InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Enemy Mine ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha. Those are the property of one Rumiko Takahashi. I thank her whole-heartedly for giving us such an amazing manga/anime to read/watch.

Author's Note. While this chapter maintains a strong PG-13, future chapters will contain adult material that warrant an NC-17 rating.

Enemy Mine - Chapter 2

By Urd-chan

"Damn it, Kouga. If you don't sit still you're going to make us both go down." Kagura was having difficulty controlling the giant feather the two rode on. It was apparent that Naraku's attack on her had left her more injured than she first appeared.

Kouga snarled back. "If you would just keep this damned thing from bumping all over the place, I'd be happy to sit still." He repositioned himself in an almost comfortable place on the feather and closed his eyes. With his head still spinning from the effects of Naraku's miasma, the last thing he needed was a turbulent ride on a giant feather. A giant feather controlled by none other than Kagura. The shards were gone. Kagome was in Inuyasha's arms. And now he had to suffer the indignity of taking care of Kagura. To top things off, he was starting to feel quite nauseous from the movement of the feather and the vision of the ground racing by underneath them. There was no way this day could get any worse.

"Kouga!"

He could hear the distant shouts of Ginta and Hakkaku as they ran on the ground beneath the path of the feather.

Kouga simply pointed in the direction of their home. He was too queasy and tired to try to shout down at his two underlings as they stopped to stare at his passage on Kagura's feather.

The wolf youkai settled back on the feather, trying to push the pain to the back of his mind. He could feel the first stages of healing already starting. The shooting pain would intensify for a while before slowly fading to a dull throbbing in his legs. The damage from the miasma had spread throughout his body, even though it had entered in his legs. If Kagome hadn't purified as much of it as she had, he would probably have been dead before he made it onto Kagura's feather.

Kagura struggled to keep her feather and its added weight aloft. She felt drained, both physically and emotionally. Having to stay with Kouga and his tribe was not something she was looking forward to. After all, Kouga might have accepted Kagome's request to take her in, but she suspected that his people wouldn't be as accepting of her. The history between them and her was anything but pleasant.

The wind user closed her eyes and let the breeze blow over her as the feather continued towards its destination. She never felt so alive as when she was airborne. She opened her eyes and tried to concentrate on the power that kept the feather aloft.

"Just how far is it to your territory?" Kagura turned when she didn't get a response. An unexpected lump rose in her throat when her gaze fell on the sleeping wolf youkai. He looked peaceful lying next to her on the feather and she found herself studying his features. Granted, they weren't of the perfection that she had seen on Sesshoumaru's face, yet there was something about the ruggedness of Kouga's facial lines. She could picture his piercing blue eyes even though they were now closed in sleep.

Just focus on what you have to do, she thought to herself as she turned to survey the land that rose quickly in front of them. At this speed it wouldn't take long to get to Kouga's lands, no matter how far away they were.

Kouga awoke with a start. He found himself perched precariously close to the edge of the feather while Kagura struggled to straighten its path. The ashen color of her face spoke volumes. There was only one thing they could do.

"Land this fucking thing," Kouga barked as he rolled against her.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, you flea bag," Kagura hissed as she again attempted to steady their ride.

"You were hurt back there, too. You need to rest. If you don't land this thing now, you're going to kill both of us!" Kouga grabbed her by the wrist.

"Let go of me!" she shouted at him. She hated to admit it, but Kouga was right. She was going to have to land.

Kouga pointed to a flat area near a small river. "Take us down there."

She nodded wordlessly as she focused on moving the feather to the open area. The landing was rough and Kouga winced in pain as he rolled from the feather onto the grass.

Kagura sat silently on the feather, her head down. The two didn't speak for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Kouga broke the silence.

"It's going to be dark soon. You should get some rest. We won't have too much further to go tomorrow, but you're not going to make it if you don't sleep."

Kagura nodded wordlessly. Despite Kouga's instructions for her to sleep, she remained motionless, her head down. Her mind was in turmoil, trying to sort out the events of the day and what they really meant to her.

Kouga stayed where he was for a while, sorting through his own jumbled emotions. Funny, he thought, but the loss of the shards seemed to be the thing foremost in his mind. Remembering Kagome in Inuyasha's arms didn't bring with it the anger and hurt he had expected. Perhaps things had worked out the way they were meant to where the human girl was concerned.

He struggled to his feet and hobbled to the edge of the river where he dropped to his knees and used his hands to bring water to his mouth. He drank deeply of the cool wetness before settling back on his heels. The sun was just dipping behind the horizon.

"Looks like a new moon," he mumbled to nobody in particular.

"If Naraku had waited until sunset to fight Inuyasha, perhaps things might not have turned out the way they did."

Kouga turned and stared at the wind user. He remembered how she had managed to get the shards from him once before, and how Inuyasha had come to his rescue. It had been the night of a new moon and the hanyou had betrayed his deepest secret to the two of them.

"Why didn't he?"

Kagura's only answer was a smirk that was lost to Kouga in the twilight.

The wolf youkai slowly stood up and hobbled towards Kagura. He stopped an arm's length from her and stared down at her shadowed form. "You can't tell me that you didn't go running back to Naraku with Inuyasha's secret. You of all people…" Kouga paused as the truth hit him. "Why? Why didn't you tell Naraku?"

"It wouldn't have been to my advantage."

Kouga nodded and glanced up at the sliver of moon shining down on them. If Naraku had known to wait until sunset, both he and Kagura would probably be dead instead of being saddled with each other for who knew how long.

He worked his way slowly to a low rise, settling his back against the grass and stretching his legs. He winced as sharp daggers of pain shot from his feet to just above his knees. He wasn't used to the healing process taking this long. Normally the shards would have enhanced his own youkai powers and healed the wounds almost instantaneously. But, the shards were gone, and his body had been contaminated with Naraku's miasma. There was no knowing just how long his legs would take to fully recover. One thing was certain, though. No matter how well they healed physically, he would never again be able to use them the way he had with the power of the Shikon shards. He was reduced to being like all the other wolf youkai.

Maybe it would have been better if I had just died. He fought off the urge to feel pity for himself, remembering that he had a tribe to lead. They were counting on him, and with or without the shards, he would have to be strong and help with the rebuilding of his tribe and their territory.

At least he knew he wouldn't be returning empty handed. He carried with him the news that Naraku and his evil spawn were gone, destroyed by Inuyasha and their other allies. Perhaps with their nemesis gone, the shards wouldn't be necessary. Besides, it wouldn't only be him that lacked the shards, but all the other youkai who had used them to gain power. They would all be returned to the way they were before the Shikon no Tama was shattered. Kouga had never had to worry about defeat in those days, although he was sure that he would have to reestablish himself as undefeated leader of the wolf youkai now.

He carefully rubbed his legs, willing them to heal quickly. Surely it wouldn't be long before word of Naraku's defeat reached his tribe's enemies. He would have to be ready to fight, but his current condition would be a major problem. He could only hope that he was able to fight at his best when the other youkai tribes started to fight for power and lands.

Kagura watched him silently, waiting for the cool evening air and the gentle sound of the flowing river to lull him to sleep before she allowed herself to curl up on her feather and drift off to a restless sleep herself.

The morning sun came to them quickly as it topped the ridge of mountains to their east. Kouga stirred and stretched, feeling confused by the stiffness in his legs until his mind cleared and the events of the previous day came back to him. He sat up and quickly looked in Kagura's direction, wondering if she had perhaps left and stranded him there. The wind user was drawn into a fetal position on her feather, the tattered kimono she wore barely covering her slender form. She shivered in her sleep as a cool breeze drifted in from the river.

Kouga could feel the heat of the sun warming his bare arms as it climbed in the sky. It would be much warmer very soon. They would be best to get an early start and travel as far as possible before the midday heat set in. He couldn't gauge Kagura's condition, but surely she was still feeling the effects of their battle with Naraku. She had been hard pressed to maintain her feather's flight with his added weight, and he worried that a single night's rest would not be enough for her to regain the strength needed to safely finish their journey.

"Kagura, wake up!" He shook out his legs before standing, surprised that the biting pain of the day before was already receding. Taking its place were tiny pinpricks of discomfort. His night of sleep had given his body the boost it needed to speed the healing process.

Kagura slowly roused, stretching her arms over her head before pushing herself to a seated position. She glanced at Kouga. "What's your problem? It's early. You said it wasn't much farther to your lands."

"The sun won't take long to heat things up. We should get going as soon as possible." He moved to stand near her feather, waiting for Kagura to take it aloft.

"Are you always this unreasonable?" Kagura rose smoothly to her feet and slowly walked to the water's edge. She knelt on the river bank and cupped her hands in the water, first drinking and then splashing some of the cool liquid on her face. She used her wet hands to smooth her unruly hair and quickly gathered it into its usual high pony tail. She produced several feathers from somewhere Kouga couldn't see and added them to her hair before slowly rising and returning to the feather.

"We won't need this one." She indicated the feather they had ridden on the previous day and it dissipated before their eyes. Kagura reached to her hair and took out a feather, waving the hand that held it to produce a fresh ride for their journey.

In moments the two were floating far above their camp from the night before. Kagura quickly turned the feather towards the mountains. It wouldn't be long before they arrived in Kouga's territory. The wind user began to worry about the reaction of his other tribe members when she showed up with their leader. He had his promise to Kagome to keep him from harming her. She wondered if that promise would hold enough weight with the others to keep her safe from them.

"About what you said last night…" Kouga interrupted her thoughts as he remembered their brief conversation from the night before. "You never told Naraku about Inuyasha's secret. I don't understand why."

Kagura shook her head, keeping her vision on the mountains ahead of them. "I told you, it wouldn't have been to my advantage."

"Don't give me that. I'm sure Naraku would have rewarded you well for the information. Just like he would have rewarded you for the shards you took from me that time."

"The shards were never intended for Naraku," Kagura said softly. She sat rigidly, keeping her eyes focused ahead of the speeding feather. Kouga's attempt to get information from her was making her feel nervous. There were some memories that were best forgotten.

"What the hell? You took them from me. Why else would you have done that? Surely two shards would have hardly been enough to give you the strength to stand up to Naraku."

"They were meant as an offering to one who I thought would be strong enough to destroy Naraku."

"What? Who the hell did you take my shards for?"

"Sesshoumaru. I offered them to him in return for his help in destroying Naraku. He refused. That pompous bastard turned me down." Kagura laughed softly, looking briefly over her shoulder at Kouga. "Ironic, isn't it, that he was actually involved in Naraku's destruction in the end. He could have gained two Shikon shards by doing it earlier. Why he helped in the end, we'll probably never know. Sesshoumaru has his own reasons."

Kouga sat quietly for a while, letting Kagura's words sink in. He was sure only of one thing. Kagura hadn't told him the entire story.

"Damn it, Kagura. I don't know what you take me for, but I'm getting a little tired of your fucking lies. There's no way you could have done what you did without Naraku knowing. He has…had his spies everywhere. Just how much of an idiot do you take me for? He would never have let you take those shards for yourself."

Kagura turned and glared at Kouga. "Nobody is asking you to believe me." She turned her eyes back to the mountains ahead. The set of her shoulders told Kouga that he wasn't going to get any more conversation from her.

That was fine with him. They would reach his territory soon, and once there he could delegate the responsibility of taking care of Kagura to someone else. It would be just what Ginta and Hakkaku needed to keep them in line. He almost smiled when he thought of how the two would react when they were given their new assignment.

They continued their journey in silence only occasionally broken by Kouga directing Kagura to a specific mountain pass, or around an area of danger. He was not in the condition to battle any of the neighboring tribes, so it seemed best to avoid flying directly over their territories. The route was less direct, but cost them very little extra time. Soon Kouga could see the landmarks at the edge of his territory. He was home.

With Kouga's directions, Kagura steered the feather to land just outside the main part of his village. They were hidden from the view of others as they dismounted from Kagura's feather. Like the previous one, this one also disappeared into a small cloud of sparkles that quickly disappeared.

The head of the wolf youkai tribe stopped and looked at his unexpected visitor. "I suggest you let me do the talking. I'm not sure how the rest of the tribe is going to react to me bringing you here. Let me explain what happened and be sure there everyone understands."

Kagura merely grunted and started walking ahead of him.

"Damn it, Kagura! Do you really want to just walk into my village like that? Don't forget, these women you'll be seeing - it was their men that died at your hands."

Kagura stopped suddenly and glared at Kouga. For a brief instant he thought he saw an emotion mirrored in her eyes. The instant passed and all he could see were the daggers of anger as she looked at him.

"Then perhaps it's best that I just leave. I did what I told that human girl I would do. I brought you safely to your village. My duty here is done." Kagura turned quickly and took several steps.

"Well, I promised Kagome I would help you until you knew how to be on your own. Myduty isn't done." He grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her after him.

"Get your fucking hands off me, you bastard!" Kagura yelled as they came in sight of the center of the village.

Several youkai were gathered in the center of what could only be described as a square - the central gathering place for the tribe. They looked on in amazement at the sight of Kouga dragging a screaming, raggedly dressed wind user behind him.

"Hey, Kouga. Since when do you take prisoners?" the first one quipped.

The second one chimed in. "Don't tell me this one can see the shards, too."

Several of the other male wolf youkai chuckled at the sight of their leader dragging what they could only assume to be his captive into their midst.

The laughter subsided as two females from the tribe came out of a cave opening.

The first one glanced at Kagura and turned to Kouga. "So, you finally caught her. I don't understand why you brought her here. You should just have killed her and left her carcass to rot. That's what she did to my mate, after all."

The second female nodded mutely, her expression reflecting the sentiment of her companion.

Within moments the square was crowded with others from the tribe, drawn by the sound of raised voices. The anger level of the crowd was obvious and Kouga knew he would have to do something quickly to defuse the situation.

"Everyone back off and leave her alone!" He tried to find his most commanding voice, but he was barely heard over the angry mob.

"Damn it! I said everyone back off!" Their leader's anger pierced through the rumblings of the crowd, slowly bringing the sound of angry voices to a low din. "There are a few things you need to know."

Kouga moved to put himself between Kagura and the villagers. One glance told him that she stood strong behind him, but the look of fear in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Naraku is gone. I reached the place he was at just as Inuyasha and the others were already battling against him." He paused to let the news sink in. An undertone of unbelief flowed through the crowd.

"He's gone. We won't ever have to worry about him again."

Again, members of his tribe began to talk excitedly among themselves.

"Then why the hell did you bring her here?" A sad looking female came forward and pointed an accusing finger in Kagura's direction. "Why didn't you just kill her with Naraku?"

Kouga shouted as he shook his head. "Naraku was our enemy, not Kagura. She refused his order to attack me. She even helped me fight against Hakudoushi. Without her help, I wouldn't be here now." He felt like he was simply regurgitating Kagome's words, but the truth in them was unmistakable. Kagura could have taken the shards from him at Naraku's command. She had done so before, and without the help of Hakudoushi or Naraku himself. If she had truly wanted him dead, he would not be standing in front of his tribe, defending one who they saw only as their enemy.

"The shards are gone. But, without Naraku to battle, we'll learn to live without them." He tried to sound confident, but his own misgivings over losing his beloved shards tinged his words with a touch of sadness.

Kouga again paused and waited for the hum of surprised voices to die down. He glanced again at Kagura, surprised that she appeared calm and elegant, despite her tattered kimono. He nodded at her and turned back to his tribe. "We have to move ahead. This is not a time to dwell on the past. Naraku is gone. The war is over."

A rock flew at Kagura from somewhere in the crowd.

"What the fuck?" Kouga fumed as he turned to face the area the rock came from. "During the battle with Naraku, I was wounded. Kagome helped me by purifying the miasma that Naraku's underling poisoned me with. I owe her my life. She was also the one who shot the arrow that turned the battle against Naraku. She asked me only one thing in return. She left the care of Kagura to me."

More rumbling and angry voices came from the gathered crowd. He could hear the rising anger and disbelief. Things weren't going as smoothly as he had hoped they would.

"Naraku was as much Kagura's enemy as he was ours. Besides, I gave Kagome my word, and I don't give my word lightly. I order you as leader of this tribe - you will not hurt Kagura while she stays with us."

Kouga took Kagura roughly by the arm and forced his way through the gathered throng. He would have to get her out of sight if he wanted the members of his tribe to calm down. There was only one place he could take her now.

Kagura found herself being pushed roughly through an opening in the rocks that surrounded the village square. The cave was dark, but her youkai abilities helped her see in the dim light that filtered in from the doorway. It was a den, and, by the looks of it, the den of someone important.

"Just what the hell was that?" she demanded as she turned to face Kouga.

"They just need time to think about this. They're just surprised, and they weren't there to see what happened." Kouga pushed past her and went to a torch on the wall. He struck a flint against the stone wall to produce a spark. The torch quickly lit and he replaced it in its place on the wall. He grabbed several more torches and lit them from the first, moving to various spots around the cave and placing them in their receptacles. Within moments the cave went from darkness to flickering torchlight.

Kagura surveyed her new surroundings, surprised at the den that obviously belonged to Kouga. The cave was large and had a small stream running through the back, making its way down the mountain after cutting through the rock. Close to the stream was what had to be Kouga's bed - a nest-like cutout in the rock that was lined with soft furs. Closer to the entrance of the cave was a low table, something apparently acquired from a human village. The table was empty except for a small piece of paper that bore the likeness of Kagome.

Kagura casually picked up the picture, marveling at the talent of the artist as the picture appeared as real as if the human miko was standing in front of her

Kouga quickly took if from her and put it into a small box near his bed. "That's what Kagome called a pho-to-graph. They use a box to make the picture."

Kagura nodded and slowly circled the room, examining the sparse contents. While Naraku had been prone to surround himself with luxuries, Kouga obviously liked only the basics. Kagura could see only basic necessities in the wolf youkai's den.

"You'll have to stay her for now," Kouga explained as he went to the bed. "We'll have to put something up to give you some privacy."

"You don't honestly think I'm going to stay in your den? That wasn't part of the deal, damn it!" Kagura exploded at him.

"Don't worry. You'll be alone. And, it's the only place where I can be sure nobody else will bother you." Kouga turned and stalked to the cave entrance.

"Where are Ginta and Hakkaku?" he bellowed to a small gathering of villagers in the square.

A young wolf youkai ran up to Kouga and shook his head. "They haven't returned yet, Kouga. Is there something I can get for you?"

Kouga grunted and shook his head. "Just send those two idiots to me as soon as they get back." He turned and retreated back into his den. Great, he thought to himself. He had planned on putting the missing youkai to work watching over Kagura while he found himself a place to camp with the other unattached males from his tribe. Being alone in his den with the wind user was making him feel uneasy, although he had no idea why. He didn't dare leave her alone, with the reaction her presence had received, but he certainly didn't want to be stuck alone with her, either.

He fidgeted for a moment before going back to the only doorway of the den.

"Those two had better get back soon," he muttered as he sat down with his back to the hard stone of the opening. He had a feeling he was in for a long wait.

Author's note:

While I realize the pairing of Kouga and Kagura isn't canon, it's one I love and the idea of this story has been in my mind for over a year. Unfortunately, events in the manga, starting with chapter 370, and most specifically with chapter 374, have changed the possibilities of this story. Despite events in the manga, I will continue writing this story as planned. Chapter 374 has hit me hard, emotionally, and I will do my best to honor Kagura in my representation of her in this story. Urd-chan

"I am the wind. The free wind." Kagura (from chapter 374)