InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Breathless ❯ A home to return to ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Inuyasha, and this fanfiction is just for fun and not for profit.

 

 

Chapter Ten.

 

 

`A home to return to'

 

 

Despite the previously sunny day, it'd started raining quite unexpectedly a moment ago and was pouring copiously now.

 

 

His long silver tresses were already matting to his shirt and the skin of his ears, face and neck.

 

 

Wordlessly, he continued strolling as his clothing and hair quickly became more and more soaked.

 

 

To the safely distant onlooker, the sight of the regal Dog Demon Lord drenched in water like a sopping wet puppy would have probably appeared kind of cute, but the Inu Taiyoukai in question wasn't finding it pleasing in the least.

 

 

`How bothersome'

 

 

Before finishing that thought, Sesshoumaru had already summoned his youki-cloud to take off flying back towards the place where his ward and retainer were surely lifting the camp by now, already waiting for him to show up so they could all go in search of some dry shelter.

 

 

As he did so, he pondered on the yellow haired woman he'd just encountered, saved, captured and released in the woods.

 

 

He'd thought that since the Tenseiga had led him to her, he might as well use her to lure Naraku in. The girl's strange attire, so similar to that of Inuyasha's companion and the unexpected display of power she had shown when he'd come upon the place where the thieves had been tormenting her, made it possible for him to think there was the chance that she might be a miko as well, of the same kind that could sense the shards of the Shikon no Tama even from a distance, and if that was the case then it made sense that Naraku'd send a minion to recruit her for his own services. Given she even smelled like him, it'd sounded as a reasonable stratagem at the time to keep the human around for a while to force the detachment lurking around to confront him sooner or later.

 

 

In the end he'd had no other choice but to let the girl go because her terrified constant sniveling and hyperventilating behind him was distracting and had already started to get on his nerves. By the time she had so unabatedly screamed at him, it'd taken a good amount of his self control not to snap her neck just to regain some peace and quiet.

 

 

And the minion hadn't even shown up to try and save the human's hide.

 

 

Disappointing.

 

 

`What a waste of time'

 

 

Perhaps he'd been wrong after all.

 

 

His eyebrows creased as he recalled her previous outburst.

“Sir! You must have the wrong person; I don't know any of the names you speak of!—”

 

 

That girl couldn't have been acquainted with Naraku… unless she'd been an unusually skilled actress; for she apparently didn't know the first thing about the dark hanyou.

 

“—ifyou're going to kill me, stop dallying aroundthe issue and DO IT already!! Are you waiting for me to get distracted, is that it? What kind of sick evil creature are you?!”

 

Hn.

 

 

Trust humans to be so utterly impudent and misguided…

 

 

Uninvited, unusually blue sparkling orbs flashed inside his memory.

 

 

…“I'm sorry”…

 

 

Pausing in mid-air, he turned slightly to look back in the direction he had come from.

 

 

He was a Demon Lord.

 

 

Of royal upbringing; he reminded himself.

 

 

He should be above silly matters as this.

 

 

But then… why did he feelthis bothersome intuition…?

 

 

As if he'd left… something important behind?

 

 

Why couldn't he stop the nagging feeling that insisted he should have directed the female to the nearest human village safely, as he had intended to do before she'd started behaving like such a burden?

 

 

Closing his eyes and turning swiftly, he quickened his flight once more; chastising himself for these useless reveries, he scowled…

 

 

This was not the moment to entertain such ludicrous thoughts.

 

 

…Besides —he decided with a snort—, it'd be the day he'd gone mental when he actually cared whether one inferior ningen other than Rin lived or died…

 

 

 

 

Aku was happy.

 

 

Completely and utter pleased with himself.

 

 

Not only had he managed to get Usagi-sama back, relatively unscathed, without attracting the shrewd Youkai Lord's undesired attention.

 

 

But as the two made their way back the subterranean fortress, the rain that was currently poring down would take care of erasing the rest of their tracks…

 

 

Someone up there seriously loved him.

 

 

Things couldn't have turned out better for the wellbeing of Tsumi and himself: Naraku wasn't going to outwardly feel the imperious need to get rid of them today.

 

 

…If she had been kidnapped by the Demon Lord… if those humans had killed her and she had died… it would have been ugly.

 

 

But thankfully, nothing of the sort had come to pass. He felt himself being washed away with relief as he watched the human girl walking behind him from the corner of his eye. His gaze focused on the forming bruises of her collarbone.

 

 

`What to do about that?'

 

 

Usagi-sama said something about avoiding `Niraya-san' till her bruises were no longer visible, but he somehow didn't think that was going to work. Knowing Naraku-sama, he'd want and demand to see her as soon as she set a foot back on the cave.

 

 

What could they possibly tell him? That she'd fell on her butt and tripped on the ground several times while trying to get her locket down the top of a tall tree from where an obnoxious bird had mischievously placed it?

 

 

He doubted that would go very well…

 

 

Mhm… may be he could dress Usagi-sama like a mummy and tell Master Naraku it was the new aristocratic fashion aboveground?

 

 

He might buy it, since he hadn't left the fortress in days…

 

 

Which one can tell from the particularly putrid way he sometimes smells as of late… didn't his master ever wash when isolated down there? And if he didn't, in what better else did he employ his free hours? That's what Aku'd wanted to know…

 

 

…After all, the Shikon no Tama could only be polished so many times…

 

 

He turned back towards his appointed protégée.

 

 

“Usagi-sama?”

 

 

As if snapping out of her thoughts, the blonde stopped to look at him startled.

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

He smiled at her in a charming way.

 

 

“Do you want me to raise a barrier around you to shield you from the water?”

 

 

She studied him for a couple of seconds, as if weighing up his offer before smiling back and shaking her head.

 

 

“No. That's alright Aku, I rather like the rain”

 

 

The detachment's once bright smile turned into an understanding, regretful one. Being it was rare that the youth had the occasion of going outside, it was no wonder she would enjoy the feel of the raindrops on her skin.

 

 

“As you wish… Usagi-sama” he nodded, then slowly turned his back on her, resuming his pace and beckoning her forward.

 

 

“Let's go back home”

 

 

Unknown to him, the girl wasn't paying heed to himself anymore, but she'd hesitantly turned to look back in the direction of the clearing by the lake where she'd met the bandits and one Demon Lord.

 

 

“I wonder if he too has a home to go to…” she whispered very quietly, a wistful look on her face as she turned back around, stretching her strides to catch up with the retreating youkai.

 

 

To Be Continued.

 

A/N: I hope you noticed I used Aku to make fun at his Master's expense… I love Naraku-kun too much not to, but don't worry: I love Sesshoumaru just as much and he'll probably be suffering the same treatment as soon as I get a suitable occasion… (grins)