"What's everybody so upset about?" Kouga turned towards Kagome, reaching for her hand automatically. Inuyasha's warning growl made Kagome take a step closer to him. "Who's missing?"
"Shut up, idiot!" Shippo bounced over the wolf's shoulders, hitting his head.
"She can't have got too far yet," Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "We have to—"
The rest of Inuyasha's words were cut off as he went sailing backwards into a nearby oak, which shuddered intensely. Leaves rained down over his head.
"What are you doing, baka!" Kagome turned on Sesshomaru. "This isn't Inuyasha's fault! If you're going to—"
"Be silent, or face your death." Sesshomaru's voice gave no room for argument. "You were told not to follow," he spoke to Inuyasha.
"You're blaming me?" Inuyasha was up on his feet again. "Your stupid kappa's worthless! He can't protect anything!"
"You idiots wait here while I go after Kagura!" Kouga snorted as he turned tail. "Stupid mutts, fighting while there's…" his voice disappeared in a whirlwind moving down the road.
"Even Kouga's smarter, going after Kagura! We don't have time to—" Inuyasha barely averted Sesshomaru's claws again. "Cut it out!"
"I despise you," he continued. "You have earned your fate." Sesshomaru's claws were a sickly green.
"I'm worried about the squirt too, Sesshomaru. But you're wasting our time!" Inuyasha snarled back. "We could still catch up to Kagura, bastard!"
"You will do no such thing." Sesshomaru's eyes slid to the humans. "My daughter's fate will be that girl's—do not interfere again."
"What? What are you even talking—" The words fell, empty. Sesshomaru was already gone. "Bastard!" Inuyasha called out for good measure.
"Well, come on Inuyasha!" Miroku ushered Sango onto Kilala. "What are we waiting for?"
"Keh!"
Kagura very much felt like throwing the little pest to her death.
"Big stinky lady," the girl continued. "You smell like frog-man does. But stinkier." Kagura barely glanced back at the inu-pup insulting her. "You smell like a trip to bushes."
"Silence, already." This girl cannot have been raised by Sesshomaru himself. If he had, she would certainly have learned some manners. "Don't tempt me into—" Something hit her shoulders. Kagura glanced back to see that there was now dirt scattered over the fine cloth of her striped kimono. I must reiterate—a pest.
"Dirt smell betta than you do, stinky."
"And so, my plan unfolds." Kagura's eyes moved forward to Naraku's figure looming over the half-eroded corpse. The once-human castle behind them now reeked of death and miasma. "The Jewel is becoming more beautiful with every taint of their hearts, wouldn't you agree Kagura?" The darkened Jewel pulsed as new flesh reformed around it. Flesh and bone were re-knitting with every passing moment. "It will be most enjoyable to witness Sesshomaru's own heart contribute. It has become child's-play to manipulate the others."
Sesshomaru is too proud to allow Naraku to control him. He would never allow it, Kagura scoffed. And, that is my only hope for true freedom. Inuyasha and his friends might fall prey to Naraku's schemes but Sesshomaru wouldn't.
"Stop her," Naraku said in a bored tone. Kagura looked to see the girl scrambling away into the direction of the miasma. "Her death would be pointless, at the moment."
I am reduced to a babysitter. Kagura rolled her eyes. Me, the wind itself.
"Lego!" The girl was not happy to be trapped underneath Kagura's arm. Small, vulnerable growls were erupting from the pup's throat. "I get you bad lady! You wait!"
"Rise." Naraku once again had the nearly-completed Jewel in hand. From the small impression rose a body, clothed in shreds of dark material, shaking off dirt and residue. "Dress. I have work for you to do."
"Work?" A female voice questioned. "And who are you to order me?"
"How rude of me, my Lady" Naraku bowed his head. He did not reveal his name. "As I understand, you are mate to Lord Sesshomaru of the West, and the mother of Miyuki." The woman's ochre eyes swiveled to rest on Kagura and the flummoxed inuyoukai pup. "Would that be she?"
"I was dead." The woman's eyes turned suspiciously on Naraku. "Why am I not?"
"Because I have a proposition for you." Naraku seemed most sincere. "Release the girl, Kagura." She dropped the creature willingly. Miyuki sat frozen. The woman's eyes couldn't help turning onto her daughter. Naraku made no move as the woman easily made herself onto even-ground.
"Come here, Miyuki." The woman kept her eyes on Naraku as if suspecting trickery.
As well she might.
"You do not need to be so wary. I mean neither of you harm." Naraku's pointed gaze told Kagura to move away from Miyuki, which she did. "You may take your daughter." A small indistinguishable rumble came from the woman's throat. Miyuki's eyes widened.
"Miyuki-ko," the woman's eyes softened incrementally on the frightened girl. Taking soft, measured steps Miyuki's mother moved towards the girl.
"My mama call me that," she swallowed hard. The woman kneeled, lifting Miyuki onto her hip, looking back and forth between the pup and the youkai pair watching her. Miyuki sniffed cautiously.
"What happened?"
"That fox vixen that was following you ambushed you while you were bathing your daughter. You were distracted, and she was concealing herself nearby." Naraku's eyes were somber. He was taking great care to appear trustworthy. He wants this woman's trust—why? "The wound was enough to weaken you, and as far as I can tell, you bled to death in a cave not far from a human village."
"She felt threatened by you in her territory." Kagura decided to interject her part of the tale.
"You expect something in return for returning my daughter to me." The woman's white hair was nearly indistinguishable from the girl's—the girl who was still cautious about accepting her.
"Your mate found her after your death—Sesshomaru?" The woman did not react. "He still kindles great anger towards you—he disowned Miyuki. She was left to scavenge for herself in the forest."
"Is this true?" The inuyoukai female tapped on Miyuki's shoulder. "Were you left all by yourself?"
"You leave. Why you here Mama?" Miyuki was in tears. "I was left in forest, and they mean to me, and you woul'n wake up." Her eyes softened on the girl's damp face.
"Ssshhh. We'll talk later, Miyuki-ko." The Lady's voice was hard and angry as she addressed Naraku this time. "Sesshomaru found her, and he disowned her?" He nodded solemnly. "That petty fool."
"It seems rather distasteful to me, disowning his own blood in the middle of a forest as he did." Naraku's faux righteousness was distasteful to Kagura. "He's a cold-hearted creature indeed."
"You know him." A question in a statement?
"His reputation is rather far-known, my Lady." Kagura raised an eyebrow. "I have heard tales of his honorable side, but perhaps I heard incorrectly."
"What do you want?" The Lady's eyes were sharp. "You mentioned a proposition."
"It is simple—I want you to kill Lord Sesshomaru."
One dark eyebrow rose. "Kill him?"
"He abandoned his own heir to be abused by humans, to steal from their stores, leaving her prey to youkai in the forest." Naraku gestured towards Miyuki. "Certainly your daughter deserves vengeance?"
"That decision has nothing to do with you." He's angered her—towards Sesshomaru? Or towards himself? "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
"Of course." Naraku nodded deferentially. Within moments the inuyoukai female was sprinting away from the pair.
"You expect her to kill Sesshomaru?" Kagura couldn't help but snort. "She was killed by a pathetic fox—she's not strong enough."
"Don't be a fool—who do you think told that foolish fox where to find an inuyoukai child?" Naraku's eyes grazed over her lazily. "She would never have killed her if not for me."
He assisted that heinous fox in killing that bitch.
She ran.
Miyuki clung to the inu as she made yet another leap. There was something desperate about her scent, she decided. Why?
"Mama? Plea," Miyuki tugged on her clothing. She came to an abrupt stop, glancing over her shoulder. "What going on?" Mama dead. But this is Mama—her smell, her voice. "I doan un-stand."
"I don't understand myself." Their pace was more measured now. "What's been going on, sweet?" Her hair shifted and Miyuki saw her full face again. Pretty, dark-gold eyes, a sharp nose, the same forehead she saw in river-reflections…
"You smell like my Mama." She'd seen Mama though. She'd slept in the cave and she hadn't moved. Mama wouldn't wake up. "Are you? Her?"
The woman stopped.
"Miyuki," the woman breathed over her face. "You're terrified." Cool hands tucked her hair back from her face. "It's me, Miyuki-ko. I'm sorry. Mama's here."
"Wha 'appened?" She talks like Mama too. Miyuki's eyes closed for a minute as she reveled in the feel of her hands comforting her, her scent.
"I think that creature revived me." Her dark eyebrows lowered. Confused. "Because he wants me to—were you really left all alone to feed yourself?"
Miyuki nodded, pressing her lips together. "I very scared." She allowed her hands to reach for the woman's hair. "You no move anymore, and I try." The woman's mouth popped open. Miyuki suddenly felt herself crushed against her bosom in a hug.
"I'm sorry, baby. I remember feeling ill and…" There was sadness in the woman's scent. "Are you hurt? Or sick?" Her eyes dropped to Miyuki's shoulder. "What are you wearing?"
"You like?" Miyuki swiped at her own nose. "It pink, see?"
"…I see that." Mama opened her mouth to speak again, but a wind stirred up and she suddenly shivered.
"Are you cold?" Mama's clothes were filled with holes and tears. "Why you so dirty?"
"I should probably find some decent clothing, shouldn't I?" She pressed a kiss to Miyuki's forehead. "Don't stress, sweet." Miyuki buried her nose into the woman's nearly-bare shoulder. There was swift movement again. When Mama stopped, Miyuki could see clothing lines teeming with flowing cloth. "Here, Miyuki. Just for a minute." Gently, Mama set her on her feet as she turned.
"I like that one!" She pointed towards a cerulean kimono decorated with clouds.
"This one? Are you sure?" Mama's eyebrow rose, as did the corner of her mouth. Miyuki nodded. "Well, all right then, if you're so sure." It didn't take her long to take the kimono, folding it as she also reached for a pair of dark blue hakama. "If only my shoes weren't ruined," she looked mournfully at her feet. Miyuki looked too. The once-beautiful pair of leather shoes was in tatters. "Oh well."
Miyuki stood guard over her clothes while she quickly bathed in a nearby pond, dressing first in the sky-blue kimono, and then into the darker pair of hakama. In a flash she was beneath the nearby elm, inviting Miyuki. She happily complied to sit in her lap, plucking at the fabric.
"Now, tell me everything," Mama spoke softly.
"Jewel shards now? Are you serious?" Inuyasha was frustrated.
"Three, Inuyasha!" Kagome pointed, stamping her foot in front of them all. "What if it's Naraku?" They'd been doing their best all night to track down the spider hanyou. They weren't doing well. Kouga was still using his wolves to search for scents but nothing was coming up. He'd run off a while ago.
And Sesshomaru—they hadn't seen him since Miyuki had been taken the day before.
"It's too suspicious not to go, Inuyasha." Worry was rampant among them all. Naraku's sick mind, and Miyuki's vulnerability? It was a very bad situation indeed.
"I guess we don't have a fucking choice, now do we?" Inuyasha was already adjusting his course. "Are you morons coming or not?"
Why would he take Miyuki? Why? Kagome continued to worry from Inuyasha's back. They were quickly moving from open terrain towards a series of mountains and hills, craggy territory. I mean, it's not like she's a threat. How sick is he to kidnap a little girl? Oh please…she prayed, don't let anything bad happen to her. Don't let Naraku hurt her.
Her feet were on the ground before she realized it. Inuyasha was sprinting forwards again.
"Hey! Inuyasha!" What does he think he's doing? The Jewel shards are through there! She kicked her feet off with some effort as she tried to keep him in sight. "Inuyasha, come back here!"
Kilala and AhUn swooped down to fly beside her. "Kagome? Whatever are you doing?" Sango asked, bemused.
"Inuyasha just dropped me," Kagome panted, trying not to trip over the stones in her way.
"Are you serious? Why would he do that?" Shippo tugged on Miroku's low ponytail. "I mean, it's not like—"
"YEOW!" Inuyasha's voice yelped.
Another surge of energy into her legs propelled her through the foliage to a small clearing besides a waterfall, pooling momentarily before continuing into a river. Inuyasha lay flat on his stomach, snarling back at the woman whose knee was in his back.
Three shards, Kagome's mouth popped open. One in her neck, one in her shoulder, one in her right leg.
"Let go bitch!" Inuyasha's shoulder jerked. Long, white hair swung violently over Inuyasha's shoulderblades as they both struggled with each other's strength. Kagome blinked as the youkai-in-blue snarled at her hanyou.
"What do you think you're doing?" she pressed her knee more sharply into Inuyasha's back.
"Is that her?" Sango gestured. Kagome nodded. "Hiraikotsu!" The giant bone boomerang swung towards the youkai but she jumped out of the way, shards and all. "Inuyasha, are you ok?"
"Move!" Inuyasha's shoulder hit Sango hard, knocking her flat before the youkai's claws could injure her. "Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha withdrew Tessaiga, blocking a swirling red attack. "Kaze No Kizu!" In a brash swing of his sword five streaks of golden light went blazing towards the woman.
A red-ish disk appeared, redirecting the Tessaiga's attack into the nearby trees, disintegrating wood until the Kaze no Kizu ran out of energy. Inuyasha stepped back, brandishing Tessaiga again as the woman stabilized her stance.
"That's Tessaiga."
"You know my sword? Good. That way you'll know what's carving those Jewel shards out of your skin!" Inuyasha hefted Tessaiga to his shoulder once more. "Prepare to die you—"
"Yaya?" a familiar voice called. "Is that my Yaya?" Inuyasha's sword drooped immediately as a small pink figure dashed out of the bushes, over the depressions in the earth, to cling to the woman's dark-blue hakama. "It is! Look, look!" Beaming, she tugged on her leg. "I tell you, see?"
The woman's brow wrinkled.
"Miyuki?" Kagome could barely believe her eyes. Her eyes ran over the woman again. Three shards? They were almost-pure—or as pure as they could be in youkai possession. "Are you ok Miyuki?"
"Hi 'Ome!" Miyuki waved.
"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha inhaled deeply. "How did you get the squirt? Are you working for Naraku, you bitch?"
"How dare you speak to me so?" There was a drastic change in the woman's aura again. It darkened, as it had when she was fighting Inuyasha. "You have no idea—"
"No fight! Please Mama?" Miyuki's hands pulled on the woman's sleeve. Her eyes turned down to Miyuki's pleading face for a few seconds. "That's my Yaya, and 'Ome."
"Mama?" they all repeated.
Her face relaxed minutely. Miyuki's hands slipped to grasp the woman's clawed one, "You 'member I told you? Yaya sa'me. And his lady-mate."
Wow, she's pretty, Kagome couldn't help thinking. She looks like Miyuki—or Miyuki looks like her.
"You found her in the woods?" The question was directed at Inuyasha, with a surreptitious glance to his human companions. "You?" She sounded doubtful.
"Keh!" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed on her. "Her mother's dead. Who do you think you're fucking fooling? What do you want hag?" Tessaiga was once again prominent. "You'd better answer me."
Kagome watched the shards' color darken.
"Inuyasha, perhaps—" Miroku began.
There was a red sphere coming for them. Sango and Miroku pulled her out of the way, after their other companions as Inuyasha was pushed backwards. He went flying as the sphere exploded, throwing him into the upper branches of the nearest tree.
"I don't care what your problem is." The woman's eyes narrowed on them all. "Threaten me again and I will end you."
"You—" Inuyasha's feet touched the ground again. He pulled the Tessaiga out of the tree's bark. He nearly sent an attack at the woman. Only Miyuki's presence near her feet stopped him. "Hand over the girl—now."
"What you doing? Stop Yaya!" Miyuki's hands clutched the woman's leg. The woman growled, making Miyuki freeze. "No."
"Now." Miyuki sent Inuyasha a pleading look before sprinting towards Kagome and the others. The woman looked ready to protest.
"I want some answers, bitch." Inuyasha took a few steps closer. "Where's Naraku? What's he planning?"
"Even if I knew what you were talking about, I wouldn't answer." Her hands were that disturbingly dark red again. "Tell me: why does someone so stupid have Tessaiga?"
"Inuyasha, the shards are getting darker!" Kagome didn't know what was going on, but the increasingly dark Jewel shards weren't easing her worry. As the woman started to battle with Inuyasha, she kept her eyes on them.
"Miyuki, is that really your mother?" She was doubtful herself, but Miyuki seemed sure.
"Yes 'Ome!" Miyuki growled quietly. "Stop Yaya; he might hurt Mama!"
It's Inuyasha I'm worried about getting hurt, Kagome winced. Her hanyou was once again staving off a powerful attack made stronger by the Jewel shards.