5. Falling

Yori stumbling into camp, still breathing hard from her run from the village. She looked around. Rin, Ah-Un, and Jaken were huddled around a burning fire. Night had set in but Yori didn't see Sesshomaru. A soft wind tickled the back of her neck and she shivered. What was that feeling in the air? And what was up with the group? Rin had fear plastered on her face, an expression that had obviously set in and had not yet left. Jaken seemed almost giddy but it was very apparent that he was trying to choose between that and perhaps worry. Ah-Un was sleeping.
"I'm so sorry—" she stooped in mid sentence when she sensed a presence behind her. Terror struck her bones and she held tight to her supplies. But she knew she had to turn around.
Sesshomaru was standing behind her, and when she turned he just stared at her. She couldn't read his expression but she could tell he was mad. No, mad was an understatement, he was furious. He took a step closer and she took a step back, her supplies falling from her arms. He stopped his advancement on her, but for a moment. And in a flash, he'd brought his hand across her face in a powerful slap. Pain shot throughout Yori's face and caused her head to throb as she fell to her knees.
Sesshomaru crouched down to her level and when she realized this, she backed up with her hands. He came in closer; placing his hands on the ground on either side of her waist and placing his face an inch away from hers. She sat frozen, terrified.
"Where were you?" he asked slowly, demanding. She began to stutter.
"I, I was in the village. I went with Rin to collect supplies as you said. But— I saw smoke over the village and I told Rin to come back to camp—"
"And why would you tell her something like that? She could have gotten into trouble on her own." He spoke so menacingly that Yori had to fight the urge to cry. He leaned in close enough to where she could feel his breath touch her face.
"I just, I just thought it would be safer for her. There, there was a demon attacking and I, I stayed to help the villagers fight it. I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru; I shouldn't have left her alone. But, but, I got the supplies like you asked— I'm sorry." The last part she whispered as she failed to sustain her tears. She closed her eyes tight and two of them fell down her cheeks as she braced herself for the possibility of another hit. Instead, she felt his weight lifting off of her as he stood up. He turned his back to her and spoke in an emotionless tone.
"Get off the ground and clean your face. When you have done so, I want to speak with you in the forest." Yori got on her knees, bowed, and responded "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." Then he was gone.
Yori stood up and wiped her face. She looked to Rin who was shaking and had her hands covering her eyes. She could tell Rin was crying. She really is a sweet child. Yori took a deep breath and then sighed. Fear still resided in her body; she still trembled as it consumed her. Sesshomaru had made some sort of decision but about what was a mystery to Yori. But she gathered all of the courage she could and retraced Sesshomaru's footsteps into the woods.
She knew as she walked that there was a very high possibility that she was about to die. She'd never seen Sesshomaru so angry, especially at her. In fact he had never expressed anger towards her, only mild dislike and the fact that she annoyed him for whatever reason. Yori started to twiddle with her fingers. I did right, didn't I? I mean, if I had taken Rin along, she could have gotten seriously hurt. But if I had walked back to camp with her, he wouldn't've let me come. Maybe I should just follow directions. Oh, it doesn't matter. Lord Sesshomaru will probably kill me as soon as I get there. If I had just—
Her foot snagged a raised root, and stumbling forward, she lost her balance. She'd already braced herself for the feel of the forest floor, so she was immensely surprised when she felt herself being steadied by strong arms. She blushed and looked up. Sesshomaru was staring down at her intently. She gasped and backed off of him, tripping once more and this time landing on her butt. She winced in pain before looking up again. Sesshomaru was staring at her. She averted her gaze and stood up. There was an awkward silence hanging in the air, an uneasy tension that wouldn't dissipate. Yori gazed at her feet but felt the need to look up as the breeze tangled itself in her hair. She noticed as Sesshomaru turned his back to her.
"What are they?" he asked. The question not only confused Yori, but it took her aback. He asked her a question? Okay, weird.
"What are what?"
"The water on your face. When you finished speaking, water fell from your eyes. What are they?" Yori was surprised.
"Tears, my Lord?" He didn't respond. "When water falls from your eyes, it is called tears. And the action of letting those tears fall is called crying."
"Yes. And when do you cry?"
"Well, you cry when an emotion is strong enough to overpower your heart. That is to say, it's stronger than all of your other emotions." There was a long pause. Then Sesshomaru turned around and faced Yori. The wind blew hard and swept his hair to the side. The moon sat behind him and its glow illuminate one side of his face and kept the other shaded. His silver hair gleamed in the soft white and his eyes almost sparkled and Yori's heartbeat sped up considerably. The gold seemed to be trapped in his eyes; it seemed to melt into pools of light. The soft white mixed with the golden brown and created a harmony so powerful that Yori was almost blown off her feet. He stepped closer to her.
"And what were you feeling when you cried?" Her answer was simple.
"Fear."
"Why?" He took another step closer.
"I thought you would kill me." He stopped moving when there was an inch of space between the two. She didn't look at him and she flinched a little when his hands made contact with her skin as he brushed strands of hair behind her ear. She blushed.
"And what are you feeling now?" he asked.
"Fear."
"Why?" She looked up at him and tried to analyze her feelings. What did she feel? How did she feel about Sesshomaru? He was attractive, protective when he wanted to be, strong, and by the way he'd moved her hair, gentle also. But he'd also hit her. And her mother taught her that if a man ever hits you, leave them. Maybe she was a fool for it, but she wasn't listening to her mother.
"Because—" She was cut off by a scream. A little girl's scream. Rin's scream. Sesshomaru rushed towards the sound but before he could get far, the wind picked up. Yori knew that these were not natural winds; she could feel it deep within her. She turned her head to see a woman on a giant— Wait, what was that? A feather? Oh. My. God.
Before Yori could run, the woman jumped off the feather and landed behind Yori, restraining her arms and holding a fan to her neck. Under normal circumstances, Yori would have struggled. But she could see the blades hidden within the fan. Or more so, she could feel them.
"Kagura," Sesshomaru said, lacing hate throughout his voice.
"Ah Sesshomaru, we meet again. And every time I see you, you seem to have another companion. I would think you know better than anyone that mortals only cause trouble." She smiled. Sesshomaru didn't respond.
Just then, Rin let out another piercing scream.
"It looks like you've got a choice to make; this one," Kagura pressed the blade harder to Yori's throat, drawing warm blood. It slid down Yori's neck and soaked the edge of her shirt. She bit her lip. "Or the little girl?" Rin screamed again. Seconds seemed to stretch into hours as Sesshomaru stood silently. Rin screams pierced the night and Yori's blood slid down her neck and she tasted it in her mouth as she continued to bite her lip to stop from crying out. Still, Sesshomaru stood.
"Which will it be Sesshomaru, I'm waiting." He narrowed his eyes at Kagura and then… he turned and ran in the other direction towards Rin.
Kagura smiled. She pulled Yori onto the giant feather and the thing lifted into the air. "If you want her back, follow the Saimyoushou." Kagura called. And then she turned to Yori. "And you, it's time for you to sleep." And as if a spell was cast, Yori's eyes became heavy and within moments, she fell unconscious.

Where am I? The question rang about her head as she slowly opened her eyes. She was in a dimly lit room. There was a small fire burning near the door and a mat on the floor for sleeping. The walls were painted black and there was a door made out of thin paper, and behind it, she could see the shadow outline of a person. She looked to her left, and there was Kagura. She seemed to be asleep, her head rested on the wall of the small room and her fan hanging limply in her hand.
"You must be wondering where you are right now." Yori rubbed her eyes. This was not happening. The shadow beyond the door rose.
"Do you mind telling me where?" she said a little snappily.
"You might want to rid yourself of that attitude. You are only here as a hostage and nothing more. I have no problem with killing you." She gasped. This man's voice was cold, menacing. It sent ice sickles down her spine and turned her fingers numb. "You are here to lure Lord Sesshomaru. He is a great demon and his sword, the Tokijin, will be of use to me. I will absorb its demonic strength and add it to my own and it will become a part of my new body." He chuckled. "Well, this information does you no good either way." He was turning to leave when Yori stood up.
"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. See, the thing you don't understand is the Lord Sesshomaru will come for me. I know he will, though he rescued Rin first." Sadness had crept into Yori's words, changing her smug tone to a bitter one. She was shocked at herself. It was wrong for her to feel bitter towards Rin. She was a child, her safety came first.
"Why do you speak so coldly? Why do you feel resentment towards the child? Is it because Sesshomaru went for her first, instead of you who was right there in front of him? So what could you really mean to him if he turned his back on you?" Yori was silent. He had chose Rin over her, but that didn't matter. He would come for her, just like Rin said. He wouldn't abandon her… right?
"Now here's the thing you don't understand. I've heard a lot about you. Demons have been talking non stop about another girl from the other side of the well. You have to ability to fire a sacred arrow, just like Kikyo and her reincarnation. That also means you can sense the sacred jewel shards." He chuckled again, speeding up Yori's heartbeat. The door slowly opened and a man stepped in. He had long, wavy black hair held in a high ponytail. His bangs were separated, and stands touched his face. The rest fell to his waist, the very bottom of his bare torso. He wore white material around his waist; it looked somewhat like a suit, like he could pull it up and hide the rest of his body. His eyes were a natural red surrounding small black pupils and they were filled with smug triumph. He smiled, a grin that painted his face with malevolence and Yori took an involuntary step backwards. He back hit the wall and she began to tremble. There was just something about this man that made her want to run and hide. His very presence was the essence of evil; the feeling sunk into her pores and made her skin feel filthy. He stepped towards her and she saw in his hand a knife. And when he was close enough, he touched the knife to her cheek
"Rather or not Sesshomaru decides to come, I can still use you. You will remain with me and find the sacred jewel shards. And after I have found them all, you will die." He brought the knife down slowly, drawing blood from her cheek. Yori's mind was racing. What? He captured me just to get to Lord Sesshomaru? And a new body, what is he talking about? And why does he want strength? Why does he want the jewel shards? What reason could he possibly have for— Her breath caught in her throat.
"Naraku?"
"You're a smart girl. It's too bad that won't help you." And then he disappeared, the door sliding shut behind him, the knife off her face, and her blood still trickling to the ground. Her knees buckled and she slid down the wall, hanging her head. Naraku was right; Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't come for her. He doesn't care about humans, all except Rin. He won't come for me; I know because of the way he looked when Kagura offered him the choice. Tears begun to slid down her cheeks. I should never have gone into the forest with him. That was my perfect opportunity to leave and I blew it. Now I'm going to die, alone, screaming for Lord Sesshomaru to help me. Though I know he never will.
"What're you crying for?" Yori looked up and stared at Kagura who still seemed to be asleep. She'd almost forgotten she was there. Her lips moved slightly as she spoke. "I asked you a question."
"And of course I'm supposed to answer." Kagura tightened her grip on her fan warningly. Yori wasn't afraid of her, but she decided to talk to her anyway. Maybe having a conversation with another woman might help. "It's nothing."
"It's gotta be something or else you wouldn't be crying." Good point.
"Well, it's just what Naraku said. Lord Sesshomaru won't come for me. He only really cares about Rin." Kagura sighed.
"Naraku has tried this before, though the first time he failed. We abducted the little girl but Kohaku let her go free. She never seemed to lose faith in Sesshomaru." Yori looked down again.
"She can't loose faith in him. Rin is a child and Lord Sesshomaru is all she has."
"And you? Who do you have?" Yori looked up again. Now Kagura was standing besides her, looking down at her like a stern mother.
"I don't know." Kagura hit Yori's head with her fan.
"Ow!" she rubbed the abused spot on her head.
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
"What do you—" Kagura hit her again and then sighed. She sat down next to Yori and looked at the door as she spoke.
"I watched you two before I captured you. I saw the way he spoke to you, looked at you, the way he brushed your hair behind your ear. He was so gentle, so slow and he spoke so softly. He wanted to be close to you, I could tell. And I saw the way you were with him. You seemed to be enraptured by him, so entranced by everything about him. You do have him, more than you know." She sighed and then looked at Yori. "You're lucky." Yori blinked.
"How so?"
"Like I said, you have him. He notices you and he might even trust you." Yori's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me, you love Naraku?" Kagura laughed, a sharp sound that cut through the darkness.
"No, I don't love him. Naraku created me, it doesn't seem right to. But I do have some feelings for him… He doesn't trust me, because I wish to be free. I took you instead of the child because I knew Sesshomaru would go to her first. And I knew that he would come for you, and when he does, he'll kill Naraku." She looked back to the door.
"And how do you feel about that?" Yori asked, her tears completely gone now. Kagura was very interesting, and Yori couldn't figure out if she loved Naraku or not.
"I'm not entirely sure. Naraku holds my heart in his hands, literally. He could kill me at any moment… I want to stay with Naraku for certain reasons, but I want my liberty. I've noticed that you're like me kid. We move with the wind, we have to be free." Yori thought about that. What did it mean? What did Yori have to be free from? Nothing was holding her down, right? Yori leaned her head on Kagura's shoulder and she felt her tense, and then relax. But in the next moment, Kagura stood up, gripped her fan and then grabbed Yori by the shoulder. Kagura pulled her to the door.
"What are you doing?" Yori was confused. But Kagura didn't answer her.
"Let me apologize in advance for anything that might happen. I like you kid, but I gotta do my job." And she shoved her out of the room and into an open hallway. Yori heard the apology, but she saw the look in Kagura's eyes, just like Naraku's, as she opened her fan and raised it.
"Run." She waved her fan and white lights seemed to cut hurling at Yori. She knew better than to think they wouldn't hurt her, they were blades and they would rip her apart. She turned on her heel and dodged the blades as she ran. Yori rounded a corner and avoided a gust of wind. She had no clue where she was going, she just ran. Kagura's laughter filled the air behind her just as Yori saw huge doors.
"Dance of Winds!" Yori turned and saw a huge wave of wind coming towards her. It pushed her through the closed doors and into a courtyard. She landed hard on her stomach and wheezed for Kagura had knocked the wind out of her. She tried to get up, supporting herself on her forearms. She looked up. There, in the center of the courtyard and looking like something straight out of hell, was Naraku. And standing in front of him was Sesshomaru.
"He, he came for me?" she said to herself, as her heart swelled in her chest. A smile almost made its way to her face, but then she jumped up when she remembered Kagura was right behind her. But it was too late; one of the blades just got her. Pain exploded in her side as the blade dug into her flesh, leaving a deep wound and Yori barely standing, holding the bleeding wound, breathing hard. She could tell Sesshomaru could smell her blood and he glanced at her, but only for a moment. But that moment was enough for her.
"Ah Lord Sesshomaru, how nice of you to visit." Naraku was saying.
"This is no visit. I came for the girl. Give her to me or I will give in the urge to kill you." He said drawing his sword.
"We all want something, don't me. The girl will stay and find sacred jewel shards for me. I want that sword, and you will give it to me." Naraku turned towards a shack off in the corner and beckoned something forward with two fingers. The small shack rattled, noises unimaginable coming from its wooden walls. And then, the doors burst open. Demons of all shapes and sizes cam rushing out and headed straight for Sesshomaru. He turned his attention from Naraku and focused on the demons. That was not good, Yori could see Naraku's face and she could feel his intentions. She had to do something, but what? A rock would not be enough this time.
"Yori!" What— who is that? Who's calling me? "Yori, take this!" Yori looked up and the bow and arrows Kaede had given her were falling to the earth. Little Rin was on Ah-Un and flying by with a worried look on her face. "Help Lord Sesshomaru!" She nodded and caught her things. But, she winced in immense pain from the wound in her side. But that didn't matter now; she could see Naraku coming up behind Sesshomaru. With blood stained hands, she aimed her arrow. There was no definite mark and she did the best she could as her vision began to spot. She was loosing too much blood.
She released the arrow.
It soared toward Naraku and hit him in the center of his body. And slowly but surely, his body began to dissolve. She aimed another arrow, but this time at the castle. Find Kagura's heart. If you're a sacred arrow, you can purify it right? Find it and free her. She spoke the directions in her head and released the second arrow. It zoomed around the castle followed by the blue light and disappeared. She fell to her knees and looked at Naraku. His body was gone but his neck and head were still intact. And with a look a pure hatred, hr vanished into the night.
With her last ounce of strength, Yori looked to the now fading demons and her Lord. His face was momentarily overtaken by surprise. Had she really just saved him?