Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
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Suichiro knelt and put his forehead to the floor, exposing his neck as a form of surrender. The lady stood over him, her eyes flashing with anger. "You have failed me, Suichiro. Have you anything to say for yourself?" she asked, her voice thick with malice. Unseen to her, Suichiro's eyes burned with hatred. "Of course not. Naraku!"
"Yes, my lady?" Naraku called from the other side of the screen.
"See that Suichiro is suitably punished for his failure." Suichiro could practically feel Naraku's smirk.
"Yes, my lady."
"Suichiro, when you are through paying for your disservice, I have a message for you to run. Now go." Suichiro stood, careful to keep his expression blank, bowed, and walked out. Naraku led him to another room.
"I have half a mind to bind you to my body. I should. You are a nuisance anyway. The miko should be killed, no matter how powerful she is. I do not think her escape was simply a failure. You found some way around the jewel's control, did you not?" Naraku asked. "You can tell me. My lady will never know." Suichiro looked at him boredly.
"Just get on with this, so that I may go and serve my lady," he said. Naraku looked surprised. Never before had Suichiro spoken. Then again, never before had he been punished either. Naraku smiled sadistically and grabbed a whip from the wall. Being whipped is degrading to even the weakest youkai. Naraku knew this. He knew a taiyoukai like Suichiro would find it particularly damaging. He slowly drew his arm up and back.
"Take off your upper clothes." Suichiro complied, resisting the urge to shiver. Naraku slammed the whip down with all his might. It bit into Suichiro's exposed skin again and again. Naraku waited until Suichiro fell to his knees to stop his assault. "Go. I am done with you. For now." Suichiro put his upper kimono back on, ignoring the increased pain it gave him, and left to go back to the lady. "Kagura!" The wind sorceress appeared beside him from the shadows.
"Yes, Father?" she asked. She had seen the entire exchange between Naraku and Suichiro. It made her sick. (/I've done it. I've convinced myself Kagura isn't evil because she is, just because of Naraku. *sigh*/)
"Follow him. I want to know what the message he is running says and who it is being run to."
"As you wish, but will the lady not be displeased if she discovers you are tracking Suichiro?" Naraku slapped her.
"Do not question my authority! She will not find out. I will find some way of proving that Suichiro let the miko free."
"Yes, my lord." Kagura bowed, hiding her sneer from him.
"Take Kanna with you. Steal his soul and perform the Dance of the Dead." Kagura nodded and left to search for Kanna. The small girl was sitting out in a corner of a courtyard, staring into her mirror.
"What are you watching?" Kagura asked. Kanna turned the mirror so Kagura could see. The image was of Kagome. She was smiling and talking animatedly to Sango. "Why are you interested in her?"
"She is the one who can set us free." Kanna said quietly. Kagura's eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure?"
"She is the one who can set us free." Kagura considered Kanna's words. Her sister of the void was very cryptic and the images in the mirror could be interpreted many different ways. That was one thing Naraku did not know about Kanna. She could divine the future or answer questions with her mirror, not only absorb souls. Kagura filed away this particular answer to think on later.
"Naraku has a task for us. Come along." Kanna nodded. Kagura used her powers to call forth the feather for them to ride on. Suichiro ran from the castle, a bag strapped around his waist. Kagura pushed the feather after him.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Suichiro ran for awhile, knowing the whole time Kagura was following him closely. He could sense her. Naraku was crafty with his incarnations. Kagura had to follow his every wish. He didn't begrudge her that, but he could not have her following him. He stopped in a large field and waited for her to catch up.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Kagura set the feather down, making sure to keep Kanna hidden from view. Kanna's mirror glowed faintly, signaling she was ready. "Answer me this, Suichiro, and your life will be spared." Kagura said. "Who is that message to and what does it contain?" He stared at her silently. She shivered a little, unnerved by his stony silver gaze. "I know you can talk. I heard you. Answer my question. This is my last warning." He still did not answer. "Very well then." Kanna stepped around Kagura and turned her mirror. Suichiro's eyes widened as his soul was sucked from his body. His thoughts whirled as he crumpled to the ground. He couldn't move.
'No, no, no! This can't be happening!' was the only thought crossing his mind. Kagura's magic flowed over his body, forming a sort of film around him. He got up off the ground.
"Now give me the letter." His hand moved unwillingly towards the bag. The jewel in his forehead flared to life. The lady had told him explicitly that no one was to read the letter but the Southern lord. If he allowed anyone else to read it, he would be the one that was punished. So punish him the jewel did. Kagura was relentless, not caring about him, just wanting the letter. The edges of his vision started to grow black and he concentrated all of his energy on his hand. By sheer will power alone he managed to stop his hand from progressing any farther. Kagura blinked in surprise. "You dare to resist me? You can't hold out for long. I don't know how you can even move now. Give me that LETTER!" Both Kagura and the jewel bore down on him. Pain lanced through his body, but he was unable to make a noise. His mental screams literally echoed around in his head. His vision went dark as he opened the bag.
'Yuki.I'm sorry.'
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Tami: Okay, that's a little smidgen shorter than usual. I'm sorry, but the next chapter is up, so, go read! I updated twice because today is my birthday. It's my birthday gift to you!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Suichiro knelt and put his forehead to the floor, exposing his neck as a form of surrender. The lady stood over him, her eyes flashing with anger. "You have failed me, Suichiro. Have you anything to say for yourself?" she asked, her voice thick with malice. Unseen to her, Suichiro's eyes burned with hatred. "Of course not. Naraku!"
"Yes, my lady?" Naraku called from the other side of the screen.
"See that Suichiro is suitably punished for his failure." Suichiro could practically feel Naraku's smirk.
"Yes, my lady."
"Suichiro, when you are through paying for your disservice, I have a message for you to run. Now go." Suichiro stood, careful to keep his expression blank, bowed, and walked out. Naraku led him to another room.
"I have half a mind to bind you to my body. I should. You are a nuisance anyway. The miko should be killed, no matter how powerful she is. I do not think her escape was simply a failure. You found some way around the jewel's control, did you not?" Naraku asked. "You can tell me. My lady will never know." Suichiro looked at him boredly.
"Just get on with this, so that I may go and serve my lady," he said. Naraku looked surprised. Never before had Suichiro spoken. Then again, never before had he been punished either. Naraku smiled sadistically and grabbed a whip from the wall. Being whipped is degrading to even the weakest youkai. Naraku knew this. He knew a taiyoukai like Suichiro would find it particularly damaging. He slowly drew his arm up and back.
"Take off your upper clothes." Suichiro complied, resisting the urge to shiver. Naraku slammed the whip down with all his might. It bit into Suichiro's exposed skin again and again. Naraku waited until Suichiro fell to his knees to stop his assault. "Go. I am done with you. For now." Suichiro put his upper kimono back on, ignoring the increased pain it gave him, and left to go back to the lady. "Kagura!" The wind sorceress appeared beside him from the shadows.
"Yes, Father?" she asked. She had seen the entire exchange between Naraku and Suichiro. It made her sick. (/I've done it. I've convinced myself Kagura isn't evil because she is, just because of Naraku. *sigh*/)
"Follow him. I want to know what the message he is running says and who it is being run to."
"As you wish, but will the lady not be displeased if she discovers you are tracking Suichiro?" Naraku slapped her.
"Do not question my authority! She will not find out. I will find some way of proving that Suichiro let the miko free."
"Yes, my lord." Kagura bowed, hiding her sneer from him.
"Take Kanna with you. Steal his soul and perform the Dance of the Dead." Kagura nodded and left to search for Kanna. The small girl was sitting out in a corner of a courtyard, staring into her mirror.
"What are you watching?" Kagura asked. Kanna turned the mirror so Kagura could see. The image was of Kagome. She was smiling and talking animatedly to Sango. "Why are you interested in her?"
"She is the one who can set us free." Kanna said quietly. Kagura's eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure?"
"She is the one who can set us free." Kagura considered Kanna's words. Her sister of the void was very cryptic and the images in the mirror could be interpreted many different ways. That was one thing Naraku did not know about Kanna. She could divine the future or answer questions with her mirror, not only absorb souls. Kagura filed away this particular answer to think on later.
"Naraku has a task for us. Come along." Kanna nodded. Kagura used her powers to call forth the feather for them to ride on. Suichiro ran from the castle, a bag strapped around his waist. Kagura pushed the feather after him.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Suichiro ran for awhile, knowing the whole time Kagura was following him closely. He could sense her. Naraku was crafty with his incarnations. Kagura had to follow his every wish. He didn't begrudge her that, but he could not have her following him. He stopped in a large field and waited for her to catch up.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Kagura set the feather down, making sure to keep Kanna hidden from view. Kanna's mirror glowed faintly, signaling she was ready. "Answer me this, Suichiro, and your life will be spared." Kagura said. "Who is that message to and what does it contain?" He stared at her silently. She shivered a little, unnerved by his stony silver gaze. "I know you can talk. I heard you. Answer my question. This is my last warning." He still did not answer. "Very well then." Kanna stepped around Kagura and turned her mirror. Suichiro's eyes widened as his soul was sucked from his body. His thoughts whirled as he crumpled to the ground. He couldn't move.
'No, no, no! This can't be happening!' was the only thought crossing his mind. Kagura's magic flowed over his body, forming a sort of film around him. He got up off the ground.
"Now give me the letter." His hand moved unwillingly towards the bag. The jewel in his forehead flared to life. The lady had told him explicitly that no one was to read the letter but the Southern lord. If he allowed anyone else to read it, he would be the one that was punished. So punish him the jewel did. Kagura was relentless, not caring about him, just wanting the letter. The edges of his vision started to grow black and he concentrated all of his energy on his hand. By sheer will power alone he managed to stop his hand from progressing any farther. Kagura blinked in surprise. "You dare to resist me? You can't hold out for long. I don't know how you can even move now. Give me that LETTER!" Both Kagura and the jewel bore down on him. Pain lanced through his body, but he was unable to make a noise. His mental screams literally echoed around in his head. His vision went dark as he opened the bag.
'Yuki.I'm sorry.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tami: Okay, that's a little smidgen shorter than usual. I'm sorry, but the next chapter is up, so, go read! I updated twice because today is my birthday. It's my birthday gift to you!