Thanks to InuIsMine!, GiR, and werewolfpixie for reading and reviewing! Yeah, I'm keeping Naraku in character. Some Naraku romances are very sweet but not very believable. And yes, werewolfpixie, writing a research paper and a fic is hard, and one is usually more interesting than the other. :)
"Kagura?" Naraku's low, commanding voice could not be ignored. "I know you're lurking. Come out now, I have a favor to ask of you."
He watched the comely demoness grudgingly come into view, her lavender and pink kimono rustling. Her painted mouth was pinched together. "Please, Naraku, not tonight. Not with her here." She was acting brazen, but he could tell beneath her façade, she truly was begging.
"She is the reason I have summoned you here," he continued shamelessly. "I want you to check on her."
"You mean you will not let her go?"
"Do I let anything of mine go free?" He allowed himself to smirk nastily.
Kagura's lips trembled and her wide eyes shimmered when she understood his meaning, but she pulled herself together quickly enough. "What am I to do?"
"Speak to her. Ask her what might be bothering her. Just keep abreast of the situation."
Obediently, his second incarnation bowed her head and left.
"Don't you want a bite?" Mizoshi asked softly.
The koi fish stared at her blankly: its mouth opening and closing. She sighed. Speaking to the fish weren't much company. They were gorgeous to watch in the glistening pool though; especially when the moon was out from behind the evening clouds, tinting the water an otherworldly bluish silver. She sprinkled the marigold petals across the liquid surface of the carefully crafted, artificial pond. The plant life tumbled out of her fingers like rays of sunlight. Simulated radiance for a simulated lake in a simulated life. Mizoshi's depression would sink her to the depths of the ocean she was sure. And still, the fish would not eat. Maybe they wanted to starve.
"Mizoshi!" a brittle female voice called out. "I see you have taken the liberty of caring for our fish."
She looked up to see Kagura hurrying towards her. Naraku wanted some other tidbit of news?
"Hello, Kagura," she forced herself to say peaceably. "Did you come to observe the moon?"
"No. Actually, I came to observe you."
"Did Naraku send you?"
The older woman lifted her chin defiantly. "And if he did?"
"If he did, I'd want to speak to him about the subject, but then I fear I wouldn't be capable of feeding the fish. Or myself for that matter."
"You are right to fear Naraku. Believe me." After uttering this, she intentionally made her tone brighter. "But really, you needn't bother with the fish."
Mizoshi shrugged. "I had a vague idea to name them all. As my pets."
"They are Naraku's fish."
"He doesn't care about them."
"That doesn't make a difference. He owns them. They are under his rule and he could fry them for dinner if he wishes. He doesn't have to treat them with gentleness, or respect, or--" Her voice cracked.
The koi pond rippled slightly from the invasion of Kagura's tear plunking into it. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mizoshi apologized quickly. "I did not intend to upset you."
"Quite all right. I've had to live with that man for quite some time. I'll survive. We'll be prisoners together." She directed a weak smile towards Mizoshi, but instead of being relieved, she became suspicious. Was she playacting? Did a real tear escape her shining red eye? But on a different note…
"Prisoner?" The word sounded strange spoken out loud. She hardly known she had uttered it until Kagura's sudden reply.
"Yes. Prisoner. We both have our chains. It matters little if I serve him as a master and you a welcome distraction. He presides over both of us."
"What of Naraku? Can you tell me anything more?"
"Naraku created me from his own body. I act as his instrument. Yet, I am only his second incarnation. Kanna is the first, and she has dedicated herself to our master. But I hate him. Unlike my sister, I desire freedom. Kanna may have surrendered her spirit, but I never shall!"
"What if Naraku hears of this?"
"He knows the truth plainly, but he never speaks of it. Rather, he lords my inner desires over me."
"Surely, you can run away. With your majesty over the winds…"
"You don't understand!" Kagura cried. "He holds my heart. If I run, he'll crush it in his own fist. My aim is not to die in my endeavor. You yourself should never wander outside these gardens."
She stiffened. "Why?"
"First, you'd never get past the poisonous miasma barriers encircling this entire castle. Second, the demon hoards would tear you apart. Third, if Naraku catches you, you'll beg for death."
Mizoshi shivered and later quaked in pure fright when a keening buzz filled the air. She gazed up and spied two impossibly large bees flying above. Those glassy black eyes took in the two girls before soaring away. Kagura went pale.
"Kagura, what is it?" she whispered.
"Those are some of Naraku's demons. They want me to report to him at once." Distractedly, the demoness walked away. She was afraid now. Mizoshi was too. Had the wind sorceress said something wrong?
"Kagura?" she called out again worriedly.
"It's fine. Everything is fine." A fake smile attempted to light up her features, but failed miserably. "Oh, your clothes. You've changed them. A pity. Red's your color."
With that irrelevant opinion, the woman was off, leaving Mizoshi alone. Too many times had she seen the backs of others as they turned away to pursue their illicit affairs.
Naraku purposefully stood in the shadows, waiting for Kagura to enter. At last she did. Fear was etched in her face. Good. He allowed her to check the room for several rounds, narrowly missing him on many occasions to his delight.
"Naraku?" Her voice trembled. "Where are you? Naraku?"
Silently, he stepped out of the darkness and looped his arm around her neck. "Here I am," he hissed. "I trust you and Mizoshi had quite a lively conversation in the garden."
She wasn't stupid. "What did I do wrong?"
"What were my orders, Kagura?"
"T-t-to keep abreast of the s-situation," she stammered.
"And did you?"
"Yes?" She was guessing. How wrong she was. "Liar!" he roared, throwing her across the room. She skidded on the wooden floor; landing heavily on her back. Before she could get up, he pinned her to the spot where she lay.
"N-n-araku?" She was tripping over her own words. He would remedy that.
He slapped her. Hard. "Silence, wench! I know exactly what you did! You were to talk about her, not about me! I will not stand for your slander. You will sorely regret it should it happen again. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Naraku," she squeaked. "Never again."
Reluctantly, he let his rebellious incarnation up. "Return to your duties. From now on, every word you say to Mizoshi will be monitored."
"Yes, master."
His trademark smirk came rushing to the surface. She rarely addressed him as "master" save for exceedingly singular circumstances. He watched the terrified demoness go and resumed his position by the window. Secretly, Naraku was enraged. He wanted Mizoshi to make her own judgments. Kagura was compromising this. Badly.
Still, there was a deeper reason that shouldn't have been a cause at all. Whenever he tried to grasp it, it wriggled out of his fingers like worms. Did he want his sins known publicly? Strangely, he wanted to project a good impression in front of Mizoshi's astonished eyes. Having her turn against him too quickly wouldn't be prudent.
He pressed a hand to his forehead. This was getting difficult. Somehow, Mizoshi's presence was turning problematic without herself meaning to do so. However, he had the situation under control. Tomorrow he'd prove to Mizoshi that he wasn't an entirely cruel bastard, as valid as the fact may be. Except what could he tell her?
From out of nowhere, it came to Naraku's complex, intelligent mind. He remembered well in his photographic memory how happy she'd grown when she held that useless poetry book in her hands. There. A perfect plan. He would simply have to learn what her interests were, that's all. It was a way in.