you know." she told inuyasha, who looked releived then angry. Ssesshomaru, whay the hell has gotten into you people?! First you do the jewel disappering thingy and now you tell me one of my frineds had run away with a wolf!" Sesshomaru smirked harder. "All for seeing your reaction, litle brother."
Doing a graceful turn he exited the room, leaving Inuyasha simmering. "Damn that stupid bastard...that really scared me."
Kagome simply laughed.
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Hakudoushi stood on a branch in the core of Demon Glade. Ahead of him was a giant bat demon, looking foreboding and evil in the evening light. Hakudoushi leaped gracefully off the branch and landed on the ground with a cat's balance.
Straightening, he trotted calmly towards the demon, who was judging by the thrashing and groans, in feeding mode.
The bat demon flapped it's immense wings, causing little puffs of smoke to ignite on each joint. Hakudhoudhi looked up. It was such a garanguatan thing, yet it managed to be precise while hunting.
The bat demon spoke in a low rumbling hiss. "Do you want to die, Hanyou? I am feeding and you are approaching me."
Hakudoushi cocked his head up to see the demon's face. "I have no reason to live."
The bat demon, who would have attacked anyhow now that Hakudoushi was in range, let out a sadistic grin, showing all of its sharp fangs. He didn't need to say twice.
Swooping down, he bared his fangs and snapped Hakudouhsi's body into two, devouring it immediately. Settling down now that it's hunger had somewhat been fulfilled, a nagging thought constantly pertubed the demon. Why, he asked himself, was that hanyou so happy to die?
Twist and turn he might, but as much as he tried, he could not forget the peaceful smile on Hakudoushi's face as his body spurted blood and the life drained from him.
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Sorai cleared her throat after dinner. Everyone, now thankfully healed enough to come down for meals, looked up expectantly.
Sesshomaru slightly jerked his head, silently giving her permission to continue. "Now, that the minion business is over, I have a confession to make."
Raised eyebrows.
"I felt the need to inform you all-"
Inuyasha cut in, "You hate Sesshoamru and want to murder him?" Sorai shook her head furiously as giggles issued. (most people- who weren't dense enough NOT to notice coughinuyashacough- had noticed her crush on Sesshomaru)
"No, I wanted to-"
"Tell us that you're going to leave the castle?"
"Or that your parents are still alive?" Sango guessed.
"Decided to wear something other then yellow?" Kohaku offered.
"Enjoy torturing jaken?" Shippo voiced his idea.
"Love Jaken?" Rin asked slyly. "NOO!" she yelled back. A great deal of laughter and blushing later, Miroku asked, "Hmmmmm...have agreed to bear my children?" Sango whammed his neck with her hand formed in a karate chop position. After Sorai was done putting him in a barrier and carting him up ten feet above the table, Kouga asked, "Are going to come to our wedding?" he put his arm around kagome. She immediately subdued him, saving anyone else from having to deal with him.
"No! I just wanted to tell you-"
"-That you're a fish?"
Everyone burst into laughter at this idea. Sorai was getting annoyed. "NO! I just wanted to tell you that I had a minion once!"
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"You...had a minion?" kagome clarified. Sorai nodded.
Another silence. "So...are you sure your not a fish?" Kouga joked. The atmosphere broke.
"Sorai, if you had a minion once, it is purely your buisness. I was clear that you were revolted at the idea now, and that's all that is required." Sesshomaru told her. She sighed in releif. It was clear that she was having second thoughts about telling them all. Good.
"Did you use him?" Kohaku whispered to Sorai, his voice barely being heard above the racket his compainions were making.
Sorai jerekd her head in a nod. It had been a custom in her tribe, to have minions. And when she had actually been struck down in battle once, she had taken advantage of that fact, although she regretted even following that tradition now.
Kohaku stood up abrubtly. "Excuse me." he said stonily, keeping his eyes fixed at a point above Sorai's head. Making a full roatation, he frostily walked out of the dining hall. Rin immediately followed. "Kohaku! Wait!" she called, getting up without bothering to excuse herself. Shippo looked on at her for a moment then ran after them.
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Rin sprinted after Kohaku-only pacing fast himself- with Shippo. Although most of the adults had been quite unhelpful as to what exactly had gone on in their battle, Rin and Shippo managed to piece it together. Therefore, they knew why Kohaku was upset. Sorai had used a minion, just like his best friened was used.
Finally catching up to Kohaku, Rin and Shippo stood infront of him, denying him room to walk further. Rin opened her mouth and began, "Kohaku! Listen to me! You don't have to be like this all by yourself!"
He looked up, pain and anger clearly showing in his eyes. "Yeah! Kohaku, as your friends, we're going to cheer you up if the last thing we ever do!"
With a battle cry, Rin tackled the surprised Kohaku by the stomach, knocking him over...right onto Shippo's waiting tranformed form. Rin clambered on after him and exclaimed, "Shippo! I didn't know you could tranform into a ostrich too!"
Shippo closed his eyes. People always got his tranformations wrong. "I'm a flying bird!" he said, slightly irritatedly and flapped his wings to raise his body. Rin clapped her hands in delight. "Yay! Shippo! You can fly!" while Kohaku just looked around apprehensively.
"It's hard flying in corridors, so I'm going to take you to gardens. Then we can tickle Kohaku until he cheers up!" Rin giggled. Kohaku gulped.
The adults looked up in surprise when Shippo flew (as a bird) over their heads, with Rin laughing with glee and Kohaku with a dark scowl on his face, on his back. Not a sight they saw everyday.
Shippo swooped up and down until finally getting his flying act together and staying at one level. And not too soon either. Rin was used to flying on Ah-Un, but Kohaku was completely inexperienced, and now feeling a bit woozy.
"S-shippo...fly a bit calmer..." he wheezed, trying to get his sense of balance straight. "I'm doing the best that I can!" Shippo assured. "we're almost there anyways!"
Kohaku's vision started to blur. He closed his eyes for a bit and tigtened his grip on Shippo's neck feathers. Hearing shippo yelp with pain, without bothering to open his eyes, he let go.
He tumbled over to one side, unable to tell whether he was sitting straight or not without holding onto something. Rin screeched and grabbed his collar, causing her to fall with him...in the koi pond they were currently flying over.
Shippo looked over his shoulder. Why did he feel so weightless now? Maybe because his luggage had just fallen in a koi pond. Shippo yelped and swooped down yelling for Kohkau or Rin to grab hold of him. They did, Kohaku and Rin, from either side, but instead of him pulling them up, he was yanked down into the cool water. Spluttering, and gasping for breath, he tranformed back into his original form.
"Kohaku! Rin! Let me go!" he burbled, partially underwater. They looked surprised at the fact that he was being held underwater, but released him immediately. He emerged, glowering at the two, who preteneded to look away to hide their chuckles. Shippo smirked and splashed a fish at Rin. She screamed when she realized it was on her shoulder. Kohaku caught it and brushed it off, unfortunately on himself. Yelping as the poor fish somehow made it inside his shirt, he flailed his arms wildly as the thing flapped around, slimy and cold ( not to mention ticklish) on his skin. He fumbled with his buttons, struggling to get his shirt off. Rin helped him halfway through has she simply yanked the thing off over head. Kohaku breathed a sigh of releif as the fish went back in the pond, then turned to fume at Shippo with Rin.
Shippo gulped. He was in for it. He was attacked by Rin and Kohaku, jumping on him (despite the water being over their heads) and dragging him underwater. Rin grabbed a fish and slipped in the neck of his shirt while Kohaku held him. "AAAAIIIEEEE!" Shippo screamed as the poor fish squirmed and tried to get out.
Kohaku smirked. "Think again before throwing fish on us next time, Shippo!" Shippo grinned. "Nop!" and he splashed waves of smelly water on Kohaku. Kohkau retalited with chucking plants and weeds on Shippo's shirtless (and now simmering) form. Rin, deciding to break them up, quickly dived underwater and yanked them both down by the ankle. A second later, they all were trying (and failing) to survive laughing and tickling each other underwater. When finally they swallowed too much water, (and Shippo a tadpole) they emerged, panting for breath and dripping wet.
"Koh-aku...never...try tick...ling...me underwater...again." Rin wheezed, deseperately trying to cough the water out of her lungs. Kohaku shrugged and pointed to Shippo, who was gagging and throwing up a tiny tadpole on the grass. Rin blanched. "ugh..." She groaned, her own stomach lurching from watching Shippo.
Three minutes of disgusting hurling sounds later, Rin schreeched, "SHIPPO! STOP DOING THAT ALREADY!" and then in a smaller voice, turning away, "It's making me sick..."
Footsteps were heards by the trio as three concerned parents/gardians approached. Sesshomaru, Kagome, and Sango looked around for the course of the commotion before seeing Rin, Kohaku, and Shippo in the koi pond, Kohaku and Shippo shirtless, all of them soaking wet with traces of plants on them, and Shippo and Rin looking a little green.
Sango and Kagome burst into furious giggles at the inncent looks the children were giving them, and Sesshomaru 'tsk'ed. "Rin, if you wanted to play in the water, there were more appropraite and less ...dirty places to do so." he reprimanded her. Shippo spoke up. "Err...no! Lord Sesshomaru, I was carrying them to the gardens and they both fell off my back into pond and pulled me in too!"
"Pulled you in? You told us to!" Kohaku argued.
"I didn't think you were that heavy!" Shippo wailed back.
Sango interuppted. "That still doesn't explain why you two don't have shirts on. You could catch a serious cold!" Kohkau immediately pointed to Rin, who was pointing to Shippo, who was pointing back to Kohaku. "HE/SHE PUT A FISH IN MY SHIRT!" they all roared simulataneously.
Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow. Sango and Kagome sighed. "This is getting us no where. Come on out guys, before it gets too late...why are you so green Shippo?" Kagome asked.
"I swallowed a tadpole..." he muttered, holding his hand out for Kagome to help him up. She reached over and grabbed his hand, preparing to yank him out when Kohaku and Rin exchanged mischevious glances. Kagome, even with her mind reading ability, never had enough of a warning as they both wadded forewards, and pulled Shippo back in the water, dragging the miko along.
"Very funny you two!" Kagome huffed, trying to glower at the two instead of laugh. The tadpoles were really ticklish...
"Sango! Help me out here!" Kagome called. Sango shook her head. "You'd better not pull me in too!" Rin, Kohaku, and Shippo put on their best innocent look. "Of course not!" the three chotled.
Sango sighed and grabbde Kagome's hand. Kagome took it then began to grin devillishly. "Sango, your too naïve. You took their promises, but not mine!" with this she pulled the startled demon slayer in the koi pond with her.
"KA-GOM-E!" Sango yelled after she was done gasping for breath in the water. Kagome gulped at the scary expression on her friend's face. "Kohaku! Help! She wouldn't harm her brother!" she waved her hand wildly and swam over to hide behind Kohaku, who looked thoughly confused.
"Sesshomaru...help me out here." Sango sighed. He narrowed his eyes. "If you try to pull me in..."
"I won't!" she assured and caught his hand. Kagome grinned again and emerged. "This isn't Sango's doing!" she proclaimed and attatched herself onto Sango's back, pulling her down with all her might. Rin started pulling on her, Kohaku after that, and then Shippo, all with identical grins. Sesshomaru smirked. "I won't go down that easily." With a jerk all of them were coughing and spluttering at his feet, in the mud.
Kagome, who had landed face flat in the mud, looked up murderously. "Oh no you don't! We get muddy, you get muddy! Fluffy in the mud!"
I hate you.
Obliged.
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"I'm not even going to ask." Sorai muttered dryly. Inuyasha and Miroku (still ten feet above the dinner table) nodded as they surveyed the remaining people come from outside covered in mud, throughly wet, with plants and fish on them.
Sesshomaru shook his head. He smelled of mud and dirt, and everyone else smelled of fish. And what was worse, things like this had gone on for so long, Sorai and the others didn't even bother to notice them anymore. He could dye his hair pink and no one whould notice. Was this curse of the miko? Sure looked like it. He glanced over to Kagome, who was threatning to hug Inuyahsa in her muddy state if he didn't stop hiding his giggles behind his hand. Too late. Kagome pounced and rubbed her muddy hand in Inuyasha's face.
He screeched and pushed her over. "Sit boy."
Sesshomaru shook his head. If this group ever learned how to concentrate, he would eat his armor.
Would you really?
If you did the impossible.
Then we'll do it! Kagome cheered. Rin sneezed, holding onto Sesshomaru's tail. Sorai bent over. "Rin, you'll ctach a cold when your all wet like that. Now,-" She raised her voice, "If you all don't get changed into clean dry clothes soon, I'll start counting and have the nurses do it!"
Sesshomaru sighed. And now she was theatning them. At least it worked though, all those wet and muddy (except for sesshomaru) ran out of the room as fast as their legs could carry them. And stay in your rooms. Sesshomaru thought irritatebly.
Casting a look of what possibly could be pity, Sesshomaru let out a grunt. "Sorai, let the monk down." She smirked and let down her barrier, dropping him from that height. He landed with a thud and a 'Oof...owieowieowie..'.
"I'm in my private quarters." he told Sorai, before walking off. Once there, he took off his armor, swords and outer clothing layer, and lay down in his bed. He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to feel sleepy. It had been so long since he had been able to relax like this... everything had been smoothly with politics. And since Naraku was dead, that was no longer a problem. The only thing that haunted him was how long this peace would last. Judging by his brohter's ability to get in trouble, not long.
He shifted his pillow underneath him. He had to sleep. There was no use of staying up and not replenishing your energy when all was well. His hand slid over to the other side of his bed. (more like an elevated padded futon) at once his hand met a fluff object unlike his tail. It was cruder...and was small. It was a stuffed animal, he thought, smiling to himself. So Rinn had left it here... he grabbed the thing and tried flinging it off the bed onto a table, but decided that he was too lazy to do so and it lie halfway there, right by his chest. 'I'm bored.' he thought idilly, after a moment of trying and failing to keep his eyes shut. Weird...I haven't been bored for so long...this is getting too peaceful for his own good. Maybe he should go annoy the miko a bit...? or not. For some reason, despite being bored, he felt too lazy to go and annoy the miko then fight with her. Why she had so much energy was a mystery to him.
The next thing he knew someone was knocking on the massive ornate doors. He stood up groggily and paced over to the door, not even registering that his robe was half open from the front and sliding off one shoulder; and his hair was flowing all over the place. Oh well.
He yanked the door apart, to find Sorai standing there with a urgent look on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, (her thoughts were useless right now) but stopped abrubtly when she saw the state he was in. Blushing a furious crismon at the sight of exposed flesh, she bowed her head a little (much to Sesshomaru's amusement) and continued with her message. "Milord, it's Rin. She's fallen ill, it seems. The miko's medicine's aren't helping any, so I thought you...might want to be informed..." She dwindeled the last part, eyes flicking up. Almost immediately afterwards, she blushed another pink tinge and bowed her head more. Sesshomaru seemed to notice his condition and pulled his robe up the shoulder it falling off of. She was uncertain of what to do, he noticed. Was rin that sick? An unsettling sensation came over his stomach.
"Where is she?" Sesshomaru asked.
"In her quarters...with the nurses and everyone else..." Sorai responded, still denying herself the definate pleasure of looking up.
He was worried, and really worried at that. Was rin really this sick? For some reason he couldn't imagine the castle without her, coming home to her after every trip, constantly getting the gardens replanted to combat her flower uprooting skills...
He paced hurridly down the corridor with Sorai running behind him. It seemed like forever to him until he finally threw open the room door. Surprised eyes looked up at him. He, however, saw Rin before anything else. She was lying on the bed, tossing furiously. The taiyoukai wrinkled his nose. The room smelt of Kagome's medicine, fever, and Rin underneath it. He sat down on one of the chairs placed there, beside Kohaku and Inuyasha. "How long has she been like this?" he asked Inuyasha, despite his nose telling him it had at least been a few hours. Had he really asleep that long?
"It's been about an hour and a half and now her fever's just starting to spike." Miroku sighed. The tension in the room wasunbearably thick. Sango sat with Kohaku, trying to comfort him a little with a hand on his shoulder as he watched Rin intently for any sigh at all.
Rin...was when we were playing in the pond the reason why you're sick? The thought came to Kagome from Kohaku. He was clearly very worried, but no less then everyone else in the room. Rin was loved by all.
"She has a high fever..." one of the senior nurses muttered mostly to herself. The breath in the room seemed to stop with the sentence.
Sesshomaru called Kagome mentally.
Kagome. Do you not have anything else that will bring the fever down? Your era is far more advanced then ours. He almost pleaded. Seeing Rin like this, groaning and turning, burning with fever, made his stomach lurch and head seem dizzy.
I gave her what I had, but the fever's only been rising since then. Maybe she isn't used to the medicine of my era and it affected her worse? I can't give her anything else if she isn't used to it. She could get worse, or have an allergic reaction.
Shippo sat silently, staring at Rin's face. Did she really get sick because of the way he had dropped them in the pond? It was a bit chilly and they were playing in there for quite a lot of time...and they hadn't even changed immediately. If something happened to Rin...
The taiyoukai got up and sat on Rin's bed, no longer caring that there were others in the room. Still in his bedraggled form, he raised his feet onto the matress. He couldn't shake this feeling of burning coming from Rin;she had an intense fever. After feeling her forehead he frowned unconciuosly and brought his fingers through his daughter's hair. Rin...get well soon. Somewhere in the back of his mind something told him that tenseiga couldn't be used twice.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. "Lord Sesshomaru. I've never seen someone with as much boundless energy as Rin. Some of it will come to use here, surely." she sqeezed, with an unreadable expression on her face. Without thinking Sesshomaru tensed, then brought his hand to lightly brush hers. As if just realizing what he was doing, he removed his hand immidiately. Rin was doing stuff to his mind surely...
With a nod to Sorai to let her knew that he understood, Sesshomaru leaned back on the bedpost, preparing to stay there until Rin was well enough to be uprooting flowers again.