Chapter 60

The miserable end of Chokyukai and Rin's plan




On the next day Sesshomaru let his group have a short break during the day. Mai was extremely happy because of that – she slept really well the last night, but she didn't manage to sleep everything off and needed a rest. She sat on the meadow among the flowers with a garland of red weeds on her head, posing for Rin, who was drawing her portrait. Jaken was sitting nearby and Sesshomaru was thankfully out of sight, probably training again. Today he was even more unbearable than yesterday – instead of ignoring her, he kept casting her murderous looks. She sighed. There was surely nothing she could do about his issues, so there was no point in thinking about it.

"Mai, stay still!" Rin told her, furrowing her brows, what made her look cute. Mai was contented to pose for the kid, but her back got stiff from not moving for an hour now. It was quite surprising, that normally lively Rin could focus on something for more than five minutes, but apparently she really liked drawing. And was getting better at it too – the figures she drew looked a lot more like human beings now, or demon beings.

"Rin, don't bother Mai." Jaken sighed. The imp felt a little bit sorry for the human woman, because of the hostile treatment Sesshomaru-sama gave her. Well, probably she was to blame for this herself, anyway. Jaken wondered, what did she do to make the dog demon act this way. Normally, when their master was displeased with something, he would kick Jaken or threaten Mai. Silent treatment was a first for him.

The green youkai lifted his head, when he noticed something strange in the air. He glanced up and saw a dark, ominous cloud, gathering right above them. It can't be anything good. He jumped on his feet and lifted Nintoujou, ready to defend the girls – maybe if he saves them, Sesshomaru-sama would praise him.

"Mai, Rin, get close to me!" he told the females. Mai immediately stood up, pulling Rin close to herself and went behind Jaken. She glanced nervously at the cloud. Surely they would be attacked by some youkai anytime now. Where the hell was Sesshomaru?

An unnatural tornado formed beneath the cloud and struck the ground before them. Mai stared into the whirlwind, anticipating some horrible and powerful youkai. She saw three silhouettes – one big and two smaller - and cursed. She wasn't sure if Jaken would be able to cope with one opponent, not mentioning three. Then, the tornado dissolved, allowing Mai and her companions to see the enemy.

"Is this a joke?" Jaken asked hesitantly.

"I guess so." Mai answered, folding her arms and arching an eyebrow.

"It's a pig!" Rin exclaimed cheerfully, pointing at a pig youkai, who came in company of a kappa and a monkey. From the looks, the newcomers weren't the powerful demons, that Mai feared.
The pig looked insulted.

"I am no pig, I am the great Chokyukai-sama." The pig said.

"You don't look great to me." Mai snorted, looking at him with doubt. The youkai looked at her and grinned lecherously.

"What a beautiful woman! Will you bear my child?" he asked. The girl narrowed her eyes at him. What a jerk! Anyways, she heard that pickup line before.

"Never, you shitty pig! Go somewhere and die!" Mai shouted to him, mad at the insolent behavior. However, the pig didn't look discouraged. Chokyukai chuckled, not averting his eyes from Mai. He reached into his kimono and searched for something. He took out a plain golden circlet.

"I like women with strong personality. I've decided to make you my bride." He said and tossed the circlet into the air. Mai felt the anger welling in her. A bride of a pig? No way!

"Hell would freeze faster than…" she kept screaming at Chokyukai. However, the circlet suddenly flew towards her and landed on her head. In that moment Mai felt her mind going blank.

"Mai!" Jaken turned to the girl. His companion had the golden circlet on her head and was behaving at least oddly. Something was definitely wrong with her. Mai's eyes were gazing lovely at the pig, slight blush appeared on her cheeks. She sighed in a way, that was supposed to be cute and alluring.

"Chokyukai-sama!" she exclaimed. Jaken's lid twitched. What was going on? The girl looked, as though she was infatuated with the pig. Was she under some kind of spell?
Mai pushed Rin from herself and made her way to the pig youkai.

"Mai, wait!" Jaken called to her and gripped the hem of her kimono, trying to stop her, but she kicked him off her and went to the pig youkai.

"Come, my dear!" Chokyukai called to her with a lecherous grin, opening his arms.

"Yes, my love!" Mai exclaimed and fell into them, embracing the pig with love in her eyes. Jaken frowned with disgust. Suddenly, he turned his head, as he noticed a flash of light with the corner of his eye.

The ball of light appeared next to Jaken and Rin, announcing the arrival of Sesshomaru. The dog demon narrowed his eyes, taking in the scene. The pig youkai was standing with the idiot woman in his arms.

"Release her." The inu-youkai said calmly. Chokyukai only chucked at the demand.

"Release her? She wants to be my bride from my own will, you see?" the pig demon laughed. Sesshomaru glanced at Mai. He felt his anger welling, as he saw her embracing the other youkai, looking at him with infatuated eyes and a dreamy smile on the pretty lips of hers. Unknowingly, his eyes turned scarlet and the magenta stripes on his cheeks jagged.

"Bride, huh?" the dog demon repeated slowly, gritting his teeth at the sight of the woman touching another man like this. This Sesshomaru will not forgive this! The inu-youkai lifted his arm, the poison gathering around his hand. "You will die now."

The dog demon prepared to attack, but Mai shielded Chokyukai with his own body, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I will protect you, my beloved!" she exclaimed. The woman turned her head to Sesshomaru. "Leave us alone! I'm his bride now!" she called.

The pig smiled smugly, when he saw Sesshomaru clenching his fist, withdrawing from using his poisonous claws. The inu-youkai barely controlled the urge to transform into his true form and rip off the head of the pig, who made the woman say such things. He felt the stab of jealousy at her words.

"You belong to me, and me alone." He hissed.

"You can't kill me now!" the arrogant Chokyukai laughed. Sesshomaru tried to control his wrath in order not to harm Mai.

"Hn." The dog demon smirked. "Who do you have me for?"

With his amazing speed he darted forward, only a blurred shape could be seen. Surprised pig youkai looked around frantically, wondering where did the silver haired demon go. Suddenly he coughed blood, as a clawed hand pierced his chest from behind.

Mai shrieked, when the Sesshomaru pulled his hand out of Chokyukai's chest and the pig demon fell limply to the ground. The girl wanted to kneel beside him, but the dog demon swiftly caught her arm and yanked her upwards to face him. The woman screamed from terror and tried to pull out, but Sesshomaru held her firmly.

"Sesshomaru-sama, the circlet!" Jaken shouted. The inu-youkai released the woman to take the golden circlet of her head. Once he did, the disturbing look in her eyes vanished and she glanced around, confused. She flinched, when she noticed the dead pig youkai and the blood on Sesshomaru's hand.

She stared at Sesshomaru. The demon instantly averted his gaze, as their eyes met. The dog demon was angry at his own stupidity and the lack of control. In his anger he said what he should not have said – he almost made his claim on the human woman.

"What happened?" Mai asked, still looking confused. Sesshomaru glanced at her.

"Do not you remember?" he asked. Mai shook her head.

"Nope, not a thing." She said and looked at the dead youkai. "Geez, what did he do to you to end so miserably?"

"Hn." Sesshomaru turned away. So the woman does not know of his improper behavior. The dog demon felt relief. It should stay this way, till he finds a solution of this problem. He glanced at his companions. "We are going."



Rin was looking at Sesshomaru-sama's back, as the dog demon walked in front of the rest of his group. The child furrowed her brows, as she was intensely considering something. She was almost sure, that her guardian liked Mai and she liked him back, but both of them were too stubborn to admit it. The older girl probably didn't even have a clue that she liked Sesshomaru-sama. Rin sighed heavily, wondering how the adults could be so dumb sometimes. The child thought also, that the dog demon didn't know how to get Mai to like him back. She didn't blame him for it though – she admired him, but he was a demon after all and the older girl was a human, so the misunderstandings could happen. Rin clenched her little fists, as she decided, that she would help her guardian win Mai's heart.

She had somehow get the two of them together and she needed a good plan. Remembering, what the older girl always said to her, Rin knew that she had to get some info.. inforo… information. Once she has it, she'll be able to think of the other details. Nodding with determination, she skipped to Sesshomaru sama. She walked beside him for a while, gazing up at his calm face. She tugged his sleeve and the demon looked down at her.

"Sesshomaru-sama, will we stop for a night today?" The child asked.

"No." her guardian answered shortly. Rin heard Mai's disappointed moan behind them.

"And tomorrow?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru replied. Rin smiled and inquired further.

"Will you stay with us tomorrow, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"No, Rin."

"But you will be back for the night?" Rin nagged further. The demon cast her an annoyed look.

"Yes. Be silent now." He told her. The child nodded happily, glad that she managed to get Sesshomaru-sama to tell her of his plans. So she will have the whole day to prepare something. But what? The child thought intensely of things, that the adults did together, when they liked each other very much. Rin's face brightened, as an idea popped into her mind.

"Sesshomaru-sama," the child asked again. "Will we stop by the hot springs tomorrow?"

"No. Stop talking."

Rin's smile fell from her face at the answer. She was hoping, that there would be the hot springs. Once, when she and Mai were bathing, she asked the older girl why Sesshomaru-sama and Jaken-sama don't bathe with them, she was told, that the adults, a man and a woman, can be in the bath together only, when they like each other very much. So if Rin managed to get Sesshomaru-sama and Mai to get into the hot springs together, they would surely like each other more. The problem was, that there were no hot springs to begin with. Rin started thinking again.
The child glanced over her shoulder at Jaken as she remembered something. He could make hot springs with the Nintoujou! Rin grinned to herself. The rest will be easy. She'll make Sesshomaru-sama and Mai fall in love.