Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or

concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:

The Annals of the Heroine Akane, and the Dreaded Demon King. A Tale of the Mirrorverse.

Chapter 12: On the road more traveled with companions new and old.

Kasumi was a bit taken aback when she returned later that night. Akane was no were to be seen, but that was not terribly uncommon. Still, for her baby sister to not wait to make sure that Kasumi returned was a bit strange. Nabiki was the truly odd one in all of this, though. Kasumi had returned to find a freshly bathed Nabiki impatiently awaiting her, sporting a fair number of odd looking wounds. Nabiki had not been very forthcoming about how she was injured, and the only answer she got from her younger sister didn't make much sense, when you took the nature of the wounds into consideration. Kasumi couldn't think of many weapons at all that could leave the series of rather neat looking puncture wounds she found on her sister's shoulder and neck.

If anything, it looked like her sister had been mauled by some sort of large cat. When she had mentioned offhandedly that she wished she could see the tiger that had done this to her sister, Nabiki had muttered something odd, probably thinking it was too quiet for her sister to have heard.

"More like a panther." had been what Nabiki had muttered under her breath. Kasumi had to wonder why such a specific statement had been made about something that she had been joking about. Something to look into, she supposed when the opportunity arrived. Still, it had been a most interesting day indeed. It seemed that anytime she had a chance to speak to Ryouga at length, it raised more questions in her mind than it answered. She knew that she should be fearful of him, that she should distrust what he said, but she couldn't find it in herself to do so. He seemed so earnest, so honest in what he said.

It made her trust what he said.

Kasumi shook her head as she finished her preparations for bed, and went to lay down for the night. She had tasks to take care of in the morning, especially as it was likely that Akane would want to be moving along. With the Demon King's army having withdrawn, there was little reason to stay unless Akane thought that it was likely that they would assault this town again soon.

The more likely course to them would be to finally make their way to the royal capital, and to see His Majesty at last, to receive His Majesty"s edict and grant. Something that Akane should have probably done from the start, but that was her baby sister for you. She could not resist the chance to do what was right, even if it was not what was prudent.

Of course, if she had done that, it was likely that Kasumi would not have met Ryouga like she did, and the course she had been set upon would not have ever been made open to her.

Kasumi sighed as she settled in and smiled. Yet more things to ponder on, it would seem.

Alane blinked groggily as she awoke, the effects of the amount of drink she had imbibed last night heavy on the back of her tongue and the pulsing fog in her head. She clutched at the soft, wam pillow in her arms and nestled her head into the softness that she found in front of her still blurry eyes. She didn't remember having a red pillow, much less one that smelled oddly enticing, like honey and smoke. The sweet and spicy smell tempted her to bury her nose deeper into the mass of red before her and inhale deeper.

Her mind snapped to reality when her pillow squirmed against her.

The red pillow that she had nuzzled into snapped into focus as a mass of unruly, luxurious red hair that gleamed like copper in the early morning sunlight that streamed in through the window. The soft, warm pillow she clutched to herself was the body of a curvy redhead clad in a blouse and skirt, their limbs entangled together rather thoroughly as she still clutched her bedmate close with an arm wrapped tightly around her midsection, and the other around her chest.

Akane's brain partially shut down when she realized what, exactly, she had cupped in her hand. The heavy mass, firm yet soft, sent a bolt of realization through her mind like a stroke of lightning from the Goddess herself.

She had slept with Ranko, who she had met last night.

Akane started to panic as her body went rigid and Ranko stirred. As Ranko found herself no longer wrapped in the iron grip of the heroine she rolled over and regarded the woman laying next to her in the bed.

"I see you are awake at last. You must have really worn yourself out last night." Ranko said as she rubbed her eyes.

"La...Last night?" Akane said in a squeak, as her mind raced over a great many possibilities, without clear memories of the night past a certain point.

"Yeah, I honestly thought you would never give up and stop. You were relentless." Ranko said in reference to the night of drinking and requesting songs.

Akane flushed brighter as she pulled the sheets up higher over herself and the person she assumed must still be naked under the covers. "I… I apologize if I did anything untoward last night… It was my first time…"

"Really? I find that hard to believe. You were handling it like a professional, I was honestly surprised with your stamina." Ranko said as she stretched and prepared to get up.

Akane let out another squeak and pulled the other woman back down, inadvertently she pulled Ranko tight against her.

"Ummm… Not again, please. I'm still sore from last night." Ranko said in reference to how she had slept.

Akane eeped and looked horrified as she let go of the other woman and scooted to the far side of the bed.

Ranko snorted at her reaction as she got out of the bed and stretched. Akane stared dumbfounded at the red head.

'"When did you get dressed?" Akane asked as she realized fully that she was dressed as well.

"Get dressed?" Ranko asked, then the pieces fell into place and she blushed red. "Look, we didn't do anything, much less THAT. You were drunk as a sailor on shore leave, and you are strong as an ox. I got you to bed, then got pulled in and used as a pillow all night. Honestly, do you think I'm that easy?"

Akane blushed and looked down. "I'm sorry I implied that, it just… Everything was a blur, and I guess I took the things you said wrong…"

Ranko sighed and sat back on the bed as she eyed Akane werily. Akane laughed and held her hands up, well away from grabbing Ranko again. When Ranko smiled and relaxed, Akane let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Look, let's not make things any more awkward than they are, hrm?" Ranko said as she smiled at Akane.

"I'm all for that." Akane readily agreed.

"So, do we go down together, or separately? Honestly, I'm a traveling minstrel. I don't really have a reputation to preserve." Ranko said with a grin.

Akane blushed, then seemed to make up her mind. "Together. That… Is what friends do, right?" She asked hopefully.

Ranko seemed a bit taken aback by that, as she rolled it around on her tongue. "Friends, you say? A penniless traveling minstrel… The Robin… Friends with the likes of the Heroine herself. I guess it's not a bad thing. Should be worth a drink and a place by the fire."

Akane laughed and looked bashful. "As long as it's not a story about how the brutish Heroine used you as a pillow."

Ranko laughed, a genuine peal of joy. "Wouldn't that be a tale! But, no. I won't tell that tale."

Akane grinned and relaxed as she looked around, then down at her clothes.

"Would you like me to step out so you can change, M'lady Heroine?" Ranko asked cheekily.

AKane paused at that, then shyly nodded. "Please? But… You can wait outside the door, if you want… And we can walk down together?" She sounded rather hopeful about that.

"Hrrrm...I don't know…." Ranko started as she teased Akane, then at the genuine crestfallen look she got, she chuckled. "You are so easy to tease. Of course I will wait, just don't be too long, hrm?" Ranko said before she walked saucily out. If there seemed to be a bit more sway to her hips than before, surely it was Akane's imagination at play.

Akane changed in a hurry, as she put on a better suit of clothes and wiped herself down with cold water. She came out to see that Ranko leaned against a wall, and seemed to be having a staring match with a cat that Akane vaguely remembered must be hers. The cat seemed to be favoring one side a bit, where there was some blood on the fur.

"Ahh, did your cute little cat get into a fight?" Akane asked as she kneeled down and started to reach for the cat, then yanked her hand back as it was swatted at with claws out by the bluish-purple cat.

"Yes… Or, I think it more likely she tussled with a rat last night… After I had TOLD her to behave herself…" Ranko said as she scooped up the cat and bopped it between the ears. For a cat, it certainly looked ashamed of itself as Akane followed just out of claw reach.

"Well, I am glad to see she seems to be okay, at least." Akane said as they entered the commons, and saw the other two sisters sitting at a table eating their morning break fast.

The pair walked over, and Akane introduced Robin to the others.

"Kasumi, Nabiki. I would like you to meet my friend, the bard Robin." Akane said, then looked at Ranko. "Robin, these are my sisters Kasumi and Nabiki."

Robin curtsied deeply to the others. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you all. You may call me Robin, and this song bird will happily seek to fill your day with a bit more joy and laughter."

The others nodded back, but once the cat and Nabiki saw each other, it seemed that the staring contest from last night was rejoined.

Ranko hesitated, then as Akane gave her a little look and nod of encouragement, she sat down at the table with the Heroine's party, of all people.

"Good morning to you as well, Akane. I take it we are leaving today?" Kasumi asked as she eyed her sister's choice of clothing.

Akane nodded and cast a glance at Ranko. "We are. I'd like to be on the road before noon, if possible. We have a ways to go before we reach a place that should be safe to camp agan."

Ranko eyed them then smiled winningly. "And where might you be off to, if I may be so bold to ask?"

Akane blushed and took a drink of water as her food was placed before her, and at a nod the serving wench was sent for a plate for Ranko as well. "We are going to head for the capital, to see His Royal Highness. So… What are your plans, Robin?"

Ranko thought about that and shrugged. "Generally I go wherever my feet happen to take me."

"Well.. You could travel with us, at least for a bit? It will be safer, since we don't know if there are any enemy parties still about." Akane said as she looked anywhere but at Ranko.

Ranko seemed to think about that, and pondered that on a few different levels. "You wish to take the Robin with you to the royal capital, hrm? Well, I guess since I have no better place to go, I can at least travel with you for a while."

Akane grinned like an idiot and tucked into her food with a new found energy as Nabiki glanced at Ranko with a raised eyebrow then resumed her glaring contest with her feeling nemesis.

Kasumi smiled warmly. "Is there anything you need to get, Minstrel Robin, before we leave?"

Ranko hesitated, then nodded. "We need to stop by my camp, out in the woods. I.. Need to collect something there. Another traveling companion, as it were."

The sisters looked at each other, and there were a few nods and a shrug, then Akane looked at Ranko with a smile. "That shouldn't be a problem. Are they another performer, then?"

Ranko smiled ruefully. "No, not a performer. More of a guard, of sorts. He keeps wild beasts from me and mine while we travel. I just have to leave him outside, he isn't exactly welcomed in towns."

Akane pursed her lips. "Thats a shame, if he is a companion of yours he has to be okay."

Ranko laughed and shrugged. "I don't know, he can be a bit of a pig."

The sisters look at her funny, not quite getting why that statement amused her so.

A few hours later as they arrived at a camp that Kasumi recognized quite well, Nabiki and Akane understood what she had meant while Kasumi blinked as she looked at the large boar with a striped cloth around his thick neck who seemed to be looking at anything but her, then glanced speculatively towards Ranko and the cat that was perched on her shoulder.

Kasumi only had one thing to say as she realized a great truth, and gave Ryouga a very pointed look.

"Oh my."