This Chapter is going to be longer I suspect, there is a lot I wanna get done in this.
Act I
Chapter 8: Tragedy.
"Lord Sesshoumaru!"
An ecstatic little girl in a patterned kimono rushed towards the tall man with silver hair. Rin hadn't minded Inuyasha and his friends, they were nice people, especially Kagome, but Lord Sesshoumaru would always be like a father to her. Sesshoumaru was more than just a father-figure for her, he was her hero, someone who had always been there for her.
"Lord Sesshoumaru!"
This one was from Jaken. Sesshoumaru's eyes never left Rin as she ran towards her, Jaken moving to catch up from behind her. He'd had trouble making sure Ah-Un stayed outside this wretched little human village. All the same the tiny demon had been having the worst time of it. Villagers threw things at him, scoffed at him, and only didn't go further due to a few of his staff or the fact he'd been with Inuyasha.
"I was so worried for you my lord! Oh how may I serve you my lord? Whatever you wish my lord! My lord I-"
"Be silent Jaken."
Sesshoumaru regarded Rin with a pleasant nod as she smiled up at him.
"What were you up to Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Kagome and her friends are really nice! They let me and Kohaku do whatever we wanted as long as we were nearby, and he showed me a bunch of neat stuff Lord Sesshoumaru!"
The tall demon merely nodded, noting the looks they were receiving from the villagers, his cold eyes just staring back.
"We should be going." Sesshoumaru commented as he turned to leave.
"Where did you go Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin then asked. "You seemed really upset when you left."
Sesshoumaru didn't respond to the last comment before Rin's little eyes looked past him towards the detachment of Naraku. Kagura had been waiting behind with her arms crossed, moving her fan out for a moment before clasping it back together.
"L-Lady Kagura!" She said in shock. "Where did Lord Sesshoumaru find you?"
"Find me? I. I was-"
Then she realized she was being given a look from Sesshoumaru, ruby eyes met golden and in that moment she realized he'd not told Rin about what happened.
He didn't talk about much come to think of it. Kagura felt confused. He wouldn't talk about how he came to bring her back. He hadn't told Rin about the fact she was dead it seemed. He was trying to protect them? Was he just not able to talk about things like this? She hadn't fully understood, but just the look she now received told her not to say where she had been.
"In the North, I had things to take care of there." She answered, knowing she was lying to the girl, but hell, the girl wasn't her responsibility, she was Sesshoumaru's.
The girl then cocked her head to the side, before smiling brightly.
"So you came back too, does this mean you love Lord Sesshoumaru?" She asked excitedly.
Her voice was caught in her throat. Yes, yes of course she did. She'd lived only to see him one last time before she died. Even when the hallucinations had hurt her, using his image, it was because she loved him that she was hurt so much by his rejection. The worst anguish of her life, including her unlife, had been when she tried desperately to crawl to Sesshoumaru and he'd... he'd...
Her heart stopped for a moment at the thought of it. She breathed in once to herself to calm herself, that wasn't real. This was real, where she was now.
But now she was worried to answer the girl and worried on how Sesshoumaru felt himself. Sesshoumaru, did he love her? He had to, didn't he? She looked back towards him, she knew what she looked like right now, her face was written by embarrassment and shock at the question. But in some small way she looked at him for some sign of anything, anything from his cold exterior. Instead she found only the stoic figure as she felt her heart sink.
But then she remembered the smile, the look on his face when he'd found her. The look when he'd come for her to save her. She remembered how warm and protected she felt when he pulled her into his arms.
She also knew something else however.
Sesshoumaru saw love as a weakness, as a liability, hell, she did too. Right now she was vulnerable because of feeling this way, she was emotionally unfit. Her time in the underworld hadn't helped that either.
Did he really love her if he could never say he loved her? His signs of affection so fleeting? Did he love her when he could never answer her own affection?
But all the same this cold man, a cold man who said he would not help her and ended up being the only one she could ever rely on. Now he held her heart. Her physical heart was in her chest, beating quickly, but he could destroy her just as Naraku had, and not because he'd taken possession of her heart as Naraku had, but because she'd given it to him. Unwittingly, before her heart was even hers to give, she'd given it to him. Before he'd even helped her.
She just smiled sadly to Rin, patting her on the head, before trying to shrug off the comment.
"Kid, you certainly are bold aren't you?"
Rin just blinked looking at the woman as her question was avoided. She just gave a confused look to Kagura as she tried to understand what had just happened. For several moments Kagura had just looked at Sesshoumaru, even to Rin it looked like her mind was trying to find an appropriate action for her. She also saw how uncomfortable it made Kagura as well, but she too understood something. Kagura did love Lord Sesshoumaru.
"That's what Kagome said too." Rin finally said.
Jaken himself couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sesshoumaru hadn't responded, but his master clearly had a connection to this being and the woman clearly had affections for his Lord Sesshoumaru. His jaw was just left with a small opening, before it closed slightly and he swallowed.
And, unlike Rin, Jaken knew the truth of Kagura's demise, the Wind Sorceress having died from her injuries by Naraku.
"We have to get going." Sesshoumaru finally said, walking past. "Jaken, fetch Ah-Un."
"Of course Lord Sesshoumaru!"
()()()()()()()()()()
Miroku sat with his legs folded, looking at the sword quietly as he felt the demonic energies from the sword continuing to swirl around it. Brown eyes looked up at it as he just sighed. This sword could not have been forged by Sutoomu, it was clearly the result of powerful magics, and a powerful smith. Its dark taint was far worse than the Tokijin's.
He'd thought for hours about the best means of dealing with this demonic sword, hoping that something would come from his meditation and prayers as well, instead all he found was nothing.
Sighing, he turned his eyes back towards the village seeing Inuyasha and his friends a distance off coming back. The problem was they couldn't merely sit her and watch this sword, and yet they could not take the sword either, anyone who took hold of the sword could very well transform into Sutoomu themselves. This sword complicated things far more than he wanted. Even the idea of sucking it into his wind tunnel was unappealing, fearing that its taint may spread to him, merely making him Sutoomu's latest copy, his latest vessel.
Sango sat next to him, looking at him a few minutes later.
"Miroku, have you thought of what to do with the sword?" She asked.
"No. Unfortunately not. No one may touch this sword without changing into Sutoomu himself. And yet we cannot just leave it here for a passerby to take. And to build a temple would be complicated because the sword cannot be moved."
"So, we're going to sit here and wait for us to die of old age, or for Naraku or Moryomaru to come and kill us? I don't think so, everyone stand back, I've got this." Inuyasha said drawing the Tetsusaiga.
"No Inuyasha! Attacking this blade in that way may have worse results than-"
"What is wrong Inuyasha?"
Sutoomu's voice seemed to whisper through their minds.
"Have you come to realize that I will come back, again and again until you are dead?"
Inuyasha's teeth grit together as he scowled at the blade, he could see a shadow behind it. That must have been Sutoomu himself, he thought angrily as the demon just mocked them.
"Who made you into this Sutoomu? Sesshoumaru killed you, you stupid bastard!" Inuyasha snapped.
"Yes. I was killed by my father. And even defeated in the afterlife by him and his new sword, Bakusaiga. But let us just say I have friends in the right places. Friends who have plans for you. Would you even believe me if I told you everything went according to plan, Inuyasha? Certainly I wished you dead, I certainly tried. But the plan expected me to fail to kill you in my new form."
Kagome's eyebrows knit together with uncertainty as she heard this thing in her head. She could see Sutoomu's spirit much more clearly than the others, his dark form standing behind the sword.
"Yea? Getting killed again and having yourself stuck in a field doesn't sound according to plan to me." Inuyasha countered.
Miroku however knew something was wrong. He could feel it with the demon's words and felt uneasy, his face showing this as he looked at the sword, hoping for some kind of answer through it as he stood up from his kneeling position. Sango following his movement.
"This was a diversion." He declared.
"Very adept Monk. You are not set to die yet. Not before Naraku is either properly dealt with, or slain."
Inuyasha felt uneasy as this was divulged to him.
"A diversion for what?" Kagome then asked.
She was afraid to be honest. This monster had wanted her dead. It'd hated her for everything wrong with its existence. It came from beyond death to kill her. Inuyasha would always be there to protect her, she knew that, but how could he always be there to protect her?
"Do you think I have simply waited here to talk with you all this time? I merely had to make sure my last copy showed me that the deed was done."
Deed was done?
"I am... I am depleted... In the eyes of my master."
Master? Kagome thought immediately as her heart started to race. Why was he talking about a master? What was going on?
"My master, who you will meet in due time, requested I make sure you are distracted while he made good on our deal."
The blade pulsed, before beginning to glow. Inuyasha's eyes sharply locked onto it as he growled uneasily.
It shot into the air, floating under its own will.
"Father killing me has made my stronger than ever. I am not so confined in this form. But if you wish to know what the distraction was? It was our true revenge on you Kagome. To know what it is to never go home. You will suffer as I have suffered, and my master has made sure of this. In this distraction is also the message of your misery."
Sutoomu had made one request of his brother, in exchange of course of being forced to never refer to him as such until he decided to reveal himself...
()()()()()()()()()()
The wind blew through his hair as he looked towards the village of these disgusting creatures. This seemed so petty, so beneath him, but to keep one's word was important, he'd been taught that. It was a matter of honor. Weak opponents were not generally worth his time, but these creatures were enough to feed the rage Sutoomu had.
Katsuramaru stopped when he made it to the farmer's fields, seeing children helping their families with the work of their farms. The men looked up to see the Dog Demon, blinking at its presence.
"What do you wish from us, demon?" Then an old woman's voice remarked, walking towards him, her one eye sharply locked onto the demon as he gave only a clever smirk in response.
Kaede had no idea what she was approaching. Of the two offspring, where as Sutoomu seemed to reflect Kagura more in appearance and attitudes, Katsuramaru was another story. He was tall, taller than Sesshoumuaru, his features were sharp as well, reflecting Sesshoumaru. The only trait he'd received from his mother was his eyes, his red eyes, but even they seemed to reflect Sesshoumaru in their chilled cold gaze. He'd never been as devoid of emotion as Sesshoumaru... but he was as devoid of compassion, and certainly as devoid of sympathy or love.
He regarded the old woman however for a few more moments before closing his eyes.
"What do I wish from you? You regrettably, have little to offer me human." Katsuramaru said in response.
"Then why come to our-"
"The only thing you have to offer me, unfortunately, is your suffering and death." He said, before opening his eyes as his hand came to his sword, as soon as his fingers touched it a dark green energy swirled around him, before drawing the long Kitana.
"Everyone prepare to stop the demon!"
Katsuramaru however, flipped the sword down, before arching it up towards Kaede, the shocked woman saw only the green scar of energy as her eye widened.
Within minutes the village burned.
()()()()()()()()()()
To never go home? Kagome thought about that for a second before her heart stopped. The Well, the village, that was what he was talking about!
"Inuyasha! Something has gone to attack the village!"
Immediately the half demon looked at her as his golden eyes widened. "C'mon, we gotta move, now!"
All that they could hear was the sound of Sutoomu, laughing as Kagome climbed on Inuyasha's back, and Sango, Kohaku, and Miroku jumped onto Kirara.
From there they ran, Inuyasha running as quickly as he could as he felt Kagome clinging to him tightly, her fingers holding onto the robe of the fire rat desperately.
Inside the mind of the teenage girl ran a thousand things, Kaede, the villagers, but selfishly and most of all... her family. Souta, mom, her grandfather, she couldn't handle even the thought of never seeing them. She couldn't handle the thought of being trapped here in the feudal era when she had so much still at home.
Inuyasha ran harder than she'd ever felt him, for her, she knew that he cared about the village as well but he knew how much it'd hurt her if she could never go home again.
And then they saw the smoke in the distance. Kagome gasped in fear. Kirara shot past them through the sky towards the smoke.
()()()()()()()()()()
The sword was light in his hand, he swung it around several times and then flipped it through the air, catching it with ease before he sighed, throwing the supposedly sacred sword of the now dead feudal lord aside.
Near him he could hear the sound of eating.
"Yo, Goshinki, that sword sucked." Bankotsu said with a level of casual annoyance as the huge purple beast continued to feed on the guards of the castle, turning its large horned head towards Bankotsu, spitting a bone out that was stuck between two of its fangs.
"This is but our first castle Bankotsu. We may yet find a blade to your liking."
Bankotsu sighed as he just looked at all the dead bodies.
"Are you really going to eat all of them?"
"Well, not all. I am actually getting rather full." The demon confessed before pulling up its head, scarfing down more flesh.
"And you're sure we didn't just come to this castle because you were hungry?" Bankotsu asked, his eyes leveling lamely towards Goshinki. "Because its totally alright if you were hungry. But you know. I really want a new sword."
Goshinki finally stepped away from the corpses, the sound of his body digesting the flesh being heard as he stopped in front of Bankotsu.
"Finding demon weapons to your liking may not even happen."
"Hey, don't be negative Goshinki. Without a new sword I'll never be able to help kill Naraku."
"Well, perhaps you already have one."
"What do you mean?"
Goshinki just grinned at his new compatriot, pointing a purple clawed hand at him.
"Within you, you carry the Banyru's spirit Bankotsu."
Bankotsu's eyes widened. Inside of him was the Banyru? But how did you just unlock something like that? His baby, his Banyru?
"If I knew, Bankotsu, I would tell you. But it also still remains that we must find Naraku. We may still search more castles, but Naraku will be more difficult to track if we wait much longer."
"Yea, too true." Bankotsu sighed. "Maybe I can will it, you know? Just kinda focus my thoughts."
You don't have many thoughts to focus, Goshinki thought to himself as he averted his eyes to the side.
"Hey! What's that look supposed to mean?"
"... Nothing of course."
()()()()()()()()()()
15 minutes later, the Village.
Inuyasha landed on his feet as he saw the village burning. Miroku, Kohaku and Sango were already combing through everywhere looking for anyone who was alive.
Kagome could only cover her mouth with her hands as she looked a the flames, looked at the bodies. Her brown eyes widened as shock overwhelmed her.
"." She whispered to herself. Inuyasha looked at Kagome for a moment, his own heart racing. She was in shock and he couldn't blame her. He was in his own state of shock as well. Near the entrance to the village a huge scar was torn through the ground itself. He quickly rushed ahead, walking through the smoke and past fires, running over bodies of men, women, and children only with a mind to find the bastard responsible for this.
Behind him Kagome could only walk, she felt dizzy as she walked through the smoke. None of this seemed real. Who would do this? Why would anyone do this? Her feet stopped as she looked at the scar, seeing the bright red fabric that was in Kaede's robes. Then it hit her. They were all dead. Tears filled her eyes as she began to tremble.
Every one of them had died because of her. She'd killed all of them just coming here... or by staying here. Her tear filled eyes looked up, seeing the body of a dead little girl in her mother's arms as hot tears let loose from her own eyes. She'd known these people. They'd taken her in and sheltered her, they'd live with these people. And Kaede...
Her heart tore with guilt before she finally felt it, the urge to run, to run away from this as fast as she could as she started to run towards the well. She gasped through sobs as she ran.
"Kagome!" She heard Inuyasha shout behind her but she couldn't turn to look. When she arrived at the Bone Eater's Well all she saw was... nothing. She froze as the ground where the well had once been was nothing but a pile of debris. It was rubble, she felt nothing from it either. Her mother's face flashed before her eyes as her breathing began to labor.
No, no nononono. NO!
When Inuyasha arrived he saw Kagome desperately trying to dig into the rubble of the well. Running over to her immediately he grabbed her, trying to stop be from digging any further as she struggled against him crying.
"No! Souta! Mom! Grandfather!" She sobbed desperately, her hands covered in the thick mud, the way she was digging he almost expected her to scratch into the debris until her hands bled. Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her, letting her cry as he looked up to Kohaku and Sango, the next to arrive.
Sango looked... distraught herself. This was the second home she'd lost.
But Kagome, she'd lost two homes, two families. The village and Kaede, and her family beyond the well in the future.
Her sobbing only grew worse before Inuyasha rested his head against hers, just letting her cry. She needed this, he didn't know for how long but he'd be with her no matter how long it took.
"I'll never leave you Kagome." He promised. "No matter what."
She was still too distraught to answer him, her hot tears marking his kimono as she clung to him. All she could think of was everyone who was dead, everything that was lost.
While she continued to cry, Miroku finally came, a sad, quiet look on his face. He saw Kagome, he saw her pain and averted his eyes briefly, before placing his hand on Sango's shoulder.
"While Inuyasha helps Kagome. Could you help me... with the villagers." He finally said. "We must prepare them for burial."
He tried to be as quiet as he could, hoping Kagome could not hear.
Sango answered numbly with a nod, before looking at her little brother, already ahead of herself and Miroku. He shouldn't have been as comfortable with helping them as he was. He wasn't even asked and he was going off to help. She could let her feelings out later, she could try to talk to Kagome when she was...
"Kagome." She then said, turning her head, her own voice shaking. "None of us will ever leave you." With that, she turned and ran after Miroku and Kohaku.
()()()()()()()()()()
The huge form of the mighty dragon shifted over the village below, its bulk crushing it under its huge weight as humans helplessly ran for their below. Its head shifted upwards from the rest of its body in a graceful near roll of flesh.
This Naraku had proved too difficult to find in Ryuukotsei's opinion. He was nowhere. He had sought him through the mountains, though the lowlands, even near the sea, all to no avail. So if he could not find Naraku well the answer was simple. He was Ryuukotsei, he was the great Dragon Demon who was most responsible for the death of the Great Dog Demon. He felt something however ahead, a dark aura as his form halted his advance.
But a tiny demon walked towards him, a dog demon. The mask atop the dragon growled as he gazed down at this creature.
"You are not doing what we agreed upon." Finally the demon remarked looking up at the dragon.
"I have sought out this Naraku and found nothing, I will do as I please now."
"Will you?" The tiny insect responded to the massive beast. "Perhaps I need to remind you of your place?"
What was this? Ryuukotsei felt nervous as he felt the demonic aura from this creature as it drew its sword, that sword... it...
"If you are so powerful, demon, why do you need myself and the others you have resurrected to kill Naraku?" Came the dark growl in response, he was no fool. This creature was something terrifying, that sword pulsed in a way even the Tetsusaiga had not.
"Because despite my power, my abilities do not necessarily mean I can destroy Naraku, Ryuukotsei." Katsuramaru said with a cold look in his eyes. "And your thirst for revenge will have to wait until the task is done. Am I making myself clear enough to you, demon?"
"Show me where Naraku is if you wish me to destroy him so badly." The demon responded, to which Katsuramaru just smiled darkly.
You were not brought back to destroy Naraku you fool. Menomaru, Goshinki and Bankotsu were here for that. No you have a special task, though to hear that you will die again was not always the most motivating.
"Naraku is a shape shifter, if you recall from your previous encounter with him, he could be anywhere. But I will give you a small tip as to where he is." Katsuramaru then said before smiling.
"You would play games with me, dog demon?"
"I would do more than play games with you dragon, I would slit your belly and pull out your innards if it pleased me."
A nervous look came onto the mask as the demon felt the sword pulse again. He would have to find a way to destroy this creature, he decided. It was more powerful then that cursed dog he'd fought before, the one that imprisoned him.
"Naraku has taken the form of a feudal lord to the south. Destroy the entire castle and any nearby villagers or cities to make sure he does not escape."
"You lie to me, you merely want me to slaughter the humans. Something I have little quarrel doing. When this is over however, our deal is finished, I will not be beholden to you any further."
Katsuramaru gave him a look in response.
"I will come to you when I feel I need your assistance again, demon. Until then however go."
The destruction he would reap amongst the humans would be spectacular, the dog demon thought. And with that destruction would come Inuyasha.
As the great dragon left, he knew he was not alone, his eyes turning upwards towards a figure clad in blue with long flowing black hair.
So, you reveal yourself to me at last.
"Naraku."
"Well demon, you certainly have started to make things interesting." Naraku said in a calm tone, his red eyes meeting the red eyes staring back at him.
Naraku knew he was connected to this demon somehow, he could feel that much even in the demon's aura. But he could also feel Inuyasha... no wait... Sesshoumaru.
"Well you really must begin explaining yourself demon. After all it is so uncommon for me to meet a creature which shares part of my demonic aura, yet has it tainted with the dog demon Sesshoumaru."
Katsuramaru just smiled towards Naraku. "I always liked to think I took after you more than I did that weak creature that helped spawn me. I must admit that were you not so dangerous I would hesitate to undermine you and bring about your ruin."
Naraku's wanted to understand things, he wanted to understand what was going on exactly. Under his nose he knew this creature had been operating for some time.
"You have also just destroyed the village that Kikyo came from, slaughtering every one of them as well as destroying their well, the destruction of the well I felt you put great power into at that."
"Consider it an act of revenge you need not bother yourself with."
"Yet you bother yourself with my affairs and my very existence, demon." Naraku responded to Katsuramaru. "Going even so far as to bring my former pawns and other demons back from death. What is it you are planning demon?"
"You know, I wonder if I were to reveal it to you if you could actually stop me at this point Naraku. It may be an interesting challenge, and perhaps it may only be fair for a creature I had wondered about as a child."
Katsuramaru had remembered the stories his mother had told him of this dark entity. How ruthlessness and his willingness to corrupt others. How he enjoyed to torment her as well if only to demonstrate his power over others. It did not conflict to anything his father had taught him, to be strong and to know one's strength, and to command the world around you through that strength. If anything they went hand in hand in Katsuramaru's eyes.
He remembered how that useless woman tried to make him weak, and tried to make his brother weak with her sentimental feelings and her supposed love for their father. Their father would have been better served not picking such a emotionally weak creature as Kagura to be the mother of his children. It was a decision he never fully understood himself, they were rarely together in all the time he knew Kagura, until her death of course. His father had never even come for that after she'd been wounded by the snake demon which claimed her life.
Her misery upon her death he noted idly when she died, Sutoomu had been the one weak enough to be by her side. Katsuramaru had no time for her by that point in his life. Even now, despite using his brother, he couldn't help but feel that he was almost as weak as their mother. He never had to prove his strength against Sutoomu so he made an excellent pawn to use. His rage over the loss of things in the future fueled his vengeance.
Naraku's eyes were lined up with the demon's still as he just glared.
"And what makes you think I cannot stop you? What makes you think I may not just strike you down at this very moment?" Naraku asked with cold calculation in his voice.
"I entertain you to try, Naraku."
"What are you?"
"Disgustingly I must admit, I am from another time... and I am the offspring of your detachment Kagura." He said with a slight nod of his head. "The strength I have I have always liked to think came from my father Sesshoumaru and of course the fact that Kagura comes from you, Naraku."
"Oh a flatterer." Naraku said with a small degree of contempt for this arrogant creature. "And apart of my flesh as well. I find this most interesting." He then said before his lips seemed to just curve upwards. "And of course just as ambitious as myself it seems. I commend you demon."
"You must know the pawns and the moth-demon will never be able to stop me. I have observed this plan of yours. I cannot be killed so easily." Naraku said with a smugness about him that Katsuramaru only recalled a few times in his life, other than his own of course.
"You will find when the time comes they are more than enough Naraku."
"You are the reason Kagura lives once again, are you not?" Naraku then questioned as Katsuramaru just gave a small smile of his own.
"I would hardly say that. I would say that Sesshoumaru's weakness is why she lives once again."
He had been surprised he had to admit. He never anticipated his father go to go Kagura when she was dying alone. In his own time his father showed almost nothing for his mother. It was frustrating to see him weakening himself like this. He had been so strong for him when he was alive, a demon of principal and one who understood what needed to be done. One who knew to care for others was nothing but weakness.
He'd watched the exchange, he'd watched Kagura disappear into nothingness from his own location in the netherworld. To be honest he'd been the one to arrange her imprisonment in the next life, using the spirits he'd enslaved to ensure Kagura's fate was not mildly terrible, but excruciating. Why one may ask? Because of what she'd done to his father.
And then he saw what happened with Sutoomu, and realized of course destroying Naraku would be much easier than he originally anticipated. His father in their own time had received the Bakusaiga, but only after surpassing his grandfather. He would simply use Sutoomu as the pawn he always was meant to be in new ways, and lure Sesshoumaru to the next world under his influence rather than that of his grandmother's. Sesshoumaru's pride would be what turned him into a pawn.
And it disgusted him. Every moment Sesshoumaru moved towards saving Kagura it made him sick, his weakness made him sick. The fact he cared for Kagura made him the sickest of all, and the fact he went out of his way for her. It went against everything he'd been taught as a boy by him, every example he gave him in life, everything that had made him strong. The fact he knowingly allowed himself to become a pawn made him even sicker.
As his plan came into action, he lost respect for his once infallible father. He knew what caused this of course. Inuyasha's return and Kagome, as well as that disgusting human child Rin, those were the differences in the time line. Those were what had destroyed his father. And then his mother had only served to weaken him further. And the fact that Sesshoumaru had even gone as far as to save the dirty-half breed Inuyasha brought several levels of sickness to his stomach.
But his father had taught him one thing, as had his mother's stories of Naraku as a child, exploit the weaknesses of others and demonstrate your superiority and power. If his father had become this weak, then he deserved whatever fate came upon him.
Naraku just smiled to himself one final time.
"I have places I must be, demon. We will meet again of this I am sure." Naraku's body already began to swirl into a cloud as he prepared to shoot into the sky.
Under my terms we will meet again, Naraku.
()()()()()()()()()()
Six days later:
The fan swung open, the beautiful patterned red colors within it shifting and moving with the sleek motions. With every passing the movement tried to convey something, messages, words, feelings. The wind itself seemed to swirl around each sweep of the fan and each movement of Kagura's body.
She stopped after a moment, before smiling quietly to the little girl, handing her the fan. Rin looked at with a bright smile.
"Now you try." Kagura said.
Rin had been asking her to teach her how to dance, of course thinking in her child-like innocence that she could summon wind like Kagura did. Kagura herself just saw it as a way to pass the time. Rin was pretty bad at using it right now she had to admit, seeing the little girl trying to dance gracefully and looking like someone just swinging a fan wildly.
"No, Rin, like this, keep this foot back." She said, walking over to the girl and trying to correct her posture. It was strange how this girl grew on people, she was like some kind of terrible fungus, trying to cling to you and grow. Sometimes she wondered if she tried to be cute and helpless as a weapon, in fact the more paranoid part of Kagura actively would agree with that.
It was night now as well, the fire that they'd had Jaken start burned brightly of course giving them the light to start this. It was a beautiful night as well, the stars were out, the moon was in a beautiful crescent as well.
Kagura idly looked up for a moment, being reminded of Sesshoumaru for a moment before turning back to Rin as the little girl stumbled.
This may take a while, she thought to herself.
Sesshoumaru had left, not permanently of course otherwise Kagura herself would have left as well. She'd asked him where he was going, and his answer was simply "out", as talkative as usual.
Rin wasn't tired yet but Kagura knew due to her age she'd tire out within the hour. Jaken himself was sitting guard next to Ah-Un, meaning he'd passed out several minutes ago and Ah-Un was keeping guard of course.
When Kagura looked back up at the sky she couldn't help but look at the moon. It stood out to her, almost as if trying to call her.
Before she knew it the child had started to sleep herself. Gently she plucked the fan out of the sleeping girl's fan, who just shifted in her sleep in response.
It was then that she realized Sesshoumaru was standing at the base of the camp, she looked up at him quietly, the fire only a few feet away from her illuminating her left side, the other being cast in shadow. Quietly the demon lord walked towards her and stopped next to her. He stood only a foot away from her now just looking at her.
"So." Kagura finally said after a few moments, looking towards the fire itself. "Where did you go?"
"To find something." he responded.
"Which was?"
"Must you really know?" Sesshoumaru asked as he looked towards Rin for a moment, wanting to make sure she was sleeping next to Ah-Un, which she was of course.
"Yes." She finally responded firmly. "You always have somewhere to run off to and never enough time seemingly to say where."
"They are my problems to deal with, and not the concerns of others." Sesshoumaru answered as his cold eyes turned to Kagura, who just looked back into them.
"Perhaps if you shared where you were going they would not just be your problems to deal with," She answered quietly.
"I do not need help, Kagura."
This bothered him greatly, she was including herself into his life now as if digging into the flesh of his existence, almost like a flea into a dog as it tried to drink its blood. He hated it whenever such things occurred.
"I didn't say I would help-"
"You implied it." Sesshoumaru finally, cutting her off in a uncharacteristic fashion.
She paused immediately looking at him with confusion as she just looked at him. For once there was life in his eyes she found, the fire's glow moving along his face as she tried to reconcile what was going on.
"I do not need help from others, Kagura. Where I need to go is my business in most cases."
"Are you always going to never tell me anything?" Kagura then asked quietly.
He saw her hurt at that moment and his heart felt... strange. He didn't enjoy this feeling in his chest as he saw her disappointment. Strength however mattered, compromise was weakness. And yet the cold response he would normally give became harder and harder to say.
"You do not need to follow me, Kagura. You are as free as the wind, you can go anywhere you like." Sesshoumaru then said, his tone softer than normal. "You do not need to shackle yourself here."
Was he trying to cast her out? She had to admit it was becoming unbearable. The complete lack of feeling even when she knew he must have felt something. Never telling her anything, leaving without so much as a word and moving too fast for her to follow. She couldn't keep up with him.
"You don't want me here?" She asked finally.
"I didn't say that." Sesshoumaru reacted immediately.
"Then what do you want from me Sesshoumaru?" She then asked, her eyes shifting angrily. "What do I have to do for you to talk to me? For you to tell me what is happening, or just running off." Her breathing had become more ragged at this point as well.
"I keep thinking I'm starting to understand you, and you never open up! You run from me, but you never run so far that you are out of sight!"
He was quiet at her anger, what could he say in response to such accusations? The truth.
"I think you are misunderstanding the nature of our relationship Kagura." Sesshoumaru then said, his eyes meeting with hers. "You seem to mistakenly believe that I have the same feelings that you seem to. You have chosen to make me your weakness, the same cannot be said in the reverse."
As his words were said, he saw her eyes softening from anger to sadness, and the feeling in his chest only became worse. She averted them towards the stars and the sky as she just watched for several moments.
I can't be perfect for you, Sesshoumaru.
She couldn't take her eyes off the moon, even as the two stood there, no words being exchanged for several moments. It was like when Naraku squeezed her heart. She could never fully understand what Sesshoumaru felt, how could she? She had just assumed, like some stupid girl. He'd let him take power over her.
But she looked back at him finally a moment later, he'd just stared at her the entire time. With a small graceful step forward Kagura came closer to him. His eyes became confused but he did not move, before she placed her small delicate hand over his chest, where his heart was. It was warm, with the familiar beat of his heart behind it. The beat she'd fallen asleep to so peacefully in the worst place she thought could exist. He didn't step away, or knock her hand away as she did this, he just remained motionless.
This was dangerous, that was what Sesshoumaru thought as he felt her hand on his chest, her body coming closer to his, she was nearly pressed against him. He swallowed back any response that could only further endanger himself. But his eyes, his cold eyes, he felt become soft. With his right arm, the only arm he'd had his entire life, he took Kagura by the shoulder and pulled her towards him. He felt her head rest on his chest a moment later as her body was pulled into his.
"I cannot be what you need me to be, Kagura." He finally told her quietly.
She didn't respond to him, just peacefully standing against him, hearing his breathing. They were a mess she then realized. This was the closest she'd ever felt, but she also never felt so distant. How could he just do this? She wished she could just fly away suddenly, her eyes closing. Just as she was right now she wished she could just fly into the wind itself and be free with what she felt right now.
It was ironic in that moment, both of them thought of a smile. Both of them remembering their hardest moment, a different moment for each.
Rin's eyes had opened when Kagura had yelled earlier, as had Jaken's. Un's head had even woken, while Ah was still sleeping. The three heads stared towards the sight before them. Sesshoumaru normally would have sensed this, but he was too consumed, too wrapped up in feeling and fighting feeling.
He just held Kagura for several minutes, before realizing the audience had been watching them in shock. Inside he felt almost embarrassed, revealing such weakness. He was already embarrassed revealing the weakness to Kagura, now Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un saw as well. Who else saw this exchange?
That was why this was dangerous. That was why he couldn't do this with her, it endangered them both, and he would never be able to give her what she wanted. He would never be open with her, he never could be open with her. And she would never be satisfied with just knowing that he felt for her. When he'd left earlier to find if the rumors of the Dragon Demon rampaging in the south were true, he flew faster and farther than Kagura would have deliberately. He couldn't have her follow him.
And even now, in these moments, his guard had fallen. Had a demon been there to attack, or had they been being watched, he would have never known in these few fleeting moments, he was too consumed.
Gently, he pulled her hand from his chest finally as she looked up at him, red eyes almost desperate as they looked into his own sad one's. This couldn't go on.
"Kagura." He finally said quietly, bringing his hand to her cheek. "Be free." He then told her.
She felt her throat tighten at the words. He was casting her out. She knew he was casting her out in that moment as she just saw the look of sadness in his cold eyes. She then realized just like her, he couldn't cope, he couldn't deal with just... just this.
But he did exactly what Naraku did, exactly as she feared he would. He squeezed her heart relentlessly. The hand, still warm from his chest, moved to her own heart, feeling its own pump, feeling the life drain out of it. The beats from her own chest ringing hollow.
This was what was for the best, she then realized as she looked away, plugging the feather from her hair and casting it out, floating away on a breeze.
Rin couldn't believe what she was seeing as the woman flew into the sky, a single tear dropping from the air, which she saw brightly shine against the moonlight. Sesshoumaru's eyes followed it as well, all the way to the ground.
The little girl walked over to Sesshoumaru's side quietly, almost afraid to touch him. He was his outward calm self, but he felt... tense, as if ready to lash out against anything. He was just staring at where the tear had landed before numbly turning and walking over to the tree, sitting against it. His eyes looked ahead finally, not saying a word.
"Is she coming back, Lord Sesshoumaru?"
No.
"Go to sleep Rin." He then ordered, his voice softer than it normally was. As he closed his own eyes, preparing to sleep, to be alert. He still felt her hand over his chest. And the first thing he saw when he shut his eyes, was a smile.
End Chapter.
Author's Note:
I generally notice my stories typically start weakly, as I try to take grasp of the direction I want the story to go. I had a general outline of how I wanted the plot to go from the second I started it for Act I. It wasn't by chapter 4 however that I really determined how I wanted to tell that story, even though of course I enjoyed writing chapters 1-3. And as the story goes on you become more in touch with how the characters think and feel as well. So, this is my favorite chapter personally out of the ten I've written so far. In reality its really almost two chapters in one, as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's groups are very separated from one another.
I will be branching out for the characters themselves a bit more, but Sesshoumaru and Kagura are the main characters of course, and will always get the more time on average out of the chapters.
Remember, if you are enjoying, review, good or bad I can take it :P.
