As Kura hurried through the forest, thickened with what seemed like a hundred of trees, she couldn't spot her father anywhere.
He couldn't of gone too far… As she continued to search the grounds below her, she eventually came across a silvery-haired demon sitting by the river's edge just staring off into the distance at nothing in particular. Kura smirked as she jumped down and landed gracefully next to her father. "I knew I'd find you sooner or later…"
Without lifting his head to meet his daughter's gaze, Inuyasha managed to let a few words slip from his mouth. "Why did you come?" he asked softly, yet solemnly. Kura only looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean, 'Why did I come?' I came because I was worried about you. After the things Koga said to you about Kagome, I figured that you wouldn't exactly take it lightly. I just didn't want you doing anything rash, that's all. I'm only concerned with your well being, just as you are with me," the female half-demon explained. As Inuyasha continued to stare out overtop of the river in front of him, a subtle breeze suddenly picked up and his silver locks began to blow sideways in the wind. He then looked up at his daughter, his eyes looking as though they had lost all emotion.
"I don't care about what Koga said. In fact, I could give two shits about him. That mangy wolf doesn't even know half of what happened during the battle with Naraku so he doesn't have a right to say anything about it…"
"But then why do you seem so upset if Koga never managed to get under your skin about that whole ordeal?" Kura inquired.
"Because…because it just made me think that I could have done more to protect Kagome. If I did, she would probably still be alive right now, standing next to the both of us with a smile written across that beautiful face…" He then began to trail off as Kura lowered her head.
"She is still with us…"
"What are you talking about? Of course she's not still with us, she's dead…" Inuyasha corrected depressively.
"True, she may be dead physically, but spiritually she'll always be with us…" she stated assuringly, trying to put a smile, or at least a smirk on her father's face.
The hanyou lowered his head so that Kura was no longer in his sights. "But if that's true, then why do I feel so horrible? Why do I feel like she's not here with me? I just want her to help me, to break all my falls, to continue loving me, even in the afterlife. Why can't I feel that love…why?" he demanded, pounding his fist against the hard ground. Kura placed her hand over his back and started rubbing it in a comforting motion, trying to soothe all of his inner pain…the worst kind of pain any human being or demon can endure…
"It's okay… I know you miss her, as do I. But knowing that she's always there and watching over the both of us gives me strength. It gives me the power to fight on, even in the most desperate and hopeless situations I never give up because I know that she would never allow the enemy to have that satisfaction. I never go down without a fight…that's just not my style and you know that," Kura said with a wink, even though Inuyasha couldn't see it. "So please cheer up father. Mother would hate to see you like this as I do…" She then noticed that Inuyasha's head moved slightly and in a mere couple of seconds, she was able to see his once vibrant, golden eyes, which were now slightly cold and emotionless.
"You okay?" Kura inquired, looking into her father's blank orbs with curiosity.
Inuyasha nodded his head slowly. "Yah, I'm fine…" He then let a small smile grace his lips as his now vivacious orbs looked into his daughter's own bright amber ones. "Thank you…" he managed, clearing his throat.
"Not a problem," Kura grinned. "Anything for you. You are my father after all…"
The smile on Inuyasha's façade widened slightly as he heaved himself up off the ground. "Well I guess it's time we head back to the village, what do you say?"
"Good idea. I'm sure the others are wondering where we are."
Inuyasha grunted as Kura gave him an odd glance. "I'm not looking forward to seeing the monk again. Rotten bastard," he cursed as he heard a small giggle escape the girl's mouth. "What so funny?" he asked while raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Kura placed a hand over her mouth so as to hide the laughter that was trying to break out. She removed it for a moment so that she could speak. "You just don't like it when he hits on me. I think someone needs to control his temper…" she replied mockingly as Inuyasha sent a glare her way. She merely shrugged it off.
"I do not need to control my temper!" Inuyasha practically shouted, obviously proving his daughter's point.
"Oh, really?" She immediately raised an eyebrow at this. "You don't need to control your temper, huh? Then why is it that every time Miroku hits on a girl, including myself, your anger takes over and you can't control yourself? Hm? Tell me that." Kura knew that her questions were only annoying her father. She loved pestering him. It always helped lighten the mood in a serious situation and it was fun.
"Shut up…" Inuyasha said with a grin. Just then, an idea struck him. He loved getting in on the jokes Kura played with him and this idea was going to torment her all the way back to the village…at least he hoped so. "…or I'll tell Kiatsu that you like him…as more than a friend." That statement made Kura's cheeks redden with a huge amount of embarrassment.
"You wouldn't dare…" The half-demon girl narrowed her eyes into tiny slits as she spoke.
"You think I wouldn't?" Inuyasha then started to walk off in the direction of the village, slowly but surely, looking back at Kura every few steps. She looked kind of ticked off and partly upset, but Inuyasha knew full well that that was just her way of making people immediately stop what they're doing and ask what's wrong. It would be then that she would take advantage of the situation and run away, leaving them behind in the dust, urging them to chase after her. She loved this game, but not as much as she loved teasing her father with it. As soon as she noticed that Inuyasha had stopped dead in his tracks, she jolted forward and ran past him at top speed, yelling…
"COME AND CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!" Inuyasha smirked and ran after his daughter, not being at a much slower pace than what she was running. Each time he managed to catch up with her, she would automatically sprint ahead, making him run even faster than before. He finally managed to catch her when they had just made it to the outskirts of the village. He tackled her to the ground and began tickling her non-stop.
"Dad! Stop! It tickles!" she shouted through numerous fits of giggles. He stopped after a few minutes, figuring that she had had enough torture for now. However, what he didn't know was that Kura was planning her own little scheme to get back at her father…
When they eventually arrived back at the campsite where Sango, Miroku, Nekura, Shippo and Kilala were still settled, Kura ran up to them, waving her hand excitedly.
"Hey guys!" Kura exclaimed, much more cheerfully than she had been before she left.
"Hey girl, you seem a lot more happier," Nekura replied, stating the obvious.
"Yep, that's because my father and I had a little bit of…fun coming back here…" She smirked when she mentioned the word fun.
Nekura raised an eyebrow. "I see…"
"Yep, and I got something planned for him too…as payback for tickling me…" She sent a deathly glare towards Inuyasha's when saying that. The half-demon only looked her with a, 'You deserved it,' kind of look. "He's got what's coming to him…" Kura grinned evilly and then went into the tent for a well-needed rest. No one knew what her plan to torture Inuyasha was but they would eventually find out soon enough…