Disclaimer:    Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  Other characters are property of kidoairaku.

Rating:         PG-13: for language and just in case

Summary:    [Nar/Kag] The ningen foiled his plans again! What was it about this human girl that allowed her to infinitely ruin his plots? He would find out for himself what she was really able to do…

Genre:            Romance/Drama

A/N:            Hey, short chapter, I apologize.  ^^;;  But, it's…like…a quadruple update: Sesshoumaru (2 chapters), this, and Heavenly Affairs (1 chapter).  Granted, all of them are fairly short chapters…but…oh well.  The story's coming to a close, if I haven't already mentioned that…it should be wrapped up in three to five more chapters.  Enjoy!

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True Love

Chapter Eleven: New Leaves

April 2003

They walked slowly, with a relaxed and idle pace, as dusk began to blanket the sky of luminescent orange.  Even Sango, whose posture was usually ramrod-straight, had slumping shoulders, her feet dragging on the dirt path.  She slowed slightly, falling back to converse with Miroku.

          "Kagome has been gone for a while, ne, houshi-sama," she commented.

          "Hai, Sango-sama," the monk agreed.

          "Do you think we will find her soon?"  Her gaze averted to the sky.

          "There is always hope, Sango-sama," he reassured.

          The taijiya sighed.  "Hai, houshi-sama."

          Miroku cast a glance to her.  "You miss her?"

          A nod.  "Who wouldn't?  Kagome is so bright and cheerful all the time…she always lightens the mood, ne?"

          "Yes," Miroku agreed thoughtfully.  He turned a reassuring smile to her.  "Don't worry, Sango-sama.  Inuyasha will come through for her; he always does."

          Sango smiled back, drawing a bit of light into her face.  "Arigatou, houshi-sama."

The exterminator quickened her pace again.  Miroku wistfully watched her retreating form.  He could do so much for her if only she allowed him to try.  Cool breezes kissed his troubled face.  Fall was dawning early, Miroku observed.

~*~*~*~*~

The darkness teased the light.  It seemed, Kikyo observed, that the sky could not decide whether or not to fade to obscurity or battle with light.  A demure smile shaped her lips.  The priestess sat languidly against the trunk of a tree, one hand delicately stroking the blades of grass underhand.  Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes, and a ragged sigh escaped her lips.  The smile disappeared, replaced by a grim line.  Winds and breezes had whispered to her…it was coming soon.  Her gray eyes lifted to the sky.  How had it all come to this?  She lifted her hand and pulled at the starlight.  At least one of us is going to Hell, Inuyasha…

~*~*~*~*~

His dark eyes opened lazily, taking in the scant light in small increments.  The first thing Naraku saw, or rather felt, was the feather light caress along his jaw.  What was this?  His eyes traced Kagome's soft face lying before him.  He was tightly clasping one of her hands, the other being the one running along his jaw.  Since when did he start to sleep with his captives?  A frown twisted his lips as he hastily disentangled himself from the girl's sheets while dull recollections deluged his mind.  Drawing his rumpled robes around him, Naraku glowered at the girl's still form and exited into the courtyard; conveniently enough, all rooms in his stolen abode led to it.

A deep sighing breath was discharged as he slumped to the wooden floorboards, supporting his weight against a wooden column.  Dim scarlet eyes roved observantly from object to object.  First, they drank in the rippling folds of his black silken robes, casting dark reflections onto their barren surroundings.  The shallow whisper of wind was perceived fingering the demon's ebon tresses.  Loose pebbles of the ground skipped across sandy earth.  Miniscule shoots of a sickly pale green broke the surface of fallow land.  The eyes paused in their skepticism.  What was this?  Naraku rose slowly, as if unsure whether he was in a dream.  Relaxed, fluid strides brought him to the organism.  His light-skinned fingers cautiously caressed this new growth, questioning its origin.  Why, of all times, had life begun to sprout in his presence now?  The slick softness of the greenery felt foreign beneath his fingers.  Curiously, he half-turned his head.  Was it the girl?  Had she such power to override his demonic aura and encourage life in this dead land?  How could she do such a thing, half-dead and unconscious?  It was preposterous, he reasoned.  Absolutely ludicrous.  A quick jerk of his wrist uprooted and flung the insignificant shoot to the wayside.  Coincidence was what it was.  His head tilted to the clouded sky.  But it was approaching fall…  When his jetty eyebrows knit slightly in a scowl, the heavens shadowed and rumbled with thunder.

The reaction lifted his dampened spirits enough, and he returned to his column.  A frown tugged at his lips.  A short departure was in want.  Yes, that would be the solution.  He smirked in anticipation.  The shouki around his body curled and writhed as the deadly power flared.  Yet another play was coming together.  Not so many parts were needed in this performance, though, all the easier to rehearse…or not.  There was a particularly difficult character acting…perhaps the aristocrat would not cooperate.  Naraku's smirk widened.  A solution was available for every problem, always.  For you, Sesshoumaru, I have already found a solution…

A/N:                Just a note, I think "shouki" is evil youkai energy?  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  Um, well, nothing more to say…ask questions if you have them, and thank you for reading!!!

-kidoairaku