Kagome's Song and Inuyasha's Love
Ok, wow. That's all I have to say to you people. Wow. I have gotten over 90 reviews for this FF thus far. I am amazed. I want to thank everyone who reviews on FF, especially those of you who do not have accounts on here. It means a lot to a writer when a person tells them just how much they appreciate their work. For those of you who check my story everyday for updates, I really want to thank you; it's devoted fans like you that keep a writer going.
I am going to dedicate this chapter to all of the people who review to this story. Just so you know, this chapter contains the beginning of Naraku's evil plot. The next four chapters after this will each be significantly shorter than my usual chapters for two reasons:
1. They may be song fics that relate to the events I want to put into
the chapter
2. You will find out No. 2 at the end of the chappie.
Also, I have a disturbing announcement to make: My father is dragging my little brother and I on a vacation out west...we'll be seeing everything worthwhile, (except the Grand Canyon, which is all I wanted to see.) We will be driving the entire way...and will be gone for two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!! A terrible crime, my loyal friends, because I will not have access to a computer, let alone a computer with internet, for the whole trip. We will be leaving on July 17th. and will return between the 27th. and the 30th. I wanted to tell you this so that you know that it will be a long time before I update again. I sincerely hope that you all understand that I didn't ask to be trapped with my dad for that long, and if it makes up for my soon-to-be lack of updates, I will be totally miserable for the entire trip. I will update again as soon as inhumanly possible, but even Inuyasha would have trouble putting his foot down with my hard-assed dad around...
Well, on to the chappie, and I hope that everyone loves it.
P.S. I own nothing...damn filthy, greedy, good-for-nothing Lawyers...
P.P.S. My dad, as some of you have asked, is not physically abusive of me, I just hate him with a passion, had a nightmare one night, and based my character's past for this story on that nightmare. So, here's to two weeks of hell and car accidents, (he wants me to drive...I just got my permit, like, days ago...and am scared witless...) If anyone hears about a tragic car accident in the Rocky Mountains involving a 15 yr. old, her father, and younger brother from Michigan...make sure Evanescence plays at my funeral and that Rumiko Takashi comes and that she reads my fic...also, Kachie, like I told your sister when I went on the expressway for the first time last week...I want a cherry wood casket...and I want it to be nice and luxurious...and I want to be buried with all of your anime drawings...
(Kachie Runa is the next Rumiko Takashi, e-mail her for her anime-in- the-making summary, which inspired this Hekele's 'attitude'. Her e-mail address should be in her profile on this site...also, please help me to bug her about putting one of her awesome fanfics on this site!)
P.P.P.S. I'm only half joking about the whole car accident/funeral thing.......
Rude Awakenings and Sinister Plots
Sango, Hekele, and Kachie peaked down the staircase into the living room where Sango had left Kagome to await Inuyasha the previous night. They could barely make out two small dog-ears visible over the top of the couch.
So...he did come last night...Sango thought to herself. She took a step forward, wanting to see where Kagome was, when the stairs creaked. Sango jumped about five feet when she saw Inuyasha's ear twitch. Kachie rolled her eyes and shook her head; she hopped onto the banister and attempted to slide down as silently as possible. Luckily, she succeeded.
Since when did she get so sneaky? Last I checked she was the Queen of Klutzville...Hekele thought as she imitated her friend, just as silently. Sango hesitated for a moment, glancing at the hanyou's white ears for movement, but then followed their example.
Once the girls were at the bottom of the stairs, they sneaked into the living room and carefully crept around the couch to see Inuyasha's face and to look around for Kagome. What they saw nearly sent them into a fit of 'awes'.
Inuyasha had his arms wrapped around Kagome and her arms were wrapped firmly around his waist with her head resting on his chest. It was a very touching sight.
"Should we wake them?" Kachie whispered as quietly as she could. Hekele and Sango shook their heads and motioned for her to follow them into the kitchen where they could talk without waking their sleeping companions.
Once in the kitchen, Hekele opened the fridge and got out some eggs. She set them on the counter and looked at her friends.
"What do you all say to some scrambled eggs? And sausage?" she asked in a slightly hushed tone, still aware of the hanyou sleeping in the next room. Kachie nodded and Sango, trusting the two's judgment on what tasted good in this era, did as well. Hekele grabbed a bowl and cracked a few eggs into it and began to scramble them up.
"So how are we going to wake 'em up?" Kachie asked. Hekele and Sango looked at her thoughtfully, glanced at each other, and then Hekele spoke in the same hushed tone as before.
"I think that it would be best if they started the morning off well. We want Inuyasha to be on the best terms possible with everyone when we tell him about...you know..." she drifted deep into thought as she trailed off.
Inuyasha and Kagome were so close to each other...and she knew that their friendship could survive pretty much anything; she could tell that by only spending a day with them...but what about this Kikyo person? She had never seen Inuyasha interact with her...in fact, she had only heard of the priestess once before this occasion...when Inuyasha and Kagome were explaining to her about the well and traveling back in time...and how Kagome met Inuyasha, who was pinned to the God Tree by an arrow fired by...
Kikyo...Hekele thought as she came to the realization of whom the group was dealing with. Kikyo shot an arrow at Inuyasha and pinned him to that tree...why would Inuyasha love her??? Even if he did before then...how could he love someone that tried to kill him? Hekele thought suspiciously. It was then that she realized that someone was speaking.
"...and so I think that Hekele is right...we should allow them to wake on their own..." Sango was talking to Kachie, trying to reinforce what Hekele had previously said. Hekele, seeing an opening for speech, decided to get some questions answered.
"Sango? Isn't Kikyo the woman who pinned Inuyasha to the tree?" she asked, trying not to sound too interested. She didn't know why, but something about the supposed relationship between Inuyasha and this priestess didn't add up.
Sango looked at her in surprise, "Yes...you did not know?" she asked. Hekele shook her head.
"I should have, I just didn't put two and two together till now...but...didn't she die?" she continued with her questions, trying to find the tidbit of information that seemed to be eluding her.
Sango nodded gravely, "Yes...she did...but a while after Kagome and Inuyasha met, a witch demoness stole Kikyo's ashes and some earth from her grave...and created an artificial body..."
Then something clicked in Kachie's mind, having been listening to the conversation, "Don't Kagome and Kikyo share a soul? Isn't Kagome Kikyo's reincarnation?" she asked. Then the wheels in Hekele's mind turned as she saw where her friend was going with this question.
"How can they both exist at the same time if they share a soul?" she asked Sango. Sango sighed and shook her head.
"The witch stole Kagome's soul and placed it in the body of ashes and dirt...Kikyo was reanimated. Then, by some power that no one understands, Kagome's body called her soul back to her...but Kikyo still escaped with a small part of it. Kagome retains enough of her soul so that she continues to live freely; Kikyo got so little of it that she needs to devour the souls of young girls to stay alive..." she said slowly. Hekele lowered her eyes, almost feeling pity for the dead woman...almost.
Kachie was more than irritated, "So she won't give up Kagome's soul? She's making Inuyasha miserable, she's hurting Kagome in a round about way...so why does he love her?" Sango shrugged.
"Who knows? All we know is that Inuyasha feels indebted to her...for she died and went to hell whereas he lived...she was his first love...the first person that he ever trusted...perhaps because she died thinking that he had betrayed her and then supposedly still loved him after she returned to 'life', he still loves her..." Sango thought aloud. Hekele nodded, knowing where the hanyou would be coming from should that be the reason. Kachie sighed.
"Well then...let them be woken up by breakfast...if I try to wake them up I might strangle that stupid hanyou..." Hekele and Sango nodded a supportive smile. Suddenly they all heard little footsteps rushing down the stairs, announcing Rin's awakening. The three girls smiled and shook their heads. The little girl was so loud in the morning... Wait... So...loud...
"Hekele-chan?!? Kagome-san?!? Sango-san?!? Kachie-san?!?" she shouted as she came running through the house, not knowing at first where all of her companions were. Then the girls heard a loud thump, a feral growl, and an innocent, "oops..."
Feudal Era, with Naraku:
"Are the preparations set Kagura?" he asked wickedly as he walked down the hall of his large palace. The wind witch looked at him hatefully, not being able to defy him any other way and live.
"Yes master...everything is as you wished them," she spat. Naraku grinned evilly, knowing well how she wished him dead.
"Good...see to it that such prudence doesn't fade..." he said as he quickened his pace.
"Yes Naraku."
"And another thing...when our guests arrive I want them to you understand?" he asked darkly.
"If you mean for me to give them the deepest, darkest, dirtiest, and not to mention dankest cell in your dungeon...then yes, master, I understand..."
"Perfect...I shall go to retrieve them now...this shall be fun..."
Present Era:
Inuyasha growled at Rin, who was sitting on the floor clutching a doll with long black, curly hair, blue eyes, and a long periwinkle kimono, (which Inuyasha had never seen before,); both seemingly looking at him with innocent eyes.
Must have gotten it while shopping...he thought, still very aggravated. Rin had first shouted for the other girls, then she had accidentally run into the couch, more specifically, his head, and now she was looking at him with those huge eyes of hers. Inuyasha had half a mind to bonk her on the head, but his better judgment told him that if he did, he would have a lot of very unhappy people down his throat...most of all, Hekele and Sesshoumaru...
"Watch it runt...some people are trying to sleep here..." he grumbled. Rin nodded an apology and ran into the kitchen with the doll, after Inuyasha sniffed the air and pointed in that direction. It was then that, when she stirred in his arms, that Inuyasha remembered that he had fallen asleep with Kagome on her couch...and what had happened the previous night. He smiled affectionately and kissed her forehead.
"Kagome...Kagome..." he whispered into her ear, attempting to awaken her nicely. Kagome stirred and nuzzled her face deeper into his chest. Inuyasha smiled again and lightly shook her.
"Kagome...we need to get up...everyone else is..." he said soothingly. Kagome moaned in protest and Inuyasha could tell that she was awake. He tapped her head, causing her to giggle a bit and open one eye.
"What?" she said, trying to sound mad. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"You gotta get up Kagome...I think the others are plotting our demise...and breakfast..." he joked lightly. Kagome smiled, sat up slowly, and stretched a bit before crawling off of Inuyasha's lap. She stood up and looked at the hanyou before her happily.
"Well, than let us meet our demise and breakfast head-on." Inuyasha chuckled and followed her as she walked into the kitchen; they were met with stares and evil smiles.
"Now what were you two up to last night?" Kachie asked suggestively. It was then that Inuyasha and Kagome silently wished they had woken up first.
Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently in Kagome's doorway while watching the five girls pack their belongings, "Kagome...when can we leave?!?!"
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Inuyasha, we went shopping, meaning we bought things...things that are going back with us..." Inuyasha growled, annoyed. As much as he loved Kagome, he did not love her time. It always smelled of pollution and that horrid 'perfume' stuff; Inuyasha wouldn't even stay here if Kikyo were to forgive him, ask him to be himself, and give Kagome back her soul while staying alive at the same time...in short, it wasn't gonna happen. Also, he didn't know why, but it annoyed him that Rin and Sango were dressed in clothes from this time; Sango wasn't so bad...but Rin looked like a miniature Hekele.
"...Inuyasha...please be nice about it...we bought everyone something..." Sango said teasingly, after earning a look from Kagome that seemed to plead for assistance with the disturbed hanyou.
So much for 'best terms possible'...he's irritated that we aren't leaving fast enough when we shouldn't have to leave yet at all... Hekele rolled her eyes violently as she helped Rin pack her new clothes.
"You...bought everyone something?" Inuyasha asked, surprised. Kagome nodded, thankful for Sango's assistance.
"Yes...it's nothing important...and we didn't want to get everyone gifts of different value...it's kinda corny really...but we thought that you'd all like them at least a little..." Kagome stuttered out, feeling stupid about the gifts that they had gotten for their friends, it really wasn't anything special. All they happened to be were small symbols of what each member of their oversized 'team' meant to them.
Inuyasha, despite Kagome's explanation of how 'corny' they were, was quite interested, "What kind of things?" he asked. It was Rin's turn to pipe in.
"The presents are all alike and yet all different at the same time, and we all helped to pick out the right one for everyone!" said the young girl. Inuyasha looked at her oddly.
"'All alike and yet all different'?" he asked. Kagome nodded and grabbed a small piece of folded tissue paper.
"Here's yours Inuyasha, we all helped to pick out the one we thought that you'd like best..." she said shyly. Inuyasha took the small package gently, not wanting to damage whatever lay inside. He carefully unwrapped the paper, completely aware of how everyone was staring at him as he did so.
When he folded back the last piece of the wrapping, his eyes enlarged amazingly. What lay in his hand was a necklace; hollow glass shaped like a katana filled with tiny red and black colored stones that contrasted with a single, pure white, grain of rice. The small piece of glass was also filled with water, which magnified what was written on the grain of rice: Inuyasha.
"You...got me a necklace that has my name written on a grain of rice in it? In the shape of a sword..." he said, almost as though he didn't believe it.
Kagome's eyes watched him critically, wanting to know what he thought of their carefully thought out gift, "...Do you like it?" she asked. Inuyasha quickly put the precious necklace around his neck so that it lay across his chest with the rosary.
"I love it...and I'm guessing that you got everyone else one of these too? With different shapes in the glass and different colored stones and their name?" he asked. Everyone nodded.
"...I think that it'll mean a lot to them as well..." he said honestly. Kagome smiled and gave him a huge hug, surprising the hanyou. His ears whirled around his head nervously as he returned the embrace.
"Thank you Inuyasha...we're glad that you like it!" Kagome said. She unwrapped her arms from around his neck and Inuyasha felt as though there was much less weight hanging from it. He looked down at his new gift and realized that his rosary was gone. He looked at Kagome with a bewildered face and saw that the item in question was held tightly in her hands. Shock was written all over his face as he looked at Kagome.
"You..." was all that he could get out.
"I trust you Inuyasha...just don't kill Shippo, Sesshoumaru, and Koga at your first chance, ok?" she asked, only half joking. Inuyasha nearly had tears in his eyes.
She trusts me...this much? "Kagome...thank you..." Inuyasha looked at the rest of the girls, who were standing there smiling knowingly at him. Inuyasha felt loved that moment, so loved that it nearly made him act extra mushy...nearly.
"...So..." Inuyasha said while clearing his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with all the unusual happiness in the air, given why he had come the previous night. It didn't seem right for him to be so happy when he came to Kagome after...Kikyo, "...why's the squirt dressed like Hekele?"
Naraku watched the exchange of the gift from afar. He had used the Shikon Shards to completely hide his scent and to give him the ability to turn invisible for a few moments as he prepared for his self appointed mission.
Inuyasha...not only will you suffer...but with my tests so will everyone you touch...and as for the women you and your 'friends' hold so dear...they will die of broken hearts! He thought this and only this as he spotted a small doll in the kitchen of the house...and grinned.
Feudal Era:
Inuyasha landed softly on the other side of the well with Kagome in his arms. His rosary wrapped around her wrist. Somehow, it made him happy to know that she wasn't throwing it away. He jumped out of the well to make room for the rest of the group and gently set Kagome on her feet. He then helped a disgruntled Sango out of the well. Inuyasha snickered; it had taken an hour to find Kirara, and when they finally had found the cat demon, she had been nuzzled next to Buyo, still soundly sleeping. When Sango tried to wake her and take her home, Kirara had thrown a hissy fit, literally. It had taken another twenty minutes to drag the meowing cat demon down the well and away from her new 'boyfriend'. In the end, they had to promise to bring her back for a visit soon.
"Kirara, stop meowing...I told you that we'd go back soon," Sango said to the noisy bundle on her back. A deep chuckle reached her ears and she smiled.
"What's the matter with our favorite cat demon?" Miroku asked as he gave Sango a light embrace, causing her to blush deeply.
"Oh nothing...she's just infatuated with Kagome's cat Buyo and didn't want to leave..." she said. Miroku chuckled again and released her. He was smiling.
"Miroku...your nose..."
"Lady Kaede was kind enough to give me some herbs and such that would heal it faster...looks like it worked huh?"
"Miroku, it's bleeding..."
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!! Rin's back!" the young girl giggled as she saw Sesshoumaru standing near the well, having been the one to smell their return, he had arrived first. He lifted Rin out of the well and was nearly squeezed to death when she hugged him. When he could pry her off gently, he helped Hekele out of the well as well.
"Thank you Sesshoumaru. And how has your time been without a little munchkin popping up everywhere?" she asked as he set her down. Sesshoumaru smirked.
"Surprisingly loud..." he said, glaring at Miroku; the monk had a tendency to talk when the world wanted him to shut up. When Sesshoumaru and Koga had returned late the previous afternoon, all the monk had done was talk...even the kitsune was fed up with him...
"Awe, too bad, cuz we had fun, right Rin?" Hekele jeered slightly. Rin bounced up and hugged Sesshoumaru again.
"Yup, but Rin missed her Sesshoumaru-sama." Sesshoumaru smiled slightly at this and, after taking a good look at what Rin was wearing and how her hair was styled, looked back to Hekele.
"Well, it's not too difficult to deduce who shopped with Rin now is it?" Hekele rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Hey, you're just lucky that I didn't give in when she wanted her hair cut like mine...I had to compromise with pig-tails..." she said pointedly.
"Umm...hello?" Everyone glanced around for a moment before looking back into the well. A very irritated Kachie met their gaze. She was hanging on to the vines within the well desperately and she pouted her lower lip.
"Guys? I'm still down here, how about an assist??? Please?!?!?!"
Miroku, being the gentleman that he was, graciously extended his hand for her to grab so that she could be pulled out. Kachie smiled thankfully and allowed him to help her out of the well. Once on her feet, Kachie smiled as she dusted herself off.
"Thank you Miroku, at least someone-" Kachie was caught off as she felt something, or rather, someone caressing her rear.
"Aahh, but, it was well worth it Kachie-san..." Kachie wasted no time in throwing the monk over her shoulder and down the well. Only when she heard the ever-so satisfying crash at the bottom did she speak.
"If you ever touch me in such a disrespectful manner again, I will personally feed you to the next demon I see...oh, hi Koga!" she redirected her statement as the said wolf demon sped up the path towards the well.
"Why didn't anyone wake me up?!?!?" was Koga's 'brilliant' reply. Shippo, who was riding on his shoulder, shook a small angry fist at the group.
"Yea!!! Why didn't anyone wake us up?!?!?" he shouted, mostly directing the statement at Inuyasha, not knowing that he had spent the night with the girls.
"Hey runt, don't press me...I've had a rather pleasant morning...so I'm warning you, do not make me mad...besides...I was with them..." Inuyasha said in his defense, pointing to the girls, who nodded. It was then, while the spotlight was on him, that Miroku, (who had just climbed out of the well,) saw what lay about Inuyasha's neck...and more importantly...what wasn't there...
"Inuyasha...what's happened to your rosary?" he asked seriously. Inuyasha blinked for a second but then smirked happily. Shippo, who now also noticed the absence of the rosary, made a speedy beeline for Kagome's arms for safety. Koga's eyes got wide and took a step back, knowing very well that the rosary controlled the hanyou when upset. It wasn't that he feared him...he just wasn't up to a brawl right then...
Kagome held up her arm with the rosary wrapped around it while smiling, "I took it off him...it's not like he's gonna try to kill us...he...really doesn't need it on him..." Shippo looked up at her with terrified eyes.
"Kagome...are you feeling ok? Did Inuyasha make you take it off him? Did he hurt you?" he asked at a mile a minute. Inuyasha frowned dangerously at this.
He actually thinks that I would hurt her? What kind of idiot is he?!?!? He thought angrily. But, he had just practically promised not to maul the kit so he stayed put. This surprised the members of the group who hadn't been in the future when the rosary was removed..
"No, Shippo, if he had hurt me, which he didn't, then you would notice...besides, you and I both know that he wouldn't do anything like that to any of us..."
Well, at least someone's got positive faith in me... Inuyasha thought as he gently wrapped an arm around Kagome. This earned him a raised brow from Sesshoumaru, a shocked look from Shippo and Miroku, and a slight glare from Koga.
Koga's glare, however, lasted mere seconds, as he turned his attention to Kachie, (whom he was now standing by,) wishing to explain his tardiness, "Sorry, I wasn't here to meet you...I kind of overslept...and didn't know you were returning today anyway..."
Kagome, who was blushing slightly at Inuyasha's embrace, (which, she noted, he seemed to be doing proudly,), opened her backpack and took out several small, wrapped packages. It was everyone else's turn to receive their gifts.
"These are for everyone...we all helped to pick them out...Inuyasha already has his..." she said, handing everyone their gifts. They looked at them for a moment before opening them...
Miroku's face turned soft when he saw his necklace. The glass was shaped like praying hands with purple and black beads in it...along with a single grain of rice that held his name inside of it. It was, to him, the most precious gift he had gotten in his entire life.
Koga's necklace, (which Kachie had had the final say in,) was that of a beautiful wolf's head with brown and silver stones. He looked at it in shock for a moment, clearly surprised by such a precious gift. He then smiled.
Yes, they all helped to pick them out...but only Kachie could single out such a lovely combination...he thought to himself.
Shippo was bouncing up and down on Kagome's shoulder when he saw his necklace, which was shaped like a piece of candy. It was filled with light blue and bright green stones.
Sesshoumaru looked at his necklace critically for a moment, trying to see the meaning of his gift; clearly everyone else's held a symbolic meaning to it... Then he smiled softly as he realized what it was: A fang. He shook his head in mild amusement. He had wanted his father's fang, (Inuyasha's sword,) for so long...so whoever had finally decided upon his gift had given him a fang...
Probably Hekele and Rin...and everyone else had just gone along with it...yes, that is most likely...he thought as he looked at the grain of rice, which held his name. The stones surrounding it were dark sapphire blue and golden. It was quite elegant really, simple, but elegant. All the individualized necklaces were...
"Well...does everyone like them?" Kagome asked nervously. The other girls seemed to share her nervousness; they had all helped to pick out the gifts, but they had also been a bit more critical about the gifts when it came to ones that they cared for a bit more.
Koga was the first to put his on. "I love mine!" he said enthusiastically, and honestly; he gave Kachie a small hug, letting her know that he understood who really picked out his gift. Miroku followed suit and put his on as well.
"They are very kind and thoughtful gifts...and mine is most appreciated." He couldn't help but look at Sango when he said it.
Shippo was bouncing around again, "Now if only it was a real piece of candy..." He hugged Kagome's neck tightly and then bounced over to Sango, Kachie, Hekele, and Rin one by one to do the same. (He didn't quite understand that the gifts weren't as equal an effort as the boys had been told they were...but then again, that's what the girls had wanted...)
Sesshoumaru still looked at his before carefully putting it around his neck, he eyed Hekele and Rin, (who was looking in a bag of some sort for something,) suspiciously as he spoke, "They are rather thought out and symbolic gifts...they represent each individual remarkably well..." Which everyone knew was his version of a, 'Yes, I like it, and thanks,'. The girls smiled triumphantly.
Suddenly, Rin panicked, she had opened her new bag of clothes and was looking for something she wanted to show Sesshoumaru, "Rin forgot her doll! Rin got a doll while shopping and she must have left it in the kitchen at Kagome-san's house!" Hekele kneeled down and gave the distressed girl a hug.
"Don't worry about it...We can go back and get it really quick...alright?" she said sweetly, knowing very well that Rin would cry if she couldn't show her Sesshoumaru-sama her new toy. Kagome nodded in support.
"Yeah, I'll come too, I think we left that kitchen a bit messy anyway..." she said, suddenly realizing that Inuyasha had pulled them out of the room to get ready before they had had a chance to clean up...
"All right, that's settled. Why don't you all go on ahead back to the village, we'll be there in a few minutes. Ok?" Hekele suggested. Everyone nodded and the three girls hopped back down the well to clean up and to locate the missing doll.
Inuyasha stopped for a moment, feeling a slight chill go down his spine as the girls left again, but he shrugged it off, thinking that he was just getting lonely without Kagome in his arms. He looked to his friends as they slowly walked back to Kaede's village, each seemingly deep in thought. He caught Sesshoumaru gently fingering his necklace and grinned.
"I take it you like what the girls picked out for you?" he teased daringly, but not without putting a few more steps between himself and his older half-brother. Sesshoumaru spared him an apathetic look before gently tucking the necklace beneath the collar of his kimono.
"Can one not admire the simple elegance in the colors and separate components?" he asked, trying not to let his touched emotions show through. Inuyasha and Koga snickered.
"True, but you practically admitted your feelings for Hekele to me the other day when we were looking for shard rumors..." Koga said, grinning evilly. Inuyasha's eyes widened considerably.
"Oh? And how did that happen?" he asked, grinning as evilly as Koga. Sesshoumaru chose not to kill either of them...he merely waited for his best opening to retaliate...
"Well, I was talking about Kachie and he mentioned how 'fragile' human emotions were and gave a few examples...Hekele being one of them. I confronted him about it and he said, 'Even if it were true, at least I am not divided in my emotions...' Now, is that his version of a love confession or am I imagining things?" Koga asked Inuyasha slyly. Sesshoumaru hid his smirk.
Alright now...just endure this humiliation a moment longer...the bait has been set...he thought.
"Well, I don't know about you Koga, but I think it is..." Inuyasha smirked, clearly enjoying the moment.
Now to break up their newly found friendship...Sesshoumaru thought as he made sure that Kachie and Sango were far enough ahead not to hear him and he cleared his throat. "Actually Koga, I believe we were discussing how you felt about Kachie in comparison as to how you felt for Kagome...and how you seemed to love them both in a similar fashion...and I believe that is why I was discussing with you the frailty of human emotions, so that you would know not to break Kachie's heart, which she has clearly given you a piece of. Also, I recall using many examples, Hekele was merely one of them..." he stated factually. The beauty of his little plan was, in fact, that he didn't have to lie. He could enjoy his little unorganized, yet very effective, plot knowing that he didn't have to tell a half-truth. He knew that Inuyasha knew this as well.
"WHAT?!?!?!?!?! How dare you!?! You have Kachie, who clearly has feelings for you, and you still want Kagome, who clearly does not?!?!?!?" he yelled. Koga, not seeing Kachie, Shippo, (who was in Kachie's arms,) and Sango turn around, (having heard Inuyasha yell,) was quick to retaliate.
"Oh, and you are Saint Inuyasha, who only loves one woman?! I do recall a certain dead priestess that happens to have a hold of your heart!? What do you see in such a creature? She stole a piece of Kagome's soul!" he yelled back. Sesshoumaru winced as he saw Kachie's face begin to tear up.
Damn...I believe that's the unorganized part of my plan...the damn wolf just had to go and say it in those specific words...and they say that wolves are intelligent creatures...Feh! He thought in mild guilt as Kachie turned around and ran towards the village with Shippo, not wanting anyone to see her cry. Koga quickly picked up the scent of salt though, and looked in time to see her disappear around the corner.
Shit...stupid! How could I have forgotten that she was there?!?! He thought as he glared at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha before running after her. Inuyasha shook his head.
"It's not like it matters whom I love though, not now anyway..." he said somberly. This attracted the attention of the remaining members of their little group.
"What is it you mean, Inuyasha?" Miroku questioned. Sango nodded.
"Yes Inuyasha, what are you getting at?" she asked. Sesshoumaru merely paused and graced the group with his now emotionless eyes. Inuyasha knew something that they didn't, and that, considering the circumstances, was not a good thing.
"She left me," Inuyasha said quietly. This made even Sesshoumaru's eyes widen a bit.
"What?" Sango asked. Inuyasha sighed.
"She saw me as a human. She...was angry that I never told her about it before, and yet you all knew about it...she felt betrayed...and said that she never wanted to see me again...then she just left..."
"...And that's when you came to see Kagome on the other side of the well...you needed someone to comfort you..." Sango said, trying not to let any of the spite she was feeling to escape her. The group noticed, however, and let her go on with interest, "You needed to feel like someone was there for you, so you ran from your past love, who abandoned you, to your more recent one who has already said that she would never leave your side when you needed her. You're playing them against each other. Have you said anything to Kagome about this incident with Kikyo?" she asked, he tone rising with hurt for her friend.
"No...we were having a good time together, and I didn't want to ruin it. I FELT SO DAMN BAD ABOUT IT TOO!!! I FELT CONFUSED, ANGRY, SAD, AND EVEN, IN MY OWN WAY, BETRAYED, SO YES! I WENT WHERE I THOUGHT I WOULD BE AT LEAST A LITTLE WELCOME, AND I WAS!!!!!!!!!" he yelled back at her. Kirara meowed angrily and Miroku stood in front of Sango protectively.
"Inuyasha...I understand how you must feel...but please do not take it out on Lady Sango..." he said sternly. Inuyasha was about to attack him but Sesshoumaru grabbed his arm and held him firm.
"I do not think it best that you harm your friends...they are good to you...more than you realize. They only try to protect Kagome...as you well understand..." he said in a low voice that sent chills down Inuyasha's spine.
"What do you care? You do not, cannot possibly understand how difficult this is. But like I said, it doesn't matter now."
"That is where you are wrong Inuyasha." Inuyasha looked back at the monk, who had dared to speak again.
"And how am I wrong?!"
Miroku winced at his tone. There was something that he desperately wanted to say to the hanyou, but Sesshoumaru had said to wait for Kagome to say it and to simply back her up...so he tried the lesser of a way to approach the matter, "Inuyasha...you never chose between them. If Kikyo hadn't...betrayed you...would you have still wound up in Kagome's time this past night? Or would you have been in the arms of Kikyo?" Inuyasha wanted so much to rip his throat out then, to make those accusing words choke him...but he knew that he was right...he would have been with Kikyo...and none of what had happened the previous night with Kagome would have happened...maybe never?
"Feh!" was all he said as he snatched his arm back from Sesshoumaru and dashed towards the village, wanting to get away from the conversation desperately.
Miroku nodded thanks to the demon lord and sighed, "I thought as much...Lady Sango...what happened between the two last night?" His question was serious, not perverted for once...
Sango shook her head, "We were all asleep...those two were the only ones awake..." Miroku nodded slowly, putting an arm around Sango's shoulders so that he could lightly embrace her in support as he spoke.
"...Were you able to tell Kagome?" he asked. Sango nodded.
"She said that she wanted to wait for us all to be around to support her...probably today...soon," she said, subconsciously resting her head on his. Miroku nodded gently, not wanting to force her off.
"We suspected as , let us await the return of Kagome, Hekele, and Rin in the village..." he said, turning her in the direction of the path again. The two began walking in silence as Sesshoumaru pondered everything up to that moment.
If Naraku doesn't kill me...these idiots will...he thought sarcastically as his mind reviewed the incident that had just come to pass. Kagome and Hekele aren't going to be too happy with me...that's certain. He continued to ponder what would happen when they found out about the trouble he had caused. It's not like they could hurt him...but they could make a living hell of his life. Sesshoumaru sighed and continued down the path after the humans when another, more delayed thought reached his brain.
Why did Kikyo abandon him? What good would she be to Naraku if she and Inuyasha weren't together?
Present Era:
"Rin!!! Did you find it yet?!?" Kagome yelled from the kitchen. They had turned the kitchen upside-down looking for the doll, and they still couldn't find it. Kagome and Hekele were wrapping up the cleaning while Rin looked for her toy elsewhere, but she still wasn't having much luck.
"No!!!! But Rin is still looking!!!" came the young girl's cry from the living room. Hekele and Kagome stepped back and glanced around at the kitchen, as if to satisfy themselves that it was clean enough. After giving each other a firm nod of approvement, they walked out of the room and went after Rin to help her look.
When they got into the living room, Rin was currently putting the cushions back on the sofa; she had been certain that she hadn't sat there in the morning, but it was good to look just in case.
"Any luck?" Hekele asked, scanning the room with her eyes. Rin shook her head sadly. Kagome gave her a small hug.
"Let's take a look in mine and Hekele's room. Perhaps you set it on the bed while we packed?" she suggested. Rin nodded and the three headed up the stairs.
Once they entered the room, they were quite surprised. There, sitting on the bed, was the doll. It was just as Kagome had said; only it was perfect. So perfect it was scary. The doll was propped up against a pillow with perfect creases in her kimono; her hair fell about her shoulders and back with almost ritualistic precision. It was unnerving.
Kagome got a chill, "Hey, come on guys, we found the doll, let's get back now..." Hekele and Rin nodded. Rin grabbed the doll and they were about to head out the door when it slammed in their faces.
"Kagome, what the hell is going on?" Hekele asked, putting an arm around Rin. Kagome was about to shake her head when suddenly a rush demon aura reached her senses.
"Naraku..." she said fearfully. Hekele's eyes got wide and her grip on Rin tightened. Suddenly, a low, dark chuckling was heard behind them. The three girls spun around and came face to face with none other than the hanyou himself. He had long, wavy, dark hair, blood red eyes, and a pale face; he was sitting on the edge of Kagome's bed. He wore the most sadistic and manipulative smile neither Hekele nor Kagome had ever seen.
"Well, well...I must admit, I thought you'd find me sooner...miko..." he said as he stood up and took a step towards the group. The three backed up a step instinctively. What were they going to do?
"W-what do you want Naraku?" Kagome tried to ask bravely, but suddenly without Inuyasha nearby...she felt so small compared to this enemy...and her arrows were all in her backpack downstairs...
"Why else would I be here? I've come for you three..."
"Why? What do you want with us?" Hekele dared. Naraku's grin widened.
"Because I want to rid the world of yours and Inuyasha's pathetic existence...and I want to have a bit of fun while I'm at it..."
He turned to regard Hekele and the frightened girl behind her, "Not that I hold any malice towards you, but your presence will also be required."
Hekele, upon a slight nod from Kagome, quickly opened the door and shoved Rin into the hallway, "Run for the well!" Rin obeyed and ran down the stairs. Naraku's grin turned into an open smile.
"Her presence is required as well. I am sorry to say that she won't get as far as out the front door." As if on cue, Rin's yell could be heard.
"The doors are both stuck!!! Rin can't open them!!!"
"Keep trying!" Kagome yelled to her.
"The slayer and the other wench from this time will be joining you as well..." Naraku said, taking another step towards them. Hekele and Kagome were trapped. The door slammed behind Hekele and two of Naraku's appendages whipped out at them and Kagome and Hekele were forcefully slammed into the wall behind them, successfully knocking them out. There was a slight trace of blood on the wall where Hekele had hit her head and Kagome's torso had a long cut where Naraku's appendage had hit her.
"Two down..." Naraku could hear Rin pounding on the door downstairs and even trying to break a window, but nothing, he knew, could work, "...Three to go."
Feudal Japan:
"Inuyasha...I believe that you are mistaken in your rage. First of all, you cannot blame Koga for feeling emotions that you yourself feel. Second of all, the monk and slayer were simply concerned that their friend was a second choice, a rebound. They wanted to protect her." Sesshoumaru had been trying to mend the breach that he had created between Inuyasha and his friends since they had gotten back to the village, he had even gone so far as to consol him. Not that he really cared...he just didn't feel like growing a conscious and having it pester him...or had that already happened?
"Give it a rest Sesshoumaru-sama, Inuyasha is too bull-headed to understand his own feelings...ye should know that," Kaede said as she walked past the group of disgruntled people. Koga was trying to talk to Kachie, Shippo was hitting him in the head for hurting her feelings, Kachie herself was sitting in a corner trying to make sense of what she felt, (she didn't know whether to forgive and forget or just forget on an account of all she and Koga had done to show that they cared in the least was a small peck on the cheek,) either way she felt a bit jealous of Kagome for having such devotion out of both men who loved her, Sango was seated next to Miroku trying to understand things from Inuyasha's point of view, knowing that he at least loved Kagome a little, and Miroku had his arm still around her and was talking to her soothingly, trying to help her distress in any way that he could. Kaede rolled her good eye at the group and returned her attention to Sesshoumaru.
"I must be leaving to a nearby village...I know it is quite a bit to ask of ye, considering the group we are dealing with, but please think out yer retaliation better next time. If ye don't, I can guarantee they'll all end up this way...even ask the baphoon comforting Sango...none of his half- witted schemes ever work..." she said, half sternly, half while smiling. Sesshoumaru gave a slight nod and Kaede left.
"M'lord? Why do you allow her to speak to you so?" Jakken asked as he entered the room from another door with some firewood. Sesshoumaru sat there and looked at him sternly.
"Because there is no reason for anger when she is correct. Inuyasha, that is what I am trying to get across to you..." he said, turning his attention to the hanyou once more. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He was about to make some snide remark when he stopped. He looked at Sesshoumaru sharply and the demon sniffed the air. He rose abruptly.
"Naraku."
"His scent is coming from near the well..." Suddenly the whole group was out of their stupor and looked to be battle ready.
"What are we waiting for?!" Shippo yelled. Sesshoumaru stared at him for a moment and then looked to Inuyasha, who nodded.
"We're going through the well, stay here to protect the village if he comes this way, we are going to get Kagome, Rin, and Hekele, they've been gone way too long..." Inuyasha said, dashing through the door. Miroku stopped Sesshoumaru.
"Here, you'll need a shard to get trough the well!" he said as he put a shard of the Shikon no Tama into Sesshoumaru's palm. Sesshoumaru nodded in thanks and was right behind Inuyasha. Sango looked to Miroku.
"Do you believe it has begun? Naraku's plot?" Miroku nodded grimly.
"I do believe it has Sango, come, we must be ready to fight." He looked to Kachie and Koga, who were standing and at ready.
"I hope we can do this..."
With Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha:
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha ran towards the well for all they were worth. If Naraku was anywhere near that well...only bad could happen. They prayed that he was merely passing by on his way to attack the village he knew they were in habit of going. But as they neared the well, their worst fears were confirmed. Naraku's stench went into the well, and by the smell of things...it had been there a while.
"How can this be? We should have been able to smell him hours ago, why didn't we?!?" Inuyasha yelled, clearly confused.
"His scent is hours old and yet you've only been back in this era for about thirty minutes." Sesshoumaru mused this thought, "He must have found a way to conceal his scent...we must hurry!"
Without another word they jumped into the well. Sesshoumaru was in awe of the odd feeling it gave him. It was a type of warmth and it felt much like he was floating. It would have been a pleasurable experience were it not for Naraku's hateful scent and evil intentions.
When they reached the other side, they leapt out of the well and Inuyasha opened the shed door leading outside. Everything Sesshoumaru saw aroused his curiosity but he didn't let it show. Inuyasha ran to the shrine and burst through the door with Sesshoumaru, who was not familiar of his surroundings as of yet, still right behind him. It was deathly quiet. The two sniffed around for a moment before picking up a mixed scent of blood coming from upstairs. They turned pale and ran up the stairs and into Kagome's room. No one was there. It took less than a second for Sesshoumaru to detect Hekele's blood on the wall, and for Inuyasha to find a small trace of Kagome's on the floor. Sesshoumaru grimaced as he touched the wall.
"Naraku's scent is still fresh. He is still in this era..."
"In this very dwelling actually." The two turned quickly, weapons drawn and at ready. At first they saw nothing, then, before their eyes, Naraku appeared. He was sitting on Kagome's bed, the way he had been when the girls had been caught off guard. To his left, on Hekele's bed, lay Kagome, Hekele, and Rin; all were unconscious.
"What the hell did you do to them Naraku?!?!?!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing his Tetsusaiga at Naraku. Sesshoumaru's eyes turned a blood red and he let out an angered growl. Naraku laughed.
"Why, whatever do you mean? Here they are, safe and sound...at least for now."
"Why do you want them?" Inuyasha yelled. Naraku grinned another sadistic grin.
"Why else? To see you squirm." Naraku gave another laugh as the Shikon shards he possessed glowed a deep black color. It was then that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru saw Kagome, Hekele, and Rin's shards glow black in his other hand. Naraku put the pieces together and they fused into a nearly whole Shikon no Tama. The only shards that were missing were the ones in Koga's legs, the one still in Sesshoumaru's palm, and the other two that Miroku possessed. Five pieces left for Naraku to get in order to have the whole thing...and he knew it.
"These will prove quite useful, as will these," he said, motioning to the girls. He lashed out three of his appendages and wrapped them around the three. Inuyasha made move to slice at the appendages with his sword but Naraku tightened his hold on them, squeezing air out of the girls' lungs. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru winced at the pained gasps that protruded from the unconscious girls' lips.
"I'll be going now, and if you love them, you'll come for them...them and your other friends." With that, Naraku disappeared into a cloud of black towards the well, taking the girls with him. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru ran out of the house and went down into the well after him.
"Naraku's going after Sango and Kachie, we can't let him get them too!" Inuyasha yelled.
"You think I do not realize this?!?" Sesshoumaru retaliated. When the two touched down on the other side of the well they leapt out and ran towards the village. But when they got there...they were too late.
With Miroku, Sango, Kachie, Koga, and Shippo:
It happened just as they were leaving the hut. Sango had grabbed her boomerang and Kachie had unsheathed her katana. They were the first two in action when a cry was heard from some of the villagers. They thrust open the door to the hut and were flung back by and immense force of wind. Sango crashed through the wall while Kachie flew back, knocking over a villager.
Kagura smiled a grim smile, "I am sorry for this, truly." Another wave of wind was thrust from her fan and it dug into Kachie's shoulder.
"KACHIE!!!" Koga yelled, running out of the hut and to her aid. Kagura sent a fierce wind at him, knocking him about thirty feet in the opposite direction. She then gently swept the now unconscious Kachie into her feather and floated to where Sango lay. Koga regained his footing and ran after her, only to be slashed in the chest with her fan. He groaned in pain as he hit the ground, hardly able to stand. Kagura smirked and continued to where Sango was as unconscious as Kachie.
"Hmm, I must have sent her through the wall with a bit more force than needed, pity." She swept her up as well, totally unaware of the monk's presence when he crashed his staff into her head. Kagura stumbled back a few feet, clearly shocked.
"If you make a move towards them again, you shall be sucked into my kazaana!" he yelled in anger, holding his arm at ready. Kagura gave him the same grim smile she had Kachie.
"You are too close to them to unleash the kazaana; you will not use it. Understand that I must do this, and that you and your friends must come and save them, 'til then, good-bye!" she yelled, hitting him with her wind and gathering herself into the feather with the fallen girls. She rose high above Miroku and flew towards the mountains.
I hope they pass Naraku's tests...if they don't I'll never escape him and claim freedom for Kanna and myself...she thought, somewhat sadly, as she flew off, purposely making it easier for the hanyou to track her by going slower than normal.
Back at the village:
"What the hell happened here?!? Tell me!!!" Inuyasha grabbed the first non-fatally wounded man he saw and nearly shook the life out of him. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air.
"The wind witch was here...if you'd be so rational as to use your nose, you would know that." Inuyasha glared at him and put the man down. He and Sesshoumaru sped to Kaede's hut, only to find a semi-conscious Koga and a bewildered Miroku. Inuyasha ran over to them quickly. Sesshoumaru followed cautiously, glancing around for any sign that Kagura was still nearby.
"Where are they?!" Inuyasha yelled, "Where are Sango and Kachie?!?!" At this Koga looked at the ground in shame and Miroku, after in taking a sharp and labored breath, looked up at Inuyasha.
"Kagura...has taken them to Naraku...it wasn't him you smelled near the well..."
"Actually, it was. Naraku has discovered how to travel through the well to the future...he has taken Kagome, Rin, and Hekele as well..." Sesshoumaru stated, also looking at the ground in shame. He had let Naraku take Rin away from him yet again, now he also had Hekele...
Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru's face turned even more grim. He once again lightly touched the necklace he had received, not aware of his half-brother's gaze. Inuyasha, knowing well how he and the others felt, was the first to speak.
"What do you think he wants them for?" he asked. Sesshoumaru glanced at Miroku and Koga, who nodded slowly.
"Inuyasha...Naraku has been plotting something against us..." Miroku began, only to be interrupted.
"Feh, when isn't he?"
"Listen Inuyasha, Naraku summoned Sesshoumaru to a secret meeting just after Hekele and Kagome went back to their time a day before Kachie arrived. He was trying to get Sesshoumaru to assist him, which he obviously is not. Sesshoumaru refused because he no longer wanted the Tetsusaiga. Naraku then made him a victim of his plot because he assumed that Sesshoumaru would warn us...which he did. We believe that is why-"
"Why wasn't I told of this?" Inuyasha asked suddenly, glaring at the three before him. Miroku sighed and shifted uncomfortably. Sesshoumaru nodded for him to continue and moved towards Inuyasha, just in case he turned violent.
"...We didn't tell you because we didn't know how to...because Kikyo was at the meeting as well...and she agreed to help Naraku...Inuyasha...she betrayed you..." Miroku said slowly and deliberately. Inuyasha was about to lung at the monk the instant he finished speaking but Sesshoumaru held him back. Inuyasha began struggling and yelling at Miroku.
"NO SHE DIDN'T! KIKYO HATES NARAKU!!!!!!!! SHE WOULD NEVER, NO MATTER HOW MUCH SHE DESPISES ME, HELP NARAKU!!!!!" he practically screamed in rage. Sesshoumaru held him firm, which proved to be surprisingly difficult.
"Inuyasha, you worthless half-breed, you've been deceived!" he said in an enraged tone, "Do you think they would lie to you?!?" Inuyasha stopped struggling for a moment and breathed deeply.
"No...they wouldn't...but you would..." he said in a low, hateful tone. This surprised Sesshoumaru. He had never told a lie to convince an enemy to trust him, (though he had never tried to get an enemy to trust him before.) The only real lies that he had ever told were small fibs to keep Rin oblivious to some of the more gruesome things he was involved with, wanting to spare her innocence from such evils. Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands did not lie.
"I have never lied to you. No matter the circumstances, the few good or the more often bad, I have never lied to you...why would I lie now, when I have more than enough reasons not to?" he hissed angrily. He let go of Inuyasha, no longer seeing the monk to be in physical danger. Inuyasha turned to look him in the eye, and Sesshoumaru was appalled to see the accusation written inside of his half-brother's eyes. His own eye's turned slightly cold.
"You are not the only being to have had something precious stolen from you this day...Koga, the damn monk, and I have as well...what reason would there be for that if I were to be lying?" he asked. Inuyasha glared at him.
"If you were to help Naraku, I'm sure that he would keep Rin safe for you..." he accused. Sesshoumaru grabbed Inuyasha's throat in anger and held him off the ground slightly. He looked into the hanyou's eyes with both disgust and anger.
"You propose that I would allow Rin, a being that is most like my own child, to even come within seeing distance of such a creature as Naraku? And what of Hekele? Are you accusing her to be involved with this somehow? She bled on Kagome's wall from a head injury, Inuyasha, I doubt she had any part in such a plan!" he said in the lowest most forceful voice he could muster. Inuyasha looked away from him at the ground and Sesshoumaru put him down, a slight blaze burning in his icy eyes.
"Um...if you two are done fighting..." Everyone looked down to see a ragged looking Shippo pop his head out of a bit of the hut's rubble. Miroku cautiously removed him from the destroyed hut and looked him over for any injuries.
"Are you hurt Shippo?" he asked, subconsciously keeping an eye on Inuyasha. Shippo shook his head but hugged Miroku's neck.
"Can we go find Kagome now? We have to get her back!" he exclaimed sadly, looking at Inuyasha, his only father figure. Inuyasha glared a final glare at Sesshoumaru, Koga, and Miroku, and then out stretched his arms towards Shippo a bit, signalling for him to come to the hanyou. Miroku hesitated but allowed Shippo to jump into Inuyasha's arms.
Inuyasha, knowing that he should comfort the kit who was in many ways his own kit it seemed, spoke in as soothing a tone as he could, "Yes, we'll go and find her now, her, Kachie, Hekele, Rin, and Sango..." He actually stroked Shippo's hair as he had seen Kagome do to calm him. Seeing the surprised looks from his 'companions', Inuyasha cleared his throat and looked down at the kit.
"Kid...you can't come." Suddenly Shippo's eyes became pools fueled by endless streams as he looked up at Inuyasha.
"B-but, I gotta help save Kagome!!! Please Inuyasha?!?!?" he pleaded over and over. Inuyasha shook his head.
"I'm gonna catch-up to the hag and have her keep you safe while the rest of us go after the girls, don't worry...we will save them..." he said reassuringly. Shippo hugged Inuyasha tightly, surprising everyone in the area.
"Ok...but you had better make sure that you and Kagome don't die like my mom and dad..." Shippo's voice shook with tears he was desperately trying to hold in. Inuyasha hugged the kit back and, after giving a slight nod to the others, ran towards where he could still smell Kaede's aged scent.
Kikyo did not betray me...but Sesshoumaru wouldn't lie either...no matter what it involved...I don't know what to think...Inuyasha pondered as he ran on. He could feel Shippo clinging to his haori and gave him a small, reassuring squeeze. Right now I gotta get the kit to Kaede and let her know what's happened...I swear Kagome...I'll find you...
With Naraku:
He watched from Kanna's mirror as the first of the girls began to awaken. Sango's eyes opened slowly and Naraku loved the completely fearful expression that resided in them. He watched as she began to struggle and squirm against her bindings with an evil grin.
"She will never escape..she and her friends will be my puppets and I am the puppettier in this game I have devised..."
"Naraku..." a strong yet very feminine voice resounded behind him. Naraku's grin broadened as he turned to Kikyo.
"Yes my dear?" He smirked as Kikyo shot him a look for the pet name he had developed a habit of using on her.
Containing her anger, Kikyo smiled back at him, "Is it time to baffle our enemies?" Naraku wrapped a firm and superior arm around the dead Miko.
"Yes, my dear...it is." Kikyo glared at him but nodded. Naraku ran his fingers through her silky hair and inhaled it's earthy and spicey scent. It was quite an invigorating smell. Kikyo pulled out of the embrace and turned to Naraku.
"I'll ahead of you to await them...do not be long...darling..." she spat the last word and Naraku's grin returned. He watched as Kikyo methodically walked away until she disappeared into her own dark cloud. He then returned his gaze to see the girl Kachie awake in the dungeon next to Sango.
"Oh the fun we shall have..."
With Kikyo:
"I am NOT Naraku's puppet...I will NOT be pushed around by an inferior hanyou like him...I am NOT going to sit back and allow him to treat me like a piece of food that he can nibble at will...I am NOT his whore...and I am definately NOT as needy and weak as he believes...he shall see my power soon...him and Inuyasha..." Kikyo spat as she appeared in the clearing of a nearby forest that she knew Inuyasha and his companions would be passing through. She was totally enraged at how he was treating her like she was his. All she had done was use his proposed alliance to her advantage, had allowed him to be near her for more than a few moments, and he had assumed that it was is priviledge, no, his right to treat her like she belonged to him...this, she would NOT allow.
"I will play your game for now Naraku...but be warned...you will lose!"
With Inuyasha and Company:
It had taken about twenty minutes of running for Inuyasha to catch up to Kaede and tell her about the group's recent situation. She had been heart-broken when she heard of the kidnapping of the girls that were much like her own and decided to return to the village and help with it's reconstruction and to await the return of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Koga, and Miroku, hopefully with the girls. Kagura had done much damage. Kaede had also readily taken Shippo, who still wanted to come with Inuyasha to find Kagome and the others. That transaction had taken another five minutes alone before Inuyasha promised him once again that he would find and save Kagome. He had then sped off back to the village to meet up with the rest of his comrades, which had taken another twenty minutes...entirely too long.
Sesshoumaru had made the discovery that Kagura's scent was unusually strong heading towards the mountains, meaning that she had flown slowly. This had puzzled the group but, as it was their only lead, they had folowed it quickly. Miroku was riding on Kirara, as was Jakken, who Sesshoumaru wanted to be nearby so that Rin could be taken to safety once she was freed. Inuyasha, Koga, and Sesshoumaru were running as fast as they could towards Kagura's scent, Kirara wasn't far behind.
"Inuyasha, Kagura said that she had to kidnap Kachie and Sango and that we were to come and save them, do you think that she purposely made this easy for us?" Koga said, having heard what the wind witch had said to Miroku earlier. Inuyasha grimaced.
"Naraku said something similar, he said that if we loved them...we would come for them..."
"There is no doubt in my mind that he wishes for us to find him. We are walking right into a trap," Sesshoumaru stated. Inuyasha growled at him.
"Are you saying that we shouldn't be looking for them?!?" he yelled. Sesshoumaru's eyes tinged with red as he responded.
"I am coming as well am I not?!? What choice do we have?! I was merely stating that we should be ready for anything!!!" he growled back. Koga growled at them both.
"Now's not the time for one of your feuds you two, maybe after we save the-" he froze in mid-step, sniffing the air, and growled a deep and low growl. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha froze as well. Kirara made up what little distance she had lost and sniffed the air once she did. She too growled. Inuyasha was the only one who wasn't disappointed.
"Kikyo..." he said, his previous thoughts returning to him. Sesshoumaru growled as well as the dead miko's scent reached his nose.
"Inuyasha...now is not the time to run off and beg for forgiveness...she betrayed you!" Koga stated angrily. Sesshoumaru and Miroku nodded, each getting ready for an explosion. Then, before Inuyasha could react, another, more hateful smell reached their noses.
"Naraku is near her..." Sesshoumaru said testily. Inuyasha grimaced as he proccessed the information.
This does not mean that she betrayed me... he told himself. Without thinking, he sped into the direction of her scent, needing reassurance. He would not make his prescence known unless he had to.
"Inuyasha you idiot!" Koga yelled, running after him. Sesshoumaru followed.
"Stay here monk!" he yelled as Miroku made move to follow. He nodded and stayed on Kirara.
Inuyasha...why do I get the gut feeling that you are walking into a trap?!? You are much too rash!
With Naraku:
He watched from another clearing through Kanna's mirror as Inuyasha appeared in the bushed near Kikyo. How delicious, this shall throw their little group for a while. He thought. When he saw Sesshoumaru and the wolf prince Koga appear near him he grinned. Perfect, now to make my move...
With Kikyo:
She glanced out of the corner or her eye when she heard Inuyasha walk into the bushes. She pretended not to notice and continued her gaze to the sky from the tree she had decided to wait in. Her soul stealers were flying about her and she had let her hair down so that it fell about her in a messy fashion. If she was going to pull this off, it had to look like it was completely unexpected. She had decided to make it look as though she was resting. She sensed Naraku nearby and knew he was ready. She intook a breath and sighed.
Here we go...hope those idiots don't see through it. If Inuyasha saw through the plot then when he came to Naraku's palace to rescue Kagome the plan would have a serious dent in it...it was the only part that Kikyo was the least bit wary of.
Suddeny, Naraku burst through the trees and sailed one of his appendages at her with such speed that even if she had wanted to Kikyo would have had trouble dodging it. It wrapped itself around her and brought her to the hanyou's face, which twisted into a victorious snarl.
Apparently he is taking this seriously as well... "Naraku you bastard!" she 'tried' to scream as she squirmed against his hold on her. Just then, Inuyasha flew out of the bushes, just as planned, and attempted to save her.
"Naraku! Let her go!" he yelled, comming at them with such speed that Kikyo almost feared that he would save her. But Naraku was one step ahead and dodged the blow.
He summoned a cloud of black and stepped into it, "Ah, Inuyasha, can you not save anyone you love?" he taunted. As the two began to disappear into the cloud Kikyo purposely looked to Inuyeasha and screamed.
"INUYASHAAAAA!" And then they were gone.
With Inuyasha:
He ran to where the black cloud was but it was too late. Naraku and Kikyo had disappeared. Inuyasha rounded on Sesshoumaru and Koga.
"Do you see?!? She did NOT betray me!!! Now she is gone as well!" he yelled. Koga looked to Sesshoumaru and once Inuyasha turned his head, shrugged and gave him a questioning look. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed in thought. Either this was an astoundingly played portion of the plot, or Kikyo had merely pretended to help Naraku. At this point, both seemed rather likely. Inuyasha sped back to where he could smell Kagura's still lingering scent and took off. Sesshoumaru and Koga followed quickly and filled in Miroku as they went. He was quite surprised.
"You say Kikyo was just taken by Naraku? What is this, some kind of trick?" he asked. Sesshoumaru and Koga grimaced as they ran with Kirara by their side.
"...Perhaps...I certainly hope not for Inuyasha's sake, but I am almost positive it is a trick..." Sesshoumaru said. Koga nodded.
"But still, we cannot be sure...it seemed almost too well planned to be an accident, but one could say the same for the alternative..." he added.
"Hurry up you guys! We've got to find them!!!" Inuyasha yelled. The group nodded and sped up their pace. Naraku was definately up to something bigger than they had originally thought...they only hoped that they were ready for it.
With the girls:
Sango nursed Hekele's head while Kachie tried to bandage Kagome's stomach wound. Rin had woken up just a while after Kachie and was followed by Kagome an hour later. It had taken Hekele at least two hours after that to regain consciousness due to her head injury.
Rin was sitting next to Hekele with her little arms wrapped around the older girl's waist for comfort. Hekele was absentmindedly stroking her hair, which had fallen out of its pig-tails. Sango was cleaning the cut on her head with some of the water that had been there when the girls had woken up. After a minute's worth of examining Sango had determined that it wasn't stagnent and it was safe to use on her companions' wounds. Kagome's wound, which Kachie was now finishing up with, hadn't bled very much, it was only a small cut and easy to tend to. Hekele's cut had been just as small, but it had also bled much more because it was on her head. She felt quite light headed and weak, but she tried not to let it show as Sango finished using a piece of cloth from her oversized shirt to bandage the wound.
"Thank you Sango-chan," Hekele said, using -chan to add meaning to her words. Sango smiled and sat back, nodding. She looked over to Kachie and Kagome with concern.
"How is the wound?" she asked. Kagome smiled reassuringly.
"It hurts, but it's ok...how about Hekele?" she questioned. Hekele turned to regard her.
"I'm a bit dizzy, to be honest, but other than that I am fine," she then turned to Sango, "Do you or Kachie have any injuries?" she asked.
Kachie spoke up, making a reluctant Hekele turn her head once more, "I have a huge cut on my shoulder, but Sango already bandaged that up for me when I woke up." Hekele's eyes got wide but Kachie swatted at her worry. "I'm ok, it's not as bad as it looks."
Hekele nodded and turned her attention to Rin. She pulled the girl into her lap and began to re-braid her hair as neatly as she could without a brush. The young girl happily let her, feeling more at ease now tht everyone was awake and at least a little better off than they were at first.
Kagome watched the two and a thought came to her mind, "What do you think they want us for?" Hekele shrugged and shook her head, wincing as she did.
"I don't know...knowing how movies with stuff like this happening in it we are bait...but that's just a teenage, movie watching, idiot's guess..." she said as she continued to braid Rin's hair. Kagome smirked.
"Knowing our luck and Naraku's evil mind...you're probably right..." she said.
"Actually, you are very right." The girls snapped their heads in the direction of the voice and saw, emerging from the gate of their cell, Kanna. Kagome's eyes turned hard as she looked at the demon child.
"And why are you here? Come to collect us?" she spat, not feeling the fear she knew she should. Kanna shook her head.
"I am here to warn you."
"Warn us?!? It's a little late to be warning us!" Sango yelled. Kanna actually gave her an apologetic look.
"Naraku will be coming for you all in a few minutes, so Kagura sent me before he did so that I could try and help with what informatin we have." This grabbed the group's attention.
"Why didn't she come herself?" Kachie asked, realizing that this was Naraku's other incarnate that she had barely even heard mention of. Kanna graced her with an answer.
"Kagura's scent would have been detected by Naraku when he came to retrieve you, and since I have no scent, she sent me."
"What information do you have that can help us?" Hekele asked, diving right into Kanna's point.
Kanna shot her a grateful yet blank expression and nodded, "Naraku has collected you as bait, as you have guessed. He intends to lure Inuyasha, the Wolf Prince, the Lord of the Western Lands, and the Buddhist Monk here. It has become plainly obvious through what he has witnessed through my mirror that they each hold great affection for each of you, perhaps even love. He has collected most of the Shikon no Tama and has turned it evil. He used this evil jewel to create four new dimensions in which he will place all of you to await your respected male, but along with you will be something to tempt or confuse them. If, and only if, you are chosen above the temptation or confusion will either of you escape the dimension..."
"So he is testing our love..." Kagome said, suddenly knowing where Kikyo fit into the web. Kanna nodded.
"He wants to see you and your love suffer...be warned, even if you make it out of the dimensions..he will still remain. The final battle is upon you."
"And what about you and Kagura, whose side are you on?" Kachie asked. Kanna gave her a pained look.
"Naraku holds our hearts and my soul in his hands, if we disobey him...Kagura and I shall perish. We do what we can to help you, but until we are free, this is all we can do..."
"So in other words, until you are no longer under his control, you are on both sides," Hekele stated. Kanna nodded.
"I must be going now...that is all the information Kagura and I have, other than that we will be at the final battle, please know that we do not wish to serve our master, but must." With those words, Kanna disappeared. The group of girls looked to each other in fear and uncertainty.
"Do you think we can prove to them that we love them?" Hekele asked, looking more at Kagome than anyone else. Kagome hung her head and sighed.
"I don't know...I told Inuyasha that I loved him last night...and he said that he loved me...but with Kikyo in on this...I can't help but know that she'll be his temptation...and I don't know what he will do..." The girl began to cry and Hekele wrapped an arm around her in comfort as she continued to hold Rin in her lap. Their cell was relatively small, so everyone was close to each other. Sango hugged her friend tightly and sighed.
"...At least Inuyasha knows how you feel, none of us have confessed how much we cared."
"I wonder where Rin fits in here?" Hekele wondered aloud. Kachie shrugged sadly.
"I don't know...but we know that she will be with you and Sesshoumaru, so she'll be safe ok? Sesshoumaru wouldn't let anything happen to her..." she tried to sound soothing but her voice cracked. In her eyes were unshed tears.
"I don't know what happened to my usually secluded self, but ever since I met everyone here I've been more emotional than usual...and despite how few days I've known him...I think I've fallen for Koga. I don't know what he will do when presented with me and a temptation..." she said. Rin crawled out of Hekele's lap and gave her a hug.
"Rin thinks that everyone will choose right and that everyone has more love than they think they do. Rin knows that everyone will be ok..." the small group smiled at the youngest of them and her attempt to reassure them.
It was then that Naraku appeared.
After surveying the fearful look in the girls' eyes he smirked, "It is time..." Suddenly a black light surrounded the group and they were gone. Naraku grinned as he thought of their faces and he transported himself to the reception room of his palace. He placed himself on the fancy tatami mat just as his guests made their loud entrance.
With the boys:
Inuyasha had run even faster than before once he saw Naraku's palace. Yes, it was quite obvious that Naraku had wanted them to find him. Any other time they went to look for his fortress it was surrounded by a barrier that made it invisible, but now it was so plainly before the group that it was almost annoying...taunting even.
Despite the fact that Inuyasha was a hanyou, his anger, anticipation, and fear for his loved ones made his speed greater than what one could have thought capable of him. Sesshoumaru and Koga were surprised, but again, when the fortress came into view, even Kirara's speed more than seemed to double.
There were no guards, no one to stop them from entering the palace, and they were glad for the lack of even a tiny delay. No one spoke words of assurance, encouragement, anger, or fear. No one spoke period. What was there to say? They followed Naraku's disgusting scent to a set of gigantic doors. Everyone's face hardened a number of notches as they drew their weapons and prepared to break the damn door open, whether it was locked or not.
With an almost sickening crash they flew through the door, hate plastered on all of their faces. There he was. The object of everyone's hate, the reason for all of their emotional turmoil, the one who had led them to what they knew could possibly be their own death and not his...Naraku. He was sitting calmly on a luxurious tatami mat with an indifferent expression on his naturally pale face. He glanced up at them and graced them with a smirk as he picked up a cup of tea.
"What noisy guests I have...I heard you coming a mile away...literally..." he said, sipping from his cup. Sesshoumaru growled and unleashed his poison whip, slicing the cup in half in Naraku's hand. Naraku glanced at him as the hot tea spilled on his hand and arm, annoyed.
"...and rude as well I see...Fine then, if you want to get down to buisness so soon..." he said, standing up. The group stood at ready; even Miroku showed no fear. Jakken stood at ready as well...behind Kirara.
"Yes, Naraku, let's. Where are the girls?!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing his Tetsusaiga at Naraku. Naraku took a step towards the group but no one flinched.
"I will get to that...but first..." he said, taking the nearly complete Shikon no Tama. It was as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had last seen it hours black. Naraku grinned in an almost psychotic fashion as it glowed an equally black shade. The shards in Miroku's robes flew towards Naraku as did the one in Sesshoumaru's. Koga screamed in pain as the two shards in his legs ripped through his muscle and skin. He kneeled on the ground as his legs began to bleed heavily. The shards all sailed to Naraku and his grin did not lose its fire as the shards fused into one, complete, Shikon no Tama. Miroku cautiously made move to help Koga stand but he was brushed aside as Koga forced his legs to work.
"Naraku you bastard..." he managed to growl as he resumed his battle stance. Inuyasha spared him a small glance of concern but then returned his gaze to Naraku.
"...It seems that with the majority of the shards...I could call others to me...useful little quirk, isn't it?" Naraku mused as he twirled the black jewel in his hand.
For once Inuyasha didn't care about the jewel, he would worry about that later, "Naraku...where are the girls?!" Miroku stepped up beside him, as did Sesshoumaru and a now limping Koga. Kirara stayed by Jakken, aware that her job was to get Rin and the toad to safety once they were found. She wasn't to risk getting hurt. It was an understood, yet unspoken order.
Naraku smiled and, allowing the jewel's power to flow through him, his eyes glowed from red to black, "They are waiting for you..." Suddenly, four dark portals formed below the group of heros and they were swallowed instantly, one or two with a yelp of surprise. When the portals disappeared, Naraku grinned.
"Kikyo..." he called, and the dead miko appeared behind him instantly.
"Is it done?" she asked darkly. Naraku nodded.
"Yes my dear...they are being sent to the dimensions as we speak."
"Shall we go to Inuyasha then? My heart aches for his to break..." she said. Naraku grinned.
"Not quite yet...let us see how some of the others fair first..."
Me- DUM DA DUM DUM
Kachie- DUM DA DUM DUM...DA DUM!!!
Sango- You just had to have us kidnapped and stuck into fake dimensions to await our doom-I mean, loyal loves...
Kagome- Yeah...you evil person you...
Rin- As long as Rin and Hekele-chan live you guys can rot in Hades for all Rin cares...
Everyone- Gasps at Rin's rude, mean, and hateful comment Rin! That was mean!!! Who told you to say that?
Rin- Points at Inuyasha
Kagome- INUYASHA!!!
Inuyasha- looks at Kagome and runs over to hug her, but before he gets there...
Kagome- SIT!!!
Inuyasha- On instinct falls to the ground and forms a crater
Kagome- Umm, I forgot that I took the rosary off...wow...I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks...
Me- Ok then...well, down to business...
Kachie- Yeah...the next four chapters are going to feature one couple each, and the events that occur in the
dimension that they are stuck in. That's one reason that they will be extra short...
Kagome- And the other reason that they will be short is that if the reviewers wish her to, Hekele is going to try and
write the next four chapters as individual song fics, using songs that fit each couple and their situation IF she
can find a good song....
Sango- Also, Hekele needs to know which couple the reviewers think should go first, her and Sesshoumaru, or Kachie
and Koga.
Rin- Hekele-chan wants Sango-san and Miroku-sama to go second, and Kagome-san and Inuyasha-san to go
last...for order of events purposes. So Hekele-chan needs to know which of the OTHER couples you want to go
first. The loser will go third...but that doesn't mean that they aren't important!!!
Me- That's right Rin, even though Inuyasha and Kagome WILL be last, they are the MOST important couple, and
their 'short chapter' will be longer than the other short ones. Please, no flames on what I chose to do with the
order...I have plot purposes to work with here...you won't be disappointed.
Kachie- So vote Y/N on song fics AND on Hekele/Sesshoumaru or Kachie/Koga chapter to be first...remember, you
have the power...sort of...
Kagome- Be prepared for a tide-turning twist in 5 chapters.
Sango- And wish Hekele luck while driving out west...
Rin- Pray too, she nearly crashed this Saturday while driving to her grandparents house with her mommy...
Me- HEY! I JUST GOT MY PERMIT!!! BE NICE YOU TWO!!!
Sango and Rin- Whispers She says it wasn't her fault but it was...so pray and don't be upset if you get an e-mail from
Kachie saying she's dead and that she is taking over the story...
Me- I HEARD THAT!!!!!!!! Ok, also, if you want to know what the 'plot twist' is, review things that Kikyo says to
Naraku from between now and two chapters back...and put them together with information provided about the
Shikon no Tama in THIS chapter...I would be more specific, but I want my reviewers to have at least a little bit of
a challenge. Once you figure out the connection, try to figure out what it means...anyone who does will get the next
chapter dedicated to them.
Kagome- Also, the 100th. reviewer will get special honors in the next chapter...and, if Hekele lives through her
vacation, perhaps a drawing sent through an e- mail as a prize.
Kachie- To see some of her artwork, go to and search under the screen name
HekeleMasuyo...good-bye and enjoy!
Everyone- UNTIL NEXT CHAPPIE!!! ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. ..............R&R....................
Ok, wow. That's all I have to say to you people. Wow. I have gotten over 90 reviews for this FF thus far. I am amazed. I want to thank everyone who reviews on FF, especially those of you who do not have accounts on here. It means a lot to a writer when a person tells them just how much they appreciate their work. For those of you who check my story everyday for updates, I really want to thank you; it's devoted fans like you that keep a writer going.
I am going to dedicate this chapter to all of the people who review to this story. Just so you know, this chapter contains the beginning of Naraku's evil plot. The next four chapters after this will each be significantly shorter than my usual chapters for two reasons:
1. They may be song fics that relate to the events I want to put into
the chapter
2. You will find out No. 2 at the end of the chappie.
Also, I have a disturbing announcement to make: My father is dragging my little brother and I on a vacation out west...we'll be seeing everything worthwhile, (except the Grand Canyon, which is all I wanted to see.) We will be driving the entire way...and will be gone for two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!! A terrible crime, my loyal friends, because I will not have access to a computer, let alone a computer with internet, for the whole trip. We will be leaving on July 17th. and will return between the 27th. and the 30th. I wanted to tell you this so that you know that it will be a long time before I update again. I sincerely hope that you all understand that I didn't ask to be trapped with my dad for that long, and if it makes up for my soon-to-be lack of updates, I will be totally miserable for the entire trip. I will update again as soon as inhumanly possible, but even Inuyasha would have trouble putting his foot down with my hard-assed dad around...
Well, on to the chappie, and I hope that everyone loves it.
P.S. I own nothing...damn filthy, greedy, good-for-nothing Lawyers...
P.P.S. My dad, as some of you have asked, is not physically abusive of me, I just hate him with a passion, had a nightmare one night, and based my character's past for this story on that nightmare. So, here's to two weeks of hell and car accidents, (he wants me to drive...I just got my permit, like, days ago...and am scared witless...) If anyone hears about a tragic car accident in the Rocky Mountains involving a 15 yr. old, her father, and younger brother from Michigan...make sure Evanescence plays at my funeral and that Rumiko Takashi comes and that she reads my fic...also, Kachie, like I told your sister when I went on the expressway for the first time last week...I want a cherry wood casket...and I want it to be nice and luxurious...and I want to be buried with all of your anime drawings...
(Kachie Runa is the next Rumiko Takashi, e-mail her for her anime-in- the-making summary, which inspired this Hekele's 'attitude'. Her e-mail address should be in her profile on this site...also, please help me to bug her about putting one of her awesome fanfics on this site!)
P.P.P.S. I'm only half joking about the whole car accident/funeral thing.......
Rude Awakenings and Sinister Plots
Sango, Hekele, and Kachie peaked down the staircase into the living room where Sango had left Kagome to await Inuyasha the previous night. They could barely make out two small dog-ears visible over the top of the couch.
So...he did come last night...Sango thought to herself. She took a step forward, wanting to see where Kagome was, when the stairs creaked. Sango jumped about five feet when she saw Inuyasha's ear twitch. Kachie rolled her eyes and shook her head; she hopped onto the banister and attempted to slide down as silently as possible. Luckily, she succeeded.
Since when did she get so sneaky? Last I checked she was the Queen of Klutzville...Hekele thought as she imitated her friend, just as silently. Sango hesitated for a moment, glancing at the hanyou's white ears for movement, but then followed their example.
Once the girls were at the bottom of the stairs, they sneaked into the living room and carefully crept around the couch to see Inuyasha's face and to look around for Kagome. What they saw nearly sent them into a fit of 'awes'.
Inuyasha had his arms wrapped around Kagome and her arms were wrapped firmly around his waist with her head resting on his chest. It was a very touching sight.
"Should we wake them?" Kachie whispered as quietly as she could. Hekele and Sango shook their heads and motioned for her to follow them into the kitchen where they could talk without waking their sleeping companions.
Once in the kitchen, Hekele opened the fridge and got out some eggs. She set them on the counter and looked at her friends.
"What do you all say to some scrambled eggs? And sausage?" she asked in a slightly hushed tone, still aware of the hanyou sleeping in the next room. Kachie nodded and Sango, trusting the two's judgment on what tasted good in this era, did as well. Hekele grabbed a bowl and cracked a few eggs into it and began to scramble them up.
"So how are we going to wake 'em up?" Kachie asked. Hekele and Sango looked at her thoughtfully, glanced at each other, and then Hekele spoke in the same hushed tone as before.
"I think that it would be best if they started the morning off well. We want Inuyasha to be on the best terms possible with everyone when we tell him about...you know..." she drifted deep into thought as she trailed off.
Inuyasha and Kagome were so close to each other...and she knew that their friendship could survive pretty much anything; she could tell that by only spending a day with them...but what about this Kikyo person? She had never seen Inuyasha interact with her...in fact, she had only heard of the priestess once before this occasion...when Inuyasha and Kagome were explaining to her about the well and traveling back in time...and how Kagome met Inuyasha, who was pinned to the God Tree by an arrow fired by...
Kikyo...Hekele thought as she came to the realization of whom the group was dealing with. Kikyo shot an arrow at Inuyasha and pinned him to that tree...why would Inuyasha love her??? Even if he did before then...how could he love someone that tried to kill him? Hekele thought suspiciously. It was then that she realized that someone was speaking.
"...and so I think that Hekele is right...we should allow them to wake on their own..." Sango was talking to Kachie, trying to reinforce what Hekele had previously said. Hekele, seeing an opening for speech, decided to get some questions answered.
"Sango? Isn't Kikyo the woman who pinned Inuyasha to the tree?" she asked, trying not to sound too interested. She didn't know why, but something about the supposed relationship between Inuyasha and this priestess didn't add up.
Sango looked at her in surprise, "Yes...you did not know?" she asked. Hekele shook her head.
"I should have, I just didn't put two and two together till now...but...didn't she die?" she continued with her questions, trying to find the tidbit of information that seemed to be eluding her.
Sango nodded gravely, "Yes...she did...but a while after Kagome and Inuyasha met, a witch demoness stole Kikyo's ashes and some earth from her grave...and created an artificial body..."
Then something clicked in Kachie's mind, having been listening to the conversation, "Don't Kagome and Kikyo share a soul? Isn't Kagome Kikyo's reincarnation?" she asked. Then the wheels in Hekele's mind turned as she saw where her friend was going with this question.
"How can they both exist at the same time if they share a soul?" she asked Sango. Sango sighed and shook her head.
"The witch stole Kagome's soul and placed it in the body of ashes and dirt...Kikyo was reanimated. Then, by some power that no one understands, Kagome's body called her soul back to her...but Kikyo still escaped with a small part of it. Kagome retains enough of her soul so that she continues to live freely; Kikyo got so little of it that she needs to devour the souls of young girls to stay alive..." she said slowly. Hekele lowered her eyes, almost feeling pity for the dead woman...almost.
Kachie was more than irritated, "So she won't give up Kagome's soul? She's making Inuyasha miserable, she's hurting Kagome in a round about way...so why does he love her?" Sango shrugged.
"Who knows? All we know is that Inuyasha feels indebted to her...for she died and went to hell whereas he lived...she was his first love...the first person that he ever trusted...perhaps because she died thinking that he had betrayed her and then supposedly still loved him after she returned to 'life', he still loves her..." Sango thought aloud. Hekele nodded, knowing where the hanyou would be coming from should that be the reason. Kachie sighed.
"Well then...let them be woken up by breakfast...if I try to wake them up I might strangle that stupid hanyou..." Hekele and Sango nodded a supportive smile. Suddenly they all heard little footsteps rushing down the stairs, announcing Rin's awakening. The three girls smiled and shook their heads. The little girl was so loud in the morning... Wait... So...loud...
"Hekele-chan?!? Kagome-san?!? Sango-san?!? Kachie-san?!?" she shouted as she came running through the house, not knowing at first where all of her companions were. Then the girls heard a loud thump, a feral growl, and an innocent, "oops..."
Feudal Era, with Naraku:
"Are the preparations set Kagura?" he asked wickedly as he walked down the hall of his large palace. The wind witch looked at him hatefully, not being able to defy him any other way and live.
"Yes master...everything is as you wished them," she spat. Naraku grinned evilly, knowing well how she wished him dead.
"Good...see to it that such prudence doesn't fade..." he said as he quickened his pace.
"Yes Naraku."
"And another thing...when our guests arrive I want them to you understand?" he asked darkly.
"If you mean for me to give them the deepest, darkest, dirtiest, and not to mention dankest cell in your dungeon...then yes, master, I understand..."
"Perfect...I shall go to retrieve them now...this shall be fun..."
Present Era:
Inuyasha growled at Rin, who was sitting on the floor clutching a doll with long black, curly hair, blue eyes, and a long periwinkle kimono, (which Inuyasha had never seen before,); both seemingly looking at him with innocent eyes.
Must have gotten it while shopping...he thought, still very aggravated. Rin had first shouted for the other girls, then she had accidentally run into the couch, more specifically, his head, and now she was looking at him with those huge eyes of hers. Inuyasha had half a mind to bonk her on the head, but his better judgment told him that if he did, he would have a lot of very unhappy people down his throat...most of all, Hekele and Sesshoumaru...
"Watch it runt...some people are trying to sleep here..." he grumbled. Rin nodded an apology and ran into the kitchen with the doll, after Inuyasha sniffed the air and pointed in that direction. It was then that, when she stirred in his arms, that Inuyasha remembered that he had fallen asleep with Kagome on her couch...and what had happened the previous night. He smiled affectionately and kissed her forehead.
"Kagome...Kagome..." he whispered into her ear, attempting to awaken her nicely. Kagome stirred and nuzzled her face deeper into his chest. Inuyasha smiled again and lightly shook her.
"Kagome...we need to get up...everyone else is..." he said soothingly. Kagome moaned in protest and Inuyasha could tell that she was awake. He tapped her head, causing her to giggle a bit and open one eye.
"What?" she said, trying to sound mad. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"You gotta get up Kagome...I think the others are plotting our demise...and breakfast..." he joked lightly. Kagome smiled, sat up slowly, and stretched a bit before crawling off of Inuyasha's lap. She stood up and looked at the hanyou before her happily.
"Well, than let us meet our demise and breakfast head-on." Inuyasha chuckled and followed her as she walked into the kitchen; they were met with stares and evil smiles.
"Now what were you two up to last night?" Kachie asked suggestively. It was then that Inuyasha and Kagome silently wished they had woken up first.
Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently in Kagome's doorway while watching the five girls pack their belongings, "Kagome...when can we leave?!?!"
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Inuyasha, we went shopping, meaning we bought things...things that are going back with us..." Inuyasha growled, annoyed. As much as he loved Kagome, he did not love her time. It always smelled of pollution and that horrid 'perfume' stuff; Inuyasha wouldn't even stay here if Kikyo were to forgive him, ask him to be himself, and give Kagome back her soul while staying alive at the same time...in short, it wasn't gonna happen. Also, he didn't know why, but it annoyed him that Rin and Sango were dressed in clothes from this time; Sango wasn't so bad...but Rin looked like a miniature Hekele.
"...Inuyasha...please be nice about it...we bought everyone something..." Sango said teasingly, after earning a look from Kagome that seemed to plead for assistance with the disturbed hanyou.
So much for 'best terms possible'...he's irritated that we aren't leaving fast enough when we shouldn't have to leave yet at all... Hekele rolled her eyes violently as she helped Rin pack her new clothes.
"You...bought everyone something?" Inuyasha asked, surprised. Kagome nodded, thankful for Sango's assistance.
"Yes...it's nothing important...and we didn't want to get everyone gifts of different value...it's kinda corny really...but we thought that you'd all like them at least a little..." Kagome stuttered out, feeling stupid about the gifts that they had gotten for their friends, it really wasn't anything special. All they happened to be were small symbols of what each member of their oversized 'team' meant to them.
Inuyasha, despite Kagome's explanation of how 'corny' they were, was quite interested, "What kind of things?" he asked. It was Rin's turn to pipe in.
"The presents are all alike and yet all different at the same time, and we all helped to pick out the right one for everyone!" said the young girl. Inuyasha looked at her oddly.
"'All alike and yet all different'?" he asked. Kagome nodded and grabbed a small piece of folded tissue paper.
"Here's yours Inuyasha, we all helped to pick out the one we thought that you'd like best..." she said shyly. Inuyasha took the small package gently, not wanting to damage whatever lay inside. He carefully unwrapped the paper, completely aware of how everyone was staring at him as he did so.
When he folded back the last piece of the wrapping, his eyes enlarged amazingly. What lay in his hand was a necklace; hollow glass shaped like a katana filled with tiny red and black colored stones that contrasted with a single, pure white, grain of rice. The small piece of glass was also filled with water, which magnified what was written on the grain of rice: Inuyasha.
"You...got me a necklace that has my name written on a grain of rice in it? In the shape of a sword..." he said, almost as though he didn't believe it.
Kagome's eyes watched him critically, wanting to know what he thought of their carefully thought out gift, "...Do you like it?" she asked. Inuyasha quickly put the precious necklace around his neck so that it lay across his chest with the rosary.
"I love it...and I'm guessing that you got everyone else one of these too? With different shapes in the glass and different colored stones and their name?" he asked. Everyone nodded.
"...I think that it'll mean a lot to them as well..." he said honestly. Kagome smiled and gave him a huge hug, surprising the hanyou. His ears whirled around his head nervously as he returned the embrace.
"Thank you Inuyasha...we're glad that you like it!" Kagome said. She unwrapped her arms from around his neck and Inuyasha felt as though there was much less weight hanging from it. He looked down at his new gift and realized that his rosary was gone. He looked at Kagome with a bewildered face and saw that the item in question was held tightly in her hands. Shock was written all over his face as he looked at Kagome.
"You..." was all that he could get out.
"I trust you Inuyasha...just don't kill Shippo, Sesshoumaru, and Koga at your first chance, ok?" she asked, only half joking. Inuyasha nearly had tears in his eyes.
She trusts me...this much? "Kagome...thank you..." Inuyasha looked at the rest of the girls, who were standing there smiling knowingly at him. Inuyasha felt loved that moment, so loved that it nearly made him act extra mushy...nearly.
"...So..." Inuyasha said while clearing his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with all the unusual happiness in the air, given why he had come the previous night. It didn't seem right for him to be so happy when he came to Kagome after...Kikyo, "...why's the squirt dressed like Hekele?"
Naraku watched the exchange of the gift from afar. He had used the Shikon Shards to completely hide his scent and to give him the ability to turn invisible for a few moments as he prepared for his self appointed mission.
Inuyasha...not only will you suffer...but with my tests so will everyone you touch...and as for the women you and your 'friends' hold so dear...they will die of broken hearts! He thought this and only this as he spotted a small doll in the kitchen of the house...and grinned.
Feudal Era:
Inuyasha landed softly on the other side of the well with Kagome in his arms. His rosary wrapped around her wrist. Somehow, it made him happy to know that she wasn't throwing it away. He jumped out of the well to make room for the rest of the group and gently set Kagome on her feet. He then helped a disgruntled Sango out of the well. Inuyasha snickered; it had taken an hour to find Kirara, and when they finally had found the cat demon, she had been nuzzled next to Buyo, still soundly sleeping. When Sango tried to wake her and take her home, Kirara had thrown a hissy fit, literally. It had taken another twenty minutes to drag the meowing cat demon down the well and away from her new 'boyfriend'. In the end, they had to promise to bring her back for a visit soon.
"Kirara, stop meowing...I told you that we'd go back soon," Sango said to the noisy bundle on her back. A deep chuckle reached her ears and she smiled.
"What's the matter with our favorite cat demon?" Miroku asked as he gave Sango a light embrace, causing her to blush deeply.
"Oh nothing...she's just infatuated with Kagome's cat Buyo and didn't want to leave..." she said. Miroku chuckled again and released her. He was smiling.
"Miroku...your nose..."
"Lady Kaede was kind enough to give me some herbs and such that would heal it faster...looks like it worked huh?"
"Miroku, it's bleeding..."
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!! Rin's back!" the young girl giggled as she saw Sesshoumaru standing near the well, having been the one to smell their return, he had arrived first. He lifted Rin out of the well and was nearly squeezed to death when she hugged him. When he could pry her off gently, he helped Hekele out of the well as well.
"Thank you Sesshoumaru. And how has your time been without a little munchkin popping up everywhere?" she asked as he set her down. Sesshoumaru smirked.
"Surprisingly loud..." he said, glaring at Miroku; the monk had a tendency to talk when the world wanted him to shut up. When Sesshoumaru and Koga had returned late the previous afternoon, all the monk had done was talk...even the kitsune was fed up with him...
"Awe, too bad, cuz we had fun, right Rin?" Hekele jeered slightly. Rin bounced up and hugged Sesshoumaru again.
"Yup, but Rin missed her Sesshoumaru-sama." Sesshoumaru smiled slightly at this and, after taking a good look at what Rin was wearing and how her hair was styled, looked back to Hekele.
"Well, it's not too difficult to deduce who shopped with Rin now is it?" Hekele rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Hey, you're just lucky that I didn't give in when she wanted her hair cut like mine...I had to compromise with pig-tails..." she said pointedly.
"Umm...hello?" Everyone glanced around for a moment before looking back into the well. A very irritated Kachie met their gaze. She was hanging on to the vines within the well desperately and she pouted her lower lip.
"Guys? I'm still down here, how about an assist??? Please?!?!?!"
Miroku, being the gentleman that he was, graciously extended his hand for her to grab so that she could be pulled out. Kachie smiled thankfully and allowed him to help her out of the well. Once on her feet, Kachie smiled as she dusted herself off.
"Thank you Miroku, at least someone-" Kachie was caught off as she felt something, or rather, someone caressing her rear.
"Aahh, but, it was well worth it Kachie-san..." Kachie wasted no time in throwing the monk over her shoulder and down the well. Only when she heard the ever-so satisfying crash at the bottom did she speak.
"If you ever touch me in such a disrespectful manner again, I will personally feed you to the next demon I see...oh, hi Koga!" she redirected her statement as the said wolf demon sped up the path towards the well.
"Why didn't anyone wake me up?!?!?" was Koga's 'brilliant' reply. Shippo, who was riding on his shoulder, shook a small angry fist at the group.
"Yea!!! Why didn't anyone wake us up?!?!?" he shouted, mostly directing the statement at Inuyasha, not knowing that he had spent the night with the girls.
"Hey runt, don't press me...I've had a rather pleasant morning...so I'm warning you, do not make me mad...besides...I was with them..." Inuyasha said in his defense, pointing to the girls, who nodded. It was then, while the spotlight was on him, that Miroku, (who had just climbed out of the well,) saw what lay about Inuyasha's neck...and more importantly...what wasn't there...
"Inuyasha...what's happened to your rosary?" he asked seriously. Inuyasha blinked for a second but then smirked happily. Shippo, who now also noticed the absence of the rosary, made a speedy beeline for Kagome's arms for safety. Koga's eyes got wide and took a step back, knowing very well that the rosary controlled the hanyou when upset. It wasn't that he feared him...he just wasn't up to a brawl right then...
Kagome held up her arm with the rosary wrapped around it while smiling, "I took it off him...it's not like he's gonna try to kill us...he...really doesn't need it on him..." Shippo looked up at her with terrified eyes.
"Kagome...are you feeling ok? Did Inuyasha make you take it off him? Did he hurt you?" he asked at a mile a minute. Inuyasha frowned dangerously at this.
He actually thinks that I would hurt her? What kind of idiot is he?!?!? He thought angrily. But, he had just practically promised not to maul the kit so he stayed put. This surprised the members of the group who hadn't been in the future when the rosary was removed..
"No, Shippo, if he had hurt me, which he didn't, then you would notice...besides, you and I both know that he wouldn't do anything like that to any of us..."
Well, at least someone's got positive faith in me... Inuyasha thought as he gently wrapped an arm around Kagome. This earned him a raised brow from Sesshoumaru, a shocked look from Shippo and Miroku, and a slight glare from Koga.
Koga's glare, however, lasted mere seconds, as he turned his attention to Kachie, (whom he was now standing by,) wishing to explain his tardiness, "Sorry, I wasn't here to meet you...I kind of overslept...and didn't know you were returning today anyway..."
Kagome, who was blushing slightly at Inuyasha's embrace, (which, she noted, he seemed to be doing proudly,), opened her backpack and took out several small, wrapped packages. It was everyone else's turn to receive their gifts.
"These are for everyone...we all helped to pick them out...Inuyasha already has his..." she said, handing everyone their gifts. They looked at them for a moment before opening them...
Miroku's face turned soft when he saw his necklace. The glass was shaped like praying hands with purple and black beads in it...along with a single grain of rice that held his name inside of it. It was, to him, the most precious gift he had gotten in his entire life.
Koga's necklace, (which Kachie had had the final say in,) was that of a beautiful wolf's head with brown and silver stones. He looked at it in shock for a moment, clearly surprised by such a precious gift. He then smiled.
Yes, they all helped to pick them out...but only Kachie could single out such a lovely combination...he thought to himself.
Shippo was bouncing up and down on Kagome's shoulder when he saw his necklace, which was shaped like a piece of candy. It was filled with light blue and bright green stones.
Sesshoumaru looked at his necklace critically for a moment, trying to see the meaning of his gift; clearly everyone else's held a symbolic meaning to it... Then he smiled softly as he realized what it was: A fang. He shook his head in mild amusement. He had wanted his father's fang, (Inuyasha's sword,) for so long...so whoever had finally decided upon his gift had given him a fang...
Probably Hekele and Rin...and everyone else had just gone along with it...yes, that is most likely...he thought as he looked at the grain of rice, which held his name. The stones surrounding it were dark sapphire blue and golden. It was quite elegant really, simple, but elegant. All the individualized necklaces were...
"Well...does everyone like them?" Kagome asked nervously. The other girls seemed to share her nervousness; they had all helped to pick out the gifts, but they had also been a bit more critical about the gifts when it came to ones that they cared for a bit more.
Koga was the first to put his on. "I love mine!" he said enthusiastically, and honestly; he gave Kachie a small hug, letting her know that he understood who really picked out his gift. Miroku followed suit and put his on as well.
"They are very kind and thoughtful gifts...and mine is most appreciated." He couldn't help but look at Sango when he said it.
Shippo was bouncing around again, "Now if only it was a real piece of candy..." He hugged Kagome's neck tightly and then bounced over to Sango, Kachie, Hekele, and Rin one by one to do the same. (He didn't quite understand that the gifts weren't as equal an effort as the boys had been told they were...but then again, that's what the girls had wanted...)
Sesshoumaru still looked at his before carefully putting it around his neck, he eyed Hekele and Rin, (who was looking in a bag of some sort for something,) suspiciously as he spoke, "They are rather thought out and symbolic gifts...they represent each individual remarkably well..." Which everyone knew was his version of a, 'Yes, I like it, and thanks,'. The girls smiled triumphantly.
Suddenly, Rin panicked, she had opened her new bag of clothes and was looking for something she wanted to show Sesshoumaru, "Rin forgot her doll! Rin got a doll while shopping and she must have left it in the kitchen at Kagome-san's house!" Hekele kneeled down and gave the distressed girl a hug.
"Don't worry about it...We can go back and get it really quick...alright?" she said sweetly, knowing very well that Rin would cry if she couldn't show her Sesshoumaru-sama her new toy. Kagome nodded in support.
"Yeah, I'll come too, I think we left that kitchen a bit messy anyway..." she said, suddenly realizing that Inuyasha had pulled them out of the room to get ready before they had had a chance to clean up...
"All right, that's settled. Why don't you all go on ahead back to the village, we'll be there in a few minutes. Ok?" Hekele suggested. Everyone nodded and the three girls hopped back down the well to clean up and to locate the missing doll.
Inuyasha stopped for a moment, feeling a slight chill go down his spine as the girls left again, but he shrugged it off, thinking that he was just getting lonely without Kagome in his arms. He looked to his friends as they slowly walked back to Kaede's village, each seemingly deep in thought. He caught Sesshoumaru gently fingering his necklace and grinned.
"I take it you like what the girls picked out for you?" he teased daringly, but not without putting a few more steps between himself and his older half-brother. Sesshoumaru spared him an apathetic look before gently tucking the necklace beneath the collar of his kimono.
"Can one not admire the simple elegance in the colors and separate components?" he asked, trying not to let his touched emotions show through. Inuyasha and Koga snickered.
"True, but you practically admitted your feelings for Hekele to me the other day when we were looking for shard rumors..." Koga said, grinning evilly. Inuyasha's eyes widened considerably.
"Oh? And how did that happen?" he asked, grinning as evilly as Koga. Sesshoumaru chose not to kill either of them...he merely waited for his best opening to retaliate...
"Well, I was talking about Kachie and he mentioned how 'fragile' human emotions were and gave a few examples...Hekele being one of them. I confronted him about it and he said, 'Even if it were true, at least I am not divided in my emotions...' Now, is that his version of a love confession or am I imagining things?" Koga asked Inuyasha slyly. Sesshoumaru hid his smirk.
Alright now...just endure this humiliation a moment longer...the bait has been set...he thought.
"Well, I don't know about you Koga, but I think it is..." Inuyasha smirked, clearly enjoying the moment.
Now to break up their newly found friendship...Sesshoumaru thought as he made sure that Kachie and Sango were far enough ahead not to hear him and he cleared his throat. "Actually Koga, I believe we were discussing how you felt about Kachie in comparison as to how you felt for Kagome...and how you seemed to love them both in a similar fashion...and I believe that is why I was discussing with you the frailty of human emotions, so that you would know not to break Kachie's heart, which she has clearly given you a piece of. Also, I recall using many examples, Hekele was merely one of them..." he stated factually. The beauty of his little plan was, in fact, that he didn't have to lie. He could enjoy his little unorganized, yet very effective, plot knowing that he didn't have to tell a half-truth. He knew that Inuyasha knew this as well.
"WHAT?!?!?!?!?! How dare you!?! You have Kachie, who clearly has feelings for you, and you still want Kagome, who clearly does not?!?!?!?" he yelled. Koga, not seeing Kachie, Shippo, (who was in Kachie's arms,) and Sango turn around, (having heard Inuyasha yell,) was quick to retaliate.
"Oh, and you are Saint Inuyasha, who only loves one woman?! I do recall a certain dead priestess that happens to have a hold of your heart!? What do you see in such a creature? She stole a piece of Kagome's soul!" he yelled back. Sesshoumaru winced as he saw Kachie's face begin to tear up.
Damn...I believe that's the unorganized part of my plan...the damn wolf just had to go and say it in those specific words...and they say that wolves are intelligent creatures...Feh! He thought in mild guilt as Kachie turned around and ran towards the village with Shippo, not wanting anyone to see her cry. Koga quickly picked up the scent of salt though, and looked in time to see her disappear around the corner.
Shit...stupid! How could I have forgotten that she was there?!?! He thought as he glared at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha before running after her. Inuyasha shook his head.
"It's not like it matters whom I love though, not now anyway..." he said somberly. This attracted the attention of the remaining members of their little group.
"What is it you mean, Inuyasha?" Miroku questioned. Sango nodded.
"Yes Inuyasha, what are you getting at?" she asked. Sesshoumaru merely paused and graced the group with his now emotionless eyes. Inuyasha knew something that they didn't, and that, considering the circumstances, was not a good thing.
"She left me," Inuyasha said quietly. This made even Sesshoumaru's eyes widen a bit.
"What?" Sango asked. Inuyasha sighed.
"She saw me as a human. She...was angry that I never told her about it before, and yet you all knew about it...she felt betrayed...and said that she never wanted to see me again...then she just left..."
"...And that's when you came to see Kagome on the other side of the well...you needed someone to comfort you..." Sango said, trying not to let any of the spite she was feeling to escape her. The group noticed, however, and let her go on with interest, "You needed to feel like someone was there for you, so you ran from your past love, who abandoned you, to your more recent one who has already said that she would never leave your side when you needed her. You're playing them against each other. Have you said anything to Kagome about this incident with Kikyo?" she asked, he tone rising with hurt for her friend.
"No...we were having a good time together, and I didn't want to ruin it. I FELT SO DAMN BAD ABOUT IT TOO!!! I FELT CONFUSED, ANGRY, SAD, AND EVEN, IN MY OWN WAY, BETRAYED, SO YES! I WENT WHERE I THOUGHT I WOULD BE AT LEAST A LITTLE WELCOME, AND I WAS!!!!!!!!!" he yelled back at her. Kirara meowed angrily and Miroku stood in front of Sango protectively.
"Inuyasha...I understand how you must feel...but please do not take it out on Lady Sango..." he said sternly. Inuyasha was about to attack him but Sesshoumaru grabbed his arm and held him firm.
"I do not think it best that you harm your friends...they are good to you...more than you realize. They only try to protect Kagome...as you well understand..." he said in a low voice that sent chills down Inuyasha's spine.
"What do you care? You do not, cannot possibly understand how difficult this is. But like I said, it doesn't matter now."
"That is where you are wrong Inuyasha." Inuyasha looked back at the monk, who had dared to speak again.
"And how am I wrong?!"
Miroku winced at his tone. There was something that he desperately wanted to say to the hanyou, but Sesshoumaru had said to wait for Kagome to say it and to simply back her up...so he tried the lesser of a way to approach the matter, "Inuyasha...you never chose between them. If Kikyo hadn't...betrayed you...would you have still wound up in Kagome's time this past night? Or would you have been in the arms of Kikyo?" Inuyasha wanted so much to rip his throat out then, to make those accusing words choke him...but he knew that he was right...he would have been with Kikyo...and none of what had happened the previous night with Kagome would have happened...maybe never?
"Feh!" was all he said as he snatched his arm back from Sesshoumaru and dashed towards the village, wanting to get away from the conversation desperately.
Miroku nodded thanks to the demon lord and sighed, "I thought as much...Lady Sango...what happened between the two last night?" His question was serious, not perverted for once...
Sango shook her head, "We were all asleep...those two were the only ones awake..." Miroku nodded slowly, putting an arm around Sango's shoulders so that he could lightly embrace her in support as he spoke.
"...Were you able to tell Kagome?" he asked. Sango nodded.
"She said that she wanted to wait for us all to be around to support her...probably today...soon," she said, subconsciously resting her head on his. Miroku nodded gently, not wanting to force her off.
"We suspected as , let us await the return of Kagome, Hekele, and Rin in the village..." he said, turning her in the direction of the path again. The two began walking in silence as Sesshoumaru pondered everything up to that moment.
If Naraku doesn't kill me...these idiots will...he thought sarcastically as his mind reviewed the incident that had just come to pass. Kagome and Hekele aren't going to be too happy with me...that's certain. He continued to ponder what would happen when they found out about the trouble he had caused. It's not like they could hurt him...but they could make a living hell of his life. Sesshoumaru sighed and continued down the path after the humans when another, more delayed thought reached his brain.
Why did Kikyo abandon him? What good would she be to Naraku if she and Inuyasha weren't together?
Present Era:
"Rin!!! Did you find it yet?!?" Kagome yelled from the kitchen. They had turned the kitchen upside-down looking for the doll, and they still couldn't find it. Kagome and Hekele were wrapping up the cleaning while Rin looked for her toy elsewhere, but she still wasn't having much luck.
"No!!!! But Rin is still looking!!!" came the young girl's cry from the living room. Hekele and Kagome stepped back and glanced around at the kitchen, as if to satisfy themselves that it was clean enough. After giving each other a firm nod of approvement, they walked out of the room and went after Rin to help her look.
When they got into the living room, Rin was currently putting the cushions back on the sofa; she had been certain that she hadn't sat there in the morning, but it was good to look just in case.
"Any luck?" Hekele asked, scanning the room with her eyes. Rin shook her head sadly. Kagome gave her a small hug.
"Let's take a look in mine and Hekele's room. Perhaps you set it on the bed while we packed?" she suggested. Rin nodded and the three headed up the stairs.
Once they entered the room, they were quite surprised. There, sitting on the bed, was the doll. It was just as Kagome had said; only it was perfect. So perfect it was scary. The doll was propped up against a pillow with perfect creases in her kimono; her hair fell about her shoulders and back with almost ritualistic precision. It was unnerving.
Kagome got a chill, "Hey, come on guys, we found the doll, let's get back now..." Hekele and Rin nodded. Rin grabbed the doll and they were about to head out the door when it slammed in their faces.
"Kagome, what the hell is going on?" Hekele asked, putting an arm around Rin. Kagome was about to shake her head when suddenly a rush demon aura reached her senses.
"Naraku..." she said fearfully. Hekele's eyes got wide and her grip on Rin tightened. Suddenly, a low, dark chuckling was heard behind them. The three girls spun around and came face to face with none other than the hanyou himself. He had long, wavy, dark hair, blood red eyes, and a pale face; he was sitting on the edge of Kagome's bed. He wore the most sadistic and manipulative smile neither Hekele nor Kagome had ever seen.
"Well, well...I must admit, I thought you'd find me sooner...miko..." he said as he stood up and took a step towards the group. The three backed up a step instinctively. What were they going to do?
"W-what do you want Naraku?" Kagome tried to ask bravely, but suddenly without Inuyasha nearby...she felt so small compared to this enemy...and her arrows were all in her backpack downstairs...
"Why else would I be here? I've come for you three..."
"Why? What do you want with us?" Hekele dared. Naraku's grin widened.
"Because I want to rid the world of yours and Inuyasha's pathetic existence...and I want to have a bit of fun while I'm at it..."
He turned to regard Hekele and the frightened girl behind her, "Not that I hold any malice towards you, but your presence will also be required."
Hekele, upon a slight nod from Kagome, quickly opened the door and shoved Rin into the hallway, "Run for the well!" Rin obeyed and ran down the stairs. Naraku's grin turned into an open smile.
"Her presence is required as well. I am sorry to say that she won't get as far as out the front door." As if on cue, Rin's yell could be heard.
"The doors are both stuck!!! Rin can't open them!!!"
"Keep trying!" Kagome yelled to her.
"The slayer and the other wench from this time will be joining you as well..." Naraku said, taking another step towards them. Hekele and Kagome were trapped. The door slammed behind Hekele and two of Naraku's appendages whipped out at them and Kagome and Hekele were forcefully slammed into the wall behind them, successfully knocking them out. There was a slight trace of blood on the wall where Hekele had hit her head and Kagome's torso had a long cut where Naraku's appendage had hit her.
"Two down..." Naraku could hear Rin pounding on the door downstairs and even trying to break a window, but nothing, he knew, could work, "...Three to go."
Feudal Japan:
"Inuyasha...I believe that you are mistaken in your rage. First of all, you cannot blame Koga for feeling emotions that you yourself feel. Second of all, the monk and slayer were simply concerned that their friend was a second choice, a rebound. They wanted to protect her." Sesshoumaru had been trying to mend the breach that he had created between Inuyasha and his friends since they had gotten back to the village, he had even gone so far as to consol him. Not that he really cared...he just didn't feel like growing a conscious and having it pester him...or had that already happened?
"Give it a rest Sesshoumaru-sama, Inuyasha is too bull-headed to understand his own feelings...ye should know that," Kaede said as she walked past the group of disgruntled people. Koga was trying to talk to Kachie, Shippo was hitting him in the head for hurting her feelings, Kachie herself was sitting in a corner trying to make sense of what she felt, (she didn't know whether to forgive and forget or just forget on an account of all she and Koga had done to show that they cared in the least was a small peck on the cheek,) either way she felt a bit jealous of Kagome for having such devotion out of both men who loved her, Sango was seated next to Miroku trying to understand things from Inuyasha's point of view, knowing that he at least loved Kagome a little, and Miroku had his arm still around her and was talking to her soothingly, trying to help her distress in any way that he could. Kaede rolled her good eye at the group and returned her attention to Sesshoumaru.
"I must be leaving to a nearby village...I know it is quite a bit to ask of ye, considering the group we are dealing with, but please think out yer retaliation better next time. If ye don't, I can guarantee they'll all end up this way...even ask the baphoon comforting Sango...none of his half- witted schemes ever work..." she said, half sternly, half while smiling. Sesshoumaru gave a slight nod and Kaede left.
"M'lord? Why do you allow her to speak to you so?" Jakken asked as he entered the room from another door with some firewood. Sesshoumaru sat there and looked at him sternly.
"Because there is no reason for anger when she is correct. Inuyasha, that is what I am trying to get across to you..." he said, turning his attention to the hanyou once more. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He was about to make some snide remark when he stopped. He looked at Sesshoumaru sharply and the demon sniffed the air. He rose abruptly.
"Naraku."
"His scent is coming from near the well..." Suddenly the whole group was out of their stupor and looked to be battle ready.
"What are we waiting for?!" Shippo yelled. Sesshoumaru stared at him for a moment and then looked to Inuyasha, who nodded.
"We're going through the well, stay here to protect the village if he comes this way, we are going to get Kagome, Rin, and Hekele, they've been gone way too long..." Inuyasha said, dashing through the door. Miroku stopped Sesshoumaru.
"Here, you'll need a shard to get trough the well!" he said as he put a shard of the Shikon no Tama into Sesshoumaru's palm. Sesshoumaru nodded in thanks and was right behind Inuyasha. Sango looked to Miroku.
"Do you believe it has begun? Naraku's plot?" Miroku nodded grimly.
"I do believe it has Sango, come, we must be ready to fight." He looked to Kachie and Koga, who were standing and at ready.
"I hope we can do this..."
With Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha:
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha ran towards the well for all they were worth. If Naraku was anywhere near that well...only bad could happen. They prayed that he was merely passing by on his way to attack the village he knew they were in habit of going. But as they neared the well, their worst fears were confirmed. Naraku's stench went into the well, and by the smell of things...it had been there a while.
"How can this be? We should have been able to smell him hours ago, why didn't we?!?" Inuyasha yelled, clearly confused.
"His scent is hours old and yet you've only been back in this era for about thirty minutes." Sesshoumaru mused this thought, "He must have found a way to conceal his scent...we must hurry!"
Without another word they jumped into the well. Sesshoumaru was in awe of the odd feeling it gave him. It was a type of warmth and it felt much like he was floating. It would have been a pleasurable experience were it not for Naraku's hateful scent and evil intentions.
When they reached the other side, they leapt out of the well and Inuyasha opened the shed door leading outside. Everything Sesshoumaru saw aroused his curiosity but he didn't let it show. Inuyasha ran to the shrine and burst through the door with Sesshoumaru, who was not familiar of his surroundings as of yet, still right behind him. It was deathly quiet. The two sniffed around for a moment before picking up a mixed scent of blood coming from upstairs. They turned pale and ran up the stairs and into Kagome's room. No one was there. It took less than a second for Sesshoumaru to detect Hekele's blood on the wall, and for Inuyasha to find a small trace of Kagome's on the floor. Sesshoumaru grimaced as he touched the wall.
"Naraku's scent is still fresh. He is still in this era..."
"In this very dwelling actually." The two turned quickly, weapons drawn and at ready. At first they saw nothing, then, before their eyes, Naraku appeared. He was sitting on Kagome's bed, the way he had been when the girls had been caught off guard. To his left, on Hekele's bed, lay Kagome, Hekele, and Rin; all were unconscious.
"What the hell did you do to them Naraku?!?!?!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing his Tetsusaiga at Naraku. Sesshoumaru's eyes turned a blood red and he let out an angered growl. Naraku laughed.
"Why, whatever do you mean? Here they are, safe and sound...at least for now."
"Why do you want them?" Inuyasha yelled. Naraku grinned another sadistic grin.
"Why else? To see you squirm." Naraku gave another laugh as the Shikon shards he possessed glowed a deep black color. It was then that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru saw Kagome, Hekele, and Rin's shards glow black in his other hand. Naraku put the pieces together and they fused into a nearly whole Shikon no Tama. The only shards that were missing were the ones in Koga's legs, the one still in Sesshoumaru's palm, and the other two that Miroku possessed. Five pieces left for Naraku to get in order to have the whole thing...and he knew it.
"These will prove quite useful, as will these," he said, motioning to the girls. He lashed out three of his appendages and wrapped them around the three. Inuyasha made move to slice at the appendages with his sword but Naraku tightened his hold on them, squeezing air out of the girls' lungs. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru winced at the pained gasps that protruded from the unconscious girls' lips.
"I'll be going now, and if you love them, you'll come for them...them and your other friends." With that, Naraku disappeared into a cloud of black towards the well, taking the girls with him. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru ran out of the house and went down into the well after him.
"Naraku's going after Sango and Kachie, we can't let him get them too!" Inuyasha yelled.
"You think I do not realize this?!?" Sesshoumaru retaliated. When the two touched down on the other side of the well they leapt out and ran towards the village. But when they got there...they were too late.
With Miroku, Sango, Kachie, Koga, and Shippo:
It happened just as they were leaving the hut. Sango had grabbed her boomerang and Kachie had unsheathed her katana. They were the first two in action when a cry was heard from some of the villagers. They thrust open the door to the hut and were flung back by and immense force of wind. Sango crashed through the wall while Kachie flew back, knocking over a villager.
Kagura smiled a grim smile, "I am sorry for this, truly." Another wave of wind was thrust from her fan and it dug into Kachie's shoulder.
"KACHIE!!!" Koga yelled, running out of the hut and to her aid. Kagura sent a fierce wind at him, knocking him about thirty feet in the opposite direction. She then gently swept the now unconscious Kachie into her feather and floated to where Sango lay. Koga regained his footing and ran after her, only to be slashed in the chest with her fan. He groaned in pain as he hit the ground, hardly able to stand. Kagura smirked and continued to where Sango was as unconscious as Kachie.
"Hmm, I must have sent her through the wall with a bit more force than needed, pity." She swept her up as well, totally unaware of the monk's presence when he crashed his staff into her head. Kagura stumbled back a few feet, clearly shocked.
"If you make a move towards them again, you shall be sucked into my kazaana!" he yelled in anger, holding his arm at ready. Kagura gave him the same grim smile she had Kachie.
"You are too close to them to unleash the kazaana; you will not use it. Understand that I must do this, and that you and your friends must come and save them, 'til then, good-bye!" she yelled, hitting him with her wind and gathering herself into the feather with the fallen girls. She rose high above Miroku and flew towards the mountains.
I hope they pass Naraku's tests...if they don't I'll never escape him and claim freedom for Kanna and myself...she thought, somewhat sadly, as she flew off, purposely making it easier for the hanyou to track her by going slower than normal.
Back at the village:
"What the hell happened here?!? Tell me!!!" Inuyasha grabbed the first non-fatally wounded man he saw and nearly shook the life out of him. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air.
"The wind witch was here...if you'd be so rational as to use your nose, you would know that." Inuyasha glared at him and put the man down. He and Sesshoumaru sped to Kaede's hut, only to find a semi-conscious Koga and a bewildered Miroku. Inuyasha ran over to them quickly. Sesshoumaru followed cautiously, glancing around for any sign that Kagura was still nearby.
"Where are they?!" Inuyasha yelled, "Where are Sango and Kachie?!?!" At this Koga looked at the ground in shame and Miroku, after in taking a sharp and labored breath, looked up at Inuyasha.
"Kagura...has taken them to Naraku...it wasn't him you smelled near the well..."
"Actually, it was. Naraku has discovered how to travel through the well to the future...he has taken Kagome, Rin, and Hekele as well..." Sesshoumaru stated, also looking at the ground in shame. He had let Naraku take Rin away from him yet again, now he also had Hekele...
Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru's face turned even more grim. He once again lightly touched the necklace he had received, not aware of his half-brother's gaze. Inuyasha, knowing well how he and the others felt, was the first to speak.
"What do you think he wants them for?" he asked. Sesshoumaru glanced at Miroku and Koga, who nodded slowly.
"Inuyasha...Naraku has been plotting something against us..." Miroku began, only to be interrupted.
"Feh, when isn't he?"
"Listen Inuyasha, Naraku summoned Sesshoumaru to a secret meeting just after Hekele and Kagome went back to their time a day before Kachie arrived. He was trying to get Sesshoumaru to assist him, which he obviously is not. Sesshoumaru refused because he no longer wanted the Tetsusaiga. Naraku then made him a victim of his plot because he assumed that Sesshoumaru would warn us...which he did. We believe that is why-"
"Why wasn't I told of this?" Inuyasha asked suddenly, glaring at the three before him. Miroku sighed and shifted uncomfortably. Sesshoumaru nodded for him to continue and moved towards Inuyasha, just in case he turned violent.
"...We didn't tell you because we didn't know how to...because Kikyo was at the meeting as well...and she agreed to help Naraku...Inuyasha...she betrayed you..." Miroku said slowly and deliberately. Inuyasha was about to lung at the monk the instant he finished speaking but Sesshoumaru held him back. Inuyasha began struggling and yelling at Miroku.
"NO SHE DIDN'T! KIKYO HATES NARAKU!!!!!!!! SHE WOULD NEVER, NO MATTER HOW MUCH SHE DESPISES ME, HELP NARAKU!!!!!" he practically screamed in rage. Sesshoumaru held him firm, which proved to be surprisingly difficult.
"Inuyasha, you worthless half-breed, you've been deceived!" he said in an enraged tone, "Do you think they would lie to you?!?" Inuyasha stopped struggling for a moment and breathed deeply.
"No...they wouldn't...but you would..." he said in a low, hateful tone. This surprised Sesshoumaru. He had never told a lie to convince an enemy to trust him, (though he had never tried to get an enemy to trust him before.) The only real lies that he had ever told were small fibs to keep Rin oblivious to some of the more gruesome things he was involved with, wanting to spare her innocence from such evils. Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands did not lie.
"I have never lied to you. No matter the circumstances, the few good or the more often bad, I have never lied to you...why would I lie now, when I have more than enough reasons not to?" he hissed angrily. He let go of Inuyasha, no longer seeing the monk to be in physical danger. Inuyasha turned to look him in the eye, and Sesshoumaru was appalled to see the accusation written inside of his half-brother's eyes. His own eye's turned slightly cold.
"You are not the only being to have had something precious stolen from you this day...Koga, the damn monk, and I have as well...what reason would there be for that if I were to be lying?" he asked. Inuyasha glared at him.
"If you were to help Naraku, I'm sure that he would keep Rin safe for you..." he accused. Sesshoumaru grabbed Inuyasha's throat in anger and held him off the ground slightly. He looked into the hanyou's eyes with both disgust and anger.
"You propose that I would allow Rin, a being that is most like my own child, to even come within seeing distance of such a creature as Naraku? And what of Hekele? Are you accusing her to be involved with this somehow? She bled on Kagome's wall from a head injury, Inuyasha, I doubt she had any part in such a plan!" he said in the lowest most forceful voice he could muster. Inuyasha looked away from him at the ground and Sesshoumaru put him down, a slight blaze burning in his icy eyes.
"Um...if you two are done fighting..." Everyone looked down to see a ragged looking Shippo pop his head out of a bit of the hut's rubble. Miroku cautiously removed him from the destroyed hut and looked him over for any injuries.
"Are you hurt Shippo?" he asked, subconsciously keeping an eye on Inuyasha. Shippo shook his head but hugged Miroku's neck.
"Can we go find Kagome now? We have to get her back!" he exclaimed sadly, looking at Inuyasha, his only father figure. Inuyasha glared a final glare at Sesshoumaru, Koga, and Miroku, and then out stretched his arms towards Shippo a bit, signalling for him to come to the hanyou. Miroku hesitated but allowed Shippo to jump into Inuyasha's arms.
Inuyasha, knowing that he should comfort the kit who was in many ways his own kit it seemed, spoke in as soothing a tone as he could, "Yes, we'll go and find her now, her, Kachie, Hekele, Rin, and Sango..." He actually stroked Shippo's hair as he had seen Kagome do to calm him. Seeing the surprised looks from his 'companions', Inuyasha cleared his throat and looked down at the kit.
"Kid...you can't come." Suddenly Shippo's eyes became pools fueled by endless streams as he looked up at Inuyasha.
"B-but, I gotta help save Kagome!!! Please Inuyasha?!?!?" he pleaded over and over. Inuyasha shook his head.
"I'm gonna catch-up to the hag and have her keep you safe while the rest of us go after the girls, don't worry...we will save them..." he said reassuringly. Shippo hugged Inuyasha tightly, surprising everyone in the area.
"Ok...but you had better make sure that you and Kagome don't die like my mom and dad..." Shippo's voice shook with tears he was desperately trying to hold in. Inuyasha hugged the kit back and, after giving a slight nod to the others, ran towards where he could still smell Kaede's aged scent.
Kikyo did not betray me...but Sesshoumaru wouldn't lie either...no matter what it involved...I don't know what to think...Inuyasha pondered as he ran on. He could feel Shippo clinging to his haori and gave him a small, reassuring squeeze. Right now I gotta get the kit to Kaede and let her know what's happened...I swear Kagome...I'll find you...
With Naraku:
He watched from Kanna's mirror as the first of the girls began to awaken. Sango's eyes opened slowly and Naraku loved the completely fearful expression that resided in them. He watched as she began to struggle and squirm against her bindings with an evil grin.
"She will never escape..she and her friends will be my puppets and I am the puppettier in this game I have devised..."
"Naraku..." a strong yet very feminine voice resounded behind him. Naraku's grin broadened as he turned to Kikyo.
"Yes my dear?" He smirked as Kikyo shot him a look for the pet name he had developed a habit of using on her.
Containing her anger, Kikyo smiled back at him, "Is it time to baffle our enemies?" Naraku wrapped a firm and superior arm around the dead Miko.
"Yes, my dear...it is." Kikyo glared at him but nodded. Naraku ran his fingers through her silky hair and inhaled it's earthy and spicey scent. It was quite an invigorating smell. Kikyo pulled out of the embrace and turned to Naraku.
"I'll ahead of you to await them...do not be long...darling..." she spat the last word and Naraku's grin returned. He watched as Kikyo methodically walked away until she disappeared into her own dark cloud. He then returned his gaze to see the girl Kachie awake in the dungeon next to Sango.
"Oh the fun we shall have..."
With Kikyo:
"I am NOT Naraku's puppet...I will NOT be pushed around by an inferior hanyou like him...I am NOT going to sit back and allow him to treat me like a piece of food that he can nibble at will...I am NOT his whore...and I am definately NOT as needy and weak as he believes...he shall see my power soon...him and Inuyasha..." Kikyo spat as she appeared in the clearing of a nearby forest that she knew Inuyasha and his companions would be passing through. She was totally enraged at how he was treating her like she was his. All she had done was use his proposed alliance to her advantage, had allowed him to be near her for more than a few moments, and he had assumed that it was is priviledge, no, his right to treat her like she belonged to him...this, she would NOT allow.
"I will play your game for now Naraku...but be warned...you will lose!"
With Inuyasha and Company:
It had taken about twenty minutes of running for Inuyasha to catch up to Kaede and tell her about the group's recent situation. She had been heart-broken when she heard of the kidnapping of the girls that were much like her own and decided to return to the village and help with it's reconstruction and to await the return of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Koga, and Miroku, hopefully with the girls. Kagura had done much damage. Kaede had also readily taken Shippo, who still wanted to come with Inuyasha to find Kagome and the others. That transaction had taken another five minutes alone before Inuyasha promised him once again that he would find and save Kagome. He had then sped off back to the village to meet up with the rest of his comrades, which had taken another twenty minutes...entirely too long.
Sesshoumaru had made the discovery that Kagura's scent was unusually strong heading towards the mountains, meaning that she had flown slowly. This had puzzled the group but, as it was their only lead, they had folowed it quickly. Miroku was riding on Kirara, as was Jakken, who Sesshoumaru wanted to be nearby so that Rin could be taken to safety once she was freed. Inuyasha, Koga, and Sesshoumaru were running as fast as they could towards Kagura's scent, Kirara wasn't far behind.
"Inuyasha, Kagura said that she had to kidnap Kachie and Sango and that we were to come and save them, do you think that she purposely made this easy for us?" Koga said, having heard what the wind witch had said to Miroku earlier. Inuyasha grimaced.
"Naraku said something similar, he said that if we loved them...we would come for them..."
"There is no doubt in my mind that he wishes for us to find him. We are walking right into a trap," Sesshoumaru stated. Inuyasha growled at him.
"Are you saying that we shouldn't be looking for them?!?" he yelled. Sesshoumaru's eyes tinged with red as he responded.
"I am coming as well am I not?!? What choice do we have?! I was merely stating that we should be ready for anything!!!" he growled back. Koga growled at them both.
"Now's not the time for one of your feuds you two, maybe after we save the-" he froze in mid-step, sniffing the air, and growled a deep and low growl. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha froze as well. Kirara made up what little distance she had lost and sniffed the air once she did. She too growled. Inuyasha was the only one who wasn't disappointed.
"Kikyo..." he said, his previous thoughts returning to him. Sesshoumaru growled as well as the dead miko's scent reached his nose.
"Inuyasha...now is not the time to run off and beg for forgiveness...she betrayed you!" Koga stated angrily. Sesshoumaru and Miroku nodded, each getting ready for an explosion. Then, before Inuyasha could react, another, more hateful smell reached their noses.
"Naraku is near her..." Sesshoumaru said testily. Inuyasha grimaced as he proccessed the information.
This does not mean that she betrayed me... he told himself. Without thinking, he sped into the direction of her scent, needing reassurance. He would not make his prescence known unless he had to.
"Inuyasha you idiot!" Koga yelled, running after him. Sesshoumaru followed.
"Stay here monk!" he yelled as Miroku made move to follow. He nodded and stayed on Kirara.
Inuyasha...why do I get the gut feeling that you are walking into a trap?!? You are much too rash!
With Naraku:
He watched from another clearing through Kanna's mirror as Inuyasha appeared in the bushed near Kikyo. How delicious, this shall throw their little group for a while. He thought. When he saw Sesshoumaru and the wolf prince Koga appear near him he grinned. Perfect, now to make my move...
With Kikyo:
She glanced out of the corner or her eye when she heard Inuyasha walk into the bushes. She pretended not to notice and continued her gaze to the sky from the tree she had decided to wait in. Her soul stealers were flying about her and she had let her hair down so that it fell about her in a messy fashion. If she was going to pull this off, it had to look like it was completely unexpected. She had decided to make it look as though she was resting. She sensed Naraku nearby and knew he was ready. She intook a breath and sighed.
Here we go...hope those idiots don't see through it. If Inuyasha saw through the plot then when he came to Naraku's palace to rescue Kagome the plan would have a serious dent in it...it was the only part that Kikyo was the least bit wary of.
Suddeny, Naraku burst through the trees and sailed one of his appendages at her with such speed that even if she had wanted to Kikyo would have had trouble dodging it. It wrapped itself around her and brought her to the hanyou's face, which twisted into a victorious snarl.
Apparently he is taking this seriously as well... "Naraku you bastard!" she 'tried' to scream as she squirmed against his hold on her. Just then, Inuyasha flew out of the bushes, just as planned, and attempted to save her.
"Naraku! Let her go!" he yelled, comming at them with such speed that Kikyo almost feared that he would save her. But Naraku was one step ahead and dodged the blow.
He summoned a cloud of black and stepped into it, "Ah, Inuyasha, can you not save anyone you love?" he taunted. As the two began to disappear into the cloud Kikyo purposely looked to Inuyeasha and screamed.
"INUYASHAAAAA!" And then they were gone.
With Inuyasha:
He ran to where the black cloud was but it was too late. Naraku and Kikyo had disappeared. Inuyasha rounded on Sesshoumaru and Koga.
"Do you see?!? She did NOT betray me!!! Now she is gone as well!" he yelled. Koga looked to Sesshoumaru and once Inuyasha turned his head, shrugged and gave him a questioning look. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed in thought. Either this was an astoundingly played portion of the plot, or Kikyo had merely pretended to help Naraku. At this point, both seemed rather likely. Inuyasha sped back to where he could smell Kagura's still lingering scent and took off. Sesshoumaru and Koga followed quickly and filled in Miroku as they went. He was quite surprised.
"You say Kikyo was just taken by Naraku? What is this, some kind of trick?" he asked. Sesshoumaru and Koga grimaced as they ran with Kirara by their side.
"...Perhaps...I certainly hope not for Inuyasha's sake, but I am almost positive it is a trick..." Sesshoumaru said. Koga nodded.
"But still, we cannot be sure...it seemed almost too well planned to be an accident, but one could say the same for the alternative..." he added.
"Hurry up you guys! We've got to find them!!!" Inuyasha yelled. The group nodded and sped up their pace. Naraku was definately up to something bigger than they had originally thought...they only hoped that they were ready for it.
With the girls:
Sango nursed Hekele's head while Kachie tried to bandage Kagome's stomach wound. Rin had woken up just a while after Kachie and was followed by Kagome an hour later. It had taken Hekele at least two hours after that to regain consciousness due to her head injury.
Rin was sitting next to Hekele with her little arms wrapped around the older girl's waist for comfort. Hekele was absentmindedly stroking her hair, which had fallen out of its pig-tails. Sango was cleaning the cut on her head with some of the water that had been there when the girls had woken up. After a minute's worth of examining Sango had determined that it wasn't stagnent and it was safe to use on her companions' wounds. Kagome's wound, which Kachie was now finishing up with, hadn't bled very much, it was only a small cut and easy to tend to. Hekele's cut had been just as small, but it had also bled much more because it was on her head. She felt quite light headed and weak, but she tried not to let it show as Sango finished using a piece of cloth from her oversized shirt to bandage the wound.
"Thank you Sango-chan," Hekele said, using -chan to add meaning to her words. Sango smiled and sat back, nodding. She looked over to Kachie and Kagome with concern.
"How is the wound?" she asked. Kagome smiled reassuringly.
"It hurts, but it's ok...how about Hekele?" she questioned. Hekele turned to regard her.
"I'm a bit dizzy, to be honest, but other than that I am fine," she then turned to Sango, "Do you or Kachie have any injuries?" she asked.
Kachie spoke up, making a reluctant Hekele turn her head once more, "I have a huge cut on my shoulder, but Sango already bandaged that up for me when I woke up." Hekele's eyes got wide but Kachie swatted at her worry. "I'm ok, it's not as bad as it looks."
Hekele nodded and turned her attention to Rin. She pulled the girl into her lap and began to re-braid her hair as neatly as she could without a brush. The young girl happily let her, feeling more at ease now tht everyone was awake and at least a little better off than they were at first.
Kagome watched the two and a thought came to her mind, "What do you think they want us for?" Hekele shrugged and shook her head, wincing as she did.
"I don't know...knowing how movies with stuff like this happening in it we are bait...but that's just a teenage, movie watching, idiot's guess..." she said as she continued to braid Rin's hair. Kagome smirked.
"Knowing our luck and Naraku's evil mind...you're probably right..." she said.
"Actually, you are very right." The girls snapped their heads in the direction of the voice and saw, emerging from the gate of their cell, Kanna. Kagome's eyes turned hard as she looked at the demon child.
"And why are you here? Come to collect us?" she spat, not feeling the fear she knew she should. Kanna shook her head.
"I am here to warn you."
"Warn us?!? It's a little late to be warning us!" Sango yelled. Kanna actually gave her an apologetic look.
"Naraku will be coming for you all in a few minutes, so Kagura sent me before he did so that I could try and help with what informatin we have." This grabbed the group's attention.
"Why didn't she come herself?" Kachie asked, realizing that this was Naraku's other incarnate that she had barely even heard mention of. Kanna graced her with an answer.
"Kagura's scent would have been detected by Naraku when he came to retrieve you, and since I have no scent, she sent me."
"What information do you have that can help us?" Hekele asked, diving right into Kanna's point.
Kanna shot her a grateful yet blank expression and nodded, "Naraku has collected you as bait, as you have guessed. He intends to lure Inuyasha, the Wolf Prince, the Lord of the Western Lands, and the Buddhist Monk here. It has become plainly obvious through what he has witnessed through my mirror that they each hold great affection for each of you, perhaps even love. He has collected most of the Shikon no Tama and has turned it evil. He used this evil jewel to create four new dimensions in which he will place all of you to await your respected male, but along with you will be something to tempt or confuse them. If, and only if, you are chosen above the temptation or confusion will either of you escape the dimension..."
"So he is testing our love..." Kagome said, suddenly knowing where Kikyo fit into the web. Kanna nodded.
"He wants to see you and your love suffer...be warned, even if you make it out of the dimensions..he will still remain. The final battle is upon you."
"And what about you and Kagura, whose side are you on?" Kachie asked. Kanna gave her a pained look.
"Naraku holds our hearts and my soul in his hands, if we disobey him...Kagura and I shall perish. We do what we can to help you, but until we are free, this is all we can do..."
"So in other words, until you are no longer under his control, you are on both sides," Hekele stated. Kanna nodded.
"I must be going now...that is all the information Kagura and I have, other than that we will be at the final battle, please know that we do not wish to serve our master, but must." With those words, Kanna disappeared. The group of girls looked to each other in fear and uncertainty.
"Do you think we can prove to them that we love them?" Hekele asked, looking more at Kagome than anyone else. Kagome hung her head and sighed.
"I don't know...I told Inuyasha that I loved him last night...and he said that he loved me...but with Kikyo in on this...I can't help but know that she'll be his temptation...and I don't know what he will do..." The girl began to cry and Hekele wrapped an arm around her in comfort as she continued to hold Rin in her lap. Their cell was relatively small, so everyone was close to each other. Sango hugged her friend tightly and sighed.
"...At least Inuyasha knows how you feel, none of us have confessed how much we cared."
"I wonder where Rin fits in here?" Hekele wondered aloud. Kachie shrugged sadly.
"I don't know...but we know that she will be with you and Sesshoumaru, so she'll be safe ok? Sesshoumaru wouldn't let anything happen to her..." she tried to sound soothing but her voice cracked. In her eyes were unshed tears.
"I don't know what happened to my usually secluded self, but ever since I met everyone here I've been more emotional than usual...and despite how few days I've known him...I think I've fallen for Koga. I don't know what he will do when presented with me and a temptation..." she said. Rin crawled out of Hekele's lap and gave her a hug.
"Rin thinks that everyone will choose right and that everyone has more love than they think they do. Rin knows that everyone will be ok..." the small group smiled at the youngest of them and her attempt to reassure them.
It was then that Naraku appeared.
After surveying the fearful look in the girls' eyes he smirked, "It is time..." Suddenly a black light surrounded the group and they were gone. Naraku grinned as he thought of their faces and he transported himself to the reception room of his palace. He placed himself on the fancy tatami mat just as his guests made their loud entrance.
With the boys:
Inuyasha had run even faster than before once he saw Naraku's palace. Yes, it was quite obvious that Naraku had wanted them to find him. Any other time they went to look for his fortress it was surrounded by a barrier that made it invisible, but now it was so plainly before the group that it was almost annoying...taunting even.
Despite the fact that Inuyasha was a hanyou, his anger, anticipation, and fear for his loved ones made his speed greater than what one could have thought capable of him. Sesshoumaru and Koga were surprised, but again, when the fortress came into view, even Kirara's speed more than seemed to double.
There were no guards, no one to stop them from entering the palace, and they were glad for the lack of even a tiny delay. No one spoke words of assurance, encouragement, anger, or fear. No one spoke period. What was there to say? They followed Naraku's disgusting scent to a set of gigantic doors. Everyone's face hardened a number of notches as they drew their weapons and prepared to break the damn door open, whether it was locked or not.
With an almost sickening crash they flew through the door, hate plastered on all of their faces. There he was. The object of everyone's hate, the reason for all of their emotional turmoil, the one who had led them to what they knew could possibly be their own death and not his...Naraku. He was sitting calmly on a luxurious tatami mat with an indifferent expression on his naturally pale face. He glanced up at them and graced them with a smirk as he picked up a cup of tea.
"What noisy guests I have...I heard you coming a mile away...literally..." he said, sipping from his cup. Sesshoumaru growled and unleashed his poison whip, slicing the cup in half in Naraku's hand. Naraku glanced at him as the hot tea spilled on his hand and arm, annoyed.
"...and rude as well I see...Fine then, if you want to get down to buisness so soon..." he said, standing up. The group stood at ready; even Miroku showed no fear. Jakken stood at ready as well...behind Kirara.
"Yes, Naraku, let's. Where are the girls?!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing his Tetsusaiga at Naraku. Naraku took a step towards the group but no one flinched.
"I will get to that...but first..." he said, taking the nearly complete Shikon no Tama. It was as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had last seen it hours black. Naraku grinned in an almost psychotic fashion as it glowed an equally black shade. The shards in Miroku's robes flew towards Naraku as did the one in Sesshoumaru's. Koga screamed in pain as the two shards in his legs ripped through his muscle and skin. He kneeled on the ground as his legs began to bleed heavily. The shards all sailed to Naraku and his grin did not lose its fire as the shards fused into one, complete, Shikon no Tama. Miroku cautiously made move to help Koga stand but he was brushed aside as Koga forced his legs to work.
"Naraku you bastard..." he managed to growl as he resumed his battle stance. Inuyasha spared him a small glance of concern but then returned his gaze to Naraku.
"...It seems that with the majority of the shards...I could call others to me...useful little quirk, isn't it?" Naraku mused as he twirled the black jewel in his hand.
For once Inuyasha didn't care about the jewel, he would worry about that later, "Naraku...where are the girls?!" Miroku stepped up beside him, as did Sesshoumaru and a now limping Koga. Kirara stayed by Jakken, aware that her job was to get Rin and the toad to safety once they were found. She wasn't to risk getting hurt. It was an understood, yet unspoken order.
Naraku smiled and, allowing the jewel's power to flow through him, his eyes glowed from red to black, "They are waiting for you..." Suddenly, four dark portals formed below the group of heros and they were swallowed instantly, one or two with a yelp of surprise. When the portals disappeared, Naraku grinned.
"Kikyo..." he called, and the dead miko appeared behind him instantly.
"Is it done?" she asked darkly. Naraku nodded.
"Yes my dear...they are being sent to the dimensions as we speak."
"Shall we go to Inuyasha then? My heart aches for his to break..." she said. Naraku grinned.
"Not quite yet...let us see how some of the others fair first..."
Me- DUM DA DUM DUM
Kachie- DUM DA DUM DUM...DA DUM!!!
Sango- You just had to have us kidnapped and stuck into fake dimensions to await our doom-I mean, loyal loves...
Kagome- Yeah...you evil person you...
Rin- As long as Rin and Hekele-chan live you guys can rot in Hades for all Rin cares...
Everyone- Gasps at Rin's rude, mean, and hateful comment Rin! That was mean!!! Who told you to say that?
Rin- Points at Inuyasha
Kagome- INUYASHA!!!
Inuyasha- looks at Kagome and runs over to hug her, but before he gets there...
Kagome- SIT!!!
Inuyasha- On instinct falls to the ground and forms a crater
Kagome- Umm, I forgot that I took the rosary off...wow...I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks...
Me- Ok then...well, down to business...
Kachie- Yeah...the next four chapters are going to feature one couple each, and the events that occur in the
dimension that they are stuck in. That's one reason that they will be extra short...
Kagome- And the other reason that they will be short is that if the reviewers wish her to, Hekele is going to try and
write the next four chapters as individual song fics, using songs that fit each couple and their situation IF she
can find a good song....
Sango- Also, Hekele needs to know which couple the reviewers think should go first, her and Sesshoumaru, or Kachie
and Koga.
Rin- Hekele-chan wants Sango-san and Miroku-sama to go second, and Kagome-san and Inuyasha-san to go
last...for order of events purposes. So Hekele-chan needs to know which of the OTHER couples you want to go
first. The loser will go third...but that doesn't mean that they aren't important!!!
Me- That's right Rin, even though Inuyasha and Kagome WILL be last, they are the MOST important couple, and
their 'short chapter' will be longer than the other short ones. Please, no flames on what I chose to do with the
order...I have plot purposes to work with here...you won't be disappointed.
Kachie- So vote Y/N on song fics AND on Hekele/Sesshoumaru or Kachie/Koga chapter to be first...remember, you
have the power...sort of...
Kagome- Be prepared for a tide-turning twist in 5 chapters.
Sango- And wish Hekele luck while driving out west...
Rin- Pray too, she nearly crashed this Saturday while driving to her grandparents house with her mommy...
Me- HEY! I JUST GOT MY PERMIT!!! BE NICE YOU TWO!!!
Sango and Rin- Whispers She says it wasn't her fault but it was...so pray and don't be upset if you get an e-mail from
Kachie saying she's dead and that she is taking over the story...
Me- I HEARD THAT!!!!!!!! Ok, also, if you want to know what the 'plot twist' is, review things that Kikyo says to
Naraku from between now and two chapters back...and put them together with information provided about the
Shikon no Tama in THIS chapter...I would be more specific, but I want my reviewers to have at least a little bit of
a challenge. Once you figure out the connection, try to figure out what it means...anyone who does will get the next
chapter dedicated to them.
Kagome- Also, the 100th. reviewer will get special honors in the next chapter...and, if Hekele lives through her
vacation, perhaps a drawing sent through an e- mail as a prize.
Kachie- To see some of her artwork, go to and search under the screen name
HekeleMasuyo...good-bye and enjoy!
Everyone- UNTIL NEXT CHAPPIE!!! ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. ..............R&R....................