And so the tension builds along with the number of people in the traveling troupe of joy and doom! Now that we've got fifteen people, most of who hate at least one other person in the group all together (except for the people like Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha who hate several people, making up for the people who hate no one, like Rin and Kagome) will there be a no holds barred battle to the death where pretty much all the guys fight and the women watch while eating popcorn and taking bets on who will be left and hooting whenever someone gets their clothing ripped off? Will Teresa cheer and make sure that Sesshoumaru ends up totally nude? Does Teresa's objectification of men offend anyone? Well too bad, if they objectify me, I objectify them and on and on until…
*****
Something Is Real
Part 17
*****
Kikyo's idea was simple, and that was the genius of it. As Kouga pointed out, it left less room for "screw ups" on any of their parts.
The first phase was to find Naraku. All that really required was Kanna, her mirror, and a considerable amount of walking from all involved.
Once they reached Naraku, they would leave Rin with Ah-Un, because, despite lengthy protests on her part, Rin was no warrior. Not unless Naraku was violently allergic to daisy chains. Which, Kikyo pointed out, was highly unlikely.
And then there was an argument over Shippo, who eventually threatened to hold his breath until he died (Inuyasha told him to go ahead, much to Kagome's displeasure) if they left him behind when he was clearly at least as powerful as Jaken. Sesshoumaru grudgingly admitted this was true, Jaken complained, and Shippo was allowed to come.
Now the list of fighters numbered fifteen youkai, hanyou, humans, and dead mikos, not to mention a demon cat and several wolves. Hakkaku claimed there were eight, Ginta said twelve, Ayame said that since neither of them knew how to count, their numbers meant nothing.
Kikyo said they would split into three groups, each approaching Naraku from a different direction, and theoretically cutting off any attempt at escape while overwhelming him with their full force. Also, if something stopped one group, the other two would still have Naraku in their sights.
This was accepted as a good plan. But then the argument started. Who would be in which group?
"I ain't going with him." Inuyasha pointed at Kouga. "Or him." He indicated Sesshoumaru. "Or him." His claw pointed to Jaken. "Or her." He finished with Kanna.
"What's wrong with my sister?" Kagura became immediately defensive.
"I'm with Kagome." Kouga claimed.
"No way! I am!" Inuyasha snarled angrily.
"I would like my group to include Sango, Kikyo-sama, Kagura, and Kagome-sama, as they are the most beautiful of all." Miroku spoke up.
"Ew, no." Kagura's nose wrinkled up.
"I say all wolves on one team!" Ayame proclaimed.
"You just want to be with Kouga." Ginta accused her, and she fell silent immediately.
"I would rather there were no humans on my team." Sesshoumaru stated calmly. "Or half humans."
"Oh, cause there's a lot of those here!" Inuyasha snorted. "Like no one knows who you mean!"
"Maybe we should let Kikyo pick teams." Kagome suggested. "She's been doing well so far, don't you think?"
"Kagome's right." Sango added her voice to the discussion. Everyone turned to face Kikyo, who looked calm and thoughtful.
"I believe the best groups for this fight would be as follows." She finally spoke. "The first group will be an obvious selection of the five who fight best together, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. Then I will fight beside Kagura, Kanna, Kouga, and Kohaku. Finally, Sesshoumaru and Jaken will fight with Ayame, Hakkaku, and Ginta." She finished.
"Good." Sesshoumaru spoke after a pause. "No humans."
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"The main thing is to keep it from getting in your eyes." Kagura explained to Kanna and Rin. Kanna was maintaining polite attention, but Rin seemed positively fascinated as Kagura opened a tiny jar of red face paint she used on her eyelids and lips. She had just scrubbed her face clean and was explaining proper application to the two girls. "And don't lick your lips. It doesn't taste very good."
"Sesshoumaru better not see you." Sango warned from where she sat with a few others, waiting for the others to bring fish. "You know he hates when you teach Rin things like that." They all remembered his thinly veiled fury when Kagura had showed Rin to tie an obi so that she could dress like a woman instead of a little girl. Since she had joined them, Rin was learning all sorts of things, and though she seemed only slightly matured, she was certainly less naïve.
"You shouldn't wear that." Kagome advised Kagura. "I heard that these old face paints were lead-based, and they cause cancer." Kagura blinked at Kagome, confused at her terms before shrugging.
"It's the price you have to pay for beauty." She lowered her eyelashes and smiled wickedly.
"That's stupid. You look better without all that crap on, anyway." Kouga was poking at the fire with a long stick, not noticing the looks of surprise Ayame and Kagura gave him after this statement.
"He has a point." Kagome didn't seem to think anything at all was strange. "You have very nice skin and coloring. I don't see why you wear it at all."
"I like it." Kagura recovered herself. "Actually, I was thinking recently that I'd like some lacquer for my nails, if I could find some. I assume it's quite expensive, as only well-off women seem to wear it."
"Oh!" Kagome brightened. "Nail polish? It's not as bad where I'm from. In fact, I might have…" she drifted off, searching through her bulging backpack. "I thought Sango might like to try it…ah-ha!" Kagome produced a handful of little glass jars, which Kagura and Sango eyed with interest. "We should paint each other's nails! It'll be fun."
"Count me out." Kouga looked so utterly disgusted that Kagome couldn't help bursting into laughter. "What?"
"Nothing. I just pictured Inuyasha and you painting your nails…hair up in curlers and beauty masks on…oh man." Kagome continued giggling helplessly before she was able to recover. "Anyway, I have a few different bottles. There's some pink, purple, and this red."
"Dibs on red!" Kagura was immediately at Kagome's side, gaze longingly fixed on the bottle in question.
"I don't really know how this works." Sango admitted. "Can you show us first, Kagome?"
"Sure. Set your hands flat for me, Kagura. Like this, with your fingers spread." Kagome instructed, shaking the red bottle vigorously in one hand. "Okay, now you can't move around or it'll get messy." Kagome warned the ecstatic wind youkai as Ayame, Rin, and even Kanna drew closer to inspect this unfamiliar process. Kagome unscrewed the bottle's lid and showed the brush off to her audience. "See, it's attached right to the lid so it's really convenient."
"Ugh, that shit smells nasty." Kouga scrunched up his nose in disgust. "What's in it?"
"Um…chemicals and things." Kagome made a face, upset that she couldn't really elaborate.
"Whatever that means. I'm gonna find Ginta and Hakkaku. They should be back by now." Kouga tossed aside his stick and left to track down his wolves, who were on firewood duty that evening. The girls hardly noticed his exit as Kagome swiftly painted one of Kagura's hands and then the other.
"Ooh, that's pretty." Sango admired her friend's handiwork. "You're really good at it, Kagome."
"It's not hard." Kagome blushed at the praise. "Just takes a little practice. Now, they have to dry, so go like this, but don't touch them yet." Kagome shook her hands vigorously. "Or they won't be as shiny when they dry."
"Do girls do this a lot in your country?" Ayame was fingering the pink bottle thoughtfully.
"Pretty often." Kagome was preparing to paint Sango's nails red as well. "Usually I only do it when I'm on a date or something with a bunch of friends and I want to look nice or just dress up."
"Can I use the pink?" Ayame asked, and Kagome smiled at the other girl.
"Sure," she agreed. "That one's my favorite, you know."
"Who will paint yours, Kagome?" Sango wanted to know, but before Kagome could answer, Kagura volunteered.
"I want to try!" she exclaimed, obviously excited by the prospect. "I have to be sure I can do it for myself."
"Sure." Kagome agreed. She knew that they were none of them normal girls by any means, and their situation was serious and completely dangerous. Kikyo had continued on after they stopped to scout for Naraku's exact location. She would be back soon to say whether or not the final battle would be tomorrow. But right then, they were just girls, playing with make-up and talking happily about nothing of great importance. It made the prospect of their collective futures somehow less frightening. Less real.
Kagome soon finished with Sango and Ayame, and a wickedly smiling Kagura took up the spot across from her once more, shaking the pink bottle as she'd seen Kagome do. "Ready?" the wind youkai asked, looking up from Kagome's splayed fingers, brush poised and waiting. Kagome nodded.
It struck her suddenly that it had not been so very long ago that Kagura had been her enemy. Not so long ago she could only hope at Kohaku's salvation, Sango's dearest wish for so long. How recently Shippo, who now stood to just below her waist, had been no higher than her knee. He still seemed a baby to her, though he grew more every day. Only months, it seemed, since she had resigned herself to the idea that surely, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would simply never learn to fight side by side instead of across from each other. Ever rivals, ever fighting. And how little time had passed since she first fell into that well, setting into motion all of these events that had drawn together such an unlikely band for one common purpose.
And now?
Now, they were more than companions to her. They were friends. Even family. Kagome knew it couldn't feel that way for everyone, but she really did feel that she could trust them, whatever reservations they themselves may have. But after Naraku, that was unsure. Would there be anything after Naraku?
Would they survive?
"Done!" Kagura's proud tone brought Kagome back to the present. "How'd I do, boss?" Kagura's tone was teasing, and it made Kagome momentarily forget her worries.
"Great job." Kagome told her, surveying the precisely painted nails with satisfaction. "It's perfect."
"Ah, yes." Kagura fluttered her lashes, but a faint blush stained her cheeks. "Come here, Rin. You're next."
----------
"Detestable." Sesshoumaru was taking it in turns to glare at Kagura and then at his precious Rin's defiled fingernails, which had carefully been painted pink by the beaming wind youkai.
"Don't they look pretty, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin's eyes pleaded for approval, and the proud lord was torn.
"You know," Kagura spoke up in her most self-righteous tone. Kouga looked up to warily survey the scene. At first, Kagura had seemed very impressed with Sesshoumaru's outer appearance and impeccable grooming. But her eyelash fluttering and not-so-subtle flirtation had disappeared after Sesshoumaru and her first clashed on the subject of Rin. Now they seemed to barely tolerate each other. "Rin is almost thirteen. I am not a human, but I understand that a girl of that age is considered to be on the brink of womanhood. You expect her to make the transition while still remaining completely naïve and girlish, but you should get used to the idea that girls her age often get married. And if she wants to wear a little make-up, that's hardly an inconvenience for you."
"Trouble." Sango breathed in warning, but Kagura was never a big one for warnings.
"She is my responsibility, woman." Sesshoumaru's tone was pure ice. "If you had your way, she would hardly become a woman of repute."
"If you had your way, she'd be locked away from the whole world and stay a little girl forever." Kagura shot back. "She's not youkai, you know. She ages faster than us. Look at Shippo, he's still so much smaller than her but he's at least twice her age." Kagome shot a surprised look at the fox demon. He was older than her? How was that even possible? No one seemed surprised other than her, though, so Kagome kept her disbelief to herself.
"You are a despicable excuse for a role model." Sesshoumaru told Kagura, who pursed her lips in fury.
"And you are the worst guardian ever! How many times has Rin been kidnapped or almost killed?" Kagura asked. The camp fell silent, all attention on Sesshoumaru, who looked utterly homicidal at the moment. But then Kikyo stepped into the clearing and spoke the words that everyone had hoped for. And dreaded.
"Tomorrow," she spoke calmly, "we fight Naraku."
*****
The End (Of Part 17, That Is)