You'll Be In My Heart
Chapter 13: Why We Love Naraku
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Author's Note: I know I said in the last chapter that that would be the only Sesshy's POV that you would get but I was able to find a place to fit in another from him. It fits kinda nicely actually. Yay for me!
It's funny how the three male Inu youkai are the first POV's, starting from youngest to oldest. Odd that it turned out that way…
Special Thanks To: Karin Kinomoto, juusan'ya, Punk Rock Miko2, Paprika012345, Taeniaea, Catbuddy
I kinda don't like this chapter... but I posted it anyway. I think I will look over it one more time and replace it if I make changes. Enjoy?
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Ichiro's POV
With swiftness unheard of by any creature, we enter Naraku's vile home. Despite the largeness of our group we somehow manage to keep extremely quiet as we maneuver our way through the halls. No one says anything, our senses on high alert.
With Father in the lead, followed closely by Uncle Sesshoumaru, we search the dark passage ways of our enemy's domain. I don't like the feeling of intense evil this place reeks of. I can't image what it must be like for my mother to live in a place like this for so long. She must be suffering greatly.
I make sure to stay close to Minako, giving myself the duty of keeping her safe from harm and watching over her. I have always watched over her since the day she was born. I am not about to start now.
I stay cautious as we continue moving along the narrow hallway.
To me, this all seems way too easy. How could a demon as powerful as Naraku be unaware of our presence? Here we are, a party of nine—ten if you counted Kirara—and our enemy was unaware of our trespassing in his home? It just doesn't add up if you ask me. Something was up.
With my senses on high alert I continue our search through the dimly lighted hallway.
It was only a few minutes later when my father opened a door—one of many so far—and stopped suddenly. None of us were expecting the abrupt halt as we ran into him. Uncle Sesshy seemed the most angered and he voiced his opinions on the matter.
As my father regained himself an all too familiar scent reached my nose. But I would not believe it until my eyes lighted upon her.
"Mother!"
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Inuyasha's POV
The sight before me was unspeakable in that it sent my heart racing with regret and sorrow. Kagome, my mate, and the one I promised to always protect, sat before me, in what I would call a cell. The room had no windows and only one door. It was obviously created to keep her there, trapped with no chance of escape.
It angered me that Naraku treated her this way. Like she was nothing more than a pawn. She was not some toy to be used and then trashed. I would see to it that Naraku would pay for what he had done.
She sat almost in the center of the room, all alone. She didn't even look at me as I entered. What hurt me the most was how defeated she looked and the remnants of torture endured by the hands of Naraku that covered most her arms and legs.
She was nothing but a shell of her former self and it hurt that I had allowed this to happen to her.
I reached her side in mere seconds. "Kagome! Are you alright? What has he done to you? Has he hurt you?!" I finished with a growl.
Her chocolate eyes meet mine and she smiles weakly. "I'm as good as I can be giving the situation." She says her eyes avoiding mine.
I take her chin in my arms and force her to look at me. "I swear he will pay for what he did to you." Again her eyes chocolate leave mine and I can't help wondering why…
She leans into me then, her arms wrapping tightly around me. "I missed you so much…" She breaths.
"I missed you too. You can't imagine how hard it's been without you." I whisper into her hair. I am unaware of anyone in the room with us until our children surround us, reminding me I am not alone.
"Mother…?" Minako says almost timidly.
Kagome leaves my embrace to turn her attention to our daughter.
"My babies!" She cries taking both her children in her arms. "I'm so glad you are alright! I've been so worried about you all!"
"We've missed you too." Ichiro says for both him and his sister. Minako is crying too hard to say anything.
She seems to be clinging to her mother as if afraid she'll disappear and this is all a dream. I continue to watch our reunited family as if I myself do not believe what I am seeing. Once again, there is a small tugging at the back of my mind that something is just not right.
Immediately I push the doubt away.
"We should get going." Sesshoumaru says looking directly at me. I do not like the look in his eyes.
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Sesshoumaru's POV
The ease that has brought us to the miko hanyou has sent my senses on high alert. It is not like Naraku to leave something or someone so seemingly valuable to his plan unprotected. There must be something I am missing, something that I am unaware of.
I am not fooled by her act. It's at least this that is obvious to me. The miko hanyou is not herself. I can sense the turmoil raging inside her. She is trying to fight it but her efforts aren't enough. I quickly notice that the company I am forced to journey with has not noticed this.
They are too caught up in the happiness that follows that of finding a loved one. Another weakness that comes with allowing one's emotions to cloud their judgment. It is times like these that one needs to hide these emotions, keep them deep within. One who cannot do this allows themselves to be taken by their enemy. My brother should know this lesson well, for it is this that allowed him to be duped my Naraku the first time around. And now, quite possibly he is allowing Naraku to do it again.
To appease them I allow each a few minutes to reunite with Kagome. The humans, Kitsune, the children, and Inuyasha each get their share in reconcile with the miko.
When I can stand it no longer I speak, "We should get going." I say. "It is imperative we locate Naraku rather than wait for him to come to us." My gaze lingers on that of Inuyasha's, hoping to at least convey some of my feelings on his mate's behavior.
But, I can already tell by the way he returns my glance that it has failed. What a surprise.
"He's right. We must find Naraku." Kagura agrees. "This was too easy. He's up to something." Her words mirror my thoughts.
My eyes do not overlook the sudden stiffening of the miko hanyou's form or that fact that she is suddenly avoiding my gaze. At least she knows her false visage has not fooled me. She will not pull one over on This Sesshoumaru.
"Let's get you out of here, Kagome." Inuyasha says, helping his mate to her feet.
She leans on him muttering a small 'Thanks', struggling to steady herself. Her pain is not false, that if sure. Naraku seems to have kept her in her place.
We group ourselves around the miko, her children and mate the closest and then all head out. The next faze of Naraku's demise has begun.
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So they think they have fooled me, do they? Like, I, Naraku, would allow them to waltz in my home unless it was all part of my plan! Ha! Really, they should know better. Nothing gets by me. How stupid they really are!
It was part of my plan that I allow them to enter my home, part of my plan that I allow them to find Kagome. How foolish it is of them to even think I would be so weak and unaware. It seems with time they have grown dim-witted. This slightly disappoints me as I was hoping for at least some kind of challenge.
Ah well… We can't have everything now can we?
At long last the time has come for me to put my ultimate plan into action.
But first… A word with my miko slave.
(A/N: sounds like some kind of commercial.. "But first…. A word from our sponsors…" haha! I like it!)
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Kagome's Pov
My body stiffens as the familiar feeling of his presence slips into my mind. Deep down I knew this would be coming but it's human nature to hope. I pray no one notices my sudden change.
"Kagome?" It's Inuyasha. Of course he would notice something is wrong. Damn it! "Are you alright?" His concern only makes me feel worse.
I ignore him.
"I hope you have enjoyed this little family reunion while it lasted."
His silky voice sends involuntary shivers down my spine.
"Why can't you leave me alone?" I whisper. Far too late, I realize I have spoken aloud.
"Mother?" Minako asks apprehensively.
I turn to her, horror shrouding my face.
"Now you've done it!" Naraku's voice says cockily in my head. How I loath him at this point. He has ruined everything!
"As you should have guessed it's time, little Miko-sama." I hate it when he mocks me, but there is nothing I can do.
With his final words inside my mind Naraku's palace begins to crumble. The floor beneath us splits in two separating me from my family.
The walls continue to crumble around us, the ceiling caving in. Kirara uses her body as a shield to protect her human master's, as does Inuyasha for our children. All around them debris continues to fall striking them occasionally.
When the dust clears nothing remains of the palace I was once entombed in. I wonder if it was all an allusion to begin with.
Inuyasha is the first to notice our separation. I can see the worry in his eyes. He has lost me once and can't bear to again.
My loved ones call out for me but the gaping whole that separates us is far too wide for any of them to be able to jump across it. The only one with a chance of making it to me is Kirara. I'm sure Naraku will soon prevent that from happening.
"Time to make due with your promise." Naraku's voice appears once again in my mind and I look in horror at my family.
By now they must realize something is terribly wrong. My heart is burdened with the knowledge that each and every one of them will die tonight. My poor children… to be killed in their prime even before they were able to properly experience the joys and harshness of life.
Well, they certainly will experience the harsher realities of life before they die. Naraku seems to have made sure of that.
"Welcome to my once humble abode!" This time Naraku speaks from outside my mind. But he is still there; I can feel his overbearing presence. It's a link that keeps us connected and forces me to abide by his control.
"Or... what's left of it." He mockingly.
"Naraku!" Inuyasha growls deeply from within his throat. "Finally the coward shows himself!"
Naraku is unfazed by Inuyasha's insult. He merely cackled as the ground beneath us begins to shake once again furthering the gap between not my family and me.
The shifting stops only when each person is separated with their own piece of land.
Naraku's plan is to divide each threat and kill them one by one. If they are together his chances of winning are weakened… but apart… His chances are greater.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha's far off voice reaches my ears. "Stay safe until I kill this Son of a…." His sentence is drowned out by a sudden gust of wind that seems to cut right through me.
I continue to stare at him knowing deep in my heart that today will be his death along with many other's whom I love deeply.
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Not all that great of a chapter but I'm hoping better things are to come! Sorry for the shortness! I have already started on the next chapter so I don't see too long a wait until I update next. Exams are in two weeks or so, so that may slow me down a little bit.
What is up with FF. net lately? I've either been not getting my Alerts or getting some over and over again. And sometimes it says I've reviewed a story when I know fo sho that I haven't… Oddness… I wonder what the deal is!
Please Read and Review! Thanks a million!
Your one and only,
Clouds of the Sky