Walk me through the Valley
Disclaimer: Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Confrontation
Notes: I don't particularly like directly recreating scenes from the source material, because this being fanfiction I figure you're all familiar with the original which does it better than I could anyway. But with AnE where this arc is only in manga, I feel like I need to do a little more than reference Mamushi and Juuzo's confrontation (which hasn't been changed by this AU) because it leads into Bon's confrontation with his father which goes distinctly AU about halfway through. The recreated scenes where I'm lifting dialogue directly from the manga comes from Vol. 6, chapters 21 and 22.
The morning after the Tokyo contingent arrived Suguro Torako watched her primary assistant fail to meet her eyes with a sinking feeling. The Ryokan was full to the bursting point with the Tokyo Exorcists and those injured in the previous week's attack. Ryuji had been forced to break up a fight between Hojo Mamushi and Shima Juuzo the night before, and given the internal investigation into the attempt on the Right Eye Torako suspected that their fight would only be the first of many accusations began to fly. She didn't have time for something else to go wrong.
"Your chef called in sick this morning," the girl said. She squirmed uncomfortably for a moment then admitted, "He's probably going to keep on being sick until the monks from the Cursed Temple leave."
Torako's teeth ground together audibly. She turned her back on the girl and stormed off to the kitchen to get breakfast started herself since expecting help for her extended family was apparent asking too much from the townsmen on her staff. Her chef was only the latest of a number of her employees who had 'gotten sick' since she'd allowed the Ryokan to be converted into a temporary hospital for the Exorcists injured in the attack. Those Exorcists who'd been less hurt in the attack and those sent up from Tokyo were taking up the slack but a chef was considerably harder to replace than a maid.
Torako threw open the door to the kitchen and blinked in amazed disbelief. A pot of okayu was thickening on the stove next to a gently simmering pot of miso, tin-foil packets of broiled fish were waiting to go into the oven, neatly prepared bowls of side dishes and condiments sat on the side board while her son's knight was beating a bowl of eggs, ingredients for flavoring the Tamago were lined up in front of him and a there was pan heating on the grill behind him.
At the sound of the door being thrown open Rin cringed. He hugged the bowl of eggs against his chest, and hunched his shoulders while his tail coiled around his thigh. "I heard your cook was sick, I thought it'd be okay if I helped here, it keeps me out of the way and I'm doing something useful without anyone having to be around me," Rin said quickly as he stare at the floor.
"I was trying to tell you," Torako's assistant said coming in behind her. "He just snuck in and took over the kitchen. He's the one the rest of them Exorcists don't like," she added glaring at Rin suspiciously. Torako realized that the girl didn't have a masho and thus couldn't see Rin's tail or the pointed ears and fangs that marked him as a demon. She could just see how people treated the boy.
Torako glanced around the kitchen again, taking in the delicious odors and the professional organization of the boy's preparations. His every attempt to provide assistance had been rebuffed, where the other Exwires had been given tasks to carry out, he'd simply been sent away. And yet when he'd seen a gap, something that needed doing, he'd jumped in and done the work on his own initiative, hoping that this contribution would be accepted because it was something he could do for them while keeping out of sight. And instead of expecting thanks or even just to be allowed to get on with it, he was clearly anticipating more rejection. Torako glanced at her assistant, acknowledging that the boy's low expectations were well-founded.
"It looks wonderful," Torako said. Rin glanced up at her from beneath his bangs, a faint flush spreading across his cheeks. "Thank you for taking care of this, I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't stepped in. Why don't I send one of your friends to help you get all this to the dining room. A buffet style service would be the most practical I think."
Rin gave her a grateful look. If one of the other Exwires took care of serving the food he could stay in the kitchen and no one would know that he'd cooked to object to it. "Not Bon," he suggested timidly.
Torako laughed, well aware of her son's disastrous relationship with kitchens. "Ryuji would try to swipe snacks from the kitchen when he was a child," she told Rin conspiratorially. "I'm sure the other two scamps were doing the same, but he was always the one caught because he couldn't get out of the kitchen without tripping or bumping into something. Stacks of pans, flour, the louder or messier the more likely Ryuji was to stumble over it."
Rin smiled, his head came up as his shoulders relaxed. Instead of clutching his bowl defensively he went back to adding ingredients and stirring. "Izumo-chan or Koneko would be great," he suggested.
"I'm sure they'll enjoy the break from changing sheets," Torako agreed. She turned to her assistant. "Since everything is in control here, why don't you tell me about the real problems for today?" she asked tartly.
"So Torako-san thought it would avoid conflict if he could stay out of sight," the assistant explained to Izumo.
Izumo's eyes narrowed dangerously. She stomped into the kitchen and immediately confronted Rin. "If you're going to help even when people treat you like crap you should shove it in their faces."
Rin pulled out a stack of plates and set them on the counter.
Izumo grabbed his wrist and turned him to face her. "You shouldn't hide in here, doing something good and not upsetting their narrow-minded world view. If they can't get over who your father is then you should let them choke on the fact that the son of Satan is a much, much better person than they could ever hope to be."
Gently Rin reclaimed his hand and started getting out utensils, "There's already a table set up in the dining room for the buffet, could you start carrying things out there?" he asked.
"Rin!" Izumo protested.
"Lately it's been hitting me that every time I meet someone new I'm going to have to fight the same battle again," Rin said without looking at her. "Over and over and over again, I'm going to have to prove that I'm not some- some- monster or psycho-nutcase. Every time. Once I said I could deal with being hated, but I was wrong. I don't want to deal with it, I want to stay in here and never meet anyone new again… Well, I guess Bon's parents are both pretty cool, but I don't want to go out there and prove myself again to all those new people who hate me just because I was born."
Izumo slipped in front of Rin and wrapped her arms around him, burrowing against him. "You never had to prove yourself to me, Okumura Rin. Never, I swear. When you saved Paku and I and then you gave me your shirt, you showed me a good person, someone I could trust, someone who was kind even to someone who didn't deserve it. And I didn't; I was being a jerk to Shiemi, you and Paku both knew it, but you were still nice to me. You showed me that good people did exist when I'd stopped believe that anyone could be good."
"It was never you that I didn't have faith in, it was the whole world and you proved me wrong just by being yourself."
Rin rested his cheek on the top of Izumo's head and let his arms curl around her, "Thanks." he whispered.
"But you're still not going out there are you?" Izumo asked
Rin shook his head, "I gotta get started on lunch," he said. "Bon's mom told me there's some big meeting going on so there'll be even more people to feed then."
Bon was one of the last ones to leave the council meeting, his head was spinning. There was a traitor among the Myodha and he couldn't escape the thought that it was probably his father.
As Bon walked toward his room in a daze Torako caught his arm and pulled him aside. "Give your mother a hand," she said as she led him to the kitchen. "I didn't want to wake him but he's going to get a crick in his neck."
She opened the door. Rin was sitting slumped over the counter, a timer clasped in his hand, fast asleep. "So cute," Torako giggled. "He fell asleep waiting for his cake to come out of the oven. I managed to catch the alarm before it woke him and finished it for him. He's been helping since, oh I don't even know how early he got up this morning, but he's been a huge help."
"Mother!" Bon managed to keep his exclamation quiet. "Rin's barely over nearly getting his soul ripped out. We've been trying to keep him from over-exerting himself for weeks and you let him sneak into the kitchen and work himself until he collapsed?"
"Oh for goodness sakes Ryuji," Torako exclaimed. "He wanted to help. Don't tell me you were conspiring with those ridiculous people to make him feel useless and unwanted!"
"No! Of course not!" Bon hissed back. "But you can let him contribute without ignoring that he ought to be convalescing."
Bon crouched down beside Rin and shifted the smaller boy over so his head was resting on Bon's shoulder instead of the table. With a small grunt of effort Bon picked Rin up. "Er… Mom could you loop his tail over my arm or something?" he asked. "I don't want to step on it while I'm carrying him upstairs."
Rin giggled and kicked his small legs gleefully as Shiro pushed him on the swing in the playground near the monastery. Kuro darted back and forth nearby chasing Rin's shadow. "Higher! Higher!" Rin demanded.
"If I push you any higher you'll go right over the bar," Shiro chucked.
Rin looked over at the other swing, "Where's Yuki?" he asked.
Shiro caught Rin's swing and brought it to a stop, then he crouched in front of Rin so they were on the same level. "Yukio has to follow his own path for awhile," he told Rin gently. "You can't always protect the people you love. Sometimes you have to let them go their own way."
"Dad?" Rin asked confused. Around them the park faded to white, just leaving Shiro, Rin and Kuro
Shiro sagged in relief, "You heard me, this time you heard me."
Rin stared at his feet. "I drew the sword after you told me not to," he said. As he spoke he reverted to his teenage form. His ears and teeth grew pointed and his tail wriggled free of his shirt. "Do you hate me now?"
Shiro hugged Rin tightly. "Never!" he declared.
For a moment Rin let himself bask in Shiro's hug then he stepped back. "But I'm not human anymore. You wanted me to stay human."
"I wanted an easy path for my son," Shiro corrected. "But you'll make your own path. I trust it will be a good one, you've always had a good heart to lead you."
"I'm so sorry for what I said that night," Rin whispered.
"And I never should have hit you," Shiro replied. "So how about we both forgive each other and move on, okay?"
"Okay," Rin agreed with a watery smile as he let Shiro drag him into another hug. Kuro wound around their ankles. "I miss you guys."
"We'll find you again," Kuro promised. "Someday."
Bon put Rin down on the futon in his childhood room and pulled a blanket over him then turned to leave. He had his hand on the door when he heard Rin whimper in his sleep.
'Another nightmare,' Bon thought helplessly as he went back and sat down on the edge of Rin's futon. He put his hand on Rin's back and wasn't surprised when Rin rolled over and burrowed against him. Bon rubbed circles on Rin's back and waited for the smaller boy to cry himself out and hopefully sink back into a more restful sleep.
After several minutes Rin sat up, not looking at Bon he rubbed away the evidence of his tears. "Thanks," he said in a rough voice.
Bon shifted away from Rin and flushed. "Not a big deal," he replied awkwardly. He wondered what had changed to make Rin break their unspoken agreement to never mention the nightmares that had been plaguing Rin.
"Sorry I've been being such a cry-baby," Rin mumbled. Then he smiled. "I think I'm going to be okay now."
Bon looked at him curiously.
"I said goodbye to my dad this time," Rin said softly. "Instead of reliving what happened the night he died again. I think I finally got to tell him that I didn't mean it when I said he wasn't my dad."
"I'm sure he always knew," Bon assured Rin.
"Yeah," Rin agreed. "I still feel better now that I said it," he added.
Bon gave him a small push, "Go back to sleep," he said. "You've been working too hard and you're still healing." He pulled the blankets back over Rin. As he turned to leave, Bon spotted Juuzo through the window, skulking toward the field office. Without alerting Rin Bon left. He hurried downstairs and slipped out of the Inn.
'Was Juuzo the traitor?' Bon wondered. When he arrived at the field office and found the Order members strewn across the floor unconscious it seemed to be the case but when Bon snuck into the Keep he found Juuzo confronting Mamushi.
"I… never did like you," Juuzo said quietly. "But I admired your dedication to Myodha. So why are you doing this?"
Mamushi was silent.
"Say something!" Juuzo shouted angrily.
After a moment Mamushi looked up and met his eyes. "To wake up Myodha," she told him with utter conviction. "The real traitors are Suguro Tatsuma and the President of the Japan Branch, Mephisto Pheles!"
"Mamushi, what are you talking about?" Juuzo asked in shock.
"Eight years ago, soon after entering cram school, Mr. Todo told me about it…"
Back at the Ryokan Rin woke up to the clatter of a general alarm. He poked his head out into the hall and saw that everyone who could make it to their feet was grabbing up weapons and heading toward the Kyoto Field Office.
Rin slung Kurikara's bag across his back and joined the crowd. He arrived just in time to hear Bon confront his father. "All of it is your fault!" Bon accused as he grabbed the front of his father's robes. "Is Mamushi right? Have you betrayed us?"
"Of course not," Tatsuma replied weakly.
"If that's true then tell me the truth," Bon demanded. "Right here in front of everyone!"
"The truth?" Tatsuma smiled. "It's a secret. I can't even tell my own son. It'd be better if I never had to tell you."
"Despite all this you still won't tell me?" Bon asked.
"Anyway, I have to go after Mamushi. Ryuji, listen to your mother and your teachers and be a good boy."
Bon's face turned puce, then he caught sight of Rin pushing his way through the crowd and stopped. "Dad, look around you," he said after taking a moment to reign in his temper. "Your secrets are tearing us apart. It's time for the truth."
"Sorry," Tatsuma replied and turned away.
"I already know part of it," Bon challenged. "If you won't tell the whole story, I will tell everything that I've learned of it."
"Do what you feel you must." Tatsuma didn't turn back.
"Rin, come here," Bon called.
As he and Rin passed each other Tatsuma slipped a note into Rin's jacket.
Once Rin was standing at his side Bon began speaking. "Almost exactly seventeen years ago Kurikara was stolen from us by the True Cross Paladin Fujimoto Shiro. Fujimoto used the sword to seal the demon-heart of Satan's half-human, infant son so that the child could grow-up among us as a human."
Rin stared up at the crowd of angry, confused people. In seconds they were all going to know his secret if they didn't already. For a moment Rin was standing before the Grigori again, forced to his knees, staring at Caliburn and wondering where his foot was. Then he was in the Academy hallway, Bon's hand hard against his burn-blisters and he couldn't force out the words to make Bon understand that he'd only been trying to help. Then he wasn burning and drowning so Yukio could love him again.
"I met Okumura Rin the first day of cram school," Bon continued. "Within a few days of meeting him, he saved my life when my pride got the better of me. Since then he's been right beside me, along with Konekomaru and Shima, every time I've had to face a demon. Last January, he was assigned as my knight-partner and, as an aria, I couldn't hope for a better protector. For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, Rin is the child whose heart is now sealed in Kurikara."
In seconds they'd fall on him, tear him apart. Because he was a demon, he didn't belong, wasn't wanted. There was nothing he could do, they were human; Bon, Koneko and Shima's families. He couldn't, wouldn't defend himself, no matter what happened.
Izumo and Konekomaru broke free of the crowd and joined Bon and Rin at the front of the room. While Konekomaru took his normal place at Bon's left shoulder, Izumo stepped behind Rin and subtly slid her hand into his.
A thread of stability dropped into the chaotic jumble in Rin's mind: They were human, Bon would protect him. Bon had sworn to protect him from humans and Bon kept his promises. Rin focused on Bon's voice and tried to pull himself out of the panicky spiral.
"In generations past Kurikara went into battle along side my ancestors. Seventeen years ago, the sword was stolen from us. But, since I met Okumura Rin, Kurikara has been back where it belongs. Rin never knew the sword's history, but even so he brought it back to us. I'm not Fukaku, I'll never wield Kurikara. I'm no knight but with Rin at my side Kurikara's strength is once again joined to the Myodha's."
Konekomaru stepped forward. "I can verify everything Ryuji has said," he announced.
He couldn't fall apart, couldn't let the chaos overwhelm him. Bon needed him to look strong, useful. He had to help Bon save him, or they'd tear them all apart. It wasn't just him anymore. If he failed his friends would be dragged down with him.
At the back of the hall, Yaozo whispered to his Juuzo. "Go after Ossama." Then he glanced at Uwabami and Mahiro, the two of them nodded back. They made their way to the front of the crowd.
"As your High Council we were also privy to a part of the secret," Yaozo announced. "When Kurikara was stolen, only a token effort was made to retrieve our sacred relic." He waited for the protests to quiet slightly then continued. "Because the sword was nothing but an empty shell."
He had friends, precious friends, but he always had to bleed before anyone would see him. The son of Satan didn't bleed, but Okumura Rin did. He was so tired of bleeding. He didn't want anymore friends but he had to be strong and look useful or he'd pull his precious friends down with him.
Uwabami took over, "For generations the High Council has kept this from you because we feared sparking a panic. Kurikara was spent in the initial sealing of the Impure King, for all years since that battle it has been nothing more than a dead symbol. But whatever the thieves' intent, Kurikara has been returned to us alive again and skillful wielded by this young knight."
They wouldn't tear him apart if they could use him. Weapon. Tool. Bait. Asset. If they could use him they'd tolerate his existence. Stand strong, help Bon convince them they could use him.
"Get us out of here," Izumo hissed to Bon.
Bon and Konekomaru glanced over and saw Rin's chalk-white face and glazed eyes. Konekomaru addressed the crowd again. "Both of us, and Renzo as well, owe Rin our lives, we're too close to be objective. So we'll leave you to discuss what you've learned without us. If there are any questions you need answered after you've had a chance to digest what you've been told, we'll be at the Inn."