Naraku held the girl tightly until she fell into a deep slumber. For once, he didn't try to touch her beforehand. How sweetly trusting of her: to close her eyes in the presence of a demon. Or perhaps, how naively foolish of her.
Almost mechanically, he picked the girl up and laid her on the mattress. Then, he was off. The length of the corridors was equal to the length of his thoughts and just as sinuous.
I love you. Just recalling the declaration made him shiver. This wasn't normal. This could never be normal. For her, in any case. When he'd asked if she missed village life, he had wanted her to say yes. He'd rather have her leave of her own free will instead of him forcibly pushing her out the door. And still, Naraku had the odd sense he desired her to stay. It wasn't everyday the prey preferred the web to the world outside, nor was it commonplace for the fly to form a relationship with the spider.
So, why exactly did she choose to reside here? Was she that desperate for companionship? Was his domain of skeletons and poisonous clouds really better than where she'd come? But, in the end, it mattered little if he sent her away. This sensation in his chest wouldn't leave with her. Mizoshi had evoked a strange response in him, and he wouldn't let her go without discovering its origin.
Frustrated at his own weakness, he set his jaw and planted himself by a wide window that showed him the greenery of Japan and the wide expanse of stars above. Ironically, it was here he had first formed his fateful question. Well, one of his fateful questions. Yes, ultimately, a woman could delude herself to loving a demon such as him. Still, the primary question remained. What was real love exactly? More importantly, would he even be aware of the emotion if it would ever arise? Or has it already risen…
Naraku quicklysilenced his thoughts. He didn't like where they were going.
Indulgently, Mizoshi breathed in the incense as she rinsed out her hair. She simultaneously basked in the warm glow of the candlelight and the warmness of the bathwater. Without asking permission, she had snuck into the bathing chamber and furtively ran herself a hot tubful of soothing liquid. The once embarrassing memory of her standing in front of Naraku with nothing but a towel had not completely left her senses, yet, in spite of the probability of being caught again, Mizoshi decided she would risk any danger for the relaxation the steaming water brought her. In fact, she half-wished Naraku would find her.
Earlier, Mizoshi had been genuinely shocked to find herself alone in her darkened bedroom. She had awoken from a light slumber on her mattress that she herself had no recollection of getting on, and whilst in the lonely shadows, she had wondered where her lover had gone. But instead of rolling over and going back to sleep as she probably should've; she had chosen to wash away her anxiety in this rather large wooden tub. Presently, she closed her eyes and went over the past few hours in her head before she had slipped into unconsciousness. First, she remembered talking with Naraku. Later, he had asked to see her artwork. And…after that was anyone's guess.
Still, Mizoshi had not forgotten the topic of the conversation she had shared with the dark hanyou. His hurtful, brutally honest words kept repeating themselves over and over. It was only lu-- Before the hurtful statement could be finished, she blocked it mentally by humming a bit of a song to herself while splashing her hands through the bath like a small child would. However, she intuitively knew she was a child no longer.
Preparing to leave the tub, Mizoshi groped blindly for the towel she had set out for herself, and was astonished to discover it was missing. Seconds later, she heard a distinctive feminine chuckle. "Looking for this?" Kagura stepped into view, waving the towel about in the manner befitting a banner. Immediately, Mizoshi reddened in anger. How dare that woman make trouble?
Glaring at the demoness defiantly, she held out her dripping hand. "Give it here."
"I don't think so. I wanted to talk to you." That red-painted mouth smirked secretly.
Mizoshi was on her guard in an instant. "Why? I thought you hated me."
"I do," the wind witch responded nonchalantly, "but I wished to learn something all the same."
Mizoshi tensed. "And what's that?"
"How did you and my master meet?" Kagura asked innocently.What game was this? Kagura knew her story. The chances of her forgetting the slightest detail were slim. What was she getting at?
"He found me," Mizoshi replied flatly. "In the woods."
"Really? Did you wish to go with him?" The demoness leaned forward intently; the confiscated towel swinging back and forth like a pendulum.
"No," she said without emotion. "I kneeled down to help him, and that's when he took me away."
"You mean, after Sesshoumaru nearly succeeded in killing him?" The wind witch's expression remained innocent, but there was an unmistakable villainous glint in her mocking scarlet eyes.
A sudden wave of anger broke Mizoshi's calm façade. "If you know the damned story so well, why are you asking me to tell it again?"
The demoness laughed bitterly. "No need to lose your temper. I was only curious if you decided to come here of your own free will."
If only Kagura knew she was playing with fire. But, regardless of what the incarnation said, Mizoshi must not reveal herself. She preferred to keep her power hidden for now, lest they become exploited. She would have to select her words very carefully. "No, I suppose I hadn't planned on coming here."
"Then, would you say Naraku abducted you?"
Her tongue froze in her mouth. Against her will, another piece of information floated into her awareness. "I'm not some benevolent being that saved you." There was no way she could cover it up, or deny the bit of truth that had come from his own lips.
"What does it matter?" Mizoshi countered.
That irritating, self-confident smirk grew wider. "Denial is an ugly thing, Mizoshi." Without warning, Kagura threw the towel at her before departing. Frantically, Mizoshi caught it before it could enter the bathwater and become unusable.
Scrambling out of the tub, she furiously wiped at her bare skin. Ultimately, Mizoshi was drying the wetness from her bath and the wetness from her eyes as well. Just thinking of that witch's ugly, whorish, self-assured face was enough to send her into a rage. And fall into a rage she did. When her blurry gaze happened to settle on the towel, the fabric suddenly combusted in flames. Automatically dropping it in the bathwater, Mizoshi watched the fire dissipate; leaving a ragged, blackened piece of cloth in its wake. She could only imagine doing that to Kagura.
In any case, Mizoshi knew the truth. She had been abducted by Naraku to see if she could be of any use to him. She was merely a vessel that contained his lust, and nothing more. All of this information had been voiced from Naraku himself. And yet, she didn't believe it. He must care for her. It was readable in those certain moments of passion in his crimson eyes. The spider was protecting himself well, but she could see right through his meticulously woven defenses.
No one could judge better than the prey.
Sorry for the delay, but it was due to the combined effects of stress, college work, and writer's block. But, I feel all better now, and hopefully have more time and ideas to actually head towards some kind of worthwhile conclusion. I can't believe I've working on this fic for four months now! How time flies…
Once again, thanks for your continued support gang :)
Gothic-ember: It'll take him a while, but eventually he will. For some reason, bad boys never say what they feel. ;)