InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Prismatic ❯ Affluence - Part 1 ( Chapter 19 )

Kagome should have known better. She should have known they were doomed from the moment Inuyasha had expressed disappointment over how simple a task it was. Their adventures were never that easy and this was the dragon that his father, a renowned demon lord, hadn't even been able to defeat. She’d had the niggling feeling of being watched since they left the village, but she’d been so jumpy after everything that had happened recently that she’d chalked it up to paranoia. She cursed herself for never saying anything when the first insect came into view only moments before their master did.

Then the bastard broke the seal on the damn dragon and vanished.

Freshly woken, the creature likely wasn’t even recovered enough to be at full strength. Given the way the fight unfolded, that was a terrifying prospect. Inuyasha was doing well at first. He avoided the dragon’s blasts of demonic energy, potent enough to make her shiver even from the distance they watched. He almost seemed to have it under control, avoiding the attacks and sniffing out this enemy’s weak point. Inuyasha was smart like that, even if he liked to hide behind a display of casual bravado.

And then Kagome had only been able to watch in horror as Tessaiga was flung from his grasp.

The look of horror that crossed Inuyasha’s face was only matched by the sense of it that twisted in her belly. He pivoted to rush for the sword and the dragon, still laughing, flung him into the cliffside for his efforts. Kagome’s stomach rolled and she couldn’t be sure whether it was a fear that Inuyasha was wounded or because of the swell of demonic power that suddenly swirled around him. Her heart skipped a beat when he rose from the ground, the eerie red glow of his eyes piercing through the dust and debris even across the width of the canon.

She couldn’t use the rosary; that would be a death sentence. But she couldn’t sit back and do nothing while she watched her friend fight for his life. She couldn’t sit back and watch him succumb to the unchecked demon blood that had so tormented him. Not when she now knew firsthand just how terrifying it was to lose control in that way. When a cackling Inuyasha leapt headfirst for the dragon, who only reared back for another attack, she reached for her bow.

“You mustn’t,” a familiar voice interrupted. Kagome turned to look at Totosai’s approach, the old blacksmith rushing forward to meet them in the air. “Even if you could, if Inuyasha does not defeat Ryūkotsusei with the Tessaiga, then he will never be able to master it.”

Kagome could have cried. She’d wanted to scream. It wasn’t fair. Inuyasha had friends now, he’d built a family with them. He should have been able to rely on them. They shouldn’t have had to sit back and watch. Her bottom lip trembled. “Was this really the only way, Totosai?”

The old smith remained silent for a long moment, only staring out at the battle between his old master’s enemy and a feral Inuyasha. Then he stroked his beard with a hum. “Inuyasha must use the Backlash Wave if he is to win this fight.”

“But he could barely lift Tessaiga, and now…” Her eyes darted back to the fight when there was another flash of light, the force of the explosion even making Kirara’s altitude waver. All the terror and frustration and anger of the last several weeks surged from her all at once. “Inuyasha!”

Through the smoke, the glint of glowing red eyes peered back up at her. As it dissipated, she saw the sheath clasped in his claws, his saving grace. He still had his wits. He was still there, still Inuyasha . She could reach him.

“Usagi will never let you live it down if you lose here, you know!” Kagome scowled around the tears that burned her eyes, but something in his energy wavered in that moment and his gaze steadily drifted to the fallen sword. He took a step towards it, then another. A pang of hope swelled within her as she shouted down at him. “You’ll upset Ami and you haven’t even gotten to meet Mako-chan yet!”

His fingers wrapped around the hilt of the sword and Kagome nearly sobbed in relief. When Inuyasha managed to unleash the Wind Scar that had been lost to him, she actually did. She only vaguely heard Totosai’s mutters of awe beside them as the battle steadily shifted in his favor, a blur until Inuyasha collided with one last attack and the fight ended just as suddenly as it had begun.

She knew he would win. No matter what they were, were not, or ever could have been, Kagome would always have faith in Inuyasha. He was her friend. Even if they would never be more than that, she still loved him. That would never change. This time though, she didn’t scold him when they joined him on the ground and he swore at Totosai for not telling him about Tessaiga’s newest power -or the necessity of it- before sending him on such a task.

“You weren’t supposed to remove the seal, but you’ve benefited from it. Now,” Totosai attempted to placate him, “you’ve unlocked Tessaiga's ultimate technique.”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha shoved his hands into his sleeves with a huff. “But that’s not going to mean a damn thing if I still can’t get through Naraku’s barrier.”

“That’s right,” Miroku murmured, “the Wind Scar had no effect.”

“Well,” Totosai  stroked his beard with a hum, “there might be one way.”

---

Inuyasha ended up storming off before the old smith could finish explaining. Despite the quiet mutters about his temper -including Myoga who had chosen that moment to conveniently appear- Kagome couldn't bring herself to agree with them this time.

Inuyasha had every right to be angry.

She knew how haunted he had been by the loss of control, the bloodlust of his demon half that knew only survival. The phantom tendrils of Tsubaki's grasp still haunted her and she hadn't even hurt anyone. She at least could find comfort in the fact that it hadn’t been her who had raised her weapon against her friends. 

It was one thing to have her free will stolen, bound by the grasp of control not her own. Curses could be broken, after all.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, had to reconcile not with the actions of an external force, but those of his own hands. Inuyasha had to live with the lingering fear of a threat that came from within, the nature of that which ran through his veins, and what he’d so desperately sought to become. 

Everything he thought he’d known about himself and everything he thought he’d wanted had changed.

When he didn’t even argue at her request to make a trip back home, she knew he was truly bothered by the entire affair. The journey back to the village was eerily quiet, only the sounds of the wind to break the silence until they arrived to the familiar chatter of the villagers. Miroku slotted into place amidst the crowd, seamlessly chatting with the people. Whether his intent was to obtain a fling or news on rumors of the jewel shards was anyone’s guess. Kagome had neither the energy nor the interest enough to hang around long enough to find out.

Apparently, neither did one particular demon slayer.

“Kagome, hold on!” Sango’s voice called after her.

Just nearing the edge of the village, Kagome paused to look back. While it wasn’t unusual for one of them to walk her to the well, Sango looked oddly perturbed by something as she fell into step beside her.

Once the chatter of the villagers faded a bit more Sango finally turned to address her. “Are you alright, Kagome?”

“Huh?” Kagome blinked. “Yeah, why?”

“Well,” she began hesitantly, “this is the longest you’ve stayed on this side in some time and after what happened...”

Sango trailed off, but Kagome knew she was thinking of the encounter with Tsubaki.

“You seem like you’ve been troubled by something,” Sango finally said, brows furrowed. It shouldn’t have surprised her that Sango would pick up on the emotions eating at her. She was too attentive not to. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kagome admitted, biting back a grimace, “I’m sorry, Sango. I know I haven’t been focusing on the shard hunt as much as I should have.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Sango replied and gently caught her by the shoulder. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

Of course she knew. This was Sango. Sango was one of her best friends. Although, Kagome wasn’t sure she still had the right to make that claim when she’d neglected that friendship for so long.

She couldn’t recall the last time they’d really spent time together. She couldn’t recall the last evening spent in the comfort of a hot spring, exchanging words of girlish chatter ranging from heartbreak, hope for change, and fears for the future.

Her throat tightened, renewed feelings of guilt and self-doubt wrapping their claws around still festering wounds. Sango, her first confidant in this era, who Kagome could never forget only walked the path of vengeance in the wake of her own folly – a duty she’d fled from, only to cling to another. 

Something in her cracked.

“I know, and that makes me feel even worse for leaving you guys so long!” Kagome cried, whatever grasp on her nerves that she’d had left, finally slipping from her fingers.

Kagome wasn’t sure when the weight of it all had grown so heavy and unwieldy.

“I thought I was finally getting the hang of balancing both sides but,” she choked out, “things just keep happening and I feel so guilty because I should be helping more and-”

“Kagome,” Sango interrupted, a firmness to her tone that jolted Kagome from her rambling. “None of us blame you for taking care of the family and friends you have in your own time.”

Her own time. The descriptor had never felt so grating before, yet another reminder of how out of place she was on this side of the well.

“You know, I sometimes forget that this was never your era,” Sango admitted.

Kagome wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Frankly, Kagome wasn’t sure how to feel about much of anything anymore. The open arms that Sango offered presented a comfort that she hadn’t realized she’d needed, but also the question of whether she even deserved it.

Thankfully, Sango didn’t give her the chance to dwell on it.

“When you first asked us to train you, I think that was when I- when all of us realized how much experience you really didn’t have.” Sango’s expression flickered to one of guilt for a moment as she turned to meet Kagome’s gaze. “Sometimes I’m concerned about whether I’m being too harsh, but then I worry that it would be an insult if I’m too easy on you.”

She probably should have apologized for burdening Sango in that way at all, but the smile that touched the other woman’s lips made Kagome pause.

“Teaching you how to fight like a slayer,” Sango said wistfully, “reminds me of training Kohaku.”

The weight of that declaration was not lost on her and Kagome felt her bottom lip tremble slightly. “Sango...”

“Don’t carry the weight of your troubles on your own, Kagome.” Sango reached over to squeeze her shoulder once more. “You wouldn’t let any of us.”

No, Kagome realized with a jerk, she wouldn’t have. She never would. She never could. The weight on her shoulders suddenly seemed insignificant.

“Thanks Sango,” she sniffled. “I’ll try not to take too long.”

“Say hi to Usagi-chan for me, alright?” Sango gave her one last pat on the shoulder before leaving her to continue on towards the well. This time, her feet didn’t drag quite so heavily and the quiet of her solitary trek wasn’t quite so suffocating.

‘And where did that come from anyway?’ Kagome wondered.

She hadn’t had such dark thoughts since her short-lived resentment towards Kikyo. She might have been spread rather thin recently but such depressive thoughts had never gripped at her quite so tightly before. She wasn’t alone. She had never been alone. She could hardly agonize over Inuyasha’s instinctual self-reliance when she was falling into the same habits.

‘Speaking of Inuyasha, I hope he’s okay.’ There was no glimpse of him to be found when she peered up into the canopy of the forest, but she doubted he was far; he rarely was, even when he was grappling with his own thoughts.

Kagome lingered by the well for a bit longer before she finally rose to head back through. He didn’t join her then either but, confident that he was there, keeping watch as always, she whispered a quiet offer for him to do so once he felt up to it. He needed the comfort, no matter his insistence to the contrary.  

---

The potential problems with her plan didn’t occur to her until she exited the well house and found herself greeted with the sight of the other man that had crash landed into her life.

And Jadeite had slotted into it almost alarmingly well too. Even if Kagome’s bleeding heart wasn’t so easily driven to those in need, her grandfather would certainly never let the man go now. Between his handiness around the shrine -a necessity with how many hiccups there had been while he’d relearned control of his power- and the jump in sales, he had come to adore Jadeite, prior loyalties and transgressions be damned. 

Kagome supposed it made sense that a man in the position of a general would adapt so seamlessly, and at least he’d stopped blowing up appliances when he tried to use magic. Now that enough time had passed that Usagi had likely recovered -and Kagome had finally come to terms with that guilt- she really needed to catch her friend up on this development.

She had agreed to let Jadeite recover before bringing up his survival to the others because there had clearly been more at work than a power-hungry general bent on world domination. No matter how she imagined broaching the subject, Kagome was certain that it would not end without conflict. There was clearly a history between the Shitennou and the soldiers, of which neither side seemed to remember in detail, but even without that factor the bad blood was there. Trying to broach such a contentious topic while Jadeite had been so unstable, so vulnerable, would have only ended in unnecessary disaster.

But Kagome never had been able to turn her back on someone who needed help and despite how often her tender heart got her in trouble, it had earned her just as much. Watching him now in what was clearly a training session with Souta, seeing the way he so patiently instructed her brother, she was ever more certain in her decision to give him a chance.

Jadeite was much more than the callous enemy general of the Dark Kingdom.

He patiently taught her brother. He helped her grandfather around the shrine. He ran errands for her mother. He took his time to teach her. Not only had he noticed the dreams that woke her at night, but he came to sit with her more often than not, never pressing but simply knowing somehow.

Kagome wasn’t sure exactly when she had started considering him a friend, but no matter which way she rolled the matter over in her head, she realized he had become exactly that.

Souta noticed her a moment later and his excited greeting put an end to her quiet thoughts. He ran over to her, abandoning his lesson with Jadeite to chatter excitedly about it to her. She wasn’t certain he even came up for air before launching into questions about stories of her recent travels – not that he gave her the chance to tell any.

“And look what Jed got me,” he continued, bolting back to collect something from the ground. A grin split his lips as he spun back towards her, proudly raising the wooden sword for her to see.

“Looks like you’ve learned a lot while I was gone,” Kagome replied, arching a brow at the former general as he sidled up beside her. “He’ll have to tell me all about what has been in that lesson plan.”

Jadeite arched a brow in turn, but her attention was drawn away when Souta launched into an excited presentation of his new skills. For all she knew of swordsmanship -which admittedly wasn’t much- he certainly wasn’t bad, if rough in the way expected of an amateur.

A thoughtful hum echoed from behind her.

“If I recall,” his whisper tickled her ear, “the only restriction was regarding dark magic.”

Kagome hunched her shoulders, a flush of pink burning her cheeks. “You’re still a sneak, you know that?”

Another quiet chuckle echoed behind her in response. “You’ve yet to meet Zoicite.”

The second in command, if Kagome recalled their initial chat correctly. They hadn’t spoken in too much depth that afternoon -far more of their time spent on piecing together the more immediate question of what had happened- but he had mentioned his fellows. It was, admittedly, part of what had softened her to his plight. No matter how businesslike and impartial he had attempted to discuss the matter with her, there was a certain softness when he’d spoken of the other Shitennou – they were more than comrades in arms united by duty, they were his friends.

Her ire seeped out of her all at once and Kagome heaved a sigh. Trying to still at least look annoyed, she tilted her head to look back up at him. “Is he as bad as you, then?”

Something in his gaze hardened. For a moment, it was not the gaze of an unlikely friend that stared down at her, but one of a man who had seen far too much of war.

“No,” he murmured a few seconds later, “Zoicite is far worse.”

Anyone else might have taken the comment at face value – heard only the callous tone he spoke with. Kagome, on the other hand, heard the sadness that simmered beneath it. She watched his expression, the way his eyes lingered away from her, focused on the branches of the Goshinboku that stretched out above them.

After a moment of awkward silence, she cleared her throat. “Will you tell me more about them?”

He was surprised by the request if the fleeting look on his face was anything to go by. It was just as well they finally brought this up. Of the things on her to do list while she was back this time, bringing Usagi into the fold was something that she didn’t want to put off any longer, but she also wanted to know just what they were working with first. When Jadeite suddenly exhaled, her attention snapped back to him and Kagome worried she might have made a mistake when the faraway look in his eyes returned.

“Yes,” he said, “I suppose I should.”

Her mother’s voice rang out from the direction of the house, interrupting the solemn atmosphere to announce that dinner would be ready soon. Souta bolted between the two of them with a cheer and a declaration that he was ‘absolutely starving!’ with such haste that it nearly knocked her off her feet. Already top heavy from the bag on her shoulders, it was only Jadeite’s swifter reflexes that kept her from being reacquainted with the ground.

Jadeite was merciful enough not to comment on her reflexes -or lack thereof- though she did not miss the amused curl of his lips as he steadied her. She was polite enough for a sheepish mumble of thanks in turn as she shrugged off her bag to remove the risk of another fall.

Then she nearly fell anyway as the weight vanished from her grasp.

Jadeite arched a brow at her bewildered expression. “You may want to hurry if you intend to get the tub before your brother does.”

Kagome yelped, suddenly reminded of the layer of dirt and sweat itching at her skin, and bolted for the house. “Souta, don’t you dare! I’ve got dibs, you hear me!?”

Talking could wait until after dinner but more importantly, after a bath.

---

It was just as well that they’d waited to talk that night. They talked a lot. What started as a curiosity in what his comrades were like became an exchange of stories from both of them. He did more talking than she did, but she couldn’t help but talk about Sango, Miroku, and the others through the well when she saw how fondly he spoke of his own friends. They didn’t quite end up talking until sunup as they had the last time, but if she hadn’t already been so drained from recent events in the feudal era they very well might have. But what they had managed to cover ended up being much more than she had expected anyway.

She was indeed correct that these men had been friends much more than mere comrades.

Nephrite was his best friend. Even if Jadeite had not said as much, she would have known. Everything about his expression softened and there was a fondness to his voice when he spoke of the man. She wondered if he even realized the way the corners of his lips curled up when he spoke of Nephrite’s love of the stars, the way he studied divination and even incorporated it into his use of magic.

Their commander’s name was Kunzite, but despite describing him as the most powerful of their numbers, Jadeite spoke very little of the man. Only that he was pragmatic and domineering but indulgent at times where Zoicite was concerned.

It was when she asked about Zoicite that his expression sobered. Despite being the youngest of them, he was the second in command. When she had pointed that out, his posture tensed.

“And for good reason,” he’d replied a bit tersely, “Zoicite isn’t afraid to play dirty and he certainly doesn’t need brute strength. He’s manipulative and tactical the likes you could only imagine. If you should fear facing any of the Shitennou, it should be him.”

Thoughts of Naraku, of plots that had torn lovers and families apart only to drive them to their doom, had immediately surged to the forefront of her mind. Then, the more recent attempt to use a curse on her to torment and murder her friend, had swiftly followed. She’d remembered the grasp of the dark magic all at once, the whispers to kill Inuyasha that had echoed through her head. All at once, she’d remembered everything that she had been trying so hard to simply forget.

Her thoughts must have shown on her face because he’d softened a moment later and looked away with a sigh. When he spoke again, it was a bit softer than before. “Don’t look so worried, you wouldn’t face him alone.” 

The sudden weight of his hand on her shoulder had drawn her to look at him then, and the expression in his eyes as they met hers had frozen her in that moment.

“You gave me my life,” he’d continued, “my blade is yours.” 

Not long after that, Jadeite had practically shooed her off to bed after a particularly wide yawn. She’d found herself too tired to worry about whether it was a convenient excuse to end the conversation or not, and ended up asleep barely seconds after her head hit the pillow. She didn’t remember getting under the blankets, but when she woke the next morning, she had been tucked in comfortably enough that she'd been reluctant to get up at all.

But she had too much to do to spend the day in bed, no matter how much she was tempted by the prospect. 

She to restock on supplies at the very least and ideally catch up with Usagi. The summer had practically blinked by without her notice and yet it felt as if it had been forever since she’d seen her friend.

Only her mother was in the kitchen by the time she wandered downstairs and Kagome could not help but indulge in a few minutes of comfort that came from chatting about the things on her to do list that day. Her dear mother, ever patient, only happily provided her that normalcy she so needed without so much as a blink of the eye. By the time Kagome had finished the late breakfast that had been waiting, she felt much lighter.

In fact, she damn near had a spring in her step when she finally made her way into the shopping district.

She was just leaving the last shop, renewed stock of treats and medical supplies in hand, when she ran into one Sanjouin Masato – thankfully not literally this time. When he invited her to join him at the adjacent café just near the station -funnily enough, the same one they’d already been to once before- her stomach answered for her and they settled into one of the empty outdoor tables. He was kind enough not to say anything, but eyed her numerous bags curiously.

“That’s quite a lot,” he said, “perhaps you’d like a ride home?”

“Oh, you don’t have to,” she protested, not wanting to put him out when he’d clearly been out for other things in the first place. “I’m used to making this trip, you don’t have to worry, Sanjouin-san.”

“Please,” he said, gentlemanly smile still on his lips, “call me Masato.”

Kagome felt her cheeks flush a bit. He probably didn’t realize the implications of that request. He wasn’t native to Japan, after all. “O-okay. Masato-kun then.”

“So, this is where you’ve been?”

Kagome turned at the familiar voice and was surprised to find one of her newest friends. Of course, they’d only met twice, briefly, so she couldn’t exactly say that she knew him very well, but he’d been pleasant enough to cheer her up the last time they’d met. She couldn’t help but perk up a little. “Oh, Izo-”

“Kago-chan!”

The excited shout of her name was the only warning she had before Kagome found herself nearly thrown from her seat. For a moment, all she saw was the crown of ruffled blonde hair. If that hadn’t been enough of a clue to who it was, the excitable jitters of the arms still wrapped around her confirmed it.

The chair teetered when the jittery form of what was surely one Tsukino Usagi jolted upright. Izono set a hand on the back of it before the threat of a trip to the ground could be realized, not bothering to hide the smirk that curled his lips and looking thoroughly amused as he gazed down at them.

“You’re back!” Usagi drew back with a grin, her expression practically bubbling with excitement. “You’re never going to believe it, you know that ball happening tomorrow?”

No, Kagome realized, she very much did not . She opened her mouth to admit as much, but Usagi had already stood to bounce on the balls of her feet.

“Naru got tickets!” she squealed, barely allowing Kagome a chance to blink before she continued her excited rambling. “Well, her family runs the best jewelry shop in the city so of course they were invited, and Naru has a date but his family was already attending too, so she invited me!”

Good natured as ever, Masato only gave them a look of amusement. “It certainly sounds like it will be quite the affair.”

“It definitely will be! And we’re all- oh no,” Usagi gasped suddenly, “I didn’t realize you’d be back. Naru only had two tickets and Rei got her own with Ami and Mako said she didn’t want to go but…”

“As fate might have it,” Masato interrupted with a pleasant smile that made Kagome flush when he turned to address her. “I planned to attend as well. Perhaps you might join me then?”

Usagi didn’t wait to hear Kagome’s response and instead leapt into the air with a cheer. “And now you’ve got a date too!”

The clock tower chimed above them. Usagi paled and, before Kagome could get a word in edgewise, shouldered her bag with a shriek that she was going to be late.

“Rei-chan is going to kill me,” she whined, “and I even left early too!”

“Why would Hino-”

Usagi bolted before she could even finish the question. Kagome stood to call after her, but Usagi had made it halfway down the sidewalk, only pausing to dramatically wave back at them. “I’ll see you at the party tomorrow Kago-chan!”

Left to gape as Usagi vanished into the crowd, Kagome found herself at a loss as to what exactly had just happened.

Masato’s quiet chuckle drew her back to reality. “Your friend is just as energetic as ever, I see.”

“Y-yeah,” Kagome stammered, dropping back into her chair. With another bewildered shake of her head, she set her chin in her palm with a huff. “Usagi-chan loves stuff like this- fairy tales, I mean. I’m not surprised she’s so excited for a ball.”

“Yes,” Masato hummed, “there has been quite a buzz about the reveal of this royal treasure. It’s been on my agenda for some time now.”

“You’re really going too?” Kagome paused, turning to look back at him with a blink. “What for?”

“Just a business interest,” he offered, “expanding our acquisitions, if you will.”

“But it’s tomorrow,” Kagome sputtered, “I wouldn’t even be able to dig up something to wear by then!”

“Is that all?” Izono scoffed, reminding her of his presence.  "And here I thought you were just trying to let Masato down gently."

Kagome gaped. "Of course that's not-"

“Well, that’s hardly a challenge,” Izono continued, standing with a flourish. “Come along.”

“Hey, wait a-” he took her by the wrist and had tugged from her seat before she could even finish processing exactly what she was protesting.

“Don’t worry,” Izono practically hummed, pausing to flash her a smile, his gaze drifting over her head towards Masato a moment later. His grin widened. “I’m sure Masato here can share.”  

---

Jadeite did not consider himself a particularly petty man. He was -or had been, those details were still quite blurry- a general, a knight, a king in his own right. While he did not know how he could have held such titles when all he’d known was awakening as a general of the Dark Kingdom, far too much within him insisted it was right. But the fact of the matter was that he was above petty things like jealousy. Whether he was a general, a knight, or a king jealousy was befitting none of them. It didn’t matter that Zoicite, also a king, was just as petty as he was ruthless and twice as clever.

He wasn’t Zoicite. He was Jadeite of the East.

Yet, he could not rid himself of the bitter taste that lingered in his mouth since Kagome had returned the night before to declare that she had a date to prepare for. He had no reason to interfere with whatever suitors the girl took on, but he certainly didn’t have to be part of readying her to be on another man’s arm. When the evening arrived and her mother had dutifully helped her into a dress another new friend had forcibly gifted her -‘a crazy boy with too much time and money on his hands’ if he were to quote her- and assisted with hair and makeup that seemed superfluous to him, he busied himself flipping through recent news articles that detailed the few attacks the soldiers had faced while she was gone. He ought to have been focusing on finding Nephrite, not whoever Kagome opted to date.

By the time he heard her footsteps descend the staircase, Jadeite realized that he had only been staring at the same page for the last ten minutes.

“Well?” she asked, the sound of fabric rustling as she spun. “Does it look okay?”

“Wow, sis, you look great,” Souta said. Apparently looking for some form of agreement, the boy elbowed him a second later. “Right, Jed?”

He grunted at the jab and returned the brazen gesture with a scowl. Undaunted, Souta only gave him a pointed look and Jadeite took a breath to swallow the budding annoyance.

“Yes, I’m sure she-” the words caught in his throat as he turned to look at her, his mouth suddenly dry. The gown wasn’t particularly extravagant, but the simplicity of it suited her. There was a quiet elegance in the modest design, the high collar that accentuated the curve of her throat and the pale blues of the fabric that complimented the darker hue of her eyes. It was only when she shuffled nervously that he realized he was staring. The corners of his lips tugged upward, hiding his brief falter beneath an amused smirk. “Like a little princess.”

“Hey!” she protested, her cheeks flushed and shoulders hunched in such a flustered expression that Jadeite had to bite back a laugh.

Souta snickered. “Only you would act like ‘princess’ is an insult, sis.”

“You try constantly being called ‘wench’ or ‘woman’ or ‘priestess’ and see how you like it,” she muttered.

The urge to laugh rapidly vanished. Jadeite wasn’t certain why he was so irritated. Such treatment came as no real surprise given what he knew of humans and the little he remembered of the older eras of humanity. He hadn’t looked on the soldiers with any greater semblance of respect.

‘A woman like her would have at least been respected in the Earth kingdoms.’ The errant thought startled him. There was a sudden ache at the back of his skull as Jadeite wondered on where it had come from.

“Besides,” she groaned, mercifully distracting him, “as much as I want to just enjoy the first real date I’ve had in ages, I’m actually kind of worried.”

Jadeite looked up at that. He didn’t have to wonder much on what she could be so concerned over.

“The whole event is apparently to reveal some royal ‘treasure’.” She pursed her lips, and Jadeite felt his own thin as her eyes caught his. “I’m sure we’re not the only ones who will be there to look into it.”

A wise assumption, he would admit. It had been long enough since his defeat that the soldiers were quite overdue for a meeting with the remainder of the four kings. If anything, the lack of follow up after the attack on that festival had been odd. He hadn’t expected them to be so cautious, Zoicite’s dramatic means of sending a message or not.

It was just nearing sunset when her date arrived to collect her. Jadeite opted to keep himself busy in the shop until he heard the front door shut and their footsteps fade down the stairs. When he meandered inside Souta was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and looking oddly expectant. Jadeite arched a brow and turned for the stairs when he didn’t seem keen to elaborate.

“You should’ve gone with her.”

Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Jadeite turned to look back at the boy. “Pardon?”

“You heard me.” Souta crossed his arms and looked up at him expectantly. “I know you like her.”

This child was as obnoxiously perceptive as his sister, Jadeite mused. “You seem to know a lot, kid.”  

“You mean that you’re really that Jadeite guy?” he asked.

Not expecting him to speak so plainly, Jadeite blinked. The boy must have assumed his surprise was due to the knowledge of his identity rather than the bluntness he’d spoken of it, because he only rolled his eyes a moment later.

“Oh, come on. Jadeite? Jed?” he shrugged. “I’m a kid, I’m not stupid.”

No, Jadeite thought, this boy most certainly was not. In fact, he was incredibly shrewd. Though a child, he had a keen eye and quick thinking that almost reminded him of Zoicite. Of course, Zoicite wouldn’t be nearly so trusting. Zoicite certainly wouldn’t have remained peaceably silent while possessing such information but it was more than the silence. The boy had gone so far as to cover for him when the half demon had first stumbled in on his presence. Despite clearly having a line of communication with the sailor soldiers, despite actively assisting them -if at a distance- he kept silent. It certainly wasn’t out of simple ignorance.

Jadeite eyed him thoughtfully. “And yet you say nothing?”

“It’s not cause I trust you,” Souta replied, his gaze sharper than his age should have allowed. “I trust my sister.” 

The silence that hung between them was contradictorily loud – far more than it had any right to be.

Jadeite couldn’t say he was terribly surprised. Even the soldiers, save for Mars, seemed to defer to the girl’s judgment, despite the fact that she wasn’t even truly one of them. He supposed with a track record of befriending what amounted to conmen and demons, it really was no surprise that she’d fallen into the role so well. Idly, he wondered if she even realized how much she’d led them. 

“But,” Souta continued, interrupting Jadeite’s thoughts to fix him with a scowl, “I also won’t hesitate to drop a homing beacon on your ass so the others can hunt you down if you hurt her.”  

“Duly noted,” Jadeite assured, far more amused than offended. “You certainly won’t have to worry about that because-”  

“Cause I’ll take care of him before you get the chance.”  

They turned simultaneously to look towards the interruption. Souta perked up and excitedly ran to greet the half demon while Jadeite clenched his jaw and they exchanged looks over the boy’s head.

Inuyasha was the one who finally broke their staring contest with a scoff. “Where’s Kagome?”  

“Out on a date,” Souta replied with an impish grin. Inuyasha visibly bristled but if Souta noticed, he seamlessly ignored the reaction. “Soldier stuff too though. Some big fancy party over some foreign royal treasure.”

Inuyasha’s attention snapped to Souta. “They think it’s that crystal the cat was goin’ on about?”

“And maybe the princess. Either way, they don’t exactly have any other leads to chase. Here,” Souta flopped back onto the sofa to grab the remote and flick on the television. The half demon honed in on the appliance and Jadeite used the distraction as an opportunity to retreat.

“-chaos at the Diamond Kingdom Embassy as the royal princess has clearly gone mad!”   

For the second time that night Jadeite froze at the foot of the stairs.  

He crossed the length of the room to eye the news report before he realized that he’d even moved. His lips thinned as he eyed the scene. He recognized those tactics. He knew that power. The girl wasn’t mad. The girl was possessed.  

“Can’t leave the wench for a fuckin’ day,” Inuyasha bit out as he turned with a snarl to stomp towards the door. “I’m going down there!”

“Wait, Inuyasha,” Souta sputtered, “do you even know where that is?”

“I know her scent,” Inuyasha huffed as he yanked the door open. Judging by the loud crack that followed the motion, Jadeite realized he would have to fix that later. But they had bigger problems to deal with than cracked drywall.

“She left by car. Tracking her by scent will take too long,” he interjected, undaunted by the scowl the half demon shot in his direction. “However, I happen to know this city quite well by now. I will go with you.”

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need your help.”

“You do,” Jadeite replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “And I wasn’t asking.”