Slowly but surely, the quality of these chapters will improve. Just stick with me, kk? Comments in ' ' instead of " " indicate thought/mental conversations. **** Separates POV/location changes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha. I don't even own Yukikaze (she's a rental). I do however own Jaken. Take my word for it, he's a great ottoman. ^_~
Chapter 2: When It Rains, It Pours
Naraku's eyes sparkled with delight at the prospect of finally destroying Inu Yasha. "And the best part," he chuckled to himself, "is that his own half-sister shall be his undoing!" From out in the hall, Kagura overheard Naraku's private gloat.
"Bastard!" Kagura whispered. "Is he really that cold? To use siblings against each other?"
Naraku smirked and turned to face the wall behind which Kagura stood. "Kagura!" he called out, his amusement apparent in his tone. "Are you surprised at my tactics? Could you think of a better way to exterminate that pest?"
Kagura blanched and slowly stumbled into the room. She nodded numbly at his inquiry, but said nothing. She straightened herself up and readied herself to hear his orders.
"That's more like it." Naraku said with no small amount of satisfaction. "Snooping isn't polite. You should learn some respect." He waved one hand at the clay jar that contained Kagura's heart. "You never know what I might do if you upset me." The devilish glint in his eyes spoke volumes about what he was capable of doing.
Kagura's lips pressed together in a thin line. "Hai Naraku." she said finally. "I await your command." Gods how she hated groveling, but it was necessary to ensure her own survival.
Naraku gave a small laugh and said, "Then if you're ready, I have a task for you...."
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Yukikaze trudged wearily through the knee-deep mud. It had been raining buckets for the past two days, and showed no signs of letting up. It was times like this the she was grateful she wore knee-high boots. Her normally pristine mid-thigh, pale blue kimono was caked with mud, and her hair was disheveled. Even the dark blue leggings she wore under her kimono had a tear from catching on a shrub. Suffice to say, she was NOT in a good mood.
"Cheer up Yuki!" Riyas chirped. "At least it can't get any worse!"
Yukikaze shivered. "I wouldn't say things like that Riyas. You don't want to tempt fate." she cautioned.
As if on cue, Kagura lighted down ten feet in front of her. "Oi!" She called out. "Are you the youkai known as Yukikaze?"
At the mention of her name Yukikaze quirked an eyebrow. "And you are? I know most of the reasonably strong youkai in my father's dominion, and I've never heard tell of one such as yourself. How do you know my name? And what is it that you want of me?"
'My, aren't we full of questions today?' Kagura thought wryly. Rather than voicing these thoughts, however, she bowed deeply in deference. "Only a humble servant of your father, the great Inutaisho. My name is Kagura." she said smoothly. It grated on her nerves to behave so obsequiously, but she knew what it would take to get the job done. If a little bowing and scraping alleviated Naraku's suspicions, then bow and scrape she would!
Yukikaze snorted. "Look lady, I may be blind but I'm not stupid. You don't strike me as the type to act submissive, or to do something for nothing. I'll ask you again. What do you want?" she finished by crossing her arms across her chest skeptically.
Kagura bit back a rude remark, and instead said meekly "I simply wish to help the children of our great sovereign." Yukikaze gave another snort of derision, but Kagura hurried on. "In you absence, great troubles have befallen your youngest brother, Inu Yasha."
Yukikaze's eyes widened and she stifled a gasp. "What has happened?!" she asked sharply. "What has become of Inu Yasha?"
Kagura hid her triumphant smile behind her fan. That was too easy! Instead she took on a tone of fake sorrow. "Oh it is truly awful! First, fifty years ago he was sealed away by a miko. He lay asleep under her spell almost until the present. But alas!" here she fanned herself vigorously, as though she was deeply distressed by the news she was about to reveal. "Alas, on the very day he was released from the first sealing spell, he crossed paths with another miko! This time, rather than seal him away, she put him under a submission spell! He now wears a rosary that binds him to her will. He is now compelled to protect her, now matter the cost to his own life!" She finished abruptly, as though physically drained from bearing such ill tidings. Inside, she was filled with glee. It amused her that there was a grain of truth in the tale she had just spun. That made it all the more believable.
The news struck Yukikaze like a blow. She reel backwards and almost fell in the mud. "Th-that's impossible! My father would never allow something so awful to occur!" she spluttered. She reached for the small katana at her hip threateningly.
At these words, Kagura put on a mask of inconsolable grief and slapped at her chest as though her heart were being torn in two. "That's the worst of it! During your long absence, your father departed from this world!" Seeing the look of horror on Yukikaze's face, she knew she had accomplished her task. Secretly please, she waited for Yukikaze's response.
She had a while to wait. It was several minuted before Yukikaze could form a coherent response. "De-de-departed?" she asked shrilly, her voice on the edge of breaking. "But that can't be! What happened? How could this happen?" Her legs gave a shudder, and then collapsed out from underneath her. She fell sideways, but managed to catch herself on a nearby boulder. The world seemed to close in on Yukikaze. Everything was spinning, blurring. She couldn't see, couldn't breathe. Only earlier that day she had been overjoyed at the prospect of being reunited with her family, and now her world had been turned upside down. The rain continued to pour down on her, dripping down her face, and mingling with her tears. She sobbed slowly, not caring how muddy she got.
Kagura was now struggling not to laugh. For such a supposedly powerful youkai, she seemed awfully pathetic. As the daughter of Inutaisho, she should have been able to take this sort of news better. This was going to be even easier than she had initially thought. Now to push her in the direction Naraku wanted her to take.
"But what of your poor brother? Can you just leave him in the clutches of that miko?" Kagura asked innocently. Secretly she was pleased at her own acting skills. In her state, the girl should have jumped at the chance for revenge. Her family was in ruins, and she would see Kagome as partially responsible. If Kagura was really lucky, Yukikaze would unconsciously associate Kagome with the loss of her father, since the two topics were introduced at the same time. Her hatred would unintentionally grow much worse than if she only blamed her for enchanting Inu Yasha.
A shiver shot up Yukikaze's spine for the second time that day. There was something in Kagura's tone that set off warning bells in her mind, but she couldn't figure out why. She narrowed her eyes at Kagura, as if further scrutiny would reveal the source of her misgivings. Strangely, despite her blindness, her eyes were as active an as expressive as when she could still see. Her nostrils flickered quickly, straining to smell through the downpour. "I will do everything I can to aid my brother in his time of need." she said cautiously. This smelled like a set-up if she ever smelled one, but what choice did she have?
Kagura flinched inwardly at her suspicion. If Yukikaze dug her heels in, it didn't seems likely that anything would change her mind. It was time for her to change tactics."I can take you to the miko, if you so desire. Unfortunately, the gaes Inu Yasha is under would compel him to protect her with his life. However, I can arrange a suitable diversion to separate the two of them." she offered. 'That's right. Trust me. I want to help you.... not!' Kagura thought to herself.
A small smile spread across Yukikaze's face. "I think I could help in that department." she said smugly. "If you take me to them, I can lead the miko off. If you can get Inu Yasha to go off in the other direction, that would be most helpful." She thought back to the violin she carried within the folds of her robe, and silently thank the long dead man who taught her a fragment of his "Hidden Weapons" technique. That instrument could perform minor mesmerization spells, couldn't it?
"Very well." Kagura said deferentially. "If you'll follow me, I can take you to them. Be warned though, that they have several companions of great strength. One is a houshi with unusually strong houriki. He has a vortex in his right hand that consumes everything in it's path." Yukikaze raised an eyebrow but said nothing, so Kagura continued. "A youkai taijiya and her neko youkai companion also accompany them. The taijiya uses an enormous boomerang made out of the bones of a youkai she slew. For something of such an unwieldy size, it's remarkably swift and effective. The neko youkai is capable of flight, and has great maneuverability. Those three are quite formidable, but if you can lure the miko away, you shouldn't have to deal with them. However, I'll still fix something up to keep them busy." Yukikaze nodded in understanding "Once you destroy the miko, the spell on your brother should break."
"Woah woah woah!" Yukikaze protested. "I don't plan on just running in and killing her! I've dealt with too many sorceresses powerful enough that their spells live on after them! It can really be a bitch to get rid of a spell without the person who cast it. I'll rough her up a bit and put the fear of God in her-" Kagura titled her head in puzzlement. "God?" "- but I'll give her a chance to take the spell off in exchange for her life. Then I'll kill her." she said evenly. Kagura breathed a sign of relief. If she let her live, she might find out the truth.
"Then if that's settled, let's press on. I'm hoping to cath them after nightfall. If we lure Inu Yasha and the miko away while the others are sleeping, there's even less of a chance that they'll interfere." Kagura said stiffly. She prayed silently that Yukikaze wouldn't ask questions.
Luckily for her, Yukikaze had a lot on her mind. Inwardly, she was still shaking from the news this 'Kagura' had given her. Her father? Dead? She gave herself a shake. This was no way for a princess to behave. She had to be strong, for her brother's sake. But something niggled at the back of her mind. Riyas! During this whole conversation he had been completely silent! 'What're you up to?' she asked mentally in a suspicious tone.
'Nothin'...' he responded, also in thought. 'I was curious as to what she might have to say, and the matter turned out to be personal. I didn't want to interfere. But you're right to be suspicious of this one. I know she doesn't have your brother's best interests in mind. She's in this for her own reasons.'
Yukikaze was shocked, to say the least. The Riyas she knew was rude, lewd, and didn't give a damn about others. She wondered what had elicited such a change in him. 'Who are you and what have you done with Riyas?' she asked warily, half joking, half serious. 'Since when have you been this shrewd?'
'I'm not nearly as dumb as I act, though that's not saying much. But seriously, watch her like a hawk. She definitely has something up her sleeve.' Riyas warned.
'You don't have to tell me twice! She reeks of deception.' Yukikaze thought grimly.
'How on earth do you know what deception smells like?' asked Riyas in a bewildered mental tone.
'Well, when both of your parents were canine youkai, your sense of smell tends to be pretty good. In my case, I've had years to learn the different scents both humans and youkai give off. Right now I know she was lying about something, but she did tell some truth too. I just can't sort of which was which.' Yukikaze responded absently. She crinkled her nose in a way that men found cute, but was really an expression of irritation. 'Anyway, all I can do is follow this fashion-challenged freak and find these things out for myself.' Riyas chuckled but said nothing.
"Oi! Kagura! Do you think we could pick up the pace a bit?" Yukikaze called ahead.
Kagura's left eye twitched with irritation. "Well I would fly faster, but I'm afraid that you wouldn't be able to keep up." She smirked haughtily at Yukikaze, daring her to prove her wrong. She was completely unprepared for what followed.
This time it was Yukikaze's turn to get indignant. "I happen to be pretty damn fast for your information! Just try me! Go as fast as that damn feather of yours can fly, and let's see who's the slow one!"
'Woah! Touchy touchy!' laughed Riyas. 'She hit a nerve? You usually don't swear that much in the same breath.'
'I pride myself on my speed. She has no right to talk if she's never even seen me run! I'll show her!' growled Yukikaze fiercely, ignoring how much pleasure Riyas was deriving from seeing her get angry. Instead, she took off at a blistering pace, her silver hair flying behind her. All she could hear was the thud of her feet against the earth and the pounding of the blood in her ears. The trees seemed to melt together into a brown/green blur. In no time at all she left Kagura behind completely. Pleased at her display, she stopped and waited for Kagura to catch up. "Still think I'm slow?" she asked smugly when Kagura finally caught up.
Kagura said nothing, but sped up. She noticed Yukikaze fall in behind her at a slower pace and was content to leave her be. The chit got on her nerves, but it wouldn't do to chase her off. She still had to deal with Kagome. What she didn't know was that as soon as Kagome was dead, Naraku had given Kagura permission to kill Yukikaze as well. All she had to do was bide her time, and soon enough the bitch would be dead anyway.
******************************Elsewhere***********************
"So you want me to attack this Inu Yasha fellow?" the buff youkai asked. "Bwahahaha! I bet he's a pathetic weakling! After all, he is a hanyou! And he was subdued so easily by the miko Kikyo! Why should I waste my precious time on someone like him?!" The youkai puffed up his already broad chest with pride. "What makes him worthy of dying at the hands of the great KOBUSHI?!" he boomed. He had sleek black hair held back in a small ponytail and striking brown eyes. He wore the customary armor of a samurai, but decorated with the bones of fallen enemies. Most people would have called his chiseled features handsome, but at the time Kohaku was just annoyed.
'Doesn't this idiot ever shut up? Or at least lower his voice?' he wondered. Instead of voicing his opinion on the matter, though, Kohaku responded. "A large number of Shikon no Kakera will be yours if you can defeat him." he replied in his monotone voice. 'But you never will. You're just another of Naraku's pawns. You're just here to distract Inu Yasha long enough for Yukikaze to take out Kagome. Naraku will never need to follow through with his offer.' Kohaku thought dully.
"Ha ha ha! Your master will regret making this offer!" Kobushi responded, as if to contradict Kohaku's thoughts. "I will crush this Inu Yasha and take those shards you've promised. Ha ha ha!" He threw his head back, and his enormous chest rose and fell noticeably with each laugh. Kohaku sweat-dropped but said nothing. "Now, you will take me to this hanyou, so that I may destroy him!" Kobushi ordered.
"As you wish." Kohaku murmured. 'Fool...'
Author's Notes: No, Yukikaze isn't another one of those all-powerful God-mod characters. Over the year's she's picked up a large variety of interesting and useful techniques, but that doesn't make her a great fighter. If she were to ever to enter into a to-the-death battle with Inu Yasha or Sesshoumaru (which she won't) she would lose. As for the Riyas factor, that will be explained in the next chapter or so. ^_~ Please read and review! And don't forget to check out my "Jay's" (dreamcatcher5) fanfic, Summer. As for the names, Inu Yasha's father was AN Inu no Taisho, which some say means "Leader of Dogs," while others say "Great Dog Demon." Either way, it describes what he is rather than who. Still, Cat Who was the first person to blend it into "Inutaisho," and I'm just another name on the long list of folks who have called him that since. As for the annoying, arrogant youkai, Kobushi simply means "fist."