A\N: Not entirely satisfied with this chapter. I don't think I was very accurate with Sesshomaru's description, but then again I can't remember very much of any of his encounters with Kohaku before. I think I made him to internally emotional. Bleagh. Well, I'll have to work on that-- I know I can get a better version of him out there, I'll just have to work on it.
Anyway, I should get back to Inuyasha in the next chapter (hopefully) but I don't know when I'll get back to Kagome. She's not exactly vital in my plot at this moment. Inuyasha, on the other hand, is having more difficulties than I think I've made obvious, so I'll have to work on that as well next chapter.
Box Queen - Well, anytime is certainly better than no time. As some person whose name I can't remember said "If a person says they'll be there in no time, they're either already there, or they're not coming."
-Lost Soul 4 Rizzle - Well, actually, I don't really watch that many. I've always kinda been into anime shows I guess (though I sure as hell didn't know it until a little while ago) but not all of them. Pretty much the only anime shows I watch are Inuyasha and, occasionally, .Hack/Sign (or however you spell it). Sometimes I watch little bits of other shows, but I'm not a "regular" of them and don't really pay that much attention. I don't know why, but anime shows set in "reality" (or something like it) never really caught my interest or attention. Anyway, you're probably right, even though they call it a "Feudal Fairytale" in the end, how can Inuyasha be with Kagome? She can't stay in his time forever, and they've got to destroy to jewel eventually. Basically, the only option I can see that gives them any hope of the future is him turning human and going to her time (somehow) to live there, but, as I said before, that would be a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe that's why everybody is so eager to pair him up with other people. Plus, you know, Kagome sucks. -- Lol, yep, Amaya's trapped in a human body and feels pretty much the same way about it as Inuyasha does when he turns human.
-Black Betty - You know, some people say that "stubborn" is just a polite way of saying "hard-headed." I think they're just jealous!
-RamblingPhilosopher - Lol, have I started a fad with my CMoC? That's cool-- it's interesting to know what kinds of music other people listen to. However, I have no idea if I like Nirvana or Daniel Powter-- I just like those songs by them, and that's about all I've heard by them (I think). As I said before-- I don't listen to bands, I listen to songs. It's strange I know, but it's just the way things go with me. And don't worry, I'm not ready to kill Kohaku yet. He can only die and be brought back to life so many times before people begin calling him "Kikyo."
-lunerfox - I know exactly what you mean. I don't want to keep calling you guys "awesome" but I can't think of any better words to use. It just fits so perfectly!
-sourapple10000 - Okay, I'm glad you got the tumbling to the "whatever" cause I was skimming that chapter a little while ago, and I actually confused myself a little bit. Albeit, this was really late at night and my brain had already gone and shut down on me, but still... And thanks-- I'll be sure to go and check it out (Can't wait to see what happens)!
-xolovexinuyasha - Lol, like I told sourapple, I'm glad people got that part, because I actually momentarily confused myself with it. Anyway, I suppose I am unhuman in a way. -- What can I say, I'm just not that affected by movies and books like that. It's strange, since I've got pretty much no sense of reality left, so you think that'd make them affect me all the more, but nope, when I see stuff like that I just don't feel inclined to cry. As to music, I agree-- all the inu songs are awesome. My fav's are probably Fukai Mori (Deep Forest), I want to change the world, Grip! and Itzura na Kiss (Mischievous Kiss), but they're all pretty good.
-Darking Queen - Don't worry. I wouldn't so easily cut out one of my fav characters. I think that he's going to play a bigger role than most people first expected. And he might be playing it sooner than you think.
Sexy Kat - Well I ain't a doctor I'm an author so I'm not concerned with your health! Lol, glad you liked the chapter and the songs, and sorry about my little bastardization of Nirvana's name-- what can I say? I don't actually spell Nirvana that often in my day.
Waking the Dead
Sesshomaru stared down at the boy that Amaya had dropped at his feet.
This was the one she wanted revived...this?
His face was a mask of calm, cold indifference, as always, but inside he was seething. This was the boy who had gone after Rin, who was so covered with the stench of Naraku, he could have well passed for another of the demon's incarnations. And she wanted him to revive him.
He felt the air move as the sorceress shifted in impatience, and he curse ningen weakness, his own foolishness for being bribed for the price of an arm.
The ningen woman let out an irritated sigh, and Sesshomaru lifted his gaze to her, taking in the obvious annoyance and impatience in her eyes, smelling the irritation radiating off her in waves. Stupid baka human. How she had ever served as a servant of any kind to Naraku was beyond him-- she seemed to have no control whatsoever over her emotions.
'Well?' She snapped when he had stared at her a moment, silent, and he raised an eyebrow, knowing it would agitate the human to no end. She glared at his silent inquiry, and huffed in annoyance. 'Are you going to hold up your end of the bargain not?' She demanded, and Sesshomaru stared coldly, consideringly at her for a moment.
Really he should just kill the wench and leave them for the crows to feast upon, but, despite his absolute loathing of the boy before him, he was not without honour, and a bargain was a bargain, whether he liked holding up his end or not.
At his side, Tenseiga pulsed, the sword silently urging him to use it. His hand moved slowly, gripping the hilt and unsheathing the sword, which glowed blue and vibrated in a manner imperceptible to any who weren't touching it.
He pointed it at the boy, waiting as the sword began to reveal him the ugly demons of the underworld that crawled along the his body.
Swiftly, he raised the sword and slashed through the air, severing the demons and breaking their connections with the boy.
Tenseiga quivered happily as he slowly lowered it back to his side, and the hand that held it twitched ever so slightly in disgust at the sword's obvious delight at saving this boy's life.
He watched as Amaya knelt slowly next to Kohaku, lifting his head into her lap, and staring with sharp narrowed eyes down at his face, which was still surprisingly blank. His eyes were, however, shining with a faint and very dim light that no corpse could possess, and he knew that, even if the sorceress couldn't perceive it, Kohaku was alive.
So why did he still look so dead?
The colour was slowly returning the boy's cheeks, making him look incredibly pale, but alive nonetheless, and Amaya relaxed ever so slightly-- anything not youkai and not watching with as much intentness as Sesshomaru would not have been able to perceive it.
'Kohaku.' She said quietly, and the boy blinked slowly, his eyes clearing of the lingering fog of death as he slowly focused them on her face.
'Kohaku, do you remember anything?' She asked, and for a moment the boy did not answer. Then, slowly, he nodded, his eyes gaining a faint and very lost and broken look to them. Sesshomaru's lip almost curled in disgust at the sight, but he managed to reign the action, and instead stared on coolly a moment more, before turning to leave.
'Sesshomaru, I suggest you wait or Kohaku will never be able to catch up.' Amaya's voice reached his ears, and he stopped, taking a moment to let the ningen's words sink in.
'You are mistaken, ningen.' He said, not looking back at her. 'I have revived him, which is all I had agreed to do. We hold no further ties to one another.'
'That may be so.' Amaya said, and Sesshomaru heard clothing moving and dirt shifting, revealing to him that the woman was now standing. 'However, if you do not take him, then he shall have to remain in the forest. Alone. I cannot drag him around with me everywhere I go, and I haven't the time to deal with him at the moment anyway. You, on the other hand, already drag a human and two youkai wherever you go, he shall be no more trouble to you-- he is a good fighter and can defend himself, and he will be a good companion to your ningen. Surely she could use some company from her own kind.'
Sesshomaru stiffened imperceptibly at the woman's mention of Rin, wanting to cut the ningen's tongue out for daring to speak of the girl. Yet again he managed to keep his face, and slowly turned just enough to view her out of the corner of his eye.
'If he can defend himself as well as you say, then he has no need of my protection.' He said, turning away again, and Amaya glared.
'I suppose not, but if something should happen to him, and we cannot find the body for you to revive again, then I would hate to have had all this been for a waste. He is a vital part of this plan, and without him the whole thing may go to waste.'
Sesshomaru froze again, hating that he was allowing a ningen to manipulate him. Yet he knew that, for all her faults, she had a keen sense into the workings of Naraku's mind and castle, and any plan she could come up with would likely be the best one available.
Plus, she had a very valid point-- if the boy's body was dragged off, even he could not revive them.
He began walking again, not looking back, but he heard the sorceress sigh, heard the humour in her voice as she whispered 'You shall have to run to keep up with him.' To the boy, and the moments silence, before unsure footsteps came rushing in human-swiftness to follow after him.
Not once did he bother to look back at the boy as they travelled, silently cursing his existence, while even after several minutes of silence and a good deal of distance put between them, he could hear the sorceress' laughter echoing about the hollow trees.
And again he cursed his weakness at allowing himself to be manipulated-- all for the price of an arm.
But in his heart he knew that there was so much more than his arm at stake here.
And he had just made a deal with an angel from hell, or a demon from heaven (he was still undecided exactly which she was), the fate of which the entire world may well rest in the hands of.
END
A\N: Hm, Hm, Hm, what exactly is my devious little mind planning now?
Seriously, can anybody tell me, cause it would be nice to get the jump on it every once in a while.
SPECIAL THANX TO - Box Queen, Lost Soul 4 Rizzle, Black Betty, RamblingPhilosopher, lunerfox, sourapple10000, xolovexinuyasha, Darking Queen and Sexy Kat! - You guys are really amazin, and deserve a good deal of credit for this story being continued at all! Give yourselves a big round of applause why don't ya?
CMoC - Itzura na Kiss (Mischievous Kiss) - Day After Tomorrow, Grip! - Every Little Thing, Superman (It's not Easy) ( --- AWESOME SONG! )- Five for Fighting, Help Me - Remy Zero, Right Here - Staind and Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls.