Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and his crew!
Chapter Six Forewarned
"He's going to switch bodies with InuYasha!" It was the only explanation Kagome could come up with but seeing as her head was spinning and her body was numb her protests to Miroku's arms weren't doing much.
"Why InuYasha? Wouldn't his brother be a better target? Sure InuYasha is rich, but the Duke is the one with the real wealth. He has all that property and those stocks, not to mention that beautiful wife." Miroku was amusing her to distraction so he could lift her without her protests.
"It's his mods." She whispered groaning as his arms locked her against his chest squeezing her battered ribs.
"Hush." Miroku was still seething over that tidbit of information that he was withholding. It wasn't a pretty story and both Kagome and Sango would not be better off knowing.
"If you don't tell me how he got them then I'll go speak to his brother." Kagome kept her voice strong despite the wince covering her face.
"You aren't going to be able to walk for at least a week." Miroku informed her with another glare that at this rate would never leave his face. He shut her up as he tossed her over her horse gently enough not to hurt her further.
She grumbled a response that he didn't hear and then went on to complain at him as he led her horse back to Koga's townhouse. Dr. Steel and Koga awaited them at the front step, both looked weary and uneasy. Koga was the first to realize it was Kagome slumped over the back of her horse. His scowl didn't faze Miroku as he dismounted and quickly went to her lifting her from her horse.
As her face was revealed Koga grumbled. The doctor stepped forward to examine her bloody face under his bespectacled gaze. "Bring her inside quickly."
The doctor ordered a hot basin of water and a slew of rags from the butler as they carried her into the tea room that was never used. She was laid out on a chaise that was a lovely creamy white. By the time the doctor had finished cleaning her though it was a lovely creamy red—except for the places where her clothing turned the chaise a muddy brown.
She grumbled as they moved her but remained otherwise unresponsive. About halfway through Dr. Steel's examination Koga straightened and pulled Miroku from the room. "What is going on here?" He demanded answers not only with his voice but with the tight balled fists at his sides.
"She ran away last night, we think she went to find the Marquis." Miroku tip toed over this scrap of information knowing the reaction he was likely to get.
"What the hell was she doing seeking him out?" It was the resonating growl that halted Miroku and the flash of something inhuman in Koga's eyes that made him squirm in a moment of doubt.
"I know you have an inkling of what's going on here, don't play coy. She was trying to get us out of a lot of trouble with a rather unsavory acquaintance we share." Tip toeing was becoming a sport for Miroku at this point one wrong word and Koga might lose his last bit of sanity.
"I know what it is you do Miroku, I am willing to overlook it. For her, and for her safety I ignore it. I know she'll have it no other way, but why the Marquis?" Koga paused abruptly trying to contain some part of him he was holding in.
"She believed he was in possession of a rare item we need to settle a debt. She went to him so he would give it to her." God only knows what went down after she had tracked down the Marquis, no doubt something hadn't gone according to plan.
"And he did that to her?" His fist let up only for a moment to point in her general direction.
"I don't know. She said something about him being taken. Perhaps something more is to be discovered here." The truth was Miroku was just as lost as Koga was. He didn't know why Kagome had disappeared into the night only to turn up the next morning nearly beaten to death and wildly claiming Naraku wanted InuYasha for his mods. Miroku knew they weren't that important.
"Well then we'll have to speak to her about that." Koga pushed back into the sitting room and stopped the doctor from the needle of morphine he was about to plunge into her vein.
"Are you mad? She's in a vast amount of pain and I have to re-break her ribs to reset them, I'm not doing that while she's conscious." What the doctor wasn't going to do was speak further. Koga hauled him up and booted him out the door firmly shutting out him and Miroku before stuffing a chair up under the knobs to keep them out.
"Kagome wake up." His voice was none too kind as he shook her none too gently.
"Koga you're hurting me, what is it?" She'd never felt his hands touch her harshly but as she slowly glanced into his eyes to seek out his problem. What she found was overwhelming anger.
"Why him? Why did you go to the Marquis? Haven't I always been willing to help you regardless of what it is you do?" His eyes searched hers as she blinked trying to come up with a good lie. She knew it was too late for lies however and Koga was going to be pulled into this one way or another.
"Naraku wanted him." She confessed holding his eyes so he'd know she was telling the truth. "I was the only one who could get him to go with Hojo."
"Hojo?" Koga stood up gingerly turning away with a thoughtful expression on his face. When he turned back he was composed. Nothing showed in his dark eyes and for a second Kagome worried more about that then the pain engulfing her body.
"Koga? What is it? Are you all right?" Trying to sit up she kept her eyes on him wanting him to talk to her for the first time and really wanting his voice to tell her he was fine.
"I have to go, I have business that needs taken care of. I'll have the doctor put you out now so he can fix you up." He was stiff in his retreat and he ignored Kagome's pleading questions that followed him from the room. Koga nodded to Dr. Steel and Miroku dismissing himself from further explanation. It was where he was planning on going that would create a problem were anyone to find out his destination.
Seething over Kagome's evident passion for another man Koga ignored his man servant and pulled on a long coat. He tied back his hair then pulled the hood up around his face to conceal his identity. He was out the door in another minute and mounting his horse without the saddle in the next.
There was nothing to stop his rage until he'd busted through the door of Naraku's underground workshop. The dark oily man sat where he usually did behind a cherry desk. His fingers drummed flippantly over the desk his attention trained on a small round orb on his desk. "Where is he?" Koga's knuckles cracked as he jammed them into the wood creating a wave of movement on the desk.
Composed Naraku gently trapped the orb under an upturned glass then looked up leaving his hand protectively over the glass. "Hojo? I suppose he's around cleaning something or perhaps attending to my current prisoners. I have two now, you know?"
"Yes I know. Have Hojo bring him to me." Koga backed off the desk needing a moment to pace.
"What do you want with the boy?" It seemed that Koga's request had gained Naraku's attention.
"Not Souta, InuYasha. Stop messing around and give me InuYasha." His anger rose up again as Naraku scoffed and held back a bubble of laughter.
"What makes you think I have InuYasha? I suppose I could arrange to have him retrieved from his home, but that may take a few hours." Naraku's cocky response earned him a growl.
"He's here already. Hojo must be working another angle behind your back. He has InuYasha here." This bit of information caused Naraku to rise up from his seat. He snatched the iridescent orb and turned towards the back of the room. Hojo arrived minutes after Naraku hit the small black button that sent off strobes and sirens.
"What is it? Is something the matter?" With each movement closer to his master Hojo seemed to shake. By the time he stood before Naraku his whole body radiated fear, worry, and guilt.
"InuYasha, I don't care where you have him, bring him to me." Naraku remained calm as he dealt with his minion. Koga, however, was still seething and still unable to regain his control.
Another five minutes of his pacing and Hojo reluctantly returned with a tied up InuYasha who was also outraged. "So, you are the mastermind behind all of this? What is it you want from me? Or are you just afraid of the competition?"
"I want him dead. Now." Koga pounded on Naraku's desk infuriated with the smirk sustained on InuYasha's face.
"Perhaps I can offer you one better. And in return you can do me a favor?" Naraku stood from his chair rolling the small orb between his fingers.
"What would you like now Naraku?" Koga gave him the time to reply interested in his offer only slightly. He knew however Naraku wouldn't kill InuYasha without a bargain that would grant him something he wanted.
"I can give you what you want. I can give you Kagome. I can promise she'll be in love with only you and she'll stay with you forever." It was an offer Naraku knew he wouldn't refuse.
"How will you manage that?" A lifted eyebrow was his only sign or resignation, he knew further entangling himself with Naraku would lead nowhere he wanted to be.
"I can put you inside of his body. I admit it isn't exactly the perfect ending, but she will stay with you no matter what. She is in love with a face not a man. Clearly she hasn't had time enough to get to know him so it is merely the face that will create the bond you want so bad." Naraku left off his end of the deal knowing Koga would need to be fully convinced that it was the only option.
"And you will want in return?" His disbelief showed on his face.
"Yours. You won't need it anymore, and in my body I am not allowed out in the general public without someone calling for the constable. Don't you agree?" The small orb rolled through his fingers and then he tightened his grip over the precious jewel.
"Deal, but only if you keep my record clean, you hear me? If you want to do your dirty dealing you do it in your own body." Koga reached out a hand to seal their deal noticing that InuYasha only remained silent while they spoke. It was hard to tell what was going on in his mind or what he was thinking of that was keeping him silent.
"To the machine then, I call it the Altera. It is a good name, don't you think?" Naraku was looking for a compliment but Koga wasn't willing to oblige him. "Did you want to rough him up a bit before we do this? Alleviate some of that rage?"
"Let's just get this over with." He muttered, "I have a girl to check on and a masquerade to prepare for."
"You won't need a mask Koga, you'll need a personality." InuYasha informed him breaking his silence. His eyes were calculating the movements around him searching for an escape.
"Oh, you don't think I can be you for a few nights? Hah! All I have to do is keep my nose higher than everyone else's and no one will suspect a thing." Koga smirked now taking his seat as Naraku directed him to it. Closing his eyes he anticipated opening them in a new body. Being InuYasha really would fix a majority of his problems, perhaps instead though he would only give Kagome a reason to hate him before returning to his own body and winning her over. Naraku could take InuYasha's body for all he cared. Besides, he had other reasons to keep his own body, reasons Naraku wouldn't need to find out about.
At the last minute as Koga was plotting his revenge and success while Naraku readied the machine InuYasha moved into action. He hadn't expected the outburst a few seconds late as InuYasha burst into action sending the room in an uproar in his attempt at escape.
What woke Kagome was not the insurmountable pain racking her body but the concerned voices above her. Time was irrelevant as she pushed herself to move and ignore the pain. Her gasp and a possible crack from somewhere in her body drew the attention of the whispered voices.
"Kagome stay down, how is the pain? Do you need more morphine?" It was Miroku who first spoke to her, his voice was deep with worry—and all of that worry was not for only her aching body.
"What's going on?" She lifted her head deciding the crack had come from a joint in her hip.
Miroku remained unyielding both on the answer and on letting her rise. "Do you want me to go retrieve the doctor? He will pump you up with enough sedatives to knock you out for a full week, now do you want that?"
Kagome judged his seriousness, her ability to race from the room were the need to arise and the doctor's possible supply of sedatives. "That's alright, I think lying down is fine for a few minutes longer, what is it you are worried about?"
"I'm worried about you, and your obvious disregard for your own health. You aren't taking your injuries seriously, and I'm tired of seeing the doctor more often than the milk man." Miroku rushed his explanation but there was something excluded in his words.
"Perhaps you and Sango should go out for some tea so you can relax." Kagome paused searching for the source of the other voice in the room. "Where is she?"
"Not here, please go back to sleep. Or I'll send in the doctor." Miroku rose from his crouch and turned from her leaving her less than satisfied with his lie.
There were a few minutes of time following his departure in which she flexed her limbs and tested her mental stability. Then she was up, almost too fast, her stomach informed her. Retaking her seat she groaned as her ribs stretched in protest. She kept quiet not wanting to alert the authority right out the door to her status off of her overstuffed throne.
Out the door to her right, through the green tea room and up the servant's stair to her room, that was her master plan in escaping the watchful eyes of Miroku and Koga, and it worked too. She looked herself over in the gilded mirror in her changing room. The bruising wasn't as bad as she expected her ribs were patched up nicely and bandaged tightly to prevent further movement. She checked her leg over but it was feeling a lot better, she hadn't had any problems getting up the stairs alone. It was obvious that the pain killers were still floating around in her blood system she felt exhilarated and on top of that she finally knew what her plan was.
Ringing her bell that brought the maid to attend to her she informed the girl that she needed Brunie to bring up her ball gown and also told her to return with hot water for her bath. Just looking out her window showed how late in the day it was. She hadn't eaten anything for hours but still her stomach was the furthest thing from her mind. She knew Naraku was going to show up at the masquerade tonight and he was going to be dressed up in InuYasha's body.
A shiver slipped over her shoulders and down her neck settling around her like an itchy wool robe. Brunie was quick to get her bathed and dressed and all the while Kagome never heard a word of her bantering since she was preoccupied counting the ways she'd be able to tell that InuYasha was in fact Naraku. Brunie left her for a moment to inform Miroku, Koga and Sango that she was ready and then returned with her cape and mask to finish her wardrobe. She took a look at herself in the mirror struck with her appearance. Her hair was almost bed ragged but in a stylish fashion and pinned up so that it amassed on the crown of her head.
"I look like a fairy, from the stories." The golden dust below her eyes made them glow—and conveniently hid the black eye—and the purple, green, and gold in her dress were exotic. The black frilled mask perched on her nose covered only the tee above her eyebrows like a bejeweled fairy crown.
"Perhaps a fairy princess, but I was going more for show girl." Brunie's wicked grin as she pointed to the shortness of the skirt and the way her legs would be showing if it weren't for the knee high laced boots gained a small giggle from Kagome.
"For sure, still trying to make those silly boys drop dead?" Kagome gave her a conspiratorial smirk. "What does Sango look like?"
"I'm not sure, she never called me up to help her dress." Brunie shrugged knowing, like Kagome did, that Sango preferred to do her own dressing.
Kagome descended the stairs alone and found only Miroku waiting for her at the bottom. The foyer was vacant even the butler was gone. "Are they in the carriage already?"
"Kagome, there's something I haven't told you." Miroku paused to take her arm and lead her out to the carriage where he handed her in and joined her. "Sango found the jewel, this morning, while we were looking for you."
"That's wonderful, so there's no way Naraku can turn into InuYasha." Kagome quelled her worries and that itchy robe of disgust was washed away.
"No, it's not wonderful. Something happened, she must have taken the jewel to him alone to get your brother. She's missing, Kagome, I can't find her anywhere, and neither can Shippo, he's still out looking. Naraku has the jewel and your brother, and now I'm sure he has Sango." Miroku watched her carefully judging her reaction.
"So, he has Souta, Sango, InuYasha and the jewel?" Her words were slow and deliberate as she thought about how this would affect her plan. "We wait." She paused again. "We go after her." Her head shook sending her hair flying about her face. "We have to wait, this was part of his plan—well maybe not the keeping Sango part. But all along he was going to switch bodies with InuYasha."
"What if he switches with your brother? Or Sango? How do you know he'll change into InuYasha?" Miroku wasn't seeing the whole picture with clarity like Kagome seemed to be at the moment.
"The mods, Miroku for the last time, tell me. What are his mods? How did he get them?" Kagome shook him, her strong arms giving his head a good jog.
"Fine, but you aren't going to like it." Pulling her hands from his shoulders Miroku took a small item from the inner pocket of his jester costume. In his palm was the small vial with the shrapnel from her leg.
"This isn't metal, it's bone, like the bones in your mouth, the ones you call teeth." Kagome took the offered vial examining the shiny non-metal shards.
"He shot me with teeth?" It was the most peculiar thing she'd ever heard of, and Miroku was good at stating the unheard of.
"Not just any teeth, his father's teeth." Miroku took the vial back popping the cap and carefully removing a shard.
"Wait, why is he shooting teeth? This doesn't make any sense, and what does this have to do with his mods?" She took the shard from him feeling now its ivory smoothness.
"It has everything to do with his mods, Kagome. The bang you heard that you thought was a gun was in fact a far greater weapon. The guy killed his own father to forge a sword out of his fangs." Miroku saw her moment of disbelief. "Yes I said fangs, they aren't really mods Kagome, they are who he is. He's a demon, he's not human. You can't trust him."
"Miroku, I don't think…" She had to stop because of the exasperated groan floating out of his throat.
"You never take anything seriously do you? You're so stubborn, just listen to me for once, okay?" Miroku held back his anger and collected his thoughts.
"I'm listening, it's just… I don't know. I feel like I should trust him." Kagome dropped her head and noticed that the carriage had come to a stop. "So we're going with my waiting plan? I guarantee InuYasha is going to show up and inside his body will be Naraku."
"I hope you're right." Miroku exited the carriage, helped her out and then disappeared from sight. Left alone with her worries Kagome floated through the grand ballroom thankful for her mask so that she wouldn't have to stop and chat with each group that noticed and recognized her. Instead she wandered past the dancers and out to the balcony to take in the cool, late evening air.
The moon was nearly up when someone recognized her profile from the back and joined her on the balcony. "I believe my wife has taken a strong liking to you."
"Oh." Kagome jumped a little as the Duke rested his hands on the railing beside her.
"And if I'm not mistaken you've had a similar effect on my half brother." The Duke glanced at her with icy eyes that didn't reveal a single thought.
"I wouldn't know. Have you seen InuYasha today?" Kagome realized her mistake two seconds too late.
"So you two are on a first name basis?" She didn't grace him with a response so he continued. "No, he seems to have forgotten about the ball, Rin is quite crestfallen."
"Perhaps I could cheer the duchess up." Kagome didn't stay in his presence any longer for a reply. Instead she turned and left him standing there with the intention of finding Lady Rin. Instead there was a commotion that Kagome followed and at the source of it was a panicked InuYasha.
He was sweating and gasping; choking on the air he was sucking in. "InuYasha?" She faltered in her resolve sure this was the real InuYasha. No way would Naraku show up looking like this or acting like he'd been attacked. Kagome saw right away that he was still wearing the same clothes as he had been the night before and he was still pretty beat up from the night before, perhaps a bit more. She went to him ignoring the reactions from the surrounding crowd. She lifted his arm over her head and helped him to the staircase she'd seen on her way in.
In the quiet of an empty drawing room Kagome pulled InuYasha down onto a couch. "What happened? How did you get away?" Despite her questions Kagome was guarded as she awaited his reply.
"Naraku, he tried to take my body with that machine. He has Sango, and your brother. Hojo wanted me to kill him but it was all I could do to get out myself." He coughed and sputtered doubling over to catch his breath. "Hojo helped me get out, but there's something else."
"InuYasha what is it?" Kagome was starting to believe him and she needed him to keep making her believe.
"He has Koga playing for his team too." InuYasha's head dropped as Kagome's eyes popped open.
"He what? How?" How had she lost track of Koga? Sure he had been upset with her but he wasn't stupid, why would he go after Naraku alone? "Wait. What do you mean? You have to be wrong. Koga wouldn't team up with Naraku. Are you sure he wasn't there to try and save you?"
"Kagome I'm sure. He wants you and he'll do anything to get you." InuYasha reached for her but she backed away a step.
"This can't be right, you're lying to me. I've got to go after them, bring them back." She turned to leave her brain screaming that this wasn't the real InuYasha.
"Not by yourself you aren't." InuYasha took her arm stopping her.
"I'll go find Miroku." And the Duke, she still didn't trust him completely. But how would he know about Koga? Kagome worked to recalculate what she remembered. The last time she saw him was before her first morphine dose. She'd had so much recently that she couldn't remember what had happened when.
She left InuYasha alone convincing him he needed to relax for a minute and remember exactly where Naraku's hide out was. She found Miroku first and he just about lost it when she told him exactly who she had sitting in an upstairs tea room. "Just calm down, I'm going to talk to the Duke, he should be able to tell if it's the real InuYasha. I mean really, why would Naraku tell me that he had Koga?"
"That does seem a bit foolish. But maybe he's trying to win you over. This doesn't feel right Kagome." Miroku eyed the staircase behind them as he scratched the back of his head.
"That's why the Duke is going to confirm it's really him. No one knows him better right?" She nodded her head trying to get Miroku to copy her and go along with her plan. He followed her lead but was slow.
"I'll go keep an eye on him, you go find the Duke." Miroku moved to the stairs and came to a sudden stop. "Is that Koga?"
"Where?" Kagome caught sight of his pony tail and moved after him. "Go get InuYasha, he's not to be trusted."
Kagome pushed through the excited crowd wondering why they seemed to grow in numbers now that she was desperate to get through. She noticed the band taking its place and wondered if it was the anticipation of dancing that set the crowd on fire. Koga was nowhere in sight and as Kagome took to the shadows on the opposite side of the room she searched for Koga. Her eyes flicked over the faces in the crowd like a dragonfly skimming over the water.
"Don't turn around please. Don't look at me. Just hear me out for a minute, please." Naraku's voice in her ear startled her but his voice was panicked and kind, two things she'd never heard from him before.
She nodded her reply pressing herself further into the drapes that concealed him.
"I know who this voice belongs to and I know who that makes me to you but you have to believe me when I say I am InuYasha." The truth was she absolutely did believe him, it was all making sense now. Miroku was right thinking that Naraku was playing her for a fool.
"I know you are, Naraku switched bodies with you he's with Miroku upstairs. He claimed he's you but he doesn't know that I know about the machine." She wanted to turn around to look at him, but she knew seeing Naraku's face wouldn't help in putting her at ease.
"Kagome, it's not Naraku that's with Miroku." His hand landed above her elbow, but he didn't try to turn her towards him.
"Who is it then?" She frowned not liking where this was going, she pulled a knife from her belt and turned on him pressing the metal of the blade to his throat.
"No, wait. I'm InuYasha, I swear. Please, this isn't going to be easy for you to accept." His eyes were wide and his hands lifted in surrender as he tried to talk her down.
"Who is with Miroku? Tell me now." Anger was a bit of an understatement to what she was feeling at the moment. She was annoyed with the games and everything else, she wanted her brother and she wanted out.
"It's Koga, he's behind it all." Again the words stalled her brain, it just couldn't be true.
"No." she objected, faltering. "Why? I don't understand, I've known him for years. He wouldn't do this to me. Why would he do this to me?"
"Listen, it's my fault Kagome. I stole you from him and he flipped the switch. Maybe he doesn't know about your brother, but he knows enough to know about the switching. I need to tell you about how I got my mods. It was something I did to Koga, it was my payment for what I did for Lady Rin. Wait, Kagome. Come back!" She would hear no more of his lies, Kagome already knew about his mods and where they came from and she wouldn't listen to his made up story. That clearly was no InuYasha.
"Kagome there you are." Halfway through the dancing mob she was pulled into the arms of Koga who became her dance partner.
She scowled up at him and shook her head trying to escape his hands that held her to him. "You aren't Koga."
"How did you know?" With a tilt of his head he searched her eyes.
"Koga is in InuYasha's body which makes you Naraku." Sure she knew that was the case, but as she said the words she didn't believe them.
"No Kagome, wait. I'm InuYasha." He told her as she struggled against him.
"I don't believe you." Her fury was unleashed but there was a bit of doubt edging in, she no longer knew what to be true.
"Why not? You obviously know about us switching bodies." He took her arms stopping their movements and their dancing.
"I just spoke with InuYasha." She muttered, at this rate she was sure everyone would step before her proclaiming themselves as InuYasha.
"Well it was a lie." He held her eyes and for a moment Kagome felt like believing him. "Kagome, listen to me. Whatever he told you isn't true. Koga wants my body to make you hate me. Naraku didn't get to make the second switch. The machine didn't hold up, he's here, he's after Miroku. You have to believe me."
"I can't. I won't." But a part of her knew something was wrong and Miroku was in danger. "I have to go find Miroku, get out of my way."
She escaped his hold for no longer than a few minutes when as she rounded the doorway exiting the ball room she ran into Hojo. "Let me guess you're InuYasha too?"
"Sure, if being him means you won't punch me." His snide remark didn't please her at all.
"So you are InuYasha?" She raised a brow waiting for his answer.
"Uh, yeah I am." The words no sooner left his mouth when her fist found his jaw. "Hey, what was that for? Don't you like me?"
"Not if you're InuYasha." She grumbled pushing past him.
"Fine I'm not." He muttered moving into her path.
"Good, now move." She shoved him away from her going for the stairs.
"Wait Kagome, I need to tell you something." He called behind her, she didn't know why, but she stopped.
"So I've heard. Is InuYasha in Koga's body or Naraku's?" Her cheeks felt flushed from her agitation and Hojo was two seconds from being her relief.
"Neither. The machine doesn't work, Naraku is pissed. He and Koga are trying to distract you." He shrugged nonplussed.
"And let me guess you're in on that too? Aren't you?" She didn't wait for an answer as she raced up the stairs she had to find Miroku and InuYasha. And where was Shippo?
"InuYasha? Miroku?" She checked the tea room but it was empty. "Shippo?" All the doors to the right led to empty bedrooms. "Please be here, you have to be here." All the doors to the left led to empty sitting rooms. Kagome was alone and once again Naraku held all the cards. Her mind raced with plans for revenge but who was she kidding? She didn't have Miroku and his gadjets, Sango and her backup, Shippo and his ninja skills, or InuYasha and his helping hands. Who did she have? No one, and that's when she realized she didn't have an inkling of hope.
"I need your help." She had found help in the only person left to ask, the Duke of Inglewood. This couldn't wait till tomorrow she'd assured him as they sat alone in the library of his ever growing estate.
"Ah, so you're the one causing all the trouble." His amber eyes, the one shaded exactly as InuYasha's were, weren't as welcoming nor as playful.
"I beg your pardon?" Fisting her hands in her lap Kagome resisted the urge to cross the room and land a hard blow across his cheek.
"Nevermind, what is it you want from me?" He brushed an imaginary speck of dirt from his lapel as he looked away from her, irritating her further.
"I need your help." She repeated. It was very hard keeping her tone light and devoid of anger.
"You've said as much, but unlike my wife and brother I'm not one to be leached off of. Tell me straight girl, what do you want?" Disgust was on his face now and she saw at last what he really thought of her—to him she was the imaginary speck of dirt.
"Your brother has been kidnapped by a man known as the Baboon, Naraku. As well as my friends and family, I no longer know how to do this on my own; I need some assistance getting them out of there." She confessed doing so with an actual bit of pleading in her voice.
"So Naraku has been using you as a pawn, and as you thought you were about to get out of his shadow he pulled you back in. I've seen it happen before." His words impressed her, she did not think him a man who would know people affiliated with Naraku. Maybe this was a good idea after all, no matter how insufferable he might be.
"There's one other thing. Koga is in on this scheme, he wants your brother dead because of me." The guilt from this bit of information had been building ever since she learned of Koga's betrayal.
"I see, this man has proven to be an irritation in the past." She had to smile at those words because another piece of the puzzle had been solved with his words. Koga and Lady Rin truly had been betrothed before Sesshomaru had married her. Kagome wished she knew more about that juicy bit of information.
"Look if you won't help me then I'll take care of him alone, just like InuYasha had to the last time." Her suspicions were confirmed with the flicker of annoyance that passed over his face.
"His actions are his own, I asked him for nothing, you hear? As you've now struck a nerve I'll help you, but you owe me something in return." Here was his bottom line she knew. She had his help for sure all she had to do was find out what he wanted from her.
"I will repay you as you see fit when everyone is out safe." She made sure her stipulation was included she couldn't have him rushing in for InuYasha only.
He nodded a small smirk hovering at the edge of his lips. "You will repay me with a promise that you make now. I will take only that as payment."
"I accept." Watching him closely she gauged him wondering what it was she would be promising.
"You will leave, as soon as they are all freed and Naraku is dealt with, you will disappear. I don't want you around my family when it is so obvious how dangerous you are." It was an acceptable bargain she decided with a tight nod. She would not think about her feelings for InuYasha or how they might get in the way of her future or her brothers.
"I will respect your wishes. I'll take my brother and leave quietly, but I cannot promise the others will go. They like it here, they may want to stay." It was true she'd seen the way Miroku and Sango had blossomed here, had even noticed the closeness between them. This was where they were happy and they should be allowed to stay.
"I'm sure they will follow, and Kagome, this stays between us." His hand reached out to her for a shake to seal the bargain.
"I thought you might say so." She took the offering and one solid shake committed her to his deal.
"You were willing to be a crim for your family, I am willing to protect mine from you." He told her matter-of-factly, how he knew about her crim status was peculiar, unless of course, InuYasha had said something.
"Very well, would you like to hear my plan?" She was ready to get some feedback and hit the road they were running out of time.
"It's not necessary, I have my own methods. They don't involve half-assed plans." Sesshomaru clearly didn't believe in failure, his self-confidence was very annoying, however.
"This is going to be good." She muttered as he disappeared behind a hidden wall opened by a switch hidden in a statues head.
He gave her the signal to follow and she gasped taking in the room behind the wall. "Take all that you can carry, we're going to play their game."
She started selecting weapons from the walls finding places on her gown to hide them. "Are you sure it's a good idea to go in armed? I was planning to—"
He cut her off with a pointed stare. "Your planning is pointless, we have what they really want."
"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow in interest.
He pulled a jewel from a shoe box that Kagome never would have thought important. "The Shinkon No Tama, and you of course."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She frowned ignoring her excitement over the jewel that he held out for her inspection.
"Naraku wants this and Koga wants you." He shrugged.
"Are you saying you want me to seduce him?" Kagome didn't like the idea but as they headed out of the hidden room and back to the library she knew she wasn't getting a choice.
"You'll do it, if not for me then for your brother." He assured her, and he was right. She would do anything to get Souta out of that place and away from Naraku.
"Fine, but how am I going to know what to say if you won't tell me what your plan is?" She asked following him from the house and to his stables.
"No plan, just act like a traitor, you can manage that right?" He smirked for real this time his teeth showing for the first time. "Try pretending Koga is InuYasha." He suggested.
"That not as easy as you make it sound." She whispered harshly following his lead and saddling a mare.
"Just keep the goal in mind. Don't lose sight of what you'll walk away with if it's a successful night." They mounted up as soon as the horses were saddled and bridled. It wasn't a long gallop to where Naraku's lair was, and for a moment Kagome wondered just how Sesshomaru knew where to go.
They stood outside the only entrance to the rubble of an old building. "Before this goes any further I just want you to know how much I don't like you."
"Less than the enemy I hope." He was getting more bold with his sharp tongue and Kagome was growing tired of his sarcasm, it was much worse than InuYasha's, in fact, she was certain he was the one who had taught InuYasha all of his bad habits.
"A fraction." She admitted, because after all, he was going out of his way to help her. She was certain he could get InuYasha out by himself.
"Glad to hear it, now go put on a good show." He pushed her through the door not giving her any words of advice or helpful hints.
End Chapter
And altering the ending and finishing soon!