Freedom or Loyalty
Naraku sent a reluctant Kagura to spy on Miyanti and her comrades. She disguised herself as the wind and descended down the mountain and into the valley where the group was in training for battle. Kagura hovered above the camp gathering information for Naraku about the stranger.
Miyanti immediately felt the presence of Naraku spawn. She did not know which one of Naraku's spawn was following them but she was sure that it would not be a friendly meeting.
Sesshoumaru sensed that his mate was apprehensive so he walked over to her and whispered in her ear, "What's wrong?"
"I sense a spawn of Naraku is near us right now. It may even be here with us in this camp." Miyanti said.
"Then what should we do?" Sesshoumaru said while looking around the camp as if he would catch a glimpse of the spy.
"We should quickly and quietly warn everyone. I start working with Kagome on how we are going to protect everyone." Miyanti said and the two of them walked over to the rest of the group and told them what they just found out.
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha started training off by themselves. Miroku went off to pray while Sango went off by herself to practice her martial arts stances and work out. Miyanti and Kagome walked deep into the woods and found a quiet spot to practice making bubbles. Miyanti decided to focus on making shield bubbles in case she falls in the middle of a battle and isn't able to defend anyone.
Kagura found it a hard task to spy on everyone when they were so spread out so she decided to focus her attention on Miyanti and Kagome. They worked for hours doing something she couldn't see. At first she thought they knew she was there and were playing mind games with her but then she saw a tree explode.
Miyanti said, "No, not like that. When you are making a shield you have to think about the person or persons that you want to protect. If you think about hurting someone then the bubble will be destructive like that one. Your desires will be reflected in the bubble."
Kagome replied, "I'll do better next time but I'm exhausted."
"I know you are but you'll be even more so during battle."
Kagura watched them till dusk but she did not see anything else. She soon became bored of watching them and so she decided to watch Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. They were in youkai form battling for what must have been hours. Neither seemed to care that they were drenched with sweat, hungry, nor bleeding. They fought on and on without a hint of slowing down until Sesshoumaru said something extremely interested Kagura.
"I've always hated you; even before you were born I hated you. Your mother was elated to have you and father was going to die he was so full of pride." This moment of truthfulness distracted Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru cut him across the chest with his whip.
Inuyasha roared and said, "What do you know about my mother you were never around?" After that he lunged at with all of his might and cut the armor off of his chest.
Sesshoumaru returned the favor with a few more whips in Inuyasha's direction and said, "I was always around, every if you didn't see me. They played with you and left me in the ministers and teachers to learn how to be a ruler. You were their golden son."
"If you know so much how did my mother die?" Inuyasha said and released the full power of the sword onto his brother.
"The same way my mother died. The council betrayed her because she was a lowly human without any power." Sesshoumaru said and blocked the blow with his sword.
"What was your mother a human?" Inuyasha said confused.
"No, you idiot my mother was a full youkai soldier. The council wanted my father to marry the Lord of the Eastern Lands Daughter but he fell in love with my mother. Politics is usually dangerous with the council in charge."
"How could you let my mother be killed? She was innocent." Inuyasha blurted out.
"You and father went to the Eastern Lands to work on a treaty with the new Lord Dyanturo who married Lady Ryokami. While you were away the council plotted and carried out her murder. I was powerless to stop them. They slipped me a sleeping potion in my food and when I woke up father had killed every council member he thought was involved."
Inuyasha went insane and Sesshoumaru thought he had accomplished his goal. Sesshoumaru believed if he made Inuyasha lose control of his emotions then he would become a sloppy fighter and be easier to kill but the plan backfired. Inuyasha pushed all his rage into what he was doing and saw nothing except the council members that ignored him all of his life and isolated him from his loved ones. Sesshoumaru became his target point for all of his rage and loneliness. Inuyasha cut through the air filling it with power blasts. He knew he wouldn't be able to kill his brother because of the sword protecting him but he throw him into unconsciousness. Sesshoumaru's body fell to the ground and Miyanti rushed to his side.
Miyanti and Kagome were listening in on the conversation as well as Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. Miyanti immediately healed Sesshoumaru. Miyanti looked up at Inuyasha and said, "That's enough for today Inuyasha. Come hunting with me. Everyone's hunger and I need to attend to your wounds."
"I will not listen to another word you say. He must die now." He roared. Inuyasha looked at the air in front of him for a moment and sliced it. Miyanti quickly placed shields around Sesshoumaru and herself. Inuyasha was blinded by rage and wanted to take out his pain on anyone available so he turned his attentions towards the rest of the group. Kagome placed shields around everyone else and held strong during the blasts.
Miyanti started singing her peace song to no avail. So he screamed but not at full power. Inuyasha and Kagura screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Everyone turned around and found Kagura lying silently on the ground. Miyanti scooped her up off the ground in a bubble to interrogate her later. She walked over to Inuyasha and healed his body.
Inuyasha started to open his eyes and Miyanti whispered in his ear, "I can heal your body a thousand times but I can not fix your broken spirit or change your past."
"I'm sorry. Is everyone okay." He said in a panic.
"Yes, everyone is fine. Kagome protected them." Inuyasha got up and rushed over to Kagome and hugged her.
Miyanti walked over to her mate and nudged him awake. She picked him up in her arms and walked into the woods so they could be alone. "This is embarrassing for a female to be carrying me." Sesshoumaru said.
"I don't care. You angered him on purpose to make him easier to kill and I'm glad it backfired. What I just said goes for you too. I can not heal your spirit. The two of you will have to get along and work together if we have a chance to win. Do you understand me?" Miyanti said stroking his face.
"I understand but I won't continue this after Naraku is defeated."
"You'll have to as long as I'm alive."
"Why?" he said and looked up at her face.
"He is the only family we have and the greatest ally we could ever have."
"Well, as long as you live we will be allies."
"Okay, fine with me. I'm going to catch dinner now, rest here." Miyanti kissed his lips and went to find some deer. She rushed into the woods and under her breath she said, "I plan to live forever."
Fifteen minutes later Miyanti came into camp with a huge deer and Sesshoumaru. Kagome and Sango found some wild berries and edible plants to eat and they cooked the meat over a fire Miroku started. Kagome served food for Inuyasha and Shippo, and then everyone else. Inuyasha was still sulky from the battle earlier so Kagome sat closely beside him and played with his ears when he started pouting. Miroku and Sango sat close together by the fire and Sango giggled about something Miroku said from time to time. Poor Shippo ate his food and sat at Kagome's feet waiting to be noticed again.
Kagura watched them work together to make the meal and eat it together. She watched them with silent awe. She'd never seen how a real family reacted towards one another. Kagura guessed that a real family would behave like her group she was captured by. She watched Miyanti feed Sesshoumaru as he leaned against the tree. Sesshoumaru smiled at Miyanti—something she'd never seen him do before. That action infuriated her somehow. So, she tried to escape her bubble cage.
Kagura took her fan out of her pocket and hit the bubble with it. Now, that she knew that her cage was solid she thought she could burst it with a wind gust. She fanned the bubble and the wind gust threw her into summersaults inside the bubble.
Miyanti saw Kagura's failed attempt at escaping and laughed. She picked up a plate and put some food on it and walked over to Kagura. Miyanti bypassed the bubble and handed her the food. "I must have words with you Kagura about your future."
"I have nothing to say to you, you lowly feline." Kagura said and investigated the food on her plate. She took a few bites and ate as elegantly as she could without utensils.
"I have two words for you—freedom or loyalty." Miyanti said.
"To whom." Kagura said without looking at Miyanti.
"Freedom for you or loyalty to Naraku." Miyanti replied. "I know you hate Naraku. You want him dead just as badly as I do. He controls you and sends you off on the most dangerous of missions. One day you'll take on one mission too many and you won't get a chance for your freedom then."
Kagura finished her meal and stood up to face Miyanti. She said, "You can not promise me anything but you death by your side.
"Is it better for you to die at his hands or mine? Either way you'll die."
"It is better to be safe and protected servant of the devil than to be a hindrance in his path."
"Are you protected? Does Naraku care if you live or die?" With that Miyanti touched the bubble before Kagura could answer the question. The bubble turned into deep crimson and Miyanti showered everything in a white light. The bubble enlarged and encompassed everyone in the camp.
Inside the Time Bubble
The group arrived in Ethiopia five years before Miyanti left. Miyanti was running away from the rebel camp in search of Naraku. She had no idea where Japan was so it took her a week to fly there. Very few people were willing to talk about Naraku and fewer wanted anything to do with her. She thought she was going to take on Naraku by herself. She was young and very much in need of discipline. She told no one of her plans and just left. Miyanti had a bad habit of becoming moody and running off to be alone so no one thought anything about her being gone for a week or two.
Miyanti found Naraku's castle and began a full fontal assault. She screamed and the castle walls fell along with about a thousand demons but more were still coming. She screamed until all the weaker demons were gone. But there was Kagura at the stairs of the front entrance of the castle. Wind gusts came from her fan and sliced apart Miyanti's armor. Miyanti screamed and Kagura fell to the ground. A little girl with a mirror flashed her in the eyes with unnatural light. Miyanti continued to scream and the little girl fell to the ground. Kagura and Kanna twitched on the ground but before Miyanti could attack them Naraku sliced them to pieces and absorbed them into his flesh.
"In the end there are all useless." Naraku said.
Miyanti flew into an attack and tentacles from Naraku redirection flew at her with lightening speed. Miyanti sliced the tentacles with blade like fingernails but where she cut twice at many would grow back.
The fallen tentacles would grow into smaller Narakus and they would attack her. That's when she noticed little bright lights coming that were coming from inside Naraku's body. Is that the famed shikon jewel shards she thought? What if I could cut those out of him she continued to ponder as she battled? She cut one out and placed it inside her body. She purified the shard with one touch and placed it inside her arm. She felt the power and decided to take all the shards.
Naraku noticed her change in tactics and decided to give her exactly what she wanted. He started absorbing her and she was sucked into his body before she knew what was happening.
Miyanti didn't know how long she was inside of Naraku's body but she suddenly knew everything he knew over a lifetime. She searched his thoughts and saw all the people he murdered and how he came into power. The knowledge drove her insane and she started screaming. She wasn't completely absorbed so she blew Naraku apart from the inside out.
She flew fast and far back to Africa. By the time she each her home she forgot everything except about the shikon jewels and when he final became invincible. She rejoined the camp and made everyone evacuate the underground fortress to a mountain fortress. She didn't know if Naraku knew her thoughts or remembered them but she wasn't going to take that chance.
After that incident Miyanti became deadly serious about defeating Naraku and training. She didn't tell everyone exactly what happened to her but she believed that they understood the danger she had faced. She started training day and night and only spook of how to kill Naraku and take the shikon jewels from him.
The mountain fortress faded away and then the group was back at the camp.
"So, Kagura are you with us or against us."
A tear rushed down Kagura's cheek and she nodded her head. "Miyanti, I am your faithful servant for as long as I live."
Miyanti gave Kagura her hand and she gently picked Kagura up off the ground and held her in her arms as she wept. "It's always good to know who will always have your back and protect you to the end."