A Feather Cage
by Zorknot
DISCLAIMER: The characters of Inuyasha were originally
conceived by Takahashi Rumiko.
WARNING:This takes place sometime after episode 66 of the anime. So
there are some spoilers. Also note that I'm basing this on the anime
and not the manga and that while I try to follow cannon, I may change
a few things for kicks. Feel free to flame me if this pisses you off.
This is just a small fic about one of my favorite Inuyasha characters.
I like it and I hope you will too.
~~~~~[BEGIN]~~~~~
Kagura stepped out into the courtyard of Naraku's castle. It was
night and the stars looked down on her in disdain. "You do not
belong among us," they sang in their dark perches, "You are an
abomination... a collection of parts given life through the hatred of
a weak human. The soul of that man still exists in the demon you
call master."
Naraku
She had her chance to escape him that night of the new moon, and
lost it. She barely got the chance to enjoy her freedom, and then it
was gone. Damn Seshoumaru, damn Kouga, damn Naraku...and
damn Kagura. This Kagura, so proud, so sure, so free... had
lowered herself to asking for the aid of the dog Sesshoumaru, and
the mutt told her to defeat her master herself! As if it was
something easy, as if she were stupid...as if she were afraid.
The agony of it is that she WAS afraid. She longed to free of
Naraku's limited vision, of his maddening, sickening one track
mind. But she had the same spider shaped scar on her back, and
she was not sure how else she might be connected. If she attacked
Naraku herself that night maybe she'd have been successful, or
maybe she would have died. Even that dark unknown was
something she would be willing to risk now. But to return to that
dreadful half existence inside Naraku's body, that endless string of
pain, hunger, and need among thousands of spirits all struggling
for dominion...
She had seen the inside of Hell and did not want to go back.
She took a white feather out from behind her ear. It was a simple,
ordinary-looking feather. It came from no bird. It was as much a
part of her as she is a part of Naraku, but she could lose the feather.
She could toss it to the winds and an errant traveler might pick it
up and think nothing of it. This Kagura would simply produce
another and life would progress.
Naraku could not produce another Kagura, and so she was stuck.
Naraku was strong even as he stagnated behind his barrier,
planning his next move. He would not free her, even if she became
unnecessary. He needed the control... he craved power. He took no
time to appreciate what existed in the world before he raped it,
consumed it, and immolated it in the fires of his being. And if she
ever became unnecessary he might do exactly that to her.
Kagura stroked the feather's soft surface with her hand, frowning.
There had to be a way out. Someway she could sneak past his
defenses, overcome his control...But she couldn't think of
anything. Her only hope rested with Inuyasha and his companions.
Those idiots...
She had found them humorous in the beginning. They seemed to
flail about like rats in a maze, going one way, then another as soon
as that way proved blocked. Not once did it ever seem they had
any idea of what was really going on, that at the center of the maze
lay death. She played handmaiden to the Minotaur out of
amusement, and at first it had been amusing...but then...
She met defeat at their hands far too often. Once or twice and it
could be coincidence or luck, but only a fool would believe that
luck alone got them as far as they have gotten. In her heart she
knew who would win in a battle between her and Inuyasha. She
would never openly admit it, but she knew. Kagura was a proud
demon, but lately she was beginning to see herself as one of the
rats...except she was trying to find a way out.
She threw the feather to the ground and it enlarged until she could
sit on it comfortably with room to spare. It rose into the air at her
command, and she luxuriated in the feel of the cool, crisp wind at
her face. She looked down at the towns with their meager torch
lights, their pathetic, fragile signs of life. She used to laugh at
them. She used to think of how with a simple action she could
blow those lights out, then she could kill each and every one of the
villagers, reanimate their bodies and use the undead army to
destroy village after village until all humans were mere puppets
under her control...
Now she couldn't laugh. Now she felt beaten down. Now the
flames seemed to beckon her..."Come down, feel our warmth. We
will give you shelter. We will give you strength. We forgive you.
Join us!" But of course she couldn't. Even if she wanted to, she
could not. Not as long as Naraku lived. Not as long as she
remained a prisoner.
Flying used to make her feel so powerful, so free. Now caught
between the strong, constant light of the heavens and the weak,
mercurial flames of the earth, she felt the cold metal bars of her
cage close in on her, pressing against her skin and squeezing...
Looking up at the stars, she realized she held no love for them
anymore. They had abandoned her. Or maybe she never really
belonged among them. She floated downward before she even
realized what she was doing. She landed in the center of a small
village, torches lighting the sign of a tavern. She stepped off the
feather and picked it up once it returned to normal size. She almost
put it back behind her ear but then reconsidered.
She stared at the ridges radiating out, at the fluff of down where
the stem met the blade. She could not be free, but she wants to
pretend. As long as she had this feather she could not do that. She
held it out at arms length. She took in a breath, and then let it go. It
curled and twisted away in the light evening wind. Turning back to
the tavern, she ripped a strip off her kimono and tied it around her
head to cover her pointy ears. Naraku would know what she was
doing. That backstabbing brat Kanna would see to that. But this
Kagura could just say she was gathering information, and in the
meantime, maybe she could forget for a moment...who she really
was.
Maybe... she could forget the stars existed.
~~~~~[END]~~~~~
AN: This was intended to be a one shot but I do have some rough ideas
for another chapter. I've already got like nine fics I'm working on
but who knows what might happen. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.
The only way I know how well I'm doing is by reviews so it'd be really
cool if you gave me one. Thanks for reading, and may your computer be
forever functional.
by Zorknot
DISCLAIMER: The characters of Inuyasha were originally
conceived by Takahashi Rumiko.
WARNING:This takes place sometime after episode 66 of the anime. So
there are some spoilers. Also note that I'm basing this on the anime
and not the manga and that while I try to follow cannon, I may change
a few things for kicks. Feel free to flame me if this pisses you off.
This is just a small fic about one of my favorite Inuyasha characters.
I like it and I hope you will too.
~~~~~[BEGIN]~~~~~
Kagura stepped out into the courtyard of Naraku's castle. It was
night and the stars looked down on her in disdain. "You do not
belong among us," they sang in their dark perches, "You are an
abomination... a collection of parts given life through the hatred of
a weak human. The soul of that man still exists in the demon you
call master."
Naraku
She had her chance to escape him that night of the new moon, and
lost it. She barely got the chance to enjoy her freedom, and then it
was gone. Damn Seshoumaru, damn Kouga, damn Naraku...and
damn Kagura. This Kagura, so proud, so sure, so free... had
lowered herself to asking for the aid of the dog Sesshoumaru, and
the mutt told her to defeat her master herself! As if it was
something easy, as if she were stupid...as if she were afraid.
The agony of it is that she WAS afraid. She longed to free of
Naraku's limited vision, of his maddening, sickening one track
mind. But she had the same spider shaped scar on her back, and
she was not sure how else she might be connected. If she attacked
Naraku herself that night maybe she'd have been successful, or
maybe she would have died. Even that dark unknown was
something she would be willing to risk now. But to return to that
dreadful half existence inside Naraku's body, that endless string of
pain, hunger, and need among thousands of spirits all struggling
for dominion...
She had seen the inside of Hell and did not want to go back.
She took a white feather out from behind her ear. It was a simple,
ordinary-looking feather. It came from no bird. It was as much a
part of her as she is a part of Naraku, but she could lose the feather.
She could toss it to the winds and an errant traveler might pick it
up and think nothing of it. This Kagura would simply produce
another and life would progress.
Naraku could not produce another Kagura, and so she was stuck.
Naraku was strong even as he stagnated behind his barrier,
planning his next move. He would not free her, even if she became
unnecessary. He needed the control... he craved power. He took no
time to appreciate what existed in the world before he raped it,
consumed it, and immolated it in the fires of his being. And if she
ever became unnecessary he might do exactly that to her.
Kagura stroked the feather's soft surface with her hand, frowning.
There had to be a way out. Someway she could sneak past his
defenses, overcome his control...But she couldn't think of
anything. Her only hope rested with Inuyasha and his companions.
Those idiots...
She had found them humorous in the beginning. They seemed to
flail about like rats in a maze, going one way, then another as soon
as that way proved blocked. Not once did it ever seem they had
any idea of what was really going on, that at the center of the maze
lay death. She played handmaiden to the Minotaur out of
amusement, and at first it had been amusing...but then...
She met defeat at their hands far too often. Once or twice and it
could be coincidence or luck, but only a fool would believe that
luck alone got them as far as they have gotten. In her heart she
knew who would win in a battle between her and Inuyasha. She
would never openly admit it, but she knew. Kagura was a proud
demon, but lately she was beginning to see herself as one of the
rats...except she was trying to find a way out.
She threw the feather to the ground and it enlarged until she could
sit on it comfortably with room to spare. It rose into the air at her
command, and she luxuriated in the feel of the cool, crisp wind at
her face. She looked down at the towns with their meager torch
lights, their pathetic, fragile signs of life. She used to laugh at
them. She used to think of how with a simple action she could
blow those lights out, then she could kill each and every one of the
villagers, reanimate their bodies and use the undead army to
destroy village after village until all humans were mere puppets
under her control...
Now she couldn't laugh. Now she felt beaten down. Now the
flames seemed to beckon her..."Come down, feel our warmth. We
will give you shelter. We will give you strength. We forgive you.
Join us!" But of course she couldn't. Even if she wanted to, she
could not. Not as long as Naraku lived. Not as long as she
remained a prisoner.
Flying used to make her feel so powerful, so free. Now caught
between the strong, constant light of the heavens and the weak,
mercurial flames of the earth, she felt the cold metal bars of her
cage close in on her, pressing against her skin and squeezing...
Looking up at the stars, she realized she held no love for them
anymore. They had abandoned her. Or maybe she never really
belonged among them. She floated downward before she even
realized what she was doing. She landed in the center of a small
village, torches lighting the sign of a tavern. She stepped off the
feather and picked it up once it returned to normal size. She almost
put it back behind her ear but then reconsidered.
She stared at the ridges radiating out, at the fluff of down where
the stem met the blade. She could not be free, but she wants to
pretend. As long as she had this feather she could not do that. She
held it out at arms length. She took in a breath, and then let it go. It
curled and twisted away in the light evening wind. Turning back to
the tavern, she ripped a strip off her kimono and tied it around her
head to cover her pointy ears. Naraku would know what she was
doing. That backstabbing brat Kanna would see to that. But this
Kagura could just say she was gathering information, and in the
meantime, maybe she could forget for a moment...who she really
was.
Maybe... she could forget the stars existed.
~~~~~[END]~~~~~
AN: This was intended to be a one shot but I do have some rough ideas
for another chapter. I've already got like nine fics I'm working on
but who knows what might happen. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.
The only way I know how well I'm doing is by reviews so it'd be really
cool if you gave me one. Thanks for reading, and may your computer be
forever functional.