Finished, and just in time for Thanksgiving, which is wonderfully fitting since one of the things I am most grateful for is all of you. As such, I'm happy to be able to offer yet another helping of my story. Hope you enjoy it!
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Sugoireidou watched with delight as, at last, the egg started to crack, tiny fractures as fine as a single strand of hair formed random patterns along its surface, reminding her of the way the rivers she distantly remembered traveled across the land.
It was finally time.
At last, after all these years of darkness, she would once again know the feel the wind and sun on her face. See the rushing waters of those dimly recalled rivers. She would be free.
Slowly the cracks widened and pieces of the shell began to fall, one by one they burst from their confinement and dropped to the soft earth below. The queen watched with hungry impatient eyes as a leg unfurled, pushing it's way free. Long, lean, and shining with the wetness of birth, it flailed blindly searching for purchase. An arm followed topped by five slender fingers, it's graceful lines curving from fingertip to shoulder.
Soon there wasn't enough of the shell left to support it's self and the remnants crumbled away. Left lying on the ground was the queen's newest and very most special child. Slowly the newborn pushed its self up, rising to stand on unsteady feet.
On two legs it stared blankly in the queens direction, empty soulless eyes that held nothing within their ink black depths. No emotion, no intelligence, no thought guided it, but still it moved forward, instinct alone directing the motions. When it reached its mother the creature went to her knees and pressed her forehead to the hard shell that covered the queens head. Embedded there was a small black jewel-like ornament, almost impossible to see against the matching darkness the surrounded it, but significant all the same.
Through the gem flowed the queen's soul, filling her empty child, making her into something far more than another one of her obedient children. This new child was now what she had been created to be, Sugoireidou's vessel.
Blinking dazed eyes the queen struggled to adapt to the strange new form and the confusion that seeing through two sets of eyes invoked. She was still herself, looking down at the newborn daughter, but she was also the child, looking up at her true form.
The queen smiled. Her new form able to form the expression denied to her in her true one. Lush pouty lips as black as her eyes curved, flashing slightly pointed white teeth, startling against the darkness of her flesh. Like her sisters and her queen the new child was the color of a starless sky, only the greater shine of her lips, eyes and hair set it apart from her skin. Like black silk against midnight velvet.
Standing up the queen twirled, swinging her new arms wide in delight. This body was deliciously liberating, so light… and so very soft. Running her hands over the swells and dips that adorned her, Sugoireidou celebrated the differences. This was the form that Naraku would see; this was the body that would know his.
Once again the image of him flared to life in her mind, magnificent, adorned in nothing but the blood of his prey. Stirring reactions within her new body that were more powerful than any she had felt before. Her breath hitched as her pulse leapt and an ache formed low in her stomach. She pressed one hand to her new wonderfully fleshy and flat abdomen, and then as a feeling of dampness drew her attention, the hand moved lower. Pleased by her body's reactions Sugoireidou worked her fingers through that dampness until a soft and pleasing flutter of sensation rippled through her. Satisfied for the moment she withdrew the hand a licked it clean, enjoying the intoxicatingly sweet musky taste and imagining Naraku's reaction to it.
'He will be the one to father my new generation of daughters. I shall have to restrain myself and work beside him long enough to defeat our shared enemy's, but once they are dead, he is mine. I will ride Naraku until I have found pleasure enough to last me the next hundred years and then I will milk him dry, wringing every drop his body can offer. Once he is nothing more than a dry and empty husk I will return here, carrying his essence within this luscious form and with his seed I shall give birth to thousands.'
The queen's smile widened and then she giggled, finally she threw back both of her heads and laughed, one form making the throaty purring song of a courtesan, while the other shrieked with an inhumanly shrill harshness. The demented sounds twisted together and filled the queens chamber before continuing outward to echo endlessly throughout the maze of tunnels that branched out from there.
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Lunch was an exercise in control for Kagome. Not only did she have to endure the well meaning questions from her friends while they inquired about her episode, as everyone had started calling it, but far worse was the less than subtle flirting of several bolder-than-wise girls who had braved her glares to speak to Inuyasha.
"Oh what beautiful hair you have!"
"What gorgeous eyes!"
"I heard that you carried Kagome all the way to the nurses office, you must be really strong."
Inuyasha for his part seemed to find the fawning irritating, he merely grunted in response, shifted closer to Kagome, and cast the girls a dark look. His obvious annoyance comforted the priestess trainee at his side immensely; giving her the clarity of mind to remember that barriers were a no-no at school… and so was purification.
So she behaved herself and determinedly endured the annoying twittering. However when one of the girls suddenly stretched forward, asking if she could touch his hair in a sugary sweet voice a faint spark of light flashed to life. The girl gasped at the little static like shock she felt as her hand hit something and bounced back before she could reach that beautiful silver hair.
Kagome winced, not having meant to put quite so much force behind the block. Not, in fact, having planed to do it all, it had been purely impulsive, powerfully so.
Whipping his head around Inuyasha gave her a questioning, narrow eyed look, but the tremble at the corners of his mouth gave away the fact that he was holding back laughter.
Blinking innocently back at him, Kagome lifted her shoulders in a casual shrug. Then she grinned impishly and helped herself to another bite of lunch.
He did laugh then, loud booming laughter, as he caught her in his arms, publicly and instinctively staking his claim on her, rejecting all others.
"That's my Brat." He grumbled possessively.
Kagome cast a look over his shoulder at the girl, smiled challengingly, and staked her own claim.
"My Inuyasha."
Taken aback, the girl retreated a step with puzzled eyes. She glanced at her hand then back up at Kagome, but after only a moment she shook her head, dismissing the silly idea and walked away.
The rest of the day was easy by compare. Kagome was even able to follow most of the lessons. Inuyasha on the other had often had a look of irritation on his face when she glanced back at him, one that grew darker through out the rest of the afternoon.
On the walk home he seemed distracted and petulant, as if he was brooding about something. Unwilling to ignore it, Kagome steered him away from the house and into the shrine when they got home.
"What's wrong?" She asked bluntly.
"Nothing!" He grumped, crossing his arms over his chest.
Kagome raised one eyebrow high in question.
"Riiiight." She drawled.
Answering with only a growl, Inuyasha stared back defiantly.
Kagome mimicked his pose, crossing her own arms and met his look, not backing down an inch.
Inuyasha squirmed.
When Kagome started to tap her foot, he flinched.
"Damn it! It's nothing! So what if you're smarter than me! That doesn't mean anything." He snarled.
A surprised and befuddled look claimed Kagome's face, her arms dropped, and one hand reached out to him.
"Smarter than you? Where did you get a stupid idea like that? School? Please!" Retorted Kagome in a mildly angry tone. "Sure, I know all kinds of silly academic things, but only because I've worked hard to learn them. That doesn't make me smarter than you, it just means I know some things you don't. You know all kinds of things I'm clueless about, and most of them are a lot more practical than being able to solve for Y."
Kagome stepped forward and shoved a fingertip into his chest… hard.
"How smart a person is has nothing to do with how much they know, or even what they know. It's really about how well a person can take in the information available to them and use it. Which is something you happen to excel at." Kagome emphasized her words with another jab. "You figure out and use your enemy's weaknesses in no time, and you manage to think of ways to do the impossible all the time. Did I ever tell you how impressive it was when you used Tetsusaiga's sheath to block Ryuukotsusei's energy blasts? Not even Totosai thought of that. Inuyasha, if you were any smarter I'd feel like a mindless twit in comparison."
Kagome gave him a cute little pout and looped her arms around his neck.
"You wouldn't want to make me feel that way would you?"
Inuyasha gave her a suspicious look, but it was tempered by the amusement and pleasure he couldn't quite hide. His gaze dropped slightly to study her sexy thrust out lower lip, and his eyes flared like wind kissed embers.
"No… there're other things I'd rather make you feel." He managed to rasp out in response, just before he lowered his head and took that tempting lip for his own.
Catching the sweet slip of flesh between his teeth Inuyasha laved at it with his tongue. Making Kagome catch her breath and dig needy fingertips into his back. The hint of her nails cut through the fabric that lay between them, making him burn even hotter.
Closing his lips around hers he suckled, drawing the prize he had claimed deep into his mouth. Inside he howled his pleasure, nothing tasted like his Kagome, nothing else could compare to her sweetness. With gentle teeth he nibbled, with his tongue he worshiped, and only when she whimpered in need did he release the lip he held prisoner to take her mouth wholly.
It really didn't seem to matter how many times he had done it, kissing Kagome was always a revelation, an experience that took his soul as much a willing captive as her lip had been his. The way she responded made his heart speed, pounding so hard and fast that he knew she couldn't help but feel it pulsing from his chest and into hers. She never failed to match his passion, never pulled back, in fact many a time she urged him to kiss her even deeper and harder then he would have done uninvited.
'How did I live without this?' Thought Inuyasha dreamily.
How long they would have continued and where it might have lead was beyond knowing… and thanks to Sota it always would be.
"Hey Sis! Mom wants to know if you'll be home for dinner tonight or if you'll be on the other side of…." Sota stopped speaking as he came through the door and saw Inuyasha and Kagome jumping apart.
"Oops! Sorry…. Umm… Forget I was here." Stammered the now red-faced boy. Sota then turned and ran from the room leaving them alone once again, but the mood had been well and truly broken.
A bit red-faced himself Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "Err… I guess we should go tell your mom about dinner… We might as well come back in time, we need to be back here before sunset anyway."
"Why?"
Inuyasha gave Kagome a bemused look. "After all this time you still haven't learned to keep track of when the new moon is coming? I won't be able to protect you the way I should when I'm just a weak human… it's safer here." He finished on a slightly self-disgusted note.
"Human or demon, you've never failed to save me." Assured Kagome gently. "But if it makes you feel better we'll do whatever you say." She added with a playful smile.
Kagome might have been teasing Inuyasha, but memories of how far he would go to protect her in human form were eternally seared in her mind, making her every bit as determined as he was to keep them both as safe as possible during those times. She could still see him falling off that cliff with the false sage Tokajin, and with the image came a strong echo of the pain that had pierced her then. If the Demon Tree hadn't caught Inuyasha so that it could feed off of him, he would have hit the rocks below and died. Kagome never wanted to risk losing him like that again.
So, in complete and somber agreement, they made their way to the house without further discussion. Both changed clothing, Inuyasha back into his fire rat robes, with no small measure of relief, and Kagome into comfortable open cuffed black sweatpants paired with a well worn faded blue t-shirt. She skipped the hiking boots in favor of a beat up pair of tennis shoes, figuring that they would be more comfortable for training. After a quick visit with her mother to let her know their plans they made the journey through the well and into the feudal era.
Before they had even made it out of the well Shippo's excited voice found them.
"Kagome! You're finally here! I missed you! Wait till you see what Sango gave me!" He yelled down to them enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that Kagome had a feeling he was only a moment away from jumping down into the well to show her. Fortunately Inuyasha quickly grabbed her by the waist and leap out, saving them both from the threat of falling kitsune's.
Kagome didn't even get the chance to brace herself before a small warm body collided with her chest so hard that, had Inuyasha not been holding her waist, she could very well have gone teetering backwards. As aware of that fact as she was Inuyasha growled darkly.
"Runt what have I told you about jumping on Kagome? I don't care how long it has been, or how much you missed her… if you hurt her, even by accident, I will beat you into a smear on the ground!"
Folding her arms around Shippo, Kagome glared at Inuyasha. The little fox hadn't hurt her after all and she had missed him just as much. Inuyasha met her angry look without blinking or backing down.
"He might be a kid, but he's also a demon. If he doesn't learn to control himself now he could end up hurting someone badly later. He needs to knock this shit off, and he's old enough to be told so!" Snapped Inuyasha unapologetically. "You can't keep treating him the same as a human. Not if you really want what's best for him."
Shippo, who had been hiding his face in Kagome's shirt, lifted his head wearing a look of denial.
"I wouldn't hurt Kagome… Not ever!"
Inuyasha huffed and looked away. "You might not mean to, but you're getting bigger, and stronger… one of these days you might do it without meaning to. Trust me, you don't want to do that Runt, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You need to start controlling yourself."
The seriousness of his tone was sobering and in the wake of it neither Shippo nor Kagome had an argument to offer. Still not looking at them Inuyasha started walking towards the village.
"Coming?" He growled back at them when they didn't move to follow him right away.
Kagome and Shippo exchanged a look, Shippo's was sulky but accepting, as if he was taking Inuyasha words to heart, but didn't like it. Kagome's on the other hand was questioning, and just a touch sad. Inuyasha sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and that left her to wonder just who it was he had hurt by accident.
Growing tired of the awkward silence, Kagome spoke up about half way to Kaede's.
"So what did Sango give you?" She asked the kitsune in her arms.
Shippo beamed up at her, all things unpleasant forgotten when he remembered his surprise. Jumping down he skipped backwards in front of her as he reached into he shirt to pull out something that looked like an oversized and rather ornate straw to Kagome.
"It's a blowgun!" He crowed proudly. "Sango promised that if I work really hard and get good enough she'll teach me how to make poisoned darts. I'm going to do it to! I'm going to get really, really good and then I can help protect you. I'll be able to kill bad demons all by myself!"
Kagome smiled past a fit of tears, both deeply touched and a bit worried. She wasn't sure how to deal with the idea of her sweet little fox being burdened by the responsibility of protecting her, not to mention the lives he might have to take to do so.
"She also gave me this." He went on to explain, not having noticed her mixed reaction as he drew the tiny dagger from its sheath.
"I'm sure that you will master both of them in no time with Inuyasha and Sango training you." Kagome assured him encouragingly. "I have surprise too… but I think I'll keep it a secret until I can show Sango and you at the same time."
"Awwwww…. No fair Kagome!" Complained the kitsune.
Laughing, Kagome mimed locking her lips and tossing away the key.
"But that could take forever!" Continued Shippo undeterred. "Sango and Miroku disappeared as soon as we got back and I haven't seen either one of them since. Miroku didn't even stay long enough to see my new weapons." He grumbled in annoyance.
Kagome brightened at this, a grin spreading wide across her face.
"Well that's promising." She muttered under her breath.
"Maybe… if that baka monk didn't end up putting his foot in his mouth again." Answered Inuyasha, having heard her as clearly as if she had yelled it.
Looking up in time to catch the amused look Inuyasha cast over his shoulder at her, Kagome shook her head. "I don't think that's going to be a problem… he's had enough time to figure out what he wants to say, and what he shouldn't. I think it will work out… but this might put a damper on practice."
Frowning at that, Inuyasha walked up to Kaede's door and pushed the screen aside. He started to step through, then caught himself and moved to the side to let Kagome go through first… after having taken a deep breath to make sure only the old hag was around. She wasn't, but Myoga's scent didn't raise any alarms, just a touch of resignation. He really needed to talk to that flea, preferably in private.
"I see that ye and Inuyasha are still getting on well. Tis a great improvement over all that fighting." Greeted a grinning Kaede in response to the courteous action, making Kagome blush.
"You could say that." Mumbled Kagome.
Inuyasha on the other hand gave the elderly Priestess a dirty look as he took up his normal position against the wall. When Myoga jumped up and latched onto Inuyasha's cheek to feed the hanyou pretended not to notice for a full count of ten, then he flattened the flea with a quick slap. Tummy nearly full of tasty half Inu blood Myoga was content to lie where he fell and was soon napping away.
Sitting near Kaede so that they could talk comfortably, Kagome asked, carefully so as to not give too much away, about accidentally created barriers. Which Kaede admitted was known to happen if the priestess was quite strong and had a powerful enough emotional trigger. Then as if it was only idle curiosity that had made her ask Kagome jumped right into inquiring about shikigami and how they were created.
Kaede had only outlined the most basic parts about the creation of shikigami when the curtain was pushed aside to admit a glowing, and pink faced Sango with an equally rosy Miroku close at her heels. Happiness radiated from the pair like heat from a fire, bathing the hut and everyone inside with its warmth.
Jumping to her feet Kagome ran to meet Sango, giving the slayer a gleeful greeting hug, which Sango returned in full.
Stepping back out of her friends arms Kagome gripped the slayers hands and grinned. "I'm so happy you…" Kagome paused and cast a significant look at Miroku, who suddenly blushed bright red, before turning her eyes back to Sango. "…made it back safely." She finished considerately, confident that her true point had been made.
Sango glanced over at Miroku as well. "Yes it was a long journey, but so very worth it." She admitted with a soft and loving smile.
Either oblivious to her true meaning or uninterested, Inuyasha spoke up. "Does that mean you found out something useful about the ants."
Kagome shot a wrathful glare his way, making him squirm. "What?" He barked in self-defense. "That's what she went home for in the first place isn't it?"
Shaking her head Kagome turned away, directing her attention back to Sango, a happily laughing Sango. Unable to look away Kagome marveled over the radiance that shown from the slayer in that moment. Never before had she looked so beautiful or so at peace.
Not alone in her thoughts Kagome noticed the awe struck look on Miroku's face, and with the greatest of pleasures she watched his expression melt into a mix of delight, pride and infinite gratitude. Something Miroku had said or done had managed banish the shadow that constantly darkened Sango's light.
Unable to resist Kagome smirked at the monk, giving him a blatant 'I told you so' look. Miroku started, then smiled in return, he paused long enough to caress Sango's glowing profile with his gaze one more time before looking back at Kagome with slightly shiny and red-rimmed eyes. "Thank you." He mouthed without a sound before giving his full attention back to the slayer.
"I found some old scrolls that document my clans war with the ants, but other than directions to create poisons more effective against them than most, I learned very little new. There is an old legend, even older than the war, about an ally to the ants, but I do not know if there is any truth in it. After all it seems to be one of the defining caricaturists of the ants that they rely on, and trust, only themselves. An ally seems unlikely, but the scroll said that she, a dark-skinned woman, was not one to be underestimated. Apparently no man could raise a hand to her, she was said to be an enchantress.
"And that made the trip worth it?" Scoffed Inuyasha. "Ok so the poison thing might be useful, but the rest? I didn't see any dark-skinned women with the ants last time we fought so how does that help us?"
Rather than take offense Sango grinned. "I never said it was the information about the ants that made the journey worthwhile." She stated before falling silent once again, offering no further information.
When Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue, Kagome held up her hand, palm out in his direction. With an annoyed growl he snapped his mouth shut, and remained silent, crossing his arms to glare at her.
Kagome gave him a thankful smile and started to drop her hand when Shippo let out a gasp. Whipping her head around, hand frozen in place, Kagome sought out the cause of the sound. The little Kit was staring at her hand with a look of surprise on his face.
"Where did you get that shiny bracelet? It's really pretty, but I don't remember ever seeing it before, and boy does it ever look expensive!" He inquired with all the tact of the very young.
Kagome looked back at the ornament around her wrist and saw that with her hand raised as it was, the firelight was caught and reflected back dramatically, making the bracelet into a thing of true radiance.
Bringing her wrist in close Kagome caressed the smooth ivory and metal lovingly with the fingers of her other hand.
"It was a gift." She whispered huskily. Her eyes darting up to Inuyasha with a smile of adoration as her fingers continued their soft stroking motions.
Touched by her smile Inuyasha lost his angry look, instead a blush covered his face and a fire lit in his loins in direct response to watching those nimble fingers of Kagome's move over his gift.
They shared a heated intense look, need and desire so near the surface that no one could miss it… well almost no one.
Shippo jumped over stand next to Kagome and with only a moment's hesitation lightly lit upon her shoulder to look down at the piece.
"Wow it's even prettier up close. Did Inuyasha really give it to you? Seems much nicer than anything he'd pick." Questioned the fox dubiously.
Before Inuyasha had the chance to respond, as he was clearly gearing up to, given his venomous glare and cracking knuckles, Kagome spoke up.
"That wasn't nice Shippo." She stated firmly. "I think you should tell Inuyasha you're sorry."
Shippo opened his eyes wide and looked up into Kagome's in shock. She met his gaze steadily, and when he tried to use a cute pleading look on her she frowned, her growing displeasure flashing bright in her unwavering eyes.
Much to Kagome's surprise Shippo grew suddenly sullen, pouting like a scolded toddler. Given the look on his face she wouldn't have been all that surprised to see him fall on the ground kicking and screaming in a full on tantrum.
'Inuyasha's right, I have been spoiling him to much.' Thought Kagome with a sense of shame.
Reaching up she took him in her arms and held him so that they were face to face.
"Shippo, I'm sorry but you were rude to Inuyasha, if you can't tell him you're sorry I'll just have to come up with some kind of punishment."
"But I don't want to!" He whined. "He's a big dummy who is always picking on me."
Kagome sighed. "Does he really pick on you or is he putting you in your place when you get too carried away? Has he been mean to you for no reason anytime in the last few weeks?"
Squirming Shippo fought to keep his righteous anger in place, but then he remembered the night he slept in Kagome and Inuyasha's arms. He thought over the time since they got Kagome back from Koga and realized that the only times Inuyasha had yelled at him lately was when he had been careless around Kagome.
"No." Whispered Shippo grudgingly.
"So if he hasn't been picking on you, and hasn't been mean to you for no reason, do you really think it's fair for you to say rude things about him?"
"No." Repeated Shippo just as grudgingly.
"Well then you need to tell him you're sorry… and if you don't, well, not only will I not stop Inuyasha from dealing with you himself, but I also won't give you any treats for a full week."
Shippo gulped, and turned to look at Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye. The hanyou narrowed his eyes at the kit and smiled ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry!" He yelled in surrender, looking back up at Kagome.
"Thank you, but you need to tell Inuyasha that, not me." Corrected Kagome gently.
Sighing as deeply as if all of the world's troubles rested on his tiny shoulders, Shippo climbed out of Kagome's arms. Once he stood on his own feet he turned to face Inuyasha who looked back at him blankly. Looking neither triumphant nor wrathful, he just waited.
"I'm sorry Inuyasha." Grated out Shippo sincerely, but with visible difficulty.
"Forget it." Huffed Inuyasha in response as he squared his stance and glanced away. "It's no big deal… you're forgiven." He finished in a near whisper of a voice.
Tears hovered on the edges of Shippo's eyes at those words and seeing them Kagome pulled him back into her embrace.
"Good job Shippo, I'm very proud of you. It takes a lot of strength to admit when you have been wrong and even more honor to say that you're sorry." She finished off her praise by placing a quick kiss against his forehead.
With a few unsteady breaths Shippo seemed to compose himself. "Does that mean I can have a treat now?" He asked shamelessly.
Laughing Kagome shook her head. "Sorry but I didn't bring any with me today, I'll try to remember tomorrow, ok?"
"Ok." Replied Shippo as if he was making a supreme sacrifice, but then he grinned and hopped down. "Just make sure it's a really good one!" He called as he skipped away to show Miroku his new weapons. Boring things like jewelry and manner lessons forgotten.
At his departure, Sango approached. "May I see?"
With a grin Kagome held out her arm and let the slayer study the bracelet that adorned it. After a few moments and a few brushes of her fingers over the surface Sango raised her smiling face.
"It's every bit as lovely as you deserve. Inuyasha choose well." She stated complementary but then she noticed that Kagome's other hand was absently fingering an unfamiliar necklace. "But I see that it is not the only new jewelry you wear. Was the necklace also a gift from Inuyasha?"
Kagome smiled broadly. "Yes… and just wait until you see what it does!" She teased evasively.
Soon after that the group made their way outside and to an open clearing so that Kagome could show off Shinseihanone. Inuyasha helped by setting up targets for her to destroy. Sango offered a few pointers about stance and swing, improving Kagome's aim even more. Soon though, Kagome felt the strain in her arm, its need for more recovery time becoming clearer with every swing. So to end the demonstration, and to bring the show to an exciting finish, Kagome thrust power into the whip and lashed it up at the sky, holding an image of what she wanted the energy she'd unleashed do firmly in her mind.
Pink light erupted from the weapon and streaked up into the clear blue sky in a blazing line before bursting outward in a spectacular explosion, filling the sky with light like a New Years rocket. The lights sparkled and fell towards the earth, a warm glowing rain.
A few hands rose into the air to catch the lights, like you might try to do with flakes of snow, but they faded away before reaching them.
Stunned silence and wide eyes met her as she turned with a self-satisfied grin to face everyone. Laughing at the looks, Kagome drew Shinseihanone through her hand in a caressing motion before gripping the last pebble in her fingers and pulling it back to meet the fang.
Dropping the necklace back over her head Kagome danced her way over to Inuyasha. Only he had completely lost that look of surprise, grinning back at her instead with pride and possessiveness shining out of his eyes like a beacon she could not resist.
"So did I do ok?" She asked as she leapt into his arms, an action that was becoming compulsive.
"It was alright." He answered casually, almost sounding bored, but then in contrast to the tone of his voice he suddenly kissed her with barely leashed passion. Gripping the back of her head in one hand and holding her firmly against his chest with his other arm, he molded her body to his tightly. As if he couldn't stand to let even air come between them.
"Most impressive." Said Miroku sometime later, just after she and Inuyasha had managed to pull themselves apart. The tone of his voice left it questionable as to weather he was referring to the firework show or the kiss.
"Thanks." Replied Kagome, answering either possibility with blushing smugness.
Growing serious she turned to Sango. "I was hoping you'd help me train… tomorrow though… not today." She added quickly.
Nodding Sango answered without hesitation. "I'd be honored."
"Thank you!" Cried Kagome gratefully with a happy clap of her hands.
The girls shared a smile, then each looked slowly past their friend to the attentive man beside them, and the smiles grew.
After winking conspiratorially at Sango, Kagome turned away and directed her attention fully onto Shippo.
"Ok it's your turn!" She cried with honest excitement, she wanted to see just how skilled he was, but more importantly, she needed to know how close he was to being lethal. Something inside her wept bittersweet tears as she watched Shippo take aim at the hastily constructed bull's-eye. A target made up of nothing more than the cleanly cut end of a large log resting on top of another downed tree trunk. Circles had been scratching into the flat face of wood and darkened with dirt.
Loading one on the real, but as of yet, non-poisoned darts that filled a new pouch at his hip, Shippo swallowed thickly and gave his little body a quick shake before carefully taking aim.
Sighting down the barrel Shippo drew a slow breath in through the sides of his mouth, and then he blew. The dart flew strait and embedded itself admirably deep into the wood of the target, just inside the outermost line.
Every one cheered, even Inuyasha clapped his hands together a time or two… after Kagome nudged him. So it wasn't perfect… it was decent for a beginner.
Determined, wearing an unhappy scowl Shippo ignored the applause, loaded another dart, and got halfway closer to the center. The next shot hit just a little to the opposite side of the middle.
When the one after that went way too high, missing the target altogether, he stomped one little foot in frustration.
"You were trying too hard that time, you didn't trust your instincts… relax… listen to your gut." Murmured Inuyasha gruffly.
It took three more shots before he got the bulls-eye, just barely, but Shippo never missed the target again, and none of the darts were really far off center.
Happy to stop while he was ahead and triumphant, Shippo skipped to the target and retrieved his darts, even taking the time to hunt down the one that had gone wide, before running back to collect his due in praise.
Which Kagome for one was more than happy to provide. She heaped a mountain of praise down on his comically thrust back shoulders, before noting the angle of the sun and directing her attention to Inuyasha.
"We should get going soon, dinner must be just about done and we promised mom we'd be there."
"Whatever you say." Answered Inuyasha almost neutrally, but Kagome caught the subtle laughing tone behind the words. She responded by sticking her tongue out at him.
Kagome paused to share a giggle filled hug with Sango and let Shippo coax a few more compliments from her. After the semi-quick goodbye, she and Inuyasha promised to be back the following morning and took off for the well.
"I told you Miroku wouldn't mess it up." Taunted Kagome playfully once they had left the group far enough behind.
"Ya, ya, ya… clever you." Responded Inuyasha easily. "Lets just wait and see if he can keep from messing up in the future." He challenged smugly as the well came into sight.
"You're such a pessimist." Grumped Kagome with a sulky look.
Pausing before answering, Inuyasha thought about that for a minute then shook his head.
"No I'm not! Not anymore at least." Declared Inuyasha meaningfully as he lifted her into his arms and picked up the pace. Proving his physical prowess yet again, he somehow managed to kiss her both tenderly and expertly WHILE he continued to run. Holding her close, not once breaking that loving kiss, he reached the well, smoothly jumping over the edge and into the waiting darkness within.
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Legs hanging down limply from the tree limb she sat upon, Kanna stared into her mirror, seemingly untouched and uncaring, but aching inside. She saw all the ways that Mumei used her sister, all the ways he abused her, and not once did Kagura cower. She never pleaded, or wept, instead she insulted and defied him at every turn.
Didn't Kagura know that it was useless, that there was no escape for them… ever? No life beyond their service to Naraku.
Kanna told herself that was how it was, over and over, trying to diminish the nobility of Kagura's actions. She even managed to find some small measure of success. Deep down Kanna knew that in Kagura's place she would not have chosen to be as resistant to the amorous attention. Kanna reasoned that it was better to incite the anger of ones enemy as little as possible. If playing the part of an agreeable lover could buy her some better treatment, why not? After all a body was nothing more than a thing. Why endure so much pain when a little less defiance would save her from it?
Those were the things she told herself… the things she even believed to a point, but still, Kanna found it impossible to do anything other than admire Kagura. And the more she did, the more she ached with sympathy towards her headstrong sister, until the pain of it was a never ending burn in the hollowness of her chest.
Every moment spent looking into the mirror made it worse, but she could not turn away. She could not leave Kagura all alone. So Kanna accepted and endured the pain with no hope of release.
Not so much as a flutter of her lashes betrayed her as she inwardly felt herself drown in unshed tears and choke on firmly lodged sobs. Kanna was filled with the unobtainable desire to have, even if it was only for a moment, just one of a thousand ways to release the pain.
Any one of them would have been a welcome gift, any one at all, but Kanna knew there would be no such a thing for her. She would never be permitted to let anything of her inner self be seen, not ever, for she was Kanna, the void.
A living doll, nothing more.
Through the mirror came Kagura's voice as she dared to laugh at Mumei yet again, even the mocking bitterness that filled the sound could not prevent a flash of envy from flickering to life within Kanna. It burned alone for a moment before merging with the many other emotions that swirled within her like a cadged storm. Her experience with such intense emotions too new and inadequate, she did not know how to control them.
Before she could even try, Naraku's voice crept into her mind like tendrils of dark, dirty smoke, commanding her to return to his side. Without any perceptual hesitation Kanna submitted to his orders, dropping from the tree as lightly as the feathers that were her sister's trademark. In the middle of a fresh burst of Kagura's contemptuous giggles, Kanna blanked her mirror and stated walking.
'I wonder what it feels like to laugh?' She thought, not for the first time, nor likely the last.
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I don't really know what to say this time.
Umm… The story should start moving faster here soon as I struggle to get the various plot threads woven together. A rather daunting task to be honest, but one I am determined to see through. So many things to cover yet… LoL… guess that means there are still quite a few chapters yet to come.
Hope that's not a problem.
Anyway, happy holidays, whatever those may be where you're at. Review if you had fun reading, and take care. I want all of you to make it back here safe and sound for my next update… where we just might get to see a certain peacock loving, big haired, check pincher.
Maybe… LoL…