Chapter 15: Naraku Strikes Again
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.
A/N: Thanks for all those reviews! I'd like to do a shout-out right now:
InuYasha Obsession: Thanks for sticking by my side all the time. I'm really grateful for that, and I love your reviews!
Cold Kikyo: Interesting name and I love your reviews!
Kagome67895: Thanks for your review, every review makes all the difference in the world to me!
Youkaigirl64: Lol, how can I forget your reviews?
Inuyasharox112192: Thanks for your review, I like your username!
There are millions more I'd love to thank, but you probably wouldn't even be able to get to the story! I'll step aside and let you read on, then!
"Hey! Where are you dragging me to? Show your face, coward!" Koga yelled, feeling rather stupid that he was letting someone drag him down a street in broad daylight. He, Koga the wolf youkai, being dragged by some weak human? Impossible!
Turning sharply around, Koga grabbed his surprised kidnapper's arm and was about to crack it when he saw, and recognized, the face. Promptly letting go of the man's arm, he looked the person up and down critically, as if trying to see if he looked good.
"Man, Miroku, what are you doing here?" Koga exclaimed, grabbing his friend by the shoulders. "How are you?"
Miroku spat into a nearby rubbish bin, sounding a bit annoyed. "What do you think I'm doing here? You were supposed to meet me at the airport, remember?"
"Oh, oops, sorry," Koga had forgotten all about his abandoned friend ever since Naraku's letter had arrived in the hospital. "We were too busy doing some…business." He thought it better if InuYasha or Kagome informed Miroku on what was going on, simply because he was too lazy, and he knew that Naraku was InuYasha's worst rival, apart from him.
"Like…?" Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Do enlighten me."
"Never mind, old pal. Where are we?" Koga looked around him. Yes, Miroku had managed to drag him into a dark, deserted alley, as he'd expected. Miroku, despite his chuckling, said sarcastically, "We're in a bright, picnic place, where people always walk their dogs and children always play Frisbee there."
"As a matter of fact, this special alleyway is a place where dark, evil magic and demons lurk," a voice only Koga knew laughed softly, and a confused Miroku whipped around to face Naraku, armed with his two henchwomen again.
"W-who are you?" the non-youkai man stammered, trying unsuccessfully to conceal his growing fear and dread. The taller henchwoman fanned herself carelessly, staring up at the sky in a bored manner. The child, however, stared monotonously at the pair, and Koga was reminded briefly of Sesshomaru and his hair products. His attention, however, returned to Naraku as the diabolical man laughed evilly, sending chills down Miroku's and Koga's spines.
"What do you want?" Miroku asked, when he had recovered his voice. "And who are you?"
"I obviously need to work on my reputation. I believe that we met not a long while ago," Naraku sighed, before turning to Koga. "Did you know that it was me who caused the car crash?"
Koga clenched his fists in anger. "Oh really? Do enlighten me with all the details. You do know that…"
"You like InuYasha's wench?" Naraku smirked. "Of course I do. I saw that right from the start, it's easy to see that."
"Don't change the topic, get to the point!" Koga half yelled, not wanting anybody else to get involved in their little mess.
"No, like in alchemy, there is always a thing called 'exact trade', and since the object of my desire is not with you, I shall not tell you. Maybe right before your death hour, but for now, ciao," laughing maniacally, Naraku whispered something to his taller henchwoman before leaving with his other apprentice. Sensing that a fight was about to begin, Koga stepped in front of Miroku, brandishing his fists. It was going to be a tough fight to the death. Miroku, on the other hand, was wondering how Naraku knew about alchemy, and this question seemed to help him gather his courage to not be afraid of the advancing woman youkai.
With InuYasha and co.
InuYasha happily flexed his muscles, testing each arm. Boy, it was good to be out of that stinky, over-populated hospital and back in action where nearly everything was possible.
"Feeling great again, Inu?" Kagome teased, knowing somehow that the arrogant acrobat hated being called 'Inu'.
To her surprise, the hanyou ignored the jibe. "Never been better," he remarked. "Better than even you weak humans." Sango and Kikyo tried to stop Kagome from hurting the acrobat with her one good arm.
"So, um…what did you do with Rin?" Kikyo asked Sesshomaru, who was staring ahead, all signs of his hair products forgotten. "You gave her a proper burial, right?"
"Seeing that she had no remaining family members, I gave her a pauper's grave, the cheapest kind," Sesshomaru said. "And be grateful, because I hired my own assistants to do all the digging and stuff." Kikyo's face turned red with anger. Letting go of Kagome's shoulder, she stomped up to the calm youkai.
"You can't send a dead person off like that! That's so unfair! Rin should actually deserve a proper burial, seeing that she was so poor and unfortunate."
For some reason, the high-school girl's words stung the Sesshomaru's otherwise cold heart. What bizarre thing was going on? Even the great Sesshomaru was baffled by this query. After walking a few more paces, the youkai turned around and fixed Kikyo with a stare. "Alright, I'll rebury her, but that's all I'll be doing for you after that."
Sesshomaru left everyone else behind, wondering how on earth Kikyo had persuaded him to do such a thing. That was when a cry of help could be heard in a distant little alleyway, and the whole gang, excluding Sesshomaru, ran forward, wondering whether they could save the 'damsels in distress' in time.
With Koga and Miroku
Koga was in critical condition and was in need of medication badly. Miroku, who was by now cowering in the corner like a helpless puppy, was picturing what his death would look like. The woman, who had introduced herself as Kagura, was advancing on him now, ignoring the bleeding wolf youkai sprawled on the ground. She wasn't in as bad a shape as Koga, but she did need help: below her left eye, Koga had made a deep gash there, and her left leg was bleeding, and one arm was broken. Her once beautiful kimono was in shreds. Growling as inhumanly as possible, Kagura strode up to Miroku, a grimace/smirk gracing her features.
"I didn't think it would be that hard defeating your wolf guardian, but he obviously surprised me. So, as a conclusion, killing you first would be just as surprisingly pleasant and sweet. But first, you've got to answer a few questions of mine, ones that involve my master and you," Kagura said.
"Shut up, woman, I don't even know you. I've never met you until now," Miroku said. Keeping this woman talking and prolonging his death would be nice. Maybe someone would come to his rescue, if he was lucky. And if he wasn't? Well, he'd just have to step aside and accept his death, wouldn't he?
"Fine, I'll answer your questions," Miroku said, sitting up in what looked to Kagura like a defeated prisoner's position, pretending his hands were in cuffs behind his back and all. When Miroku clapped his hands together, however, he felt something sharp that pierced the tip of his finger: a dagger. Hiding his pain, the brave teenager stared at Kagura, his eyes boring into hers.
"First of all, do you have any idea why Naraku mentioned alchemy? You seem to know a thing or two about it, from what I see in your eyes," Kagura said. Taken aback by this random question, Miroku answered truthfully, "No, I have no idea how to use alchemy. I've just read about it in little fairy tales I read to children in Tokyo during the times of charity." Suppressing a laugh at Kagura's strange stare, Miroku positioned himself better, hiding his precious dagger. The teenager patiently waited for the right opportunity to strike at the youkai.
"Fine, if that's what you say, but I don't really believe you. Second-"
"If you don't believe me, then stop asking these rotten, random questions-"
The fan Kagura had been using as a weapon all through the battle was brought up to Miroku's neck in an instant. "And if that's what you really want, I can kill you now, if you want. Second, how did InuYasha and Naraku become rivals? It's always been something master never told me."
Miroku shrugged, unable to think of a good lie. "I don't know," was all he said, before calmly facing an angry-looking youkai.
"You know what? You're nothing but a useless piece of crap," Kagura said, poking her captive in the chest. "You're not good to keep around at all. I think it's time to kill you now-" that was when Miroku had a go at stabbing Kagura. The dagger, however, only managed to pierce her abdomen. Coughing blood up, the youkai stared at Miroku, hatred burning in her eyes.
"You lied, you b……! You DO know alchemy! You little liar…" that was, to Miroku's relief, when InuYasha and co. jumped in, brandishing whatever they had that appeared to look harmful and threatening (yes, even Sango was holding her sharp earring).
"Let our friends go!" Kagome yelled. She would have thrust something out at Kagura as a warning, but finding nothing good on her, she grabbed InuYasha's long clawed hand and thrust it out, making Kikyo and Sango back off slowly, trying not to snicker. Kagura, wide eyed, stared at the whole gang, her mind working quickly. There was no way she could take the others on after that alchemy-user had stabbed her. Pulling a tiny feather out of her mangled hair, the demon blew on it once, and the feather grew bigger, enough for three people to sit on all at once. Jumping on the feather, Kagura waved a mocking goodbye to the gang as best she could, trying to suppress the blood trying to escape from her mouth. Hopefully Naraku would heal her from her injuries.
When the wind witch had disappeared from sight, InuYasha looked down at an unconscious Koga and laughed, which was a rather silly thing to do, for Kagome was there to keep him in check. Smacking the hanyou on the head, the high-school girl crouched by Koga's side and looked him over.
"We should get him to the hospital immediately," she said. "Miroku, you're just sitting there, looking as good as new. After we get this guy sorted out and you've calmed down, could you PLEASE tell us all that has happened?"
As the teenage boy stood up and to do his best to make sure Koga was alright, he couldn't help wondering about two things now: why Kagome took his sudden presence so calmly, and why Kagura and Naraku kept droning on about alchemy. Finally, looking at the stained dagger in his head, Miroku hid it in his coat and ignored the blood staining the insides of his jacket and soaking his shirt, still pondering on the mysteries he already had at hand.
A/N: Another short chapter, and for some reason, I feel like doing something for once, and it might happen again: AN OMAKE! I hope that this makes you laugh. This is behind the scenes, and they could be what really happened in the story.
As the feather grew larger and larger, Kagura hopped onto it, and was about to make a jibe at InuYasha when the feather suddenly turned-into a deflated air platform! As Kagura began sinking began sinking back to the ground, and Miroku cackled evilly. As he rushed over to the shocked Kagura, his features suddenly turned into-Naraku!
"I'm back, my little honey-glazed munchkins," the evil man said smoothly. "And now it's time for me to sing a lullaby to you and for your older sister to do the hula!"
At that moment, Kagura shot up in her makeshift bed of straw, sweating all over. What a terrible nightmare!
"Oh, why do they HAVE to put this dream of mine in?" Kagura moaned, and the rest of the gang laughed.
"Because we want everyone to know that you're actually a funny person, DARLING!"
That's the omake for now, see you! Please review!