windbreaking, yes, it is better that Sango not try to go off on her own. She is strong in her own right, but she still needs the others. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha posing as the best threat to Naraku with their joined powers! And yes! I was waiting with a foaming mouth for Yashahime to finally start! As soon as I heard about it I was a little worried, but so excited for the series since I felt it had so much more that could be continued from Inuyasha! I wasn't disappointed either! They did the show justice!
Talawolfgirl, I hope that my fic isn't falling too close to other fics that you are able to see thru my plot line! You might just be surprised at how close you are to it!
Thank you for reviewing! I appreciate all the readers to the story and for my reviewers that have stuck with me!
Three sets of eyes turned to look as the slayer touched down, the other occupants still sleeping by the fire pit. The brunette looked to Inuyasha with a look of confusion. "Why is everyone looking so tense?" He 'keh'd' at her, refusing to answer for a moment before she coerced the answer from him with the help of a knock upside his head with her weapon.
"Why the hell'd you do that, bitch?" he growled, his hand coming to rest on the spot where she had struck him.
"Inuyasha," she said, looking at him with a look of a mother's warning in her brown eyes. "Why does it seem that something went down while I was gone?" He turned from her with a grumble of something under his breath and when she said nothing, just lifting her weapon again in warning he finally told her.
"Just a minor tiff," was all he said. Koga said nothing, turning away from the scene as if to ignore them and the conversation that was as much about him as it was the Hanyou. "Are we ready to head out now?" He wanted the conversation over as fast as possible and he knew that talking about their mission to retrieve Kagome would do the trick in changing the direction of her wrath to one who deserved it.
"Yeah, but," she said, looking at the people still sleeping, her monk still looking a little scuffed up, even more so with the bandages applied by Shippo. "Are we even sure that his castle is still up ahead?" Koga turned to her now, wondering at her words. Sesshomaru raised a brow as well, his brother growling in rage at her words. Was she implying that Naraku had up and moved without their knowledge. "I'm not implying that you stupid or something, but on my way out of my village I came across a rather dark castle, miasma drifting around it like a fog."
"Slayer, do you mean to tell me that you think he moved further from us to a place that he would be seen?" Sesshomaru inquired as he moved to wake his ward, his fingers brushing against her hair as she stirred. Sango nodded. "So, he needs more time." Time for what? Time would tell, but any of the members in their group knew that with Kagome in his "care" that it could only spell disaster, but why would he move closer to a place that he had once attacked before? He wasn't that stupid was he to think no one would notice such a structure... cocky as he was did he really think he was strong enough to do battle with them so early on? His brother wouldn't take to long to go after him, trying to strike him down and with the power of his demon that even he, Sesshomaru, had trouble thwarting before. He wouldn't stand a chance and with the power behind his feelings for the Miko it was bound to be a quick fight. Then again, Naraku held a trump by holding onto the Miko as well. Something he could use to keep them from attacking and while he wouldn't be against striking him down anyway, his brother and the group would surely strike him down in retribution.
This battle would be one for the ages with them at a standstill, sitting by as they tried to find a way to free the raven haired woman, but also hoping that she wasn't the one they had to fight against in the end... or would Naraku keep moving until he held possession of not only the Miko but the pups once they were born. At this moment they were nothing to the evil Hanyou, but a way to an end that he could not use until they were older. "Could he force the birth of the babies?" Miroku asked, suddenly up and about without anyone noticing. The silver haired Lord looked to him in shock. He had not thought of that. Naraku could do many a thing with his own form, so who was to say that Kagome wouldn't be forced to have an early labor, the pups forced into the world sooner than they should be.
"That bastard would do anything to get what he wanted," Inuyasha spat, moving close to the fire pit, grabbing stuff as if to head out when Koga stopped him.
"And as much as I would love to rush to her aid, mutt, we need to eat something first." The Hanyou growled. He didn't need to eat right now, he needed to get to Kagome and before the bastard that held her moved his castle again. Maybe he had intentionally placed his castle where Sango could see it, just to give them false hope that it would be so easy to get to the Miko, to slay him... whatever he had intended with revealing himself so easily. They needed to get moving before that happened!
"The wolf is right, brother," Sesshomaru muttered coldly. "You will not be doing her any good by acting this way and I, for one, will not allow my ward to starve because you want to go off half cocked!" Shippo awoke to the argument, his green eyes blinking as he took in what was transpiring before him. Inuyasha was acting like himself, pushing them like he had in the beginning and like Kagome had done before the others had arrived, his brother was forcing him to sit still. He knew this would only further anger the Hanyou, but he too agreed that this wasn't what the Miko would want, though he too wanted to go after the woman who had taken the place of his own mother. With a scoff the Hanyou dropped the yellow bag before walking away from the group. He didn't want to listen to them! They may have had some interaction with Naraku in the past, seeing how he was, but he hadn't had anyone before Kikyo besides his mother and when Kikyo had been killed, sealing him to that tree, he had never thought he would find anyone that looked at him the way the dead Miko had. Now he had tasted what real love felt like, acceptance that had come from Kagome who hadn't even viewed his status as anything to be ashamed of... from the moment she had laid eyes on him she had trusted him.
He had tried to strike her down to get the jewel and while he was stuck with a necklace to keep him from doing further damage to the woman she still had trusted him to help her, to protect her. True, they hadn't gotten along that first few days, but she had shown that she wasn't a weakling and she didn't expect him to do all the work either in their relationship. She hadn't been treated well by him, calling her Kikyo and acting like she wasn't a real person at all, not her own person by any means. Hell, he had thrust the bow upon her with the expectation that she would be able to handle it like her predecessor had and while it had made her upset she had attempted to use it. She hadn't given up, not once. He knew she would be fine, well, at least for a few days, but he still saw her as he had that first moment she had failed to use the bow, tossing her off his back. She wasn't weak, in fact she was stronger than even Kikyo had been. Kaede had said as much herself, noting that even though her sister had been trained from the beginning that Kagome had long surpassed Kikyo in more than one way too.
Kagome was kind to all, whereas Kikyo was reluctant to trust anyone, to treat them as equals. He hadn't seen it before, but she had done it in their relationship as well. He wasn't an equal to her, not as a Hanyou. Kagome was pure in her feelings whereas Kikyo had held her feelings in, not allowing anyone to see that she had weak moments as most people did. Kagome. He just had to get to her! As he brooded in the tree overlooking the camp he noted that once again his brother and the wolf stayed away from the pack itself, like outsiders and truly they were as neither were part of his group. They were just two other packs that had come to his aid, like brothers that didn't like each other. Both hated humans at one point, with two girls changing their opinions to the point that one had grown a heart and the other had stopped attacking humans for their flesh. How strange was it that after all the anger between him and his brother with how his father had abandoned one while fighting to protect the other, had they gone down the same path as their parent. Both were connected to a human, both cared for someone other than themselves. They were after all from two different worlds, but here they were on the same path. Both after a common enemy that otherwise they wouldn't dare to bother with unless that person had attacked them or come upon their lands.
His brother was one to stay out of other's matters, but because Naraku had at one point attacked his ward, taking her captive, the Lord found himself longing for the blood of the dark Hanyou and Inuyasha, well, he was after him for that same reason, though for a woman who had died, a woman who hadn't truly wanted to attach herself to him unless he were human. Now he fought to avenge her, but his true reason wasn't even that. No, he wanted to remove the threat to the one that he loved, the one that even with her pregnant by another demon he wanted to live the rest of his life with. No, not just this life, but all the lives that would follow because even in death he would follow her, finding her again and again.
"We're ready to head out," Miroku called out to the Hanyou in the tree, smirking when he noted the determined look on the male's face. He knew what his friend was thinking about and he too was aware like the others in their group that Kagome wouldn't give up, not when she knew that they were coming. She wouldn't believe anything that Naraku fed her, not when she had managed all that time ago to fight against the child that had tried to turn her dark with the lies of her own feelings for Kikyo and Inuyasha. She might be fed lies about them again, but now that the Miko was dead there would be no more tears over his deserting her for the clay doll that had once been his love. Little did he know that because of the woman's death at the hands of Naraku that it would be more harmful than if she were still alive.
Kagome lay on the stone walkway, her blood pooling around her again as it had earlier that day. Naraku had become more upset that even with all the hits she had been taking that with her new found abilities that it took seconds for her to heal, but she was still losing too much blood and with her pregnancy she would need that blood to keep the babies alive. Still he had allowed the demons to keep taking strikes at her, now for the third time that day and it wasn't even noon. She could only hope that he wouldn't kill her, no, he wouldn't want to take his chance of adding more pawns to his team, but then again he was pushing it close with the attacks.
"We could do this all day, but you bore me," he complained, his red eyes watching with disgust as the marks on her skin sealed up again. He would have to weaken her another way while keeping her blood in her body, but with her pregnant he couldn't do anything in the way of taking her, not yet. "Hmmmm... what to do with you?" He could starve her, but again that would interfere with his long term plan concerning the children in her womb. He wondered if there was a way to quicken her bodies state so he could take the babies and then take her body? He tried to recall if there was a demon that would be capable of taking her body and darkening it quicker if he was unable to get her out of the state she was currently in. He didn't know how long she would be with child before the babies popped out of her, but he did know that she had to be in her third month even if her body looked further along. She glared at him for her position on her knees before him, his demons hanging around her with blood dripping from their claws and others with blood streaking their bodies. This truly wasn't any fun with her attitude marring what should be such a pleasurable experience. Damn this woman! Reaching down he grasped her by the throat. Not even Kikyo had been this arrogant against his actions, glaring at him, but never showing her distaste with him. She had been a cold one and this woman was hot, her temper reflected not only on her face, but in her eyes as well.
He hated it and relished it. He had always longed to see Kikyo like this, but he had also longed for the fear to show as well and neither woman had given him that. He would send out his puppet to obtain a way to either darken her soul or to remove his pawns from her body sooner. "You give me so much more than even Kikyo did, her composure never faltered before me even when I held her in my castle." He dragged her closer to him, his red eyes drilling into her chocolatey ones. "You feed my soul with your malice that lurks unchecked under your anger and while I thrive on that feeling, I long to see you cower before me."
"Fuck you," she spat back at him, her blood hitting his cheek before sliding down. He didn't glower at her disrespect, merely smiling as he licked it off his face.
"I will be doing that, don't you worry and when your mate comes to save you he will no longer yearn for your body," Naraku stated. "He will want you to disappear. Do you want to know who he is, Kagome?" She refused to answer him, her silence all the answer he needed. "You travel with him, even when you go to your own time." The look of shock that flickered in her gaze intrigued him. Did she know who he was referring to? Did she believe his words?
"No," she whispered, her heart hurting with what he was telling her. "Why... why would you lie about that?!" Ah, so he had gotten a reaction and while he was pleased with her disbelief he would use it to taint her further. After all, he wouldn't lie to her like she believed he would. Why hurt someone with lies when you could just as easily break them with the truth?
"I wouldn't lie, after all I was there," he stated with a look of pure pleasure.
"Y-You watched that?" she whispered. "You're disgusting!" A chuckle escaped his lips as he touched her cheek with his free hand.
"Oh, little Miko, I never professed to being anything but a disgusting villain," was his simple response, pride in his voice before he slammed his lips against her own, her shock and disgust escaping in a gasp that let his tongue into her mouth. She shivered as her stomach turned, repulsed by his taste, the feeling of his invasion into her body and while she was in such shock she failed to fight, but she didn't respond either as his hand moved down her body. She could feel the bile rising and blinking out of her daze as his hand squeezed her covered breast she bit down as hard as she could. He pulled back from her quickly, blood dribbling down his chin as his other hand tightened on her neck. "You bitch!" But he didn't release her and he didn't strike her as his eyes narrowed on her, glittering like the blood that was beneath her.
"Don't touch me!" she gasped out, his fingers tightening again at the malice in her voice.
"My touch will be all you will feel soon enough." With that he released her, her body falling like a doll to the ground with a resounding splat as her clothing soaked up her blood like a towel and then he was gone, leaving her there with the demons hovering over her. She didn't know what to do except sit there, fear that the demons would come after her again, but instead she turned to face the land beyond the castle. She may not be able to see past the miasma, but her mind was the only thing working at that moment, her eyes were unseeing and her ears unable to hear any sounds around her.
Inuyasha... why?
Sango clung to Kirara's fur as Miroku held onto her waist, his injuries better than the day before, though he didn't complain she knew that he was still hurting a bit though at least they were healing. They had tried the area to the south and while it had been apparent that Naraku's residence had been there at one point, but was gone. She couldn't believe that she had seen the castle and hadn't gone after it! She had been so close to where Kagome was kept, the Miko surely was in need of them, but no she had failed her friend. She had to think about something else, because Kagome wasn't the only one that concerned her. Right now she was concerned with the Hanyou in their group, his body was here, but his mind wasn't. He had seemed fine, ready to run thru the woods to her village, to find that castle, but now she could see it in his body movements. He was distracted and it wasn't a good thing. He needed to be alert when they got there and it wouldn't be too far, just a day or so away since with the fact that most of them weren't as fast as Kirara or Koga and the simple fact that they also had a child with them, aside from Shippo who sat with said child as Ah-Un they flew on the other side of the silver haired male. Sesshomaru ran along side of them, his eyes focused on the task ahead of them, even Koga was running with intent and while she knew that Inuyasha was the most concerned with the Miko they were running to save, she couldn't help but wonder what was keeping him in such a daze.
What is going on with me? He asked himself, the feeling of disgust stronger today than any other time, but he didn't know what was causing such a feeling. Sure, his emotions and even his physical state had been off lately, nausea weeks ago with pain that seemed to cover his whole body and now disgust. He wasn't smelling anything in the area that could cause such a feeling, but then again he might be feeling that way knowing that whatever the spider demon was doing with his Miko. After all, the same male had claimed to have mated to her, to have claimed her and that might be what he was doing now, though at that same time he wouldn't be allowed to do such a thing either. She was too pure to take on with her soul too clean for his own to chain itself to, but whose to say that he hadn't done something else to her in this short time. She could be- No, he wouldn't think that thought, not if he wanted to keep the contents of his stomach in his stomach. Mate is safe. Safe? How could she be safe and why was his demon still calling her that? He had no claim on her and with every time it said that word he felt anger again. He wanted her to be his mate, but she wasn't yet.
Another emotion filtered into his mind, his demon screaming in anger as a taste entered his mouth, a foul taste that threated his sanity and his body. He felt the urge to vomit and yet there was his demon again, cursing the male that he knew was too close to Kagome. He needed to get there now! Speeding up he tried to shove the pain that seemed to scratch at every part of his body and the emotions that were trying to dispel themselves from his mind even as he tried to subconsciously analyze them. He sped past his pack, taking up the lead role again, Koga speeding up to catch up with him as well before he could leave them all in the dust. It was only a week from where Sango's slayer village was, but with the time they would be saving in rushing it would be little more than a day or two at most. He wanted to push them harder, his demon growling at their slow pace, but even he knew he wasn't fast enough to make it there too quickly either. He couldn't blame them. We could be faster if you would allow me to take over, half breed! Mate needs us to hurry! He refused that demand. He didn't trust his demon half at times with good reason since it had wanted to flay all that were too close to him. Enemy or ally were not any different in that form and while he had little control over it he would never dare to allow it to take the lead role in his body. It is my body as well, don't you forget it!
Forget it, how could he when he at one point had wanted to allow it full reign... Before he had met Kagome he had yearned for his human side to vanish. Even with Kikyo he had wanted to become something he wasn't. He had wanted to be human to give her what she wanted, but in the end he had thought about it long after her death. He had thought about it after Kagome had made mention of her love for his form, for his Hanyou state. She wanted both sides, loving that he was human and demon. He hadn't believed her at first, after all in his time there was no love for his kind and certainly no love from the humans for his demon half and vice versa.
Why? Why what? Where had that question come from with no information to answer it. Why did it sound like a female in his head?
Mate is calling for us? No, she wasn't calling them, she was questioning them! Why was she questioning them and why did she sound so desolate? Like she was breaking? Kagome wasn't easy to break, after all she had been around him for how many years now? How long had she been fighting along side him? Long enough to prove that she was strong enough to deal with anything that Naraku could throw at her right? Right?!
"Hurry up!" he called back as he tried to push all the questions to the side again. He needed to be clear minded and ready to get her out of that bastard's clutches!
So many things going on with the group, so many emotions and fears! Was Naraku telling the truth about Kagome's actual mate or was he just trying to hurt her again? Stay safe!