A/N: Hiyo! Here's the next chapter.
Manipulation
Chapter Four
"The problem with finding Kagura is that Naraku will never be far off," Kagome sighed, standing slowly and ignoring her pain. "And I don't think either of us could handle that right now..."
"Are you all right?" Inuyasha worried.
Kagome smiled. "I'm fine. My body doesn't heal as quickly as yours, remember?" she smirked.
He frowned. "Yeah, I forgot that part...sorry," he sighed.
"What do you have to be sorry for, Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded.
Inuyasha rolled over, but did not answer her. He yawned. "I'm going to take a nap, all right?" he whispered. "Will you still be here when I wake up? I don't want you trying to find Kagura by yourself."
"Like I would," huffed Kagome.
Inuyasha nodded, and closed his eyes, drifting into a sleep filled with horrifying dreams. Unfortunately for him, his dreams would prove to be all too real.
"Hello, Inuyasha..." It was Kikyou. She wore a triumphant smirk on her face.
"Kik...you...?"Inuyasha gasped. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's Kagome?" he demanded.
She laughed. "You no longer need to be concerned about the stupid girl. You can come with me now..."
Inuyasha paled. "Oh god...what did you do, Kikyou? Where is she? Where is Kagome?" He screamed, and Kikyou only laughed at him.
"I don't know. Maybe we'll see her in hell?" she smirked.
Inuyasha felt his temper boil over. He was red with anger. He pulled out his sword, which emitted a bright yellow glow. "You killed her!" he yelled. "Why?"
Kagome screamed. Inuyasha was standing with his sword drawn, and he was looking at her. She had nowhere to run. "Inuyasha...I haven't killed anyone..." she whispered. "Wake up...please..." Internally, Kagome cursed Naraku and his stupid poison. She couldn't get near him. If Inuyasha brought the sword down, she would surely die...
"Kikyou, I swear, you'll pay! I'll kill you for this!" Inuyasha vowed, although he still held tight to his sword. He had to confirm it first, and he didn't see Kagome's body anywhere. "Where is she at?"
"She's dead. Why do you care?"
"Because I care, you heartless wench!" screamed Inuyasha, his fury building.
If possible, Kagome grew paler. When this had happened to her, it had not turned out good, and it sounded as if Inuyasha thought that she was Kikyou...and that Kikyou had killed Kagome. She took several steps back and felt her back collide with a tree. She gasped.
"Inuyasha...I'm right here...I'm fine...sit!" Kagome stammered. He could not hear her, and he didn't respond to her 'sit' command. The sword in his hands was now glowing red with his anger.
"INUYASHA!" The voice came from the trees, and Kagome looked up. A miko's arrow shot out from behind a nearby tree, and out walked Kikyou. Her arrow hit his sword, turning it back to the normal old sword it had been before. It fell to the ground, and Kagome let out a deep breath.
"What's gotten into him?" Kikyou demanded of Kagome.
Kagome blinked. Kikyou had defended her, and now, she was talking to her. She shook her head. "It's Naraku's poison. He's sleeping..." she whispered, slowly sinking to the ground as her legs turned to jelly.
Kikyou walked up, boldly slapping Inuyasha hard across his face. After several seconds, he blinked, and gasped at who he saw in front of him. "Kikyou...you...what are you doing here?" he asked in a confused tone of voice.
"My sister and several of the other villagers have been corrupted in some way," Kikyou explained. "I was walking this way hoping to find something to help them, and I heard your Kagome woman pleading with you. I take it you have been disturbed with the poison as well. You would have killed her...and thinking she was me...how sad of you, Inuyasha."
"It...was all a nightmare..." he sighed with relief.
Kagome blinked. Kikyou had just called her his Kagome. Finding that her legs felt solid again, she carefully stood herself up, and cleared her throat loudly. "Yes, well...now we're even." She smiled at him. "And Kikyou...thank you..."
Kikyou nodded, and turned to leave.
"Kikyou, wait!" called Inuyasha.
"Yes?" she turned around.
Inuyasha frowned. "Have you seen Kagura? She knows how to lift the poison." Inuyasha explained. "She's who we're out here looking for."
Kikyou looked disturbed. "Inuyasha...who gave you that information?" her voice was full of concern.
"Sesshoumaru...but it was a couple days ago, when we were in Kagome's time. Why?" he asked her. He was concerned about her tone of voice, and the odd look that she was giving him. He glanced at Kagome, who shrugged, and stared intently at Kikyou.
"What's wrong, Kikyou?" Kagome finally asked, although her voice was barely above a whisper. "What happened?"
"How many days has it been?" Kikyou demanded instead of answering. "How many days since you've seen him?" There was a note of panic in her voice.
Kagome thought about this. "About two...almost three..." she decided.
Kikyou let out a small gasp. "And did he follow you back...through the well?" she yelped.
"No. He stayed behind to deal with Naraku. What's your problem, Kikyou?" Inuyasha snapped at her, although he was getting more and more worried at her line of questioning.
Kikyou took a deep breath, and motioned for Inuyasha and Kagome to sit down. They obeyed, and she began her story. "Yesterday, I was going through the western lands...I believe those are the lands over which your brother rules?" She waited, and Inuyasha nodded. "I came across his castle, and I found it odd that the place would be so deserted. Upon closer investigation, I realized that indeed, the castle was deserted, and although I wondered why, I continued on my way. About five minutes later, I found the little human girl Rin. She was injured, and your brother's servant Jaken was nowhere to be seen..."
"What the hell?" gasped Inuyasha. "This was yesterday? Where was my brother? I know he isn't that fond of me, but he is fond of that little girl. She follows him like a shadow. How was she hurt?" A million unanswered questions swarmed through his head.
"Damn it, Inuyasha! Let me finish! I shall tell you soon enough!" she growled at him, and he quickly quieted. She cleared her throat. "I bandaged the little girl's wounds, and she began to tell me of how she managed to be where I found her." Kikyou paused. "The little girl claims that about a week ago, a white baboon came to the castle. She said Sesshoumaru would not let the baboon into the castle, but instead joined him outside. The girl then claims that the baboon knocked your brother unconscious, and fed something to him. At this point, the little demon Jaken made to lead Rin from the castle. They were making their escape through the forest when she heard Jaken scream, and something hit her in her back. When she woke up, Jaken was dead..."
Kagome gasped. "That poor girl..."
"Kikyou...what did you say? A week ago this happened?" Inuyasha repeated, and Kikyou nodded slowly.
Realization hit Kagome like a ton of bricks. "Oh, god! Inuyasha! My family! We left him alone with my family!" Kagome was reaching hysterical very quickly. "Inuyasha! What if he..." Kagome gulped.
"Sesshoumaru is being controlled by Naraku." Kikyou whispered. "It is a wonder he hasn't already killed you...he's obviously had several chances. But then again, it also makes me wonder why he's leading you to Kagura. She has no intention of freeing you from the poison, either. You're being led into a dangerous trap, Inuyasha..."
"We have to go back! We have to make sure they're all right, Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.
Inuyasha's eyes were wide, but slowly, he nodded. "We'll go back," he whispered. "But we need to find Sango, Miroku, and Shippo first..."
"No need to look..." Miroku frowned, coming through the clearing with Sango, who held Shippo in one hand and Kirara in the other. "We've been looking all over for you! Kaede has gone insane!"
"We know," nodded Inuyasha. We were there sometime yesterday." He paused. "We have bigger problems than Kaede, though. We have to go back to Kagome's time again."
"Why? We just came from there right after you guys left." Sango wondered out loud.
Inuyasha sighed. "Because, Sango, Sesshoumaru never meant to help us. He's been under Naraku's control for over a week now...which means we may have left Kagome's family in danger."
Kagome was getting paler and paler by the second. Inuyasha glanced at Sango and Miroku, who nodded quickly. Inuyasha scooped Kagome up into his arms, and turned to Kikyou. "Thanks, Kikyou..." he whispered.
"I hope your journey goes well, Inuyasha..." she sighed, and finally turned to leave.
Inuyasha rushed off towards the bone eaters well, with Miroku and Sango hot on his heels. He jumped into the well, and after a few seconds, landed softly with Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo on Kagome's side. The group jumped out, and Inuyasha set Kagome down.
She ran out of the little shrine. Outside, everything seemed just as she had left it. She ran to her house, flinging open the door, and jogging up the stairs. She reached Souta's room first. She pushed his door open, hoping to see him sitting in front of the television engulfed in another one of his video games, but he wasn't there.
"Souta! Mom! Gramps?" she called through the house. There was no answer, only the echo of her voice through the empty halls.
"Kagome!" It was Inuyasha hollering from downstairs.
She ran. He was standing near the open doorway. "Look..." he whispered. He held up a small piece of paper, and Kagome sighed with relief. She could recognize her mother's handwriting almost instantly. She scanned through the note three times in quick succession.
"What's it say?" asked Shippo.
'Dear Kagome,
We're staying at the hotel in town. We'll be coming back to the shrine on Monday, but I didn't want you to worry about where we were. We're all fine, and your grandfather has even promised to put up some sutras around the door at the hotel. We'll see you when we get home! Tell Inuyasha I said hi!
Love Always,
Mom'
Kagome sighed with relief when she'd finished reading the letter, and set it back down on the table that Inuyasha had found it on. "Today's Monday," she realized. "Do you guys mind if we wait until they get home? I know that probably sounds annoying, but I just want to make sure they're all right."
"Why don't we just go to them?" Inuyasha suggested, and after several seconds of thought, Kagome nodded her approval of his idea. "Do you know which...'hotel' they are talking about?"
Kagome nodded. "I know where it is."
When they had reached the hotel, Kagome walked up to the desk clerk. He smiled at her. "Checking in?" he asked, looking at the group behind her.
"No. I was wondering if the Higurashi family had checked out yet. My mother left me a note at home and told me they'd be here. I've been...away," she explained.
The clerk looked confused, but set to work on his computer. Kagome listened to the clicking of the keyboard for several minutes before he finally looked up at her. "Miss? Are you sure they aren't staying out of town?"
"Yes?" Kagome panicked. "Why?"
"There has been no one signed in under the name of Higurashi. I've scanned the files through last month. They weren't here..." he explained as her face fell. "I'm sorry. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Kagome wasn't listening to him, though. She slowly turned around. "Inu...yasha..." she gasped before she passed out.
"Kagome!" He rushed to catch her before she hit the ground.
Sango frowned deeply. "Everything has been a set up..." she whispered sadly.
"Is she all right?" called the desk clerk. "I'll call an ambulance!"
"No, it's all right," Inuyasha waved and glanced up at Miroku and Sango. "I'm going to take her home and let her rest."
"Are you sure?" asked the clerk.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Inuyasha nodded, and picking up Kagome, he walked out the door.
When they reached Kagome's house, Inuyasha set her down on the couch. He sat in the chair next to the couch, sighed, and placed his head in his hands. "Damn it!" he whispered. "This is a new low, even for him. How are we supposed to find them?"
"Poor Kagome. Do you think they're even still alive?" Sango looked as if she was about to shed her own tears. "You don't think...I mean...he wouldn't do to them what he did to Kohaku...would he?" Sango looked down at the ground. Kohaku, her brother, was under Naraku's control, and had, in the past year, already tried to kill her twice.
"It's hard to tell," Miroku frowned in honesty. "I feel truly sorry for Kagome," he sighed.
Inuyasha groaned. It was true, what Miroku and Sango were saying. There was a possibility that Kagome's parents were dead...but there was also the possibility that they were alive somewhere, Naraku's puppets, unable to think for themselves...
"Kagome knows what might have happened," he whispered to them. "We'll wait for her to wake up. Try not to scare her, though...that's the last thing she needs right now..."
Inuyasha jumped. Kagome had begun to stir a little bit. He watched her intently until her eyes slowly flipped open. She frowned at him. "Inuyasha?" she whispered.
"Yes?" he smiled at her. "How do you feel?"
She glared at him hatefully, and shakily stood up.
"Be careful! Don't hurt yourself!" warned Miroku.
Kagome blinked at him. "Where's my bow?" she demanded.
"I won't tell you until you tell me what it is you plan to do with it," Miroku nodded, a tone of finality in his voice.
"I'm going to find that heartless pond scum and make him wish he's never been born," hissed Kagome, as if it was obvious. "Do you have a problem with that, Miroku?"
"Kagome, calm down. We want to help you look for your family...but you have to realize something first. We don't have the upper hand here. We really don't have a clue what happened to them. There's the possibility that..."
Kagome winced. She didn't want to hear the possibilities. She had become painfully aware of them the moment that desk clerk at the hotel had told her that her family was not where they said they'd be. "I know, Inuyasha. I don't want to hear it. I just want to leave..."
Inuyasha sighed, defeated. "All right..."
------------------
Kagura frowned deeply. Naraku wanted Inuyasha dead. Hell, a lot of youkai wanted Inuyasha dead. She also knew that Naraku also desired the miko girl's jewel shards...but something felt wrong about this. There had to be another reason Naraku was going about this business the way that he was. Did he have some other agenda? Was there something that he was hiding from her...something that would make his torturing Inuyasha and his human seem more reasonable? No...nothing could make this reasonable. Naraku had even gone after Sesshoumaru, and, to Kagura's horror, had managed to imprison his mind as well.
Kagura desired her freedom greater than anything. She knew that as long as Naraku lived, she would never get it, but then again, to go up against him would certainly mean death to her. Then, there was Sesshoumaru. She had secretly grown fond of the inu-youkai, and it pained her heart that he would lose the freedom she cherished so dearly. Something was wrong...very wrong.
"Naraku, why are you doing this? Why not just kill the hanyou and take the jewel shards? Why the torture and manipulation?" she questioned out loud. Naraku was nowhere near her, but she heard his reply inside her head.
"Because, stupid girl, this makes everything more fun. I will kill Inuyasha, and I will get the jewel shards, but I will make him wish he were dead long before I do either. I will crush everything and everyone he has ever held dear to his heart, and then I will crush him..."
Kagura thought on this a moment. Who would Naraku want in order to do something like this? Sesshoumaru? No. Even in the short time she had known the two of them, she could tell that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were not fond of one another. Kikyou? Probably not. They weren't exactly close anymore, and although Kikyou's death would come as a shock, she was pretty sure he wouldn't wish he were dead. He'd given up on her, and the miko girl had started to grow on him....
Kagura gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth as if she was afraid she might scream out. Kagome! All of this was because of Kagome...to get her within his grasps. She was the pawn he spoke of. All the color drained from her face, and it wasn't long before she heard Naraku's voice inside her head again.
"Yes, Kagura...your assumption is correct, and since Kikyou discovered my original plan, I shall have to have you bring the girl to me yourself. Is that understood, Kagura?"
Kagura nodded, despite the fact that Naraku wasn't physically there with her. "Naraku, if I bring Kagome to you, will you let Sesshoumaru free?" she whispered.
He did not answer that question. Instead, his voice invaded her head, louder than the times before. "And Kagura...I want the girl alive...and make sure Inuyasha sees you. I want to make sure he's there when I kill her."
Kagura winced. "Yes, Master Naraku..." she said hatefully.
A/N: Hey all...you see what I'm getting to now, right? Well, I hope you liked this chapter. Go on...press the little 'review' button. You know you want to...it's such a tempting little button, isn't it? (hint hint)