InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Prismatic ❯ Benevolence ( Chapter 15 )

If ever there was a sight that made the last few weeks seem only a distant dream, it was the one that greeted them as they first entered the festival grounds. They hadn’t reached the riverside yet, the most popular location to watch the evening’s firework display, but there was a noticeable bustle of life and merriment.

Kagome smiled a little. Of all the times she had attended the festival, she understood the meaning behind it so much more intimately this year.

"Uwaah!” Usagi darted ahead through the gates. “There's so many games and booths!"

"Don’t just run off.” Of course, Rei’s insistence fell on deaf ears and she lifted a hand to rub her brow with a frustrated sigh. “Usagi-chan…" 

Ami, ever the peacekeeper, set a hand on her arm with a timid smile. "Let her have her fun."

"Ah! It smells so good!" Usagi bounced in place before sprinting to the next stall.

Kagome giggled and shook her head in amusement as she watched Makoto trail after the bouncy blonde girl, patiently identifying the foods that Usagi did not recognize. Rei walked at a more sedate pace behind with Ami taking care to hang back with her. 

For all the friction between them, Kagome was happy to see Rei at least tangentially joining them. It was a start.

Kagome didn’t realize that Usagi had sprinted ahead until the pair of them suddenly straightened and hurried to run after her, shouting for her to wait up. Several paces behind already, Kagome didn’t move quickly enough to catch back up with them as they vanished into the bustle of people. Nonplussed, she only shook her head with a sigh. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d had to hunt Usagi down in a crowd.

"I thought I might see you here." 

The familiar voice made her pause and Kagome turned to look at the man with a blink. She hadn’t expected to see him here after their last encounter with how down he’d seemed despite his attempts to hide it. She wasn’t so rude as to point that out, however.

"Ah, Sanjouin-san," Kagome turned to him with a tilt of her head. "You're attending the festival too?"

"Yes, you seemed so excited for it," Sanjouin turned to look down at her with a smile. "I found myself curious."

Kagome perked up at that, reminded that despite how well he carried himself, the man was not a native. "Oh, have you never been to one before?"

Sanjouin paused and his brow furrowed for a moment, his expression somewhere between strained and thoughtful before he tilted his head with a hum. "Not in many years, no." 

“Well, I seem to have lost the others anyway,” Kagome shouldered her bag and offered a smile, “so how about I show you around?” 

---

Attending a civilian festival had not been part of his plans in the city. He much preferred the surgical precision of a singular target. However, Nephrite supposed, losing Jadeite had not been part of his plans either. All the excited cheer of the people and the buzz of their heightened energy was maddening.

It was just the sort of environment Jadeite would have thrived in.

A vengeful part of him seethed at their blind merriment, the way they celebrated while his friend was dead. They didn’t deserve such joy while they mourned their fallen brethren, his friend.

Nephrite closed his eyes and took a breath. It wouldn’t do to lose control now, when he had reason to be here.

It had only been a happy accident that he’d run into that girl at the train station those weeks prior. He had been trailing a new target, a photographer, just at the height of his career in a way that would have fed the dark magic seamlessly. It had been an impulse to shift his focus to her then and again when he’d encountered her recently.

He allowed her to believe their meeting this day was just as accidental.

She was a pretty enough little thing with manners that at least made her tolerable in this human city, most other denizens so focused on their own wants that they never noticed what was lurking amongst them. Given his time leading the North American division, he would at least allow that Tokyo was not quite so bad as the cities in his own territory. New Yorkers were an entirely different breed of manners and he still hadn’t decided what to make of the abject strangeness that made up Los Angeles or San Francisco.

He had to give the girl credit; she was an excellent guide.

She led him about the festival grounds seamlessly, noticeably in her element as she pointed out displays and games that lined the streets and offered a running narration of the history behind the festival. It was interesting enough history, but Nephrite had to set his jaw when she explained the purpose of the fireworks that had borne the entire affair.

“The fireworks were used as mourning observances for the dead but also celebration of life.”  

‘How…fitting.’ Nephrite closed his eyes for a moment and, if she noticed, she didn’t mention it. Once more, he found himself grateful for her uncommon manners.

For a time, they walked in an oddly companionable silence. His gaze flickered down to her thoughtfully, looking her over more closely. She certainly wasn’t notable as far as humans went, neither in appearance nor social status. She wore a simple blue yukata which, while complimenting the admittedly uncommon color of her eyes nicely, was plain enough in design to suggest a modest upbringing. The callouses he spied on her hands, likely a result of caring for the family shrine she had mentioned, only made him that much more certain of it.

"Hm?” He followed her gaze when she paused, and arched a brow when he saw the booth that had caught her attention. “Do you have an interest in archery?"

The girl pursed her lips, a thoughtful look on her face as she eyed the booth. "I guess you could call it that."

The little man behind the booth unfortunately seemed to notice the attention. A grin split his lips, an expression of greed that would have made him a fine target, and Nephrite did not miss the way he leered at the girl as he waved them over. Neither did his companion if the roll of her eyes was any indication. She turned to him, clearly intending to ignore the man.

That was, until he hefted that damned megaphone to shout over at her. “Eh, miss, if you ask nicely, perhaps your boyfriend will win you a prize, huh?”

Nephrite arched a brow, though he supposed he could have had far worse partners assumed for him. This girl, while unassuming, was at least inoffensive enough.

"Excuse me?" She stopped short, her head swiveling to look at the man so swiftly it made the fool jump.

Nephrite could not help but be surprised by the tone, a stark contrast to the innocent, friendly little woman. He watched her cheeks puff just slightly, her energy fluttering around her in clear anger. ‘Interesting…’

She turned to him suddenly, calmer but with a certain determination to her eyes. "Sorry, Sanjouin-san, do you mind?"

Blinking at the hard look to her expression, Nephrite raised his brows at the query. A bow certainly wasn't his specialty but he supposed he was competent enough to indulge the request. "Of course, just-"

But she only shrugged off the bag on her shoulder and shoved it into his hands to stride past him. "Great, just give me a sec then, okay?"

That wasn't quite what he'd been expecting.

The man running the booth seemed equally surprised. "Ah, miss? Isn't your boyfriend-"

Nephrite almost pitied the fool when the girl spun a glare on the man. Her energy flared around her, briefly enough that he might have missed it if not for the black crystal that suddenly hummed in response. He regarded her for a moment, his hand sliding into his coat pocket to wrap his fingers around the crystal.

Still, he could not help the amused twitch of his lips as he watched her huff and snatch a bow from one of the racks.

"I'll shoot for myself, thanks."

His eyes drew over her then, intrigued by the familiarity she held the weapon. Her fingers wrapped around it seamlessly, holding it in a way that spoke of practice, if not experience. But that wasn't what drew his attention.

The energy within her, dancing with her anger only moments before, suddenly settled. The air around her fell still in a way both unnerving and calming.

'This girl…' It was the twang of her bow that brought him from his trance. His gaze landed on the target and his brows vanished into his bangs just as the poor fool who'd challenged the girl dropped his damnable megaphone in dismay. 

---

If only for the slack jawed expression on the booth keeper's face, Kagome decided that playing his game had been worth it. She didn't bother to keep the victorious grin from her face, something she'd surely picked up from Inuyasha, as he stammered her qualification for one of the top tier prizes. Wiping that smug grin off his face had been prize enough. 'Well, maybe Usagi will like one of-'

"-definitely rigged!"

A glance to her left and Kagome was not terribly surprised to find someone else less than pleased with the adjacent game's less than fair design. It was a couple, though she might not have noticed if it hadn't been for the comforting hand the boy's companion set on his shoulder.

The boy looked about her age with long blond hair and fair features, and the taller man carried himself in a way that spoke of having seen a few more years of life. His long white hair made her take pause for a moment, reminded very suddenly of Sesshomaru given the poise he held himself with. Then the blond turned to his partner with a huff and Kagome could not help her quiet giggle at the way his lips turned downward, pouting dramatically.

It reminded her of Usagi a little.

"I wanted that one though!" Her eyes followed the blond's hand, helpfully pointing to a display case of varying floral hair clips and charms that sat between the booths, clearly prizes for both.

Recalling her own companions, she brightened and turned back to the operator who was still gaping at her. "Hey, can I get a couple of the smaller prizes instead?"

The man had the sense not to argue, opting only to unlock the display case with a resigned sigh.

Flashing him a grin that was perhaps far too polite to be comforting rather than intimidating, Kagome didn't have to waste much time choosing her spoils. She was reminded of Sanjouin's presence as he strode up to her side and she flashed him an apologetic smile. There was another aggravated huff behind her, Sanjouin's gaze drifting up to look over her head, and she turned to catch the pair before they could leave.

She caught the blond with a tap on the shoulder. "Um, excuse me?"

The boy turned to look at her with a jerk, his eyes narrowing suspiciously and his companion taking a step closer to him. "Hm? What?"

His defensiveness was nothing on Inuyasha's, but it still made her heart ache a little to think of what it may have stemmed from.

Kagome tilted her head and held up the hair clip that he'd been eyeing, the pink tassel dangling from the more brightly colored cherry blossom petals that decorated the center. "You wanted this one, right? I've got extra."

Whatever he or his companion, who Kagome was pretty sure was actually his date, was expecting of her, it clearly hadn't been that. The defensive hunch of his shoulders rapidly drooped in surprise, and she barely stifled a giggle at the absolutely baffled expression he gave her. She may not have been entirely successful given the way his eyes shifted to rake over her, narrowing skeptically.

"Really?" There was a slight lilt to his voice then, an accent that she couldn’t place but thought might be European bleeding through the suspicious drawl.

"How generous." His partner murmured at his side and she pretended not to notice the appraising way the taller man looked her over. The coolness of his gaze reminded her again of Sesshomaru, though she wasn't certain if the parallel was only inspired by the long white hair or the authoritative set to his shoulders that he couldn't quite hide.

However, being plenty used to the guarded behavior, Kagome only offered a friendly smile and turned back to the blond as if she'd never even noticed the appraisal. The boy didn't protest when she held up the barrette this time, instead only arching a brow and allowing it as she reached over to pass it to him with a shrug. "The cherry blossoms suit you."

His gaze flickered up to her face at that, catching her eyes only long enough to note that his were green.

He straightened after a moment, shifting his posture with a quiet scoff that she knew better than to take offense to, and his form suddenly radiated a more relaxed sort of confidence. "Yes, I suppose they do."

She only set the little barrette in his palm with a smile.

"There's a craft section up by the eastern entrance." Though he looked surprised that she was still talking with him, Kagome only smiled and pointed over her shoulder, back in the direction that they'd come from. "You might like what they have up there, and the artisans are nicer to deal with than these guys."

She spun a scowl on the booth manager who, as if to prove her point, jumped and guiltily scurried away.

When she looked back to the blond, his eyes were on her again, the glint to them looking more thoughtful than suspicious now. After a moment he tilted his head and looked away from her. "Hmph. I suppose that's something worth the time at this…event."

"Oh, is this your first festival? You're not from Japan, right?" It didn't really surprise her, if not because of the wisps of an accent that he couldn't fully suppress but the way the vendors had honed in on him as easy prey in the form of a tourist. She let a little smile curl her lips. "Well, I hope he didn't ruin it for you too much. The games can be like that, but there's plenty of better things to do."

"Oh, really?"

There was a thoughtful hum to his tone as Kagome turned to accept her bag back from Sanjouin, the man wearing an expression that she could not rightly determine between either amused or baffled. When she turned back to the blond she nearly jumped to find him watching her, an odd intensity to his gaze despite the casual air about him.

His eyes raked over her before settling on her face. "And what do you like about these festivals then?"

At that, Kagome blinked, caught off guard by the question for a moment before she brightened. "Ah, well this one is Sumidagawa. It won't be for a little while longer, but the fireworks are definitely the best part!" 

He tapped a finger to his chin at that, and Kagome shifted a little at the way his eyes once more roved over her from head to toe and back again. "Is that so…"

His partner set a hand on his shoulder then, drawing the blond's attention. "We should be going."

Deciding she had interrupted their date long enough, Kagome only offered one last smile and a wave as she shouldered her bag. "Enjoy the rest of the festival!"

The blond paused, looking over his shoulder at her for a moment before the corners of his lips curled upwards into a smile. "Yes…I think we certainly will." 

---

It wasn't long after sunset, at the height of the festivities when the world around them very rapidly exploded into one of blood and fire.

It had taken time, but Nephrite knew it would happen. There was no other reason, even with Zoicite's whims, that the other generals, his fellow kings, would have been in attendance of a human festival. It only surprised him that it had taken so long. Yet, even with that time allotted to them, he still was not quite certain what to make of the exchange that had taken place.

In what was surely Zoicite's gift to the girl, it wasn't until the last firework of the evening had fizzled out that it began.

The first scream was distant, sounding from the other end of the festival grounds, and far enough away that it might have been mistaken for overexcitement of the attendees. The girl at his side tensed, her hand darting up to grasp his arm when the next scream sounded and the ground rumbled beneath their feet.

"What's going on?!"

Despite the confusion on her face at the sudden chaos, Nephrite could not help but to notice the rapid shift in her posture. Her shoulders squared as she spun around to look behind them, on guard in a way that he found curious. He didn't have the chance to muse on it for very long. The ground rumbled again, a shockwave of energy throwing a few bystanders into him and knocking the girl from his grasp as he narrowly kept his footing. 'Zoicite and his theatrics…'

Just as he was righting himself, the girl screamed.

One of the monsters, mind lost to the transition of being freshly turned, burst through the crowd that surrounded them. It swung an already bloodied claw at a couple beside them, its gaze wide, feral and mindless, before it turned its crazed eyes on them. He heard the girl's quiet gasp of horror, though he wasn't certain whether it was from the bodies that dropped only feet away from them or the sight of the monster responsible.

It brandished a claw at them and Nephrite saw the viridescent sheen of the poison that coated it beneath the blood of the victims it had already claimed. If the creature had more presence of mind, it would have known better than to raise a hand to one of its betters. As it stood, it had no such sense of self preservation.

Apparently, neither did one Higurashi Kagome.

"Sanjouin-san!"

The girl flung herself between him and the charging monster, and he could not help the way his mouth dropped open in surprise. He only had a moment for his eyes to widen as she darted in front of him, swinging her bag at the creature with a demand to 'back off!' as it careened towards them. 'Why would this girl…' 

Of course she never stood a chance.

She leaned back to dodge its claws too late, and Nephrite felt his shoulders tense as he watched her fall. It struck her in the chest, tearing her yukata as it sent her tumbling backwards with a cry. Her head connected with the corner of what was once a food stall of sorts and she stilled. Even above the screams and the sounds of fire and a distant battle, the sound of her body hitting the ground echoed unnervingly in his ears.

He stood between her and the beast before he realized it. The monster's gaze held more clarity now, and he narrowed his own in warning, an authority to it that the creature seemed to understand. "Leave her."

It lingered for a moment before bounding off into the masses with a howl. Heaving a sigh, Nephrite knelt to check her. Her body was limp and heavy as he sat her up to inspect the wound. Her head lolled uselessly into his hand and his fingers came back bloody when he brushed the bangs from her forehead for a better look. He was almost surprised when he reached down to the crook of her throat, expecting nothing yet finding the steady beat of her pulse. 'Still alive…'  

There was a sound of footsteps just behind him, walking with an even pace that seemed to echo eerily in the pandemonium around them. Nephrite exhaled through his nose and scowled at the youngest king.

"Oh? Did it get her too?" Zoicite tilted his head as he peered down at them, his arm hooked with Kunzite's just as casually as the last time Nephrite had seen the pair. The boy carried an air of indifference to the mayhem around them, an orchestration surely of his own making, as he slid his arm from where it had been linked with their commander's.

Zoicite's posture was casual as he knelt to trace the wound on the girl's forehead, fingertips glowing with a softer sort of magic than the younger man typically favored. Her body flinched in Nephrite's arms at the contact, a little whimper escaping her lips that made him pity her a bit.

When Zoicite retracted his hand to flick the girl's blood from his fingers, the wound was gone. Even Kunzite, who knew the boy best out of all of them, watched in curiosity. "Zoicite?"

"I like this one," Zoicite chirped, a pleased look on his face that might have seemed out of place in the carnage unfolding around them to anyone who didn't know him. He popped back up to his feet and fixed the clip the girl had given him into his ponytail with a smile before hooking his arm around an awaiting Kunzite's. "She can live."

Kunzite met his gaze for a moment, and Nephrite couldn't decide whether the look the commander wore was one of amusement, fondness, or exasperation. It might very well have been all three. After a moment, Kunzite wound an arm around the blond king's shoulders to lead him off. "Come, the sailor soldiers are sure to arrive soon. We must prepare." 

Nephrite watched the pair stride off into the mayhem, his gaze lingering until their forms grew obscured in the smoke. Exhaling through his nose, he only shook his head and glanced down to the girl when she shifted. Her brow furrowed with signs of waking, and his gaze softened a bit as he looked at her.

It was for the best she didn't see what was to come.

"I'm sorry." Her eyes fluttered open to look at him blearily and her lips parted in a soundless attempt at his human name as he set a palm to her forehead with a gentle pulse of magic. Her eyes widened and her body tensed, but she slumped into his arms without struggle. "It's better if you sleep for a little while longer."