Chapter 6
Make A Bargain
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Two days later, the group still traveled. Sesshoumaru could see the they were growing nearer; they were reaching the place were he had left Rin and Jaken. He assumed Jaken had taken the girl back to the castle; Sesshoumaru had gruesome plans for the toad if he discovered Rin was in any sort of harm when he returned.
That afternoon, they reached the brook.
"Here is the place I saw them," the youkai lord said to everyone, mostly Miroku, who seemed to care more than anyone about Sango.
He and Miroku stared down into the brook together, and he could hear the monk sigh.
"So they've got to be around here somewhere, right?" he asked.
Sesshoumaru stared at his wavy reflection. "I believe so. If Naraku wants something from you, I don't think he would keep changing his location so you couldn't find him."
InuYasha and Kagome were inspecting the clearing behind him, but Sesshoumaru knew they would find nothing. Sango and Naraku's scents were long gone by now; he could pick up no scent other than the wild flowers, and a variety of creatures that may have passed though the clearing earlier.
"Let's keep going," he said clearly, turning away from the brook to face everyone else. "We can stay hidden in this forest tonight. I will head out tomorrow morning to see if anyone knows of Naraku's whereabouts."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When Naraku took the enchantment off the doors of the castle, Sango wanted to go out to explore. They hadn't made love since that first night, and Sango was getting anxious to try it once more, but Naraku was wary about hurting her again. So, to occupy her time, she wanted to explore the world outside the castle.
She smiled as she stepped out of the front doorway, and down off of the porch steps. When she looked around, she saw that they were in an old abandoned village. She wandered off into the buildings, studying things that had been left there; pottery, tatami mats, useless things. Anything important had been either stolen by now, or left with whomever had occupied the village before. 'Did Naraku destroyed this village, perhaps?' Sango thought darkly. She frowned and moved away from the window of a small hut.
She went further into the little ghost village, and came to one house that felt very familiar. Had she perhaps visited this place once? She went inside, and found she knew where every room was; but she didn't know how she knew this. She narrowed her eyes, a little scared. How did she know this place? She then started to hear whispers. . . whispers in her head, from the past. . .
Her voice. . . ("Father is proud of you, Kohaku. . .")
A man's voice. . . ("Sango, Kohaku, come inside!")
A little boy's. . . ("Sango, teach me how to throw Hiraikotsu. . .")
She was having trouble remembering what all of this meant; Kohaku, Hiraikotsu. . . She recognized these names, but could not place them.
She was now getting chills down her arms and neck, so she got out of the house as quickly as she could, bolting for the front door. She walked the rest of the way back to the castle, and when she went inside, Naraku was waiting for her in the dining area.
"Did you have a nice walk?"
"Uh," she was still a little shaken up. "Yes. Yes, the village is nice. Empty, but nice."
"It's quiet," he explained.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
From the outside of the castle, a pair of red eyes watched Sango and Naraku over a white and red fan. Red-painted lips smirked as the two hugged, and a beautiful voice gave a low, evil chuckle. "So, Naraku. . . you are still alive. And up to your old tricks, it seems."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sesshoumaru awoke the next morning before the others. He had decided to sleep that night so he could be fully energized when he did find Naraku. He got up quietly, careful not to wake the others, and began to walk out of the clearing, when he heard a rustling noise behind him.
"Sesshoumaru?" asked a whispered voice. It was Kagome, still on the ground, but sitting up.
He merely turned his gaze to her.
"Are you leaving?"
He nodded.
She got up then, and walked over to him. He watched, confused, as she came closer with an odd, emotional look in her eyes. When she was in his personal space, little alarms started to go off in his head. What was she doing? Then faster then he expected, she threw her arms around his neck.
Sesshoumaru just stood there in shock for a moment. His eyes wide, he was about to ask her what she was doing when she whispered, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I don't think we could've gotten this far so quickly if it hadn't been for you. You didn't have to help us, but you did, anyway. I think you're very sweet."
Eh?
He expected her to release him, but she stayed put. He looked around for a moment. What was he supposed to do? Should he hug her back? His arm found her tiny waist, and he merely circled her, for fear of squeezing her. It was awkward, but nice. . . until Sesshoumaru's eyes found InuYasha's sleeping form. Sesshoumaru softly grabbed one of Kagome's arms from around his neck and stepped back. She was blushing profusely, and staring up at him with wide eyes. Had he given her the impression that she had just done the wrong thing?
To ease the awkwardness, Sesshoumaru said quietly,"You welcome. I need to go now. The faster I hunt Naraku down, the sooner we get Sango back."
Kagome nodded, biting her lip.
He began to turn away, but stopped when he heard her say softly, "Be careful."
Turning slightly to look at her, he nodded, then continued to walk without looking back.
Inside, he was shaken. Why had she hugged him? Why had she told him to be careful, as if she were worried for him? Why would she worry for him? She *was* the only one out of the group that had shown any concern for him. . .
One little action from her had aroused so many questions, and emotions. Sesshoumaru had forgotten what most emotions felt like. It had been so long since he had felt *any*. . . ever since. . .
Willing himself not to think of it, he continued to the abandoned village.
He walked serenely, seriously for a while, until he heard a nagging, familiar voice singing to his right, "Sesshoumaru."
"Kagura." he growled. Who could not forget that annoying, nagging voice of hers?
"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" she asked, coming out from behind a tree. As she walked towards him, she continued in her taunting voice. "You are searching for something. You are so serious. . . What could you be searching for?" She tapped a finger on her chin. "*Who* could you be searching for?"
"That, my 'dear old friend,' would be. . ." he paused.
She stared at him anxiously.
". . . none of your business," he finished.
Her eyebrow quirked. "Well. . . I'm going to. . . take a *stab* at it, then. . . could you possibly be searching for. . . Naraku?"
He kept his face still. "You know where he is."
"Ah, so it *is* Naraku. Yes, I know where he is."
"Let me guess. You won't tell me, unless you get something in return."
She smirked. "You know me well, Sesshoumaru."
He stared down at her indifferently. "I don't wish to make any bargains with you, Kagura."
"Why? All I want is something simple," she said sweetly.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "And what would that be?"
"Assurance that Naraku is destroyed!" she hissed suddenly. "If you can promise to me that you can destroy him completely, I will tell you were he is." She began to pace uneasily. "He has existed for far too long. I want him destroyed. . . and I think you are just the youkai to get the job done. You may be searching to destroy him for your own personal reasons, but I will tell you where he is if you can promise me that you will get rid of him completely, for me."
"I, Sesshoumaru, am very capable of destroying Naraku. But, say you give me the information, and I do not follow through with my end of the bargain?"
Her red eyes narrowed malevolently. "Oh, I have my ways of making you pay, Sesshoumaru. I am Naraku's incarnate - I can be just as tricky as he can. Only. . . *my* tricks never fail."
Sesshoumaru stared at her, and considered her bargain. Finally he said, "All right. I give my full word that I will completely destroy Naraku, whatever way I can."
Contentment washed over Kagura's features, and she smirked. "Naraku is hiding out in the castle of the abandoned village. You will find him there with a human girl. I don't know what her purpose is there, but I have a feeling Naraku is just back up to his old tricks. Follow through with this Sesshoumaru. Or suffer the consequences."
Sesshoumaru watched as Kagura flicked her wrist, then took off into the sky on a giant feather.
'The abandoned village. . . I should have guessed that myself,' he thought, watching the feather drift away until the trees hid it from his eyes. 'But Naraku is never in the obvious places. . . or that's what he must *want* us to think. . . ' Sesshoumaru smirked, and continued walking again, this time preparing to destroy Naraku once and for all.
Inwardly, he wished he could let the monk have a stab at Naraku. Literally. Sesshoumaru smirked at his own little joke. The monk was obviously in love with Sango; Sesshoumaru could only imagine how much hate Miroku held for the evil demon. That new little dagger of his would be a nice tool to torture the fool with.
Sesshoumaru even had some of his own reasons for wanting Naraku dead. Naraku had used him to try to destroy Miroku, used him as if he were a servant, or a play thing. He had given him a useless arm, and a nearly useless shard. And Sesshoumaru could see how much destruction had permeated through the land because of Naraku. Sesshoumaru felt a little sadness for every being that had lost it's life in vein because of Naraku's greed.
By mid-afternoon, Sesshoumaru closed in on the gates of the village. He stared up at their height, no longer as strong as they used to be when the village had flourished. He entered through the gate and walked slowly, taking his time. Finding the castle would prove to be a little harder than he thought it would be; all of the buildings looked the same: low and wooden. The castle would at least be in the heart of the village; this Sesshoumaru knew for sure.
As he walked along in perfect silence, he noticed the calm of the ghost village. It would have been serene. . . if it wasn't for the stench. The faint stench of death; a massacre of some sort. So that's how the village came to be deserted. Anyone that lived here before was now dead and buried. He wondered ironically if this was the doing of Naraku. Leave it up to the demon to destroy the inhabitants of a whole village and then return to live in it later.
He soon came to the center of the village. There was a street on which a market once thrived; abandoned carts stood still and empty, and some were rotted slightly from weathering. In the middle of the street was a large gate; an entrance to the castle. Sesshoumaru smirked and stepped through the entrance. This was too easy. Should he worry?
Curious now, Sesshoumaru continued his slow walk to the very front doors of the castle. He walked quietly, soundlessly around the great porch that wrapped around the entire castle, glancing in windows as discreetly as possible, to catch a glimpse of anything that might give him a sign. Finally, about fifteen minutes later, he came to a window in the back of the castle. When he looked in, he saw to his delight, Sango, and Naraku himself. But what he saw them doing together made him frown. They were kissing passionately, Naraku rubbing his hands up and down Sango's torso under her loosened kimono, and she seemed to be enjoying it; the sight was making Sesshoumaru sick. 'He must have the poor woman under a very powerful spell,' the youkai lord thought to himself.
Eyes narrowing malevolently, Sesshoumaru turned and made his way to the front door quietly and quickly. "I should let them know I'm here," he said humorlessly. He then burst through the door with a great BANG! and stalked into the large sitting room.
He stood his ground and waited patiently.
Soon, and half-dressed Naraku came stalking into the room, glaring at Sesshoumaru. "What business do you have here?!" he bellowed.
Sesshoumaru cringed as the yelling pierced his sensitive ears, but recovered quickly enough to send a glare in Naraku's direction. "Return the woman," Sesshoumaru demanded calmly.
"How did you find out?" Naraku asked heatedly.
"You don't know? Really, you should watch where your incarnates wander. . . " Sesshoumaru taunted, pleased to see Naraku's eyes widen. "Give me the woman, Naraku."
Naraku straightened, his face serious, no evil smirk visible, nothing there but determination. This left Sesshoumaru feeling unsettled. But he was not afraid.
"Give. me. the woman." Sesshoumaru repeated.
"No."
"What is your plan, Naraku? What is your trick this time?"
"Who are you?" Seriously.
Sesshoumaru stared at Naraku for a moment, then let out a sharp bark of laughter. "You're fooling no one. No one but the girl, obviously - let her go, or I promise, I will destroy you, Naraku. Perhaps we can work something out. You let the girl go back to her friends, and I'll leave you be."
"I will not let her go," Naraku said intensely.
Sesshoumaru glared. So Naraku didn't want to play things his way. 'Well, there is a way around every problem.' Sesshoumaru raised his clawed hand, and it glowed a luminescent green, as he prepared to attack with his poison. Naraku stared at the glowing hand intensely. Sesshoumaru stood very still, giving Naraku no indication of when he would attack. . .
And then, in the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru ripped his claw across the left side of Naraku's chest. Blood poured to the ground from the great gashes, in a still, quiet moment that followed the attack. For several heartbeats, Naraku stared into space dimly. . . he then fell forward, barely catching himself on his knees.
Sesshoumaru glared at him. "Why was that so easy, Naraku? Why do you act so weak? Why don't you *fight*?!"
Holding the would across his chest, Naraku glared up at Sesshoumaru. He began to say something, when a worried female voice in the hallway behind interrupted him.
"Naraku? What is going on?"
Sango appeared, clutching the top of her kimono to her chest. When her eyes took in the scene before her, they widened, and, like lightening, she was down beside Naraku, helping to support his body from falling to the floor. She glared up at Sesshoumaru. "What have you done?! What do you want?!"
Sesshoumaru gazed at her. "I have come to return you to your friends."
"My. . . my what?"
"Your companions; Miroku, InuYasha, Kagome. . . do you not remember them?"
She squeezed her eyes shut in a confused fashion, and shook her head as if to wake herself. "I. . . I don't know who you're talking about! Get out! Leave us in peace!"
"You must remember, Sango. Naraku has tricked you - "
"He has done no such thing!!! GO AWAY!!!"
" - into forgetting. You remember Kirara - "
"NO!"
" - and Shippou? They miss you, too."
She cradled Naraku in her arms. "I don't know who you're talking about. Just go away, *please*."
Sesshoumaru stepped up to her, Naraku slowly losing consciousness at his feet. He reached for her wrist, but she pulled away from him violently. "I will not go with you!!! Leave!!! Get out!"
Remembering Rin, and how he never forced her to do anything against her wishes, Sesshoumaru figured it would not be a good idea to make Sango come back with him, especially if she did not know who her friends were while under such a spell. He returned to his full height, making his face cold and impassive to the fading Naraku. Naraku's red eyes gazed at him dimly. Sesshoumaru smirked, showing off a fang. "Let that be a warning to you, Naraku. Let the woman go, free her from your trickery, and return her to her companions. If you do not, we will be back for her." He turned on his heel and stalked out, leaving them on the floor to stare after him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sango shook with rage. This familiar demon - whoever he was - had just trespassed into their personal space. He had just barged in there, as if the castle were open to anyone who wished to enter.
Naraku coughed suddenly in Sango's arms, covering his mouth as he did so. When he pulled his hand away, there was thick blood splattered on his palm. Sango's eyes widened. "Naraku - we must get you into a bed. Now. Can you stand?"
He nodded weakly, struggling to remain conscious. Placing a hand on his back and pushing firmly, she helped him to sit up straight. Finally, she helped him to stand, and they made their way carefully back into her bedroom. When the reached to door, he grabbed the doorframe. "No. . . take me to my room."
"But it's too far - "
"My room. Please."
She looked at him uncertainly, then slowly turned him so they faced the direction of his room. She watched him as they walked slowly, leaving a rough trail of blood all the way across the castle. His eyes were squeezed shut in pain, and he was trying not to groan. He would gasp every now and then, but somehow, they made it, all the way to the other side.
She found his futon immediately, and laid him down as softly as she could. He hissed when he stretched back to lay down, the wounds stretching with him. They looked wider than they had moments ago - Sango knew it was the poison.
She left him to get some cloth and water to clean the wounds, and realized she didn't know how she knew the other demon had attacked him with poison. She hadn't seen the attack; how did she know this? Shaking her head roughly, she headed back to Naraku quickly. He was laying very still when she returned, and it looked as if every breath he took was painful.
A hurting expression was etched into her face as she dipped one cloth into the bowl of water at her side, and applied it to the first ungodly gash in his handsome chest.
He clenched his teeth and jerked when the cloth touched his ripped skin, and she placed a hand on his forehead to calm him.
He somehow made in through the clean-up consciously, and after she had him all wrapped up and bandaged, she got up to leave him to rest. He grabbed her wrist before she left the ground.
"What is it?" she asked him softly.
"Arigato," he said to her.
She nodded vigorously, then shushed him.
But he continued to speak. "I don't know how much time this gives me, now. . . "
"Shh. Don't speak of that. . . Just rest. I love you. Get well, for me, okay?"
He nodded weakly, and closed his eyes. She leaned over and placed a comforting kiss on his lips, then, with nothing to do, laid down beside her lover and wrapped an arm around his lower waist. She fell asleep soon, and dreamed odd dreams.
First, she dreamed of the demon that had attacked Naraku. He was fighting another demon - but this demon was unusual. He was a half-demon. . . Sango recognized him, but simply could not name him. . .
The dream switched to a man being slaughtered. Then more men, and finally, a small boy, about ten or thirteen, with oddly blank eyes. . .
When Sango awoke, the sun had gone down. The room was very dark, but she could see Naraku in the moonlight when she opened her eyes. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was not deep; he was awake.
"Koi?"
His eyes opened only slightly, and he smiled weakly. "Gomen, Sango."
"For what?"
"We will not get to make love for a while. . . "
"It's all right. I'm not worried about that. I just want your wounds to heal."
"The poison is slowing the healing process - but the youkai did not strike to kill."
"You do not know his name?"
"I do not remember him."
"He looked very familiar to me."
Naraku said nothing, but closed his eyes again.
He looked like he was aching badly. . . Sango wanted to do something for him. She smirked when she realized what.
She got up slowly, and balanced herself over him to placed a sensual kiss on his lips. His eyes fluttered open, and he smirked a little. "What are you. . ."
"Shhh. . ." She kissed him again, and let her hand travel down to the waistline of his pants. Not sure what was coming over her, she suddenly grabbed his crotch (A/N: "Crotch" is such a nasty word -_-;; Sorry, it was all I could think of), and he gasped slightly, more out of surprise than anything.
Still kissing him, she smirked against his lips. Something had sprung to life down there, and it excited her. She let her hand travel firmly back up onto his lower stomach, then back down into his pants. It didn't take her long to find what she was searching for.
He looked up at her through his eyelashes, and smiled lustfully. She just smiled back, and said nothing. She took his mouth once again, while her hand did it's own work below. Never breaking their kiss, she pleasured him as seductively as possible.
The pain in his chest and pleasure in his groin were forming together into one exciting feeling, and he finally climaxed silently. Sango smiled. "Feeling better, koi?"
He raised his eyebrows. A slight smile was on his lips, and he nodded. She kissed him again.
Someone had once told her that there was more than one way to kiss. . . Sango now knew there was more than one way to make love.
Content with herself, she cleaned herself and her lover up, and lay back down beside him, to sleep dreamlessly into the next morning.
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Hiya! Such a dirty chappie. . . hee hee. I tried, anyway. *shrug*
Sorry it's been so long since my last update - hope I didn't lose any readers. It's just that school and everything has been getting busier. I will try my best to update as much as possible. Oh - and Finding Happiness fans - I have decided to post the first chappie of the sequel! I have named it "April Showers Bring May Flowers." ^_^ Cute, huh? Look for it soon!
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Two days later, the group still traveled. Sesshoumaru could see the they were growing nearer; they were reaching the place were he had left Rin and Jaken. He assumed Jaken had taken the girl back to the castle; Sesshoumaru had gruesome plans for the toad if he discovered Rin was in any sort of harm when he returned.
That afternoon, they reached the brook.
"Here is the place I saw them," the youkai lord said to everyone, mostly Miroku, who seemed to care more than anyone about Sango.
He and Miroku stared down into the brook together, and he could hear the monk sigh.
"So they've got to be around here somewhere, right?" he asked.
Sesshoumaru stared at his wavy reflection. "I believe so. If Naraku wants something from you, I don't think he would keep changing his location so you couldn't find him."
InuYasha and Kagome were inspecting the clearing behind him, but Sesshoumaru knew they would find nothing. Sango and Naraku's scents were long gone by now; he could pick up no scent other than the wild flowers, and a variety of creatures that may have passed though the clearing earlier.
"Let's keep going," he said clearly, turning away from the brook to face everyone else. "We can stay hidden in this forest tonight. I will head out tomorrow morning to see if anyone knows of Naraku's whereabouts."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When Naraku took the enchantment off the doors of the castle, Sango wanted to go out to explore. They hadn't made love since that first night, and Sango was getting anxious to try it once more, but Naraku was wary about hurting her again. So, to occupy her time, she wanted to explore the world outside the castle.
She smiled as she stepped out of the front doorway, and down off of the porch steps. When she looked around, she saw that they were in an old abandoned village. She wandered off into the buildings, studying things that had been left there; pottery, tatami mats, useless things. Anything important had been either stolen by now, or left with whomever had occupied the village before. 'Did Naraku destroyed this village, perhaps?' Sango thought darkly. She frowned and moved away from the window of a small hut.
She went further into the little ghost village, and came to one house that felt very familiar. Had she perhaps visited this place once? She went inside, and found she knew where every room was; but she didn't know how she knew this. She narrowed her eyes, a little scared. How did she know this place? She then started to hear whispers. . . whispers in her head, from the past. . .
Her voice. . . ("Father is proud of you, Kohaku. . .")
A man's voice. . . ("Sango, Kohaku, come inside!")
A little boy's. . . ("Sango, teach me how to throw Hiraikotsu. . .")
She was having trouble remembering what all of this meant; Kohaku, Hiraikotsu. . . She recognized these names, but could not place them.
She was now getting chills down her arms and neck, so she got out of the house as quickly as she could, bolting for the front door. She walked the rest of the way back to the castle, and when she went inside, Naraku was waiting for her in the dining area.
"Did you have a nice walk?"
"Uh," she was still a little shaken up. "Yes. Yes, the village is nice. Empty, but nice."
"It's quiet," he explained.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
From the outside of the castle, a pair of red eyes watched Sango and Naraku over a white and red fan. Red-painted lips smirked as the two hugged, and a beautiful voice gave a low, evil chuckle. "So, Naraku. . . you are still alive. And up to your old tricks, it seems."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sesshoumaru awoke the next morning before the others. He had decided to sleep that night so he could be fully energized when he did find Naraku. He got up quietly, careful not to wake the others, and began to walk out of the clearing, when he heard a rustling noise behind him.
"Sesshoumaru?" asked a whispered voice. It was Kagome, still on the ground, but sitting up.
He merely turned his gaze to her.
"Are you leaving?"
He nodded.
She got up then, and walked over to him. He watched, confused, as she came closer with an odd, emotional look in her eyes. When she was in his personal space, little alarms started to go off in his head. What was she doing? Then faster then he expected, she threw her arms around his neck.
Sesshoumaru just stood there in shock for a moment. His eyes wide, he was about to ask her what she was doing when she whispered, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I don't think we could've gotten this far so quickly if it hadn't been for you. You didn't have to help us, but you did, anyway. I think you're very sweet."
Eh?
He expected her to release him, but she stayed put. He looked around for a moment. What was he supposed to do? Should he hug her back? His arm found her tiny waist, and he merely circled her, for fear of squeezing her. It was awkward, but nice. . . until Sesshoumaru's eyes found InuYasha's sleeping form. Sesshoumaru softly grabbed one of Kagome's arms from around his neck and stepped back. She was blushing profusely, and staring up at him with wide eyes. Had he given her the impression that she had just done the wrong thing?
To ease the awkwardness, Sesshoumaru said quietly,"You welcome. I need to go now. The faster I hunt Naraku down, the sooner we get Sango back."
Kagome nodded, biting her lip.
He began to turn away, but stopped when he heard her say softly, "Be careful."
Turning slightly to look at her, he nodded, then continued to walk without looking back.
Inside, he was shaken. Why had she hugged him? Why had she told him to be careful, as if she were worried for him? Why would she worry for him? She *was* the only one out of the group that had shown any concern for him. . .
One little action from her had aroused so many questions, and emotions. Sesshoumaru had forgotten what most emotions felt like. It had been so long since he had felt *any*. . . ever since. . .
Willing himself not to think of it, he continued to the abandoned village.
He walked serenely, seriously for a while, until he heard a nagging, familiar voice singing to his right, "Sesshoumaru."
"Kagura." he growled. Who could not forget that annoying, nagging voice of hers?
"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" she asked, coming out from behind a tree. As she walked towards him, she continued in her taunting voice. "You are searching for something. You are so serious. . . What could you be searching for?" She tapped a finger on her chin. "*Who* could you be searching for?"
"That, my 'dear old friend,' would be. . ." he paused.
She stared at him anxiously.
". . . none of your business," he finished.
Her eyebrow quirked. "Well. . . I'm going to. . . take a *stab* at it, then. . . could you possibly be searching for. . . Naraku?"
He kept his face still. "You know where he is."
"Ah, so it *is* Naraku. Yes, I know where he is."
"Let me guess. You won't tell me, unless you get something in return."
She smirked. "You know me well, Sesshoumaru."
He stared down at her indifferently. "I don't wish to make any bargains with you, Kagura."
"Why? All I want is something simple," she said sweetly.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "And what would that be?"
"Assurance that Naraku is destroyed!" she hissed suddenly. "If you can promise to me that you can destroy him completely, I will tell you were he is." She began to pace uneasily. "He has existed for far too long. I want him destroyed. . . and I think you are just the youkai to get the job done. You may be searching to destroy him for your own personal reasons, but I will tell you where he is if you can promise me that you will get rid of him completely, for me."
"I, Sesshoumaru, am very capable of destroying Naraku. But, say you give me the information, and I do not follow through with my end of the bargain?"
Her red eyes narrowed malevolently. "Oh, I have my ways of making you pay, Sesshoumaru. I am Naraku's incarnate - I can be just as tricky as he can. Only. . . *my* tricks never fail."
Sesshoumaru stared at her, and considered her bargain. Finally he said, "All right. I give my full word that I will completely destroy Naraku, whatever way I can."
Contentment washed over Kagura's features, and she smirked. "Naraku is hiding out in the castle of the abandoned village. You will find him there with a human girl. I don't know what her purpose is there, but I have a feeling Naraku is just back up to his old tricks. Follow through with this Sesshoumaru. Or suffer the consequences."
Sesshoumaru watched as Kagura flicked her wrist, then took off into the sky on a giant feather.
'The abandoned village. . . I should have guessed that myself,' he thought, watching the feather drift away until the trees hid it from his eyes. 'But Naraku is never in the obvious places. . . or that's what he must *want* us to think. . . ' Sesshoumaru smirked, and continued walking again, this time preparing to destroy Naraku once and for all.
Inwardly, he wished he could let the monk have a stab at Naraku. Literally. Sesshoumaru smirked at his own little joke. The monk was obviously in love with Sango; Sesshoumaru could only imagine how much hate Miroku held for the evil demon. That new little dagger of his would be a nice tool to torture the fool with.
Sesshoumaru even had some of his own reasons for wanting Naraku dead. Naraku had used him to try to destroy Miroku, used him as if he were a servant, or a play thing. He had given him a useless arm, and a nearly useless shard. And Sesshoumaru could see how much destruction had permeated through the land because of Naraku. Sesshoumaru felt a little sadness for every being that had lost it's life in vein because of Naraku's greed.
By mid-afternoon, Sesshoumaru closed in on the gates of the village. He stared up at their height, no longer as strong as they used to be when the village had flourished. He entered through the gate and walked slowly, taking his time. Finding the castle would prove to be a little harder than he thought it would be; all of the buildings looked the same: low and wooden. The castle would at least be in the heart of the village; this Sesshoumaru knew for sure.
As he walked along in perfect silence, he noticed the calm of the ghost village. It would have been serene. . . if it wasn't for the stench. The faint stench of death; a massacre of some sort. So that's how the village came to be deserted. Anyone that lived here before was now dead and buried. He wondered ironically if this was the doing of Naraku. Leave it up to the demon to destroy the inhabitants of a whole village and then return to live in it later.
He soon came to the center of the village. There was a street on which a market once thrived; abandoned carts stood still and empty, and some were rotted slightly from weathering. In the middle of the street was a large gate; an entrance to the castle. Sesshoumaru smirked and stepped through the entrance. This was too easy. Should he worry?
Curious now, Sesshoumaru continued his slow walk to the very front doors of the castle. He walked quietly, soundlessly around the great porch that wrapped around the entire castle, glancing in windows as discreetly as possible, to catch a glimpse of anything that might give him a sign. Finally, about fifteen minutes later, he came to a window in the back of the castle. When he looked in, he saw to his delight, Sango, and Naraku himself. But what he saw them doing together made him frown. They were kissing passionately, Naraku rubbing his hands up and down Sango's torso under her loosened kimono, and she seemed to be enjoying it; the sight was making Sesshoumaru sick. 'He must have the poor woman under a very powerful spell,' the youkai lord thought to himself.
Eyes narrowing malevolently, Sesshoumaru turned and made his way to the front door quietly and quickly. "I should let them know I'm here," he said humorlessly. He then burst through the door with a great BANG! and stalked into the large sitting room.
He stood his ground and waited patiently.
Soon, and half-dressed Naraku came stalking into the room, glaring at Sesshoumaru. "What business do you have here?!" he bellowed.
Sesshoumaru cringed as the yelling pierced his sensitive ears, but recovered quickly enough to send a glare in Naraku's direction. "Return the woman," Sesshoumaru demanded calmly.
"How did you find out?" Naraku asked heatedly.
"You don't know? Really, you should watch where your incarnates wander. . . " Sesshoumaru taunted, pleased to see Naraku's eyes widen. "Give me the woman, Naraku."
Naraku straightened, his face serious, no evil smirk visible, nothing there but determination. This left Sesshoumaru feeling unsettled. But he was not afraid.
"Give. me. the woman." Sesshoumaru repeated.
"No."
"What is your plan, Naraku? What is your trick this time?"
"Who are you?" Seriously.
Sesshoumaru stared at Naraku for a moment, then let out a sharp bark of laughter. "You're fooling no one. No one but the girl, obviously - let her go, or I promise, I will destroy you, Naraku. Perhaps we can work something out. You let the girl go back to her friends, and I'll leave you be."
"I will not let her go," Naraku said intensely.
Sesshoumaru glared. So Naraku didn't want to play things his way. 'Well, there is a way around every problem.' Sesshoumaru raised his clawed hand, and it glowed a luminescent green, as he prepared to attack with his poison. Naraku stared at the glowing hand intensely. Sesshoumaru stood very still, giving Naraku no indication of when he would attack. . .
And then, in the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru ripped his claw across the left side of Naraku's chest. Blood poured to the ground from the great gashes, in a still, quiet moment that followed the attack. For several heartbeats, Naraku stared into space dimly. . . he then fell forward, barely catching himself on his knees.
Sesshoumaru glared at him. "Why was that so easy, Naraku? Why do you act so weak? Why don't you *fight*?!"
Holding the would across his chest, Naraku glared up at Sesshoumaru. He began to say something, when a worried female voice in the hallway behind interrupted him.
"Naraku? What is going on?"
Sango appeared, clutching the top of her kimono to her chest. When her eyes took in the scene before her, they widened, and, like lightening, she was down beside Naraku, helping to support his body from falling to the floor. She glared up at Sesshoumaru. "What have you done?! What do you want?!"
Sesshoumaru gazed at her. "I have come to return you to your friends."
"My. . . my what?"
"Your companions; Miroku, InuYasha, Kagome. . . do you not remember them?"
She squeezed her eyes shut in a confused fashion, and shook her head as if to wake herself. "I. . . I don't know who you're talking about! Get out! Leave us in peace!"
"You must remember, Sango. Naraku has tricked you - "
"He has done no such thing!!! GO AWAY!!!"
" - into forgetting. You remember Kirara - "
"NO!"
" - and Shippou? They miss you, too."
She cradled Naraku in her arms. "I don't know who you're talking about. Just go away, *please*."
Sesshoumaru stepped up to her, Naraku slowly losing consciousness at his feet. He reached for her wrist, but she pulled away from him violently. "I will not go with you!!! Leave!!! Get out!"
Remembering Rin, and how he never forced her to do anything against her wishes, Sesshoumaru figured it would not be a good idea to make Sango come back with him, especially if she did not know who her friends were while under such a spell. He returned to his full height, making his face cold and impassive to the fading Naraku. Naraku's red eyes gazed at him dimly. Sesshoumaru smirked, showing off a fang. "Let that be a warning to you, Naraku. Let the woman go, free her from your trickery, and return her to her companions. If you do not, we will be back for her." He turned on his heel and stalked out, leaving them on the floor to stare after him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sango shook with rage. This familiar demon - whoever he was - had just trespassed into their personal space. He had just barged in there, as if the castle were open to anyone who wished to enter.
Naraku coughed suddenly in Sango's arms, covering his mouth as he did so. When he pulled his hand away, there was thick blood splattered on his palm. Sango's eyes widened. "Naraku - we must get you into a bed. Now. Can you stand?"
He nodded weakly, struggling to remain conscious. Placing a hand on his back and pushing firmly, she helped him to sit up straight. Finally, she helped him to stand, and they made their way carefully back into her bedroom. When the reached to door, he grabbed the doorframe. "No. . . take me to my room."
"But it's too far - "
"My room. Please."
She looked at him uncertainly, then slowly turned him so they faced the direction of his room. She watched him as they walked slowly, leaving a rough trail of blood all the way across the castle. His eyes were squeezed shut in pain, and he was trying not to groan. He would gasp every now and then, but somehow, they made it, all the way to the other side.
She found his futon immediately, and laid him down as softly as she could. He hissed when he stretched back to lay down, the wounds stretching with him. They looked wider than they had moments ago - Sango knew it was the poison.
She left him to get some cloth and water to clean the wounds, and realized she didn't know how she knew the other demon had attacked him with poison. She hadn't seen the attack; how did she know this? Shaking her head roughly, she headed back to Naraku quickly. He was laying very still when she returned, and it looked as if every breath he took was painful.
A hurting expression was etched into her face as she dipped one cloth into the bowl of water at her side, and applied it to the first ungodly gash in his handsome chest.
He clenched his teeth and jerked when the cloth touched his ripped skin, and she placed a hand on his forehead to calm him.
He somehow made in through the clean-up consciously, and after she had him all wrapped up and bandaged, she got up to leave him to rest. He grabbed her wrist before she left the ground.
"What is it?" she asked him softly.
"Arigato," he said to her.
She nodded vigorously, then shushed him.
But he continued to speak. "I don't know how much time this gives me, now. . . "
"Shh. Don't speak of that. . . Just rest. I love you. Get well, for me, okay?"
He nodded weakly, and closed his eyes. She leaned over and placed a comforting kiss on his lips, then, with nothing to do, laid down beside her lover and wrapped an arm around his lower waist. She fell asleep soon, and dreamed odd dreams.
First, she dreamed of the demon that had attacked Naraku. He was fighting another demon - but this demon was unusual. He was a half-demon. . . Sango recognized him, but simply could not name him. . .
The dream switched to a man being slaughtered. Then more men, and finally, a small boy, about ten or thirteen, with oddly blank eyes. . .
When Sango awoke, the sun had gone down. The room was very dark, but she could see Naraku in the moonlight when she opened her eyes. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was not deep; he was awake.
"Koi?"
His eyes opened only slightly, and he smiled weakly. "Gomen, Sango."
"For what?"
"We will not get to make love for a while. . . "
"It's all right. I'm not worried about that. I just want your wounds to heal."
"The poison is slowing the healing process - but the youkai did not strike to kill."
"You do not know his name?"
"I do not remember him."
"He looked very familiar to me."
Naraku said nothing, but closed his eyes again.
He looked like he was aching badly. . . Sango wanted to do something for him. She smirked when she realized what.
She got up slowly, and balanced herself over him to placed a sensual kiss on his lips. His eyes fluttered open, and he smirked a little. "What are you. . ."
"Shhh. . ." She kissed him again, and let her hand travel down to the waistline of his pants. Not sure what was coming over her, she suddenly grabbed his crotch (A/N: "Crotch" is such a nasty word -_-;; Sorry, it was all I could think of), and he gasped slightly, more out of surprise than anything.
Still kissing him, she smirked against his lips. Something had sprung to life down there, and it excited her. She let her hand travel firmly back up onto his lower stomach, then back down into his pants. It didn't take her long to find what she was searching for.
He looked up at her through his eyelashes, and smiled lustfully. She just smiled back, and said nothing. She took his mouth once again, while her hand did it's own work below. Never breaking their kiss, she pleasured him as seductively as possible.
The pain in his chest and pleasure in his groin were forming together into one exciting feeling, and he finally climaxed silently. Sango smiled. "Feeling better, koi?"
He raised his eyebrows. A slight smile was on his lips, and he nodded. She kissed him again.
Someone had once told her that there was more than one way to kiss. . . Sango now knew there was more than one way to make love.
Content with herself, she cleaned herself and her lover up, and lay back down beside him, to sleep dreamlessly into the next morning.
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Hiya! Such a dirty chappie. . . hee hee. I tried, anyway. *shrug*
Sorry it's been so long since my last update - hope I didn't lose any readers. It's just that school and everything has been getting busier. I will try my best to update as much as possible. Oh - and Finding Happiness fans - I have decided to post the first chappie of the sequel! I have named it "April Showers Bring May Flowers." ^_^ Cute, huh? Look for it soon!