InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Snow White and the Seven 'Dwarfs'...Sort of ❯ Insanity ( Chapter 46 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Japanese Dreamer- Thank you! I liked the glowing tree part myself. And finally the couples are getting together; it only took 46 chapters to get it started. (Eye roll) I enjoy tormenting Kouga way to much, I’m sure there must be something wrong with me. It’s to bad Mini Kouga is so much fun to write. Good for the rest of you though I guess. Enjoy the chapter!

Silverwolf1212- Thank you! I love Sess and Rin to! Hope you enjoy all the future stuff with them.

Hannah- Thank you! I can’t really promise you a lemon for Sess and Rin in this story, but in my King Thrushbeard story, they have a lime AND a lemon! (I’m really losing the patience to make this story any longer by adding a lemon. If I’m in the mood I might do one, but don’t count on it.) No one’s ever called this literature before, it gives me warm fuzzies someone thinks so. Thanks again!

Nightlife Maiden- YAY!

Disclaimer- I do not own Inuyasha or Snow White

Rin

Rin hurried out from the gates, being almost ridiculously happy back in her own clothes. As soon as she had escaped the ex-Seven members, she begged another serving girl to take her place, offering to take on her duties. Thankfully the girl had accepted.

Rin didn’t know what she would have done if she hadn’t.

Briefly, she wondered if she should back out before things became too dangerous and immediately discarded the idea. She had to get close to Kikyo’s and Naraku’s rooms before she could even think of leaving. Besides, it was a big palace and she was one of a hundred girls, she doubted she would run into the three men again.

Still, she couldn’t quite ignore the tiny wiggling shred of worry on her chest.

She caught sight of her men and Sesshomaru hidden in the forest shadows and hurried faster towards them, grateful to be among friends.

"We have to talk." Rin said bluntly, knowing the look on Bankotsu’s face meant he was about to whine about being a ghost if she didn’t talk first.

Bankotsu instantly went serious as he and the rest of the men pulled back deeper in the woods, Rin following them.

"What is it Rin?" Renkotsu asked first. "The three ex Seven members are working with Naraku." Rin announced, knowing there was no easy way to say it.

Her men went quiet before some of them started breaking out in curses. Sesshomaru went completely still next to Rin as if he had to force himself not to move.

"Fuck." Bankotsu swore, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "I had hoped-" he broke away as he stared off deeper into the forest.

Oda scowled and rubbed Jakotsu’s shoulder reassuringly. Suikotsu growled menacingly, and Bankotsu quickly forgot his own pain to calm him.

Rin hesitated for a moment. "They looked... differently then how you described them." she said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Renkotsu asked, needing something to distract him.

"Well, Bankotsu said Ginkotsu was small and weak. The man I saw today...didn’t even look human. Almost every single part of him was made of metal, he was terrifying." Rin shuddered slightly.

Bankotsu laughed humorlessly, "Kyotostu?" he asked.

"He’s the biggest man I’ve ever seen; he’s almost as big as the room. But his mouth is awful, they look more like razor sharp daggers then teeth."

Suikotsu wanted to mourn his loss of the friend who had always been able to assure and soothe him with his kind smile, but forced himself to stay quiet.

"And Mukotsu looks more like a white frog then a guy, but he still insists like acting like a ladies man." Rin explained scornfully.

Jakotsu shook his head. "That moron."

Silence hung over them as her men fought to control their anger and hurt.

"I guess we know now why we were betrayed." Bankotsu finally said bitterly. "And isn’t it ironic it’s on the same day as when we’re planning to go back to Taro’s house and see what their vanity caused?"

Rin laid her hand on his arm. "We don’t have to go tonight if you aren’t ready Bank. There will be other times." she assured him softly.

Bankotsu shook his head, "No, we need to go back and face what we’ve been afraid to for years." His eyes turned hard, "We have to remember after what they did, Mukotsu, Ginkotsu and Kyotostu are dead to us, and soon to the rest of the world."

Rin shivered and stepped back from him, recognizing he didn’t want to be comforted. "We’ll still go tonight then." a small smile touched her lips, "But not before we scare that asshole doctor out of town." she promised.

Bankotsu let the darkness fade from his eyes and nodded, "Right after then."

Suddenly he grabbed Renkotsu and started pulling him, "Come on Renko, lets go plan!" he said, suddenly gleeful as if he had never been upset.

Jakotsu scowled, "Hey, I’m helping to!" he complained, stomping off towards them with Oda following indulgently.

"I will show you where he is." Suikotsu told them sounding satisfied.

Bankotsu turned back to Rin, "Don’t worry about a thing; we’ll take care of everything. You go out and have a little fun for once." he ordered as he was walking away.

"Meet us at the square around midnight Boss." Jakotsu called back, "And don’t do anything with a straight man I wouldn’t do!" Jakotsu teased, glancing at Sess.

Rin’s mouth dropped open, "But you’re gay, you beat straight guys up!" she argued back. "And that’s too late to meet my mother!"

Bankotsu waved a hand, his voice fading, "Your mom’s always been a night owl, I doubt anything’s changed that." he told her. "Remember, midnight at the square!"

"Hey!" Rin yelled, only to be met back with their retreating forms.

She grumbled under her breath, trying desperately to forget she was alone with Sesshomaru. Damn it, this day was horrible! And the night probably wouldn’t be much better. What the hell was she doing getting happy just because she was with Sess?

Forget her mom; she was turning into the crazy one.

"I’m hoping you will not take Jakotsu’s advice and attempt to fight me." Sesshomaru’s silky smooth voice washed over her.

Rin closed her eyes, fighting against the moan that threatened to escape her mouth. "Clothes!" she chocked out. "I need new clothes."

Sesshomaru glanced over her current outfit. "Yes." he said bluntly.

Rin waved a hand at him, "Not this! I need something to meet my mother in! If what I heard is true, the first thing mothers do is criticize their daughter’s clothes." Rin lectured as if from memory all the late night talks she, Ayame and Sango had about their mothers.

Sesshomaru pursed his lips thoughtfully as he looked her over, "Perhaps something in purple." he decided. "With a obi that starts here, and ends there." Sesshomaru reached out and drew a line with the tip of his finger down from under her breasts to her naval.

Rin’s senses immediately went on alert at that simple touch and wanted him to do that again. Harder. And hitting contact with spots that didn’t want to make her giggle.

Rin wondered if it would seem strange if she jumped into the river to cool herself off.

"Let’s go look then!" she said brightly, almost running to get somewhere public with him and fast.

Sesshomaru allowed a quick smile to touch his lips before walking after her, knowing exactly what was causing her reaction.

Sango

Sango toyed with her food nervously, not feeling very hungry despite Kagome having laid out one of her favorite meal in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Ayame bounce around excitedly, eager for her men to arrive the following day while Kouga sulked at being ignored. Hiten and Kagura were looking at one another like they were each a slice of chocolate pie when they weren’t paying attention to Soten and Shippo. Kagome and Inuyasha kept arguing about something dumb one minute, before getting sweet and gooey the next. Kaede just kept sighing and shaking her head at all the stupid pairs of love sick fools as she sneaked food to Kirara under the table.

And Miroku? He was staring anxiously at her wondering why she wasn’t eating.

Sango smiled faintly and chewed slowly on a bite of food, hardly noticing it tasted like sawdust in her mouth.

She had to do something about Miroku, ever since that little incident happened this afternoon, she was afraid to even come within ten feet of him, terrified she would throw herself in his arms and beg him to take her.

Just because she had received confirmation from Kami telling her they were meant to be, did not mean she could just go around flinging herself at him. It was not dignified.

And it came way to close to turning clingy.

She swallowed another bite of food half heartedly, wondering what she was going to do. Maybe the next time he asked her, she would just say yes and get married?

But waiting around for a man, even Miroku, didn’t agree with her. And she didn’t want to give him the opportunity to tell their children he was the reason they became a couple.

And besides, assurance from Kami or not, she had a few things to clear up with him before they headed to any alter.

Decision made, she didn’t give herself time to think it over. She set her chop sticks firmly down on the table, stood up, grabbed Miroku by the back of his robe and started tugging.

"Come on monk, I want to talk to you. Alone." she added to the suddenly curious dwarfs as she dragged Miroku out the door.

Rin

Rin glanced up at Sesshomaru as they walked towards the town’s square, wishing she could watch him more easily. The moon was a tiny sliver of white tonight; it was hard to see anything.

She hoped that wouldn’t make it harder to find her way home.

Rin had to admit to herself she was nervous about meeting her mother. Just how insane was she? So insane she wouldn’t remember her own daughter?

And how could she get through the night with this unbearable guilt weighting her down? Maybe if she had been a little faster, a little smarter, her mother wouldn’t have driven herself mad to keep her safe.

And in the end, it hadn’t been enough, had it? Rin had still gotten herself killed.

"Stop." Sesshomaru ordered, interrupting her mental rambling.

Rin squinted up at him, "What?" she asked, confused. They weren’t at the square yet, why should they stop walking?

"Stop thinking." he corrected himself. "They are not good thoughts."

Rin scowled, suddenly annoyed, "What would you know about my thoughts?"

Great, was she so weak Sesshomaru could see her turmoil even in the dark? What a warrior she was turning out to be, she should have-

Sesshomaru’s lips on hers halted her pity party as quickly as if the cops had come to bust it. Every single previous thought and worries fell out of her mind and she concentrated only on his lips on hers. She slipped her arms around his neck and dragged herself closer as Sesshomaru slid his own arms across her back.

Gently his tongue lapped at her mouth and with a sigh, she responded to his urging and let her lips fall open. He traced the inside of her mouth before coming to her tongue and giving it one long stoke that sent all her nerve endings on fire.

Finally when her frail human body demanded for air, they pulled away, their lips separating with a small pop.

"Think about that." Sesshomaru ordered, laying his hand on her back and leading her forward.

Licking her lips in wonder, Rin found that was the only think she could think about.

"Your men are early." Sesshomaru remarked, his gaze drawn to the group of men waiting near the square’s fountain.

Rin blinked, still slowly coming to her senses. "It must have gone well tonight." she said, feeling distracted by the way Sesshomaru’s amazing lips formed words.

She hoped it had anyway. Her men needed to be cheered up before they faced her mother.

"How did everything go?" Rin asked them as they approached.

She saw Bankotsu’s grin even in the dim light of the moon. "Freaking awesome. That doc isn’t coming around here for awhile." he boasted.

She felt herself smile in return, "Happy to hear it. You guys want to go now?"

"Yeah, let’s go." Jakotsu responded before starting to walk, before stopping and taking a closer look at Rin. "Hey Boss, is something different about you? Oh! You actually have cute clothes on!" he gushed, obviously pleased.

Rin blushed as her men glanced over the clothes Sesshomaru had picked out for her. "Do you think it’s appropriate to meet Mother in?" she asked shyly, her hand sliding down the smooth cloth of her green kimono.

Jakotsu pursed his lips, "Where did you put your daggers?"

Rin slipped her hands inside two nearly invisible cuts in the fabric Sesshomaru had sliced for her and pulled out the weapons hanging from her hips.

"Perfect! I love it!" Jakotsu praised as Rin put her knifes back where they belonged.

Bankotsu shrugged, "its nice." he said and Rin took that as the highest praise possible from a manly man with a hopeless sense of fashion.

"If you are done?" Sesshomaru asked, gracefully indicating the way out of the square.

Rin took a breath, hoping she would be able to find her way home but knew instinctively she could.

"It’s this way." She told them as her men and even Oda faithfully followed her.

Sango

Sango kept a tight grip on the back of Miroku’s robes as she hauled him out of the house and into the woods were she was sure they would have some privacy. Kirara leapt up to the skies to keep watch for them as she let go up Miroku and waited patiently for him to get up and face her expectantly.

Sango took a deep breath and forced her tense muscles to relax.

"I want to stay a warrior. Just because I become a wife doesn’t mean I’m ready to completely settle down." she started to tell him firmly. "And I have no idea how to run a household, so you better be ready to hire someone who can. And don’t even think about dressing me up in some fancy, stiff, uncomfortable kimono to become a pretty decoration at your side or I’ll shove all that fabric down your neck." she warned, completely serious. "Oh and just because you’re my husband does not mean you order me around like a asshole feudal lord, I’ll fully prepared to knock you off a cliff if you do. And another thing-"

Miroku reached out and clasped her hands tightly to his chest, "Are you saying what I think you’re saying my love?" he asked hopefully.

Sango had to swallow down the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. There was so much love shining out of his eyes...

And she was surprised at the sudden lightness in her own heart, of how sure and right this felt.

Idiot. She had loved the pervert all along.

"Miroku, would you marry me?" she asked him.

Miroku grinned and crushed her against his chest, spinning around in joy as they both started laughing. "Kami yes! Of course, I would have liked to have asked you-"

Sango stilled him with her lips on hers. "I couldn’t let my daughter think I was willing to wait around for you." she murmured against his skin, not being able to stop smiling.

Miroku threw back his head and laughed, so full of happiness he felt slightly dizzy.

"I was serious about my demands though." she reminded him, tilting her head up to nip at his chin lightly.

"I had no intention of turning you into a submissive, quiet woman Sango, I don’t have a death wish." he told her dryly. He cupped her cheek, meeting her eyes head on. "I have every intention of making you happy." he promised solemnly.

Sango bit her lip, wondering if she really wanted to voice her most secret, deepest desire to him.

"I want to be a teacher." she blurted out, and almost slapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment of what she let out.

Miroku blinked, "Really?"

"Yes. I want to go out, find unwanted, orphaned children, bring them back to my village and give them somewhere to belong, and a purpose." she confessed. "I want to pass down all my knowledge to them, teach them how to protect themselves and others. I want to open my life, my home, and my village to them. I want to guide them." she rambled on, not noticing Miroku’s soft face.

He smiled, falling deeper in love with Sango then he had before. "Thank Kami then, I’ve always wanted to be the teacher’s husband. Have someone punish me when I’m bad." he purred, leaning forward to kiss the back of her ear.

He moved his lips to the corner of her mouth when she looked like she wanted to yell at him.

"And I’ve never wanted to be a lord like my father. I’ve always dreamed of just handing it all off to my cousin and running far, far away. But I like your plan a lot better." he told her, settling his lips back over hers.

"I promise you Sango, as soon as Naraku is defeated and I can give my title away we’ll go off somewhere, and won’t come back till we bring home the first unwanted child we find." he swore.

Sango smiled, her eyes prickling slightly, "If you’re sure..."

He nodded his head firmly, "The only thing I’ve been surer of is my love for you."

"I love you to Miroku." Sango told him, letting herself utter those words for the first time. "And that’s why before we do anything I’m dragging you to the altar."

Miroku smirked, "Sounds kinky. Are you going to tie me down so you can make sure I don’t get away while you have your wicked way with me?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows lecherously.

Sango smiled slyly, "We’ll see." she promised, pulling his head back down for another kiss.

When she let him go, he pulled back up chuckling. "You keep kissing me like that, and ten horny Jakotsu’s couldn’t drag me away."

She nuzzled his throat. "You keep loving me like this, Death couldn’t take me until he was ready for you to."

Miroku pulled her as close as humanly possible and settled his chin on her head, suddenly somber as he thought of the upcoming battle. "I’ll hold you to that."

Rin

Oda cursed behind Rin as another branch snagged and pulled at his hair.

"Kami fucking damn it, are you sure this is the right way? This road looks like it’s been abandoned for years." he snarled, pulling out the twig and stomped on it angrily.

Rin fought the impulse to whirl around and punch him, trying to remember Jakotsu liked the jerk for some reason.

"Who’s suppose to take care of the path if the owners of the home are dead, missing or insane?" Rin snapped back. "And I doubt my mother has gotten many visitors over the years."

Oda fell silent, and Rin hoped it was because he was ashamed of himself. He was probably Jakotsu’s kissing/sucking Jakotsu’s fingers again. For some tough soldier, he was really touchy.

Rin almost tripped over a large protruding root, grateful for Sesshomaru’s hands suddenly there to steady her.

To be honest, she was ashamed herself for letting her family’s home degrade like this. With her father dead, and her mother out of her mind, she was responsible for looking over their holdings. Surely she could have found a way sooner to come home, try to make things a little easier on the servants and her mother.

"Do not force me to distract you in front of your men." Sesshomaru’s quiet voice flowed over her, intruding on her thoughts.

Rin glared at him, knowing he could still see her in the dark.

"We should be coming up to the house just about now." Rin called back to her men.

Even as she spoke, she saw the road break away to a open area which was for dropping people off at the front entrance.

If there were any people to drop off anyway.

When her house finally came into view, it wasn’t what Rin had expected.

It was much worse.

She was surprised part of the roof hadn’t caved in, a good portion of it looked like it was slowly tumbling down. Weeds and other plants grew rampant over the grounds and the house, the grass was nearly as high as her hips. What wood that wasn’t covered by ivy, looked dark and rotten and in the low light, and Rin imagined she could hear termites munching happily on her home among the crickets chirping. She could see no light glowing from the inside, and almost wondered if anyone was still there before she remembered Mayu was the one who had sent her here in the first place.

She heard her men’s sharp intake of breathe behind her as they froze.

"Damn it." Bankotsu muttered under his breath, the last of his good mood from tormenting the doctor finally slipping away. "We should have stayed here instead of running away."

Rin sighed instead of cursing, "Let’s just keep going, no point in standing out here." she grumbled, walking forward. She inwardly winced, wondering how much worse the inside could be.

Rin paused outside the double doors. "Should I knock or just go in?" she questioned.

"Knock." Bankotsu said after a moment. "It’s your house; people aren’t expected at this hour.

Rin shrugged, agreeing with his logic even if knocking on the door to her own house slightly unsettled her.

Reaching up, she rapped her knuckles sharply against the wood, hoping the noise was loud enough to draw someone’s attention.

And jumped back when the door fell over and hit the floor with a booming thunk.

Jakotsu leaned forward and examined the rusty, broken hinges. "Huh. Guess we should have just gone in." he commented.

Bankotsu grunted quietly, "At least we know someone must have heard us." he shot back.

Footsteps pounding rapidly across the floor stopped whatever Renkotsu’s reply was, as a scary looking, man/woman in a pink coat skidded in front of the open doorway.

He groaned and pulled at his long black hair. "Gah! Not the door to!" He cried.

Rin studied the man as he paced over the door, moaning and crying, trying to place him. He looked so familiar.

He looked like he was in the middle of his twenties, which meant he was young when he started working for her family. He had long black hair pulled up into a high ponytail on top of his head, his flamboyant pink coat was covered with dirt and his lips were bright, bright red. She had even more trouble telling him apart from a woman then she had Jakotsu. But he looked tough, strong and someone who wouldn’t fear easily.

"How am I supposed to fix this? This is impossible! We don’t have money to fix the door!" he slapped his hands to his cheeks and pulled at his cheekbones.

He completely froze when he caught sight of his visitors and stood stock still, his hands still pulling at the skin under his eyes and his mouth wide open.

He blinked as he took in Rin, Sesshomaru, Oda and the last members of Seven.

"Oh how wonderful. We’re about to be robbed." he said in a daze. "And since there’s nothing to be robbed, we’ll be killed instead."

Rin suddenly started laughing as she stepped inside, "Don’t be so silly, it’s me, Rin!" she giggled.

The servant’s hands dropped from his face as if she had attached lead weights to them.

"...Rin?" he croaked.

And Gatenmaru let out one last moan before he fell over in a dead faint.

Back with the Dwarfs...

"Sango, Kagura, I’m telling you for the last time, I’m dragging you away from your boy toy’s so we can have some girl time if I have to grab you by the hair and toss you over my shoulders!" Ayame threatened her hands on her hips as she glared at her friends, one settled on a lightening demons lap, and the other one with a monk seemingly permanently stuck to her back.

‘I love a strong woman. Thinking about her using that voice on us makes my knees go weak.’ Mini Kouga sighed.

Kouga grunted, wanting to rub the ache in his knees away from kneeling so long, but he refused to pull his gaze away from Ayame for a instant.

‘Oh sure, you get the urge to turn all stalker on her when she doesn’t want you anymore! And now look where you’ve gone me! Stuck outside, crouching under a window to our own house, and spying on our own woman, covered in MUD!’ his demon shrieked shrilly.

Kouga desperately wished there was a way to inflict pain on his own demon without harming himself.

‘I just can not believe this, you rolled around in the mud like a fucking pig just to hide our scent from Ayame. This would make sense if you were planning to sneak up on her and steal her away to ravish her but noooo, we’re covered in mud so you can eavesdrop on what shoes best go with her skirt.’ Mini Kouga drawled sarcastically.

Kouga gritted his teeth and fought not to bash his head against the wall.

"I guess a hour or two wouldn’t hurt." Sango allowed, ignoring Miroku’s crestfallen face.

Ayame fixed a innocent expression on her face for Kagura. "And we are visiting the hot springs." she added.

Kagura brightened and shoved Hiten’s arm’s off her as she stood up. "Let me grab a towel." she told them, and ran from the room to go get one.

"Get one for me to!" Sango called out after her.

Hiten and Miroku scowled at Ayame. "Thanks a lot Ayame." Miroku said sourly.

"Yeah." Hiten echoed.

Ayame waved this off, "You’ll survive for a few hours….” she told them flippantly, "Do guy stuff while we’re gone, like arm wrestling or spit contests or whatever you do."

Kagura emerged from the other room and tossed a towel at Ayame and Sango.

Kagrua pressed her lips quickly to Hiten’s lips, "Later babe." she told him huskily, slightly distracting him from grabbing her as she headed for the door.

"Kagome!" Ayame hollered, and Kagome rushed out of the kitchen, with a mark that looked suspiciously like a hickey on her neck.

Sango waved at Miroku, still a bit uncomfortable with large amounts of public affection as she walked with Kagura, Ayame and Kagome close behind them.

Kouga pressed closer to the side of the house as they passed by him, Ayame’s scent gently teasing his nose.

‘That’s not all she could be teasing, jerk.’ Mini Kouga grumbled.

Kouga waited for a moment, waiting to see if Kagura would turn around and ask why the hell he was hiding behind a bush and covered in mud.

When she didn’t turn around, he slowly began to creep after them, sticking to the shadows as much as possible.

Once they reached the hot spring, he carefully started to climb a tree while they undressed, not rushing even though he wanted to see Ayame’s body. He wanted to hear their conversation much more then getting caught because he fell.

When he finally settled himself into a branch, the girls were already settled in the warm water, only their bare shoulders showing.

"So Ayame, since you’re the one who dragged us away from our ‘boy toys’, you should be the one who gets grilled first." Kagura told her slyly, shifting slightly in the water.

Ayame finished tying her pig tails up into buns and let her arms drop down into the water, her cheeks looking a little red.

"Grilled about what?" she asked as innocently as she could.

"About that guy who’s coming with your men tomorrow." Kagome reminded her helpfully.

"Yeah, him." Sango chimed in.

Ayame sank down deeper into the water, a dreamy look in her eyes.

‘Grrrr.’

"Tell us about him." Kagura urged.

Ayame lazily started to draw patterns in the water with a fingertip.

‘Wouldn’t that be nice on our skin?’ Little Kouga taunted big Kouga.

"We were childhood friends." Ayame began her eyes on the patterns she was tracing in the water. "Our parents were very close friends and we just sort of naturally gravitated towards each other. He gave me my first kiss." she confessed, the red in her cheeks going a little deeper.

‘THAT FUCKING BASTARD!’ Mini Kouga roared. Kouga bit down hard on his own lip to keep silent.

The other three girls squealed, "Aw, what happened then?" Kagome asked.

Ayame shrugged, "He started courting me unofficially, but then my father died and with no other heirs I had to take the throne a little earlier then expected. I was so busy running my country and dealing with Naraku and Kikyo’s sudden attacks on my land, we didn’t have much time to meet." she explained. "And soon, Naraku had ‘killed’ me and I’ve been a dwarf ever since." she smiled "Tomorrow will be the first time I’ve seen any of my people in years." she told them.

"Do you think you’ll get together with him?" Kagome asked eagerly. "That would be great if your husband really is your best friend."

Ayame hesitated, "I don’t love him like a husband. Yet." she added like an after thought.

‘And she never WILL if you’ll just get your fucking ass in gear." His demon snarled.

"Well, if Kouga never gets his head out of his ass, I hope you do fall for him and live happily ever after." Sango declared.

Kagura nodded, "Hear, hear."

‘See?? Even they agree with me!’

"Would he be good for you though? Not Kouga, the other guy." Kagome asked, worried about her friend possibly falling for a potential jerk. Not that Kouga wasn’t a jerk enough already...

Ayame nodded firmly, "Oh, he’d make a great husband. He’s smart, honest, and so sweet." she sighed.

‘Fucking pansy.’ Mini Kouga swore.

"Hopefully his face isn’t bad to look at either." Kagura murmured, rasing a eyebrow in question.

Ayame sighed, "Trust me, it’s no pain to look at his face or his body." she assured them.

‘Hah! We’ll see how pretty the asshole’s face looks after I’ve pounded him into the ground.’

"Enough about him though, I want to hear more about that mark on Kagome’s neck." Ayame distracted them as Kagome sank lower into the water.

"Yeah Kag, where did that come from?" Kagura asked innocently.

"Not from a certain dog lord, is it?" Sango added.

Kagome only moaned as she slid further into the water.

"If you must know." she started to tell them, "Inuyasha tried to tell me something about platypus before giving up and....kissing my neck." she told them, her cheeks turning brighter then Ayame’s hair.

Kouga silently groaned and scratched at the dried mud on his arm, knowing this could take all night if the girls wanted to play therapist and try to determine Inuyasha’s unsaid emotional message thing while any guy would tell you the guy was to afraid to tell the girl he loved her, so he marks her up to keep other guys from poaching. Duh.

‘Oh, and now you’re the expert on relationships? You don’t even have one because you’re terrified of commitment. Or something. Just what the hell is your problem anyway?’ Mini Kouga demanded.

"What do you think he means by that?" Kagome asked shyly.

Kouga pounded his head on the branch he was laying on when Kagura went off into some long, complicated explanation of how he was scared, shy and had mother/father issues he was trying to solve as Kouga tried to tune her out.

‘Serves you right jerk. Now while you try not to listen to them, I’m going to amuse myself with several very explicit fantasies about Ayame.’ His demon informed him before images of himself and Ayame began invading his mind.

While a certain part of himself started to make itself known very painfully while Kouga was up in a tree and unable to do anything about it, he could only hope Rin’s night was going to be a hell of a lot better then his.

Rin

"Gatenmaru? Are you ok?" Rin asked anxiously as her servant’s eyelashes fluttered open slowly.

Her answer was a low groan while his eyes rolled back behind his head.

He yelped when Bankotsu poured the bucket of cold water he had gotten specifically for this reason and shot straight up, his head nearly hitting Rin’s chin.

"Do not faint again." Bankotsu warned, "Get a hold of yourself Gaten, you should know Taromaru’s daughter wouldn’t die that easily."

Gatenmaru curled his legs up gracefully under him and reached a shaking hand out to Rin. "Rin?" he asked nervously as his finger gently touched her warm cheek.

She smiled reassuringly at him and he yelped again, jumping back like he had been burned.

"It’s...it’s really you," he breathed, crawling back towards her. "But...you haven’t been seen at all since that night, we all assumed you were dead. Just what happened?" he asked, still in a daze.

"Naraku chased me outside, very far from the house." Rin started to explain. "Lord Sesshomaru...saved me." She said, afraid if she told him she had died he would faint again.

Oda frowned. "Lord? He’s a lord? A lord or what?" he asked dumbly.

Rin ignored him and sent a quick glance at Sesshomaru to ignore him to. "Then I lived with a group of people Kikyo and Naraku had also harmed for a few years." she finished, not wanting to get into the whole story right now.

Gatenmaru frowned. "I know there’s a deeper story then that." he complained.

Rin sighed, "I’ll tell you more later but right now...right now I really need to see my mother Gatenmaru." she said, swallowing down a lump in her throat.

Gatenmaru nodded, somber, "Very well. Your mother is still awake, luckily. She’s out back, in the garden." He informed them as he stood up.

He looked down at Rin, his throat quivering. "You used to be just this tall," he said, touching his stomach below his ribs, "And now look at you." He sniffed and suddenly drew her tight into his arms. "Oh Miss Rin, I’m so happy to have you back." he cried.

Rin forced her own tears not to fall as she embraced him back, "I’m happy to be back."

Gatenmaru composed himself and let go of her, though he kept a tight grip on her arm. "Come along, I’m sure you want to talk to your mother." He said, leading her over the broken door and down a dark slightly dirty hall, her men following silently.

As they walked down the hall, Rin noticed most of the wall coverings were gone, the few rugs remaining were thin and full of holes were rats had gnawed at them. Her throat tightened again at the state of her home, and she knew before she could do anything else, she had to make things right here.
Finally Gatenmaru stopped outside a door Rin knew led out to the gardens. He reached to open the door for her but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Gatenmaru, guys. I need to go in there by myself first." she paused. "Please."

Gatenmaru nodded and stepped back, and she could feel her men’s silent support from behind her. Sesshomaru quickly reached out and squeezed her fingers in reassurance before letting them go again.

Rin drew in a quiet breath and squared her shoulders. She could do this; she could finally see her mother, the woman who had driven herself half insane to save her, without causing her shame or crying like a child.

Slowly she reached out and gently pushed the door open, happy when this one didn’t fall over. She needed privacy with her mother.

Quietly she stepped outside and closed the door firmly behind her, glad the hard part was over. Next came the heartbreaking one...

She licked her lips when her mouth suddenly went dry, recognizing the figure of a woman walking around the ruined remains of her garden, singing something under her breath.

The figure stilled and slowly turned around. "Rin?" Botan asked unsurely.

Tears sprang to Rin’s eyes as she raced from the door; "Mother!" she cried, and threw herself in her mother’s loving arms.

Botan clutched her tight against her chest. "Shh, my baby. You’re home." she whispered to her, pressing kisses on the top of the head that was currently sobbing into her neck.

"Mama, I’ve missed you so much." Rin told her, her voice slightly muffed.

"Oh child, you should have know we would meet again sometime. I’ve always known." her mother replied back, slowly starting to rock back and forth with her.

Gently, she moved Rin under her arm and began to walk with her, "Come daughter, there’s much we have to tell one another." she said firmly.

Now that Rin had found her mother, she really only had one question for her. Wasn’t this woman supposed to be insane?

Because she sure wasn’t acting like it…

Meanwhile...

Urasue crept along the riverbank, not bothering to keep in the shadows because of how dark it was. She could barely see her hand in front of her face, much less worry about anyone seeing her. She clutched her sack tightly to her as she stopped deciding the clay right under her feet would do. And since it was slightly damp, it would just make it all that much easier to cut out.

Kneeling and cursing her old, tired bones, Urasue began to cut out large squares of the clay, wanting to go quickly but forced herself to take her time as she wrapped them carefully in the cloth she had enchanted to protect and preserve them. She had follow the ritual completely, and do it well or else she would have to wait another month for the moon to be in the exact same phase to gather to the clay, and this clay was needed now. There would be no way to come back and collect more tomorrow night, as the vessel would already be in the oven, forming and hardening.

And the vessel had to be completed soon, as Lord Naraku was planning to issue a formal declaration of war tomorrow. She feared at what would happen to her if she made a mistake with his temper so short lately. The last time she had seen him in a good mood at been a few days ago, when he had received a letter from someone and had immediately rushed up to do some planning.

Honestly, all these royals were giving her a major headache. She couldn’t wait to retire once all this was over...

Carefully she slid the clay inside the sack and stood up, knowing she had taken enough.

And she was gone, just as soon as she had come.



AN: Anyone who can figure out just what Urasue is up to with details will get a person named after them in the final chapter!

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