With deadly beauty in his step, the youkai planted one foot in front of the other. His quarry wasn't far away.
Naraku and his schemes. He will pay for dishonoring me.
The girl Rin lay on Ah-Un's immense scaled back. Fretfully, she tossed and turned in her sleep.
She probably wishes to make camp for the night. This constant traveling is taking a toll.
However, Sesshoumaru could not accommodate this desire. Somewhere, the dirty-blooded Naraku was laughing at him. He could not let such an insult pass…
If only I knew where he went.
"Me lord?" Jaken looked up tentatively.
"Speak, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said stiffly.
"Me lord, are we any closer to that Naraku fellow?"
"Close enough." Sesshoumaru walked ahead.
Damn Inuyasha's untimely appearance. If he only he would've stood aside and let me finish him…
It had not escaped the dog lord's notice that they were currently walking around in circles.
Where could Naraku have hidden himself so completely that even I cannot reach him?
A twig snapped in reply.
Cowardly.
Under the light of the heady moon, the winter-scarred world seemed unfathomable. Some snow glinted in the silver light. A few bare branches of a nearby tree were illuminated. Forlornly, these branches swayed in the icy wind. Even from under her toasty blanket, Rin shivered. Sesshoumaru had caught the slight motion out of the corner of his predatory eye.
All is silent. There's nothing further to explore here…
Suddenly, he stopped. Some scent of unknown origin invaded his nostrils. Something disgusting and thoroughly unpleasant. With no explanation, Sesshoumaru strode off in that direction.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, wait for me!" Jaken struggled to keep up.
He paid him no mind.
Right about…here.
Presently, Sesshoumaru stood in front of an unassuming cave. The entirety of the structure stunk of Naraku. To confirm his suspicion, Sesshoumaru could also discern the aroma of blackened wood.
Someone has built a fire in here.
And yet, the dog youkai picked up another horrible odor—the odor of a hanyou. A very weak odor of a hanyou.
That wench of his was here.
True to his suspicions, footprints led from the mouth of the cave up to the worn road of the highway. He followed these prints for less than a minute until they disappeared completely. Apparently, most of the tracks were worn away by wind, save for those in the immediate vicinity of tree-lined cave. The tracks were not fresh, and the scent had almost completely evaporated as well.
She was here. So, did he finally throw her out?
Of course, the issue was of no concern to him. However, the wench could've directed him to where Naraku was hiding had she have been currently inhabiting the cave. No matter.
It's not as if she knows anything either.
"What are you looking at, me lord?" His retainer edged closer to the footprints. Upon seeing what they were, his slitted eyes found his. "Whose prints are these?"
"From no one important. Come, Jaken."
With that, the dog lord sharply turned around and walked in an entirely new direction while the stars winked and flashed teasingly.
Odd. Those footprints were leading towards that peculiar impenetrable barrier on that mountain. I know not if that was her destination, but it seems rather strange after encountering such a bizarre sight and finding footprints pointed that way.
Instantaneously, the irrelevant course of his thoughts was dropped. A being such as Naraku couldn't possibly survive on a holy mountaintop.
Mizoshi attempted to roll over in her sleep and discovered that she could not. Not while a pale muscular body was sleeping atop of you.
Naraku, you stayed…
Usually, Naraku was gone when the sun rose. What a welcome turn of events.
Smiling, she touched the dark hanyou's raven hair to see if it really was as lustrous as it appeared. The curling tresses did not disappoint. Upon further inspection, she saw that his eyes were closed.
How innocent he is when he is abed. I wonder if he dreams.
To her great shock, those eyes opened in a startled fashion and the dark hanyou's arms followed suit—pinning her to the mattress itself.
"Naraku!" she gasped. "It's me!"
His grip loosened. That smirk appeared. "Good morning, Mizoshi."
"You attacked me!" she accused him jokingly.
"I did no such thing. It was mere instinct." Those red eyes flared with unnecessary seriousness.
Her heart fell.
Apparently, he's in no mood for amusements if they're not his own.
Sighing, he eased out of the bedding and redressed in the same violet and navy-hued kimono. He was leaving already.
So, no breakfast in bed then.
He must have a lot on his mind.
"Naraku?" Her hand found her orange kimono.
He grunted in reply.
"What will you do today?"
His head snapped over at her. "I must take care of certain affairs. A few of my agents have met their demise."
This came as a true surprise. "Who?"
Naraku waved his hand at her impatiently. "Ones you haven't met."
I don't like the way he's treating me…
"How did they die?"
"Inuyasha." Those ivory lips curled in a hateful sneer.
"Oh…" The word hung uselessly in the air. Almost as useless as Mizoshi herself.
"Do not feel sorrow. They have returned to the soil from whence they came." Calmly, he was judging her reaction.
"What?" Mizoshi's hands paused over her kimono tie.
He chuckled. "They were dead, Mizoshi. By implanting a scared jewel shard within them, I gave them artificial life."
This declaration left her stunned. "The jewel can do such a thing?"
"A jewel shard. Yes, even one splinter can call back a spirit from the other world." A manical gleam was entering his deep orbs of blood-red. "Also, if implanted correctly, the jewel shard can bring death, or even control the person it is embedded within."
These words gave Mizoshi no comfort. Firmly, she tied her borrowed kimono around her waist.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go." No sooner had he uttered this did he leave the room.
Why does he act this way? Like I'm nothing?
Before she could ponder the matter further, the luminescent Shikon jewel took ahold of her imaginings again. Unwillingly, she was forced to contemplate it.
Oh yes, the illustrious jewel…
In truth, Mizoshi hated it. She hated how it made him act. She hated how it possessed him completely. She hated having the inkling that he would knock her over a cliff just to reclaim the last shard. In addition, the more she learned about it, the more frightened she became of just hearing it spoken out loud.
It can bring back the dead. It can take away life. It can increase a hanyou's power.
Where can I obtain a shard?
The idea was tempting. If she gave Naraku a shard, would it make her more worthy in his eyes? Should she start searching for them as well? Devote her entire life to the shards just as Naraku did?
No. No jewel controls me. At least, I don't think any jewel does…
It would be so easy to plant a jewel shard into her body. Especially after the events that had transpired last night. Then, she could be his. Ultimately his. She would never joke, draw, or dream about her downy wings ever again. She'd be a puppet.
Am I in danger here?
A frown had replaced her smile. Anxiously, she tripped out over the threshold into the hall. There was no point in following him. He was long gone. However, Mizoshi's heart cheered when she saw a familiar black form scrabbling at a wall.
"Kuro?" She bent down by the spider.
She was unprepared for the sight in front of her. The arachnid had a juicy beetle in its jaws. Obviously, the green insect had chosen the wrong shelter to hide from the blustery winter weather.
Aren't beetles supposed to be good luck?
Hesitantly, her increasingly paler fingers reached out to stroke the spider's abdomen. "Kuro," she whispered, "where have you been hiding yourself?"
As soon as her fingers made contact, the being hissed and crawled away further into its corner. Clearly, Kuro's attention was focused on his meal.
Even the spider has something better to do.
Feeling irrationally rejected—by a spider no less—Mizoshi strode through the remaining corridors that led out on the veranda. A deep sense of loss pervading her soul; her hands gripped onto the wooden railing with unnecessary force. It was the only thing that welcomed her touch.
I'm being left out of everything.
"Still here?" a bored arrogant voice sliced through her fragile composure. Irritated, Mizoshi wrapped her fingers tighter around the railing.
She's arrived. And she always does so at the most inopportune moments.
"Still here," she replied sourly to the wind witch that was lurking behind her.
"You've lasted a long time in this household," Kagura commented airily. "If only we could trade places. Then, he would have no need of me."
"You're his incarnation." Mizoshi lowered her head dejectedly. "You're closer to him than I ever will hope to be. None could replace you."
"Hmph."
At the annoyed sound, Mizoshi reluctantly turned to see the wind witch toying with her pale pink fan. Fear seized her limbs; freezing her to the spot.
Does she plan to unleash her power? Would anyone miss me?
"You still don't get it, hanyou." The woman in lavender eyed her meaningfully.
This declaration sent her completely off balance. An involuntarily gasp had left her lips.
What does she mean? Is it another game I have no chance of winning?
"Get what?"
"Silly girl," the wind witch murmured huskily, "he keeps you her of his own free will. You're a pet to him. A favored pet on a silk-covered pillow while I am simply his rusty tool." A smirk had appeared after she had purposefully degraded herself. The same manner of smirk Naraku used when he was manipulating someone.
What is her real meaning?
"And?" Mizoshi tried to keep matters as light as possible.
"Well…" Her fan was tapping her chin. "I guess I'm trying to say…"
"Yes?" Foolishly, Mizoshi was intrigued beyond measure now.
Is she paying me a compliment?
At last, the wind witch let the gust of air fly. "Pets are temporary amusements. Tools last forever."
The heat had spring up again. That telling heat that always accompanied flames. Still, instead of attacking the mouth wench with her smoldering thoughts, she used herfiery words.
"And what of Kohaku?" Mizoshi demanded. "Is he, as you say, an amusement?"
"Kohaku actually does some good." Kagura glowered at her in disgust as if she was beholding concrete evidence of the contrary. "Then again, I guess a jewel shard will make a body do anything." At Mizoshi's shocked expression, the incarnation feigned bewilderment. "Did I say something wrong?" The pouty smirk remanifested.
Ajewel shard!
"Why did Naraku put a jewel shard in his back?"
She shrugged. "Why does Naraku do anything? Well, the boy was technically dead at the time, so, my master recruited him."
Not even bothering to reply to the rather trivial response, or at least to the kind of responses Mizoshi should be used to getting; Mizoshi ran from the incarnation.
Kohaku? Not Kohaku too! It's just…terrible.
Tears that would no longer be restrained finally breaking free, she pumped her legs back into the manor. Blindly, she streaked through the corridors until she reached her door. It flung open with a crash and her body did likewise when it hit the mattress she had recently spent a very blissful evening on. By now, the tears resembled a spring thundershower.
Why do I stay with him when I know what he is? He can do anything he desires with my flesh. My heart. My soul. He could kill me and place a jewel shard in any obscure place to revive me. Take over my mind. Change my personality. Anything…
Experiencing a shattering beyond comprehension, Mizoshi could only weep as the cold truth surrounded her like poisonous miasma.
I'm a fool…
Damn.
Naraku gritted his teeth as a loud noise distracted him from his thoughts. Sharply, he turned towards the door in peevish irritation. The candle he had lit was nearly extinguished by this sudden movement.
Why is hell always being unleashed around here? When did things get so complicated?
Oh, yes. Two adolescent females share the same abode.
Sighing, Naraku reluctantly got to his feet. He had just been reveling in the fact that his plans were finally being fulfilled. Apparent losses now would be transformed into greater gains later on. Three of his agents had perished. Soon, the majority would fall. Then, the jewel shards…all of them…would be his and his alone through a process that none could ever foresee.
So rudely interrupted...
Feeling much accomplished, Naraku wandered into the hall. Now, there was the matter of locating where the sound had issued from.
As if I can't guess.
Mizoshi is like a little girl. Can she not rein in her own emotions?
The phoenix hanyou was a conundrum that would be dealt with on his own terms. However, she wasn't making it easy for him or for herself either.
What is it this time? Did Kagura offend her again?
All semblance of his past glories steadily starting to sour; Naraku allowed his moods to shift dangerous proportions. Too many disturbances were occurring.
Really, I don't know what to do about her. She brings up the worst topics of conversation imaginable. Doesn't she know what she got herself into?
Faintly, he heard movements in between the wall separating him from her. Another passageway, and there she would be. His "ladylove." He shuddered at the notion.
Can't she see how important this is? For me? For us? Can't she amuse herself for a few hours?
Getting more riled up by the second, he discovered that her door was ajar. Mizoshi herself was sitting on the bed—crying.
Anger welling in his demonic blood, Naraku strode towards her. He was going to put an end to this drama once and for all. Calmly, he stood over her. Immediately, she noticed him.
"Naraku." Her voice was hoarse.
He responded in kind. "Mizoshi."
Placing a noncommittal hand on her shoulder, he proceeded to sit down beside her.
Here's my chance.
But, in the end, she surprised him.
"Naraku, I need to get away from this place for a while."
Gaping down at her, it took him a moment or so to register what his innocent, obedient, lovesick bird had just cheeped.
Author's Note: Mizoshi will be on the road. Again. Afterwards, she will have changed her perspective on the world. Rest assured, she will return to Naraku. On the road is where other character interactions will take place. Suikotsu, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu will all appear. This won't be terribly long, and the interactions will happen one after the other. I realize I'm drawing out the drama here, (I know I promised romance.) but I feel the road trip is necessary for character developments. I've been slacking on that. Finally, after five or so chapters, Mizoshi will know where she stands with Naraku. His new form will be appearing as well.