Protector
This chapter is dedicated to StarPrincess2020.
Chapter 7: Rebirth
A tall man dressed all in black leather approached Naraku's gravesite silently, his boots making no sound on the hard-packed earth. His piercing blue eyes scanned the clearing every few seconds, all his senses on high alert. He moved like a predator – big, quiet, on the hunt. He paid no attention to the evil aura lurking about. After all, he was the epitome of evil itself, in a sense. One needle-sharp white fang shone in the moonlight as he bared his teeth.
As he walked past the grave, a chilly wind began to blow. His raven shoulder-length hair floated on the breeze, streaming out behind, shining coolly in the moonlight. The stars twinkled dimly in the blue velvety sky, and the full moon shone like a lamp.
A gray orb of smoke shot out of the grave, swirling around in a ghostly manner. As the vampire sensed the foreign presence and turned around, the smoke sped towards his head and smashed directly into it. It melted into his head.
The vampire screamed as the pain made itself known. It felt as though someone was running red hot wires through his veins, sending lightning to crisp his nerves, as though his brain was being pulled to pieces. With one final shriek, his mind shattered.
He straightened up. A new light filled his eyes, a mocking, evil look. "My name… is Kariyu," he said in a low, musical voice. "And I am reborn!" Chilling laughter filled the air, and the leaves on the trees shivered from the creepiness of it.
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Kagura jerked out of her sleep, panting heavily. She was up in a tree, leaning on the main trunk. She used her fan to cool her sweat as she concentrated on taking in more oxygen and calming herself. That dream – couldn't possibly be real.
"Are you so sure of that?" a voice asked. Kagura almost toppled off the branch in shock. Kagome was long gone, she had left hours ago, and she was no slow traveler. No one was here to help her fight. Would her strength be sufficient by herself? Not even Kanna was here to aid her. Why was she so sure that this would be where her end would be?
A red orb of sparking energy formed in the vampire's hands, swelling larger and larger every second. "My name is Kariyu. You were the servant of my former body. So you shall be my servant again, and there shall be no escape for you this time," the vampire's eyes sparkled, a turquoise that seemed to see right into Kagura's soul and exposed all her weaknesses. The crimson energy flew right at her, bright as her own eyes. She didn't even have time to scream as it knocked into her, sending her flying. It sank into her body, and then darkness blanketed her mind.
"Stand, Kagura," Kariyu ordered. Her body stood up. She could still see, still feel, but the control of her own body was not hers to take. She followed his orders – no matter how much she fought, she would never be able to break free.
"Go, and kill the miko who visited you. Her scent is all over you," Kariyu commanded, his nose wrinkling in disgust. Kagura could only nod and depart, lost in despair.
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Kagome looked up as she realized that Kagura was flying towards her on her regular white feather. She smiled as Kagura dropped down to the ground, landing in a crouch. "Something you needed, Kagura?" she turned back to Kirara, who eyed Kagura suspiciously, sensing something wrong. The fire-cat's red eyes closed as Kagome scratched her ruff, and she purred in bliss. "Yes," Kagura said, drawing her fan out from her sleeve.
With a swift movement, she plunged it into Kagome's back, gaining a strangled gasp of pain and shock from the unsuspecting miko. Hot blood spurted out, almost scorching Kagura's fingers, and staining her kimono. Kirara loosed a furious roar as Kagome fell. Kagura wrenched the fan away and sent a barrage of Wind Blades at the demon cat. The rotating crescent-shaped blades tore at Kirara's hide and a pained cry tore from her throat, as she transformed back into her kitten shape, bleeding and unconscious.
Kagura summoned her feather again and soared away, heart hurting in secret.
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Sesshoumaru sniffed again. That couldn't be right – the miko was too powerful to be killed just like that. But he scented blood, copious amounts of the life-giving liquid, and it was hers. That he was sure of. The smell of the fire-cat's blood was on the wind as well, but less of it. Would Rin be sad if the miko was dead? Probably. Perhaps she was not dead – perhaps she was only badly injured. He would save her if it would keep Rin from crying.
"Stay here," he said to his three followers. "Where are you going, Sesshoumaru-sama, please take this worthless one with you…" Jaken begged. A cold glare silenced him instantly. "Come back soon, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin waved, smiling brightly. He never wanted to see that smile wiped off her face. Aun huffed softly, all four eyes trained on him. The sparkling cloud formed under his feet, and he levitated off.
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Blood soaked the soil, running deeper and deeper as Sesshoumaru arrived on the scene. Silently, he looked at the bodies lying prostrate on the ground, blood rapidly seeping from both of them. A stab wound was in Kagome's back. She had been attacked from behind, and obviously she had not known of the person there, or… she had been attacked by someone she perceived as an ally, or a friend. Kirara's wounds were not that bad, not life-threatening at all. But the miko's – now that was something else. The weapon had gone precariously near to the heart, and with each heartbeat, her blood was pumped out of her body. If she was not treated, she would die of blood loss very soon.
Sesshoumaru landed on the ground gingerly, wincing when the sticky blood stained his soft black shoes. He bent down and pressed a palm against Kagome's open wound, trying to staunch the flow but only succeeding in making his hand dirty. He gazed at the one hand covered in blood. His demon blood wasn't screaming for him to go on a rampage, wasn't crying out for him to soak himself in blood. It wasn't telling him to go and shed more – it remained uncharacteristically silent. That in itself was unusual – why?
Sesshoumaru hesitated. There was a way to speed healing, but it involved a little more contact than he wanted with a mere human, miko or not. But there was no other way – this was what he had to do, if he didn't want to smell Rin's tears.
He bent over her, and cut away the cloth surrounding her wound. Inclining his head forward, he stuck his tongue out and licked at the edges of the gaping wound. The taste of her blood hit his tongue – a spicy sweetness that was intoxicating. Her scent, even though she was wounded, was still nice – warm musk, cinnamon, and spring flowers.
Sesshoumaru carefully licked the whole wound clean, leaving his saliva behind. The saliva of a demon or half-demon had healing properties, as did animal's saliva. That was why dogs and cats licked their wounds – to promote healing. He was enjoying the taste of her blood, and it was almost making him dizzy.
The wound began to shrink, little by little, and Sesshoumaru carried her to a clean part of the grass and turned his attention to Kirara. Plucking a handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped the blood off her, noting that her wounds were already closing. He was a dog demon, and she was a fire-cat – the two breeds definitely did not exactly get on well together. She would survive. After all, she was a demon. They were alive – just not conscious yet.
He cradled Kagome in his one arm, and tossed Kirara into the miko's lap. The cloud of ki formed beneath the sole of his shoes, and they lifted off smoothly.
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Jaken gaped as Sesshoumaru landed on the ground with a barely audible thump, Kagome snuggled up to him and Kirara unconscious in her lap. "Sesshoumaru-sama, why have you brought the ningen to our camp? Is one filthy human not enough?" Jaken cried out in protest. A glare silenced him, and Rin ran up to the tiny toad demon immediately. "Jaken-sama called me a filthy human!" she shouted in indignation, and knocked him flying with a blow of a clenched fist. Sesshoumaru put Kagome down, and handed Kirara to Rin, with the order to take care of her
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Kagome's eyes opened. She felt different – weightless, almost. The world around her was foggy, and nothing could be seen in any direction. She tensed as a shadow approached, her hand automatically going to the quiver of arrows on her back that was simply not there.
Midoriko stepped out of the mist, wearing her usual silks and armor. "Ah, Midoriko-sama," Kagome greeted her trainer in relief. "Kagome," the deceased spirit inclined her head in greeting. "I have come to tell you that another evil has been born," Midoriko sighed. "It seems that Naraku was not really himself, and was in fact possessed. The one who controlled him lives, and has taken on another body. He seeks to revenge himself upon you – your life and your companions' lives are in danger," she said solemnly.
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A/N: And another chapter finished. Sorry for taking so long to update this time – I was doing some serious thinking about this fic, and I was seriously considering putting it on hiatus. Thankfully, I have found a better solution, and now I have pointed this fic in a new direction, thus introducing the new villain this time – Kariyu the vampire. I've been brainstorming on this, and now that I know what to do, I think I can write faster – hopefully! Also, I celebrated my birthday on Oct. 22 and so… was not very free.
Reviewer Replies:
Kyoko super girl: Yeah, I'm Chinese… sort of. I'm actually Singaporean – Singapore is a multiracial country. My Chinese and English are now my best subjects. Don't worry. Get yourself a Chinese best friend and your Chinese will improve. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Ladylillyofraza: I have a feeling you may not like this… especially if you are a Kagura fan. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Azera-v: Well, Kagome and Kagura can't be friends anymore – due to Kariyu. But maybe, at the end… Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Kuri: Sorry for not updating sooner. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Shadows stalk during the deep of night: That's one long username you got there. Are you Inuyasha's hun? You ended the review the same way as she did. Well, it did! Thanks. Yeah, I like Kagura too. Sadly, what was done had to be done. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Me: Hello! Here's your update… sorry it's late. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Midnight Faerie: No, I won't tell you now. Sooner or later, Kagome will ask, and then you will know. Be patient! Yep, people can dream. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
StarPrincess2020: It took me a while to understand that, but I think I got most of it. Yeah, I agree – thanks for reviewing, please continue. Also, you got the question right – congratulations to you.
The Squabbit: Oops… wrong. Tsubaki was the koromiko (black miko) who cursed-controlled Kagome and tried to curse Kikyou but failed. Better luck next time! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Kagome21: Hi! Here's your update. Thanks for reviewing, pkease continue.
Fluffys Beautiful Mate: Hi! You're new to the story right? (: Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Gothic-Ember: Emotions are strong too – Kagome can only really be strong when she's angry, remember? Haha. Oops… Kagura's back to evil, but not by choice. Here's your update! Thanks for reviewing, please remember.
Seized Sanity: You got the answer right, but you were the second person to do so. Thanks for trying out and reviewing, please continue, ok?
XoKayeBabyoX: Well, if you thought the last wait was long, this must have been an eternity. Haha. Sorry, it wasn't deliberate. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Traveler of the World: Hi! Oops, you were the third to answer, so… never mind, ok? Better luck next time. And yes, Naraku is totally a psycho, but in my story, it's not his fault. For only this. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Kage Bi Koori: I'll consider it, really. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Kagome-chan: Totally. In the anime and manga, Naraku dressed Kagura in such weird colors. But whatever. Shows that Naraku's fashion sense is totally shot. What's with the baboon suit anyway? Disgusting. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Darkflame1516: No need to worry about my grades anymore – my parents seem to have forgotten all about them temporarily. Haha. That is, until I get my report book. Ugh! Hmm… maybe next time will be better. What's boot camp? Don't have that in Singapore. Care to elaborate? Thanks for reviewing, please continue.
Hermonine: Here's your update. Thanks for reviewing.
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I just wanted to ask – what happened to the reviewers of my earlier chapters? Like 1kenshinlover, Kouga and Sesshy Lover, Nomadgirl66, IYGURL, Katana no Mizu Ryuu? Don't you like me anymore/sniffle/ Please start reviewing again – I miss reading them. It just… sort of touches me when someone follows my story from the start and tells me how they feel about it. (On a side note, that was kind of fluffy.)
Answer to last time's question was Urasue. Three people got it right – you guys know who you are. This time's question… Shippou's parents were killed by two demons, and . Please fill in the blanks, ok? Good. Yay.
If you guys are looking for a story to read, I recommend 'Tales from the House of the Moon' by Resmiranda because it's a really great story. It's Sess/Kag too, and everyone is totally in character.
Okay, I've gotta go now. Bye minna-san.
-kyasarinyume07-