N/A: I'm really sorry for the slow update, I'm not abandoning the story or anything...But right after I wrote this chapter, my computer decided it had to crash, so I lost it...It's the darned computer's fault! I would have updated a lot sooner if it wasn't for the piece of trash. There. I feel better now :) Plus I've been really busy with exams and other stuff
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha! If I did, it wouldn't be PG13 ;)
Chapter XXI: Enter Naraku!
She had been sitting by Menoumaru's lifeless form for hours, letting her tears drench him until she had no more.
It couldn't be real...he was going to wake up any moment now and laugh at her for being so childish, right?
As impossible as it seemed, a spark of hope still burned in her heart and she refused to turn away from him even for one second, because in that exact second he might open his eyes.
Sesshoumaru watched her cry as he stood under a tree, keeping his distance. He didn't want to interrupt her ritual for it seemed to provide some relief for her.
He had always believed tears where a sign of weakness and he had never engaged in such behavior. Even at the death of his father, the most tragic moment of his life, he had remained impassible. But he didn't consider Kumiko weak, on the contrary, he felt the need to ease her pain somehow.
Maybe sometimes it took more courage to show one's feelings than to conceal them, he thought.
Kumiko touched Menoumaru's hand, feeling the coldness of his skin and her eyes flooded with tears once again. It was no use, no matter how many times she wiped the tears away, they just kept coming back! She knew Sesshoumaru was right behind her, but she didn't spare him a glance. She didn't want to see him, because the last events had been overwhelming. He hunted them both, just to kiss her passionately a few hours later and then being oh so understanding about Menoumaru's choice. He should have used the damned sword!
Midoriko seemed to have decided she should let her mourn her loss and not intervene, but Kumiko wanted to get away from it all. The burden was too heavy and she felt like it was her fault! He was gone because he thought that she'd never love him and he was so wrong! She did love him a lot...just not the way that he wanted. But she could have one day, if he'd let her...Why did he choose death? She was the only one to blame...
She heard a frown coming from the taiyoukai and she turned angry eyes to him, seeing that he had dropped the indifferent mask and now seemed a bit annoyed.
"My half-brother's coming. Perfect timing as usual." He explained at the sight of her expression.
"Oh..." she said, scouting the area. No one seemed to be approaching and she felt no youki yet. Sesshoumaru's senses were far better than hers though, so she turned her eyes back to Menoumaru.
"What do we..." do with him, she wanted to ask, but couldn't bring herself to say it aloud as her voice broke mid-sentence.
"We do nothing." The demon lord replied. "It's time."
"Time for what?" Kumiko wanted to know.
Sesshoumaru didn't need to answer her as light started to radiate out of Menoumaru's body. Faded at first, it started to glow in intensity until all Kumiko could distinguish was an outline. She sheltered her eyes with her hand as the light became blinding in intensity, just to disappear completely a moment later along with Menoumaru's body.
The girl rubbed her eyes, wondering if they were playing tricks on her. Apparently, there was nothing wrong with her sight as Menoumaru's body had indeed vanished.
"Where did he go?" she asked, turning her curious eyes, red from all the crying, to the taiyoukai.
"The youkai graveyard." He answered thoughtfully. Menoumaru had always cared for his father. They were together now.
"Where's that?" she wanted to know.
"Another dimension." He replied, while sniffing the air. Inuyasha's nauseating scent was coming closer.
"Oh..." she said in a disappointed tone. "I was hoping to visit his..." she paused for a moment, "...grave...and bring him flowers." her voice ended in a whisper as heavy tears fell from her eyes.
Sesshoumaru looked at her and was thankful that she had closed her eyes and couldn't see how soft his expression had become. She felt so much and her heart was so pure, her body so frail that it made him want to take her in his arms and never let her go, protect her from anything so that she would be his. This feeling disturbed him greatly, for he had never wanted to posses anything other than power.
He decided to put the thoughts aside, as the hanyou's scent was now getting very close.
"3...2..." he counted in his mind, closing his eyes.
"Sesshoumaru! I knew it was you!" He heard Inuyasha bark as the hanyou stormed into the small clearing.
The demon lord gave his half-brother a despising glance and then turned his eyes to the humans that followed him.
Kumiko also looked at them, recognizing the girl in the uniform that had tended to her wounds. In her arms, she held the small fox-child. Next to her stood another girl, who's clothes were of the feudal era and who was holding a giant boomerang. Her eyes moved from her to the monk, but her gaze lingered on him for merely a second as she saw a huge, two-tailed cat.
"Wow." she thought, eying the cat. Sure, she had seen all sorts of youkai and even a two-headed dragon, but none of them were so...fluffy.
Inuyasha noticed Kumiko and took a leap, landing right in front of her. Sesshoumaru flexed his claws, watching his every move like a predator.
The girl took a step back, startled by the hanyou's sudden approach. Inuyasha was just about to get straight to the point his way, when he noticed how red her eyes were. He hated to see girls cry.
"Did he do anything to you?" he asked, knitting his brows, although he thought it quite impossible that Sesshoumaru would make a woman cry and just stand there 'till she was done.
"No." she answered, realizing that he meant her no harm.
"What's your name?" he continued, ignoring the slight change in his brother's scent that indicated he was getting annoyed.
"Kumiko."
"You're from Kagome's time, aren't you?" Inuyasha wanted to know.
Sesshoumaru seriously considered the possibility of sharpening his claws on the insolent brat, but Kumiko had just calmed down a little and a fight would only upset her more. He let a bored sigh escape him and returned under his tree, ignoring the humans as he past them by.
"I...guess so..." Kumiko answered, looking at Kagome's uniform.
"How'd you get here?" the hanyou asked, casting her suspicious glances.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome stepped in, annoyed by his rude interrogation as she made her way to the girl.
"Hey, what the fuck..." he protested as she pushed him aside.
"Osuwari." Kagome said calmly.
Inuyasha hit the ground, making a loud sound as Kumiko watched the scene in awe.
"I'm sorry about him...he can be rude at times, but he's really a good person." Kagome said, smiling.
"What do you mean, that I'm some sort of softy?" the hanyou objected loudly, his voice still muffled.
Kagome gave him a glare, which seemed to have taken effect as he quickly shut his mouth.
Sesshoumaru's feelings were divided. A side of him found the situation very amusing and the other felt strongly against having one who carried his father's great blood subdued by a mere human. But the miko had spoken the truth, he did lack manners so he was getting what he deserved.
"I'm Kagome. I'm glad your wounds are better." The girl said.
"Thank you for...back then." Kumiko answered, smiling at her.
"You're welcome...I was just wondering...You got here by using the well, right?" she asked.
"Yes."
"You didn't happen to have any...Shikon shards...did you?" Kagome asked, turning serious.
"I didn't have them the first time, but I had some the second time I passed through...you know...that time when you helped me." The girl answered.
"Hey, Kagome, you said she didn't have any!" Inuyasha intervened, this time considering the possibility of getting more shards to be worth "sitting" again.
"I didn't sense any!" Kagome defended herself. "Kumiko-chan, are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure! I had these!" Kumiko took three glowing shards out of the pocket of her miko garb and showed them to Kagome.
Kagome looked at them dumbstruck. She still didn't sense anything from those shards, like they were just pieces of regular glass. But they had the light of the Shikon...
"Can I hold one?" she asked.
"Sure." Kumiko said, putting one of the shards in her palm.
"It's...amazing..." Kagome spoke. "I can feel them now...but their aura was completely invisible before..."
She kept the shard in her hand a moment more, making sure it was indeed the Shikon no Tama and then she gave it back, noticing how the aura disappeared again.
Kumiko looked at the shards in her hand and then it struck her, something she hadn't noticed until now.
"You have some too, three of them...in your right pocket..." she said, concentrating on the Shikon's aura until she finally distinguished three small purple lights.
Kagome nodded, wondering who this girl that seemed to have the power to hide the Shikon's aura really was.
"Kumiko-sama, you're a priestess?" they heard Miroku asking.
"Something like that..." she answered, not liking the way the conversation was going. She couldn't tell them that Midoriko lived inside of her, because the miko had left a clear warning about that. There were many who would do anything to prevent the jewel from being destroyed, she had said. These people had helped her, but they had Shikon shards...that meant they were looking for the jewel too. Didn't that make them the competition?
Sesshoumaru noticed Kumiko's inner struggles. To him, her eyes held no secrets anymore. He decided it was time to step in.
"Enough." he said, approaching the girl's side.
ooooOOoooo
Naraku watched the scene unfold with great interest. Kanna's mirror was indeed a useful tool. He had sensed his enemies gather together and so he had decided to watch them, in case they should plan an attack. It was highly improbable that Sesshoumaru would work with Inuyasha, but he wasn't about to take any risks.
His initial opinion proved to be the right one, as he saw the two siblings bickering as usual. He didn't regret watching them though, as he heard the conversation between Kagome and Kumiko.
"The power to conceal the Shikon no Tama's aura...How interesting." He said to himself, red eyes gleaming in the dark.
He had never heard of such a power before, but it was believable since the jewel was actually Midoriko's heart; a part of her body. It was perfectly logical that it's aura would blend in with Midoriko's.
The power to conceal the Shikon's presence... The ones who possessed the sight, like Kagome and Kikyou would be unable to sense it.
Yes, that would indeed be useful. And with the Fuyouheki to hide his youki, this power would make him practically invisible.
He had to have it.
"Hakudoushi." he spoke, his voice a mere whisper.
The demon-child appeared, awaiting Naraku's orders, the thirst for blood shining in his purple eyes.
"It's time to pay our friends a visit." Naraku said, smirking as a strange spark danced in his blood-colored eyes.
ooooOOoooo
Kumiko turned puzzled eyes to Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai had placed himself in front of her, obviously striking fear into everyone's heart as the humans backed away.
"Hey, stop butting in, you bastard! What's it to..." Inuyasha stopped mid-sentence, sniffing the air.
Sesshoumaru had already drawn Tokijin and was scouting the surroundings with concentration.
"What's going on?" Kumiko wondered, not being able to sense any youki.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome approached the hanyou, who seemed to have taken on a battle position.
"Watch out, Kagome!" he yelled suddenly, taking her into his arms as he performed a high leap and managed to avoid one of Kagura's wind blades.
""Kagura!" Sango realized, mounting the giant cat as she prepared the boomerang.
"Stay back, Sango! It's not just Kagura!" Inuyasha warned, releasing Kagome from his arms as he unsheathed Tessaiga.
Kirara landed back on the ground, growling fiercely as Miroku approached Sango's side protectively.
Suddenly, the sky started to darken and Kumiko shivered, feeling an unusual cold.
Kagura's giant feather became visible as the youkai woman descended from the clouds.
Following her, a wave of fire headed in Inuyasha's direction, but the hanyou placed Tessaiga in front of himself as a shield, escaping the deadly flames.
As he had thought, a demon horse appeared next to Kagura in the sky and on its back stood Hakudoushi, holding his halberd.
Sesshoumaru wasted no time, sending a wave of sword pressure in Hakudoushi direction. The demon-child quickly erected a barrier, protecting himself from the demon lord's attack.
"Naraku, that bastard...what the hell is he scheming now?" Kagura wondered, releasing her deadly wind blades in Inuyasha's direction as she had been instructed.
"Inuyasha! You take Hakudoushi, we can handle Kagura!" Miroku shouted, getting on Kirara's back behind Sango.
"Kaze no Kizu!" the hanyou yelled and the wind scar burst out of his sword, aiming for Hakudouhsi's barrier.
As expected, the attack had no effect and Inuyasha avoided another of Entei's fire waves, a frustrated expression on his face.
Kumiko looked around terrified, wondering how she could help as she heard a bone-chilling laugh.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment and she saw a black whirlpool appear in the sky, just to disappear a moment later, revealing another barrier...and inside it...a dark-haired man, whose red eyes pierced into hers.
"Naraku!" Inuyasha growled, glaring at the man inside the barrier.
"I'm your opponent." Hakudoushi spoke, his halberd piercing through the hanyou's right shoulder.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, preparing to take out an arrow.
"Kagome." She heard Naraku's low voice. "I've brought someone just for you."
As soon as he ended his phrase, Kanna appeared, holding her mirror in front of Kagome.
The girl knitted her brows, readying an arrow.
"You know you can't absorb my arrow!" she warned, keeping it steady.
Kanna said nothing as her hollow eyes looked through Kagome and her mirror image started to shine.
Before Kagome could realize what was going on, another Kagome stood right in front of her, aiming an arrow at her heart.
Sesshoumaru stood face to face with his greatest enemy, his frozen expression hiding his true feelings. The half-breed had proved careless, showing up in person to face all of his enemies and he knew Naraku was never careless...what was it that he wanted so badly?
Kumiko's eyes widened as she looked at the strange man above. They said he was called Naraku and that meant he was the one Midoriko was looking for. He was the one holding almost all of the jewel shards. She stared at him, not being able to pull away from his gaze, as if his crimson eyes had a hold on her.
Sesshoumaru realized what Naraku's objective was. Of all the times he could have shown up, he had chosen now...because Kumiko was here. The half-breed was after her life.
The demon lord knitted his brows, his fist clutching upon Tokijin's hilt. The filthy hanyou was out of his mind if he imagined he could take what was his, he thought, striking Naraku's barrier with anger.
"Such disturbing purity..." Naraku thought, looking at Kumiko as he used all of his power to sustain the barrier against Sesshoumaru's attack. The blade he was wielding was inferior to Inuyasha's, but Sesshoumaru's power made it a dangerous weapon.
Kumiko looked around her and noticed everyone was having a hard time battling Naraku's detachments. To her great surprise, even Sesshoumaru's attack had no effect on the barrier as the demon within smirked confidently.
The taiyoukai's anger made his youki rise, glowing around him in a red aura.
"My my...you should control your anger, Sesshoumaru-sama." Naraku spoke in a mocking tone.
Another wave of powerful energy hit Naraku's barrier, making it tremble.
He was not to be toyed with.
Kumiko's hand trembled a little as she took out her last arrow. If only Midoriko was here...
"I have to shoot that barrier...The target's pretty big. I can't miss it!" she said to herself.
Naraku's eyes locked with hers as she knitted her brows and fired the arrow. To his surprise, the arrow immediately lit up and the light grew as it flew towards his barrier.
"Can this girl be an even bigger threat than Midoriko?" he wondered as the arrow easily penetrated his barrier, making it dissolve.
That was all Sesshoumaru had been waiting for, so he attacked instantly, but just as his sword approached Naraku's neck, the half-breed disappeared. The demon lord turned around quickly, his senses alerting him to the fact that Naraku was close to Kumiko.
With inhuman speed, he made his way to the girl, but Hakudoushi appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.
ooooOOoooo
Kumiko watched with astonished eyes as her arrow pierced through Naraku's barrier. The demon had now disappeared, probably retreating, she thought, but immediately realized she was wrong as she felt the horrible youki behind her.
Not giving her time to turn around, Naraku's arms grabbed her from behind and the next second she saw the ground getting further and further away.
ooooOOoooo
Sesshoumaru's eyes turned red and he swung Tokijin, releasing the most powerful wave of pressure Hakudoushi had ever seen. It's intensity was blinding and the barrier gave in as Hakudoushi's body shredded to pieces.
To Sesshoumaru's surprise, the head looked at him and smirked as it started to fade away along with the pieces of his body.
Kagura, Kanna and Entei had also disappeared, leaving Inuyasha and the others dumbstruck.
"What the fuck was that all about?" Inuyasha questioned in an angry tone.
The one he least expected gave him his answer.
"To get her." They heard Sesshoumaru's low voice.
ooooOOoooo
Kumiko wanted to yell at this demon, tell him to let her go, but that wouldn't be a good idea since they were flying very high above ground, so she settled for standing still and asking him in a cold voice:
"What do you want with me?"
"All in good time." he answered calmly and she stared at his purple haori, afraid that if she looked at his face, she wouldn't be able to pull away from his eyes.
"I'm sure you're tired." He surprised her.
"What..." she began, but lost consciousness as one of his fingers touched her forehead.
That was better.
Naraku thought about his plan. He had always rejected the idea of absorbing a human into his body, but he needed the power to conceal the Shikon's aura.
This was the only way.
A/N: Little cliffhanger...I could teach Naraku a trick or two about evilness :)
Reviewer response:
White Alchemist Taya: Sorry for taking so long! The death of Menoumaru killed all my inspiration...But I'm getting back on track:)
Arvael: My apologies for the wait...right after "winter break" I began my first term's exams...nine of them to be exact...the horror! But I passed them all with pretty decent grades, so thankfully it's all over. Until summer that is...:(( Anyway the exams didn't do much for my inspiration factor and that's partly why I updated so slow. I hope you like this one. I'll try not to disappoint!
Negri87: Forgive me for not updating soon...Exams, lack of time, lack of inspiration...I'm starting to get back on track now so I'll update faster. I'm very glad you like my writing and I'm happy you liked Menoumaru. He may still change the course of things in this story...you'll see!
Mysterious Miko of Moonlight: I'm sorry I had you in tears at Menoumaru's death, but it makes me happy to know that I described it well enough to have an effect :) Thanks for the review and I hope to see more of you!