Arachnophobia
A/N: I'm absolutely pumped you guys. So I'm going to be nice and update. Don't ask me what my definition of 'nice' is. You don't want to know. Serenity Draco, my friend, you know what I mean I'm sure.
On a side note, this chapter has been reviewed by IcyFire-MikoDemon.
Genre: Romance/Angst/Drama- and what story is complete without a bit of action in there somewhere?
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Say it with me people. FANfiction… FANfiction. Notice the emphasis?
Kagome couldn't sleep. It wasn't because she was giddy with excitement over Inuyasha, because she wasn't. She was happy to see that he was unharmed of course, but could not find it in herself to pull the usual excitement to the surface of emotions that had welled up within her. She dared not show said emotion however, or Sesshomaru might have resumed her training then and there. Nevertheless it was well past midnight, and she could not sleep. The sheer amount of youki that surrounded them, whether it was malicious or not, almost made her choke.
So with a groan, the miko climbed to her feet and pulled her wakizashi from her belt. She tiptoed away from the campsite –only a couple yards– and fell into the stance Sango had driven into her. Muscle memory was such a wonderful thing; she had not even to think of what to do. She hadn't realized she'd finished her kata –or even started it for that matter– until the sound of herself panting had reached her ears, as well as something else. She spun around, blade drawn before her and the sheath forgotten on the ground.
"Ah miko-chan…" he waved his hands defensively, a grin on his face that displayed his fangs. "Now, now… stand down before one of us gets hurt ne? Specifically me."
"Ah gomen!" Kagome grinned as she fumbled to sheath her blade. That done she secured it to her belt once more and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Anou… sorry about that, its just…well…"
"You're a miko in Makai… perfectly understandable." He raised an eyebrow and craned his head back to look at her. "Demo…I actually thought your nerves would be shot worse than needing to run through a kata."
Kagome blinked a few times, then shrugged. She was plenty used to overwhelming youki from her time spent in the feudal era, though there had been enough humans there to balance out the energy. "Well… I like the company of youkai…most humans annoy me actually."
It was his turn to blink for a moment before he burst out in a rich laughter that made Kagome smile. It seemed contagious as only moments later she began giggling before it transitioned into full-blown laughter.
"A strange miko indeed!" with a deep breath, Inari calmed himself and gazed at her with sparkling ice blue eyes. "But that's why I like you."
"Eh?"
"Mou, not like that…" he sighed and shook his head in mock despair. "Sesshomaru really did train you…being suspicious like that…but it'll keep you alive ne?"
Kagome stood stock still, her face flushed, and her lips slowly quirked into a grin that –for the first time in a long time– met her eyes. "You're funny… its so rare that I meet youkai with a sense of humor…most either try to kill me or have a ten foot pole shoved up their ass."
"Meaning your sensei?" he got his answer when she casually glanced off to the side and averted her eyes to the sky. No denial had passed her lips and that made him laugh again. He took a moment to regain a normal rhythm of breathing and once he did so she spoke.
"You seem so different from when you yanked me off the field before…"
"Battle requires a different attitude than a casual conversation with friends ne?" she blushed again, but grinned in agreement. "You should try to get some sleep. We head out at dawn, if I know Sesshomaru."
"Okay… arigatou Inari-sama."
"Oi, just call me by my name huh?" he flashed her a grin, which she readily returned, and watched as she nodded her consent and climbed into her sleeping bag. Cute little thing she was, and he could certainly sense the wounded spirit that lay right beneath the surface. It was indeed wounded, but it was still there. For all he knew to have happened, even he as a kami applauded her.
They had been marching through the never-ending forests for four days, stopping only for food and a few hours rest. It was the same hunt all over again it felt like, and it really was in a manner of speaking.
Kagome, though she appeared to have been daydreaming, had busied herself with the task of keeping track of each nearby bit of youki she could sense. And there was a lot. It had begun to give her somewhat a headache.
"Kaa-san?"
Kagome shrieked and latched onto the person closest to her, which happened to be a laughing Inari, at the sudden voice. She hadn't realized she'd slipped so far into her self appointed task.
"Miko…if this Sesshomaru sees that you become so unaware again…" he let the threat hang in the air and almost grinned at the way his pack member paled.
"No! I was…I mean…it's the damn youki!"
Shippo snickered but shook his head in sympathy. He understood why it bothered her more than it had in the feudal era. "Oi Kaa-san… I didn't mean to scare you but I think you can let go of Inari-sama ne?"
"Mou, what is it with you people and formalities?" he glanced down to the miko humorously as she turned a bright shade of red and shot away from him.
Inuyasha watched it all regretfully. It had been he that she had clung to for protection and security once. That had come to an end gradually over time, and he knew it had slowed because his trips to see Kikyo had become more frequent. He'd been so enamored by the dead miko that he'd made the biggest mistake of his life. With a grunt of displeasure he took to the trees to keep watch from a distance. He would not leave, but he did not desire to be in such close proximity. He followed them in hiding for another few hours before he watched with slight humor as Kagome weaseled a break for a late lunch out of his brother.
In the years that had passed the two inu brothers had become closer than any could have thought possible. Granted, Sesshomaru had no problem beating Inuyasha to an inch of his life should the boy do something he deemed unacceptable; although, Inuyasha was convinced most of said beatings were simply for the taiyoukai's amusement, and some probably were. Admittance of that however, would keep the hanyou holding his breath for the rest of his life.
He couldn't blame the taiyoukai though. If he had been in his brother's place, if he had watched himself abuse the love Kagome had offered for so long, he would have done worse. Even as he looked back on the memories, he cringed and leaned back in his tree. He had been a fool, just as they had always told him and yet he still searched for Kikyo. He still loved the undead miko, but he no longer desired to love her romantically. Despite this, he had still managed to hurt Kagome with his obsession with her incarnation. If he had been there when that youkai attacked her family, he might have been able to save the boy that called him his hero.
He was no hero and he knew it.
He wanted to make amends with Kagome, just as he had promised upon her departure five hundred years ago. He would settle the score.
"We're moving! Shippo help me pack up?"
The way her blue eyes sparkled when she looked at the fox made Inuyasha's heart lurch in pain. She had looked at him with such fondness once, even if she was merely looking at her son. He missed the fleeting looks she had once given him when she believed he had not been looking. He had always been looking, but he had never actually seen her. Nonetheless he watched with a heavy heart as an eager Kouga leapt forward to assist her as well, unasked.
It was an hour later in their trek across the land that the first youkai attacked. A large ogre bearing the mark of a spider lumbered onto their path and swung for Kagome. The miko ducked with a squeak, but ultimately little effort. She tucked into a roll and somersaulted to put distance between the two of them as Inuyasha attacked from behind. She sulked, almost disappointed, but loaded an arrow at the ready anyway.
"Don't Kagome. We're already at enough risk with the purification you used yesterday."
"I said I was sorry about that!" she scowled at the kit that was her son, though no malice reached her features. Never could muster malice, not at him. Instead she drew her blade and adopted a defensive posture. Just in time it seemed.
The confrontation lasted mere minutes, though it dragged on as if it had been days instead. Sango had put an end to a decent amount of the attacking youkai, Miroku had managed a brief use of the air void, and Inuyasha had launched quite a few wind scars. Kagome, though guarded by two foxes and a taiyoukai, had begun playing a fierce game of avoid and evade.
It was when they thought they'd won the small battle that it all went downhill. The army of youkai had been demolished, the jewel was safe, and then he showed. He stood across from them on the battlefield and miasma filled the air. His 'son' stood at his side.
Kagome hit the ground.
"Such marvelous work Kikyo has done ne Kagome-chan?" Hakudoshi grinned at the fallen miko as the quiet, horrified murmur of 'nani?' from Inuyasha went ignored. "Miasma works so much better on you now, ne?"
"What the fuck you bastard? Kikyo did nothing to Kagome!"
Kagome blinked back tears, and -stupidly- averted her gaze to the ground where she sat on her hands and knees. She didn't have the heart to reveal that it was indeed the truth. Kikyo hadn't meant to do so, she was sure –she and the older miko had come to an understanding of one another – but ever since she'd returned to the modern era Kagome felt more and more of her soul slipping away from within herself. The undead miko had been trying to survive, and Kagome could not fault her for that. It was her, after all, who had given Kikyo the message so long ago.
'Give life a chance.'
And then it happened. Everyone had been so focused on the puppet and his supposed son that stood before them –it seemed he hadn't grown tired of that trick– that they'd forgotten to watch the razed area behind them. The miko's scream brought them back to their senses.
Inuyasha tried to get to her, as did Sesshomaru, but both were stopped; the rest were occupied by the remaining youkai under Naraku's influence. The human Hakudoshi controlled stood in front of them, a curious glow about him. They supposed Naraku had done something to alter the man, but the energy he let off would not allow them all that close without injury. Moreover Kagome had ordered that the man not be harmed. He himself was innocent after all. Hakudoshi himself fought with the trio that made up a monk, a taijiya, and the leader of wolves.
Kouga screamed out to her and was struck down as retribution for being distracted. The miko cried out in horror as he fell, but could do nothing to aid him.
The tentacles that had wrapped around her legs burned when they touched her bare skin, and Kagome shrieked as they made an attempt to pull her to the ground. A wide berth of shadow shimmered further behind her and she recognized it for what it was; a portal. He'd summoned a portal with a plan to drag her off to where, she didn't know. Purification licked at her skin, but she restrained the dangerous power. They could not be found out and Naraku knew it. Nonetheless, the presence of the holy ki just beneath her skin seemed enough to grant her freedom of movement. Hurriedly, she unsheathed her blade, sliced a tiny path to freedom, and sprinted towards her companions. Instantly, she was tugged up against Inari though the kami paid her not a single glance.
"Stay here."
She frowned in protest but nodded her head in agreement. Had she not been backed into such a corner where her abilities were concerned, she could have been of use for once. Then she felt it. Her eyes widened so much that she was surprised they hadn't fallen from her head and she stumbled back. They had to leave and they had to leave that second. As she looked around frantically, Kagome bit her lower lip anxiously.
Yusuke could not find her in such a situation. Kurama could not find her in such a situation.
"Shi-chan!" the red fox raised an eyebrow at the name, but picked up what she had sensed over the presence of Naraku and Hakudoshi. "Get us out of here!"
The puppet cursed and lurched towards the miko, intent on seizing her in time.
Shippo glanced to his sensei, and upon receiving a subtle nod of confirmation the lot of them were swallowed up and dropped unceremoniously onto the grounds of the shrine. Multiple groans of displeasure filled the air but his blood froze in his veins at the words next spoken.
"Where is Kagome?"
"Looks like we just missed one hell of a party…" Yusuke let out a low whistle at the sight before him. More demons than he'd ever seen in one sitting lay dead in a battle worn clearing that had once been a thick patch of trees.
"Indeed…poison still lingers in the air. As does slight purification." The avatar frowned at the scent of poison that tainted the air and his eyes flashed gold. A rather sloppy –though still potent– form of kitsune magic had mostly dispelled it, but still it remained. He had not sensed such poison in five centuries. The last time such a potent miasma had been sensed had been in the age of the Shikon no Tama, a treasure that had always managed to evade him. The power it could grant had never been appealing to him, but the reputation he'd have gained from being able to acquire the jewel had. He broke from the memories and shoved Youko back into his mind. There was no time for him to argue with his other half.
"So…what should we do now? We obviously missed something big and it obviously involved this purification or whatever we're hunting." Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest and scowled in distaste. He wanted nothing more than to finish with his mission, go home, and find Kagome. He missed her.
"Hn. The essence of a portal remains."
Yusuke blinked at his darker teammate and frowned. "Portal? Can you tell where to?"
The glare the hybrid flashed him told the detective that he could not trace its destination and that he did not wish to admit to such a failure no matter how slight. Ridiculous though it was. "So you can't. Ok we're back to square one?"
Kurama glanced at him and Yusuke restrained a frown at the domination of gold in his friend's eyes. He knew what that meant.
"It would seem so." A significant silence followed soon after, and much was left unsaid.
"Fox, look here." Hiei's voice broke through the tense atmosphere and the two turned to look at him. Kurama walked over to where he had been called to and followed his friend's gaze.
Blood. Human blood, though unscented, painted the ground a near black crimson.
"What about it?" green eyes turned to the detective as he peered over his shoulder and Kurama frowned as he knelt down and ran his fingers over it.
"The scent is hidden…but there is no doubt that this is human blood."
Brown eyes widened then snapped back to the dark spot on the ground. "Human? So what, did someone get dragged here or something?"
"Perhaps…but this area is too far from the barrier to be a mere kidnapping case. Someone came here willingly, possibly by accident. There are no signs of a struggle elsewhere."
"So what now? Do we keep looking for this person with purification or do we go looking for this human now?"
Kurama was silent for an extended period of time before he spoke once more. "I'm not so sure the two cases are unrelated…"
"Fine. Then how do we trace 'em?"
"Reiki was used here, and slight purification as well. We trace the energy and we do it quickly. It is already fading." A nod was the only response Yusuke offered, which was more than the last of their team offered at all.
"Ok. Lets move it then."
It had taken beyond the time of sunup, but he had reached his latest and most important goal. A grin twisted his lips as he watched the scene before him and Naraku craned his head back to look at those before him. "Well done my servant…you may forget and rejoin your comrades. I've no further use for you at the moment."
Naraku watched the male walk away with his son and his pet, though his hands shook at the effort to release the hold on him. But Naraku knew he would not, could not break free, and soon all was forgotten. So the spider turned towards the one that remained before him and offered a smile that would certainly seem out of place. "Have you missed me my dear?"
A whimper flitted through the air to grace his ears and she flinched away from him. He knew she could do nothing, lest she land herself in a Reikai prison or worse; she would be used as a weapon for them, she would be forced into their servitude simply for what she was.
Even so it did not matter. She was his, and he had gotten what he wanted. He was about to reclaim what was truly his. He knew though, that she was defiant. He would have to change that. He would have to show her who she belonged to. And he would prove to her just how much she belonged to him.
And so it began.
A/N: Wow. Lots of drama this chapter huh? I hope you guys liked it. I stayed up till 5am writing it for you and I had a lot of fun doing it too. If you couldn't tell I was in a bit of a sadistic mood when it came to my characters in this chapter. You can all thank Serenity Draco for this update! If she hadn't reminded me that she was waiting for it every time we talked... it might have been another week before it was uploaded. Thanks also goes to my beta of course.
Oh and before I forget… to anyone following this on MediaMiner… the site hasn't been letting me upload the files for the past few chapters. If anyone has an idea of why, please let me know.
This chapter's dedication goes to two people. IcyFire-MikoDemon & Serenity Draco. Both of them have been such a big inspiration and support that it's only necessary.
I'll see you all next chapter!