The Hunter and the Prey
Chapter 6: Plans and Fluffy moments
Author: Gryphnwng
Rating: er…PG-13?
Disclaimer: I don't, and have never owned Inuyasha. Though I wouldn't mind doing so!!
To everyone who reviewed when the chapter got messed up: Um yeah….heh heh heh. Oops? I fixed it though!!!! Took long enough . Sooooo annoying. Ah yes…any who, sorry 'bout the lateness of this chapter, but I kinda got stuck. I ended up trashing this chapter 3 times, and I still don't think it's good, but…oh well. I was being threatened by both muses and beta's to hurry up and update, so I am. OI. I do hope yall enjoy though ^^
Chapter 6
Bright light and the cheerful sounds of chirping birds could possible be what awoke Kagome the next day. Or it could have been the tortured screams of a certain toad demon. Well, whichever it was, Kagome groaned, alternately cursing the bright sunlight seeping through her windows, and the loud screaming seeping through her door. Blearily blinking her eyes, she sat up in bed and stayed that way, thinking over the past nights events. ~Ug. Day starts too early. Wanna go back to sleep, but we have to be ready.~ Rising from the bed, she slowly padded to the window, watching as Rin and Shippou chased Jaken around the garden. ~Must be nice to have so much energy. I wonder if Sess is up yet?~ Stretching her still sore muscles, she went about getting prepared for the morning.
Sesshoumaru, Sango and Miroku looked up as Kagome finally made her appearance to the dining hall. Smiling sheepishly, she took her place to Sesshoumaru's left, and glanced around.
"So how long did I oversleep?"
"Not so very long, Lady Kagome. Sango and I have only been up for a few hours ourselves." Miroku replied, serving himself some more tea.
"That's good, I did not want to waste the entire day away. We really should be making a plan, or something…" Kagome trailed off, not really sure how to proceed. She looked around to the others, who seemed to be thinking as well. Sesshoumaru spoke up, his smooth voice seeming to fill the entire hall, though he spoke quietly.
"All we need to do is have someone distract Inuyasha while the main force is concentrated on Kikiyo. I will take care of my half-brother. The rest of you will take the undead miko. Kagome, you will use your own miko powers to counter hers, you are as strong, if not stronger, then she is. Sango and Miroku will distract her physically while you work. It should be quite simple for me to keep Inuyasha occupied, as he is not as strong without fathers fang."
The others nodded, deciding that that should be a good plan, after tweaking a few spots. The children would stay behind with Jaken at the castle, where they would be safe.
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The rest of the day was spent in training, meditation, or merely in conversation, depending on what the party in question was want to do. Sango was in the gardens again, keeping an eye on Shippou and Rin. She mused to herself as she sat in a puddle of sunlight on how well the two got along. They almost could have been siblings for the way they treated each other. She sighed, her mood turning melancholy as she thought of her own brother, Kohaku. She drew one leg up, wrapping her arms around her leg and resting her chin on her knee. ~Oh Kohaku, I miss you so much… I promise, I will avenge you and our family, and free you.~ She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she missed the presence of Miroku as he came up behind her, and touched her shoulder. Sango jumped, shocked out of her train of thought by the soft touch on her shoulder. She whirled around but relaxed when she saw it was Miroku. He smiled softly and released her shoulder, sitting beside her.
"Are you thinking about your own family again, dear Sango?" Carefully he drew her chin towards him with soft fingers so that she was looking directly in his eyes. "I promise you, we will get Naraku Sango, please believe me when I say this." Unable to look away, she was drawn into his blue eyes, and saw the sincerity there. She offered a tremulous smile in returns and a soft "Hai.". He let his fingers linger on her cheek a moment, before slowly drawing them down her soft cheek and away. Both their cheeks were graced with a light flush. Miroku swallowed quickly and look away to where Rin and Shippou were at play. Sango looked away as well, one hand unconsciously rising to her cheek where Miroku's touch had lingered. They afternoon sunlight played over them both, bathing them in an ethereal light.
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Jaken trembled. He did not know how much more of this he could take. Vaguely, he wondered if his master had been possessed. Never before were humans allowed in the keep, or children for that matter. Now, everything had changed! Brats running everywhere, getting underfoot, torturing him even! And the humans were not much better, getting their stink into everything. At this rate, it would pervade everything and never go away! He sighed, his head in his hands as he crouched in a dark closet. He could only hope those brats wouldn't find him this time, and fulfill their promise of…gasp! Horror of horrors! Dress-up. He shuddered. What fascination Rin had with Lord Sesshoumaru's clothes, he couldn't guess. But it couldn't be healthy. Especially for him!
Rin followed behind Shippou, who was currently sniffing out Jaken latest hideout. Unknown to Jaken, the duo had been using him in their latest game; Hide-And-Seek. He paused by a small closet, and nodded to it. Rin grinned, stuffing her hands over her mouth to keep from giggling. Shippou held up three fingers, and slowly put each down, one at a time. When they were all gone, they pounced on the door, pulling it open and grabbing the imp.
"FOUND YOU!!" Rin giggled like mad.
"Yeah! Now it's time for a new game…remember Jaken?" Shippou had a particularly evil glint in his eyes; he remembered when Jaken had used his stick on him and his friends before. This was the perfect revenge! They both hauled the imp out of his hiding space, kicking and screaming for all he was worth. Between them, they managed to drag Jaken away up the stairs, a growing look of dread in his eyes.
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In the castles salle, Sesshoumaru was practicing with the Tetsusaiga, getting a feel for its balance and heft, slaying straw dummies that were set up in various areas. Straightening from the latest piece of wreckage he looked to the door. A noise had alerted him to an intruder. Frowning, he prepared to reprimand the person who dared disturb him, but it died on his lips. Kagome stood there, dressed in her fighting gear, sword in harness over her back, and her bow and quiver in hand.
"I hope you don't mind, Sesshoumaru? I would like to make sure I am prepared for the confrontation." She hefted her bow in evidence of her wishes, head cocked to one side as she smiled slightly.
Sesshoumaru straightened, moving the Tetsusaiga at rest, and inclined his head to the girl, amber eyes hooded. "Of course, feel free to use the salle as you wish, Kagome. That is, if you don't mind my being here as well."
"Of course not, Sesshoumaru, I'll try to stay out of your way." Kagome smiled again, dipped her head in acknowledgement and moved into the salle. Amber eyes followed her movement as she set the bow and quiver aside and unsheathed her sword. She stood still for a moment before moving effortlessly into a pattern dance. Her sword sang in the still air as she gracefully moved through the set movements of the dance, gradually increasing the pace until the sword was a mere blur in the air. A light sheen of sweat adorned her brow, her eyes nearly closed in concentration. His own practice forgotten, Sesshoumaru watched her avidly, unable to take his eyes off her. It was very rare to see a human who could complete such pattern dances with such grace and speed. Demons, of course, could do it faster, but they would be hard pressed to match her effortless grace.
Slowing her movements, she ended the set, bringing her sword to rest in front of her, point to the floor. Breathing deeply she looked around, seeing Sesshoumaru still standing in the same spot as when she had started. His eyes were glazed, and his mouth hung open a bit. ~Oh dear…what's the matter with him? Is he…He's drooling! Oh man, that's too funny!~ She grinned, and, sheathing her sword, walked over to him and waved a hand in his face.
"Earth to Sesshoumaru, are you in there?" She stood on tiptoes, smirking as he snapped out of his trance and snarled at her.
"Huhn…what? Get out of my face, foolish girl." He recovered quickly, blinking, looking at her coldly. ~I hope she didn't notice…~
Kagome laughed softly, stepping back from his, her face lightly flushed from her exertions. "Just so you know, Sesshoumaru…you were drooling." He resisted the urge to hide, instead turning his back to her. ~Damn. She did. Argh. How do I explain that? Tell her that she's the most beautiful…what? No, didn't think that, nope. Deny everything.~ His thoughts were chaotic, chasing themselves around in his head. What was it about that this girl that did this to him? One hand lifted to his chin, wiping away the offending moisture. ~Damn.~
"I never drool. It was sweat."
"Of course not." Kagome didn't bother trying to hide the grin on her face since his back was to her.
"If you wish, I will spar with you. See if we can increase your speed at all." Sesshoumaru had to clear his throat before speaking. He turned back, noting Kagome's grin. One of his eyebrows quirked in answer, making her smile wider. Thinking a moment, she nodded. It couldn't hurt, and she did want to keep improving. She could also use the chance to try out an idea she had. Sesshoumaru offered her his arm and she took it, and he led her to the center of the salle.
They spent the next few hours trading blows, with Sesshoumaru handing out the occasional advice on footing and angle of attack. Kagome managed to surprise him once with a new technique she had created. By concentrating, she was able to channel her powers through her weapon, charging it with her powers. This let her use her sword much like one of her charged arrows, purifying whatever it struck. She could successfully de-transform Tetsusaiga, or burn youkai flesh. Sesshoumaru had looked impressed with her abilities, and had been far more careful after that. They had ended up pressed together, swords locked at the hilt, Tetsusaiga in its untransformed state. Even Sesshoumaru at this point was sweaty. They both panted, staring into the others eyes, bodies pressed together full length. He could feel her chest move against him with every harsh breath she took. Even now she smelled sweet to his nose. This brought about the usual response. Kagome could feel his interest through the layers of clothing they both wore. Slowly, they both dropped their swords; their gaze still locked on the others eyes. Sesshoumaru leaned closer, his breath falling on Kagome's cheek. Her eyelids fell, veiling her gaze from his. Her leaned closer still, his breath caressing her lips until he pressed his own against hers in a kiss.
A/N: I know, I really am evil. But… oh well. ^_^ No review responses here, I think I'm going to do them on a separate page. Seems to be pretty popular, lol. I do appreciate each and every single one! Right now, I'm sitting next to my boyfriend in the dialysis center. He's getting his last treatment before his transplant on Monday. We ish sooooo excited! Yeah! That's partially the reason why this took so long. Well, that and writers block. Evil thing that is. Hopefully I'll get back on schedule soon. ^^ Thank you everyone for ready, I hope you enjoyed the fluff! Next time- much fighting and reconciling. The end is near….
~*~Gryphnwng~*~