by Haruka

Free at last! Kei exulted privately as she ran down the corridor toward the relaxation deck. Well, maybe she wasn't _totally_ free, but at least she would have three hours away from Yuri. Even better, she'd be able to get to know the other Pets and hopefully find out how Kurama and that idiot Duo-sensei were faring.
Taking a corner at full speed, Kei suddenly found herself bouncing off another body and both of them wound up on their butts.
"Why don't you watch where you're going, you moron?!" she demanded, then got a good look at the person she was telling off.
Sesshomaru.
His already-dangerous eyes were smoldering. He continued to stare at her while getting to his feet and Kei felt a chill go through her.
"You miserable little she-human," he growled. In a flash, he'd reached down to yank her up by the arm. "I'll have your hide for this!"
Despite her initial fear, Kei's temper flared at being roughed up by some pretty-boy demon. She jerked her arm from his grasp. "I'm on Free Time!" she retorted. "I know the rules! You can't do a thing to me!"
He glared at her in silence for several moments, then nodded slowly. "Very well. You have a three-hour reprieve." He swept away down the corridor, leaving Kei staring at him.
"Kei!"
She turned to see Lina approaching, a concerned look on her pretty face.
"Was that Master Sesshomaru?" she asked.
"Yeah, and he's a real jerk," Kei remarked. "I ran into him and he freaked out on me! Sure, I didn't have to be running, but it was a stupid accident and "
Lina's eyes were wide. "But he must be furious! You're in real trouble!"
"Nah," Kei replied with a crooked grin. "Mistress Yuri won't let him do anything."
"Well," Lina said doubtfully, "if you're sure." She cocked her head. "Hey, can I ask you something now that we're alone together?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"How do you really feel about our Mistresses putting us together?"
"Uhhh." Kei felt her face redden. How did she feel about having sex with a strange girl? And in front of Yuri? Were there even words to describe what that idea did to her?
"You don't really have to answer, I guess," Lina said with a shrug. "I just thought I'd tell you that I don't mind. If it'll make Mistress Scarlet happy, I'll put on the best show I can with you." She winked. "It doesn't hurt that you're the sexiest thing I've ever seen."
Kei wasn't sure how to answer _that_, either. Lina was cute, _really_ cute, and when she thought about holding her she was anything but repulsed. But in front of _Yuri_ ...?
Lina misunderstood Kei's hesitation for reluctance. She put her hands on her hips. "It's because I'm flat, isn't it?!"
"What?" Kei blinked in surprise.
"That's why you're not interested at all, because I'm not tall and willowy with a shape-to-die-for like yours!" Lina accused, stepping forward to glare up into Kei's wide green eyes. "Well, let me tell you something, Miss Hourglass Figure, I'll _still_ put on a good show for my Mistress, but my heart won't be in it! I can't relate to a shallow bitch no matter how sexy she is!" She turned to go, but Kei snatched her by the back of the shirt.
"Lemme go!" Lina protested, squirming in Kei's grasp.
"Isn't it my turn to talk now?" Kei demanded and released her. "Because if it is, I want to tell you that I don't care how big your boobs are or that you're not tall! You're cute and feisty and I think we'll have a lot of fun together, okay?!"
Lina's expression softened. "Really?" She smiled. "Great! I mean, it'll be better for our Mistresses if we get along, right?"
"Right," Kei said, although she still preferred not to think about Yuri's witnessing their 'performance'.
"Come on!" Lina grabbed her hand and began dragging her off down the corridor. "Let's go to the relaxation deck! We can go swimming or just lie around in the sun, although you already look like you have a tan with that gorgeous skin tone of yours."
"What about you?" Kei asked, allowing herself to be pulled. "You're pretty fair. Won't you burn?"
"If I do, I'll just heal it with some White Magic." Lina beamed. "Keep that in mind if you ever need it."
Healing magic? Kei thought as an image of the fury in Sesshomaru's gold eyes came to her. Yeah, better believe I'll remember that.

"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"NO, Kurama! You're not going anywhere near that human icicle and that's final!" Hiei folded his arms stubbornly. "I'll tell him I changed my mind."
"You can't do that and you know it," Kurama told him calmly. Immediately after breakfast, the two of them had returned to their cabin where Hiei could finally give vent to his feelings.
"Of course I can!" Hiei insisted. "Rascal already thinks I'm a hypocrite because I'd just finished telling him no one borrows you, and then Blondie comes along and I hand you right over! How am I supposed to explain it?!"
"That's not the issue, Hiei." Kurama wrapped his arms around him from behind. "This is a golden opportunity for you to tell Van what's going on and for me to try and get something on Nakago."
"It's too dangerous," Hiei stated, and something like a pout appeared on his face. "He'll hurt you."
Kurama laughed lightly. "You think I'll let it go _that_ far? If he gets too rough, I'll summon a plant that will restore his manners soon enough."
"What if he doesn't get rough will you sleep with him?" Hiei pressed.
"I'll have to." Kurama rested his chin on top of Hiei's head. "But it won't mean anything."
"I don't want another man touching you," Hiei grumbled.
Kurama moved around in front of him so he could look him in the eyes. "You've been with Seigi much longer than I, Hiei. During that time, did you ever touch another man in the line of duty?"
Hiei quickly turned away. "Free Time has already started, you should get going. You don't have to see Nakago until tonight."
Kurama brushed something soft and fragrant across Hiei's cheek. A rose. "I'll be back by noon," he promised and slipped out of the room.
"Damned Fox," Hiei muttered. "Too sexy for his own good."

Owie, owie, owie. Duo tried not to blush as he made his way to the relaxation deck. His energetic wake-up call from Ryoga had entertained Quatre greatly especially when Bandanna Boy started the impromptu sex-fest by smacking Duo's bare butt. Not only did Duo not like being brought out of a sound sleep with a swat, but he was still tender inside from the previous night. Now he just plain hurt. Still, he was determined to go on Free Time and try to communicate with the other Seigi people if he could. Even if, as Ryoga put it, he was waddling like an overweight goose.
He saw that several of the Pets were already milling around the relaxation deck. Kei was there with Lina, and the two of them were chatting with some pretty, black-haired girl he didn't recognize. Inu Yasha stood off by himself, warily studying Ryoga and Kurama, who were getting to know each other in the deck chairs by the pool. Duo decided that would be a good place to start, so he went to join them.
"Should have known you'd already be here, Ryoga," he said easily as he flopped into a chair. "Bumming around and leaving me to clean up after the Master's breakfast."
Ryoga snorted. "The ship's staff do the cleaning up and you know it."
Duo looked past him at Kurama. "You're the pretty one that Master Nakago's set his sights on, huh? I'm Duo."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Kurama," the redhead answered politely. "And I guess you're right about Master Nakago, although from what Ryoga is telling me, it's rare for him to trade Pets."
"Not rare, it just never happens," Ryoga said. "That kid, Van, has been his private property ever since he got him. He must really want you to start trading him now." He blushed and smiled shyly at Kurama. "But then, you _are_ awfully pretty."
"Thank you, that's very sweet." Kurama smiled back, making Ryoga blush an even deeper shade of red. Duo got a mischievous look on his face and jumped up from his chair.
"Hey, Ryoga, you're looking overheated." He grabbed the back of Ryoga's deckchair and began tipping it forward. "How about a dip in the pool to cool you off?"
Ryoga's eyes went wide and his red face suddenly turned white. "NO!" he cried, scrambling to stay on the overturning chair. "Not the poooo !"
His protest died out as he hit the water and sank.
The splash got everyone's attention and Lina cried, "Oh no! What did you do!" She ran over to the pool's edge, followed by Maze and Kei.
"What's the problem? Can't he swim?" Duo asked uncertainly. It _was_ taking Ryoga a long time to come up.
"Yes, but " Lina started to say when suddenly the water's surface was broken. A baby black piglet wearing a black and yellow bandanna around its neck flailed frantically.
"SQUEE! SQUEE!"
"What the hell is _that_?!" Duo exclaimed. "Where's Ryoga?!"
"That _is_ Ryoga, you moron!" Lina retorted, reaching into the pool to rescue the piglet. "He fell into a cursed spring in China and now whenever he comes in contact with cold water, he turns into this little pig we call P-chan. Hot water changes him back."
Duo blinked, then started to laugh. The piglet leaped from Lina's arms and tried to rake his hooves across Duo's face, but the long-haired boy caught him.
"Naughty naughty, P-chan! Scratch me and I might just have to start toting a water pistol around."
P-chan responded by biting deeply into Duo's wrist.
"OWWWW!!!" Duo dropped P-chan, who scurried away out of sight.
"Unlike my own transformation, Ryoga and P-chan share the same mind," Maze told Duo. "If you insult one, the other will remember it." She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, we haven't yet met. I'm Maze."
"I think I've heard your name around. I'm Duo. Sorry I can't shake your hand, but mine's about to fall off."
"Here, let me." Lina held her palms over Duo's bleeding wrist and they began to glow with white light. He felt immediate improvement, and before long, all traces of the bite were gone.
"Hey, thanks!" Duo flexed his wrist.
"You're welcome. I'm Lina, by the way. I already know who you are the nut who came on the ship unescorted."
"Yeah, but look who my Master is now." Duo winked.
"Doesn't mean you're not stupid," Kei remarked pointedly. Duo gave her a knowing grin.
"You're Kei, right? Master Quatre pointed you out to us yesterday. You may be right, what I did was risky and possibly stupid, but I'm here and I'm in one piece."
"And you're walking like someone shoved a two-by-four up your ass," interjected Inu Yasha from where he stood nearby.
"Inu Yasha!" Maze chided. "It's impolite to "
"I don't care about manners and you know it, Maze," Inu Yasha snapped back. "I say what I think." He looked at Duo. "And I think you're a bloody idiot for voluntarily turning yourself in to Quatre. If your Master was dead, you should have just run away and not looked back!"
Duo studied him. "I gather you're not a volunteer Pet."
"Feh," Inu Yasha said in disgust. "I'm my half-brother's captive his plaything. He only joined this Community so he'd have an excuse to make my life miserable."
"So why don't you tell someone?" Kei asked, frowning. "Master Quatre "
"He knows," Inu Yasha spat, "but Sesshomaru has given him some song and dance about how dangerous I am and how he's the only one who can control me. He's got Quatre convinced that the world is a safer place with me as my brother's Pet."
"Maybe I could tell him " Duo began.
"Don't bother," Inu Yasha interrupted. "It'll just get back to Sesshomaru and he'll have another excuse to beat the crap outta me." He noticed Kurama gazing at him sadly and bristled. "Don't look at me like that, Pretty Boy, you've got enough trouble of your own to worry about! Nakago's even worse than Sesshomaru."
"His Pet doesn't look like he's in too good shape," Kei commented quietly.
"Van? Hell, no." The dog demon scratched one of his furry ears. "At least Sesshomaru kicks me out for Free Time every day Van hardly ever gets out, and never on his own."
"Well, Master Hiei will go easy on him," Kurama said. "And maybe Master Nakago will be careful with me after all, he has to return me and it wouldn't be a good idea for me to be too badly off "
"You think that matters?" Lina asked. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kurama, but the rules are that if your Master loans you, the borrowing Master has free reign."
"I see," Kurama answered, and Duo could tell he was thinking that this bit of information would not be repeated to 'Master' Hiei.

Kei wouldn't have believed someone as small as Lina could move so quickly, but she was having trouble keeping up with the orange-haired girl as they hurried to the dining area.
"We're late! I can't believe we're late! Mistress Scarlet is going to _kill_ me!" Lina was wailing.
"Relax, girl, she's not gonna kill you. She may be a bit peeved, but "
"You don't understand!" Lina said over her shoulder. "The Masters and Mistresses are really nice to give us Free Time on the trip, but it won't last if we abuse it by being late in returning to them!"
"We're not even five minutes late, I " Kei stopped both running and speaking when they reached the entrance to the dining area and saw Sesshomaru standing by Yuri and Scarlet's table, conferring seriously with her partner. Lina didn't waste anymore time and ran straight over, kneeling by Scarlet and kissing her hand.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Mistress Scarlet! We were on the relaxation deck and lost track of time!"
"I will hear no excuses, Lina," Scarlet said sternly. "Return to our quarters and wait for me. You'll have to wait until dinnertime to eat."
Lina looked as if she'd been told the world was coming to an end. "Wait? To eat?" She turned away slowly. "Yes, Mistress," she murmured, and headed back the way she'd come, giving Kei a 'good luck' gesture on her way.
Kei felt badly for Lina, but didn't have time to think about it with both Yuri and Sesshomaru glaring at her approach. "Hi Mistress," she said casually. "Sorry I'm late, but "
It happened so fast. One minute Yuri had been seated, next thing she knew, Yuri was standing, and Kei was on her butt with her left cheek stinging.
"How _dare_ you have the audacity to show up late after what you've already done today?!" Yuri yelled. "Master Sesshomaru is very upset about how you spoke to him earlier and I insist you give him a proper apology right now!"
Kei wished her left ear would stop ringing. Had Yuri really hit her that hard? Had Yuri really _hit_ her?
Sesshomaru stepped forward and extended his hand in front of her face. She wanted to spit on it, but the entire dining room was watching and she didn't want another wallop from Yuri. Reluctantly, she took his hand in hers and kissed it. "Please forgive me, Master Sesshomaru."
"Perhaps a few cracks of a belt on your backside would encourage me to do so," Sesshomaru said casually and glanced sideways at Yuri. Kei looked at Yuri as well, her green eyes wide.
"No," Yuri said firmly. "If she had made the indiscretion in front of witnesses, I would agree, but as it was just the two of you, I think this should suffice."
Sesshomaru nodded. "As you wish," he said, but it was clear in his tone that he didn't agree with her decision. Kei, on the other hand, thought she'd wet herself from relief.
"That was well-handled," Scarlet approved quietly, watching Sesshomaru head off to his own table. "He's the worst when it comes to wanting other Pets punished. The simplest mistakes are major offenses to him."
"Well, in this case, I think much of his anger was justified." Yuri gave Kei a look that promised they'd be discussing the incident further, and bringing a hand up to her swollen cheek, Kei vowed her agreement.

Fish Eye sat down on the front steps of Seigi headquarters with a sigh. It was a beautiful day, he was feeling 100% again, and the next group of agents was as ready as they'd ever be to head out. So what was bothering him?
Well, he knew _what_ was bothering him that elusive something he'd been trying to remember for a couple of days. It was about to drive him crazy. He _knew_ it was important, but it seemed the harder he tried to remember, the more it eluded him. Maybe he swallowed too much saltwater on that swim.
"Hey, Fish Eye!"
The Changechild looked up and blinked in surprise at the auburn-haired young man coming up the walk toward him.
"Tsuzuku-sensei!" Fish Eye ran to greet him with a hug. "I didn't know your mission was over! How'd it go? Where's Hajime- sensei? Are my brothers finished, too?"
The Seigi instructor named Tsuzuku laughed gently. "Yes, my part of the mission is over, it was successful, Hajime-niisan has gone to check on Owaru and Amaru, and your brothers are still wrapping up their part. They should be back in a couple of days."
"I hope so," Fish Eye said. He'd missed his brothers Hawk Eye and Tiger Eye so much while he was away and knew they must be worried about him.
Tsuzuku confirmed as much as they headed inside. "It was difficult for them to give their full attention to the job, knowing there hadn't been any word from you. What happened to you and Van?"
Fish Eye shook his head. "We both got taken as Pets and then our Masters took us on a Community cruise. I finally escaped by jumping overboard, but of course, Van couldn't do that. He's still on the ship."
Tsuzuku's delicate features reflected his concern in a frown. "I see. And what steps has Setsuna taken toward this?"
"She brought in and trained new agents, then sent they plus some of the teachers in. Duo-sensei went in of his own accord, though, and Setsuna-sensei is furious with him."
"I don't blame her." Tsuzuku shook his head, chuckling. "I must admit, it doesn't surprise me that Duo would pull such a stunt. He always kept all of us guessing."
"I just hope they can help Van." Fish Eye sighed. "I felt terrible leaving him behind, but there didn't seem to be anything I could do. My Master was a tyrant, and his was ten times worse."
"Well, at least you were able to keep your Master from hurting you," Tsuzuku said. "The threat of the poison you can secrete through your nails and your water attacks must have ensured that."
"No, my poison and attacks were useless because " Fish Eye stopped dead, causing Tsuzuku to stop as well and stare at him.
"What is it?" he asked, worried by how pale the Changechild had become.
"Oh God," Fish Eye murmured, his big blue eyes filling with tears. "What have I done?! Oh _God_!" He ran off down the hall with Tsuzuku right behind him.
Setsuna was leaving her office when Fish Eye came tearing toward her, crying and talking so quickly she couldn't make out a word.

"Fish Eye!" Setsuna exclaimed. "Tsuzuku! What's wrong with him?!"
"I wish I knew," Tsuzuku said, watching the hysterical Fish Eye with concern. "We were discussing his mission when he suddenly ran off in tears."
Setsuna grabbed Fish Eye by his slender shoulders and shook him roughly. "Young man, you will calm _down_ and tell me what's wrong! Take deep breaths!"
Fish Eye attempted to do as he was ordered and finally began getting coherent words out, "S-Setsuna ... I ... I ...forgot to ... t-tell them about ... the bracelets ...."
"The ones that mark Pets as their Masters' property?" Setsuna said in confusion. "But you _did_ tell them "
Fish Eye shook his head frantically. "No, no! I forgot to mention the _spell_! The bracelets have special magic-suppressants on them!"
Setsuna stared at him. "What are you saying, Fish Eye?"
He met her eyes miserably. "The spell on the bracelets detects negative intent in magic. A Pet can use good, safe magic, like healing power, but they can't use any kind of aggressive magic that might hurt their Masters!"
Setsuna and Tsuzuku exchanged serious looks. "I'd better call a meeting right now," Setsuna said.
"I'm so sorry," Fish Eye sobbed, burying his face in his scaled hands. "If anything happens to them it'll be my fault."
Tsuzuku embraced him, stroking his hair while Setsuna gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Honey, after what you went through, no one is going to blame you for anything."
"Maybe not." Fish Eye sniffled. "But I'll still blame myself."
Tsuzuku saw Setsuna's tortured expression and nodded to her. "I'll take care of him, you call the meeting."
She gave him a grateful look, touched the back of Fish Eye's head briefly, then hurried down the corridor.
"What have I done?" Fish Eye whimpered. "What have I _done_?"
"Ssh." Tsuzuku rocked him gently. "For all we know, they were told about it by another Pet or Master as soon as they boarded the ship. Nothing bad may happen at all."

Nakago opened his cabin door and smiled down at the beautiful redhead. "Come on in, Kurama ...."

End of Chapter 11

Story contents (C) 1998 Tenou Haruka Character copyrights are too many to mention, just know that none of them are mine.