Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kikyo is dead, father." Kagura said. Naraku narrowed his eyes. That girl killed her. She destroyed her with one of her purifying arrows. Kikyo tried to fight back, but didn't have the strength to combat her. The girl is very powerful."
"No, Kikyo was weak." Naraku replied.
"Bring the girl to me," the lady commanded. "Send Suichiro."
"But, my lady-" A blue flash tore into Naraku. A blue-haired half fire cat, half kitsune wiped the blood on his claws on Naraku's robes as Naraku clutched the gash in his arm. Suichiro's silver eyes were that of a dead man, though his heart was still beating. He wore a sapphire blue kimono, trimmed with silver. A black, smooth, round jewel glittered from the center of his forehead. A sword was strapped to his side.
"Do not question me, Naraku. Go, Suichiro, and bring me the girl, unharmed. I care not what you do with the others. Kill them if you so desire. It would remove them from my plans anyway." Suichiro bowed to the lady and left the room. "Clean yourself up, you fool, and get out of my sight." Naraku bowed and followed Suichiro.
"You have no idea what you're getting into." Naraku said to Suichiro. Suichiro looked at him coldly but otherwise ignored him. He ignored Kagura's attempts to give him directions and left the castle.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
The group had stopped in a clearing near a stream for lunch. Shippou and Rin were playing tag. Ah-Uhn was watching them, making sure they stayed out of trouble and out of Kagome's hair while she cooked. Sango was changing Miroku's bandages. "Thank you, Sango-chan." Miroku said quietly. Sango started.
"Chan?" she questioned.
"Yes. You called me chan. Why shouldn't I call you the same?" Sango blushed and finished her task quickly. When she finished, she went to sit by Kagome, totally ignoring the hurt look on Miroku's face. Inuyasha snorted as he sat down by Miroku. "What?"
"You two are pathetic." Inuyasha explained.
"Like you are any better with Kagome?"
"At least I don't go after every pretty girl and ask them, 'Will you bear my child?'."
"No, you only chase a-" Miroku stopped short. Inuyasha glared at the ground.
"What's wrong?" Kirara asked as she walked over.
"Nothing." Inuyasha snapped. Kirara sighed and went to play with Shippou and Rin. Kagome got up.
"Kirara, wait!" she called.
"Yes?"
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Kirara nodded and followed Kagome down to the river.
"What did you want to talk about , Kagome?"
"When I killed Kikyo, I had some help from Midoriko's spirit." Kirara jerked away from Kagome and stared at her in shock. Kagome nodded and went on. "She told me to tell you that her death wasn't your fault. She wants you to be happy." Kirara stared into the rushing stream, her expression unreadable. Kagome put a comforting hand on her shoulder and went to go finish lunch. Kirara closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back.
~Flashback~
"Into the cave!" Midoriko shouted. The village was burning and the stench of charred flesh was overwhelming. Demons were after Midoriko's jewel. Kirara, in her human form, followed Midoriko deep into the cave. She looked over her shoulder and hissed.
"We can't keep running!" Kirara yelled. They reached a large cavern, a dead end. Midoriko spun and kicked Kirara's feet out from under her. Kirara's head slammed on the hard rock and made her dizzy. Midoriko shoved her in a crevice and formed a barrier around her. A few of the demons caught up and one tore a gash in Midoriko's side. Kirara screamed and threw herself against the barrier. It didn't budge. Midoriko purified the demons and ran to the back of the cavern. A pink light emanated from her neck. Wind picked up all around and raised her off the ground. Demons climbed on top of one another to reach her. As they touched her, they were purified, but they were relentless. Midoriko screamed as the purifying energy poured from her body and as demons tore into her skin, up to her waist. Kirara flinched as the purifying energy hit the barrier, but it held. When the energy faded, Kirara saw Midoriko and the demons had been turned to stone. The pink Shikon no Tama glittered around Midoriko's neck. Kirara tested the barrier, only to find it gone. She climbed up the pile of demons and looked Midoriko in the face. She wrenched the jewel from around her neck and whispered, "You died protecting this pathetic thing?" Tears fell from her eyes. "You should have let me help. I could have done something." The necklace the jewel hung on dug into her palm. She climbed back down and walked out of the cave. "Good bye, my friend." She stayed in her humanoid form until a new bearer was found for the jewel, then returned to her kitten form and the village outside the cave.
~End Flashback~
Kirara wasn't surprised to find tears on her cheeks. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest. A few 'sits' later, Kagome convinced Inuyasha to stay for the rest of the day.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~
A few hours later, Kouga and Ayame ran into the clearing. Kagome looked at their linked hands and smiled brightly at Ayame. Ayame blushed and looked away. Kagome and Sango swallowed their giggles. Rin ran up to Kouga and 'tagged' him. "You are it!" she squealed. Kouga gave her a look as she ran away.
"It's a game. When you're it, you have to tag someone else so they're it." Kagome explained. Kouga nodded and grinned. He tagged Ayame and bolted. Ayame jumped at Kagome and tagged her. Everyone scattered. Kagome tagged Miroku. Miroku tagged Sango. She tagged him back with the Hiraikotsu. Soon, Rin and Shippou got tired and sat down. Sesshoumaru was chasing Kagome, toying with her. She knew this and ducked behind Inuyasha. Inuyasha smirked and jumped out of the way. And so the game continued. They stopped only when Kagome called it quits. She laughed and flopped down on the ground. The others did the same. Kouga opened his mouth to talk, but snapped it shut as the wind shifted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tami: Okay, this chapter is a little shorter, but I've got the next chapter half written, so never fear. I hope you'll like the new twist I added to it. Oh, IMPORTANT QUESTION!!! Do you think I should write a side story of Sesshoumaru's past? Like put all of his memories in a specific order and make a story out of it? I could expand on his past and fill in the holes that might be left from my story. I mean, I'm going to include everything that is relevant to my story in the story, but I could fill in the gaps between the memories. Just give me a yes or no, and I'll be totally appreciative.
Review Responses:
Lunatic Pandora1: You ever read Striking Falcon's stuff? If you haven't, read her Vengeance series. Totally rocks and it's Sango/Sess pairing.
Suki1: Dude, I'd be pestering him everyday if I were you. Either him or my parents. That's unfair in my opinion. *nods*
Sukuri: Sess/Kag fluff is inevitable. *grin* I like fluff.
Familia-Ficz: *giggle* If there were strippers like that.We'll let that thought hang in the air. I've gotta get Jaken back in here. Where did I put the little toad? Sess: Maybe he's under your bed. That's where everything else is. Tami: He could be..Sess: O.o I wasn't serious.
Soli-chan: School disrupts everything.
Amreld: I'm so jealous. I want a costume like that. And that's a lot of fics.
Also thanks to:
Madame Arrow Foxfire
Saria4
jarjayes
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kikyo is dead, father." Kagura said. Naraku narrowed his eyes. That girl killed her. She destroyed her with one of her purifying arrows. Kikyo tried to fight back, but didn't have the strength to combat her. The girl is very powerful."
"No, Kikyo was weak." Naraku replied.
"Bring the girl to me," the lady commanded. "Send Suichiro."
"But, my lady-" A blue flash tore into Naraku. A blue-haired half fire cat, half kitsune wiped the blood on his claws on Naraku's robes as Naraku clutched the gash in his arm. Suichiro's silver eyes were that of a dead man, though his heart was still beating. He wore a sapphire blue kimono, trimmed with silver. A black, smooth, round jewel glittered from the center of his forehead. A sword was strapped to his side.
"Do not question me, Naraku. Go, Suichiro, and bring me the girl, unharmed. I care not what you do with the others. Kill them if you so desire. It would remove them from my plans anyway." Suichiro bowed to the lady and left the room. "Clean yourself up, you fool, and get out of my sight." Naraku bowed and followed Suichiro.
"You have no idea what you're getting into." Naraku said to Suichiro. Suichiro looked at him coldly but otherwise ignored him. He ignored Kagura's attempts to give him directions and left the castle.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
The group had stopped in a clearing near a stream for lunch. Shippou and Rin were playing tag. Ah-Uhn was watching them, making sure they stayed out of trouble and out of Kagome's hair while she cooked. Sango was changing Miroku's bandages. "Thank you, Sango-chan." Miroku said quietly. Sango started.
"Chan?" she questioned.
"Yes. You called me chan. Why shouldn't I call you the same?" Sango blushed and finished her task quickly. When she finished, she went to sit by Kagome, totally ignoring the hurt look on Miroku's face. Inuyasha snorted as he sat down by Miroku. "What?"
"You two are pathetic." Inuyasha explained.
"Like you are any better with Kagome?"
"At least I don't go after every pretty girl and ask them, 'Will you bear my child?'."
"No, you only chase a-" Miroku stopped short. Inuyasha glared at the ground.
"What's wrong?" Kirara asked as she walked over.
"Nothing." Inuyasha snapped. Kirara sighed and went to play with Shippou and Rin. Kagome got up.
"Kirara, wait!" she called.
"Yes?"
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Kirara nodded and followed Kagome down to the river.
"What did you want to talk about , Kagome?"
"When I killed Kikyo, I had some help from Midoriko's spirit." Kirara jerked away from Kagome and stared at her in shock. Kagome nodded and went on. "She told me to tell you that her death wasn't your fault. She wants you to be happy." Kirara stared into the rushing stream, her expression unreadable. Kagome put a comforting hand on her shoulder and went to go finish lunch. Kirara closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back.
~Flashback~
"Into the cave!" Midoriko shouted. The village was burning and the stench of charred flesh was overwhelming. Demons were after Midoriko's jewel. Kirara, in her human form, followed Midoriko deep into the cave. She looked over her shoulder and hissed.
"We can't keep running!" Kirara yelled. They reached a large cavern, a dead end. Midoriko spun and kicked Kirara's feet out from under her. Kirara's head slammed on the hard rock and made her dizzy. Midoriko shoved her in a crevice and formed a barrier around her. A few of the demons caught up and one tore a gash in Midoriko's side. Kirara screamed and threw herself against the barrier. It didn't budge. Midoriko purified the demons and ran to the back of the cavern. A pink light emanated from her neck. Wind picked up all around and raised her off the ground. Demons climbed on top of one another to reach her. As they touched her, they were purified, but they were relentless. Midoriko screamed as the purifying energy poured from her body and as demons tore into her skin, up to her waist. Kirara flinched as the purifying energy hit the barrier, but it held. When the energy faded, Kirara saw Midoriko and the demons had been turned to stone. The pink Shikon no Tama glittered around Midoriko's neck. Kirara tested the barrier, only to find it gone. She climbed up the pile of demons and looked Midoriko in the face. She wrenched the jewel from around her neck and whispered, "You died protecting this pathetic thing?" Tears fell from her eyes. "You should have let me help. I could have done something." The necklace the jewel hung on dug into her palm. She climbed back down and walked out of the cave. "Good bye, my friend." She stayed in her humanoid form until a new bearer was found for the jewel, then returned to her kitten form and the village outside the cave.
~End Flashback~
Kirara wasn't surprised to find tears on her cheeks. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest. A few 'sits' later, Kagome convinced Inuyasha to stay for the rest of the day.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~
A few hours later, Kouga and Ayame ran into the clearing. Kagome looked at their linked hands and smiled brightly at Ayame. Ayame blushed and looked away. Kagome and Sango swallowed their giggles. Rin ran up to Kouga and 'tagged' him. "You are it!" she squealed. Kouga gave her a look as she ran away.
"It's a game. When you're it, you have to tag someone else so they're it." Kagome explained. Kouga nodded and grinned. He tagged Ayame and bolted. Ayame jumped at Kagome and tagged her. Everyone scattered. Kagome tagged Miroku. Miroku tagged Sango. She tagged him back with the Hiraikotsu. Soon, Rin and Shippou got tired and sat down. Sesshoumaru was chasing Kagome, toying with her. She knew this and ducked behind Inuyasha. Inuyasha smirked and jumped out of the way. And so the game continued. They stopped only when Kagome called it quits. She laughed and flopped down on the ground. The others did the same. Kouga opened his mouth to talk, but snapped it shut as the wind shifted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tami: Okay, this chapter is a little shorter, but I've got the next chapter half written, so never fear. I hope you'll like the new twist I added to it. Oh, IMPORTANT QUESTION!!! Do you think I should write a side story of Sesshoumaru's past? Like put all of his memories in a specific order and make a story out of it? I could expand on his past and fill in the holes that might be left from my story. I mean, I'm going to include everything that is relevant to my story in the story, but I could fill in the gaps between the memories. Just give me a yes or no, and I'll be totally appreciative.
Review Responses:
Lunatic Pandora1: You ever read Striking Falcon's stuff? If you haven't, read her Vengeance series. Totally rocks and it's Sango/Sess pairing.
Suki1: Dude, I'd be pestering him everyday if I were you. Either him or my parents. That's unfair in my opinion. *nods*
Sukuri: Sess/Kag fluff is inevitable. *grin* I like fluff.
Familia-Ficz: *giggle* If there were strippers like that.We'll let that thought hang in the air. I've gotta get Jaken back in here. Where did I put the little toad? Sess: Maybe he's under your bed. That's where everything else is. Tami: He could be..Sess: O.o I wasn't serious.
Soli-chan: School disrupts everything.
Amreld: I'm so jealous. I want a costume like that. And that's a lot of fics.
Also thanks to:
Madame Arrow Foxfire
Saria4
jarjayes