Mukuro stared at Rin from across the table. But this time, it wasn't a name on a card at Yukina and Kuwabara's wedding – it was the woman herself, in the flesh. A person that Rin had assumed she would never meet. Aside from being Hiei's ex, Rin was well aware of Mukuro's fearsome reputation as one of the original three Demon Kings.
A thought struck Rin now – did the demon regret what had happened fifteen-odd years ago? Did she miss the delicate political balance between the three kings? The savagery that was now considered uncivilized? If she was leaning towards Jakaru's anti-human agenda, was that the reason why?
A hand waved in her peripheral vision. "Excuse me? Rin?" Apparently the woman had called her name a few times. "Please, sit. I promise I don't bite." That came with the ghost of a smile.
Still off-kilter and numb, her brain struggling to adjust, Rin sat across from her without protest.
"I've been meaning to make some time to speak with you during this conference," Mukuro said, "but things kept coming up. You know how it is." She waved a hand. Her burnished copper hair fell over the lens covering her right eye, while the left one watched her intently. Rin fought the urge to squirm. The experience was something like going through the full-body scanner at the airport.
Rin realized that Mukuro was still staring and evidently expected a reply. "Sure," she said unsteadily. "Um, thank you for having me. My room is lovely."
"Of course, of course. I'm always happy to further the cause of diplomacy," Mukuro said. She leaned forward, placing her hands flat on the table. "Now, let's get down to it. I've never been a patient demon, nor one for small talk."
Rin's mind ran into overdrive. What could Mukuro, the Demon King, possibly want to talk to her about? It couldn't be Hiei… could it? That was ridiculous. They weren't teen girls at a sleepover. But having no idea what Mukuro could want was even worse. The demon took a deep breath and began speaking, and Rin focused. Whatever this was, it was important.
"I need your help," Mukuro said. "I'm sure you are aware of the… delicate peace we are so briefly enjoying under my roof."
Before it even registered in her mind, a huff of an incredulous laugh escaped her lips. A corner of Mukuro's mouth lifted briefly in response.
"As I thought." The woman paused and tented her fingers on the table, studying them intently before speaking again. "As the Demon King, there are certain things I may not do. I cannot be seen to take a side before the negotiations are through, or else be accused of favoritism – or weakness, which is worse. To state it baldly, I do not believe that Jakaru and his ilk are here in good faith. I suspect that there is a plot in motion, and I mean to stop it."
Rin was silent for a long moment, considering. Finally, she asked, "What did you have in mind?"
"I am a quantifiable element, as Spirit World so clinically puts it, and so are most, if not all, of my staff. As are Mayuga, Hiei," – Rin's heart gave a spasm – "Prince Koenma, and even that ferry girl that he likes to drag everywhere. Everyone, except for you." Mukuro looked up, spearing Rin with her gaze. "You, the substitute Spirit Detective who disappeared after the Dark Tournament. 'The first human to believe,' as Mayuga puts it."
Rin winced, and the corner of Mukuro's mouth quirked up again. She continued, "You've been out of the game for a long time. You are largely unknown to the demons here, and I intend to use that."
"Oh," Rin said, the woman's words sparking a particular, very recent annoyance. "What if I don't want to be used?"
"You know, it's said around Demon World that I can read minds," Mukuro said conversationally, fixing Rin with her doubled gaze. "To tell you the truth, I can't. I'm just good at reading people. And you, Rin," she pointed a finger at Rin's chest, "I can tell just by looking that you're a helper. You became a substitute Spirit Detective and fought terrifying monsters, all for the sake of Human World, the people of which have never and can never acknowledge your efforts. You're a – what is it? Oh yes. They told me you're a librarian now. Helping people is what you do." Mukuro tipped her head to the side, a small smile tugging at her lips. "We don't have librarians in Demon World, you know. I'm not sure they could survive. But here you are. So I know that if I ask you to keep an eye on Jakaru's second-in-command, stop him if you see anything suspicious, you'll do it. You can't turn down someone who needs your help. Somehow you even ended up here, in my castle, on Mayuga's side, after she kidnapped you." Mukuro waved a hand, chuckling, then crossed her arms. "So yes, I think you will let me use you, if it's for the greater good."
Rin opened her mouth, and then closed it again. She had never been seen so thoroughly, and it was, in a word, awful. This woman had spent less than five minutes talking to her, and could already see through Rin like she wasn't wearing any clothes. Any skin, even.
Yes, it was true that she had a chronic predisposition to helping people, but it wasn't like she was a people-pleaser who couldn't say no, was it? Wait, was it? On second thought, maybe something to take up with her therapist, who was, admittedly, becoming less qualified to help her by the minute. Her mind briefly wandered off wondering what kind of healthcare package Spirit World had, and she had to wrench it back to the topic at hand. The silence stretched as Rin thought, the smug smile never leaving the Demon King's face.
"Fine," she said. "I'll help."
"Good girl," Mukuro said.
Rin gritted her teeth, shoving away the urge to snap at the demon. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Before I do anything, I want your assurance that I won't be hauled away to prison by Demon World police for attacking a member of a diplomat's delegation."
Mukuro chuckled at that, looking through some of her papers. "What police? I'm the only authority here." She looked up, saw that Rin was still staring at her expectantly, and said, "Yes, I'll guarantee that you will make it back to Human World alive."
Rin knew better than to take that at face value without assurances. Demons didn't make binding contracts with very particular language like in the fairy tales, but they weren't above adhering only to the letter of the law and not the spirit.
"Making it back alive isn't enough," she said firmly. Mukuro raised an eyebrow. Rin continued, "Let's include 'unharmed' and 'not targeted for retaliation' in that promise." She stared down the demon across the table and struggled not to fidget under that stoic, all-knowing gaze, wondering all the while if the woman could actually read minds.
After a long pause, Mukuro hissed a sigh through her teeth and said, "You have my word as the Demon King that if you do this service for me, you will return to Human World alive, unharmed, and free of any accusation of wrongdoing by any demon. Is that enough?"
Rin nodded, relieved.
"I'll have someone fill you in on the details," the demon said. "Please, don't let me keep you any longer." Her gaze returned to her papers, clearly dismissing Rin.
Rin let out a mental sigh of relief as she headed to the door. Just as her fingertips touched the doorknob where she had come in, Mukuro called, "Rin? One more thing."
Rin winced, then turned, schooling her face into a mask of polite interest with effort. She was really tired of demons trying to push her around.
"I know it's not my place," Mukuro began, uncertainty crinkling her brow for the first time. She trailed off, then shook her head in frustration, her eyepiece winking in the low light. "I'll start again, shall I? I'll just lay it out for you. I'll say my piece, and then we'll never speak of it again."
Rin was intrigued despite herself and paced closer, but something in her gut whispered that this would not be a pleasant conversation.
"Allow me to be blunt. I'm not usually one for dancing around a subject, but this is an unusual case." Mukuro said. She paused, as if searching for words, then continued, "I am fully aware that it's quite literally impossible to force Hiei to speak of matters he considers private - especially when it shows any amount of vulnerability, so I know he never spoke of… us."
At the sound of Hiei's name, Rin's heart seized and her body went cold, as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. This was private. Yes, of course she had been curious, but she had never asked. Never wanted or expected to know what had gone on between Hiei and the Demon King.
Mukuro paused again and took a deep breath, as though about to plunge off a high dive, then spoke, her words coming out in a rush. "Hiei and I together, we never really worked. We were two broken, shattered people, clinging together because it was all we knew. We kept cutting each other with our sharp edges, caused each other pain for the fun of it, and eventually it ended."
"But I know Hiei like the back of my hand. I've known him for years. I can tell his mood at a glance," Mukuro continued, her gaze soft, unfocused: looking into memory. "I'm good at reading people, but especially him. He was never quite so stoic as he wanted everyone around him to believe. So when I look at him now, I can tell that he's miserable. I've never known him to feel any emotion apart from rage or contempt. This," she motioned meaningfully at Rin, "is new, and I think it scares him. All he knows is to attack when frightened. And he can't fight you, so he runs away. Gets angry."
Rin opened her mouth to protest, to say that it wasn't her problem.
"I'm not telling you to take his abuse," the demon cut in, holding up a hand, her expression weary. "I tried for years, thinking it might help. It doesn't work; it only made us both small, angry, and resentful. I'm saying he's different than I remember, that maybe he's becoming a different person than I knew. I'm saying that if you expect more of him, if you ask him to grow, he might just do it."
Emotions swirled in Rin's heart, threatening to bowl her over. Anger at Hiei for leaving, for being an arrogant, selfish prick. Confusion at Mukuro's very personal admissions, at her own mix of feelings. Pity for two broken people trying to find solace in each other and only finding pain.
Choking out a small word of thanks in Mukuro's direction, Rin fled.