"Sesshoumaru-sama! You got all wet! Your armor will rust. Let this lowly Jaken polish it!" The ever, eager beaver Jaken begged Sesshoumaru. Kagura went back to drying her hair, disgusted. She would never understand why Jaken would take to being so subservient.
Sesshoumaru doubted the youkai armor would rust but it would benefit from a polishing. Plus it would give Jaken something to do besides complain about Rin and grovel. Sesshoumaru undid his sash and unbuckled the armor and tossed them to the small, green demon, without a glance back.
Luckily, Jaken wasn't squashed by the heavy breastplate landing on him. Well, not THAT much.
A fast moving storm had quickly come upon the group. Rather than go through the inconvenience of traveling through it, Sesshoumaru steered the group to a cave he knew of and ordered camp set up for the night. They had still gotten slightly wet but weren't soaked to the bone and had already gotten a small fire set up with some firewood the local villagers stored there as an emergency shelter in the event of war.
"Kagura-sama? When do you think the storm will end?"
"Not any time soon. It must have be a typhoon off the coast. Looks like we'll be in here for the night, so you should get ready for bed." Kagura wasn't about to go out and meet Kouga that evening. He would probably not mind getting wet and muddy but she sure as heck would. Still, she hoped he had found shelter. It wouldn't do to have him all sniffly the next time they met.
"Do you think you could comb my hair again?" Rin asked, hopeful. Having her hair combed by someone else always reminded Rin of when her mother used to do it but Jaken complained and yanked too much. Kagura had done it a couple times before when she was in a good mood.
"Sure, kid." Kagura smiled as she sat down and rooted through her pack for her comb. Rin came to sit by her.
Suddenly, the darkened sky light up with the effects of a string of lightning bolts. A minute or so later, the crash of thunder boomed. Startled, Rin jumped, squealed, and glomped the seemingly unaffected Kagura. Rin, realizing how silly it was to be scared at thunder, began giggling. Kagura chuckled, good-naturedly.
"What's that?"Rin asked spotting something moving on the top of Kagura's open pack.
"What's-!" Kagura gasped as she saw her beloved pouch being opened by the hands of a curious child.
"Oo! It's pretty! And moving!" The red, glowing orb within the pouch was indeed moving, or rather pulsating quickly. Kagura wasn't so unaffected by the thunder as she outwardly seemed.
"Gimmie that!"Kagura snatched it from Rin's hands. The contents of the pouch were highly personal but now Rin knew. Kagura looked over at the others. Jaken seemed absorbed by his work and Sesshoumaru seemed to be ignoring her, as usual. So Kagura huddled with Rin and explained. "It's-it's my heart. Naraku took it out of me when he made me. He used it to force me to do whatever he wanted. So it has to remain a secret."
"Oh. So that's why you kidnaped me."
"Er, yeah. By the way, I, uh, hope I didn't rough you up much."
"It's okay. You didn't." Rin beamed, but then turned serious. "But you should get that back into your chest. What if you lose it, and someone steps on it? Or takes it to control you again."
"Yes, I've already thought of that. I- I don't know how to do it." There was a lot of things Naraku never taught Kagura, keeping her purposely ignorant. That fact had become blatantly obvious in the months after his death. Worse yet, Kagura knew she couldn't risk begging the more powerful youkai to teach her or restore her heart. Like Rin said, a higher youkai could force her to do whatever he wants.
"Maybe Sesshoumaru-sama knows."
Kagura glanced at the youkai lord at the mouth of the cave, who was tensed, with his hand on the hilt of one of his swords, staring out into the rain. Though he let her tag along, Sesshoumaru wasn't the helpful type. She still remembered the last time she begged for his help and she wasn't about to let herself open to that kind of rejection again. Of course, how was Kagura to explain this to the small child that idolized him as her personal angel of protection and mercy. "Rin, " she sighed. "I don't think that-"
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin interrupted her, yelling out to Sesshoumaru, much to Kagura's chagrin. "Can you please put Kagura-sama's heart back in her chest!?"
"Dammit, Rin! It was supposed to be a secret!" Kagura screamed at the child, hurt.
"I can do it." Sesshoumaru quietly said as he continued to look out into the rain.
"What?" Kagura hesitantly tensed herself, cynically wondering what the catch was. "What do you want for it?"
Sesshoumaru turned to her, frowning as if slightly offended. "There's nothing you have that I want." Then it was Kagura turn to be offended as her face heated up with an angry flush. "It's a simple thing to do. I have nothing else to do at the moment."
Kagura scowled, seething. The way he could fluff off her existence was infuriating. She opened her mouth to yell at him that he could keep his blasted charity, when suddenly the thought struck her that he was *helping* her. This is what she wanted, wasn't it?
Sesshoumaru walked up to her and then stepped behind her. She was about turn around and ask him where he was going when he reached around her, placing his hand on her stomach and pulled her down onto his lap as he sat onto the cave's floor. Kagura blushed as she felt herself panicking that she could feel his steady heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest against her back. "What the hell do you-"
Kagura blushed even harder, as she felt Sesshoumaru's hot breath against her ear lobe. "It will be painful, but do not be afraid. I know what I am doing."
Kagura clutched at the pouch containing her heart, which was pulsating even faster at Sesshoumaru's close proximity. He was never this nice to her or anyone. She jumped as she felt his hand shift from her stomach. Confused by the flow of fear, curiosity, and some unknown emotions, Kagura absently wondered why she wasn't angry even though she suddenly felt so helpless.
Kagura flinched when she felt his hand gently tracing her collarbone as he eased the fabric of her kimono open.
"Sesshoumaru! Stop that!" Kagura grabbed his hand away from her.
"I'm just trying to get these out of the way. I'm not trying to be..." Sesshoumaru paused for a second to come up with the right word. " Familiar."
Of course, that didn't ease Kagura tension, besides adding an unknown feeling of disappointment and emptiness to the mix that was quickly forgotten as Sesshoumaru continued to widen the front of her kimono enough to get to the site, sliding each side off her shoulders.
"Psst... Rin!" Jaken averted his gaze from whatever his master was doing with Naraku's detachment. His master was perfect and graceful, yet didn't have good timing for such things, evidently. Sesshoumaru should have waited until he was alone with the woman. "Rin, get over here!" Jaken loudly whispered.
"Jaken-sama, I don't want to help you right now. After the magic!" Rin was lying on her belly with her head propped up, watching the two youkai with rapt, innocent curiosity and attention. Though Rin would be happy to serve her beloved Sesshoumaru by helping Jaken, Rin knew a prime opportunity to see something neat when she saw it.
Kagura blushed as she suddenly remembered the incidental audience she had, but then realized how Sesshoumaru was being considerate enough to stop short of exposing her breasts. "Maybe we should-."
"Kagura." Sesshoumaru said softly yet disappointedly clinical, as he opened his hand. "The heart?" Kagura hesitated for a second before opening the pouch and placing it into Sesshoumaru's hand. Sesshoumaru paused for a couple of seconds, carefully holding it and feeling its excited fluttering. "Brace yourself."
~*~*~
"AAA- choo!" Ginta sneezed loudly.
"AH! Cover your mouth! You're spraying it everywhere!" Hakkaku complained as the wet youkai and wolves huddled miserably in the makeshift lean-to. "Boss! Tell Ginta to stop that!"
Kouga sighed as he looked up from yet another failed attempt to make the small pile of sticks light into a fire. Sure, he knew his chances were slim to none considering how damp and green the wood was, but it gave Kouga something to do besides beating the crap out of his followers for stepping on his last nerves "Why are you guys out here anyway?"
"Why are we out here? We should all be back at our lair. Come on Kouga! Why are you still out here?"
Kouga was about to lash out at then shook his head and scowled and concentrated on his fire again. "None of your business." A large droplet seeped through the seams of the leather tent. Kouga shivered as the droplet hit him in the middle of his neck and ran down his spine.
"But Kouga-" Suddenly, an scream of pain pierced the night, interrupting Kouga's subordinate. "What was-?"
"Shut up!" Kouga barked, torn with indecision. He knew who that scream belonged to, but what could he do? Rush to the rescue? For an enemy?
~*~*~
Sesshoumaru tugged Kagura's robe closed then smoothed her bangs.
"Is she alright, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin questioned concerned.
Sesshoumaru didn't answer. He was too busy looking down at the unconscious woman still in his lap. He was reluctantly impressed with her tolerance for pain. The entire process was agonizing, but she had only screamed once. "Ready a bed for her."
Rin scrambled to obey Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru gently hefted Kagura over his shoulder, then laid her down in the made futon.
Kagura stirred and groaned groggily. "Sesshou-" she said, before gasping as she felt her heart beat within her chest, a sensation she had always dreamed of feeling.
"Rest." Sesshoumaru stood up and went back to his spot at the mouth of the cave, before Kagura could even get the chance to thank him.
Sesshoumaru looked out into the darkness, as the rail fall continued in torrents. It was less furious, having passed the eye of the storm but the rain was still thick.
Suddenly, the sky light up with the flicker of a lightning bolt, to show a familiar, lone, wolf youkai a dozen meters off from the cave. Sesshoumaru glared and grabbed the hilt of his sword but the wolf was gone by the next strobe of lightning.
~*~*~
And now another trilling (yeah right) omake theater!:
Seeing the vague profile and the slight scent femininity, amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, Kouga could see that his victim hadn't been alerted to his presence. Now he had the advantage of surprise and planned on using it.
"Why do I have a odd feeling of deja vu. . . and doom. . .?" Kouga shrugged. He never was one for hesitation.
Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey.
"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was startled by the one-eyed look given to him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into his victim and tackle her to the ground.
"What a nice surprise... And it's not even my birthday." Kaede wrapped her arms around the startled Kouga.
Kouga just gave her a horrified look and whimpered.
"Aw. Don't be like that." Kaede gave him a coy look as her hand slide over his rear. "I won't bite... Unless you ask, of course."
"Not another omake!" Kouga wailed. "How come Sesshoumaru doesn't have to do omakes!?"
~*~*~
Meanwhile, off stage...
Sesshoumaru picked up his cup of green tea, and gracefully took a sip. "Not only that, but this Sesshoumaru got to touch the windrider's chest without her getting angry." Sesshoumaru slightly smirked. "It is good to bribe the author."