InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Death, Trust Me, as You Didn't in Life ❯ A Cold Wind Blowing ( Chapter 21 )

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

Chapter 21: A Cold Wind Blowing

A slight breeze rustled in the grass, breaking the silence that had fallen in the clearing, as Sesshoumaru held Kagome, neither feeling awkward in the quiet. It was simply comfortable, and comforting to both of them.

After awhile of that, Kagome found her mind wandering to what had happened earlier in the day, and shifted a bit in her lover's lap, before looking up at him.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He met her gaze curiously, a brow tilted in question.

"What happened earlier... with Koga, I mean?" she asked, tentatively.

Sesshoumaru tensed a bit, uncertain how she would react to what he had done. Finally, jaw tightening in remembered anger at the sight of Kagome injured and on the ground, he said, "He is dead, Kagome. I will not hide my nature from you. I will always defend what is mine - what is under my care will be protected. If one chooses to attack that which I care for, that one will die."

Kagome trembled a little, not really surprised. "I guess I expected that." She frowned thoughtfully as she went back over the confrontation between them, and was struck by something Koga had said.

"You know, that whole thing was just weird. He knew that I had died - and he knew that you had been with me. He said that Kagura told him - but how did she know?"

Her words were greeted with a deep growl, and as she glanced at him, she was surprised to find his eyes flickering red again.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Kagura," he spit out. "The wind witch thinks to cause trouble. I should have killed her when I had the chance."

Kagome looked taken aback. "What do you mean?"

The demon Lord sighed, then growled again, obvious irritation in his eyes. "After we were returned to this realm, I immediately began to travel towards the faint hints of your aura. But after a while, I grew hungry - I have not hunted in over a year - so I stopped to do so. After I had eaten, I was preparing to travel again, when Kagura came upon me." He looked disgruntled for a moment, his eyes flashing with ire. "She attempted to place her hands upon my person... there was desire for this Sesshoumaru in her eyes."

An annoyed huff reached his ears, and he glanced down at his miko, catching a bit of jealousy in her gaze.

"I turned her away, that goes without saying." His eyes narrowed. "Apparently, she did not take my warning. For that, her life is forfeit when next we meet."

"What was your warning?"

"That she should never attempt to accost me again."

"Well, she didn't, did she? She just sicced Koga on me." She stared down at the ground, a considering look in her eye. "It makes me wonder, though..." she trailed off, and Sesshoumaru waited impatiently for her to finish, which she did when he nudged her, "was it for revenge, to get back at you for turning her down... or was it to get me out of the way?"

Sesshoumaru was struck by that question.

The wind witch is nothing if not persistent, this I know well, after all, she sought me out several times in an effort to gain my assistance in freeing herself from the spider. And she desires me as a mate - it is apparent that she has for some time. Could it be that she is a threat to my miko?

So. I suppose I will have to come up with a way to negate this threat, then. I will not allow any to take away that which is mine - and that female copy of Naraku will learn this the hard way...

When she finds her death at the end of my sword.

---wWw---

Kagome woke early the next morning, and stretched, feeling a hundred percent better than she had the day before.

Guess Sesshoumaru wasn't kidding when he said that about my healing abilities. It's nice not to be in pain for long periods of time after being injured, that's for sure.

She sat up, then pulled her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them absently, lost in thought.

A great deal had happened to her in the last few weeks, and for the most part, she hadn't really had much time to consider any of it. From dying, to traveling with Sesshoumaru, learning to trust him - and understanding that she loved him, to being brought back to life, there was a lot to think about.

And then on top of all that, there was the chance that she now had a jealous Kagura on her case.

What am I going to do about that, anyway?

Really, what is there that she could do to me besides try to kill me? I need to figure it out, because I definitely don't want to have her and her little schemes sneaking up on me - Naraku was bad enough.

She looked across the clearing, her eyes finally coming to light on Kikyou, and tilted her head thoughtfully.

Kikyou...

She'd be a good one to ask about this, after all, she's certainly seen a lot in her time, been trained where I haven't, and also lived with a sneaky mind for a long time after she was brought back.

She started in surprise when Sesshoumaru spoke up from behind her.

"Miko, what are you plotting? I can almost hear you thinking from here."

Kagome jerked her head around and stared at him for a minute blankly, then shook her head and smiled.

"Just thinking I need to have a little talk with Kikyou about something, that's all."

"About what? Inuyasha?" He said this with a suspicious frown on his face, and Kagome growled at him huffily.

"No, Sesshoumaru, not about him. If you must know," she said, irritation plain in her eyes at his jealous inquiry, "I was going to ask her about what Kagura could attempt to get me out of the way."

"Hn." He flashed a look at the elder miko across the camp, a weighing expression in his eyes. "She could possibly prove useful in that area."

Kagome frowned, then looked away, staring out into the trees. "Inuyasha never came back last night, did he? she asked, guilt sharpening her voice.

"No, he did not. And that is not your fault, Kagome. It is his own, for refusing to accept that you had made a choice." He shook his head sharply. "Since, of course, he was unable to do so for so many years, it was only a matter of time before the choice was taken from his hands. That is a lesson he had to learn - nothing ever stays the same. Change is always bound to come."

She nodded. "I know. It doesn't mean I have to like the outcome of all this, though. I'm worried about him. I think we need to get started on the day - get camp packed up, and head out. Then you can track him, just to make sure he's okay, and then we'll head to the west. I just need to make sure that he's all right, that's all," she said, when he cast her another flat look.

"Will I ever be free of your worry for the half-breed?" he asked rhetorically, not really wanting to hear her answer - he already knew what it was, and couldn't help the small thrill of jealousy that ran through him.

Kagome's eyes softened on him for a moment, and she stood and walked over to him. Dropping to her knees before him, she reached out a hand and smoothed it over his cheek, and smiled, a soft smile - one only shown between lovers.

"No, you won't. But I made my choice publicly last night, Sesshoumaru - and I meant it. Inuyasha will always be my friend, and you can't ask me to stop caring about any of them... if I did, I wouldn't be me anymore - but you own my heart and soul and that will never change. So no more jealousy, okay?"

He held her gaze for endless moments of time - moments encompassing an eternity within them where they were the only two in existence... then finally nodded, a small smile just touching the corner of his mouth.

"Very well... but you must swear the same to me, miko." At her confused expression, he continued. "You must not show jealousy, either. This Sesshoumaru does not change his mind once it has been made up - that is for those who do not understand themselves. I suffer from no such confusion."

She blushed a little, and smiled, dropping her gaze, letting her hand trail down his chest, before falling back in her lap. "Okay. I'll try."

He raised a brow as he stood, pulling her up with him. "There is no 'try', Kagome - there is only doing. I believe I have said that to you before, have I not?"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it." She shooed him away and turned towards her bag. "I'm going to go get dressed." Looking up as Sango called to her, she smiled at her and shook her head at her inquiry. "I'm fine, Sango... just going to get ready for the day. There's a lot that needs done today."

She hurried off behind the bushes at the edge of the clearing towards the stream, unaware of the deeply hungry look being bestowed upon her curvaceous form by a certain demon Lord - but the women still in the camp certainly noticed, and both flushed a bit with envy.

Miroku, on the other hand, while certainly noticing the look on Sesshoumaru's face, didn't immediately jump into his role as lecher, instead, a troubled expression sat on his features, and he glanced at Sango, frowning, then looked away.

Shippo chuckled to himself as he moved over towards Rin, waking her and doing his best to keep her occupied while the breakfast was being prepared. He thought it was awfully funny that the biggest pervert that existed in the entire world had been struck down by the words of a priestess.

How ironic was that?

Sesshoumaru shook his head at himself as he forcibly pulled his mind from the delightful form of his miko, and turned, mind once again concentrated on the almost certain trouble posed by Kagura. Motioning for Jaken to follow, he headed away from the camp, not wanting any to hear his instructions to the little imp - it would be best for no one to know what he was planning.

"Jaken. I want you to go to the west, and find Nyoko. Bring her to me - but do not let anyone see her. When you get back, simply find a place nearby and wait, I will find you."

"Yes, my Lord! This Jaken will not fail," he said, bowing and fawning all over his Lord.

"Go, then, and stop groveling - it wastes my time."

He stood and watched as the toad hurried off, turning his plan over in his mind, considering every aspect of it. Finally, he nodded. With everything, there were risks, but what he was choosing carried very few, and since this dealt with the one aspect of his life he was not willing to endanger - in other words, his miko, soon to be his mate - the fewer the risks, the better.

By the time he returned to camp, the others had already eaten, and Kagome and the other miko were nowhere to be seen - leaving him to conclude that she had taken her aside to ask her her opinion of the wind witch, and her possible schemes.

He was rather curious to know what the former dirt miko would say.

He probably wouldn't have been too happy were he to have heard her.

---wWw---

Kagura had traveled quickly, riding her feather aloft through the currents and eddies that dominated the air high above the land, and reached the borders of the western lands just before sundown the night before.

She had liked what she'd seen.

Despite the fact that there were larger than usual numbers of demons running around here, as well as the other cardinal directions, there seemed to be a little less here, and it was obvious that these lands had been cared for much better than the others - it would take far more neglect for this land to deteriorate as far as the others had.

I could definitely live here - although I wonder where he hides his palace? One as elegant as he would have a most beautiful and rich appearing dwelling, I am sure. He is obviously more than wealthy - he never seems to worry about money at all, if he needs something, he simply hands that imp of his funds and sends him off.

Maybe I'll ask around... I wouldn't mind getting a glimpse of my soon-to-be home. I'm sure it has to be far better than Naraku's stolen luxuries - especially after that filth lived in them for awhile. And the servants! I'm sure he has many, it will be so nice not to have to do everything for myself!

With those cheery thoughts floating through her mind, Kagura headed further into the west. With a vague idea that his palace would probably be centrally located within his lands, she flew for several more hours, before settling down somewhere as close to the middle of the western domain as possible, and slept the night away, dreams of luxury, power, and titles winding through her mind.

By midmorning of the next day, she had given up looking for his palace.

She hadn't been able to detect anything that she considered might be his home, deciding that he probably had his palace bespelled to keep unwanted beings away from it. That was a bit annoying, truthfully, but she could deal with that. Instead, she turned her attention to the nearest village - and began listening to everything in hopes of overhearing anything she could use to her advantage.

It didn't take long before whispers of a sorceress began to meet her ears - one Nyoko, who, it was said, for a price, could pretty much do anything you asked of her.

That, to Kagura, sounded more than promising.

Now she just needed to find out where this sorceress lived.

Once I have her in my pocket, it won't be long before I have Sesshoumaru between my legs - and that miko gone.

The thought pleased her, and a tiny eddy of wind climbed higher and higher into the sky, sending out her scent across the lands.

A subtle shift in the atmosphere around her should have given her pause, and would have, if she'd noted it. But she was too busy gloating to pay any heed to it...

Or what it meant.

She really should have given thought to the nature of dog demons - and the meaning that territory had to them.

It was far different from the meaning that Naraku had given to the word, because to a dog demon, what was encompassed within that word was a rather symbiotic relationship.

When he said it was his to defend, his to protect, that's exactly what he meant.

It was also another of those reciprocal things - kind of like his and Kagome's vows to each other.

Good for them...

Bad for Kagura.

---wWw---

Kagome smiled as she looked across at her former enemy. It was definitely much nicer to be on friendly terms with the elder priestess, and she sighed a bit as she thought back over the years they'd wasted fighting over the heart of someone that Kagome knew now she'd never have truly held.

When looked at in the light of hindsight, it was ridiculous.

She caught Kikyou looking at her curiously, waiting for her to speak, and laughed, a bit.

"I wanted to talk to you about something - I thought you'd have some good ideas about it, and Sesshoumaru agreed." She looked down, gathering her thoughts as Kikyou nodded encouragingly. With a sigh, she began speaking.

"It seems that I have gained another enemy." She blushed, a sheepish look crossing her face as she glanced at Kikyou. "You are probably going to laugh at me - how I get myself into these situations I'll never know... but I guess Kagura is after Sesshoumaru for herself, and now wants me out of the way."

Kikyou sat back on her heels, an incredulous expression settling on her face... and then she lowered her face into her hands and started laughing. "Oh, dear. You just can't catch a break, can you? The kami seem to love messing with your life, don't they? I can't think of one single person whose story would top yours for strangeness - not even mine, and that's saying a lot."

Kagome nodded, sheepish expression still firm on her face, and shook her head. "I know. It must be something about our soul. It makes me wonder," she sent a mischievous look at the older miko, "just what they still have in store for you."

She shuddered in horror as Kagome's words sunk in, closing her eyes tightly. "Don't even say that in a joking manner, it's not funny at all." With a deep sigh, she opened her eyes again and looked at Kagome. "So... what did you want to ask then?"

"Well, we all know what Naraku was like, with all his plotting and planning all the time, so I was wondering if you could give me any ideas as to what kind of trouble Kagura could find to throw at me? With the end result of gaining Sesshoumaru for herself, of course."

Brow raised, Kikyou nodded thoughtfully. "There are quite a few, really... the main one being possession as far as I can see, it would have the best results for her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she could possess you, make you betray Sesshoumaru, then kill you - causing him to repudiate you, and accept Kagura instead." She chuckled. "Of course, we all know how successful with that kind of thing Naraku was - and even Menomaru that time - while they did gain partial control, you were still able to fight back."

Kagome frowned at that thought, uneasy with something like that happening, and started to speak, only to have her thoughts interrupted as Kikyou tilted her head consideringly and spoke.

"You know... if she did try that, you could easily turn it around on her, you know. Once you gained control, she wouldn't be able to fight you at all." She nodded then. "It definitely has possibilities." Catching Kagome's gaze, she held it.

"It's something to think about, Kagome. Sure, there'd be a little risk, but I'm pretty sure you could take control over her very easily. I could show you how to do it."

Kagome stared straight ahead, weighing things in her mind, as a cold breeze suddenly wrapped around her, making her shiver in visceral dread.

Maybe I should prepare myself...

Just in case.

---wWw---

A/N: Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

On a side-note, isn't plotting fun? Look at all the different ideas floating around, Kagura, Sesshoumaru, and now Kikyou and Kagome all planning things... wonder where this is going? And where is Inuyasha, anyway?

Amber