Chapter Thirteen: Jewel
For a while, a month or so, that was how things went. Ishiru ran the occasional errand for Naraku, detouring to plan with Inuyasha-tachi, letting Naraku trust her more and more. In the evenings she would spar with Sesshoumaru, learning new techniques and improving her skills. It seemed like a pretty nice set up, if you ignored the ever-lingering issue Naraku posed.
On a particularly peaceful evening, Ishiru reclined on a low hung tree branch, twice as thick around as she was, staring up through the greenery at the moonlit sky. It was a full moon, the time when Ishiru always felt at her best. She slid down from the tree branch, her bare feet silently touching the grass below. She moved out from her perch, moving around the low branches of the ancient tree.
OOO
Erisa was getting pretty annoyed. They were taking too long! Sesshoumaru should have been happily mated with Ishiru long before!
"Stupid Naraku person. . . He's served his purpose in all this. But now he won't go away! I'm gonna have to think of something soon." She said, waving away her view portal.
"Maybe this whole thing won't work after all. . ." Erisa wondered aloud.
OOO
Ishiru moved out into the open air, turning her eyes up to the full moon's face. She smiled softly and pranced about in the moonlight. She danced to a soft tune that she had made up. Her actions were purely impulsive. She felt no real reason to dance, other than that she wanted to.
She felt something strange filling her, as though she were soaking up the moonlight. Ishiru felt it building up in her, gathering in her chest. It felt like something was being drawn from her fingertips, arms, being pulled into her breast. She began to feel it, whatever it was, moving up into her head. A bright light began to spill from her forehead and she tried to look up at it for a moment.
She raised a hand to her forehead, her fingertips brushing a warm, smooth something on her skin. Ishiru covered the thing on her forehead, silencing the light while she ran to a nearby river. Leaning over the bank, she looked at her reflection.
A gem, smooth and gently shimmering, rested on her forehead, just below the center. As the light began to fade, Ishiru examined it further. It was oval shaped and a deep, dark blue, like the markings on her face. The gem was small, barely a half a centimeter in width. Ishiru poked at the gem, utterly perplexed at its existence. It didn't move when she touched it. It was attached to her skull, not simply on her skin. She moved away from the water, sitting back on her heels.
"What am I anyway. . . ?" She wondered aloud.
"Who?" Sesshoumaru's voice startled her slightly. Ishiru turned to face him. He had snuck up on her again. He was the first thing she remembered, other than Rin. Surely he. . .
"Sesshoumaru. . ." Ishiru said, standing up and walking up to him. "What am I?" Sesshoumaru looked slightly puzzled by her question.
"You are a demon." He said after a moment.
"I know that. But. . . You're an inu youkai. Am I one too?" She asked. Sesshoumaru was a little unsure as to why she was asking all of a sudden. He had never really thought about what type of demon she was. He took a breath, searching her scent. He suddenly gave her a very pointed look. Her scent had changed. Before it had been just a blend of mist and plants, like a spring morning before the fog leaves. Now he picked up a hint of spices. . . Magic. Her powers were increasing.
Ishiru, while under his scrutiny, had become a little nervous. He was giving her a strange look. Almost as soon as she began to feel anxious, he stopped and looked away.
"No, you are not." He said. Ishiru wasn't satisfied with his answer.
"So, what kind am I?" She asked.
"Your scent does not tell." He replied. Ishiru looked at him. He was still looking away from her. She looked where he was looking, then back at him. He looked so serious and Ishiru couldn't help but want to get him to loosen up. An idea popped into her mind. While he was looking elsewhere, Ishiru inconspicuously braced her feet on the ground.
Pounce!
Ishiru pinned him to the ground, surprising the hell out of Sesshoumaru. For a moment, he just lay there, looking at her. Her eyes held mischief and triumph. He kept himself from grinning as she rolled off him.
"Gotcha." Ishiru said. "You have to pay attention all the time." She teased, quoting one of his lessons.
'Tease me will she.' Sesshoumaru thought. He pounced upon her, much in the same way she had him, pinning her to the grass covered ground. Ishiru grinned at him.
"Now, with you it makes no difference whether I am paying attention or not, so it doesn't count." She said, smirking playfully at him. Sesshoumaru looked down at her. Ishiru's bangs hung out to the sides, exposing her forehead. Sesshoumaru immediately noticed the little gem on her forehead.
"What is that?" He asked, nodding at the little jewel. Ishiru looked up at her forehead.
"I'm not sure. It appeared a little while ago, just before you got here." She said. Sesshoumaru got off her and Ishiru reached up and fiddled with the little gem.
Sesshoumaru scented the gem, finding it to be none of Naraku's doing, which he had initially suspected. He extended an analysis spell towards Ishiru, who stopped messing around with the jewel when she saw the youki drifting towards her. The spell was almost drawn towards the gem, swirling around it once before firmly attaching. Sesshoumaru tensed when he felt his spell being pulled in, dragging the fringes of his youki along with it. He immediately cut it off, separating completely from the spell.
Ishiru looked at him in concern when she saw his spell get sucked into the little gem. She hadn't meant to do that. But she felt some new energy flowing in her, conflicting slightly with her own before being converted and merged.
"I didn't mean to do that." She said hastily. Sesshoumaru was looking straight at her.
'What in the nine hells is that thing?' Sesshoumaru thought. It felt like it would take hold of all his energy had he not disconnected it. After a moment, he spoke. He looked quizzically at the gem.
"Hold still." He said, then formed a small ball of his youki, directing it towards the gem in question. He carefully gauged the distance at which it began to move of it's own accord, then where it was no longer in his control. It was quickly pulled into the gem. Sesshoumaru could sense Ishiru's energy increase a few moments after.
"You do the same." He said. Ishiru blinked, startled out of thought, then followed his instructions. Her youki ball simply hovered in front of the jewel.
Well this was certainly an interesting discovery. . .
OOO
Later that evening, sometime near midnight, Ishiru returned to Naraku's castle as she had been ordered. Her soft footsteps trailed down the hallway towards Naraku's chamber. She slid the door panel aside, not entering the room, but standing in the doorframe. Naraku was facing the window on the other side of the room.
"I have returned Naraku. What is it you want?" She said. When she spoke, Naraku turned to face her. He gave her a once over. Her hair was slightly disheveled from running. His eyes alit immediately on the little jewel on her forehead.
"What is that?" He demanded, standing and approaching her.
"I don't know." She said. "It appeared some time this evening." Ishiru thought it best to leave him out of the loop as far as just what the gem did.
Naraku moved to stand right in front of her. He raised a hand and brushed away her bangs to get a better look and his fingers brushed the little jewel.
Naraku had only a moment to feel his energy rushing out of him before he fell to his knees. He struggled to maintain consciousness for a brief moment, steeling himself enough to lift his head. He would have growled, enraged at Ishiru. He looked up and found her on the ground, her hands pressing against the gem and whimpering softly. It was evident that she had not done it intentionally. Naraku let go of his anger towards her, finding a slight, albeit sick, pleasure in seeing her in pain after harming him.
Ishiru, as soon as Naraku's youki entered her system, felt a burning sensation in her veins. It was not pain, not quite, but something close. She waited a moment for it to go away. But it didn't. Her body struggled to convert the energy. But the vast amount made it take longer as well as how great the difference was between her energies and Naraku's. Her muscles wouldn't listen to her, seizing up and keeping her prone on the floor. She was like that for a few more moments before she felt it dissipate enough for her to get up.
"Gomen Nasai Naraku-sama. I did not know that would happen." She said, still halfway on her knees.
"Leave." Was all Naraku said. Ishiru did so, moving carefully as her limbs were still unsteady.
Naraku moved back to his place by the window, pondering at the gem's capabilities. Absorbing any youki that came near it, that certainly had prospect. The gem had been his initial reason for taking the girl. Now, instead of finding power, he found something of much greater potential. He doubted he would be able to take the gem. But there was no way that he would be able to convince Ishiru to go along with what he would want her to do. He was careful not to send her on errands that would require actual killing, and he had noticed that when killing would have made a mission easier, she would take the harder way around and avoid it.
Naraku had a thought and grinned. He called up one of his newer servants.
"Your kind can create controlling poisons right?" He said, his eyes turning to the plant user.
"Of course." Otsuma said, his bright red eyes glinting maliciously.
OOO
It was only two days later that Naraku called her back once again. Ishiru thought it strange, and returned warily. Had she been discovered? 'Well. . .' She thought. 'I suppose it won't matter since everything is already in place.' She had finalized everything with Inuyasha-tachi, Kouga and Sesshoumaru. Ishiru knew of a plan Naraku had that would increase his power, but make him vulnerable for that night. On the full moon, in another day, they would attack. 'Naraku will not survive.' Ishiru thought, resisting the slight urge to growl.
Ishiru stopped her train of thought as she reached the door. She took a moment to calm herself, masking her aura, but not enough to seem untrusting. Only once she was sure she would not be suspected further, if she already had, did she slide the door panel aside.
"Yes Naraku-sama," Ishiru said as she took a step in. "For what purpose did you summon me?" Naraku was at the other side of the room as usual, facing the window. He did not reply. Ishiru waited for a minute before speaking again, dropping all formalities. "Naraku, if you called me here just to stare outside I'm leaving."
Ishiru picked up the barely audible whiz of a needle through the air a split instant too late. The silent-dart, fashioned from only a needle to minimize air noise, slid into the skin of her neck. It lingered for only an instant before Ishiru pulled it out. During that, Naraku turned to face her.
"What the hell is this?" She demanded. Naraku didn't speak. He only grinned at her. Ishiru was puzzled for a moment, then she felt the poisons take effect.
For a moment, Ishiru felt as though she were weightless, then her limbs began to tingle and numb. Her first emotion was fear, then panic. What the hell was going on with her body? She backed away from Naraku, her movements slightly uncoordinated. She took a firm hold of the doorframe, mustering enough control to snarl at the hanyou. Naraku only smirked.
"Oh? If you think this is frightening you'll love what's coming up next." As he spoke Naraku stood, walking over to her. Ishiru glared at him, growling viciously. Naraku stopped just out of arm's reach.
Then she felt the odd numbing sensation creep into her mind. Her eyes widened in alarm. Ishiru shoved herself from the doorway, away from Naraku. She crashed backwards into the corridor wall about a yard and a half away from the doorway in which Naraku now stood. Ishiru felt something prying into her mind. She let herself fall to her knees, concentrating on blocking out whatever it was that Naraku had put in her.
"Is it working yet?" A voice came from behind her. Ishiru recognized it immediately. Otsuma's feet appeared in the corner of her sight.
"You said she wouldn't be able to fight." Naraku's voice was cold. "Yet I see her resisting. Why is this Otsuma?" The plant user shrugged. "You're poisons are insufficient Otsuma. Leave us."
"Maybe that Sesshoumaru guy you set her up with taught her about it." Otsuma's reply was casual, even as he went back down the hallway.
Ishiru already knew about Naraku's scheme and all it entailed. But she couldn't let Naraku know that. She mustered what control she had left and glared at Naraku.
"You. . ." She growled. Naraku's glare intensified.
"Yes, I." He growled. He caught Ishiru's wrist as she lashed out at him, dragging her up and shoving her back against the wall. "Are we angry? Is little Ishiru mad that I took her away from her precious Sesshoumaru?" He taunted. Ishiru growled, struggling to summon her venom, which was beginning to appear on her palm.
"That won't work love." Naraku whispered, leaning in close to her. Ishiru jumped as she felt his youki pouring into her from his hands. Her venom hissed and vanished as she felt what little of her youki she had become overpowered. She growled and tried to shove him off her. Naraku's youki had begun to control her muscles and Ishiru was only able to push weakly against him.
After a few more moments, she couldn't move on her own. Naraku released her and Ishiru felt her body move to stand in front placidly of him.
'No. . .' She thought. 'What is he going to make me do?'
"Oh, nothing much my little Ishiru." Naraku said. Ishiru would have jumped in surprise. 'He can read my thoughts!' He laved his tongue across her neck and bit her sharply bit her ear. "Just whatever I want to." Ishiru yelped inwardly when he bit her, both confused and disgusted at his behavior. She had no idea why he had licked her like that. Naraku made her stand straight and look up at him.
"What's this?" Naraku said, his expression a mixture of surprise and a sick sort of happiness. "It would seem that little Ishiru knows nothing." He grinned at her and she saw something in his eyes that she couldn't quite identify, but was undeniably scared of. Ishiru felt him probing through her mind, reading her thoughts and memories like a book. She was helpless to do anything but stand there. Naraku straightened after a minute or so of pawing through her mind.
"Well well. It would seem as though little Ishiru already knew about my little ploy." He said, mocking her. "This is most excellent." He took hold of her chin in two fingers, tilting her head up to face him. "But, before I put you to use. . ." Naraku trailed off, not finishing his sentence as his eyes became clouded with thought. Ishiru felt a strange, husky aura emanating from the hanyou. She would have shuddered if she had the means. For the first time since she could remember, Ishiru was truly afraid. She felt suffocated. She couldn't express the emotions that were beginning to smother her. Her mind was a frazzled mess, not unlike a room after it's been raided. She still felt the disorienting floating, numb sensation all throughout her body. She found that Naraku was making her look at him and poured all her anger and hatred of him into her eyes. Naraku must have seen it because he spoke just after.
"A day is left, my little Ishiru. Plenty of time to change your attitude towards me."
