Ch.3

Encounters

When we finally arrived at Kikyo's old cottage, I couldn't help but think on what Onigo would try. I was, of course, enjoying the thought of each of the options. Keeping myself hidden in the shadowy boughs of the trees, I watched as Onigo finally made his move. The wind whipped his dark hair from his fiery eyes as he jumped from the high bough of a tree and landed on his feet. SNAP!!! The horrible sound caught my attention and I jumped to see what had happened. His bare feet were covered in blood and twisted at an odd angle. Had he broken his ankles? If he had, it obviously must not matter to him all that much. All he did was look at his feet, fascinated.

What an idiotic creation. In a few seconds, he'll be writhing on the ground. I thought to myself as I coiled my body around several branches of my chosen tree.

But what I wondered about was why his ankles had broken. If he was truly a demon, the fall wouldn't have given him a scratch. Wait...what if he wasn't a demon? He was so much like me already; could he be as weak as I was when I first became a hannyou? Onigo sat on the ground and held his right foot in his hands, gently examining it with his blood-stained hands. A bone protruded from the bend of his ankle and he touched it, not even a hint of emotion on his face. I shuddered as he attempted to set the bone back in place. Suddenly a familiar sound met my ears. It was a soft noise, as some flying creature would make, but even more gentle than the frantic flapping of a bird. Kikyo's soul stealers had found Onigo. It would only be a matter of time before the miko herself would emerge from the wooded boundaries of the forest into the glade. Now this would be amusing. Onigo was in no condition to walk, let alone attack Kikyo. Then I saw her. An immaculate face, though ridden with sorrow. After fifty years she hadn't changed a bit. Onigo saw his prize and looked back up at me for a second, our eyes meeting. His red eyes shone with lust as he returned his gaze to Kikyo. She stared wistfully up at the tree I was lying in, and I wondered if she could sense my presence. Considering that she didn't shoot at me, I assumed I had been successful in masking my energy.

"Who are you?" she asked Onigo calmly.

Onigo plaintively whined in pain, clutching at his ankles and gently spoke. "I'm...my name is...I don't remember. I think I fell out of that tree." he cried, pointing up at where I was.

My eyes widened. What was he doing?

"Oh. Do you have a family?" she said kindly, her soul stealers swirling about her and Onigo.

Onigo smiled and without Kikyo seeing, once again glared at me. "Yes. I have a father." he said in a menacing tone.

Kikyo saw where his gaze was directed and stared as well. Seeing nothing of interest, she looked back at Onigo. She knelt beside him.

"So where would he be?" she asked.

Onigo pointed a long nail towards the south edge of the forest. "I think over that way."

Kikyo's eyes widened. Just recently a demon had attacked a village in that direction and killed every last person there. She felt responsible for Onigo now.

I remembered the demon assault as well. That boy was pulling her strings as if she were his puppet. This is what he must have meant by "playing" with her. It was right at that moment that Kikyo noticed his ankles. She frowned sympathetically and lightly touched the exposed bone in his right foot. He cringed, faking pain.

"I'm sorry. Here, let me help you." she said generously as her soul stealers swarmed around Onigo, lifting him into the air.

Now I knew what had happened. He'd broken his ankles on purpose to gain her sympathy. That was his weapon. I scowled as the slender dragons brought Onigo to Kaede's cottage. I wondered if the hag would be present. Such a nuisance she was... I was once more feeling irate though I knew not exactly why. Perhaps the thought of Kaede interrupting things. Or perhaps it was the fact that Onigo was the one with Kikyo. No. That wasn't it, I told myself. I hate Kikyo. I'll kill her after this. But even still the idea was forming in my head. Was I feeling...jealousy? This was not supposed to happen! I gritted my teeth and glared at the cottage before me. I told myself I would enjoy this, and I would. I had to. But now that Onigo and Kikyo had chosen to go inside, I would have to move to see them better. I could send a puppet, but it would be so much more...delicious to purvey the scene with my own eyes, with all the different sights, sounds, and scents right beside me. That would be delightful. But I had to take another form. A cumbersome beast like me could prove to be difficult to hide from Kikyo in a barren glade. My scarlet eyes glowed with suppressed power as I, with a sickening sound of crackling flesh and bone, reverted back to my human body. I cringed and shivered as the thin dragon tails wound about my arms before dissolving into my bare skin. It didn't necessarily hurt, but it did feel strange. And it no doubt would have looked disgusting to a passerby. I materialized my familiar white pelt and cast it about my shoulders as a robe, revealing only my chin in the fashion of my former puppets. I gracefully descended to the ground without even needing to bend my knees and hid near Kikyo's window. I felt like a powerless idiot sitting there like I was. But I had to make sure she didn't sense my presence. If Kikyo knew I'd come here...

"Lay here. The herbs should be relieving some of the pain in your legs by now." Kikyo said with a slight smile.

I felt a strange emotion building in my chest but I ignored it as I watched Kikyo look after him. I turned my head for a moment. What was going on?

"Thank you Kikyo." I heard Onigo say to her through the window.

Kikyo nodded to him.

"And Kikyo...you're very beautiful." he said with his old smile again.

Kikyo stopped and her eyes widened. Suddenly she turned around and grabbed her bow and fitted an arrow to it.

"Let me see your back!!!" she beckoned angrily.

I smiled. Now she would know who he was. The incriminating spider scar would give him away. I watched with anticipation as she lifted Onigo's shirt from his body. Then I nearly gasped. It wasn't there. No spider scar marred the flesh of his back. My hands were shaking. I still don't know whether it was in fury or fear. But I know I was most unhappy with this. Had I truly come here to watch Onigo with Kikyo? Or did I really wish for it to stop? At this point, I wasn't too sure of anything anymore.

Kikyo seemed satisfied that there was no scar and she smiled. "I'm sorry, I just thought that...never mind." she said softly, turning from him.

Onigo made his move. Instantly his ankles snapped back into place and he jumped up, hugging Kikyo from behind.

"Thought I was...Naraku? Never would Onigo be so weak to be associated with Naraku." he sneered, ramming into her with immense force.

I felt sick. Onigo's hands were all over her. She couldn't move due to her immense confusion and fear. His tongue traced a line down her neck and I shuddered. Then Kikyo pushed him off and pressed an arrow against into his throat.

"Stop this immediately Onigo or I'll kill you right here." she said forcefully.

Onigo licked his lips and nodded. "Fine. But you know you'll want me to come back to you, my Kikyo." he said with a smirk.

Then, he was gone. Perhaps he was back at the palace. I turned my back to leave when suddenly...

I cried out. An arrow plunged into my back. It didn't really hurt, it was just...unnerving. For there she stood, the core of my hatred, the object of my obsession over years past- Kikyo.

"Kikyo..." I hissed through clenched teeth, not knowing whether to attack or stand still.

She simply stared at me, emotionlessly. That was her reaction to everything, I'd discovered after years of watching her behavior and it was beginning to anger me. I took a few steps back, her putrid arrows dissolving into my skin, no longer a hindrance to my movement.

"I'll see you again, my priestess." I said calmly, flashing a dark smile as I distanced myself from her.

"Leaving just like that?"

I caught my breath.

"First, I'd like to know something." she said, inching closer to me.

Her soul-eaters whirred about my own head now and I barely resisted swatting one in annoyance.

"Was Kaede right? Are you still that frail Onigumo that I cared for all those years ago, only masked in demon power? If that is the case, then you can't kill me. But you see, I'm not the same caring miko as I was back then, and I can surely kill you."

I felt my face redden in frustration.

"Would you? Would you really try? I doubt you could do it. Not because you don't wish to. Only because you lack the strength." I stated, close enough to touch her.

I didn't know why she was letting me get this close to her. I didn't know, but I didn't care. She was here with me.

"Kill me, Naraku." she said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I didn't pull away.

"And why are you asking me this?" I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Because it's interesting to know of something you can't do." she stated.

"Oh? I could. I will Kikyo. I'll kill you right in front of that foul hannyou Inuyasha that you so adore. And then I'll kill him." I threatened, hoping to anger her.

"Inuyasha...do not involve him."

I was somewhat shocked. Kikyo was in love with Inuyasha, but she wasn't acting like it.

"I don't think that I can now. What with all his...interfering in everything I do."

Then I saw it. A small, nearly impossible to see, smile played across her usually somber face. She must not have expected me to notice, but living with Kagura had made me aware of women's facial expressions.

"Tell me Kikyo...do you still love him?" I asked rather suddenly.

I wasn't expecting an answer from her at all...but I definitely wasn't expecting what would happen next.

"I can't have him. But I want to make sure that my reincarnation can't have him either."

"And what would you be willing to do to accomplish this?" I asked, staring down at her.

She turned her head.

I was becoming impatient. "I grow tired of your impudence, priestess. You say that you want Kagome dead and yet you do nothing about it." I stated.

"And neither do you. From what I've seen all you do is pick on those weaker than you and..."

That was it. The last straw. I don't usually get upset over something as trivial as attitude, but Kikyo was different. I stepped in front of her, holding her throat with my left hand and stroking her face with my right. It was a strange situation and she knew I could decide what I wanted either way. I think she knew of my feelings right then. She pushed me away.

"I knew it." she said with a laugh. "You're still in love with me aren't you?"

My answer?

"Love? You know nothing of me if you think that I, Naraku can feel such an emotion."

Yes it was a long answer. But it accomplished exactly what I wanted it to. She looked at me and glared. For now, that was how our relationship would have to stay. Slowly I began to walk backwards, my feet barely making any visible movement beneath my thick pelt. Kikyo's face shone with contempt as usual and I was beginning that was the only emotion she ever felt. Or...at least towards me, that is. I laughed. Or towards Inuyasha. That mutt would never possess my Kikyo. This was my final thought before disappearing into my familiar cloud of black fog.

So sorry there weren't any lemony parts...yet. Also sorry for not updating for awhile, I've got lots of fics going...and I'm hopefully gonna post them all too! And