Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Inuyasha, or really any other property. Thank you.

Being Alive

Chapter XVI: An Old Friend

Kohaku:

It was a weird new normal. It was liberating in some ways to not need to think about his old life. He scouted ahead for the one who saved him. Lord Sesshoumaru had never asked that of him, just as he didn't ask for him to now collect the catch for their food. The little frog-demon, Jaken, he could tell was more than irritated by him much of the time, but he was always sure to be respectful. The older, wiser traveling companion seemed to be threatened at times by he, he suspected. All the same, Kohaku was just doing what he could to repay a debt he could never fully give back.

He was alive, his prayers were answered. It was his second chance to live, and even though he'd not said anything to Lord Sesshoumaru yet, he'd given him his chance to get older and stronger to one day avenge his family and village. It was hard to not remind himself who'd betrayed them. The one who'd killed him had been his own sister. He didn't even have anything to remember them by, beyond his weapon. Everything they'd had was lost in the fire. Any token of their parents, or his childhood was nothing but ash, left in an open grave of what once had been his home.

All I have left is a weapon.

That, in and of itself, was a sad thought to have.

His arm grasped a nearby branch while pulling himself up the side of the tallest tree he could find, looking out for where they were going. He didn't have the sense of direction Sesshoumaru did, he didn't have that kind of sense. But he could see in the distance the signs of smoke. There were two fires going, likely encampments. One was larger than the other, so he was assuming that was a larger group. They were perhaps half a day's walk away, and the smaller camp was perhaps the same.

He knew they would be aiming to reach the smaller camp, as Lord Sesshoumaru was seeking out his brother, Inuyasha. He knew very little as to why, beyond what they'd described as the fang. It was an artifact, he was guessing, and the brief way it was spoken, he knew it was a sword perhaps? He didn't know the significance of it, but he knew his lord wanted it. If he wanted it, he would do whatever was necessary to gather it for him, at his command of course.

Though how to gain access to a sword through the eye of an unwitting half-demon, was not exactly a question he was going to be able to answer, but his lord seemed to know. He'd never completed his training. He'd been too young. He still was too young.

Scaling down from his post above, hopping down between branches, he landed, carefully dusting his tunic and pants off as he just sighed. Clothes were going to become an issue soon, given he'd stolen these from the last village they'd been near, but he had already torn them, and they didn't have the means of repairing them. Hopefully another settlement was something he could slip around to on their way.

His landing was timed perfectly, seemingly however, as he turned to look at his lord, and Jaken.

"They are half a day's journey out, it looks like they've posted camp for the evening," he reported. "We've kept our distance for days now however my Lord. We could have overtaken them by now, if you had chosen."

"A battle now would not serve us," he replied. "Inuyasha is a half-demon, but he possesses the blood of a demon-lord. He is not so easily overcome. If he were alone, I would certainly have already intervened. His traveling companion is very powerful as well, which is another concern."

Nodding, Kohaku instinctively began to look around their immediate space in the forest as to where to pitch camp.

"We will need to wait until the end of the Lunar Cycle, before our hunt can be completed, or until one of them breaks away," he spoke simply and calmly. "Once that occurs, it will fall to you and Jaken, to acquire the artifact from my brother's eye."

He felt his face contort with surprise as he heard Sesshoumaru's plan.

"You honour me, Lord Sesshoumaru, I will not fail you," Jaken immediately announced. "Your trust is the greatest reward for your service."

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru," Kohaku himself added, nodding as he did.

It took a few minutes to assemble the basics of camp, the two demons he travelled with making arrangements for themselves, sitting where they thought was best. He noted that they'd pitched camp more often now, likely to keep in step with their prey. If they became too close, it would only lead to problems, a confrontation which clearly his master did not wish to have, would be sparked.

Sitting himself once he'd managed to get the fire going, he felt himself just sigh before prodding at it several times with a stick, which he then threw into the flames itself. He could relax now, perhaps for the rest of the night.

"Tell me, boy," Jaken spoke up, leading to Kohaku tracing his gaze to the frog-demon, which he knew likely held him in some contempt. "Why is it you are so devoted to Lord Sesshoumaru? Surely it cannot be that he simply saved your life. Your service has been so dedicated."

Reluctant. That was the word he'd use to describe him even speaking about any of this.

"I don't know," he answered lamely, clearly not wanting to divulge the story to the demon. "Why do you follow Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"But you must know, to have offered such dedication," the tiny demon followed up. "Lord Sesshoumaru himself deserves an answer! I follow in the wake of his greatness because I, a demon, can fully understand his immense power and mastery-"

"Jaken," the larger demon commented. "That is enough."

The tiny demon seemed to sigh, appearing deflated as he rested his staff against his shoulder and sat back against a log.

"As you wish, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Looking towards the other demon, the one who'd saved him, Kohaku just remained quiet. He only acknowledged him at the most important times, even if he intervened seemingly on his behalf. He'd learned that the Lord was distant at almost all times, remaining isolated from even Jaken for the most part. He didn't understand it himself, though he didn't have to. There was a real fear that he felt even speaking about it. This was his new life, and the only holdover he felt from his old life was… revenge. He wanted to kill the person who took everything away from everyone he loved.

"I follow Lord Sesshoumaru, because he answered my last wishes, and I swore that I would give everything to the person who gave me a chance to live," he said, his voice staying steady, but trembling ever so slightly near the end. "And to give me the chance to one day kill the one who took everything from me."

The tiny demon's eyes peaked over to him, looking surprised before looking over at their mutual master. Sesshoumaru himself didn't look at him at all, simply regarding the flames before his eyes looked briefly over to him.

"And what if I were to tell you, that you could not have your revenge, would your loyalty be fleeting, to follow your own path?" he asked, his tone as stiff and cold as Kohaku had expected.

That had been a question he'd not expected, and one which he'd not wanted to answer. But he knew from his father being the chief of their village, and he knew from when he met with lords that they had worked with, how loyalty and power worked. He had sworn felty to Lord Sesshoumaru, his own desires and wants came second, no matter what.

"I am sworn to you, I have pledged my life to your service," Kohaku answered. "My own wants come second."

The demon looked back towards the fire, seemingly satisfied by his answer as Kohaku felt that perhaps he'd not get the opportunity for his revenge.

"Someone killed you, then?" Jaken asked. "That is how you came to be in the forest? I had thought it wolves?"

So, they had gotten him. He'd thought so. The thought of being torn up by them, ripping at his flesh as he lay dying, or was already dead, had been deeply unsettling to him. It still was.

"Yes," he answered, his own tone as stiff as Sesshoumaru's as he looked up at Jaken. "My family… my village, my home. They're all gone. I know the person who did it. She… she killed me."

It was choked when he admitted it. The dark secret was released without saying who it was.

"You come from the demon-slayers, even if your training is incomplete you appear to have some of their skills," Sesshoumaru commented out of hand. "So, your people were destroyed?"

Wait, what?

He'd never mentioned where he'd come from. Had he known the entire time? How did he know? Had his people met with this creature before? His father had never mentioned it. Or was it long ago, even before his own father's birth? Sesshoumaru appeared as a young man, but he knew he could be hundreds, if not thousands of years old.

His answered didn't immediately come, and he noticed that the dog-demon was staring at him seriously still.

"Yes," he finally found his voice. "They're all gone."

"A powerful demon would have had to have overwhelmed them," Jaken spoke up. "Surely Lord Sesshoumaru could have done such a feat, but few demons could fight against the entire-"

"It wasn't a demon," he was quick to said, his tone angry. "At least… it wasn't a demon who did most of it. One of our own betrayed us. She opened the gates, and helped them butcher us. They killed everyone, my friends, my father. They're all gone because of her."

He didn't realize if he was crying or not as he spoke, but he could hear the tremble in his voice. It was shameful to become this emotional as he spoke, but as it came up, even the fire he'd built felt all too real, a reminder of the funeral pyre of everyone he knew. This was the first time he'd said anything about it since the night it happened, and it hurt.

"Who?" Jaken asked. "Was she a powerful warrior then?"

"She was the best of us, I always looked up to her," he managed. "She was gifted at everything she ever did. She was so good that my father gifted her with one of the greatest weapons in our village. She… helped raise me, I never knew my mother. But she… she…"

Realizing what he was doing, he stopped, sniffling to himself as he looked down. He cleared his throat several times as he contained it. All the pain needed to be pushed down. He rubbed his eyes with his arm as he held back tears.

"This person who betrayed you," Sesshoumaru remarked. "She seemingly helped raise you. You would consider her betrayal an act that you cannot forgive?"

"Yes," he managed. "I couldn't stop her. She killed me. I'll never forgive her for as long as I live. One day, when I'm strong enough, I want to be the one who brings her punishment down on her."

Resolve, that was what had pulled him from the depths of his sadness to where he was now. Even at 10 years old, he understood what needed to be done. He understood oaths, honour, and revenge.

"And who was this person?"

Yea, who was she? He knew better than anyone. Now, better than anyone alive he knew. They were the last remnants of their people, and if he had his way, one of them would die. Only one of them would survive. There would be only one member remaining by the end of it. A rogue tear began forming on his eye as his anger largely kept his sorrow in place.

Father, everyone, I'll avenge you, I swear it. If I am allowed, I will kill her for this.

"Sango," he responded, feeling a single tear shed down the side of his cheek despite his best efforts. "My… my sister, Sango."

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Naraku:

He'd let his puppet play out of its strings long enough. Kagura and Yudarin were both important pieces of the puzzles he'd built. With Yudarin killed, that complicated things. He'd felt her heart wither and die after her body had expired. Whatever possessed the power to not only kill his detachment, but kill their heart from afar, must have been impressed. However, more interesting to him was the fact that Kagura's heart hadn't stopped beating.

He watched, even after his insects had been forced to withdraw. He knew her body had been moved, and he knew she'd not died, even if her form was in duress. He'd expected to sense movement, or for her to become visible to his other senses prior. But as the night had pressed on, Naraku had realized that Kagura was spared by Sesshoumaru. That was much more interesting than originally thought. He'd let the puppet play on the end of her string once he'd realized it, though he'd not realized he'd learn much more than the fact that Sesshoumaru had spared his incarnation.

It'd been almost two weeks since the incident, and twelve days since Kagura's return. She'd been injured in her scuffle with the dog-demon, despite being spared. What was surprising to him was these wounds should have healed for her on his command, or even on their own, within a few minutes, to at most a few hours. Instead, it'd taken an extremely protracted period to heal. To ensure there wasn't any kind of trap, he'd confined her to a space beneath the fort he was using as one of his many hideaways.

The only ones here were himself, and Kanna. Shorin and Chiyaku were at the castle, preparing what they'd been working on, on his behalf, for some time. With one of the incarnations, one of the five elements, destroyed, Naraku had already been taking into account other necessary plans to sustain his growth in power and plans.

Sesshoumaru would not find him so easily overwhelmed.

The small girl with a mirror walked up next to him, looking at him to guide her with purpose. The eldest daughter he had made, creating her after Chiyaku in order to be his most valuable incarnation. Much hinged on Kanna's abilities, and her loyalty.

"Kagura's body has not fully healed," she murmured.

Fascinating.

It'd been three days since he'd last checked on his incarnation, who was increasingly frustrated over her current state of being, not that he cared about whether she was placated or not. After her failure to kill the monk Miroku, and her failure to kill Sesshoumaru, or return with her still living sister, he now saw the Wind Sorceress ins some respects as a failure. But it was an important failure, which he was learning a great deal from, it would seem.

She would have her uses, but like the others, she was a mere tool. The fact that Sesshoumaru seemed unwilling to kill her, was her most valuable asset now.

Walking through the darkened hallway, Naraku pushed aside the barrier that had locked Kagura into the confines of a room. There was no bed, or furnishings required as far as he was concerned as he'd left the demon in quarantine, just in case. This was the first time he'd arrived in person, to see what Kanna had been talking about. The still bloody kimono was around her form, and he could see her in the corner. It wasn't from being cold, he knew that much.

His incarnations were predictable. She'd wanted to avoid being seen as weak, for fear that she would be recycled. Her body not healing as it was supposed to was an indicator that something was wrong with her.

Taking several steps into the room, Naraku gestured for Kanna to leave his side. The demon did without question, stepping back and moving away.

"Kagura," he said, his tone impassive. "I have given you much opportunity to return to your original form, yet you resist…"

"I'm not resisting," she answered, her eye looking up from her sleeve as she remained in isolation, her tone strained, clearly from fear of accusation. "They won't go away."

"Get up," he ordered.

The response was for her to remain silent, and unmoving. Her fear was governing her senses more than anything, he knew.

"I will not repeat myself, Kagura," he ordered.

A resentful stare came back at him, and in turn, he formed the essence of her heart in his hand. A surprised, almost panicked look came over her as she started to rise, even if slowly.

"Alright, don't-" she urged, though he was uninterested in her compliance now. "I'll-… uh…"

Falling back to her knees, the other demon struggled, clutching her chest as she tried to keep her composure, and failed. A pained expression replaced her scared one, or at the very least deeply intermingled with it. Despite this incarnation being objectively his tool, much the same as anyone, Naraku enjoyed watching the hopelessness in the eyes of others as he remained above them.

"Never forget, Kagura, that I am the one who gives commands," he said.

"Y-yes, s-stop… stop," she urged. "I'll do as I'm told."

Another lie, but perhaps laced with more truth in it.

Relaxing his grip, but leaving the orb in his hand, she finally breathed easily, her head falling to one side as she tried to regain herself. One hand went to the wall as she tried to keep herself on her knees and upright, rather than falling to her side. He was not interested in waiting much longer, but was not so stupid as to punish her further for needing a moment to collect herself.

It took almost two minutes, but she managed to pull herself up, but still did not approach him.

"Kagura," He said warningly. "Come here."

"It's not a problem. My body has healed," she lied, trying to make excuses.

He glared at her, pressing his thumb against the heart, just enough to remind her. A small joint of fear overwhelmed her other sense of dread as she cautiously started to move forward, her gait did not seem impacted anymore. Her lack of struggle to walk or move was an improvement. It wasn't carefully coordinated enough to hide pain. When she stopped in front of him, he could see a frustrated demon, trying to evade the inevitable.

Perhaps Kagura should be recycled into my body, if such a defect exists.

"Show me," he ordered.

"No," she was quick to answer. "I told you, it's fine. I'm no longer impacted by it. I can move without a problem."

His patience with her repeated defiance, had met its end. Grabbing her by the front of her bloodied kimono, he shoved the sleeve down on one side, before pulling the other down. His motion was hard, jerking her entire body to one side, before the other. She was smart enough to know not to fight back, if only because he saw her eyes look towards the heart's essence beating in his hand.

Yes, it had indeed not healed properly. In fact, he would go as far as to say that it had scarred his incarnation, the memory left behind by the toxic poison used on whatever had attacked her was severe enough that three claw marks on a mild angle, having cut on a slant just upwards, across her abdomen, remained. The straight, but slightly jagged lines marked flesh which should have healed in their entirety. The nature of such a power might even be a threat to himself, were it intense enough.

So, Lord Sesshoumaru, you are as much a threat as I imagined.

"See?" she responded, her tone trying to conceal her fear with her anger at being manhandled. "It's fine, you're overreacting."

When he shot a glare straight back at her, their mutually red eyes meeting, it silenced her immediately. The demoness reached up her arms, covering her breasts for her own modesty, which he barely understood, if only because he'd made her, he knew exactly what she looked like and didn't care in the slightest. It was just an instinctive reaction, as far as he could tell.

The irritation around the wounds was largely gone, he reached out, tracing over the scar. The skin was almost as smooth as it had been before, though the darkened marks were dark enough in their colouration they almost matched the spider's mark they all possessed.

Her body flinched away at his touch, but again, she was wise enough not to step back.

"Your body has been damaged," he observed bluntly. "A wound that healed in this way is not what you were designed to do."

"It's healed," she repeated. "The scars aren't an issue."

"Your wounds bled for almost two weeks," he remarked. "I know you did. You are meant to be what I created. This marking shows that is no longer the case, Sesshoumaru's attack inflicted enough damage to leave its memory on your body, even after having healed. If I punched a hole in your stomach right now, these would reappear even after you regenerated."

Her eyes widened at the implication. A defensive posture came up immediately.

"So what?" she responded. "I'm not damaged anymore. I can fight just as I could before. My powers aren't diminished, it's just a stupid mark."

Claws hanging by monstrous spider legs emerged from his back as Naraku looked directly at her. The wind sorceress stumbled back, knowing what the implication was.

"No, please, wait," she urged. "I'll… I'll heal, you just need to give it time. It's the poison."

That was apart of Sesshoumaru's arsenal, wasn't it? The younger Sesshoumaru's toxins were perhaps weaker, or were mitigated by other factors in their versatility at the moment. Still, he was very much certain he could devour Kagura, and create a replacement. The question was, how much more value could he receive from her if she was alive? A smile came over his face as he took a step forward.

"You will return to my body, Kagura," he informed her.

Now the panic set in as she dropped to her knees, knowing that escape wouldn't work. One of her hands came up, desperately pointing at him, trembling even.

"I can still be of use!" she urged. "I'll… I'll do whatever you want. Please, anything. I… I can help kill Sesshoumaru, I know his weaknesses now! I-"

"You have already failed to kill him, Kagura. You even allowed your sister to be killed by him. Why should I allow you to live?" he asked, knowingly prodding more information from her, hoping to confirm and clarify what he knew.

The wheels were turning behind her eyes as she weighed what the cost of her self preservation was. He knew the look on her face and what it meant. She'd gone pale from fear, blood draining from her skin as she tried to think of a way out of her situation. The rebellious detachments he'd created always amused him when they desperately struggled to continue to exist. They feared rejoining him so much they would do anything to avoid the fate. Kagura, however, appeared to enjoy her freedom most of all.

"H-he won't kill me," she assured him. "He spared me at the village. He's from another time. I… I think he knew me where ever he's from. He… He might not kill me! I can kill him for you I swear!"

Just as I suspected.

Or at least, that he suspected more recently, since her return and Yudarin's lack of a return.

Taking another step forward, he wanted to see what else would shake loose. The terror in the air was something he could almost drink it was so lovely.

"I'll… I'll lure him into a trap. I can-"

A claw came crashing down next to her, she almost leaped out of her skin as she pulled away from it.

"How is it, that you came to find this out, Kagura? Don't tell me you've been keeping secrets from me?"

"It… it won't happen again," she assured him. "I'll not keep any secrets from you, none, not anymore. He spoke to me the morning after the battle. I put together most of it myself. I didn't know it would be an issue, it didn't seem important, I swear-"

"What else did you learn, Kagura? Answer now… or I can simply take it from you when you are brought back into me."

Defeat. That was what he saw as she lowered her head.

"I don't… I don't know all of it," she managed. "I know that where ever he's from, I… I died. And I know that you died."

Confirming his theories already after the vision he had of the life of his adversary. A dark smile crossed his lips. The scene he'd seen in the meadow. That had not been after a battle, at least not against one another. That was her death, and it clearly left an impact on the dog-demon. If he wasn't willing to kill her, he wondered what other plots he could utilize this asset for? Though the confirmation of his own death was unfortunate… it simply meant he had the power to change it.

Destiny was his to mold. His hands would work it, as if it were clay, until it formed into what he desired it to be.

His other claw came down on the other side of her, before he lowered his face to hers, seeing the tremble as she expected the worst.

"Kagura," he said, almost gently in his tone as he felt his smile emerge on his lips. "I will allow you to continue in your current form. It pleases me to know that you understand your situation. You can stay outside of my body for a while longer."

The figure seemed to just shrink in front of him, he was sure it was relief, though the anxiety he'd seen was still visibly emanating off of her form as she was too scared to even look at him.

"Get cleaned up, and find a clean kimono," he ordered as she started to pull her sleeves up once more, beginning to protect her modesty once again. "I will find something for you to do to make up for your failings, Kagura. But make no mistake, I will not tolerate any betrayal. Am I understood, Kagura?"

"Yes," she answered quietly. "I understand."

Very good.

Pulling back, his arms sucked back into his body before he simply turned himself away, walking towards the exit. He also felt the need to remind her of his displeasure, at having allowed herself to be marred, as well as defeated.

"And Kagura? Your new form, your marks, will always show you for being disgraceful. I hope they serve you as a reminder, and consider them a promise. You are a broken toy. Never forget this. Be useful, or be done away with."

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Sesshoumaru the Younger:

"My… my sister, Sango."

It was odd. When Kohaku mentioned the source of his death, he might have been able to understand him, even as a human. These creatures with their short-lives could not digest reality as they needed to. But this human child perhaps saw into a window that few ever would. The injustice of betrayal so profound it was a scar on the soul itself. His own father's betrayal had not been as violent, but it had left their scars on him. His own disdain for his brother, Inuyasha, and his other self, were just as realized.

Revenge, and setting right disgrace and dishonour, were noble goals, even for one such as this human boy.

Jaken's own response had been one of being stunned.

"Your… your own sister?" he heard the demon say in near complete disbelief.

The boy didn't respond, clearly wounded badly by the events.

"The betrayal of blood, is the ultimate betrayal," Sesshoumaru remarked, causing the boy to look up towards him, stunned that he'd responded even. "When the time comes, I will grant you the opportunity for your revenge, Kohaku."

Gratitude resonated from the young man as if he'd become a star in the night before he stepped off his seat, bowing in appreciation to his offering. He would have a chance to see his revenge, perhaps not. But invariably, the boy would be given the opportunity, should he come of age and be prepared to take such an action. It wasn't up to Sesshoumaru to help him, however. He could only offer him the opportunity to leave his service and acquire for himself, what he desired. He would be the last one to hold someone back from a rivalry of blood with their sibling.

The boy's services, though helpful at times, were also not vital to his lifestyle or his own goals. Allowing him to do whatever he wanted, was really not outside of his own interests, but he would still give his permission on the issue. Though he doubted very much that would be something he would offer until after he had acquired the Tessaiga from his little brother.

Perhaps he would even see his sibling dead first as well. Killing Inuyasha was not on his highest priority list, though it was there. Killing his double was much more interesting to him. Once he had the sword which could slay 100 demons in a single strike, he would utilize its power to undo the humiliation he faced at his other self's hands.

Once that was set right, he would allow this human to do as he pleased. For now, he could see value in his presence. The other Sesshoumaru already had another follower, a human of his own, they'd smelled them on the wind. Jaken would be able to deal with Inuyasha, once the new moon arrived.

Then father, I will claim the fang you should have rightfully left to me. It will not be left to some half-demon bastard. My older self will not deny me what is rightfully mine.

Once the Tessaiga was his as well, there would be the advantage of being on equal footing with his other self. For now, he needed to walk the path of caution. If he were impatient or rash, he would bring only his own destruction. It was very likely his other self was aware of his presence, even, but was seeking to avoid immediately conflict so long as he kept a reasonable distance. He was far away enough to prevent his other self from engaging in a chase after him, were he so dedicated to the idea.

When the boy tilted upwards from his bow of appreciation, he simply sat back where he'd stationed himself before, though he was still trying to collect himself.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, you are most generous offering to allow this boy to acquire his revenge when he is of age," Jaken remarked. "Clearly such an act is in need of being addressed by the wronged party. Though… erhhh… I was curious. If she killed him before, would she not simply kill him again? Even with the passage of age, and a righteous cause at his side…"

The fact his companion was showing any compassion for the human at all showed the value of his vassal. Though it would be fair to see even Kohaku seemed surprised by the concern. Sesshoumaru himself hadn't expressed any thoughts or concerns as to his fate while attempting to acquire his revenge, in due time.

"Jaken, are you saying that you are concerned for the fate of this boy?"

A surprised demon stuttered for several moments before Jaken responded.

"O-of course not! I would never demonstrate anything close to affection to a human. I was only making a logical conclusion as to the outcome of his quest!"

"I would find it highly unlikely that the outcomes will be the same with the passage of time," Sesshoumaru remarked bluntly. "Kohaku is currently not an adult, or close to one. With the passage of only a few years, his speed, strength, and endurance will increase with the onset of a transformation humans go through as they age between those stages of their lives. Whatever the outcome, it will be different than before on that basis alone."

"I see," Jaken responded before looking back at Kohaku. "If you kill this murderous woman…"

"I will return to spend my remaining days following the commands of Lord Sesshoumaru," Kohaku was quick to respond. "As I have sworn myself to do."

The trait of loyalty, was the only one he now found himself appreciating in the human condition. Most certainly not all humans possessed it, though he could almost forgive his father some of his lesser sins for having found it endearing.

It didn't seem worth making further comment. Silence prevailed over the cadre that followed him most days or nights, though even now as evening drew on, he took a brief moment to examine his surroundings in greater detail. The sky was without a cloud in it, the moon was half full, and the air carried the scents of his prey. But there was another now nearby.

A demon? No… another, a spirit of some sort?

It became obvious to the others as his eyes darted around this primitive camp, that he was investigating a presence. Kohaku grabbed his weapon slowly and began listening as well. Jaken seemed to grab his staff, though seemed less prepared and more worried than anything. Whatever demon was foolish enough to come to his camp, he would be certain to dispatch them without much fanfare.

Though when his eyes darted to a small figure emerging from the woods, he let his guard drop, if only slightly.

"Meow."

The tiny creature sounded and he understood its submissive nature. If it could be considered a demon at all, considering he thought it to perhaps be a nekomata. When he saw the twinned tails, it confirmed it.

It was a shocked and surprised Kohaku, that surprised him most, almost jumping from his position to turn around, weapon in hand as he saw what Sesshoumaru knew immediately was a familiar face.

"Kirara?" he asked, his voice sounding almost distant. "Kirara… is… is that you?"

"Meow."

Dropping the blade and chain, the boy immediately ran over to what must have been something important from his past. The boy tackled into the small feline, pulling it into his arms as he heard him give a noise of relief and joy at the sight of it. Lowering his guard entirely as a response, Sesshoumaru simply turned his attention back to the fire.

"Milord, do you think Kohaku knows that wretched cat?"

"The implication is there," he responded, before looking over at the reunion, if only briefly.

A small moment of summer entered the winter that was his soul, and for a brief second, he really did feel happy for the boy. This creature, demon, spirit, or otherwise, had clearly been apart of his life prior to his life following him, and so long as it caused no trouble, as he suspected it probably wouldn't, he saw now reason to harass it.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, uhhhh… please have mercy, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

He looked over at the small demon, who flinched in terror.

"When you smile, you are far more terrifying Lord Sesshoumaru, whatever I've done to incur such a thing, please be lenient."

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Kagura:

It was impossible not to look in the mirror at it as she pulled herself from the bath she'd not enjoyed. Getting all the blood and grime off her person was only a small relief as she saw the imperfection, the marring, that her body seemed incapable of recovering fully from. It was the sense that something was wrong with her, that bothered her as much as the three scars on her abdomen. The line on her left leg, from where the whip had landed, was also of note. It didn't hurt anymore, that much was true, but it wasn't the problem.

It exposed her as being weak as well. Naraku's threats weren't idle towards her, if he hadn't believed what she'd told him, she'd have already been… digested back into his form. All she could do now was buy time. But to what end? How long could she buy time for? She needed a way out. There was zero hope finding her heart. Where ever Naraku was keeping it, even perhaps still inside one of his own pieces, she had no way of knowing, or sensing the difference in essence to find it.

I won't be left to die like this.

Her fingers moved over the exposed skin, it still tingled differently than her other skin, and she hated that. Grabbing her new kimono, she began slipping on the attire. Fastening her sash by the end of it, she reached out, her hand clasping her fan. The outer structure had been restored, she'd used what demonic energies she could to bring the item in-tune with her, restoring the decaying fabric and dried wood. The blood soaked fabric however, didn't change its colours. A fan that had been once white, with stripes of red in it, was now mostly red, with a few stripes of white.

It was a strange thing to hold onto, for a few reasons. She was clasping onto the item of a dead woman, even if it was herself. That was the strangest part of all. It was a gift from the creature which had endangered her life by using poison claws so strong that she'd been left permanently scarred by him. It was strange, to both revile someone, and slowly form some kind of pity for them.

Self-interest and survival were at the top of Kagura's priorities, and even though that fool had jeopardized both of those things, just having this fan was such an… awkward… uncomfortable thing. She didn't want it, yet she felt like she couldn't replace it. What kind of life did the person who carried the fan live? Was she really her? Who was this person, this Kagura? The worst part was even realizing the reason why she'd been spared.

It was the sign of a sad person, who held such an item for that long. Someone unbound by their past, someone not left trapped in it, wouldn't have carried a burden with them into their present or future, as the dog-demon had. Perhaps killing him for Naraku was in fact, her best way to survive, perhaps it would even do him a favour, if this was the lonely existence he seemingly came from.

Looking at the fan for a moment, she looked back up at the mirror one last time, preparing to go about her new assignment, or rather, preparing to leave to find out what her new assignment was.

Instead, she was greeted with a pair of ruby eyes that were so much like her own. There was a contempt in them that seemed directed at her as she felt herself pause. Was it a reflection, or was it something else? Looking back at the fan in her hand, she looked back up at the mirror, noting her eyes adjusting back to what she'd expect. The eyes filled with anger and tinged with self-pity.

Walking out, her bare feet pressing against the solid wood of the flooring, she moved down the halls of the small manor which Naraku persisted in still since her incarceration. Emerging from the shadows, she stepped into his presence, noting it was him, rather than a puppet. Any sign of Kanna seemed gone, leaving just herself in his presence.

"Naraku," she greeted, her tone formal as she remained at a distance.

"Kagura," he responded, his face only illuminated by the half moon hanging in the skies.

Honestly, she wished she were in the skies tonight, floating on the wind, reaching into the air to see the moon itself up close. The idea was thrilling, reaching for the stars on the edge of the wind. But it faded from her mind as soon as it arrived, if only because of her creator turning his full attention to her.

"Shorin and Chiyaku's mission nears is completion," he commented. "With Yudarin dead, that leaves you as my only vessel to exercise my dominion," he spoke bluntly. "You will bring me the Oni, Urasue."

That name barely registered to Kagura. The fact it was an ogre registered more than anything else.

"Forgive me, but I do not know who that is," she remarked, her tone as neutral as it could be.

"Urasue is an ogre and witch, known for her powers of necromancy. I have a project which I wish to use her in. Bring her to me, alive, either by negotiation or otherwise."

A look crossed Kagura's face before she looked at the night's sky once more, before turning her attention back to Naraku.

"Is there anything I should know beyond this? Do you know what she looks like? Where is she?"

Images flashed in front of her mind, forced into the outer layer of her thoughts as Kagura almost lost her balance. Her face twisted with pain and irritation of how little respect Naraku had for her to imprint these things so directly.

An old woman, or she appeared as an old woman, her demonic traits were more obvious upon closer inspection. She lived near a set of marshes several days travel to the north, by flight. She knew exactly what she needed to know. This ogre was a powerful sorceress, specializing in necromancy… something Kagura herself had an affinity for herself.

Which is one reason why he's sending me.

"What do you want from her?" Kagura asked.

"That is for me to know, Kagura," Naraku said coolly.

"Well it's going to help the negotiations if I have an idea. If it's just come with me or die, I think you might as well have me go there and fight her, and drag her back here against her will no matter what," she responded coldly, her fan clipping together, and unfolding as she spoke, her irritation leading to her fidgeting with it.

The other demon remained oddly silent, before he looked over at her with a growing smile.

"Very well, Kagura," he said. "I require her services to not only animate a corpse, but to restore a soul to my possession. In return for her services, I will offer her the use of what Chiyaku and Shorin are collaborating on. Kanna has gone to help them with the last steps."

"Well, what is their secret project then?" Kagura asked, sounding less than amused.

"The Kiln of Souls," Naraku said. "I will grant her the power to restore anyone she wishes, to the living."

The Kiln of Souls? What the Hell is this?

Whatever it was, even Kagura knew it sounded less than good. Allowing Naraku to complete such a thing even sounded like it would send her on the pathway to her own… her own continued servitude.

But I have no choice.

Defying him now would be nothing short of suicide. If she could just figure out how to make this work for herself, to her won advantage…

"Now go, Kagura," Naraku ordered. "Take to the skies, and bring me the Ogre, Urasue."

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Author's Notes:

I think this is up to standard. I've sat on this one for a while. Work's been incredibly busy, my other stories also haven't been updated. Now unfortunately, it appears that I might have some more stress related things which still slow releases, but I tend to want to try and get things out as I find the time to do them.

I really enjoyed writing this chapter back in the Summer. It's not easy to write because Kagura's character is pretty desperate, which is genuinely sad, though to be fair she was in dire straights most of the show and Manga.

I also liked the Younger Sesshoumaru's role, and even if Kohaku's storyline is tragic, I actually really appreciate the inversion of it to be honest.

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed!, and apologies to everyone for not getting this out sooner. My life's just a bit of a trainwreck atm, lol.

Saphira404, Alice-0199, killersupergirl, Kiwiwitch, Haiquye, and Silas.