InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Naraku's Expiriment ❯ Hide and Seek ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter 21 ~ Hide and Seek

 

Autumn clung to Kirara's yellow fur, looking down at the villages that were so far below. It was an amazing view, but she was always afraid that she would fall to her death. Kirara made a funny mewling noise and Autumn wished that she could speak Cat-ese so she would be able to understand what she was saying.

 

When Sesshoumaru's castle came into view she said, “Right here, okay?”

 

The cat youkai made a growling affirmative and slowly drifted to the ground. Once Autumn had safely gotten off of her back, Kirara transformed back into kitten state. Autumn scooped her up and carried her, looking around. It was so big. How could she find Sesshoumaru in this…maze?

 

It would be impossible.

 

“Autumn-san!” a familiar voice cried out.

 

She turned around to be greeted by Rin. “Hello Rin,” she said, feeling vast relief. If Rin was hanging around, Sesshoumaru had to be around somewhere nearby.

 

“You brought a kitty!” she exclaimed happily, looking at Kirara. She mewed and ran out of Autumn's arms towards Rin. “Nice kitty, good kitty,” Rin said, petting her gently. “What's her name?”

 

“Kirara. Be careful with her, Rin. She doesn't belong to me. She's a friend's.”

 

“Rin will take good care of Kirara.”

 

“I know you will.”

 

They sat there, watching the happy cat demon scurry over the marble tiles of the floor when a shadow passed over them, making Kirara mew and hide in Rin's arms. Autumn glanced over her shoulder and saw Sesshoumaru standing there, looking down at the cat youkai. “Back again.”

 

“Yes,” Autumn said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I came back for Maboroshi no Akari.”

 

“Ah,” he said. “Your sword. What of it.”

 

“You said you'd give it back when I healed!”

 

“No I didn't. You merely assumed I'd give it back.”

 

She groaned inwardly. “Will you give it back?”

 

He smirked. “Maybe.”

 

She got to her feet as quickly as she could and then said, “What kind of a crappy answer is that? I need it back and I am NOT leaving until I get my sword back!” When he did not answer and walked away, she started to chase after him, but tripped over something that knocked her on the floor. It was that toad again. “Not you,” she muttered.

 

“How dare you speak to lord Sesshoumaru in such a manner? And under his own roof! You're lucky you weren't kicked out or killed.” From her position on the floor, she saw him brandish the staff in a threatening manner. Like he's actually gonna hit me with that, she thought.

 

“No one is kicking me out until I get what's mine.”

 

“Are you trying to imply something?” Jaken asked skeptically.

 

“No, I'm not trying to imply anything,” Autumn said. “I'm saying your `lord' is a thief and until I get that sword back, I'm not leaving.”

 

Jaken stared at her, dumbstruck. “A thief? The mighty lord Sesshoumaru referred to as a common bandit? You will not live to regret those words! I'm getting lord Sesshoumaru.” With that, he waddled off in anger in pursuit of the tai-youkai.

 

“Jaken-sama is silly,” Rin said, and she proceeded to imitate him, puffing up her cheeks and shifting from side to side as she walked. Autumn laughed, clapping her hands, but secretly thought that no matter what Rin did she was still much too cute to ever do a realistic Jaken impression.

 

“That filthy little hanyou called you a thief, my lord!”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Autumn's ears pricked up. Shit! She thought. Jaken, you dirty little rat. Trying to get me killed? She looked at Rin who was still smiling with that innocent expression. What to tell a little girl that runs along the line of `let's get our sorry asses out of here?'

 

“Hey, Rin,” she said. “Wanna play hide and seek?”

 

“How do you play?” she asked, with a mock-scornful look that was such a gruesome parody of Sesshoumaru's scowl it would have been hilarious under circumstances.

 

“Easy, we hide from Sesshoumaru and Jaken,” Autumn said. Preferably, somewhere near my sword so I can grab it and get OUT.

 

“Rin likes, that sounds like a fun game. Let's hide around the corner.”

 

So obvious, but hiding beggars can't be hiding chooses, she thought with true regret.

 

Rin grabbed her by the hand and led her around the corner so that they could watch. “Well, where are they…?” Sesshoumaru said.

 

“I-I don't know, my lord! They were here a moment ago. That little brat always tries to pull things over me. They're trying to get me in trouble!”

 

Who's trying to get who in trouble? Autumn wondered.

 

Sesshoumaru was not amused by Jaken's pathetic woes. “I hope you didn't interrupt my work because you couldn't handle a little girl.” His amber eyes had darkened slightly, but other than that, his face had not changed. Autumn wondered if that meant he was getting angry.

 

“They hanyou was with her, my lord!” Jaken sputtered. He looked under a bucket lying in the middle of the floor, as though they were hiding underneath. “They're probably hiding somewhere, to avoid getting in trouble!”

 

Sesshoumaru stood in the middle of the room, watching Jaken scurry around looking under any object that was not bolted down.

 

“Surely, they must be around here somewhere!” Jaken said desperately, looking behind a broom.

 

Rin giggled.

 

Sesshoumaru's head snapped up, in their direction.

 

Oh my god… She gently shook Rin. “Rin! Rin, no!” To Autumn's horror, that only made her laugh harder. Rin collapsed to the floor in a mad fit of hysteria. I should've known little kids can never play hide and seek properly, she thought ruefully.

 

Jaken looked up, just hearing the noise. Sesshoumaru was already gone.

 

Damn, where'd that guy go now?

 

She looked around and saw him standing

right

in.

front.

of.

her.

 

Oh shit.

 

“What have we here?”