Full Circle

"It's a waste of time."

"But master Sesshomaru--!"

"I said, its a waste."

Kanzi watched as Sesshomaru continued to mostly ignore his vassal, Jaken as he tried to talk his lord about something, she hadn't heard the details due to just walking in not long ago. The Toad Demon seemed frustrated that Sesshomaru wasn't considering whatever it was, but knew pushing it would be bad for his health so he resigned, sighing and backed away.

“As you wish lord Sesshomaru.”

While Jaken annoyed most of everyone around the mansion, Sesshomaru especially there were a couple of reasons they kept him around. Mainly, he was still useful and loyal to his lord. One of the task was doing things the others didn't feel like doing or more mundane things. Household things were far better left handled in Fala's capable hands. Jaken's talent didn't come with anything close to domestic.

“In the meantime, you can do something.” Sesshomaru said to them, making Jaken perk up.

“Of course. Anything for my lord.”

Sesshomaru rose up and gave Jaken a letter. A few in fact. “I want you to deliver this in person to Lord Shuzen. The other addresses are listed.”

At that, Jaken faltered. Issa didn't like him too much and the others...Never the less he pushed aside his reservations about it. “O-of course. I'll get to it right away.”Then he left saying something no one could really understand nor did Kanzi or Sesshomaru cared.

“Hundreds of years and almost exactly the same. Honestly.” Kanzi mused, shaking her head, putting her tea aside on a hard table as she sat down. “If you don't mind me asking, what was that about?”

“Just politics. Nothing to worry about.” Sesshomaru went to sit down. “I've been running around doing a couple of things as of late; I just finished with the latest. Jaken will handle with the delivering.” He then added. “They're relatively important so I already have a way to get them sent. It was more a excuse to get Jaken out of the mansion.”

“I..see. I have rubbed off on you.”

“It's just one of your many habits that have.”

Kanzi merely nodded to that, drinking her tea. Elsa had actually came by earlier. She hadn't liked her at first but the woman was geuinely trying to be a good person. Her attitude had certainly improved.

After a another moment if silence, her son spoke up again. “When is the last time you went on vacation?”

Kanzi blinked. “..Somewhat random. I can't remember, why?”

“Because..” Sesshomaru pulled out what seemed to be a ticket. “I got you something for you. You've been working hard lately. I believe you deserve some time to yourself. These tickets are to country side of Japan, peace and quite away from the city. Why not take advantage of it?”

At first Kanzi said nothing, then amused crossed her arms. “My, trying to pressure your own mother to take a vacation are you?”

“I just might be.” Sesshomaru said. “And why not?”

Kanzi was silent at first, then chuckled. “We'll, you speak a hard bargain. I think I'll take up that offer.”

* *

Honestly that trip was longer then I thought. I wasn't sure if it was ever going to end.

The vacation to the Japan country side had taken some time but they had finally got there. It was a quite place, though the place she stayed at was more upkeep; having been a hotel. She was told there was a village nearby that had a small population, but it had some of the best country food. Kanzi was curious, and she didn't want to stay cooped up in the hotel her whole time.

So to that end, she opted to visit this village when she got there which didn't take all that long. When Kanzi got there, she noticed the atmosphere seemed peaceful but as far as she could tell, the village was all or mostly human. That could change if she paid more attention to the scents and energies but she wasn't too concerned about that right now. The village 'Satoba' reminded her of some of the villages back in her day, though still modern in comparison to how things were before of course.

All she wanted to do was explore and relax. The people seemed 'polite' if a bit distant, as if they didn't really trust her. That was fine with Kanzi, she was just here for a few things, if she met anyone to talk to or not didn't as much matter to her in the end.

* *

A young woman with blue hair gently began dampening a wet cloth on a old woman's forehead; their features pale and skinny. A small bowel was to the side on a night stand which she put away when she was done applying a bit of cooler water to them. When she was finished, she grabbed a half empty water bottle to gently give her some before putting it aside.

The old woman didn't move too much. They only opened their eyes after a few more moments. "..Asami dear..you don't have to stay..."

"Don't be silly Cho." Asami moved her head again gently up enough to adjust her pillow. "I can't just leave you when you need me. Even if I did leave, you think Megumi would stop trying to help you when you're one of the few people that encourage her?"

Cho was silent turning her head to look out the window as some of the villagers came and went by. "Hm.."

"What are you thinking of?" Asami was cleaning up a few things around the room to keep herself busy.

"Many things. I hope Megumi is all right getting the food at the store.." Cho trailed off slightly going to look back up at the ceiling. "She..has a gift Asami. I don't want to see it being wasted..and she's too young to be cooped up here. Please take her with you after I'm gone."

Asami wanted to protest she wasn't going to die anytime soon but knew better and sighed nodding. "I promise.."

Megumi Shimizu hummed softly to herself as she moved about the store, gathering the groceries she'd volunteered to pick up for Cho and Asami. She hadn't had to really deal with anyone harassing her today, which was nice. In a way, she kind of wished for once the harassment would be someone hitting on her. THat only happened when the local teenage boys, or single older men, thought nobody would see them hitting on a Shiki. She knew Asami had the same problem at times. Usually, it was just scathing looks and harsh words from anyone and everyone. Children were far worse, having no filter. They'd even throw things.

Still, as much as Megumi wanted to get away from the backwards hell-hole, she had nowhere to go. Besides that, Asami and Cho were two of the three bright spots in her life here, the other being Natsuno, the boy from the city. He didn't seem to like her... but, that was alright. Surely he'd notice her eventually? She paid for the groceries, already used to be charged more than was fair, and started out of the store.

There was about three girls standing outside, apparently not doing anything in particular. The young woman with blue hair seemed to be around Megumi's age, maybe a bit older and her name was 'Kayo'. While some had different levels of dislike towards Megumi because of what she was, Kayo had a special disdain for the pink-haired girl. No one was sure why. Maybe she felt Megumi was a threat to something, maybe it really was because of what she was. For whatever reason, she saw fit to take shots at the other young girl when she could



"Geez, this is so boring. I wish something would happen." One of the girls complained.

"Stop whining Aika, its not going to kill you to sit still." The other girl shook her head. Honestly, if there was a day Aiki didn't whine, the sky would fall.

"Both of you be quite. We have a guest." Kayo said, seeing Megumi come into view.

"Oh, pinkie again." Aika could see where she was going.

Kayo didn't wait for another response on ahead along with her little 'clique' but at least there weren't the usual guys hanging off her. She smiled, falsely sweet, hands clapsed behind her back as she greeted Megumi. "Why, good afternoon Megumi." She said sweetly. "I see you're up and about. You and Asami been behaving?"

Megumi blinked, then scowled. She had stopped bothering trying to be polite to people. She hated this village, honestly, and just about everyone in it. "...What do you want, Kayo? I don't have the time to deal with your little games, okay?"

Kayo pouted a bit. "That's not so nice. I was just trying to start a conversation, pass a bit of time y'know? I mean, someone has to talk to you besides Asami, Kaori and Cho. Just doing my own little part."

Aika added in her two cents. "She's right. We can't just leave you all lonely like. But you can't blame people for not wanting to hang around a Shiki."

Before the conversation could continue, a deep but femine voice cut through.

"Is there a problem?"

Kayo looked behind her to see a beautiful woman with silver hair. She looked human, except for the strange moon mark on her forehead. There was something about her that said she wasn't besides that, and Megumi at least would tell by scent she wasn't. Who ever she was, she wasn't from the village.

And who ever they were, they had a dangerous air about them. Even if she gave off no feelings of being outwardly hostile.

"No ma'am." Kayo said with her usual practiced tone. "I was just having a conversation with my friend Megumi here."

Kanzenabi said nothing, just looking and Kayo inwardly flinched for some reason. She was Sesshomaru's mother, and these times proved it. "If you're going to lie, then make it more convincing. It's obvious you're lying, she's not happy. Why don't you take a walk?"

Kayo wanted to protest, but got the feeling not too. "..We'll, have a nice day." She grabbed Aika before she could say something she shouldn't have and hurriedly left.

Kanzi watchd them, then turned to Megumi. "Are you all right?"

Megumi just looked at Kanzi suspiciously, then nodded. "I'm fine... thank you for the help... if you'll excuse me, I really need to get the groceries to my friend..." She wasn't really sure how to react to the strange woman. Visitors to the village were generally friendly to her. At first, before the villagers got to them and turned them against her.

Kanzenabi watched the young woman go, she could tell she didn't really seem to trust her and that was fine. If that little spat was any indication she had a clue as to why and that made her a bit sad. Maybe she'd talk to that young woman later.

* *

When Megumi got to the door, Asami opened it. "Megumi! Welcome back. That Kayo girl didn't give you trouble again did she?"" She stepped back to let the younger Shiki in. Cho hadn't moved much when she entered though she did hear her faintly hear her. She was just old and tired so she didn't react to much of anything. Megumi and Asami made her last days a lot more pleasant then what they would have been.

Megumi shrugged. "Not much. Some strange woman from out of town showed up and scared her off. She seemed nice enough, but then again they all do before these stupid villagers turn them on us... she wasn't human though. But not a SHiki like us. So long as she doesn't cause us trouble, I don't care."

Asami wondered what the woman was, though it didn't matter too much in her opinion. She had been to the city after all. "I see. I don't think that will be a problem, the villagers don't like nonhumans much but who's to say." Shiki didn't have the best reputation among the vampiric races, and how they 'looked' when they got upset enough didn't help with that image. It wasn't anyone's fault and they couldn't change it; they could only be themselves.

"Come over here dear, I want to see you." Cho said gently, patting a spot by her bed.

Megumi came over immediately, sitting in the indicated spot and leaning close, placing her hand over Cho's. "Hey... how are you feeling?"

Cho gave Megumi's hand a gentle squeeze. "As well as these old bones can feel. Don't get old Megumi, I don't recommend it." She coughed a few times then stopped herself before sighing. "..Why..don't you tell me of the things you'll do hear when you leave for the city?" Cho's memory seemed to come and go, and though Megumi had already told her a bit about it.

Asami felt her heart sink slightly.

Megumi smiled sadly at that, and nodded. "Alright..." She began to tell Cho all about her plans. Her plans to become famous, to wear all the latest fashions and meet the biggest celebrities. To meet people who would love her despite being a Shiki, and for her and Asami, and even Cho, to live their rest of their lives in happiness and luxury. She included Cho, even though they all knew that it would never happen.

Cho listened with apt attention the whole time, as if she heard the whole thing for the first time instead of at least a few times by now. "So you want to be a singer? Would it be all right if I heard you sing?" Asami went to make herself comfortable to sit down and watch. While it was heartening to see Cho like this, it was good to see Cho taking her last days in stride. She was still scared of dying even in her old age, but she kept it to herself for the most part.

Megumi blushed a bit, but nodded. "Um... okay..." She took a deep breath, and began to sing very softly, only loud enough for Cho and Asami to hear it. If it wasn't for Asami's keen hearing, she wouldn't have heard it.

Cho slowly and peacefully drifted off to sleep by the tail end of Megumi's singing, her grip on the young girl loosening.

From her corner, Asami watched silently before moving over to sit on the other edge of the bed. She didn't want to dwell too much on Cho's condition even if there was nothing they could do about it. It was just a unfortunate side of life they couldn't really change or face.

Deciding to take her mind off it for a moment, she spoke up again after a moment. "That woman who helped you, what did she look like?" She was partly just curious, but if they hung around she'd find out soon enough.

Of course when Megumi did describe them, Asami would be rather surprised.

Megumi blinked, wiping her eyes, then began to describe the woman. Afterwards, she shrugged. "She was really pretty, too... and I bet she lives in a big, beautiful mansion..." She was starting to daydream a bit.

Asami couldn't help but giggle slightly at Megumi's spacing out, she was cute when she did that. There was no doubt about who that person was after she was described. "You remember when you said you wanted to meet some famous celebrities? We'll, if its who I think it is, then its Kazenabi Taisho. She's a Dog Demon, and I remember her doing work for non humans. Hang on..let me see if I have it.."

The other Shiki left Megumi for a moment to go in the other room, coming back with a box. She popped it open, the contents having old magazines, papers and the like as she looked through them.

"Ah! Here." She handed a older, slightly faded magazine. On the cover it had Kanzenabi on it. "Was this the woman you saw? If so, you met your first celeberity Megumi. And a big one at that."

Megumi stared for a moment... then became distraught. "Oh... oh no! I.. I met... and I just dismissed her, and... oh, no, how could I be so.... gah!" She buried her face in her hands. She wasn't crying, just having one of her little freakouts that she sometimes had.

Asami only smiled and gently rubbed her back. Megumi was still so young and unsure of herself at times; she didn't think it was no small part of being around in this village. This enivorment wasn't healthy for her. "It should be all right. As long as you weren't rude about it. I don't know her, but from everything I gathered she's very kind. Not someone you want to cross, but otherwise mature. If she's here, then she's probably on vacation. You'll likely see her again before she leaves."

Megumi nodded a bit. "Yeah... I want to apologize. She helped me out and I just assumed she'd end up like the others... didn't give her a chance..."

The older Shiki nodded to that. "You'll get a chance, I'm sure. In the mean time lets see about getting something to eat. Maybe I can find a few more of those magazines for you to read too.."

* *

It was around the next day, sometime in the early afternoon Kazenabi found herself once more traversing around the village. The people after further getting to know them seemed frendly, at least up front. However she could hear things from time to time due to her hearing. It was about a young girl named 'Megumi' and some others named Asami and Cho.

She didn't like the things she heard. Didn't grown people had more pressing things to do?

Children will be children no matter what age.

From what she gathered, Megumi was that young girl she ran into the other day. Maybe she'd see her again, along with the other two mentioned. It seemed to her they mainly disliked Megumi because of what she was, and how she dressed. How disgustingly shallow-minded. If that was their view, then she'd rather get aquainted with the three often talked about in gossip circles.

On her way, that's when she saw Megumi again. She seemed to be wandering around herself so she made her way over. "Hello again. I didn't I have a chance to introduce myself since you were in a hurry. I'm trying to get to know the people here. My name is Kazenabi Taisho, may I have your name?" Truthfully, she already did know her name but she was trying to make it more natural.

Megumi jumped a bit, then went a little wide eyed upon seeing Kanzi. After her shock, she bowed. "S-sorry! M-my name is Megumi! Megumi Shimizu! I'm very sorry for how I acted yesterday!" She was almost yelling, nervous as she was.

Kanzenabi blinked a bit, then chuckled lightly. "It's okay, really. You weren't outwardly rude. You just seemed to be in a hurry and slightly wary since I was someone you just met. Anyway, its nice to meet you in a more relaxed setting. I'm currently here on vacation, for the time being." Megumi looked older then what she was, Kanzi at first glance would think she was in her late teens at the least but she'd be slightly surprised learning her true age.

Megumi straightened. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Taisho.... though I don't know why you'd come here to Sotoba. It's boring... and stuff." She hated this village with every fiber of her being....

Kazenabi shook her head but smiled. "Kanzenabi or just Kanzi for short is fine. As for why I came here, it was more I wanted to get away to somewhere quite and peaceful. I've found though, that the people aren't as tolerant as the front they give. Say one thing up front, then turn to say another when your back is turned. I'm going to grab some ice cream. Care to join me? Unless you're busy?"