Hey readers! Thank you for reading and reviewing. Also, thank you for favourite-ing and following this story. I'm sorry. I know I promised to update by Valentine's Day and it's nearly been 2 months now, but honestly, my life has been very busy. I can't seem to decide which career path to follow which is a very big issue since my time is very limited. Anyway, I wanted to compensate in some way, so, instead of writing the average 2000+ words per chapter, for this one I wrote 5000+ words. So nearly more than 2 chapters' worth content is present in this chapter! Hope you can forgive my tardiness and enjoy it. Most importantly, thank you for remembering about this fiction!
DISCLAIMER : I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. I only own the plot and its ideas which came out from my honest imagination.
CHAPTER 6 : The night at the castle.
Everyone was busy admiring the view of the palace. Even though I feigned nonchalance, I couldn't stop the swelling pride in the pit of my stomach from growing. Even though my father was the one who built it, I was the one who modified the finer aspects of the castle as well as its surroundings. Leading the path into the castle I let everyone follow me. I don't know the path into the secret passage that Totosai was talking about, so he can take over whenever he deems fit.
THUD!
I stopped when I heard the sound. It sounded as if someone fell down. I turned around wondering who could've been so clumsy to fall even on this plane land, only to find that strange human girl lying flat on the ground. 'Of-course it has to be her.' After the miko ran to her I turned around to get into the castle.
THUD!
Only to be stopped again. I looked around to find her lying flat on the ground again. I ignored the laughter and walked ahead. 'That girl is too clumsy for her own good. I probably must send the maids to treat her wounds now. How careless can one be? ' After instructing the maids I turn around to see her being carried by Inuyasha. She probably must have sprained her ankle too. After entering the palace, the maids appeared before me. Just as soon as they left to do their task Akatsuki came. He was discussing the issues of the land with the humans at the border and also about the clash of certain demon clans within my territory and its effects on the citizens of that village. I had almost finished telling him about the instructions he had to follow when a loud voice made me pause. It was Inuyasha.
"How many times should I tell you it's DOG-EARS, Stupid girl?! I'm wrong. You really have no brains in there after all!" He was arguing with that human girl again. Despite the pleading of that maid, these two didn't stop. I was beginning to get annoyed when a certain reply from her amused me instead.
"No brain? How dare you?! I'm much, MUCH more clever than you can EVER be, Mr. Red Robes!" It seems that this argument caught the attention of everyone beside me. Inuyasha was looking around, probably not understanding the sudden silence. 'Red robes? Now that I think about it...'
"What is it? Why are you all so-" Inuyasha began.
"Now that I actually think about, Inuyasha, I never realized you had such a poor taste in clothes. Honestly, even after all this time I spent with you, it took me Rin's words to open my eyes! Inuyasha, even your ice-hearted brother has a better color sense than you!" The monk cut him off.
"Wha-AAT?!" Inuyasha yelled, his eyes looking as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. Everyone was in a fit of giggles by now. I decided it was time to intervene now.
"That is quite enough now, Inuyasha. And you, human girl, are you wounds all tended to?" I asked her. She looked at me and seemed to be flustered all of a sudden.
"Umm...yeah...sort of. I mean, I, uh, well...only my-"She began. I couldn't keep my patience any longer.
"I have asked you a simple question. Are ALL your wounds tended to?" I cut her off.
"No." She said looking down. I turn to look at the maid now.
"Quickly finish tending to it." I told the maid.
"Y-Yes my Lord!" They replied in unison and turned around to face that girl.
"Miss, can you please-" The maid began. I turned to walk back.
"No." She replied. I stopped and turned again. She was really starting to seem very troublesome.
"What do you mean 'no'?" I questioned her.
"I meant there is no need to further treat my wounds. I'm fine!" She replied looking at me.
"Stop being such a burdensome brat. Because of your stupid clumsiness and stubbornness you are already making everyone here wait for you. Get it treated already." I told her on the verge of losing my last remains of patience.
"If you think I'm such a 'burdensome brat', then why don't you leave me behind already?! I never asked to be here!" She argued back.
"You certainly never asked, but did you not agree to come along and find the truth yourself? If you understand, then hurry up and get it over with already!" I snapped at her. At this her eyes widened a bit before she looked down as if in thought. I decided to leave her now; I still had a few more tasks to do before heading for this hidden passageway.
I walked back to Akastuki and looked through the remaining works. Everyone seemed to have decided to continue their sight-seeing except for the miko who went over to the human girl. It seems that Totosai is nowhere in sight. Therefore I assumed that he wanted to look for things and check before we all headed out.
"Ahh..! Ow..oww..." I heard that human girl scream in agony. I quickly rushed over in surprise. She was clutching her ankle in pain. The miko comforting her while the maid continued to quickly finish bandaging her wounds. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen either.
"Miss, it's all done now. Please don't move around too much and get some rest. It should get better within a day or so. Thank you." The maid said. When she noticed my presence, she bowed and then left along with the others. I looked at this human, who was still clutching her ankle with her eyes tightly shut.
"Hey Rin. You heard her right? It's over now. Maybe you should rest." The miko spoke.
"No. I'm really fine now. Let's get moving. I don't want to—Oh!" She abruptly stopped upon sensing my presence. "I got it treated, just like you asked me to." She spoke softly while looking at me and then turned her head away. I was surprised she told that to me. Wasn't it more beneficial to her than me? 'There is no point in pursuing that passageway now. And she seems very tired too...guess I have no choice now.'
"Very well. It is nearly going to be dawn now. I seemed to have forgotten that humans need to have rest atleast once a day. I will have the rooms prepared, you may all rest here for the night. Tell your other companions about this." I told them and left before there was any room for an argument. Totosai appeared at the base of the staircase at the end of the hall.
"Sesshomaru-sama. About the hidden passage, I-" He began before I cut him mid-way.
"We shall discuss about it further tomorrow. I shall have a room prepared for you here tonight, if you wish for it." I said.
"Y-your retiring for the night?" He questioned, wide-eyed.
"I have no need for such a thing. But the humans require it. Since their presence is indispensable, it is wiser to pursue about this matter tomorrow morning." I replied.
"Y-yes. Indeed. Then, I shall be here tomorrow morning after the sun rises. Good night." Saying this, he left to retrieve his bull and leave. I instructed the maids and left for my chamber. 'Tomorrow...I will finally find out the truth.'
The perverted monk's comment made me giggle! Especially Inuyasha's reaction to it! That was when Sesshomaru decided to intervene. He then questioned me. I didn't know how to explain to him my issues with my ankle.
"Stop being such a burdensome brat. Because of your stupid clumsiness and stubbornness you are already making everyone here wait for you. Get it treated already." I was stunned to hear such harsh words from him. It made me angry, to say the least. But, I somehow felt sad too. So, I retaliated with the only trump card I had, or so I thought. Only to realize it was no longer in my hands!
"You certainly never asked, but did you not agree to come along and find the truth yourself? If you understand, then hurry up and get it over with already!" He had a very good point. I realized that I still hadn't made a clear decision about things. I was simply going along with the flow of things thinking everything would somehow sort themselves out. I realized how much of a brat in every sense I must've been. I couldn't look at him anymore. Then he left me. Inuyasha then asked me in very uncharacteristically soft voice for him.
"Rin...trust me, it won't hurt as much as you think it does. You can hold my hand if it helps you." I was shocked. We were just fighting before this; I didn't expect anything from him. I somehow felt as if I was cared for...it made me happy.
"Thank you...Inuyasha." I look up at him and give a slight nod of my head.
"Ok then! Oi, treat her sprain. Make sure you do it quickly without much pain."
"Yes sir." The maid replied.
She came closer and held down my leg. She didn't have any bandages in her hand, so I knew that she would have to re-twist it back in place. I turned my head away and closed my eyes. 'The faster, the better.' I felt a warm yet tender hand envelope me, I snap opened my eyes. I was expecting Inuyasha's hand to be a bit more bigger and firmer. Only to turn out it was Kagome's instead. 'When did she arrive here? I didn't notice-'
"Ahh..! Ow..oww..." I screamed while squeezing Kagome's hand.
"There it's all done now Rin. Try moving your ankle a bit now..." Kagome spoke and I did as I was told. "Yeah. Perfect. It feels better now, doesn't it? That little pain was worth it, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. I guess." I said, my eyes still shut, but now clutching my ankle instead. The maid was speaking but I couldn't pay much attention to it.
"Hey Rin. You heard her right? It's over now. Maybe you should rest." Kagome finally spoke. 'No. I don't want to be a burden anymore...'
"No. I'm really fine now. Let's get moving. I don't want to—Oh!" I squeaked a little when I saw Sesshomaru appear out of nowhere, literally! I felt I had the strong need to say something to him, only I myself didn't know what. "I got it treated, just like you asked me to." I don't know why I decided to say that either. But, I was glad I spoke something. He told something about preparing the rooms and left almost as immediately as he had arrived. 'Nearing dawn he said. And I was heading home when it was late evening; I arrived here also when it felt the same time. I was out for the entire night at the hut cause when I woke up, it was morning. After our discussions and everything, by the time we set out, it was evening again. Now, it must be night-time, I guess...WAIT. That means I've been here for almost more than a day! I missed school..! No, that should not be my biggest concern. I can manage it. What about mama-san?! Will she think I ran away..?! NO..! '
"Hey Rin! Earth to Rin." It was Inuyasha.
"Oh. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What is it?" I asked him.
"Grr..GRRR..Grrr.." Both of us looked down at my stomach. 'Not again. But, now that I think about it, I haven't had anything since today's mornings' soup.'
"Pfft. Seems like I got my answer. I actually was asking if you wanted to have dinner before you go to rest."
"Yeah, it seems dinner will be very much appreciated by my stomach." I said.
"Pfft...yeah. I can HEAR that." And we both burst laughing.
"Grr..grr.." We both stopped laughing together.
"Seems like I need to hurry up before you start creating mini thunders!"
"Hey! It's not my fault! I haven't had anything since mornings' soup!"
"Ok. Ok. Can you walk? Or should I carry you?" I tried getting up with Inuyasha's support. But it was still aching a bit.
"INUYASHA! Don't make her walk! She still hasn't completely healed!" Kagome yelled from the other side of the hall. Seems like she had left to inform others about us staying here for the night.
"Ok. Geez..." Inuyasha muttered. He again bent down to pick me up piggy back style and we headed to our assigned rooms in direction the maids were leading us. Even despite the hunger and tiredness, I still couldn't forget about the magnificence of this palace. The stairs beautifully curved around leading us to the next floor. The walls were decorated with beautiful paintings of sceneries and pretty white dogs of enormous size floating on the clouds and such. No doubt that all of them were expensive. Even the oak door had some minor designs at the border. Upon opening the door, my jaw dropped. The place was huge! The bed was a large king size bed with lovely blue curtains giving privacy to its residents. The empty space had a plush deep brown carpet. There was a table and few comfy looking chairs at the side. There was a pair of glass doors, probably leading to the balcony. As much as I wanted to explore it, I was in no disposition to do it. As we got closer to the bed, I smelt something delicious in the air. I then observed the dishes set out before me on the table. It had soup and some little baked snacks. There was a cup of hot tea, too. 'Ahh...I can't hold back anymore. Even the smell is enough to make my mouth watering!' I was put on the chair near the table.
"Thanks Inuyasha. Where are the others?" I asked him. He was quiet this entire time, another uncharacteristic trait for him.
"Everyone has been provided a separate room." He replied.
"So, what happened? Do you not like this arrangement?" I asked him.
"No. Nothing like that."
"Pardon me miss, if there is anything to your disliking and anything else you would prefer, please let us know and we shall have it changed immediately." A maid spoke.
"Oh! There is no need for such a thing. I'm more than satisfied with this. Thank you."
"Our pleasure, miss. Good night." Saying this she left us.
"So, Inuyasha, what is it? You seem a bit down..." I started.
"Oh. Do I? Maybe I'm just tired is all." He said.
"So, are you going to have dinner here too?" I asked.
"Me? No. Mine is waiting in my room."
"Then you should hurry up before it gets too cold. And it smells so delicious; it wouldn't be fair to make you keep waiting."
"Ha ha. Don't worry. I'm not so hungry..." He trailed off, looking away. "Listen Rin...this just for a precaution, but if you feel afraid or you can't sleep or if anything happens for that matter-"He started and then turned to look towards me, "-don't silently decide to jump off the balcony or do stupid things like that! Call me, I can hear you. Got it?" He continued. My eyes widened in response. Was this what was bothering him? He really seems so callous on the outside that I didn't expect him to have this tender side to him at all!
"Don't worry. I won't do anything of the sort. My injured leg isn't of great help to me either! So-"
"RIN!"
"Ok. Ok. I was just kidding. Since you told me you can hear me, I will definitely call out to you if I'm troubled, alright?" I said, a small smile trying to play across my lips.
"Good. If you can't sleep, I can call Kagome, she won't mind, you know."
"Pfft. There is no need Inuyasha. I'm fine. You should get some rest now. Good night." He seemed a little hesitant, but he did got up to leave.
"Night." He said and left, closing the door behind him. Discovering this side to him was a surprise to me. A pleasant one.
Without further delay I took the soup and the baked bread and other goodies and filled them into my mouth. After finishing them all I gulped down the tea. 'Aww...so delicious...that was best I had in weeks!' I carefully limped my way to the bed and lied down. Strangely though, as much tired as I am, the moment I hit the bed, instead of falling asleep like a log, I started thinking about all the strange things that has been happening to me. 'First I show up here in this world that wasn't supposed to exist, only to have a run down by that centipede woman who showed me that my human physiology is different from HUMANS! Then I meet the most handsome guy this world could have ever made when he saved me from becoming human fodder to that centipede woman. After waking up from my unconsciousness I was almost unintentionally mislead to believing that all of them were witches part of a secret coven. After discovering some truths and answers I was shipped off on a two-headed dragon to this amazing castle where the Lord who saved me is supposed to reside at. After having an unexpected talk from Sesshomaru I discovered another side to Inuyasha. But...why did only THAT well lead down to this mythical place? Why did MY body only contain the pearl? Can't it be someone else? Then, can I produce more pearls if I'm slashed over again? Uhh...I don't want that! Even if that makes me rich...Also, is mama-san worried about me? Does she know about this well and its mysteries? UGH. So many questions, yet I have so little answers, it's frustrating! But what I do know is that DEMONS EXIST. And that's a finality. And they also have enhanced powers like hearing and smell. Oh! And they also move faster and are stronger than average humans. And it seems like priestesses and monks are not just old people with problems against ethics of the modern world but also teenage kids with no such concern whatsoever. If anything, they also seem to have some sort of inhuman powers. Groups such as demon slayers also exist. They too probably have some sort of powers since they need to slay demons. But what is most surprising is the fact that...not all demons are bad. Not all of them are heartless monsters. Well...for now, after they find out about the pearl, what should I do? It seems to be very important to them; maybe I should just leave it with them and go back... GOING BACK, huh? Strangely enough, it doesn't make me feel the urge to run back as much as it did in the beginning. What do I do? Can I come back after I leave? Will they welcome me..? ' And before I knew it, I fell asleep, just like a log.
Next morning I woke up to the voices of someone calling my name. I was slowly trying to push back my eyelids. Meanwhile I heard two people talking next to me.
"Rin! Hey Rin! Wake up!" It was Sango.
"Should we let her sleep some more?" Kagome asked.
"But we already did! Besides, I don't know how much more patient can Sesshomaru be. It is a wonder he even let us get some rest last night instead of simply proceeding threatening to leave us behind if we didn't go."
"It just goes to show he is not who we make him out to be. Even Inuyasha was the same way in the beginning and you can't disagree about that."
"Yeah maybe. Just that...I still find it hard to believe. Sesshomaru is different from Inuyasha after all." I decided it was time to let them know I was awake.
"Hey...Guys, good morning." I said groggily.
"Oh Rin. Good morning. You finally woke up! We were wondering what to do in case you didn't wake up this time." Sango told me.
"Good morning Rin." Kagome said.
"What do you mean 'this time'? Was I out for a long?" I asked.
"It's almost lunch time now! Besides, we already tried waking you up once before. But you were like a log! You wouldn't even budge!" Sango began.
"Oh..sorry about that. I'm usually a light sleeper, actually." I pushed the blankets back and swing my legs down. That was when I realized.
"Hey...I didn't put these blankets on last night." I said.
"Oh that...Inuyasha and I came in later in the night to check on you again. You seemed to be shivering so he held you while I took the blankets from under you and put them on. We were afraid we might have disturbed you." Kagome spoke.
"No. I didn't even realize it till now. So, what do we do now?" I asked.
"Well...there is a bath prepared for you. I thought you might want to use it. But about your clothes..." Kagome trailed off.
"My clothes? Oh, I see what you mean. I don't have a change of clothes." I said, dejected. I could really use a bath now.
"No...that is not the problem. But you will have to adjust with this traditional clothes. Is that fine with you?" Kagome said.
"Sure! I don't mind! Thank you!" I said, excited to be finally taking a bath again after nearly two days.
"Fine then. The bath is in that room over there. Meanwhile, I'll prepare some clothes for you and leave it on the bed." Kagome said.
"Rin, how is your leg feeling now? If you have trouble moving around, I can help you. After all, even your shoulder is injured." Sango said to me.
"Well...I think I can manage on my own. Besides, I can already move my feet like normal. My shoulder doesn't seem so stiff anymore. Actually-" I stopped, moving my arms in circular motion. "—I don't even feel the pain anymore! Do injuries heal so fast in this place or is my body abnormal?"
Both of them started giggling again.
"Neither of them. The medicine we used is just that effective." Kagome said, smiling.
"Ok then, you better hurry up. I will wait for you here." Sango spoke up.
"Huh? Here? Why?"
"In case you can use some help. Also, I'm not sure if you can wear a kimono all by yourself. Besides, you still need me to lead the way to the dining below. I guess that's about it. Anything else?" Sango asked, smiling too.
"No. Then I shall gladly accept your help."
"Well, I'm heading down to see how things are. I'll be waiting for you guys down!" Saying this Kagome left us. I left Sango and headed towards the bathroom. I opened the door only to have my jaw dropped again. The floor was decorated with beautiful cream colored tiles. Even these tiles were not free of beautiful designs present on them. In the center was a large white colored bath tub filled to the brim with water and the foam of bubbles floating on top. Beside it was a small table having the soap and the liquid for shampoo I guess. On the side there was a towel pinned to the wall. Above all, to the left most corner was a mirror embedded into the wall. Even this mirror had small intricate designs etched onto its boundaries. This place was basically the epitome of luxury! I step in and gently close the door behind me. After entering the bath tub I could instantly feel its de-stressing effects. It was amazing. I literally had to will myself out of this tub of bliss! I had to constantly keep reminding myself that Sango and the others were waiting for me. After finally coming out I wrapped the towel around my body and stepped out.
"Oh Rin. Your clothes were taken by the maids to do the laundry. You can take them back later. Now come on, let me get you ready."
"Thanks, Sango-san. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long."
"Oh no, not at all. If anything I was actually quite surprised that you decided to come out so early. I was expecting you to take more time." 'Damn...I should have stayed a little bit more longer after all! Well, no point regretting now.' After I put on this kimono, Sango tied the sash around me. It was a beautiful pink kimono with some red cherry blossom designs on its border and on the sleeves. It had a dark sea blue colored sash to go along with it. Even the material was so soft...Ah! I'm beginning to feel like a rich women now! Sango helped me tie my hair into a small braid and clipped to the side, letting all the rest of it fall down my back. After we were done, she led me down the stairs to the dining below. It was massive. It had another pretty chandelier on top. The long table could easily hold around thirty people. The maids and butlers kept coming and going in through the two doors at the side, quietly placing the dishes on the table. Again I was drawn by the rich aroma of the dishes placed in front of me. I wanted to dig in, but everyone didn't arrive yet, and it would be impolite to start ahead. So I decided to observe my surroundings. I was sitting at the side of the head position. On the other side sat the old sword smith. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were nowhere to be seen. The perverted monk sat beside him. Kagome and Sango were seated beside me. Next to them was that little fox kid named Shippou, I guess, and that cute two tailed demon cat. All of us seemed to be silently observing, taking in the beauty of this place we were in. No one seemed to be even whispering. Later Inuyasha walked in.
"Hey Rin! Did you get some good rest last night? How are you feeling?" Inuyasha asked, destroying this silence.
"Good morning Inuyasha. Thanks to the blankets, I was able to sleep like a log. I'm fine now!" I said, slightly smiling.
"Uh...it's nothing..."He flustered a bit and decided to take his seat beside the perverted monk. I guess he didn't really expect me to notice that. 'Pfft...he's surprisingly kid-ish.'
"You look cute in that kimono Rin. It suits you!" Kagome suddenly spoke.
"Um..Well...I don't know about that, but, thanks." I said.
"You DO look pretty, you should be more confident in yourself." Sango said.
"Ahh...well...I guess so..." I trailed off. But then I seemed to have completely forgotten to ask from where I got these clothes.
"Kagome, is this yours?" I asked Kagome, pointing towards my clothes.
"Oh no! I don't really have something so fancy. Also, the only clothes I can dress up in most of the time are these priestess' clothes. Besides, I didn't expect this night stay here either. So, I didn't bring any extra pair of clothes for anyone else expect for me." She answered.
"Then...from where did you get these?" I questioned her, confused.
"Those? Well..." Kagome began. 'Wait. Don't tell me...', "Sesshomaru had asked the maid to prepare them for you when he found out that you didn't have a change of clothes. I must say, he sure does have a fine taste, considering the fact that they are women's clothes." Kagome added, slightly nodding her head while holding her chin. I couldn't stop myself from looking at my clothes again, thoroughly surprised. Even though I already saw them, somehow, now I felt different. 'It really is so beautiful...' Everyone seemed to be chattering away. And again, all of them dropped into dead silence. I looked up only to see Sesshomaru entering with that small demon tagging along behind him. That was when I suddenly became aware of the fact that he would be sitting next to me since he was the Lord of this castle. So, of-course his position would be at the head of the table. I suddenly felt nervous and uneasy. What if he didn't like the way I eat? What if he found my dining manners inappropriate? It would be so embarrassing to be told off about it. And just like that, my heart beat sped up to a mile per hour. Inuyasha looked up, a questioning look on his face. It then striked me that he could probably be able to hear my racing heart. 'So then...Sesshomaru could probably hear it much more clearly. And he's sitting next to me! AHH!' Instead trying to calm down, it started beating even more furiously than before! I glanced a peep at Sesshomaru after he sat down. He seemed to be looking at me too! 'Wait. I'm not afraid of him or anything. I'm just nervous about my dining manners in front of royalty. But, what if they misunderstand that?! No one likes to be treated like a monster..! ARGH! '
"W-Wait. Before you start..." I began, raising my hand. "My...My, uh,..." I began to stutter, my heart beating more frantically now. 'Just do it already! You can't run away, now that I already began to speak...' Everyone became still, silently looking at me. So I closed my eyes and clenched my fists. "My heart is beating so f-fast because I'm a-afraid I might not have proper dining manners. So, PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND." I broke out. Everything was painfully quiet. So I slowly opened my eyes and glanced around nervously, my heart still not slowing down, only to have all the pairs of eyes in this hall focused solely on me. 'Good job Rin. I don't think you could have self-mortified yourself even more wonderfully than this!'
AUTHOR'S NOTE : Hey guys. Like I said before, I don't have much time with me till I finish clearing my entrance exams. So, don't expect much till the month of May! (That's when my exam will be conducted.) So, I intended this chapter to be a compensation for all of that. Anyway, I hope you liked it enough to leave a review! It really does encourage me to continue!
TO MY REVIEWERS :
M : It's feels so good to hear from you again! And I'm really so sorry to have kept you waiting for so long! You don't know how happy it makes me to read those simple words you wrote...thank you so much! I shall try my best in updating soon. Thanks for reviewing! Good day.
-L.M.C. ^^