Mission Not Impossible
"Doesn't that just make you ashamed to be a guy?" Mika said with a snicker as they started forward, the slayer party separating like the Dead Sea for Moses. Easy as pie and twice as sweet, Mika thought to herself. Men were just too easy.
"They're human males. Stupidity is to be expected, Mika. Besides, if it had been you doing the talking they'd have attempted to remove that big head of yours from your shoulders after the first sentence." Ren said with a dark look as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He certainly wouldn't have fallen for such an obvious ploy.
"I could have had them eating out of my hand as easily as Aunt Mina did if I wanted to." Mika said with an equally dark look, sticking her tongue out at him for good measure. "Just because I prefer to bash heads in rather then soothe them doesn't mean I don't know how. I can wrap a guy around my finger easy. Demon OR human."
"Ha. You couldn't even get a human male to blush unless it was with your crude language and unladylike behavior." Ren sneered, pleased when her eyes fired up dangerously. Direct hit all right.
"Is that so, huh? Well then I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong, now won't I?" Mika said with a decisive nod of her head, determination and plain stubbornness coming into her eyes. She had a goal now and she was going to succeed if it killed people.
)
"Oh boy. I get the feeling this is not going to be pretty." Dare said with a shake of his head, past similar situations coming to mind with painful clarity. "Just don't get any of them trying to follow us okay, kid? Getting rid of them would be an unnecessary pain in the ass."
"You think one of them would try?" Ren said, his tone full of surprise and disbelief.
"Hell yes. Because you're so nasty to her you've never seen just how cute and cuddly she can be when she wants. All Daddy's little girls are." Dare said with a chuckle, not surprised in the least that Ren couldn't wrap the idea of Mika being attractive in that way around his head. After all she was always so busy pounding the hell out of the wolf. "They grow up with their fathers wrapped around their little fingers, Ren and as a result they know instinctively how to do the same to every other male they meet. They're scarier then Aunt Mina's main type because with a Daddy's girl they only pull out the stops when they really mean it. In other words they store up all their allure and feminine wiles until they unleash it all on one person. It's never a pretty sight to see what Daddy's girls do to grown men."
"Ain't it the truth." Aiden said with a shake of his head, his face pained. "There is nothing scarier then the women in our family when it comes to getting their own way about something. Especially the Daddy's girls. I think that's why Aunt Mina is so lethal...she's a femme fatale AND a Daddy's girl."
"Oh stop, you're going to make me blush." Mina called out with a delighted look on her face. My but the men in her life were just full of compliments today. "Let er rip, Mika."
"With pleasure." Mika said with a grin and before Ren's amazed eyes she changed. Instead of her usual fast pace strides she was now moving in a graceful glide, her hips swaying slightly as if to a silent beat. She suddenly seemed smaller and she'd bowed her head slightly as if in submission. Her hand went into the pocket of her pants and Ren watched her finger something for a moment before "accidentally" dropping it at the feet of one of the slayers.
)
"Opps, my bracelet." Mika said in a softer, sweeter tone then usual, looking around as if to find it. Turning to face the slayer who'd picked it up for her with the biggest, cutest puppy dog eyes the world had ever seen she packed quite the punch of a different kind. All golden and shiny her eyes seemed to brim over with a sweetness and innocence that belonged in the eyes of a saintly nun rather then a demon hell raiser. "Thank you so much for picking it up for me. I would have been so upset if I'd lost it."
"It was my honor, milady." The young man said, blushing as he struggled to look her in the eyes. She was so beautiful and delicate, so out of place among these demons she traveled with, he thought as he placed the bracelet in her fair hands.
"You are too kind, good slayer. I wish you well in future hunts. It would be a great loss if we were not to meet again." Mika said as shyly as she could manage, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. Got ya hook line and sinker, sucker.
"We need to hurry, Mika. It will soon be too dark to travel." Dare said, biting the inside of his lip so he wouldn't burst out laughing. The poor idiot was looking at Mika like he'd just discovered the greatest thing since the wheel. Boy was he ever off.
"Our village is close by, you could rest nearby for safety. It would be our honor to oversee your protection." The slayer blurted out, having no authority to even offer such a thing. All he could think about was this frail creature out in the wilderness with only a few men to protect her from harm. Such a delicate flower shouldn't be put through the strain of such an undertaking.
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"Oh I think I'm gonna be sick." Ren growled, glaring at Mika and the stupid human. What the hell was wrong with the idiot anyway? How could he not see that he was going all ga ga over a rabid hellcat with the personality of a cat demon in water? Mika wasn't someone to blush over, she was someone you ran away from as fast as you possibly could. And what was she thinking going all sweet and pretty like that? Why would she want to impress some stupid human anyway? They were nothing but wastes of air. This slayer especially. "Mika, quit yapping and lets get moving. We haven't got all day ya know."
"How dare you speak to this sweet maiden in such a tone." The slayer said as he drew out his sword. "You will apologize to her this instant or I'll cut you down where you stand, demon."
"Please, no violence." Mika said as she placed a hand on the slayer's shoulder, her eyes going all teary and upset like she found the idea of violence appalling. "Thank you for your service and kind offer but I must be going now. Do not mind him, he's a simple minded creature engaged to help my family on a mission of great importance. Pay him no mind, good sir."
"Don't try and kill her." Dare warned under his breath with a restraining hand on Ren's shoulder, the muscles under his hand straining for movement. "Not now."
"Goody bye then." Mika said with a slight bow and continued on her way, Ren fuming and everyone else amused by the fact that Ren was fuming. When they were a safe distance away Mika grinned and called out in a smug, sing song tone. "I told you so."
)
Meanwhile
During the next few days Sesshoumaru couldn't shake the dream of his mother's death and would find himself thinking about it all the time. No matter what he tried he kept getting flashes, like someone was taunting him with the past in order to drive him insane. As a result Sango, Rin and Sora stuck to him like glue. He wasn't stupid, he was well aware of what they were doing but he needed the interruptions too much to care. They watched him like hawks and if he so much as looked strained or annoyed they'd start trying to engage him in conversation or in Sora's case siccing Kyou on his uncle. Kyou had always thought he had an unlimited amount of jokes and funny stories to tell but he was starting to have to scrap the bottom of the barrel in his uncle's case. Sango stuck to talking to him about demons, their various travels and his opinions on anything she could think of while Rin was more the hugging and chattering endlessly type, the trio working themselves ragged trying to help. Not that he'd ever express so much as a mumbled thanks.
"He can't decide whether to lash out or be quietly grateful." Miroku commented as he watched Rin chatter away, Sesshoumaru ignoring the girl while Sango added a comment or two every time the girl stopped for air. "Jakken, what plagues him so?" Miroku added, looking over at the toad questioningly. "I don't mean to press on old wounds, I just wonder if there is anything we can do?"
)
"Other then kill Inu yasha there isn't much else." Jakken said wearily, too tired and worn to care what he should or shouldn't say anymore. "If only Master Sesshoumaru hadn't hesitated that day, then none of this would have happened. He'd have married some suitable demoness and had full blooded demon children and he'd have never met that stupid girl or that slayer."
"Hesitated to do what?" Kyou asked, curiosity piqued. What had his uncle hesitated to do in the past that could have such a dramatic effect on history. As far as he knew his uncle had never hesitated in an attempt to kill his father and that would be the most understandable explanation. After all if his father were dead then Uncle Sesshoumaru would have never met Sango or be wounded and met Rin.
"Kill Inu yasha. If he'd just followed my lady's instructions none of this would have ever happened." Jakken said with a heavy sigh, the memories as clear as yesterday. "It was so simple, he shouldn't have had even the slightest of problems. A human child could have pulled it off so perfect was the plan."
"You're lady? You mean...Shesshoumaru's mother ordered him to kill me?" Inu yasha demanded to know though not loud enough to draw his brother's attention. He wasn't going to get any answers if Sesshoumaru interfered. "And what do ya mean child's play? I kick your butt easily enough, toad."
)
"You were only a baby then. Easily gotten rid of." Jakken sneered, wishing that his lady had sent him instead. He'd have got the job done and even if by some miracle it hadn't he would have gladly taken the beating in his master's place.
"She sent him to kill Inu yasha when he was only a baby?" Kagome said in horror, trying to imagine a woman who would send her son, a child himself, to kill his baby brother. "What kind of a monster was she?" Kagome whispered, not even realizing she'd said her thoughts out loud.
"A most enraged and bitter one." Came a small voice and everyone looked over to see Miyoga resting on Inu yasha's shoulders, his pack slugged over his small shoulder. The little demon looked quite worn out and worse for the wear too.
"You!" Jakken snarled, glaring at the flea with extreme dislike. The lazy coward was a disgrace to all demons and especially to his master's home. "I see that someone hasn't trampled your small body yet. More the pity."
"And hello to you too. And as I was saying, Kagome, Sesshoumaru's mother wasn't so much a monster as a very wounded creature. If you've ever seen an animal that's hurt and abused you know it isn't really surprising when they lash out at anyone who comes near, especially those they blame for their pain. She was a cool and ridged woman before she married our lord and she only grew worse once she learned of the master's involvement with Inu yasha's mother." The flea demon said with a sigh, this story not at all a pretty one, he thought as he lay back in exhaustion from his long journey to find Master Inu yasha. "Much of her hatred was taken out on Lord Sesshoumaru, I'm afraid and she filled his head with much of her hatred and pain."
)
"Don't speak ill of my lady or face my wrath, flea." Jakken snarled, pointing the heads on his staff in Miyoga's direction.
"So says the one who used to bind his wounds and help drag his unconscious body from her rooms after she was done beating him half to death while our master was away." Miyoga snapped back, not intimidated at the moment since he was safe enough on Inu yasha's shoulders. Worse came to worse Kagome's were in easy jumping distance.
"She use to...beat him?" Inu yasha repeated, his eyes wide as he turned his head to look behind him, his older brother looking as indestructible and tough as always. But when he was a child, against a fully grown demon who was his own mother..what chance would he have had? He'd never really ever even thought about his brother as a child period. He'd always been this tall, strong, imposing, full grown demon.
"Does that have anything to do with the secrecy behind her death?" Kouga wanted to know as he tried to picture the now great lord of the west being a helpless pup and just couldn't see it. Seeing the others looking at him questioningly he expanded. "Word simply went out that the Lady of the West was dead, no details to cause were given and there was talk about it being by foul means."
Sensing his brother's gaze Sesshoumaru met Inu yasha's gaze and the two stared at each other for a moment, golden eyes searching and not finding anything but a sense that something had changed and not knowing for sure what that something was. "Something you want?" Sesshoumaru finally asked, his eyes narrowing when he sensed the new presence to the group. The flea had arrived. "Miyoga."
)
"Lord Sesshoumaru." Miyoga said with a bow, envisioning being squished into nothing by his older lord's mere thumb. Unlike his lord's mother Miyoga had never seen Sesshoumaru give into true rage but in his mind that made him that much more dangerous. Especially in his case.
Tempted to tell on the flea Jakken only held his tongue because he was starting to realize he'd said a few things that his lord wouldn't appreciate either. He wasn't going to die just for the satisfaction of knowing the flea would die too.
"Have you come for a free meal before you run and hide?" Kyou wanted to know with a chuckle, laughing when the flea spun around to stare at him like he'd seen a ghost.
"This is my son from the future, flea." Inu yasha said dryly before the idiot flea could ask. "The girl that walks near Sesshoumaru is his daughter from the future."
"From the future you say?" Miyoga said as he looked from Kyou to Sora and back again for a few times. The resemblances were startling to say the least. He must be more tired then he thought to have missed it much less their presence. "Well then it's a pleasure to meet you both. I hope I'm still around in your time?"
"That you are." Kyou said with a smirk. After all it was hard to die when you ran away at the first signs of danger every time, he mentally added with a grin.
"Miyoga." Sora said with a regal nod of her head, familiar with the flea demon. An occasional family annoyance he also carried a wealth of knowledge that could come in handy on rare occasions. "What brings you here? Running away from your fiancee again?"
"Not this time no." Miyoga said with a weary sigh, taking the girl's question to mean the stubborn woman was going to still be chasing after him into the known future. "I had heard tell that my lords were traveling together in the area on a mission against some strange demon force. I sought you all out to see if I could be of service in anyway. Is it the cats again? I thought we had dealt with them well enough the last time."
)
"You mean Sesshoumaru and I dealt with them. You weren't exactly around to lend support, Miyoga." Inu yasha pointed out as he looked down at the flea with a you're a worthless waste of air look. "And no, we're looking for a demon from the future named Ferio."
"That name means nothing to me." Miyoga said after a thoughtful pause as he tried to remember hearing that name before. "He must be very powerful if you're all joining up for...Lord Sesshoumaru...are you chained to Lady Sango?"
"You would be wise to leave that topic alone." Sesshoumaru said in a reasonable and altogether chilling tone of voice. "And Sora tells me he doesn't appear until well into the distant future, you would have no knowledge of this creature."
"Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru." Miyoga said, bobbing his head up and down quickly to show his understanding. He'd have to ask Lady Kagome about it later on when they were out of Lord Sesshoumaru's hearing. "So where exactly are we heading?"
"We're heading to the Styx River." Kagome replied as she shifted the strap of her pack on her shoulder. "Apparently those are old stomping grounds for him and a place he'd know well. Better to stick with what you know, especially in his case."
)
"I can't imagine that Lord Terrain appreciates that. He rules that area you see and he's quite the ruthless and bloodthirsty demon. It's a wonder he didn't destroy the demon in your time." Miyoga commented, looking over at Kyou with a questioning look.
"He wasn't alive to attempt it." Kyou said in a cold tone so close to his uncle that everyone looked at him in surprise, the tone not at all suited to Kyou's character. But then again Terrain had played a role in shaping Kyou that couldn't be ignored or pleasant. The lord had indeed been a most heartless and ruthless demon while he'd lived.
"Who rules those lands then? He has no sons." Jakken wanted to know, wondering who could have killed the demon. His master was of course stronger but other then his master he knew few who could, much less would have wanted to take on Lord Terrain. They were prime lands as well, he'd imagine there would be quite the fight for ownership once the demon had died.
"We do." Sora said coolly, the topic as sore a one for her as it was to Kyou. There were few people outside of their families who'd made more of an impression on their lives then Terrain. "We claimed it and most of the lands near it. There weren't many left alive in that area to even think about fighting for ownership, not that any of the survivors were in any hurry to try."