Niroku's Story
Chapter 5: Resurrection
Angel: I'm so sorry it took so long! One thing came up after another, and it's kind of discouraging that only my friends will review! If any of you out there are reading, please review! I feel like I'm talking to empty air, in a way.
Reviewer: BEKA( ): Yeah, yeah, yeah. At least TRY to like him, OK? At the moment, he doesn't like his parents any more than you do. Cut the kid a break!
Disclaimer:sigh: I don't own any of the characters of Inuyasha…
CHAPTER START
Maraku shook her head, eyes wide. No! He can't be—
She slid down to her brother's side. Shaking him, she cried, "Wake up! Wake up, Niroku!"
Her brother simply lay there, growing cold.
The girl laid her head on the ground and wept.
When her furious tears had subsided, she lifted the corpse carefully into her arms, struggling under the burden, and trudged into the forest. A light rain began falling as she walked, almost as if the weather itself was mourning. When this thought hit Maraku, she almost dissolved once more into sobs, but instead, she gave a determined sniffle and strode onward, as close to dry-eyed as she could.
Finally, she came to a patch of bare earth and knelt. First with her fingers, then with a pointed rock, she dug.
"What are you doing?" a girl with a lopsided ponytail and a cheery smile asked from behind her.
"Burying my brother," Maraku responded quietly, head down, voice nearly breaking.
Instantly, the smile disappeared. "I'm sorry. My family's dead, too." Her voice was solemn. Then she had an idea and perked up. "I know! Lord Sesshomaru will be able to help!" And with that, she ran off from whence she came. Maraku watched for a moment, then went back to her task.
Soon, the girl was back, one hand clutching the hand of a handsome dog demon, looking to be in his early 20's in human terms, and the other hauling along a pretty, kindly-looking dog/wolf hybrid demoness who seemed to be around 19 in human terms. Close behind were a toad demon and a two-headed dragon.
"No," the dog demon was saying.
"But—" the girl protested.
"I said no, Rin."
"Please, Sesshomaru?" the hybrid demoness begged, entreating eyes that promised so much in exchange for his help staring into his.
"No, Airi," Sesshomaru repeated, although his voice was a little less resolute.
One of the swords at his hip glowed insistently, as if agreeing with Rin and Airi.
"See? Tenseiga wants to help, too," Airi pointed out.
Sesshomaru sighed. "When all three of you gang up on me, I can't win." He drew the sword, which was now glowing triumphantly, and slashed it at something invisible just over Niroku's body.
What is he doing? Maraku wondered, staring at her brother. Her eyes must have been playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn she saw his eyelids fluttering.
The boy emitted a small groan and sat up. "Maraku? I thought I was dead," he said wonderingly.
"You were," she answered, looking to Sesshomaru for explanation. He looked back stonily, seeming to say, I brought your brother back to life, what more do you want?
"Tenseiga can bring people back to life," Rin told her brightly. "Lord Sesshomaru used it to bring me back to life, too."
"We're going. Come," Sesshomaru ordered.
"We can't just leave them," Airi protested plaintively.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Sesshomaru asked her in frustration.
"Bring them with us. We can take care of two more. Unless you don't want us to." She addressed the twins.
They looked at each other for the other's opinion. Finally, Maraku said, "We daren't go back to Kagura because it would put her in danger. Nor can we go back to either of our parents. We have no other choice."
"Please, Sesshomaru?" both females begged in unison, matching puppy-dog looks on their faces.
Sesshomaru sighed. "Fine."
Airi hugged him. "Thank you."
Rin smiled. "I'm Rin, and these are Lord Sesshomaru and Airi. They're mates, and they love each other very much, but Lord Sesshomaru doesn't like to show it. These—" she indicated the toad demon and dragon—"are Jaken and Ah-Un. What are your names?"
"I'm Niroku, and this is my twin sister, Maraku," the boy answered.
"Nice to meet you. Where do you come from? Is it nice being twins? Do you fight a lot? Are you very close?" Rin chattered.
"Well, we just met recently, so we don't fight a lot, but we're pretty close, for just having met. It doesn't matter where we came from. We're not going back," Niroku answered.
"How do you know Kagura?" Sesshomaru asked coolly. These children smelled faintly of Kagura and Naraku. He didn't trust them.
"She's cared for me ever since I was born, almost like a mother. She's all the family I have," Maraku answered after a moment.
"Who took care of you?" Sesshomaru asked Niroku.
"My father, Naraku," the boy replied, "but I won't go back to him. He killed me when I found out about the other half of my parentage. He cares nothing for me."
Airi suddenly reached out and gave him a hug. "Poor kid," she sympathized. Then she gave Maraku a hug, too. "You looked like you needed hugs," she explained.
"Who is your other parent?" After all this, Sesshomaru was not about to leave anything unfound that might hurt his more-or-less family.
"Miroku," Niroku answered.
"I think it's better to assume that's the truth and not ask how," Airi suggested.
Meanwhile, Naraku was deep in thought. "I gave birth to only one child, Niroku. Yet he said he has a sister that I should know about. I would not know about any children of the monk's."
A thought hit him. "I was drugged at the time. Could I not have given birth to twins?" he mused. "Kagura," he realized, suddenly furious. "Kanna may know."
He sought her out, and when he had finally found her, he asked, "Do you know anything of a sister of Niroku?"
"Yes," she replied in her usual whisper.
"Did Kagura take her away?"
"Yes."
Naraku, sensing he was getting nowhere fast, ordered, "Tell me all you know of this sister."
"She is Niroku's elder by a few minutes. She is of even temperament and very intelligent. She is schooled in stealth, and she stole Kagura's heart to make it look like Kagura is dead. She is currently living with Kagura in the woods." It was the longest speech she had ever made.
Naraku resolved, livid, that he would find Kagura and make her pay for her insolence.
To Be Continued...
Angel: Thus ends the newest installment of Niroku's Story. Don't forget to review!