Kisetsufuu
Kaze Tsukai No Kagura
Originally Published (Kamikaze): 6.24.09
Rewritten (Kisetsufuu): 6.18.10, 6.26.10
Authour's Note:
Nearly completely rewritten, and this time, more accurately.
+ use of the manga, not just the anime.
Disclamed.
Kisetsufuu
Part I – Natsu no Kaze
Chapter 1 – Aori
Life was never pleasing to her — not a single thing in her life had exceptional meaning.
In fact, the only thing that kept her alive was sheer will; her desire for what she may never achieve.
Even since the wind mistress' very creation, the woman had a miserable life, full of agony; despair.
Well, perhaps she wasn't completely miserable at the very beginning…
However, being born as nothing more than Naraku's servant is not an exceptional start.
The first time Kagura had quarreled with the opposing group…
Such an irritating memory.
That hanyou and the stupid miko had ruined her entire, well-thought-out plot:
the girl scattered her youki, allowing InuYasha to bring forth the Kaze no Kizu - a weapon borne from her very element.
It nearly shredded her to pieces (and did so to her lovely kimono, as one might recall), but she had cleverly escaped death's cruel clutches.
So, that pathetic hanyou and his followers had somehow overcome her.
It was still quite befuddling, too… She could have killed the entire group; after all, she had many a chance.
Ah, no matter. It was so much fun to come out and play, after all.
o0o
In the beginning, Naraku's scheme seemed completely foolproof.
The sorceress had easily set the trap; that was not difficult in the least.
Her dearest master bestowed upon her the fake Shikon no kakera, forged from the deadliest of toxins.
The rest was so incredibly simple, or so it seemed.
Those gullible yorouzoku arrived at the godforsaken castle, completely of their own accord — however, the pitiful things neglected to realise the trap they'd been so easily led into.
Oh, what's this? A bonus!
They gathered members from the northern yorouzoku.
Dearest master would be ever so pleased.
As the mutts made their way to the castle's courtyard, they searched for the magnificent army that was sure to await them.
When the humans from this castle appear, don't hesitate to waste 'em!
You bet!
But none appeared.
There's something weird about this castle...
There's no guards posted...
Oh, how right you are, my dear wolves!
The tribe finally spotted something: the graceful silhouette of a noblewoman perched behind the bamboo screen ahead.
Huh? A girl?
It wouldn't be long before the Shikon no Tama was all theirs; no one woman could possibly best hundreds of vicious, feral youkai simply thirsting for blood.
Spears flew swiftly towards the woman, positively glowing behind the thin bamboo.
And, of course, not one pathetic attempt succeeded in taking the sorceress's life.
The woman lurking behind the screen was no ordinary mortal, you see.
A mortal? Ha... Such a naïve way of thinking, ne?
She was, of course, the magnificent Kagura, in all her glory; standing tall, confident before the men whose fates had been sealed.
At first glance, the woman seemed like any other, a mistress, perhaps.
But her eyes…
They burned through the soul; her orbs were the deepest of crimsons.
Crimson... much akin to the blood so soon to be shed.
Pitiful wolves; they knew no better.
Rushing towards the strange mistress with the flaming crimson eyes, the lowly youkai realised their deaths were very near.
With a sharp movement, the woman flicked an object out from underneath her elegant silk robes.
It was no an object of harm, seemingly; just a simple, black-handled fan.
Oh, well...
Nothing but small fry, hm?
The swirling wind lifted the youkai off their feet, sent them hurtling into the sky above, and dropped them down to the dust-covered terrain.
Bring him to me...
Someone more...
virile.
It was then that the lowly youkai saw the slicing blades speeding toward them; destroying all in their wake.
The pack had come prepared, or so they thought.
No matter, though:
each and every man present was being sliced; completely butchered, their fur and armor oozing dark crimson into the dust-covered earth.
The mysterious wind wielder gracefully paced back into non-existence.
She was to wait there, with her master, until the leader arrived, carrying the true Shikon no kakera with him.
He would also, of course, be poisoned by the false jewel shard embedded in his injured arm.
Those yorouzoku never ceased their foolish ways, did they?
Of course, they'd fallen for her tricks.
The ability to manipulate the dead was definitely to her advantage, wasn't it?
She had easily taken complete control over so me random ookami man; forcing every word, every step.
She sent the man to the remaining wolves; the ones smart (or foolishly loyal, perhaps) enough to stay.
He spoke to the tribe, telling them all that he was the lone survivor of a deadly assault.
They also believed him (so gullible) when he spoke of the jewel shard he acquired.
So the leader, foolish as he was, slammed the jewel shard into his previously injured arm and took off, running.
Here, already?
I wanted to play a little longer...
He could not possibly have anticipated what lay in store for him.
You see, InuYasha and the humans that accompanied him had already burst through the wooden gate at the front of the castle.
Upon reaching the courtyard, one and all froze in what could only be described as complete and utter shock.
Slaughtered wolves – hundreds of them – were all strewn about the dull courtyard, carrying the thick, metallic scent of blood with them.
The smell coated the entire area for miles, and the hanyou was forced to cover the lower half of his face in repulsion.
And, as always, the miko felt the insatiable need to remind the few that they were, in fact, Kouga's kin.
As the humans, hanyou, and youkai alike discussed what was, in all honestly, not rightfully their business, the wind sorceress stood, peering behind closed doors.
Her graceful dance swept through the corridor and out into the courtyard.
The soft wind was not particularly noticeable; the hanyou barely caught a small whiff as it traveled past, dragging stray particles of dust along with it.
As the wind swept over the corpses of the once-great (Ha!) yorouzoku, the men began to rise.
It was an odd sight, to say the least: hordes of dead men leaping from their blood-soiled graves and rushing to attack a strange group of youkai slayers.
The corpse-men lunged at the hanyou, not bothering to mind their own well-being, of course.
The dog-man tore angrily away at the waves of youkai, positively dead-set on aiming themselves at him.
Even if you cut them or stab them, it makes no difference.
My dear corpses...
They shall continue to dance, even with their heads cut off.
And just when they thought they would have to help the hanyou, the humans saw each and every one of the corpses drop to the ground, drained of whatever power allowed them to move in the first place...
As if none of it ever happened.
Kagura...
Enough of the corpse dance. Leave the rest to the young leader of the youkai-wolf tribe.
Aw, can't I be allowed to finish them all off?
The woman snapped her fan with obvious resentment.
Boring...
The leader of the ookami youkai tribe was not happy, to say the least, to discover the hanyou with his love at first sight, covered in ookami blood and standing directly amidst all the chaos and death.
He was blinded by rage, as many would be if their own friends and family were all lying — dead, broken, and reeking of blood — on the rough dirt.
The leader thought the hanyou did it.
(How stupid of him... Was it not dog-boy who so valiantly rescued the leader and the yorouzoku himself?)
After all, the evidence pointed right at him:
he was drenched in wolf blood; the blood of the wolves he had grown up with; whom he called his friends, family.
The foul, oozing liquid completely coated the hanyou's hands and robes with a sticky vermilion, and his claws (covered as well) were still bared.
The human miko tried to convince the yorouzoku leader otherwise, but he refused to listen to such preposterous reasoning.
These mutilated, bloody masses were the remains of the friends and family he grew up with, whom he swore to protect!
He couldn't simply stand by; pretend nothing ever happened!
So the leader was on a mad rampage, absolutely desperate to avenge his fallen comrades.
He charged after the hanyou, who, despite their constant rivalry and bickering, actually wanted not to kill the poor, fooled wolf.
The two opponents engaged in a duel to the death; not a single spectator could predict the dreadful outcome.
The battle won't finish until one of them dies.
You know what to do after that, Kagura...
However, it mattered not who won the simple battle of vengeance, you see...
Because the wind-user would, of course, deal with the victor of the so-called contest.
Yes, she and Naraku planned a foolproof plot to bring the demise of their greatest threats to existence.
I can take the remaining one's head, can't I?
The Shikon no kakera, too... right.
Kisetsufuu - seasonal winds
natsu no kaze - summer winds
aori - gust of wind
yorouzoku - wolf / wolves belonging to Kouga's tribe; the tribe itself
(Please do correct me if any of my Japanese is wrong... I don't exactly have the most reliable of resources.)
Authoress's note: Much better this time, ne? Still, less words... somehow... Anyways, hope you enjoyed! :)