Shoutout to thebadsun, your review made me smile :) and about your question, you're just going to have to wait and see like everyone else ;)
Chapter 32 - Dawn
The darkness of night was lifting slowly but surely. It would be dawn soon and his body would be ready. A smirk played on Naraku's lips. Normally it would take much longer for him to create a suitable body, but he had been preparing this one for a while. He had anticipated that the miko would get stronger; therefore he had created a 'back-up'. All he had to do was to put it on.
He spied Kanna gazing at him intently from the corner and his smirk widened. "Look at my new body Kanna. This one will be indestructible."
"Nothing is indestructible Naraku-sama," Kanna replied quietly.
Naraku's eye twitched. Kanna didn't seem to grasp the idea of boasting. He didn't blame her though. He had created her without emotion, thus making her better than all his other reincarnates. She could think clearly sans emotions to cloud her thoughts, act without a conscious to stop her, she could hide demonic aura… she was the epitome of perfection in Naraku's eyes. Her mind weighed consequences and circumstances quickly. She evaluated everything before acting or speaking, she did not make mistakes and fear could not deter her.
However, she irked him. Things she said were not always pleasing and the way her glassy orbs stared at him made it appear as if she knew everything; made it appear as if she could see the future and foretell what was going to happen. She seemed to look right through him and focus on his weaknesses; weaknesses that she, herself, did not possess.
"Nonsense Kanna my dear, you will see."
The girl nodded expressionlessly. If she had anything to say; any retort; she was holding back. In her eyes, it was the tactical thing to do. It would do no good to anger Naraku now.
Out of the corner of his eye, Naraku spied the girl's fingers tracing the edge of her mirror delicately. Her eyes flickered down and stayed glued to the mirror. 'She's not a vain one… she must be watching the battle.' "Kanna, I will leave it to you to decide when to bring the second wave. Attack when you see fit," he said needlessly. He'd already given her this order and he was sure that she remembered.
Kanna looked up and blinked at the hanyou. Nodding once, she went back to staring at her mirror.
Trusting her judgement, Naraku turned his attention back to his body. His smirk returned, 'It will be ready soon… very soon.'
Sesshomaru could hear the sounds of war very clearly and it pained him to not be there fighting with his soldiers. He needn't worry though; Naraku's absence deemed the demons no actual threat to him or the Western Manor. For the time being, he could stay here with her.
Wrinkling his nose against the acrid stench of blood, sweat, and fear coming from the battle, he looked down at the human snoozing against his chest. Bending his head slightly downward, he breathed in her intoxicating scent; sakura blossoms. 'I suppose I should wake her… it will be morning soon.' Sesshomaru gently nudged the girl awake. "Get up," he murmured. "You have slept long."
Kagome heard his gentle prods and slowly opened her eyes. Blearily, she eyed him. "How long was I out for?"
Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, "An odd way of putting it… but it is morning."
Kagome's eyes widened, "I've been sleeping the whole night? What about everyone else? Are they okay?"
"They are still fighting."
A horrified expression painted itself onto Kagome's face, "And you have been with me all night?"
"I could not simply leave you sleeping here unguarded," he stated simply.
"You could've left me inside," Kagome pointed out.
"You would've become angry," his eyes glittered with amusement.
"…" Kagome did not know how to respond. He was right of course. "Alright you win, but I think we've dawdled long enough. Let's go." Kagome fought to suppress a yawn.
Sesshomaru's arms tightened around her when she tried to get up. "You are like a pup. One idea crosses your mind and you will not stop until you get it. Perhaps you should take your time and truly wake up. You are not yet alert enough to fight."
Kagome huffed, "I am not like a pup. Once I start walking, I will be perfectly awake."
Sesshomaru gazed at the girl silently. His golden eyes bore into hers. A blush crept onto her cheeks and he decided that he liked it.
Kagome could sense his reluctance. As comfortable as she was, as much as she didn't want the moment to end, she knew that it must. Her cheeks grew rosier as her fingers reached up to Sesshomaru's cheek. "They're all counting on you. We must go." Feeling his grip on her loosen, Kagome smiled softly and got up.
The demon lord stood and took a step forward when Kagome's cry stopped him in his path. He whipped around to see the girl clutching her head and gritting her teeth in agony. It was another of those headaches, "Kagome!"
A maniacal laugh reverberated through the clearing.
"I'm back."
Inu Yasha burst through the trees triumphantly. A cry of victory died on his lips when he saw the thick barrier of demons standing between him and his brother's castle.
"We should try to get to the castle. Fighting alongside Sesshomaru-sama would be wise," Hao instructed.
Inu Yasha nodded, "Sango, you take Kayo with you and fly over this madness. We will fight our way through to the other side."
Nodding, Sango urged Kirara higher up so that she could glide overhead.
The four remaining charged into the writhing mass, drawing their weapons and preparing to fight.
"I sense Jin's presence," Yue called to her brother.
Hao merely nodded, "As do I. We must find her. Father always said that we fight better together. One's weaknesses are the strengths of the others."
Yue nodded her eyes analyzing the crowd of demons. There didn't seem to be any organization or tactic to the attack; the demons were blindly rushing the castle.
Eying the battlefield, Hao noted, "This may take a while."
Kiara froze.
"What is it?" Kiome asked with a hint of worry.
"I just saw a flash of silver."
"Was it Sesshomaru-sama? What is he doing so far out?"
"No… it wasn't him."
"Then who?" Kiome demanded.
"I don't know. But he's coming back this way."
The girls watched as several demons before them were sliced through cleanly.
A young man clad in bright red robes appeared before them. He had silvery hair and bright golden eyes. He noticed the redheads staring at him with mystified expressions on their faces. "What?"
Noticing his ears and his scent, Kiome said, "You are a hanyou."
Inu Yasha scoffed, "Yea, what of it?"
"Your hair… your eyes… you must be Sesshomaru-sama's infamous half-brother… Inu Yasha."
"And you are?" he retorted.
"We work for Sesshomaru-sama," Kiome answered.
Inu Yasha's attention strayed to the girl next to her. 'Sisters,' he assumed; they looked very similar. She was teetering on her feet. "Your sister doesn't look too good."
Kiome instantly turned to her sister and grabbed her wrist, "Kiara!" Looking back at Inu Yasha, her face took on a pleading quality. "I apologize for the inconvenience Inu Yasha-sama… but I request your help. My sister needs help and I can't take her back myself—"
Inu Yasha wasn't even listening to her anymore. He stepped past her and grabbing ahold of the younger girl's chin, forcing her to look directly into his eyes, "Listen to me, I'm going to carry you to the castle. I'm going to carry you on my back; I need you to stay awake a little longer. You need to hold on while I fight through these damned demons. Do you understand?"
Kiara nodded light-headedly. She felt herself being lifted and the familiar sensation of being piggy-backed registered in her mind. She fastened her arms around her carrier's neck and nestled her face in his hair. He smelled nice, she thought absently.
Kiome repeated numerous thanks and followed the hanyou, helping to clear his path as she went. Behind him trailed a monk.
Grinning, Miroku introduced himself. Turning to introduce the two demons with him, he stopped when he realized they weren't there, "Hmm… they must've gone on ahead. But anyways tell me about yourself. What's a beautiful woman such as yourself doing in the midst of this?"
Chuckling, Kiome explained, "My name is Kiome. This is my sister, Kiara," she gestured to the girl upon Inu Yasha's back. "We work at the castle for Sesshomaru-sama."
"Ahh, then you must know of Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked striking down a demon.
"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama brought her in. Why?"
Inu Yasha sent a glare in Miroku's direction, warning him to say no more.
Miroku smiled sheepishly at the girl.
"She's a wonderful person."
Sango was staring down at the struggle below trying to spot a silver head of hair. She was close to the castle now and below her was Sesshomaru's army. Kagome was sure to be somewhere near Sesshomaru. A whimper escaped Kayo and Sango twisted in her seat to see the girl's hands fisting in her hair. Her eyes were clamped shut. 'Another headache… I better land somewhere safe and wait it out.'
Sango guided Kirara around the edge of the castle and into the dark forest behind it. Spotting a small clearing to land, Sango instructed Kirara to descend.
Sango surveyed the surroundings upon landing and Kayo's body flopped to the floor behind her. Sango didn't even notice the thud Kayo's body made as it impacted the ground; instead, she was focused on the scene in front of her. Her eyes grew round with shock and disbelief.
"Kagome!"
A/N) Woot.
Naraku is healed and back earlier than SessKag expect, Inuyasha has FINALLY arrived at his half-brother's castle and Sango has found Kagome but what is it that makes her stop dead in her tracks?
Review please! :)