The Other Side
Chapter 20
Meeting with the Four Lords
The very same night; right after the sun had set, found Lord Sesshomaru, Kenichi, and Kagome sitting around a larger circular table. When Kagome had found out that Kenichi actually invited Kouga, who was sitting two chairs away from Kenichi on his right, she had twitched before trying to attempt harm on him. Then there was a moment of Kouga seeing Kagome suddenly, called her his woman and Kenichi burst into laughter. Now he understood what she was talking about. Naraku, Kagura, and Kanna were sitting across from them with looks of enjoyment.
"I must say, I wasn't expecting all the lords to be in the same place tonight," Naraku started out by saying, staring at only Kagome. Kagura had elbowed him before he looked at the other lords in boredom. "I was expecting Inuyasha; where is he?"
Kagome eyed him carefully. "He hasn't been told of this meeting," she said slowly as his eyes settled on her again. She leaned back into her chair and sighed in content when she felt both Sesshomaru's and Kenichi's aura wrap around her.
Naraku noticed this and smirked. "I see; well then, his loss." This Naraku was so much different than the one that had died two years ago. Everyone in the room was thrown off with this behavior. "But since, all the lords are here, I'll get down to business." He turned serious here with a frown on his face. "I have noticed small huts appearing in my lands lately. I had Kagura and Kanna search them and both have come back empty handed. All that is left is a dead rose.
"Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but things have gotten weird since they started showing up. All life in my lands is off; something is wrong and I can't figure it out. Have any of you had this?" he told them. He watched their reactions; most were emotionless except Kagome, who looked quite worried. It seemed like she knew something.
"Small huts or a small village?" Kouga asked, narrowing his eyes on Naraku, not trusting him whatsoever.
"Small huts; they come and go though. Two days ago; I found one very close to my manor. They have been inching towards my manor as of late," he answered, resting his head on his hand, elbows resting on the table.
"Sounds like you have a pest problem," Kenichi lightly commented.
"Something like that."
Kagome felt out of place; this was a meeting between the lords of the lands. Why in seven hells was she here for? Moral support? She snorted to herself as Sesshomaru growled at her; she paused. She growled back causing Kouga to howl with laughter.
A moment of distraction pleased Naraku terribly. "Oh my god, yes! Finally, someone fights back against him!" Kouga grinned as Kagome turned her head to the side.
"Yes, well, he has yet to figure out how to put me in my place," she said crossing her arms.
"Yeah but to call him an asswipe is downright the most hilarious thing I have ever heard out of you and on a side note, since when do you look like you do? Finally mated with the idiot? Granted, you have the symbols of the West, so that can't be it..." Kouga's eyes widened for a second. "Are you hiding your scent to cover's Sesshomaru's? Cause I could believe that."
Kagome blinked at Kouga, then growling in her throat before saying, "I am not mated you disgruntled wolf." Kouga gaped at her. "As for looking like I do, that is simply not your business."
Naraku slowly started clapping. "Well done, Kagome." She whined before letting her head fall on the table, causing him to chuckle. He gave her a half smile; she groaned. "I must say I am looking forward to working with you this time around."
"Say what? Why?"
Back to business; pity, he was enjoying the show. "Just because you are within the protection of the West, does not mean I can't see what is going on in there. Since, Kanna still has her abilities; I saw what you taught Lord Kenichi." Kagome's eyes widened; no, that wasn't good in her eyes.
Sesshomaru placed his hand on her shoulder once again. "Why have you taken into watching behind my walls?" he asked, not pleased. His face lay blank but Naraku knew he was pissed.
"Because I need Kagome; she's my key."
"No, I simply will not allow you use Kagome as you see fit," Kouga angrily said, his hands gripping the table. It shook under his weight.
"I agree with Lord Kouga," Kenichi said calmly; inwardly he was not happy. "I don't trust you as far as I could throw you."
"The miko is my protection and you need my permission to do anything involving her," Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly. "You do not have it."
Naraku sighed. "Kagura, take over; they don't get it." He leaned against his chair as Kagura glared at him. Of course he would put this on her!
"Kagome," she started, getting Kagome's attention, noting her worried expression. "Everything that Naraku is talking about is completely true. These, huts, leave behind a single dead rose. We don't know who is behind this and that in itself is worrisome.
"One hut after Kanna and I looked through it, we took the rose to bring back to Naraku and before we left; the hut was engulfed by vines. A fourth of the Southern lands are covered in rose vines. None of us can even get into it," she explained with a frown. "If you have the ability to use plants, for the love-please, help us."
Kagome was stunned. "Honestly, I don't know if I can help you." She ignored the males in their protest to even suggest helping them, especially ignoring Sesshomaru's growl. It was a warning.
"Any help would help," she said with a determined look to get Kagome to understand their situation. "Naraku has already tried to get the vines to disappear; they came back with hundreds more. They are slowly swallowing up the Southern lands."
"Have you tried fire? Or poison?" she asked, as both Naraku and Kagura, gave each other a look; it was almost like they knew she would ask that.
"I have tried poison," Naraku said then added, "I was... impaled."
Kagome gasped. "It a-attacked you?" Naraku nodded. Her eyes looked like they were reading or scanning something before she looked up to him. "Oh no, oh no no, no, that's not good."
"You know of what I speak of?"
"I do," she answered.
"Kagome, if you understand what is going on then please tell us," Kenichi encouraged her as she shook her head. "Why not?" She shook her head again, small noises coming from her before she sniffed.
"Your gift backfired, didn't it?" Sesshomaru questioned, connecting the dots. Kagome looked up at him with teary eyes, nodding. "That complicates things."
"You mean, more so then they are?" Naraku smirked when Sesshomaru glared at him. "Also, what gift? The things she can do with plants?" Naraku paused. "Holy, you're the reason that this is happening. Why, what set this off?"
"I'm so sorry; it was when I was getting used to them..." Kagome suddenly felt horrible. She sniffed again.
"Hey, Kagome, it's okay," Kouga said offering her a smile. "I mean, Naraku's issue isn't exactly okay... Think of it this way, hundreds of things backfire every day. So it was bound to happen."
"But I've hurt people."
"That also happens every day," he pointed out. "Hell, I throw Ginta off a cliff once a day." Kagome giggled at that. "At least it got you to laugh. Honestly, it's okay, really. Well I mean we're gonna work this out; most likely begrudgingly but still."
"Lord Kouga is right," Kenichi said as Kagome glanced to him. He smiled to her. "None of us like Naraku, hell, I didn't even know he was a lord but Lord Kouga is right. Technically, Lord Kouga should be the one to help Naraku since the lands are opposite of each other but since you are the reason that this is happening in the first place; it does in fact complicate things."
"Cause I'm under the protection of the West right?" Kagome asked as he nodded to her. She fidgeted in her seat.
"Yeah, that," he said as he rubbed the back on his neck and sighed. "And InuKimi would have the final say whether you go into the Southern lands to help Naraku. But if you go, I'm going with you. I, personally, would love to see what is going on down there."
Kagome was silent for a few minutes, letting all that was said to sink in. "So, Sesshomaru doesn't have a say in this matter?"
"My mother invited you to the West, meaning you are under her protection as well as mine. If anything, it'll end in a big fight," Sesshomaru told her as she pouted.
"What I'd give to see that fight," Naraku said, causing Kouga to chuckle. The two of them shared a look before Kouga realized what he did. Then he coughed into his shoulder and pretended he never laughed at Naraku's joke.
"But-"
"Just let it be Kagome," Kouga said as she gasped at him. "If you really are the reason why this is happening in Naraku's lands then Naraku and InuKimi have some authority to commend you to fix it."
"Fuck me," she uttered for the second time that day.
Kouga lit up. "Are you offering?" Kagome felt the need to smack him.
"Can I join?" Naraku asked sweetly before Kagura slapped him upside the head. He glared at her.
"Men! Honestly!" Kagura said with a twitch of her lip.
"Men; can't live with them, can't live without them," Kagome said as Kagura chuckled.
"Pity, women have no right around here."
"Give it five hundred years; women will have rights then." Kagome smirked as they all looked at her weirdly. The looks she was receiving cause her to laugh maniacally.
"What makes you so sure?" Kagura asked, suddenly curious.
Kagome smirked wicked; if none of them thought any better, they would have said she learned those looks from Naraku. Naraku looked quite happy for that matter; almost like he was proud. "Ask Inuyasha; he could defend what I said."
"Why would Inuyasha be able to defend that statement?" Kenichi voiced his question.
"Inuyasha has been to where I live."
"I can confirm that she doesn't live in the East," Kenichi said. "Pity, really. I'd take you in a heartbeat if you lived there." It made Kagome blush as Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed onto his friend.
"She's not one of the North; she'd have been mine the moment I saw her." Kouga winked at her as she sank further into her chair.
"Doesn't live in the South. Don't worry, I won't hit on you despite you being hot." Kagome wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
"Hn."
"Translation, she'd be dead if she lived in my lands," Kagome said as Kenichi gaped at her. He couldn't believe she understood that. They were silent for a few before someone said anything again.
"Kagome," Kanna whispered softly, causing everyone to turn to her-completely forgetting that she was there. She was staring at Kagome only, almost like there was no one else in the room. "I have something for you." They all watched her get up and round the table, before stopping two feet from Kagome.
Naraku looked at her like she was crazy. He couldn't understand why Kanna of all people would want to give something to Kagome. He paused when he saw a glass ball in her hand. What is that?
"What is it?" Kagome asked nervously, turning around to face the child.
Kanna grabbed Kagome's hand, placing the glass ball in the palm of her hand. Kagome flinched and then gasped, causing all to worry. "Your future," she mumbled as eyes widened. That ball held Kagome's future? Seriously?
Well, if there was anything to go by, it would be the fact that Kagome was now unconscious. She had slumped to the right, leaning on Sesshomaru, who was glaring at the child. "What have you done?"
Kanna stared at the woman, feeling uneasy. Her glass ball shouldn't have done that. She reached to touch Kagome; Kenichi got in her way, blocking her from Kagome. "If Kagome doesn't wake up, you're dead you realize?" Kanna nodded.
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