A/N: This is a one-shot centered on Sesshomaru and Kagura. Implied pairing. It doesn't really take place anywhere in the actual story, but it's plausible to happen.
This is my first IY fanfic, but feel free to criticize. Oh, and could you let me know if the characters seem OOC? I tried really hard to keep them in character, but I'm not sure if it worked...
Please review!
Word count: 1, 549
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Unbroken WebsShe felt so helpless, dangling in his arms like that. Not that she hadn't felt helpless before. Every time Naraku squeezed his already tight grasp on her heart she would fall into it again, that loyal submission that always made her want to kill herself. But she hadn't the courage.
Kagura scoffed at herself. 'I, the great wind sorceress, afraid?' She suddenly felt Sesshomaru squirm underneath her, the slight digging of his claws into her back a sure sign he wanted her off. Now. Kagura suppressed a hiss of pain and gingerly raised herself out of the youkai's grasp. Her feet met the ground, and she abruptly collapsed, groaning as she lay in a heap on the ground.
Sesshomaru didn't seem to notice. He looked at her with a gaze filled with pity and derision, but no emotion, as usual, showed in his cold, cold face. Kagura could feel his contempt on her, and in a fit of anger, she staggered onto her feet. This was too much like Naraku; she couldn't stand it.
She opened her mouth to speak, but yet again, that strange emotion possessed her. She feared him, though she didn't know why. In some twisted way, the fear she felt now was like the fear she felt around Naraku, but the anger that usually accompanied it wasn't there. Kagura cowered slightly before the tall figure, desperately hoping he would not strike her also.
To her surprise, he didn't do anything of the sort. In fact, he didn't seem to notice at all. His gaze was now directed rather forlornly at the fading horizon, and on impulse Kagura did the same. The fiery red glow of the sun made her heart ache, and Kagura turned her head away too quickly, wincing at the sting in her neck. Her breath came in ragged gasps.
Sesshomaru shot a sidelong glance at the proud, slender, but horribly tattered wind creature beside him. She truly was a pathetic sight. Her kimono was frayed at the edges, and her beautiful black hair fluttered askew. He could see her, watching him with a kind of haughty anxiety, but Sesshomaru made no move to respond. She reeked of Naraku.
The sun was setting, its ethereal glow disappearing. 'This will not do,' thought Sesshomaru, deciding it was time to leave. He started to walk away, expecting Kagura to stop him. She did.
"Sesshomaru." Kagura's words were just above a whisper, her deep voice hoarse. "Don't go."
The taiyoukai stopped, knowing this was coming. He waited, faint anger simmering, indicating with a quick flick of his eyes for her to continue.
Her tone suddenly turned condescending. "Will you not reconsider? I'll give you anything." Sesshomaru could hear the clear hint of desperation in her voice. What was this weakness? A whisper of pity stirred in the regal lord's heart. His eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"I said no." His voice held a deadly edge, and the demon paused, letting the words sink in. "Like I said, kill him yourself." He felt her exhale sharply, and Sesshomaru knew he'd hit his mark. Perhaps now she would stop being such a weakling. The graceful demon started to walk languidly away. She would not bother him again. Rin was waiting.
Her next words, though, caught him off guard.
"Then kill me."
---
'Then kill me…kill me…' Her words registered vacantly in Sesshomaru's head, making his eyes widen. He turned around slowly, fixing Naraku's pitiful servant with a shadowed gaze."And what makes you think I want to do that?"
Kagura hesitated. Why did she say that? Wooziness filled the wind sorceress, and she placed a hand on her forehead apprehensively. Hissing, she drew it back, feeling the sting in her side as she did so. Hot.
Sesshomaru frowned. Something wasn't right. Naraku's scent was growing, bringing with it a rotten stench that made his eyes smart. The air was stiflingly still, a rare occurrence when a demon that could manipulate wind was nearby.
"I don't know." Kagura's voice broke into his musings. Her next words were fierce. "Just do it."
Sesshomaru noticed a strange potent green sheen in her eyes, a terrifying contrast against the red. There was something wrong. 'But what?' Sesshomaru questioned, feeling frustrated. His body tensed, and unconsciously his hand reached for Toukijin. A fleeting thought of Rin entered his mind, but he brushed it away. Now wasn't the time.
"Hurry up!"
Sesshomaru blinked, straightening.
"Do it now. Just—" She was cut off as a hand violently clutched her waist. In one slash, Sesshomaru sliced open the right side of her kimono. Kagura was too shocked to say anything but stared at her right side with increasing disgust.
A shimmering gold-green spider was half embedded in her flesh, but already three of its hairy legs were protruding out, carefully hidden beneath the folds of her kimono. The creature convulsed, and Kagura moaned suddenly, keeling forwards. Sesshomaru grabbed her, and in one swift move, slashed the disgusting arachnid out of her skin.
Kagura fell limp into his right arm. The spider fell to the ground. It started to writhe, then got up onto eight legs and tried to scuttle its way to freedom.
Hatred the likes of which Sesshomaru had never felt raged inside him, and he stabbed his sword into Naraku's pet with unbridled fury. He waited, unseeing, and utterly disgusted.
The thing shuddered for a moment, then lay still. A few moments later, the spider dissipated, grey dust dancing into the wind.
The wind. Sesshomaru hadn't noticed it, but now the wind was active again, swaying the trees with tired but playful gusts. He stole a glance at the lifeless wind demon in his arm. If anything, she looked even paler than before, her lips an uncanny red against her white face. He dropped her softly to the ground.
Suddenly a flash of something crimson caught his eye. His fur. 'It's-it's stained,' he thought, staring at the dark red liquid dripping gently from the bottom. He looked at Kagura again, this time, more closely.
A small pool of blood was gathering on the grass.
Without further ado, Sesshomaru walked over, drew the demon gently into his arms and away into the night.
---
Dodging, dancing, a forced smirk on her lips as she fled his attacks over and over again. Another blast of wind, another slash of poison claws passed in vain. 'What a fun game,' she thought sarcastically, dodging yet another lunge from the powerful taiyoukai. She shouldn't have been doing this. She didn't know why she was. Her body didn't feel like her own, but her thoughts did, which was strange. Her body was following her thoughts, but…is this really what she wanted?Kagura jumped lithely away as a claw barely missed her cheek. Yes. This was what she wanted. She wanted to prove to him that she was competent, that she could stand up to Naraku. But—if that was the case, why didn't she just kill the bastard? 'Because…' Kagura shook her head. She wasn't afraid. Besides, if she couldn't prove it to Sesshomaru, then she would just die anyways. It all worked out eventually.
In a moment of planned distraction, she moved slower than she should have, expecting his attack to land. But it didn't. He paused also, making Kagura start in surprise and fall into him. Right into his arms. Even then, he did not strike. And that's when she felt helpless.
Then, then…Kagura racked her mind. She couldn't remember what happened next. All she knew was that her thoughts, her will, they were no longer alone. They were no longer hers. She said something about him killing her…and he refused to do it. But that was what she wanted right? To a degree, yes…but someone else was behind the actions.
The last thing Kagura remembered was crimson, the dark rich colour a startling contrast against pure white.
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"It was Naraku, wasn't it?"
Sesshomaru nodded nearly imperceptibly. "Yes. I believe it was him who planted the spider in you."
Kagura scoffed. "That bastard."
Sesshomaru didn't answer.
"He made me do it, you know. He made me fight you." Sesshomaru looked at the wind sorceress beside him. She was already back to normal, blunt and fiery. Kagura looked up, feeling his gaze. Their eyes met, and she felt that sudden fear again. It was like those golden eyes could see into her soul. 'He knows,' she thought with unease. 'He knows.'
She dipped her head down hurriedly. Regardless of this little encounter, she knew that Naraku still had a hold on her heart. Better to leave now before the bastard summoned her. 'Don't want to make a scene now, do I?'. Whipping out a feather from her neat bun, she rose into the sky, looking down at the taiyoukai.
'I still have hope,' she thought, an unexpected ache in her heart. 'He can help me.' Sesshomaru looked up.
"You're not a half bad fighter," she called downwards, the strong, nonchalant words a mere coverage for what she felt. Her heart pounded, and Kagura resisted the urge to make up a silly excuse and stay. Gripping her fingers even tighter onto the edges of her feather, she prepared herself to say her final words.
"And – " She hesitated. "Thank you. Farewell, Sesshomaru."