InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Absolution ❯ Curiouser and Curiouser ( Chapter 4 )

The group woke, broke their fast with ramen, and moved on an hour after sunrise. Sesshoumaru had mentioned a town ahead of them by a few hours, so, in need of food and supplies, they went in the direction he had pointed them. They wandered for a while, everyone seemingly lost in thought, until Sesshoumaru stopped in front of them and held up a hand. Inuyasha joined his brother and sniffed the air. "It… it smells like… Kagura," he said, perplexed.

Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement. "Yes, it does," he growled menacingly. So Naraku had sent another of his puppets to deal with him, eh? He dropped his hand and turned to his left. Then he ran, hunting down the scent of the hated detachment. Inuyasha huffed at his brother's impetuousness, and ran after him.

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara all made noises of frustration and flopped onto the forest floor. Kagome pulled Shippou onto her lap and grabbed a soda from her bag. Shippou's eyes went wide, and he licked his lips in anticipation of the caffeine rush he'd soon be getting. Kagome saw him rubbing his little hands together, and stopped opening the can. "Oh no, Shippou… I brought this for you," she said, and handed him a bottle of orange juice. "That doesn't have any caffeine, and it's much better for a growing boy like yourself." Shippou growled and crossed his arms. Sometimes he wished Kagome wasn't his okaa-san…

oooooooo

Inuyasha spotted his brother high in a tree, and leapt to join him. Sesshoumaru was staring intently at something. When Inuyasha pointed his eyes in the same direction, he saw what had him so transfixed. It was Kagura, all right. Inuyasha smelled the salt from the tears she was obviously shedding, and Sesshoumaru growled. "Something about this is not right." As was habit, Inuyasha's brother dropped from the tree without warning, and Inuyasha had no choice but to follow.

When they landed on the ground with heavy thuds Kagura looked up, removing her head from her knees. Large streaks of black trailed down her cheeks; her eyes were swollen and red. It appeared she had been crying for a very long time.

"Why do you sit upon the ground and weep, wind sorceress?" Sesshoumaru asked, making his way to Kagura's side. When she did not move to attack… or reply, Inuyasha walked toward her as well.

"Why, Kagura… for one who holds much respect for this Lord, you are being quite disrespectful," Sesshoumaru said, noting her tears. He could tell something horrible had befallen her. He had never known Kagura to cry.

"Kagura, where is your sister?" Inuyasha inquired. He did not see Kanna anywhere in their vicinity, and since she was a nihility, he was sure that smelling her was not an option.

When Kagura finally spoke, her voice came out in a broken whisper that spoke volumes of the pain she had recently been privy to.

"Naraku… he… he set me free of my bonds. He also set Kanna free. Sesshoumaru-sama," she said in a pained whisper, "he killed her, and absorbed her body back into himself."

Sesshoumaru had suspected as much, but it still did not prepare him for the outburst of sobs that wracked the body of the small demoness beside him. She shook violently and covered her face with her delicate hands. "He killed her… he killed her. Why? " she screamed.

Sesshoumaru knelt down beside the kaze youkai.

Suddenly Kagura looked up. Her scarlet eyes traveled first to Sesshoumaru, then to his younger brother. Both could not mistake the malice and hatred they saw there.

"I am going to kill Naraku," she hissed. "For all the pain and suffering he has put me and Kanna through. For all I have put you through in his name… I will kill him."

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru looked at each other, asking silent questions, receiving silent answers. And they decided something, then, together, for perhaps the first time in their lives. "Kagura, if this is how you feel… then we ask you to aid us in our quest to destroy Naraku," said Sesshoumaru, who held out his hand for the demoness. She took it.

oooooooo

Sesshoumaru was amazed. What exactly was Naraku thinking? He had tormented him, robbing him of his child and retainer, and now he was apparently throwing away his detachments without a care in the world.

Kagura, it could be argued, was nearly as inept as Jaken had been. She was often sent out on important tasks, but many times failed to accomplish them. Perhaps Naraku had grown weary of her ineptitude. It was possible. Though why he would free Kagura and kill one of his more useful servants was certainly puzzling.

He wanted to break her spirit. He gave her what she wanted most in the world, but in return took the one thing she cared for… just like me.

These thoughts drifted through his head in an orderly, logical fashion, and he knew then that Naraku's evil was nearly beyond control. It all made too much sense. Naraku must have gone insane with power to think that he could break his former servant's spirit… much less his own.

In any case, Sesshoumaru's willingness to slaughter the hanyou had grown tenfold as he listened to Kagura weep into her white and fuchsia kimono.

oooooooo

Kagura, powerful kaze youkai and former Naraku lackey, had just made a truce with her enemies. Though, now that she thought back on why she had antagonized the two for so long… it had all been for her former master, Naraku. She really had no problem with either of them, and Sesshoumaru-sama had been correct: she did hold him in a high degree of respect. That was why, when the allying hand was proffered, she had taken it without hesitation. If Lord Sesshoumaru had it in mind to destroy Naraku, he could and would not fail.

Once she had stood and wiped the tears from her cheeks, Kagura bowed deeply to the brothers. "Inuyasha-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama. I wish to apologize for any pain and harm I may have caused you or your traveling companions while I was bound to Naraku. I also thank you for this alliance. Though I wonder, Sesshoumaru, what is your reason for wanting to align with your long-hated brother and defeat Naraku?"

Sesshoumaru felt Inuyasha bristle at Kagura's off-handed comment, and he held up a hand to still him. "We accept your apology, Kagura. As for why I have chosen to join Inuyasha and eliminate Naraku… the bastard hanyou killed my servant Jaken, and my- my child, Rin," he stammered. Oh gods, he could still see her tiny, headless body in Naraku's disgusting tentacles. The thought made him ill, even now.

Kagura was stunned. Why would Naraku intentionally make an enemy of the great Lord of the west? It made no sense to her, and she could not think of any reason one would choose to incur the mighty taiyoukai's wrath. But incurred his wrath is exactly what Naraku had done, and now he would certainly pay for his actions. Kagura had also noted how he fumbled over the child Rin's name. He had called her his child. He must have loved her very much. To think that Sesshoumaru would lay claim to a child… and a human one, at that. Yes, she must have been his warmth in a rather cold, lonely existence, she thought.

Inuyasha huffed testily. "Alright, if we're all done with the pleasantries, let's get back to the others… Kagome's probably worried," he sighed, and then bounded off to join the rest of the Inu-tachi.

Sesshoumaru and Kagura looked at each other for a moment, before she laughed. "The miko holds a powerful sway over your brother."

Sesshoumaru could only nod in agreement. "She does, and rightly so. Kagome has a strong will… stronger even than Inuyasha's, I believe. She will serve him very well in the times to come, when Inuyasha needs a reason to keep fighting. He will never fail so long as he has the ones he loves by his side." Once this had been said, the taiyoukai turned away and motioned the wind demoness to follow him.

oooooooo

Inuyasha arrived back at the place he had left his human companions not ten seconds before Sesshoumaru and Kagura. So it was no surprise, really, that Kagome had her bow out and an arrow nocked when they came into the clearing.

"Inuyasha, get down!" she yelled, and he ducked his head quickly. A sharp twanging sound was heard, as was a gasp from Kagome. Inuyasha looked behind him.

There was Sesshoumaru, and arrow clutched in his right hand, the tip but inches from Kagura's chest.

He tossed the offending instrument back at Kagome's feet. "This wind demoness is no longer our enemy, miko. She has sworn us allegiance, and will help to defeat Naraku. Save your arrows."

Kagome blushed and mouthed 'sorry' to the Taiyoukai. He nodded in response.

There was a moment of silence before Miroku spoke. "I for one am glad to have the Lady's assistance," he grinned, appraising the kaze youkai's lithe form. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, not quite realizing what was going on. Everyone else knew, however, and Miroku was awarded with a slap from Sango for his efforts.

"Baka! Must you do that to every pretty girl you meet?" Sango yelled, and Miroku sighed dreamily, rubbing his cheek.

"It cannot be helped, Sango. It is in my nature to appreciate… beautiful women."

Just then, Sango let out an ear-piercing shriek as Miroku's hand ran over her bottom…

And then they were off, Miroku only a few feet in front of the taijiya's wildly swinging hiraikotsu.

oooooooo

Kagome put the finishing touches on Miroku's bandage. "There you are! Now, don't take this off for a while… we wouldn't want you to bleed to death," she said to the pouting houshi whose head was cradled gently in her lap.

"Well, not all of us would mind," Sango replied, glaring at the monk. "Houshi-sama, you have got to learn to keep your hands away from me. I just might kill you next time."

Miroku sighed, gingerly touching his newly bandaged head wound. "Forgive me, Sango-chan. I cannot help the wandering of my hands when confronted with such beauty and perfection as your body."

Sango must have turned purple with embarrassment, but managed to choke out a 'thank you' before walking away from the rest of the group.

The rest of group now included Kagura, the kaze youkai, who could not help but smirk at the actions of the humans once Sango had disappeared.

"Houshi, why do you not simply ask the taijiya to become your mate? It seems the subtle hints and… touches… you give her are not enough. We youkai have much less trouble when mating. Perhaps a show of force upon her would-" but Kagura was cut off by a low growl from Inuyasha. Kagura raised her eyebrows at him, not realizing her mistake.

"You forget, Kagura, that Miroku and Sango are not youkai, and such displays of power are taken to much less kindly by the human race. I believe the word they might use is 'rape'," Sesshoumaru said from behind his silver hair. His chin rested on his chest, the white strands of his mane blowing gently across his brow and nose. "And, as you see, Miroku may be quite overpowered by the taijiya should he consider taking this route. I myself find the mating habits of humans to be… quite lacking in their efficiency."

The wind demoness nodded in understanding, though she could not understand why the demon slayer, Sango, refused the monk. Kagura had not been with the group but half an hour, and already she could feel the sexual tension between the two. It was so thick; Sesshoumaru-sama could have cut it with Toukijin… if he'd had it, that is.

"This is well and good, but I think what we all need is rest. Let us sleep soundly tonight, and rise early. Our journey is still a long one," Purred Sesshoumaru from his resting place.

Kagome was quite tired, and would have loved nothing more than to fall into her sleeping bag with her big, fluffy pillow. But how could she leave poor Miroku-sama? Her answer came when the houshi, in usual fashion, groped her. Yep, that would do it. Sighing, she stood and let him fall from her lap onto the dirt.

"Why is it always me who is left without a loving hand?" Miroku asked the stars. When none answered, he turned on his side and tried to fall asleep by the dying fire's warmth.