InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Breathless ❯ Riddle ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Inuyasha.

Chapter Nine.

`Riddle'

She suddenly couldn't take it anymore.

“If you're going to kill me, stop dallying around the issue and DO IT already!!” she demanded so loudly that Sesshoumaru turned to look at her sharply when she shrieked “Are you waiting for me to get distracted, is that it? What kind of sick evil creature are you?!”

She'd barely had time to finish her outburst when a clawed hand shot to wrap around her throat, squeezing in warning.

Usagi's flew up instantly to try and get him to release her, but as much as she tried to pry his fingers from her neck they just wouldn't budge. The Demon Lord kept a steady grip on her throat as he dared her with his eyes to finish her sentence. But Usagi wouldn't give him the pleasure, no… If this was it, if this was the way she was going to die, then she decided she'd go with some dignity. Even if he already saw her as one, she wasn't going to act like a coward anymore; so instead of closing her eyes and waiting for the end she would meet his stare head-on as he proceeded to take the life away from her.

Her resigned resolute eyes silently dared him right back…

…and just like that, he suddenly ceased his hold, letting her fall to the ground.

Shocking her beyond words.

“You're more trouble than you're worth” he muttered turning around and walking away.

Once again Usagi only stared after him mutely in total bewilderment, though this time it was for different reasons.

As she watched him get farther and harder away from her in a somewhat dignified resolve, something about the way he'd last spoken didn't seem quite right with her…

And that was the moment it hit her.

Her eyes widened.

She felt something inside her clench.

As atinyvoice in her subconscious suggested that she could have misinterpreted the entire situation…

…even if she wasn't completely sure…

“I'm sorry”

It'd been nothing more than a low whisper, but the poised Taiyoukai stopped in his track.

He slowly turned his head to look at her from the corner of his eye. Then, as fast as he'd paused, he turned back forward and resumed his pace.

“Go home, human”

From his hiding place in the shadows, Aku sighed in great relief: the Demon Lord was finally going away, without taking the blonde with him.

`I don't even want to think what Master Naraku would have done to Tsumi and me if we didn't return with her safe and sound…'

He looked down at the “makeshift Fuyoheki's”stone fragment in his hand.

`Good for me that Tsumi gave me thiswhich prevents my aura and scent from being detectedfor a couple of minutes… that Taiyoukai was prettyclose to spotting me last time…' He shuddered. He reallydidn't want to imagine what the Youkai Lord could have done to him if that had happened.He'd already heard stories from Byakuya, his other fellow detachment, about what he was capable of.

Shifting in the direction he'd seen the golden haired girl taking, another concern was preoccupying the detachment…

…what exactly had the she inadvertently revealed to the Demon Lord, and how much had he already figured out.

Usagi'd been left where she was, overwhelmed and completely emotionally drained by the very recent events of the day…

Days were never this eventful inside Lord Niraya's fortress.

As she'd gotten on her feet again to return to the place where she'd left her locket behind, abandoned after all that struggle with the bandits due to the sheer state of terror she'd been when left all alone with the seemingly even more dangerous silver-haired man; she marveled at the way the birds' cheerful chirping and the present general quietness of the forest clashed so greatly with all the stress and violence she'd been subjected to in the past hours.

Lifting the sleeves of her top clothing, she examined the condition in which her arms had been left, wincing as she touched the tender burning skin, knowing for sure she'd be sporting horrible bruises black-blue-and-green the following morning.

And if Niraya-sama happened to see, Usagi was sure all the madder he would be at her reckless little ruse…

…For a couple of days, she would have to do her best to avoid him.

That is, if she ever found her way home in this solitary part of the forest.

…“Go home, human”…

The silver-haired man's words came back to her uninvited. The girl's hands went up to her throat…

It didn't hurt half as much as the soon-to-be bruises in her arms and shoulders.

Still…

What'd been his intentions in the end? What had he wanted from her at all?

“Girl… are you related with the girl Kagome, the one that travels with Inuyasha?”

“Why do you smell like the vile half-breed Naraku, wench?!”

Inuyasha…

Naraku…

She didn't have the slightest idea who those people could be. It was all confusing enough to give her a head ache. It was obvious that man had mistaken her for someone else, or had thought she had relations with some people that she knew she didn't have relations with.

Andfrom his attitude, it was a safe guess they probably weren't peoplehe liked very much…

It had to be.

Usagi positively had a head ache by now. Then whysave her, then scare the hell out of her, force her to follow him, belittle her and manhandle her…only to let her go?

Why had he let her go? Had he realized his error? …Even after she had insulted him…

May be… he wasn't so bad after all?

The girl's head snapped up when she heard a voice calling her.

“Usagi-sama… thank the Kami that I found you”

To Be Continued.

GLOSSARY

`The Kami' means “the gods”.

`Byakuya', also known as Mugen no Byakuya (“dreamy Byakuya”) is the last of Naraku's detachments in the manga, and he's a bit afraid of Sesshoumaru.

`Aku' is Tsumi's twin brother and both of them are made-up detachments of Naraku… their reason for existing is Usagi, and more of this will be revealed later.

The “makeshift Fuyoheki stone” is not the real one, the one that Naraku had stolen from the mountain demon Gakusanjin due to its aura-concealing properties, and which he'd given to the infant, Akago, Naraku's physical heart after Mount Hakurei so that Akago could conceal his presence their enemies. That Fuyoheki got sucked into Miroku's wind tunnel, and the one Aku speaks of is another fabricated stone that kind of serves the same purpose. More about this will be revealed later.