Another long wait between updates, but as Colin sayeth... the plot engorges. And sad-ish news... we're in the final run, kiddies, but I promise it'll be fun. ^^ I've got 2-3 more chapters planned out, so don't despair yet! Also, there's a multipart waiting in the wings for the finish, that'll have lots of smut, and lots of NxM and SxM.
Beta-credit goes, of course, to Colin and tdei, both of whom rock mah socks. Thanks loves!
--==--
Miroku peered through the darkness, trying to make out what was in front of him. Damn moonless nights. He had already tripped twice and run into rather solid trees numerous times.
Where the hell had that youkai gone to? He chewed on his lip, unable to shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't detect anything specific, just this vague threatening feeling.
Of course, that could be due the fact that he was -so- dead once Sesshomaru found out that he was sneaking out to skulk through the forest in the middle of the night, he reflected, grinning to himself.
But hey, he had been getting cold. And, in his defense, he had checked the palace and the grounds for Sesshomaru before he wandered out into the forest. Miroku was secure in the knowledge that he could blame it squarely on Sesshomaru. It was the youkai's fault, not his!
Plus, he just had a habit of pushing his luck.
He squinted. Was that a bit of light ahead? Or were his eyes playing tricks on him? He cautiously walked towards it, gaining a few more bruises and shallow scratches. Finally, he could make out a small fire, with several very familiar silhouettes gathered around it.
Ah, so that's where Sesshomaru disappeared to. He grimaced. He knew something like this had to be up. Bastard could have least invited Miroku to witness the tasty death of his friends.
Of course, the youkai probably guessed (rightly so) that Miroku would have something negative to say about that. Leaning down to pick up a rather large rock, he wondered if he could sneak up on Sesshomaru before the youkai noticed him.
After all, he had already died once. Might as well risk it again to save two of the most beautiful women he had ever had the pleasure of knowing.
He crept from tree to tree, trying to stay out of sight, and as quiet as possible.
--==--
Sesshomaru stared at the girl in front of him, who bit her lip with nerves, but held her bow steady. Great. His brother's bitch was here. Along with all the rest of the riff-raff he had befriended. His eyes narrowed, taking in the wary stances of the other woman and the kitsune.
They were obviously here for the priest. But where was his mutt of a brother? He flexed his claws, plans running idly through his head. The bitch had to be taken first, certainly, then the exterminator. The little brat shouldn't present a problem. None of them should, really.
It would be easy enough. Unless his brother decided to make things difficult.
There was a soft distinct snap of a twig behind him, then a low curse and a crash. The bitch gasped, and her bow wavered as Sesshomaru spun around, claws ready to rip his brother to shreds.
"Am I interrupting something?" Rubbing his head, Miroku smiled up wryly from his position, sprawled out on the ground.
The humans gave out identical, irritatingly feminine, high-pitched screeches. "Miroku!"
He looked a mess, Sesshomaru noted with a frown. Covered in dirt and sticks and scratches, he looked as if he had gotten in a fight with every tree on the way.
Damnit, what was the human doing here anyway? Momentary concern gave way to a smoldering anger. Hadn't he been entirely clear....
A slight tug cut into his train of thought, and he looked down, blinking. A small demon had his tiny claws wrapped around Sesshomaru's pantleg. He looked down at it, disgust curling his lip.
Ugh, a rat demon. One that looked vaguely familiar too, though he couldn't place it. He barely noticed the two girls running past him to the monk.
"What is it?" he snarled, causing the servant to squeak in fright.
"M...my master." It gulped nervously, and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "I h- have an u- urgent message f- from him."
Several seconds passed by as Sesshomaru stared menacingly at the servant, who was shaking with fear. "... Are you going to deliver this message, or just stand there?" He finally asked, voice chillingly quiet.
Trembling so hard each word was practically incomprehensible, the servant managed to get his message out. Sesshomaru blinked, as the rat finished and scurried away with a squeal.
He looked up at Miroku, who was shakily getting to his feet with the help of one of the two girls, noting that his hand was sliding stealthily down her back. The other still had her bow and arrow trained on him, a determined set to her chin. He narrowed his eyes, than cleared his throat.
"Miroku, it appears that you've been kidnapped."
The monk froze with his hand inches away from the exterminator's backside. "Say what?"
--==--
His plan was working out perfectly. The demon smiled to himself, tracking a line over the his reflection in the small mirror he held.
His stunningly beautiful face wavered, to be replaced with the image of his human prisoner. He seemed to have calmed down significantly, and was sitting in the middle of the cell, watching the door with narrowed eyes.
Truly a beautiful specimen, if one had a taste for humans. His long black hair was magnificent, his body strong and lean, and he possessed a rare spirit. He chuckled. A fine possession for anyone. Too bad the human had to serve other, more important purposes. It would have been a fine match for him.
Still, it confused him no end. What was Sesshomaru up to? He had never professed a fondness for humans, and this seemed completely out of character for him. It nagged at him.
He toyed with the ends of his hair, combing it with his claws, frowning. It didn't matter, did it? The youkai lord obviously had a deep interest in him, if he was keeping him. And quite well, the human had no obvious injuries, save for the lump and small cut, hidden by his hair.
Sesshomaru must care deeply for this human, a weakness that he planned to exploit fully. He couldn't fail. He had set it up so perfectly. Really, it was a bit of genius.
A quiet scratching noise alerted him to his servant's return.
"My lord..." The nervous, thin voice grated over his ears. He should really look for a better servant. This one was practically useless.
He turned a bored look at the rat-demon. "I trust you delivered your message, Yogore?"
A frantic nod, and a squeak. "Yes, Kageki-sama!"
"Wonderful." He smiled, coldly. "We should ready ourselves for my cousin's visit then."
--==--
"We can't just leave him!" Miroku looked horrified, as he petted a bristling Shippo, who was glaring bloody murder at Sesshomaru.
"Why not?" Sesshomaru smiled viciously. "Rather amusing. And it gets him out of my way."
"Because..." Miroku spluttered, caught for a convincing comeback.
Kagome watched them in disbelief. Sesshomaru and Miroku. Bickering. Not fighting. Not yelling. -Bickering-.
And Miroku was most certainly alive, but he had changed. For starters, he had only groped her twice. Secondly, he was wearing clothes that very closely matched Sesshomaru's own robes. And there was the fact that his cursed hand was looking suspiciously un-cursed. Her head was hurting slightly.
Yet, she didn't remember falling into an alternate dimension where Naraku had been defeated and Sesshomaru was on friendly terms with... well, anyone. So there could only be one explanation. She must be having a nightmare.
She pinched herself and winced. Okay, maybe not. Time to go to plan B: trying to understand what the hell was going on.
"You bloody stupid... Whoever took Inuyasha obviously will figure out that he got the wrong person! He'll be back!" Miroku practically shouted, glaring at Sesshomaru.
"More importantly, what does this Kageki hope to accomplish by kidnapping Miroku?" Sango interjected, eyeing Sesshomaru with decided hostility.
He glared back. "If you must know, Kageki is my younger cousin."
The rest of the group stared at him. Kagome wrinkled her forehead in thought. Sesshomaru had more family? Inuyasha had never mentioned that.
"Is that supposed to tell us something, youkai?" Sango's eyes narrowed more, if that was possible.
"Of course!" Kagome gasped. "He's next in line, isn't he?"
Sesshomaru nodded, slightly. "Precisely."
"What, are you afraid of him?" Shippo pulled a face at the other youkai. "I can't believe this, you're supposed to b--" Miroku slapped his hand over the kitsune's mouth as Sesshomaru looked down at him.
"I'd prefer not to waste my time with him."
"Still... Isn't it awfully pretentious of him?" Miroku frowned. "I mean, trying to blackmail you out of power like this seems a bit out of line."
Sesshomaru snorted. "Stupid. He should know me better than that. As if I'd relinquish my hold on my lands for the life of a mere human."
Kagome noticed how Miroku's mouth seemed to thin slightly. Suddenly he looked much more tense than he had a couple minutes ago. And things started to click. She looked back over to Sesshomaru in disbelief.
The youkai sighed. "Still, it would be prudent to teach the upstart a lesson."
Beta-credit goes, of course, to Colin and tdei, both of whom rock mah socks. Thanks loves!
--==--
Miroku peered through the darkness, trying to make out what was in front of him. Damn moonless nights. He had already tripped twice and run into rather solid trees numerous times.
Where the hell had that youkai gone to? He chewed on his lip, unable to shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't detect anything specific, just this vague threatening feeling.
Of course, that could be due the fact that he was -so- dead once Sesshomaru found out that he was sneaking out to skulk through the forest in the middle of the night, he reflected, grinning to himself.
But hey, he had been getting cold. And, in his defense, he had checked the palace and the grounds for Sesshomaru before he wandered out into the forest. Miroku was secure in the knowledge that he could blame it squarely on Sesshomaru. It was the youkai's fault, not his!
Plus, he just had a habit of pushing his luck.
He squinted. Was that a bit of light ahead? Or were his eyes playing tricks on him? He cautiously walked towards it, gaining a few more bruises and shallow scratches. Finally, he could make out a small fire, with several very familiar silhouettes gathered around it.
Ah, so that's where Sesshomaru disappeared to. He grimaced. He knew something like this had to be up. Bastard could have least invited Miroku to witness the tasty death of his friends.
Of course, the youkai probably guessed (rightly so) that Miroku would have something negative to say about that. Leaning down to pick up a rather large rock, he wondered if he could sneak up on Sesshomaru before the youkai noticed him.
After all, he had already died once. Might as well risk it again to save two of the most beautiful women he had ever had the pleasure of knowing.
He crept from tree to tree, trying to stay out of sight, and as quiet as possible.
--==--
Sesshomaru stared at the girl in front of him, who bit her lip with nerves, but held her bow steady. Great. His brother's bitch was here. Along with all the rest of the riff-raff he had befriended. His eyes narrowed, taking in the wary stances of the other woman and the kitsune.
They were obviously here for the priest. But where was his mutt of a brother? He flexed his claws, plans running idly through his head. The bitch had to be taken first, certainly, then the exterminator. The little brat shouldn't present a problem. None of them should, really.
It would be easy enough. Unless his brother decided to make things difficult.
There was a soft distinct snap of a twig behind him, then a low curse and a crash. The bitch gasped, and her bow wavered as Sesshomaru spun around, claws ready to rip his brother to shreds.
"Am I interrupting something?" Rubbing his head, Miroku smiled up wryly from his position, sprawled out on the ground.
The humans gave out identical, irritatingly feminine, high-pitched screeches. "Miroku!"
He looked a mess, Sesshomaru noted with a frown. Covered in dirt and sticks and scratches, he looked as if he had gotten in a fight with every tree on the way.
Damnit, what was the human doing here anyway? Momentary concern gave way to a smoldering anger. Hadn't he been entirely clear....
A slight tug cut into his train of thought, and he looked down, blinking. A small demon had his tiny claws wrapped around Sesshomaru's pantleg. He looked down at it, disgust curling his lip.
Ugh, a rat demon. One that looked vaguely familiar too, though he couldn't place it. He barely noticed the two girls running past him to the monk.
"What is it?" he snarled, causing the servant to squeak in fright.
"M...my master." It gulped nervously, and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "I h- have an u- urgent message f- from him."
Several seconds passed by as Sesshomaru stared menacingly at the servant, who was shaking with fear. "... Are you going to deliver this message, or just stand there?" He finally asked, voice chillingly quiet.
Trembling so hard each word was practically incomprehensible, the servant managed to get his message out. Sesshomaru blinked, as the rat finished and scurried away with a squeal.
He looked up at Miroku, who was shakily getting to his feet with the help of one of the two girls, noting that his hand was sliding stealthily down her back. The other still had her bow and arrow trained on him, a determined set to her chin. He narrowed his eyes, than cleared his throat.
"Miroku, it appears that you've been kidnapped."
The monk froze with his hand inches away from the exterminator's backside. "Say what?"
--==--
His plan was working out perfectly. The demon smiled to himself, tracking a line over the his reflection in the small mirror he held.
His stunningly beautiful face wavered, to be replaced with the image of his human prisoner. He seemed to have calmed down significantly, and was sitting in the middle of the cell, watching the door with narrowed eyes.
Truly a beautiful specimen, if one had a taste for humans. His long black hair was magnificent, his body strong and lean, and he possessed a rare spirit. He chuckled. A fine possession for anyone. Too bad the human had to serve other, more important purposes. It would have been a fine match for him.
Still, it confused him no end. What was Sesshomaru up to? He had never professed a fondness for humans, and this seemed completely out of character for him. It nagged at him.
He toyed with the ends of his hair, combing it with his claws, frowning. It didn't matter, did it? The youkai lord obviously had a deep interest in him, if he was keeping him. And quite well, the human had no obvious injuries, save for the lump and small cut, hidden by his hair.
Sesshomaru must care deeply for this human, a weakness that he planned to exploit fully. He couldn't fail. He had set it up so perfectly. Really, it was a bit of genius.
A quiet scratching noise alerted him to his servant's return.
"My lord..." The nervous, thin voice grated over his ears. He should really look for a better servant. This one was practically useless.
He turned a bored look at the rat-demon. "I trust you delivered your message, Yogore?"
A frantic nod, and a squeak. "Yes, Kageki-sama!"
"Wonderful." He smiled, coldly. "We should ready ourselves for my cousin's visit then."
--==--
"We can't just leave him!" Miroku looked horrified, as he petted a bristling Shippo, who was glaring bloody murder at Sesshomaru.
"Why not?" Sesshomaru smiled viciously. "Rather amusing. And it gets him out of my way."
"Because..." Miroku spluttered, caught for a convincing comeback.
Kagome watched them in disbelief. Sesshomaru and Miroku. Bickering. Not fighting. Not yelling. -Bickering-.
And Miroku was most certainly alive, but he had changed. For starters, he had only groped her twice. Secondly, he was wearing clothes that very closely matched Sesshomaru's own robes. And there was the fact that his cursed hand was looking suspiciously un-cursed. Her head was hurting slightly.
Yet, she didn't remember falling into an alternate dimension where Naraku had been defeated and Sesshomaru was on friendly terms with... well, anyone. So there could only be one explanation. She must be having a nightmare.
She pinched herself and winced. Okay, maybe not. Time to go to plan B: trying to understand what the hell was going on.
"You bloody stupid... Whoever took Inuyasha obviously will figure out that he got the wrong person! He'll be back!" Miroku practically shouted, glaring at Sesshomaru.
"More importantly, what does this Kageki hope to accomplish by kidnapping Miroku?" Sango interjected, eyeing Sesshomaru with decided hostility.
He glared back. "If you must know, Kageki is my younger cousin."
The rest of the group stared at him. Kagome wrinkled her forehead in thought. Sesshomaru had more family? Inuyasha had never mentioned that.
"Is that supposed to tell us something, youkai?" Sango's eyes narrowed more, if that was possible.
"Of course!" Kagome gasped. "He's next in line, isn't he?"
Sesshomaru nodded, slightly. "Precisely."
"What, are you afraid of him?" Shippo pulled a face at the other youkai. "I can't believe this, you're supposed to b--" Miroku slapped his hand over the kitsune's mouth as Sesshomaru looked down at him.
"I'd prefer not to waste my time with him."
"Still... Isn't it awfully pretentious of him?" Miroku frowned. "I mean, trying to blackmail you out of power like this seems a bit out of line."
Sesshomaru snorted. "Stupid. He should know me better than that. As if I'd relinquish my hold on my lands for the life of a mere human."
Kagome noticed how Miroku's mouth seemed to thin slightly. Suddenly he looked much more tense than he had a couple minutes ago. And things started to click. She looked back over to Sesshomaru in disbelief.
The youkai sighed. "Still, it would be prudent to teach the upstart a lesson."