For anyone still around for this, bless you and your patient souls. Somehow, the story continues on...
And if I knew someone other than my best friend was still hanging on every word, it might stimulate my muse just a little bit more. If only could find myself a rich sponsor. Then I could write and watch anime all day long. Sigh, the good life...
Even for this current hideout, to Kagura it seemed almost too quiet on this particular night. Like everyone else, she was well aware of the preparations being made both internally and externally after Kanota's return with Kagome, but for all the activity that was happening, the silence gave no hint of everyone's rush to have things ready before Inuyasha's inevitable arrival, and with him the last piece of the Shikon.
For all her disdain of the master, she couldn't help but admire the timing and patience involved in Naraku's plan, although from what she heard, the hanyou had already cut things dangerously close by figuring things out when he did. Any sooner and it would have caused a major rift in everything, and as it was, the others were scrambling to finish the last few details needed to bring things to completion. It was for this reason that Kagura suddenly found herself with this patch of unexpected free time. It had originally been her job to alert the others when Inuyasha and his friends had figured out that Kagome had been taken, but since he had been there to witness it firsthand, her assignment had quickly been accomplished. There was no point in spying on them further. By now Kikiyo was likely leading them straight to Naraku, thus delivering the final missing piece and allowing the end game to begin.
But despite everything seemingly going according to plan, something was bothering her, a warning deep in her gut that there was some obscure detail that Naraku had failed to calculate. After all, nothing ever seemed to go according to plan when dealing with Inuyasha and his cohorts.
And then there was Naraku's newest incarnation, who despite his own completed mission, seemed unwilling to leave his captive's side, a fact that she was fairly certain was not because he thought she had a chance of escape. From her first encounter, something about Kanota had made her uneasy, that beyond his apparent devotion to his creator, he was almost too good to be true.
Not that it really mattered. Once Inuyasha arrived with the jewel, Naraku had made it clear that he planned on finishing things himself, not trusting anyone else to lay the final blow and claim the Shikon no Tama after finally regaining its full power.
She wondered as she often had during these final days what would happen once Naraku had finally accomplished his goal. Would he still find use for his incarnations once he obtained supreme power, or would he carry through with what he had implied when he created her, that one day she would receive her heart, and with it her freedom? But the answer sat heavy, a knowledge she in truth knew from the beginning, that once Naraku did obtain supreme power, no one, human or demon, would be free from his rule. Dwelling on this suddenly reminded her of Kikiyo's words the day she had released her from captivity, only days ago, it instead seemed almost like an eternity.
Naraku had no qualms about getting rid of disposable life.
He had also gone to great lengths to protect her.
Did she really have a small grasp of influence over Naraku? Could she really influence how this final scenereo played out? As she pondered, she found herself wandering by the overlook ledge above the chamber where Kagome currently lay still against the demon bone slab that held her captive. Amazingly, even in a state of unconsciousness, the expression played out across her entire body, from her clenched fists and tightly pressed lips to the rigid, unrelaxed posturing of her muscles was evidence of her own incessant struggle for freedom. But as fascinating as the Shikon's priestess was, Kagura's attention was drawn to her fellow incarnation as Kanota too watched the girl's fight to regain control. Watching, she noticed, with the same protective apprehension that she so often saw on Inuyasha's face when it came to matters regarding Kagome.
Maybe, she thought with a smile, she wasn't the only one who might potentially throw an influential wrench into Naraku's so carefully crafted plans.
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Sango wasn't sure quite what she was doing there. Hell, she wasn't sure what she was doing at all anymore. All she knew for sure was that life didn't let you keep things simple. Whenever you thought you had things figured out, it was when you became complacent in life, that anyone who truly was paying attention should realize that it was coming, although you could never be quite sure what it was going to be. Thinking back, if she had only paid attention, she could have been more prepared for where she was now, and not so damn unsure of her entire existence. She had been so content in the demon slayer's village, working her way up in standing with each mission she completed with her father, reinforcing her own training by teaching her brother. She was royalty in simplicity, preparing for the day that it would be forced upon her to lead, and she would dutifully step up to the task with the confidence that she had earned her position not just because she was her father's daughter, but because she really was the right person to take his place.
And then Naraku had taken everything away from her in his ploy to try to use her for his own purposes.
So when she finally found her track again, revenge became her sole focus, and what better way to try to accomplish that mission than to join up with people with the same frame of mind as herself? And along came a rag-tag group of misfits that were so bizzarly ridiculous that together they just might be able to pull off their common goal. So without any family or friends or other feasible option to turn to, she had joined them, and slowly began to become convinced that they really might be able to pull off the impossible against the one who had wronged them all.
And then suddenly Kohaku had reappeared, ironically linked by the most brittle of threads to the one they all wanted to destroy. Suddenly she had to make a choice: carry out the vengeance of the whole of her village, as honor would have her do, or give it all up for the gamble that she might be able to save her brother somehow. A brother that didn't even know who she was or the sacrifices she was making to try to save him, a fact she was sure Naraku probably found damn amusing every time he dwelled on it.
So she pushed on, hoping that good would somehow push through and illuminate the way. After all, it kept bringing Kikiyo back to Inuyasha, and Inuyasha back to Kagome. And somehow it had thrown the monk right at her full force, allowing him to weasel his way right into the deepest regions of her heart so that now he and the rest of them had become family, and with Miroku, maybe even something more.
Yes, life had a way of not allowing any of their little family to remain complacent in anything.
So in times like these, she made herself step back to her roots, to where it all began for her, and the reason she had started on this journey to begin with. And even though she had an extremely important task to perform, she couldn't seem to tear herself away from her father's gravesite.
It was getting chillier as the night went on, and the breeze starting to bite through her thin shawl, reminding her that time was growing shorter, and with it the time they had to save Kagome. Admittedly, even if she or Miroku couldn't accomplish their tasks they might still have a chance to save their friend, but success would give them one more inch of an advantage out of the chasm of burden that Naraku had methodically buried them in. But more importantly, it gave her one more opportunity to try and save her brother before she lost him forever one more time. Certainly a long shot, but one she would continue to chance time and time again, no matter how many failures she had to stomach.
She hadn't intended on staying here long, simply stopping to remind herself what she was sacrificing all of this for. Yet almost as soon as she got to the old village site, something kept her frozen there, but not quite totally against her will. Kilala too, she noticed, seemed quietly settled, instinctually waiting for whatever was keeping Sango from carrying on with her duties as if she too knew that this was exactly where they both needed to be right at that moment. And at that moment, as she stared at the gravestones that marked the place where her old family had been laid to rest, the very ones that her new family had helped to erect, for the first time she recognized the feeling suddenly spreading like electricity throughout her body.
Right then and there, she was absolutely certain that it was about to happen again. And then she heard it.
"Aneue…"
She hadn't even needed him to speak, she could simply feel his presence in the air in the way that only siblings could know each other, and it was taking all of her energy not to break down in tears. "Kohaku," she breathed, unable to even turn around. She heard Kilala's chirp as she shrunk down to her relaxed smaller state and jumped into the arms of the young man. It was this that finally gave Sango the strength to look at her brother, because if Kilala was comfortable with his presence, that could only mean…
"Is it possible…that you really…remember me?"
By now the kitten was happily nestled in Kohaku's arms, nuzzling her head under his hand in an attempt to get him to scratch her head some more. He nodded. "I remember everything. I have for a while now."
She wasn't sure if she should be elated or horrified, but for the moment just having her brother back was enough. "Oh Kohaku," she murmured, closing the gap between them and embracing him tightly for as long as the squished kitten between them would allow. "How? How are you here? I was going to look for you, but… And you know us…and Kilala… Can you really…can you really remember everything?"
He nodded into her shoulder, knowing that any more than that would probably set her off again. "I don't have time to explain everything, but if we don't hurry there'll be no chance at all."
"No chance for what? What are you talking about?"
"No chance to save me."
Instantly Sango could feel her legs go slightly limp and struggled to keep standing. Not only was her brother standing in front of her, memories intact and free of Naraku's control, at least momentarily, but also presenting her with a solution as to how to get him back permanently. Without a moment's remorse, Kagome's priority was immediately downgraded. "Tell me what we need to do."
Kohaku nodded, signaling Kirara to change form and allow the two of them to climb aboard before quickly taking off into the night sky. "Naraku's final plan to get all the shards together is almost complete. He already had Hakudoushi capture Koga and his shards, and probably by now Inuyasha has heard about Kagome's capture and is likely delivering his jewel shard straight to him, meaning it's only a matter of time before he'll take back the shard from me as well. Without it, my soul will no longer be able to adhere to this body, and because of the nature of my death and the fact that I have been prevented from passing on for so long, likely my soul will be forced to wander this world." He paused, glancing around until finally fixing his gaze on a tiny spot in the distance, nudging Sango towards the poisonous insect slowly gaining on them in the distance. "I think Naraku is starting to get more suspicious of my movements," he muttered softly.
Quickly Sango drew out her weapon, and with swiftly calculated aim eliminated the pest in a single stroke. "If he wasn't before, he certainly will be now," she proclaimed. "But you said there might be a way to save you."
Kohaku nodded. "No matter what happens in this final battle, the jewel will ultimately end up whole again, meaning Naraku will be calling for this piece of the jewel soon. With this shard already tainted, there's nothing I can do when he does, but maybe if we can find him, there might be a chance."
Sango found herself once again almost at a loss for words. The last memories of her brother before his capture he had been so timid and unwilling to assume authority, then after his possession he had been little more than a puppet. And now here he was, behaving so grown up, speaking with such authority. Yet another part of her soul darkened, festering with hatred towards the enemy that had forced this change in him, not because she disliked what she was seeing, but because it was another part of her brother's maturing that she had been robbed of experiencing with him.
"Kohaku, just who is it that we need to find?"
"Sesshomaru." His answer was curt and simple, swirling a response of curiosity and disappointment in Sango. There was no way Inuyasha's brother would be inclined in the least to help them, but Kohaku seemed so sure of himself.
"You really think asking THAT self-righteous jerk is going to get you anywhere?" she couldn't help but spit out. "He probably won't even give us the time of day, much less do us a favor."
Kohaku smiled, although not without showing his own uncertainty. "Probably. Knowing my ties with Naraku and your ties with Inuyasha, he probably won't be very likely to want to help us. But his Tenseigua is the only way to restore my soul to my body and dislodge the shard without killing me."
And there it was, the answer so obvious, and yet she'd never considered Sheshomaru's sword as an option for saving her brother. But none of their dealings with Sheshomaru in the past had ever been particularly cooperative, even when they had corresponding goals, and there was no question of Sheshomaru's feelings towards Naraku and anyone associated with him. So what on earth did Kohaku think he could do to even get the demon to acknowledge him, much less keep him from simply killing him on the spot?
"You really think Sesshomaru will be willing to do you a favor and use his Tensaigua?" she asked, unable to cover the doubt clearly shining through her tone.
"No, not really. That's why I want to talk to Rin first."
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When Kagome awoke again this time, two strong realizations seemed to be drilling into her mind. Foremost was the presence of the Shikon, the strength of its presence pressing on her with a power like she never realized before, but also it was if she could hear it's thoughts in small quipped jumbles, as if the souls of the very demons it was forged from so long ago were reacting to the situation as well. It was electric, sharp and quick, excitable and anticipative, sensing that soon it would be whole once more as each remaining piece drew closer and closer to the mass bulk that Naraku stood holding in his hand as he sat watching her with a small sneering smile. Deep down though, she could also sense that the jewel seemed sick, seething off a poisonous energy as a reflection of its current master, and filling her with a sense of foreboding. The second was her new location, a place she had only been once, but recognized instantly. Fitting that the place that Naraku had brought her to restore the jewel was the very place that it had been formed by Midoriko so long ago. She could feel the sharp angles of the demons' bodies against her back, frozen in time, their energy now swirling in the form of the nearly whole Shikon. He stood from his spot, crossing to where she hung suspended, his gaze fluctuating between her and the jewel.
"Without question the jewel reacts strongly to your presence," he crooned, holding it between them. "I wonder just how Kikiyo feels, knowing that she's been replaced, and by her bitter rival no less."
She refused to answer, even though by now she knew he was right. Her own very instinct around the Shikon confirmed that what he was saying was true. "Since you seem to know that as well, what makes you think that I'll help you?"
"Because, my dear, it's your duty as the Priestess of the Shikon. Instinctually you must know that it can't remain shattered forever." He paced slowly in front of her, fully aware of his effect on her psyche. "Besides, I'd say you owe it to me. You've caused me far more trouble than Kikiyo ever did when the jewel was under her care."
She tried to keep her expression indifferent, to not give him the satisfaction of seeing his words effect on her, but it had never been one of her strengths. "Me? A burden on Naraku? What have I ever done but let Inuyasha and the others protect me?" She looked up again at Naraku's amused expression and hardened her own. "I may not have been aware of what I am in the past, but nothing's changed. It's still my duty to fight with everything I have to keep the Shikon away from you."
This brought a deep laugh from somewhere deep within her enemy. "And just what do you intend to do, priestess? You're incomplete. The jewel's power has been tainted, making it inaccessible by you, and even more, I captured you before your newly awakened powers had a chance to call you a guardian." He turned and crossed the gap between them, taking her chin in his hands and forcing their eyes to lock. His face was so close to hers that his eyes took up her entire field of view, dark and sinister and watching her deeply. "You're clinging to the final hope that the dog demon will save you," he revealed only to her. "I suppose I could let you in on things. He's on his way right now, delivering the final jewel shard to me along with the Shikon's former priestess. But I wouldn't go getting too excited just yet. His priestess's power is all but gone, as I'm sure he's aware of by now. If he truly is foolish enough to challenge me, I'll gladly take the opportunity to tear his limbs from his body as he begs for mercy."
Her stomach turned at his words, and Kagome closed her eyes to try to distance herself by whatever means from Naraku's hateful glee, a gesture that the enemy took as defeat as he finally backed away in satisfaction. However Naraku knew about all of this before she was even completely aware of it herself was troubling, but like most things involving her still incomplete knowledge of the Feudal Era, not terribly surprising to her. But inside her heart she clung to one last secret hope, her last hidden defense plan. Naraku had been right on most accounts. As a priestess, she was incomplete, that as the Priestess of the Shikon she should be stronger than she was now. It was also true that the bulk of the Shikon had been tainted, making its power unavailable to her unless she could purify it again. But what Naraku didn't know was that she had called a guardian, long ago before her dormant powers had even started to surface, before she even had any idea what she was even doing, back when the Shikon had first emerged from her body.
She hadn't understood it at the time, much less known that it would be permanent, or how the contract forged between them at that one particular moment in time would grow and change and emerge to what it had become in this search for the jewel shards. All he had been at the time was a last chance hope for survival against a demon that was about to tear her to pieces. For all she knew, he could have turned on her too, betraying her in exchange for the thing that had just appeared from inside her, but at the time there had been a strong feeling that had urged her to trust him, relying on him completely for her survival, even though she had no idea at the time who he even was. Based on what she knew of their history, Kagome wondered if it had been that way for Kikiyo as well, a fleeting decision in a brief moment of crisis, unaware of what would come because of it. But Naraku had brought up the one critical detail, that Inuyasha's original master, one who had been dead at the time she had called on him, had been resurrected. What if their bond superseded hers? His priority always had been her, and the details of this whole priestess thing were still so new to her…
Her thoughts were interrupted as a new presence entered the room, further dampening the aura of evil that filled it. Naraku turned towards his young incarnation, splattered with dirt and blood, but obviously satisfied with his efforts. "The wolf demon has been dealt with," Hakudoushi smirked, holding out two more quickly graying jewel shards. "He put up a decent struggle, but I don't think he'll be much of a hindrance to us anymore."
"No, Koga!" Kagome couldn't restrain her choked cry, which only served to add to Naraku's elevating satisfaction. He returned his attention to his captive, sliding the two shards into place where they instantly absorbed the dark nature of the rest of the jewel. "You see, priestess, everything that is happening right now is all according to my plan and completely under my control," he said, his breath hot against her ear. "So really, your cooperation could determine just how much suffering your friends will have to go through before they die as well."
"No!" It was too much, and her whole body responded with her misery. Instantly Kanota was at her side, though she hadn't noticed his presence beyond Naraku's. His face was soft but with a forced blankness as he wiped away one of her tears, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Naraku, who didn't seem particularly shocked by this act, but his good mood seemed to darken at his incarnation's audaciousness. He backed away, but his attention was now completely on Kanota, who answered his stare.
"It would be in the best interest of your well being for you to remember your place," he said darkly. "Or have you forgotten where you came from."
But Kanota's resolve didn't falter, at least outwardly, as he remained next to the sobbing Kagome who had long since become lost in her own despair, and eventually Naraku turned away and focused again on Hakudoushi who watched the scene with an annoyed sense of boredom. "Make sure that we're prepared for the final shard's arrival," he ordered on his way out of the room. "And find Kohaku. We'll be needing him very soon as well."
With a nod, the younger incarnation was gone as well, leaving the two alone again as Kanota continued to try to calm the escalating hysterics of Kagome who could not seem to regain control having absorbed all this new information all at once. No matter what his attempts, she seemed oblivious to his presence completely, her emotions growing as dark and tremulous as the jewel itself. Finally, as a last resort, he gave in and once again sedated her, smoothing her hair as the sweet scent clouded her thoughts and the drowsiness began to overtake her.
"I would protect you, if you would let me," he told her gently as she finally began to relax and eventually drifted into calm unconsciousness.
He waited until he was sure she was fully asleep, then stepped away and for the first time headed out towards the exit and away from her for the first time since he had brought her here. The last shard would soon be arriving, and he had to prepare. Still, he couldn't help but glance back at her one last time before leaving, to be sure that her suffering was eased at least for the time being. But even in her sleep, a delicate stream of tears continued to fall silently, and even above her the stone face of the jewel's first priestess seemed to glisten in reflection of her child's grief.
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