InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Truth About Cats and Dogs ❯ Jaken's Jealousy ( Chapter 17 )

Recap: The gang arrived at Sesshomaru's castle, but the lord himself was not there. The staff of the castle took the gang in and treated Kirara's poisoned bite. When Kirara awoke, she took a tour of the grounds, where she had an encounter with a female demon and Sesshomaru himself.

 

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Chapter 17 - Jaken's Jealousy

 

Kirara slowly opened her eyes again, cringing in anticipation of what was to come next. To her surprise, the female demon suddenly began to cry, the shrill, offensive sound of her sobs taking a moment to pain Kirara's ears in her shock. As the sound began to grate on Kirara's nerves, she slowly shifted her eyes to Sesshomaru, starting in alarm as she saw him narrow his eyes at her. Deciding that it was in her best interests to get out of his sight as quickly as possible at such a moment, Kirara leapt up out of the water, transforming into her fire-cat form and soaring back to the castle.

 

Kirara was aiming for the window of the room she had escaped from, but as she neared the castle, she sighted Sango below her, holding out her arms for something. Swerving around towards her friend, Kirara was relieved to see Kagome running towards her.

 

“Kagome!” Sango said, taking Kagome's hands in hers.

 

“Kirara!” Kagome said cheerfully as Kirara dropped down behind Sango.

 

“Kirara?” Sango muttered, looking over her shoulder.

 

Kirara hurriedly morphed back into her human form, ignoring the horrified expressions that appeared on her friends' faces as she did so.

 

“What is this place?” she asked Sango.

 

“Yeah, what is this place, Sango?” Kagome asked. “There was a really strong barrier back there!”

 

“Barrier?” Sango yelped in alarm.

 

“Yeah,” Kagome replied. “It went up just as Hachi and I got here. He ran outside of it, but I was still inside when it went up.”

 

“The barrier has just gone up?” Sango asked.

 

“What sort of place needs a barrier like that?” Kirara asked.

 

“There are so many demonic auras around here!” Kagome added.

 

“That's because all of Sesshomaru's servants are demons too!” Shippo chirped, leaping into Kagome's arms and cuddling up to her. “I'm glad you're back, Kagome!”

 

“Sesshomaru?” Kagome repeated.

 

“Servants?” Kirara repeated.

 

“Well…” Sango began awkwardly, her dark brown eyes turning skywards as she tried to formulate a suitable response.

 

“Yeah!” Shippo said brightly. “Kirara was bitten by a poisonous serpent demon, we had to find someone to help her. Lucky for us we found Sesshomaru's castle!”

 

“What?” Kirara yelped, spinning around to look at the building Shippo was pointing at.

 

“Whoa!” Kagome gasped. “Inuyasha's brother owns all of this?”

 

“You took me to Sesshomaru when I needed help?” Kirara wailed, turning back to Sango as she grabbed at her hair in despair.

 

“No, Kirara,” Sango hurriedly replied. “We took you here because this was the nearest place with an antidote. But it's alright, Sesshomaru isn't here right now.”

 

“Oh yes he is!” Kirara growled. “I just saw him down by the pond!”

 

“It looks like you were just in the pond, Kirara!” Kagome joked. “What happened to you?”

 

Kirara blushed, tugging at the bedraggled pink kimono that barely hung on to her frame.

 

“I-I fell…” she said nervously, her eyes lowering to her feet in shame.

 

“Okay…” Kagome said slowly, her eyebrows slowly drawing together to form a questioning frown.

 

“Did you say Sesshomaru was back, Kirara?” Sango asked, turning to Kirara.

 

“Yes,” Kirara replied with a sigh. “He's down by the pond with a female demon.”

 

“A female demon?” Sango repeated. “That must be…”

 

“The princess!” Shippo cheerfully finished for her.

 

“The what?” Kirara squeaked.

 

“Miss Rinko made a special pink kimono for the princess,” Shippo continued. “It looks just like the one you're wearing, Kirara!”

 

Kirara turned sharply to Sango, who paled, her eyes widening.

 

“Is this…?” Kirara began quietly, tugging at the ruined silk material at her hips.

 

“Miss Rinko said she was making it for the woman Sesshomaru wished to take as his mate!” Sango whispered back.

 

“And you assumed that was me?” Kirara wailed.

 

“Well…” Sango began, shrugging her shoulders.

 

Kirara cried out in despair, running blindly back into the castle. Sango watched her go before rounding on Shippo.

 

“Sometimes Shippo, I can understand why Inuyasha gets so angry with you,” she said, before spinning on one foot and hurrying after Kirara.

 

Kagome tilted her head to one side, watching until Sango had disappeared from sight.

 

“Welcome back, Kagome,” she grumbled. “Did you get the antidotes alright Kagome? Did you enjoy your trip home Kagome?”

 

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Kagome slowly made her way into the castle.

 

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Kirara ran down a seemingly never-ending corridor, glancing nervously from side to side as she passed giant paintings and tapestries depicting dog demons in battle. She could not deny that it was Sesshomaru's castle - ever inch of the place was laced with his scent - but something inside of her refused to believe that this really was his home. It was far too beautiful and far too vast.

 

Skidding and staggering ungracefully, Kirara turned down a sub-corridor of the one she was on, sniffing desperately at the air as she tried to trace either her own scent back to the room she had been in, or at least the scents of any of her friends. But there were so many scents around her, Kirara's senses were becoming excessively overwhelmed, making it almost impossible to distinguish any individual scent; apart from Sesshomaru's, which was literally everywhere.

 

Kirara began to wonder if death would have been preferable to having to be in the situation she had ended up in: sickly and at the mercy of none other than Lord Sesshomaru. As the idea bounced around her mind, and the scent of dog demon grew thicker and stronger in the air, Kirara suddenly realised that she was no longer alone in the corridor.

 

With quiet gasp of alarm, Kirara leapt to one side, pressing her back against the wall and slipping behind one of the floor-length hanging tapestries. Barely even allowing herself to breathe for fear of being caught, Kirara watched through the microscopic holes in the canvas as a demon approached, dressed in long, flowing robes, followed closely by a shorter demon, carrying a large staff.

 

“Please, I beg you to reconsider!”

 

`Jaken,' Kirara thought to herself as the shrill voice of Sesshomaru's most loyal servant echoed around her.

 

“I will not stay here a moment longer,” a haughty, unfamiliar female voice answered Jaken's pleas. “I cannot stay in a place that plays host to humans and cat demons alike.”

 

“Cat demons?” Jaken echoed, stopping as the female in front of him walked on, her nose turned up high in the air.

 

“Tell your master that I am returning home now, and should he wish for my company again, he will need to request it and he will need to send for me,” she replied.

 

As the woman passed Kirara, Kirara held her breath for fear of being spotted; but she did notice two distinguishing features the woman possessed. Firstly, she was the same woman Kirara had splashed with mud down by the pond earlier, although she had since changed her clothing and cleaned off all traces of dirt from her face and hair. And secondly, she was a dog demon.

 

“Cats are filthy, unfaithful, single-minded, self-centred liars,” the dog demon said, pausing and turning her head towards Kirara.

 

Kirara stiffened as the woman fixed her eyes onto her, narrowing them into dangerous slits of gold as she stared directly at her as though there was no canvas between them.

 

“But Milady,” Jaken began, stumbling up to her side.

 

“You will relay my message to your master, toad,” she said, lowering her eyes to Jaken.

 

“Of course Milady, but I…”

 

Jaken's voice faded as the female dog demon walked on without him. Once she was out of sight, Jaken turned his head towards the tapestry Kirara stood behind. Whilst she had accepted that the dog demon had doubtlessly been able to sense her presence there, Kirara felt confident that Jaken was ignorant to her presence.

 

“Pesky cat!” Jaken suddenly yelled, holding his Staff of Skulls up towards the tapestry.

 

Kirara yelped in fear as the canvas caught fire, leaping out into the hallway, landing in front of Jaken.

 

“I knew it was you!” Jaken screeched. “How did you get in here? How was it possible for you to pass through Lord Sesshomaru's barrier?”

 

Kirara opened her mouth to reply, before a playful grin tugged the corners of her mouth upwards, and her mind presented her with a better retort.

 

“I didn't pass through the barrier,” she said slyly. “Lord Sesshomaru let me in.”

 

“Wha-at?” Jaken gasped, his horrified expression suggesting to Kirara that he had actually believed her.

 

She began to laugh, leaping over him and running down the corridor in the opposite direction the dog demon had gone.

 

“You won't be so confident when my master hears about you!” Jaken yelled after her.

 

Although Jaken's empty threats did little to unsettle Kirara, his words did remind her once more that she was in Sesshomaru's home, and she had to get out as soon as possible.

 

“Inuyasha…” she muttered as she ran. “Miroku… Where are you?”

 

In her need to move quicker and unhindered, Kirara tore the soiled remains of the pink kimono from her body, tossing them aside and hurrying on.

 

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“Oh now slow down, dear!”

 

Kirara back-peddled to a halt, barely missing running right into the female fox demon ahead of her.

 

“Now dear, tomorrow won't escape you if you slow down,” the woman said. “And you were meant to be resting dear. We can't have you running around the castle dressed like that either, my dear. Haven't you heard? Our Lord is back. Now whatever would he think if he saw a straggly peasant girl like you running around the halls in your undergarments?”

 

Kirara flushed, finding herself at a loss for words. The authoritative, motherly tone of the elder woman before her, combined with the mental image of running into Sesshomaru in the corridor wearing her now muddied and thoroughly soaked undergarments, left her feeling suddenly very ashamed of herself for even considering running around the way she was.

 

“Come on now my dear,” the woman said. “Of course, you've been unconscious all this time, haven't you? My name is Rinko I'm the nursemaid here at the palace. I've been watching over you while you were getting better, dear. Why don't you come with me and we'll get you some nice clean clothes. It will soon be time for dinner dear, your friends will be waiting for you.”

 

“My friends?” Kirara asked, finding her voice at last.

 

“Lord Inuyasha and the others,” Rinko replied.

 

“You know where they are? Can you take me to them?”

 

“Not like that I can't. I won't have a young harlot like you running around my Lord's castle looking like that!”

 

Kirara blushed again, one hand creeping up to her opposite shoulder in a meek attempt to regain a shred of her dignity.

 

“Now follow me, dear. I know just the place where we can get you some new clothes,” Rinko added, walking past Kirara.

 

“Rinko…” Kirara mused, turning to follow the aging fox demon. “Sango told me that you burned my clothes, Miss Rinko.”

 

“That's right dear, they were ruined beyond use,” Rinko casually replied.

 

“Yes, and you had some new clothes made especially for me.”

 

“Oh no dear, I didn't ask the dressmakers to make you anything. I'm sure you're a nice girl, but our dressmakers only make clothes for those who rank higher than they do, dear. And you, my dear, rank about as high as the soldiers who guard the night-watch tower.”

 

Kirara winced at the insult, but as she looked around herself she found no reason to argue. Sesshomaru and his princess had been dressed in such fine clothing, and the castle Sesshomaru owned spoke of wealth beyond Kirara's wildest dreams; by comparison, she literally was nothing more than a lowly guard.

 

“You didn't commission any clothes for me?” Kirara asked, choosing the more preferable line of thought inside her head as a basis to continue their conversation.

 

“No dear,” Rinko sighed. “And I don't intend to either. Not unless my Lord wishes for it, of course.”

 

“But you commissioned the small silk pink kimono, with the emblems embroidered on it,” Kirara pointed out.

 

“Oh yes dear, that was the emblem of our Lord. And that outfit was made for his Lady, the young princess.”

 

Kirara cringed, the ill-fit of the outfit suddenly making sense when she considered the size of her own frame compared to that of the petite dog demon princess. Not only had she stolen someone else's clothing, she had also ruined it. And not only had she ruined the outfit, but she had done so in front of the owner herself, covering the illustrious female dog demon in mud that had probably also ruined the outfit she had been wearing then too.

 

`I need to find the others and get out of here as fast as I can!' Kirara thought to herself.

 

“So…” she said slowly, hoping the change the subject to distract herself from her own feelings of guilt. “Lord Sesshomaru will be taking the princess for his mate soon?”

 

“Yes dear,” Rinko sighed.

 

Kirara's eyebrows inched up at the negative tone of Rinko's voice, and she contemplated questioning her upon it; but Rinko's next words eliminated the need.

 

“Such a terribly rude and pretentious young girl, I will not enjoy working for her,” Rinko said quietly. “But you mustn't tell anyone else my feelings, dear.”

 

“Rude and pretentious, you say?” Kirara asked, smirking at the thought. “Then she shall make Lord Sesshomaru a perfect little mate…”

 

“Oh no dear, not at all,” Rinko replied.

 

Kirara frowned, tilting her head in curiosity.

 

“My Lord is not the least bit rude or aloof or unkind like the young princess is,” Rinko continued.

 

`Great,' Kirara thought to herself, groaning inwardly. `Sesshomaru's cast the same spell on this old woman as the one he cast on that poor little girl Rin. He's made her totally blind to what a rotten man he really is. What a jackass.'

 

“Now dear, let's find you something to wear,” Rinko said, turning off the corridor and opening a doorway to another room.

 

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Despite having never really felt inadequate in her life, Kirara suddenly felt very insignificant and unworthy as she entered the dining hall. Rinko swept ahead of her, confidently approaching the table. Kirara hung back, taking in the long, rectangular room, which hosted a long banquet table, filled with food served on silver platters. Kirara started to follow Rinko, stopping abruptly as her eyes landed on the figure at the head of the table.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru?” she whispered.

 

“Huh?” a voice grunted. “Oh hey, Kirara.”

 

Kirara's eyes doubled in size as she realised that the silver-haired dog demon at the head of the table was not actually Sesshomaru.

 

“Inuyasha?” she gasped, edging closer to him.

 

“The old lady got me some new clothes,” Inuyasha replied, waving a chicken leg at Rinko as he spoke.

 

Kirara edged closer still, running her eyes over Inuyasha, scrutinising every detail about him. His outfit, to her eyes, was merely the same haori and hakama that Sesshomaru usually wore.

 

“You look like your brother,” she told him frankly.

 

Inuyasha tore off a chunk of meat from the chicken leg in his hand, talking back to Kirara through a mouthful of food. Kirara frowned at him, his words totally indecipherable, only his angered expression suggesting to her that he had taken offence from her last comment.

 

“There you are, Kirara!” Sango said, walking around to table to approach her friend. “Are you hungry?”

 

“No,” Kirara coldly replied, faltering slightly as she saw that Sango was dressed in the fine kimono the dressmaker in Kaede's village had made for her. “But I am feeling much better now. Return me my weapons. I wish to leave this place. Immediately.”

 

“I only just got here!” Kagome moaned. “Can't we just stay one more night?”

 

Kirara's frown deepened as she turned to Kagome, who had also changed her clothing, wearing a short, pale-coloured dress with pink and yellow flower prints on it.

 

“There is a beautiful hot spring out the back of the palace,” Miroku told Kagome.

 

“Really?” Kagome squealed.

 

“We can't stay here,” Kirara insisted.

 

“Oh don't be silly, dear!” Rinko said dismissively. “I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru will be so pleased to see his younger brother again. I'm sure he would love for you all to stay for one more night. And if you're very lucky dear, you might be allowed to sleep in the visitor's wing tonight. After all, the young Rin speaks so highly of you.”

 

“Lucky enough to sleep in the visitor's wing?” Kirara muttered, frowning at Rinko.

 

“We're all sleeping in the visitor's wing,” Sango explained.

 

“Yes dear, but you all rank high enough to sleep there,” Rinko told her. “This poor waif of a girl is nothing but a little stray cat, isn't that right, dear?”

 

Kirara mewed indignantly, too horrified to answer the fox.

 

“I don't understand!” Sango quickly said. “How can I possibly rank higher than Kirara? This is a demon castle, and I am a human!”

 

“Yes dear, but you are accompanying the monk, whose spiritual powers give him a higher rank than a soldier. And with such fine clothing, you must be a lady of reasonable wealth.”

 

“Soldier?” Sango echoed, ignoring Rinko's reference to her new outfit.

 

Sango eyed Kirara over thoughtfully.

 

“But Kirara is accompanying me,” Sango explained. “And Lord Inuyasha! Isn't that right, Inuyasha?”

 

Inuyasha muttered some more nonsense through another mouthful of food, causing Sango to groan in despair.

 

“Kirara has just recovered from a terrible poisoning!” she pointed out, turning back to Rinko. “Surely she should stay somewhere where her condition can be safely monitored?”

 

“I suppose we could keep her in the recovery wing for one more night,” Rinko sighed.

 

“How many wings does this castle have?” Kirara yelped.

 

“Not enough, apparently!” a voice boomed through the hall.

 

Inuyasha gulped loudly, a large lump moving down his throat as he swallowed the contents of his mouth whole. All around them, the staff of the castle dropped to their knees, bowing to the demon who had just entered the room. Kirara stiffened fearing the worst; but something about the demonic aura behind her made her relax again. Turning around, she balked at what she saw.

 

“This filthy wretch will not stay here another minute, least of all another night!” the demon roared, pointing a clawed finger at Kirara.

 

“Oh really?” Kirara mumbled, folding her arms stubbornly.

 

“Oh now Master, this impoverished cat is a friend of Lord Inuyasha's!” Rinko said, in an attempt to appease him.

 

“I am beginning to tire of your constant insults, woman,” Kirara growled at Rinko.

 

“She will leave now, or I will have her cast from here by the Royal Guard! She brings bad luck! Don't you know that a cat's curse lasts seven generations?”

 

Rinko turned to Kirara, blinking at her curiously.

 

“Don't listen to that stupid little toad,” Kirara whispered to her. “He's just blinded by his love for his own master.”

 

“I heard that, wench!” Jaken screamed. “I will have you cast from here immediately!”

 

“He ranks higher than you?” Kirara asked Rinko.

 

“Oh yes, dear!” Rinko quietly replied. “After the Lords and Ladies, and of course Miss Rin, Jaken is the highest ranking individual here!”

 

Kirara grunted, rolling her eyes disparagingly.

 

“Is undying devotion to the Lord of this castle all one needs to raise one's status?” she asked sardonically, casting Jaken a sideward glance.

 

“Get out of here, Jaken,” Inuyasha said. “You smell so bad you're putting me off my food!”

 

Kagome and Sango sweat-dropped as Inuyasha then stuffed a whole dumpling into his mouth, his cheeks bulging as he chewed his way through it, looking far less affected than he had just claimed to be.

 

“We're staying here,” Inuyasha continued, his voice muffled by the food still in his mouth. “We'll leave tomorrow morning.”

 

“Yay!” Shippo cried.

 

“It would be nice to use the hot spring,” Kagome commented.

 

“And to sleep in such a wonderful bed again…” Miroku said dreamily.

 

Kirara turned to Sango in alarm, but her friend merely shrugged her shoulders.

 

“What harm could one more night possibly do?” Sango asked her quietly.

 

Before Kirara could fully contemplate Sango's question, she was distracted from the subject by the change in Sango's expression. Her look of reasoning melted away into a look of shock, her change only clarifying any doubt in Kirara's mind as to what she could sense behind her. The staff of the castle grovelled lower to the ground, and Inuyasha's chair scraped against the stone floor as he pushed it back out, standing up, his eyes wide.

 

With a small sigh, Kirara turned around, the sight before her only confirming what she already knew: Sesshomaru had just entered the room.

 

“Milord, I tried to make them leave!” Jaken said to him. “But the filthy cat refused to go! She insisted on staying here with you, Sire!”

 

Kirara abruptly met Sesshomaru's eyes at Jaken's last untrue accusation, her look met with Sesshomaru's trademark expressionless gaze.

 

`I'm sure life was never this complicated the last time I had human form,' she thought miserably to herself.

 

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Next Chapter: When Sesshomaru moves the gang from their rooms, Kirara grows increasingly confused by what she sees happening. Calling on the only voice of reason she can think of, Kirara asks her old friend for advice; but what will she do when she gets a most unexpected answer? Chapter 18 - Midoriko's Message.

 

A/N: Please review.