A/N: A little while ago, one reviewer had asked what Kichiruka's voice sounded like. My response was "something along the lines of Adam Young from Owl City." The past two chapters' titles are owed to the cutesy lines from one of Young's songs found here: youtube. com/ watch?v=RNF4Xzt0cjg
Who Needs Anenomes?
Since Kagome had mentioned it, Inuyasha was starting to tune in to how often his brother's brat slipped off on her own. His first impulse was to follow. What if she got hurt? But Rin always came back from wherever she disappeared – it's prob'ly not that far – and she returned happier, too, so…Aw, hell, let the girl go.
And if she had a beau?
Well, that's Sesshomaru's problem. Damn, the kid's old enough.
Since Rin started living with them, the little village that had the Shikon Jewel and Priestess Kikyo as its claim to fame now became notable for the visits of a particular daiyokai…and for still being in existence after each visit. News that the reason for the great demon's stops was a mortal girl spread faster than a plague, finding its way into homes of the daimyo and destitute alike. Though the former had a good leg up on their poorer counterparts. Some of the anxious ones wasted no time sending couriers carrying proposals - they got the message after the second ones never returned. The slightly smarter ones bided their time like dogs eyeballing a scrap of meat, waiting for a second's breech in vigilance from its sentinel. But between his teeth and talons, Sesshomaru had become pretty well practiced in weeding out anyone falling short of his mile-high expectations.
So, if every lord in the vicinity was privy to the setup, then there sure as hell wasn't a boy in town who didn't know to whom Rin belonged, plenty of would-be buds were clipped before they even had the chance to bloom. Except for Destiny Boy, of course.Who didn't even think twice about claiming his reservation. Everyone but Kohaku had been rooting for Kohaku.
Inuyasha snorted at the hype. That idiot's getting as bad as our old man. At least Dad waited 'til he was dead and gone to start controlling our lives.
Leaning back on the roof, Inuyasha closed his eyes for a bit - he wasn't unconcerned, but at least unworried.
No doubt it's a decent guy – if not a Kohaku clone.
If Rin liked this whomever enough, she'd clue Sesshomaru in sooner or later.
oOo
Sesshomaru slowed his paces to a leisured gait. Jaken pattered close, but this time didn't miss his cue to stop when the dog-demon came to a standstill.
He's coming.
A pungent human scent thickening the air, the daiyokai recognized the odor only a second after detecting the steady tarrump of horse hooves.
The man, clad in ratty servant's livery, ground tied his mount and strode to stop ten paces short of Sesshomaru. Clutching his sweat-stained scroll to his chest, the messenger dared not pant under his breath. The demon fixed him with a glare, the same as when he had last promised to kill him on sight next time. His lord had remarked that Sesshomaru was very good about keeping his word where death threats were concerned.
The fact that "destruction" itself was in the daiyokai's name came as no comfort.
There was an idle examination of claws before the demon in question spoke. "You again, serf?"
"Lord Sesshomaru, I am the first vassal of Matsuka of the –"
"M'lord was dictating for your return message, not addressing you, worm," Jaken returned tartly in his master's stead.
"E-excuse me?" the flustered human spluttered.
"Matsuka's holding are in my domain, so as he is a part of my land he is mine. A serf," Sesshomaru explained in a tone reserved for markedly slow children. He didn't like this man's smell, but he had always been less pushy - civil even - in terms of discussing business. He was a "first servant." But as matters stood, Sesshomaru did not want to regret choosing to spare this vassal's life.
"Ah, my apologies for the misinterpretation, Lord Sesshomaru." The courier bowed low. Briefly he considered extending the rolled up message, but thought better of it. Instead, he stared at the scroll as if unsure what to do with it now.
"Leave me if you wish to live." With the flat of his hand, Sesshomaru made a slicing motion through air. The message was over.
"Same for you," Jaken yipped at the vassal.
Looking to his horse, which had courageously stood its ground where its owner had left it, Matsuka's servant turned to go. After two steps, he paused. Speaking softly, he inquired in his most polite speech, "Surely there could be only advantageous for a noble demon to leave his charge in the care of one of the best families of our day and age?"
Sesshomaru frowned. Matsuka was a forceful, impatient man. If he won any battles it was because he was too pigheaded to accept defeat. But he decided he didn't want the messenger losing his over relaying that. "At the moment, she does not wish to marry," he said simply.
"She tells you what to do?" The servant lacked the grace to hide his astonishment.
"She tells herself," Sesshomaru corrected. "And if Matsuka cannot comprehend that then he is too foolish a man for me to permit a marriage."
Pivoting on heel, the daiyokai left behind the stunned vassal, trusting he was intelligent enough to devise a suitable phrasing that would save his neck from another go. Or at least Matsuka's.
As they neared Rin's village, Jaken's mind began to buzz with replays of the last practice bout between his liege and their charge. It was more of a test than a mere tussel,he recalled. The little demon also remembered Rin's hesitancy. "Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken piped from his station at his master's side. There was no rebuke, so the imp continued, "Have you ever considered that…ah, you may not be the best initial target for Rin?"
Sesshomaru gave his retainer a droll look, eyes flashing. "How's that now?"
Jaken's tiny claws curled around the Staff of Skulls, groping for support. "Well, y-you are someone she, and I, have great admiration for. And Rin is human and a female, so you, er, we, must give consideration that she is prey to her pathos…through no fault of her own, of course!"
"Are you suggesting that Rin's attachment to me has made her weak?"
"No, no, no, no, no!" Jaken backpedalled, his brain scrambling for an answer. "Not at all!"
For a span of frantic heartbeats - from Jaken anyway - Sesshomaru didn't speak. Then, crossing his arms into his sleeves, he mumbled, "I do."
He's worried? That's why he's making her fight him? Jaken plunked into the the grass, befuddled. He knew Lord Sesshomaru to be harsh with his foes and occasionally considerate where Rin was concerned, but being cruel to be kind...it was odd.
Two pairs of mismatched golden eyes spotted Rin approaching on the glade's horizon. Her brows set determinedly over a bright, clear gaze, a confident smile lifted her chin.
When she was closer, Rin stopped and curtly bowed a quarter of the ways. When Sesshomaru inclined his head it was to return the greeting. He had just enough time to see her reach for the sword.
"Back," he said abruptly, and it took Jaken a second too long to realize the command was meant for him.
There was a resounding crash of steel, and Sesshomaru frowned at himself for not completely gettingTenseiga out as Rin caught him in the crossdraw. He gave ground in accordance with her forceful shove. Agressive, good. Rin swung higher and the dog-demon had to tap into his yoki to avoid the strike.
"Point," he conceded.
Rin remained grim-faced and on target. She circled for an open, swung, then retreated. There would be no cringing today.
In the midst of the skirmish, Sesshomaru lazily imagined setting this little whirlwind on the pushy lord from earlier in that morning. He smiled, and struck.
Rin staggered backward, wishing her opponent would mind his strength even though she knew this was part of "the test." Her grip clenched tightly around the hilt. Show me what you can do!
Suddenly, a rush of power stormed the clearing. His clothes ruffled by the charge, the demon before her stopped moving altogether. Rin paused for a moment. The sensation was very confusing. On one hand, there stood Sesshomaru right in front of her, alive and imposing as ever; but on the other, she felt his presence just over her shoulder. And there's a difference.
Curling from the handguard, green smoke snaked up the length of the blade. In whispy tendrils the smoke billowed until it assumed the form of a canine head. Pale green and menacing, smoke swirled where ropes of drool would have swung. Its maw gaping to show off serrated fangs, the phantom dog lunged.
Very impressive. Stretching out his palm, Sesshomaru fanned, long claw-tipped fingers before the poison beast. Before it could even touch him, the monster's muzzle thinned and twisted, the rest of its body swirling into a vortex as it was quickly reabsorbed into Sesshomaru's hand. He closed a fist around the last puff of yoki.
Well, that didn't exactly work.Standing on tiptoe, Rin prepared to strike.
Without warning, Sesshomaru sheathed his blade. "Evaluation complete," he said mechanically.
It's over? Just like that? Rin blinked, feeling her mouth droop and her adrenaline crash. Talk about anticlimatic.
Jaken looked back and forth between the two, trying to figure out what he'd missed. Lord Sesshomaru just stood there with an odd half-smile that asked, "Now that wasn't so terrible, was it?"
The little mortal girl pulled a face, then brightly smiled in return.
He glanced down to acknowledge her for a second before looking away. "We'll have to start thinking of names." Sesshomaru kept the statement perfectly bland, but the pride was plain upon his face. His claws danced along Tenseiga's hilt.
Good enough to guard myself now?Rin looked up at her protect from over the years who'd revived her with a swish of his own sword and now gifted her with a blade of her own.
Discreetly, he smiled back.
oOo
"Kichiruka! Kichiruka!"
Sitting at the brook the next morning, she patted the water, checking to see if her friend was around. "I-I think I passed!" With everyone back home too busy with Miroku's family to really notice anything else, Rin's excitement bubbled over even after sprinting to her little hideaway.
"Come on, are you there? I can smell the salt."
Suddenly, a set of three silver spikes sprouted from the water. "Right here!" Kichiruka's called from somewhere underneath. "Congratulations!" His hands popped up and made the thumbs-up sign - Rin assumed it was a positive gesture - while the rest of him remained submerged.
"Thanks!" She smiled, then asked, "Why don't you come out, Kichiruka? Aren't we
"Umm...yeah...gimme a sec." A wall of water shot up like a screen and, when it settled, the yokai stood with half his face hidden by his long, silver bangs. "Ready."
Rin smirked. "What's up? Got a sudden interest in Kabuki theater?" Faster than he could react, the girl reached over and combed away his bangs. Kichiruka hissed in pain and Rin's eyes widened in shock. "What happened to your face?" She studied the burn marks that marred the right side, completing soldering one eye shut, and the singed spots on his cheek. The raw flesh quivered as if still reliving the burn. When Rin reached out to offer comfort he jerked back, but not from anticipation of pain. His good eye dilating, Rin recognized fear.
"Ran into some hard luck." Kichiruka shrugged. "Maybe old karma, I dunno. It'll be better soon. I already got the miko's arrow out."
Arrow?
"C'mon, what're we doing today?" He climbed out of the water, wincing under his breath. It was a little too obvious how he favored his right arm.
The burn marks were distracting enough, but Rin didn't miss how the demon's movements slowed or the scar that crept up from his collar and near his neck. There's probably a gash on his chest, too. Keeping her comments to herself, Rin still wondered if he had wasted his magic repairing his clothes to look presentable in place of healing himself. He did show up today like he said he would.
But though she accommodated the lesson for Kichiruka, he seemed to appreciate that she wasn't making a fuss over him. Still, I can feel him struggling. Rin directed their stroll back to the brook. "It's a bit of a lazy day, don't you think?"
Kichiruka smiled. "Yeah," he agreed and took the opportunity to sink gratefully back into his waters. Tucking himself in the current up to his chin, Kichiruka didn't want to go back to the ocean just yet. Master Tensai would maim him further once he saw the marks of his student's stupidity. Then he'll forbid me from poking around here again.
Since he didn't seem in any rush to get going, Rin swished her hand through the brook and idly asked, "So what else can you do with water?"
Kichiruka visibly perked up at a topic of his expertise. "Lots!"
Picking up the icicle, he ran a claw over it until, in a puff of shards, it took the shape of a handheld sculpture.
"A crane!" Rin cried, delightedly clapping her hands together.
"Mmm," Kichiruka hummed, handing it over for inspection. "Much easier than folding paper."
"Ever make a thousand?" She turned the crane over as it started melting and the features became misshapen.
"For what? A wish? Naaah!" He laughed, then said quietly, as if to himself, "I got mine in less than three hundred." His time with Rin was comfortable and open, she certainly wasn't afraid of him. Then, like a bolt from the blue, Kichiruka asked, "Are humans usually afraid of yokai for no reason?"
Rin paused, her mind already drudging up the usual explanations for fearing demons: deception, death, theft. But it also boiled down to assumption. There were demons like Lord Sesshomaru...Well, then again, he kinda runs into the second category. Okay, there were demons like Shippo and Kilala. And Kichiruka. People could fear them for no reason. "…Yes," she answered.
"Oh." Kichiruka fell quiet for a spell, drifting off to whatever blank corner of his mind he entered. When he did speak again it was in a soft voice, like a little boy who realized just how far away the stars really were. "I never thought humans could be afraid of nothing."
"Sometimes," Rin said with a shake of her head, "people imagine their own danger and lash out at that illusion."
The water demon considered this. "Then thank you for helping me as you did back when. That was very brave."
"Hey, Kichiruka, why don't you come back to the village with me? There's a…" She stopped short of saying "miko." "My friend Kagome can help you. She's a healer of sorts."
"You mean your priestess friend." He didn't quite say it accusingly, but he could put two and two together. "Thanks, but I'll pass."
"Why not?" Rin asked, already knowing.
Kichiruka's voice still drifted over the current after he disappeared. "Because they don't know me…and I'm afraid of them."
.
A/N: Kichiruka's little run-in with people reminded me of manitees, whales, seals, and dolphins often have.