CHAPTER NINE
*
"Ah, that was good!" Shippo said. He fell back on Kagome's backpack and rubbed his small stomach. "Can I have some more tomorrow morning?"
"You can have some for breakfast tomorrow," Kagome said, stacking the dirty bowls. "Assuming you're not still full from tonight. Just where do you PUT it all?"
Kagome waited for Inuyasha to make some acid remark about Shippo -- maybe "in his empty skull." But she only heard a faint moan that ended in a sigh. When she turned around, she saw that he was asleep, with his silver head resting against the wall. His closed eyes twitched, as if he were having a vivid dream, and he clung to the Tetsusaiga like a small child holding a ragged blanket.
Kagome's face softened slightly. "Inuyasha?" she said quietly.
Inuyasha mumbled, "... don' wanna..." and ended with another long sigh.
"Wow, he must've really been tired," Shippo remarked. He hopped onto Kagome's shoulder. "Are you gonna wake him up?"
"No, I don't think so," Kagome whispered. She crept over to her backpack and pulled out a folded blanket. Inuyasha didn't move as she draped it over him, tucking it around his long legs and tightly folded arms. She felt him stiffen as she touched him, then relax as she pulled away. On impulse, Kagome touched his head, stroked her fingers over the long silver hair. It caught on her fingertips, making him stir in his sleep. A faint tremor passed over his face, melted away into stillness.
I wonder what he's dreaming about, she thought. Fighting, probably -- he spends so much time doing it that I wouldn't be surprised.
Suddenly Inuyasha stirred. "What're you doing?" he mumbled.
"Sorry," Kagome said.
Inuyasha stretched a little under the blanket, but seemed uninclined to take it off. After a few minutes of staring at the fire, his head drooped forward, and his golden eyes slowly closed.
"What are you smiling at, Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"Oh, nothing," Kagome said, zipping up her backpack. She slung it over her shoulder as she stepped out of the house. "Good night, Shippo. Miroku ought to be back soon."
"Good night, Kagome." Shippo yawned and curled up on the floor.
*
"Trust is such a fragile thing," murmured the cloaked figure, looking down at the dark valley below him. Behind the baboon mask, Naraku's cold eyes were smiling. He could see the fleet-footed forms of his newest offspring, flickering under the trees as they approached the little village.
It had been far too easy to erect the village, make it look as though it had been inhabited, and sprinkle rumors on the wind about jewel shards there. Inuyasha and his little band were ridiculously easy to lure. And now, with Marako and Mihaka weaving in and out, the fragile trust between Inuyasha and Kagome would start to crack.
Naraku remembered vividly the day, fifty years before, when he had tricked Inuyasha and the priestess Kikyo into attacking one another. He remembered the hate in Kikyo's eyes, as she had seen her precious Inuyasha walk away with the jewel in his hand. And the rage and pain in Inuyasha's, as he had seen his beloved Kikyo firing her arrows at him. Naraku had watched from a distance as Inuyasha ripped through the village, leaving a trail of destruction, and almost escaping with the Shikon jewel in his grasp. Then Kikyo's arrow had pierced his heart, pinning him to a tree in a spell of death. And she had died, taking the jewel with her.
The next day would be no less tumultuous, but Naraku found a certain pleasure in thinking about it. More complex, less chaotic. Nothing would be left to chance. Kagome would not have the choice of using the jewel to save herself -- Marako would see to that. And Inuyasha would again be "betrayed," dying in front of the woman he loved... ironically, the same woman reincarnated.
Those two may have more trust than Kikyo and Inuyasha shared, Naraku thought, but it will not save them in the end. Their bitterest words will come back to haunt them, and their deepest fears will surface. Mihaka and Marako know what to say and do... make them most vulnerable, and then shatter them completely.
He smiled slightly. He would observe at a distance, waiting for the two to finish their task. And perhaps, he would then order them to take Inuyasha and Kagome's places. Then Sango and the dissolute monk Miroku could be quietly killed off, in some secluded spot. After all, did they not trust Inuyasha and Kagome, their close friends?
As the lights in the tiny village went out, Naraku was enveloped in a great cloud of poisonous vapors, lifted into the night sky. A swarm of poisonous wasps flew around him.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Ah, that was good!" Shippo said. He fell back on Kagome's backpack and rubbed his small stomach. "Can I have some more tomorrow morning?"
"You can have some for breakfast tomorrow," Kagome said, stacking the dirty bowls. "Assuming you're not still full from tonight. Just where do you PUT it all?"
Kagome waited for Inuyasha to make some acid remark about Shippo -- maybe "in his empty skull." But she only heard a faint moan that ended in a sigh. When she turned around, she saw that he was asleep, with his silver head resting against the wall. His closed eyes twitched, as if he were having a vivid dream, and he clung to the Tetsusaiga like a small child holding a ragged blanket.
Kagome's face softened slightly. "Inuyasha?" she said quietly.
Inuyasha mumbled, "... don' wanna..." and ended with another long sigh.
"Wow, he must've really been tired," Shippo remarked. He hopped onto Kagome's shoulder. "Are you gonna wake him up?"
"No, I don't think so," Kagome whispered. She crept over to her backpack and pulled out a folded blanket. Inuyasha didn't move as she draped it over him, tucking it around his long legs and tightly folded arms. She felt him stiffen as she touched him, then relax as she pulled away. On impulse, Kagome touched his head, stroked her fingers over the long silver hair. It caught on her fingertips, making him stir in his sleep. A faint tremor passed over his face, melted away into stillness.
I wonder what he's dreaming about, she thought. Fighting, probably -- he spends so much time doing it that I wouldn't be surprised.
Suddenly Inuyasha stirred. "What're you doing?" he mumbled.
"Sorry," Kagome said.
Inuyasha stretched a little under the blanket, but seemed uninclined to take it off. After a few minutes of staring at the fire, his head drooped forward, and his golden eyes slowly closed.
"What are you smiling at, Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"Oh, nothing," Kagome said, zipping up her backpack. She slung it over her shoulder as she stepped out of the house. "Good night, Shippo. Miroku ought to be back soon."
"Good night, Kagome." Shippo yawned and curled up on the floor.
*
"Trust is such a fragile thing," murmured the cloaked figure, looking down at the dark valley below him. Behind the baboon mask, Naraku's cold eyes were smiling. He could see the fleet-footed forms of his newest offspring, flickering under the trees as they approached the little village.
It had been far too easy to erect the village, make it look as though it had been inhabited, and sprinkle rumors on the wind about jewel shards there. Inuyasha and his little band were ridiculously easy to lure. And now, with Marako and Mihaka weaving in and out, the fragile trust between Inuyasha and Kagome would start to crack.
Naraku remembered vividly the day, fifty years before, when he had tricked Inuyasha and the priestess Kikyo into attacking one another. He remembered the hate in Kikyo's eyes, as she had seen her precious Inuyasha walk away with the jewel in his hand. And the rage and pain in Inuyasha's, as he had seen his beloved Kikyo firing her arrows at him. Naraku had watched from a distance as Inuyasha ripped through the village, leaving a trail of destruction, and almost escaping with the Shikon jewel in his grasp. Then Kikyo's arrow had pierced his heart, pinning him to a tree in a spell of death. And she had died, taking the jewel with her.
The next day would be no less tumultuous, but Naraku found a certain pleasure in thinking about it. More complex, less chaotic. Nothing would be left to chance. Kagome would not have the choice of using the jewel to save herself -- Marako would see to that. And Inuyasha would again be "betrayed," dying in front of the woman he loved... ironically, the same woman reincarnated.
Those two may have more trust than Kikyo and Inuyasha shared, Naraku thought, but it will not save them in the end. Their bitterest words will come back to haunt them, and their deepest fears will surface. Mihaka and Marako know what to say and do... make them most vulnerable, and then shatter them completely.
He smiled slightly. He would observe at a distance, waiting for the two to finish their task. And perhaps, he would then order them to take Inuyasha and Kagome's places. Then Sango and the dissolute monk Miroku could be quietly killed off, in some secluded spot. After all, did they not trust Inuyasha and Kagome, their close friends?
As the lights in the tiny village went out, Naraku was enveloped in a great cloud of poisonous vapors, lifted into the night sky. A swarm of poisonous wasps flew around him.
TO BE CONTINUED