Chapter 10

I Hate This Place

She hated this place. She really really did. It was a hell-hole, really. Sometimes quite literally! Especially when he decided to open up holes to hell.

Yep, this place royally sucked. Just incase you haven't figured it out yet.

"KAGURA!!!!!!!"

Kagura cringed, hands covering her ears on reflex, even though it was futile. Oh, how she hated it when he did that!

Scowling up at the ceiling of the basement (he loved to put her there and make her squirm, longing to feel the wind on her face and see the sky), she began picking her way through the slime. Kami knew what lived down there. Sometimes, if she bumped up against something, it'd pulsate, growing then shrinking under her leg.

Creepy as hell.

Fingers scratched lightly at the opening, already damp with her blood from her past attempts to try and claw her way out. But nooo, this time it was unlocked! Fucking bastard!

Crawling out, Kagura blinked at the change from complete darkness (she could've closed or opened her eyes and gotten confused as to whether she was blind or not) to a dimmed light. Glancing outside, Kagura's scowl deepened. All she could see was a swirling purple mass.

Naraku's 'barrier'. She doubted anyone would come within five feet of the thing before turning around and leaving, declaring that it was a giant ugly grape. Or maybe a plum. Either way it was nasty looking, and sort of sucked any idea of evil from the place.

It was that ridiculous looking.

"KAGURA!!!!" came Naraku's shout, echoing around in her head. Couldn't he use his normal voice? But no, she was to far below him for that, heaven forbid!

Resisting the urge to growl (if he heard it it would not end well for her), Kagura made her way to Naraku's chamber.

And there the slimy bastard was. Just sitting there with his -ugk- shirt off. Nasty. As lovely as a man's body no doubt was, Naraku was just... nasty. Maybe it was because he was her father. Maybe it was because he tormented her. Or maybe it was because he could make the devil cringe and cry.

It's your pick.

Lifting the bamboo curtain with her fan, Kagura entered the room, glancing dispassionately around the room before leaning against the doorway, arms crossed casually against her chest.

"What do you want?" His glare was deflected by the rolling of her eyes. "Master?"

Naraku heaved a sigh, as if her slight disobedience (pfft. As if she was that diso-... Shut up) in this matter. But he, being the kind, benevolent, loving man and father he was, let it slip.

Bull shit, everyone. Bull shit.

"I have a new mission for you," he began, ignoring her "don't you always?". Turning fully to her, he continued. "It seems the Inu no Taisho is not... complying. I have a message for you to bring him."

Shit.

Shit shit shit.

The fates must lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ove tormenting her.

Keeping her face expressionless, Kagura turned away from him. "Fine. What's the message?"

Naraku lifted a scroll from his side, already closed with the flaps clamped shut with the seal of the character for spider. Lifting an eyebrow, he eyed her with careful delicacy as she accepted the scroll from his hand. Catching her wrist as she began to pull away, he eyed her. "You are not to read it," he stated, voice dangerously soft.

She cringed as pain laced up from his touching; that shit burned. Rolling her eyes, she tucked it into her kimono and pulled her sleeve up over the burnt skin. "Why would I want to?" she drawled, turning back to the door.

"Well, to overthrow me, of course."

Kagura blinked, feigning surprise. "There's information to overthrow you in this?"

Naraku sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Never mind," he growled. "Just go."

Giving a mock bow, she chirped "Of course, Master."

"AND WHEN YOU GET BACK," Naraku boomed behind her as Kagura left "I DON'T WANT ANY OF THAT IMPERTANCE!!!!!!!"

Sesshomaru eyed the ribbon that snaked around the feather in his hand, reminded of that day.

He had decided that the ribbon (or maybe just Rin and certain aspects of his anatomy) was safer in his hands. Instead he had given Rin a small orange ribbon that Kagome had said went well with her yukata.

He hardly cared. Sometimes he wondered why he could even see colors at all, being a dog demon (say anything smart and die). Must be the demon part.

Suddenly, he twitched. That smell was coming. It was usually accompanied by Kagu- don't think about that!

"Lord Sesshomaru!!!" Jaken screeched, stumbling forward. "Um... er... Kagu- the- Lady K-"

Surprisingly enough, a scroll flew forward and lodged itself in the wall above Sesshomaru. He didn't even flinch.

He was that bad-ass.

Slowly, Sesshomaru reached up and plucked it from the way, ignoring how far Jaken's jaw was going (if it went any farther, they'd have to clean the floors again). Slowly he looked at the door, not surprised to see Kagura there, giving him a dirty look.

"Couldn't you at least flinch!?" she screeched at him.

"I had warning," he said coolly. 'It's 'cause I'm too bad ass, that's why! ... Oh god, I've been spending too much time with InuYasha...'

She huffed. "How'd you have warning?" Then she realized something and deflated a little. "Oh, right. Your sense of smell..." 'So unfair! It always was hard to sneak up on him as kids.'

"It's a message from Naraku," Kagura drawled, leaning against the door frame. "No idea what it is, but hey, it's supposed to be important."

Sesshomaru eyed it, but noticed something. What... was that... His eyes narrowed.

Naraku was a dead man.

Stepping forward, he grabbed her arm and held it up.

For a moment, he saw red.

And by her face, his eyes were red as well.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice lower than usual. More gravely than usual.

She scowled, tugging her wrist back. "Doesn't matter," she muttered, not meeting his eyes.

"Jaken, get her some tea," he said.

"Sake."

"What?"

"Sake. I want sake."

Jaken began to object, but Sesshomaru interrupted him. "You heard the woman, get her some sake."

As Jaken hurried to do his lord's command, Kagura turned to him, cocking an eyebrow. "So, are you going to open it?" she drawled.

Sesshomaru nodded and carefully broke the seal. Good. No death magic. He could continue.

Just as Jaken came back, carrying a small sake cup and a bottle full of the rice wine, he finally closed the scroll, face scrunched in thought. Not that it was actually scrunched. There was one, maybe one and a half of wrinkles between his eyebrows.

Accepting the sake, Kagura snorted. "Wow. I didn't know you could do that with your face," was all she got out before he interrupted her.

"Do you know what this says?"

"No," she said, finally drinking her sake.

Sesshomaru sighed and eyed the scroll. "He's offering an alliance." Kagura raised an eyebrow, her face practically screaming 'How?' "He's offering your hand in marriage."

Kagura choked for a moment before spitting the sake out in a fine mist. "Wh-what!?" she stammered, whirling to face Sesshomaru.

"He's offered your hand in marriage. Tell him I accept."

He was to close. How has she not realized that before? Of course, being within 100 feet of him was generally to close, but...

Blushing furiously, she grabbed the scroll, opening it and scanning the contents. Just another threat... 'Blah blah blah, hundred dead, blah blah, will kill you, blah, fortunes will come only if you marry my-wait!'

The world went black.

Kagura awoke to poking. Rather painful poking.

'Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.' The person poking didn't seem to be letting up any... damn.

Slowly Kagura opened her eyes. Hey, when had the wall looked like the ceiling... wait.

Sitting up, the wind witch barely missed head-butting a little human girl, who jumped and gave a squeak. Hmm... this girl looked familiar... what was her name...? Ah, Rin!

"Pretty lady Kagura!" the girl chirped. "You kinda... went down... painfully... My lord was as close to panicking as I had ever-"

"Rin, silence."

"Yes my lord!"

She skipped away, arms spread wide. Over to the side was an older, but still rather young girl. Next to her was the crumpled figure of... was that white hair? It couldn't be...

"InuYasha," she said, obviously repeating the word for what might've been the hundredth time. "InuYasha. InuYasha. InuYa-"

"OW!!! FUCK, WENCH! TRY TO NOT POKE MY KIDNEY!!!" 'InuYasha' screamed, rolling away from the girl and giving her a very dirty look.

"InuYasha," Sesshomaru toned. "Would you not swear in front of our guest."

InuYasha gave Sesshomaru an incredulous look. "Wow! First you joke, then you say a full sentence!? What is wrong with you!?"

He was denied an answer.

Kagura rubbed her head, eying Sesshomaru ruefully as he turned toward her and gave her his version of a winning grin: a blank look. Like it was any different from any of his other wonderful expressions.

"Have a nice nap?" he asked.

She just scowled at him and flipped him off.

Then noticed Rin watching.

Oh joy... what a role model she was...

Wait- why was she thinking about this? She should've been thinking about getting revenge on that still-doesn't-have-a-good-enough-name-to-describe-his-doucheness. Yeah, that works. Totally...

...

Shut up.

Standing, a hand patting against her knees to knock out any non-existent dirt from her little 'nap', she asked "Ok, what did it really say?"

Sesshomaru almost chuckled as he opened it up again. "The usual threats. Thousands slaughtered, our family destroyed, my head on a pike; like I said, the usual."

Kagura blinked at him, surprised. Behind her, however, surprise was the least of the list of descriptions that InuYasha was. "He spoke in full sentences!" he screeched, waving his arms in wide movements. "He spoke in full sentences!!!"

Whirling around to Kagura, his eyes narrowed. "I think she's a bi- er, witch or something."

Kagome hit him over the head with her bow, the one she kept on her at all times when in a demonic presence. Like all times.

"What the fu- bitch, what the hell was that for!?" he yowled ('Is he a cat?' Kagura thought, raising an eyebrow).

She scowled at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Don't call her that!" She turned toward Sesshomaru and Kagura, her eyes sparkling and hands clutched to her breast. "I think they're in love!"

Both InuYasha and Kagura twitched. Sesshomaru twitched on the inside, you just can't tell.

Then InuYasha burst out laughting, tears in his eyes. "That bastard!" he churtled, pointing at Sesshomaru. Said demon nodded at Kagome who hit him over the head again, him muttering "if anyone's a bastard, it is you, otouto".

Kagura twitched again. "That's-that's your little brother that turned your-" she snorted, covering her grin. "your fluff... pink...?" She ignored his growled "Kagura..." and continued. "And the one that peed on your wall?"

"Kagura..."

"And the one that married you when you were kids because your step-mom thought it was cute, so your dad let it happen?"

"KAGURA!!!"

By now InuYasha was no longer laughing. Kagome was the one laughing. He was more... on the floor... twitching... and trying to go to his happy place.

Kagome gulped a breath of air, ignoring the rocking InuYasha behind her. "How long have you known Sesshomaru-sama? How did you meet him?"

Kagura shrugged as Sesshomaru turned a shade paler. "When we were kids... I kinda... thought he was a girl."

"I knew-"

"Quiet."

She sighed and scratched the back of her head. "Well, as entertaining as this is," Kagura said over the fighting InuYasha and Kagome (the girl had apparently said that he should be more respectful, or at least nicer to Sesshomaru, and he hadn't liked that). "but my father is expecting me. Probably to punish me."

Sesshomaru scowled, any good cheer (Ha! Sesshomaru had good cheer... pfft) gone. "You realize your father will soon be a dead man, right?"

Kagura gave him a weird look, eyebrows drawn together. "Why is that?" she asked, plucking her feather from her bun.

He jerked his chin at her wrist where the kimono sleeve had pulled a bit away to reveal the brunt wrist. "That's reason enough, isn't it?"

She blushed (she didn't know she could still blush!) and stuttered. "That-that is... er... Na-Naraku is... I mean... he-he's... it's... Shut up!"

In a rush of yoki and wind, she was gone. InuYasha and Kagome stopped screaming at each other for a second, watching Sesshomaru as he gazed out the window where a sliver of black was flying with a look that could almost be called longing.

InuYasha scowled and fished around in his sleeve as Kagome held our her hand expectantly, never taking her eyes off Sesshomaru. "How'd you know they liked each other like that?" he asked, slapping a five-hundred yen dollar in her hand.

She shrugged, placing it inside her own kimono. "Nobody looks at somebody like that without being in love."

Another scowl crossed InuYasha's face. "And how'd you know about that?" he asked, obviously not happy with the idea of a guy looking at her like that and her noticing it.

Kagome grinned at him. "You look at me like that, now don't you?"

(A/N: Awwww.... wasn't that cute?

Blue Moon -at this moment in time- had to run to do something, but no matter... now you just have me... -evil grin-

Anyways, please press that shnazy new review button in the middle/bottom of the page and-

Dei: You fail!

FMQ: Wh-what?

Dei: You fail!!!

FMQ: -sad look-

Anyways, like I said, reviews are very nice, the longer the better. And I don't think I need to talk about flames since I've never been flamed -is very proud of that-. So, yeah. I-

Dei: Nah, I was just kidding... -starts petting head and shoulder area-

FMQ: Ow... ow... ow... this hurts... ow...

You should probably review... it might make them stop... help me... please...

Dei: UN! -smiley face-

P.S. This has been updated during school! Hahah... I'm missing lunch...

P.P.S. You just lost the game...

Blue Moon: *double fwack* You two are idiots...

FMQ: Oh, hey! You're back!

Dei: Ow... un... lol, the game.

FMQ: I JUST LOST THE GAME!!!

Blue Moon: *sigh* *double fwack again*

Dei and FMQ: T.T That was meeeeeaaaan! (un)

Blue Moon: You're point?

FMQ and Dei: -silence-

Blue Moon: That's what I thought.)