InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Fire ❯ Magnolian Eyes ( Chapter 13 )

Title: Into the Fire

Author: Chiaztolite

Rating: NC-17/M for lemon, rape, and violence

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha

 

A/N: Shinjyuu= sacred/holy beast

Shintora= holy tiger

 

A feather boat landed on the foot of the Mountain of Gods. Its rider was a raven haired female youkai with bright pink eyes and blood red lips, her hand was clutching a brown leather pouch that contained the scrolls her master desired so. With a sigh, she dismounted her weightless carriage, turning the boat back into its feather form. She tucked the snow-white quill into her jet black hair, eyes lifted up to gaze at the peak of the mountain where the palace stood in silence.

Gods knew how much she hated to go back there…

As she started to ascend the steps leading up to the summit of the steep plateau, the burned wound on her calve caused her to cringe in pain. A small branch of pink flowers slipped out of the sleeve of her kimono and fell onto the ground. She halted her steps and dropped to her knees, her delicate fingers picked the cherished item she had dropped.

`They match the color of your eyes…'

The words of a certain taiyoukai refused to leave her mind as she gazed upon the pale crimson petals of those beautiful magnolias. The memory of her unexpected encounter with the captivating inuyoukai the night before curved a dim, soft smile on her lips. Those flowers were still radiating sweet, pungent smell although they were plucked hours ago. Their intoxicating scent seemed to calm her nerves and enveloped her in a peaceful embrace.

Carefully, she tucked the lovely cluster into her hair that was pulled up neatly in a bun, their scarlet color brought out the striking hue of her eyes. Another sigh escaped her lips as she continued her steps, slowly ascending towards the palace where her master was waiting…

 

Into the Fire

 

Chapter 13: Magnolian Eyes

 

Shouri cringed in pain as the wet cloth touched the wound on the corner of her lips. She was alone on the brink of a spring, a damp white cloth was in her hand to wipe dry blood off of her lips. Her slapped cheek was still throbbing hot, whether it was due to pain, shame, or anger, she could not tell. She looked down to observe her own reflection on the surface of the crystal clear water and frowned when she saw her usually bright emerald orbs were saddened and clouded, troubled by the most recent dispute with her brother.

She startled as the reflection of another entered the picture, her lips tried to smile when he laid his hand on her shoulder. She turned around to greet him, her forced smile disappeared in an instant at the sight of his sharp gaze and his stiff lips that did not return her smile. Realizing where those blue eyes aimed their stare, she could only bowed her head and muttered,

“…He did not mean to strike me…” Quietly, she defended her brother.

Without uttering a word of response, Ryoushin took the damp cloth from her hand and continued her tending on the small wound, gently dabbing the tip of the cloth on the corner of her lips to wipe traces of blood away from her face.

“I am sorry about those scrolls, Shin-ai…” She softly said as she rested her hand on his chest, expressing her sympathy on the lost sacred heirloom of his race.

“Do not worry about the scrolls.” He answered lightly while he continued his ministration. She looked at him rather perplexedly, though he only smiled as his respond to her questioning gaze.

When they finally returned to the camping site, they found that the pack was waiting for them, including Sesshoumaru. Shouri stared at her brother whose back was to her, eyes clouded with sadness as she felt his cold and hardhearted demeanor towards her. Ryoushin seemed somewhat alarmed when the humans approached them, a cautious look was on his face when he saw them coming. Sensing her intended mate's uneasiness, and knowing what caused it, Shouri took his hand into hers and gave it a little squeeze to calm him.

“…I have told him about your quest to defeat Naraku…” Shouri informed the awaiting crowd. “And because of the incident this morning, I trust that you no longer have doubts that he is not one of Naraku's allies?” The pack said nothing to her query yet she sensed their silent approval. The monk in dark blue robe stepped forward and with his usual polite voice, he asked,

“So will you assist us in breaking through the barrier of the mountain, Ryoushin-sama?”

The question left the holy tiger blank-faced for a moment before he answered,

“For your information, I have been banished from the mountain and therefore unable to break the barrier…”

His response, of course, sent alarming shock through the pack members. The panicked hanyou stomped his feet and started to growl,

“Then why did Shouri say that you can break the barr…?!”

“In my defense,” The irritated inu princess interrupted his complaint. “I did not say that he can break the barrier. I said he can get us passed the barrier. There is a difference between those two statements.”

“I know a secret passage that will enable us to enter the mountain without dealing with the barrier at all.” Ryoushin said, causing the rest of them to puff air of relief.

“Then you are willing to lead us through the passage and help us enter the mountain?” The monk asked for confirmation, a smile was on his face.

“…Only because Shouri asked me to.” Ryoushin answered coldly. “But in one condition…” His hands were curled up in a fist, eyes slightly glared to those around him as he proceeded, “I do not care about what you do with Naraku… but keep this in mind… The dragon is mine…”

When a deal was finally achieved, Ryoushin stared up to the blue sky, watching the sun that has risen high. “We should leave soon…” He muttered. “Let us not waste more time dallying in this place…”

The inappropriately-clothed girl with a bow and arrows like those of a miko's asked, “Now that Naraku has those scrolls in his possession, how much time do we have until he opens the gate to the afterlife?”

“Do not concern yourself with those scrolls.” He simply answered, eyes were still watching the sky above. His forehead frowned, thinking.

“It is still another five days of walking to get to the foot of the mountain…” He muttered. “It will take that long to proceed this journey on foot…We shall fly instead.”

“But isn't flying will only expose us to too much danger? The beasts of the forest will be able to track us easily…” The human girl spoke again. A thin, almost mocking smile appeared on his lips. He turned to stare into her eyes.

“…The beasts of the forest…?” He repeated. “Who do you think you are traveling with?”

He turned to the direction of the blowing wind and put his left thumb and index finger to blow a melodious, high-pitched and lasting whistle. The beautiful resonance he made echoed through the depth of the woods, calling something from the mysterious, untouched part of the forest. They all waited curiously yet nothing happened until after a minute or two, a creature slowly loomed from beyond the dense trees.

The one who answered his call was a strange beast… It was a creature that possessed the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox, and the tail of a lion. It leaped gracefully towards them as if it was walking on the clouds, as if its weight was supported by the wind.

“…A Kirin…?” Miroku whispered in fascination as he observed the unique, poise creature that stood before them. “The legendary sacred beast that is said to appear only in areas ruled by a wise and benevolent leader…”

Ryoushin smiled and took a few steps forward until he was standing only a few feet away from the shinjyuu who was watching him curiously, its size was close to a mature horse. He was reminded of a peaceful time in the past when Kirins roamed the Mountain of Gods freely and live side by side with his people, his late father was a wise and benevolent leader after all. Yet after the sudden change of ruler, those sacred beasts were too, forced to flee the mountain and had been hiding in the depths of the Forest of No Return ever since.

With his claw he sliced the tender flesh of his index finger, holding it up before the watching beast, letting blood dripped from the fresh wound. The Kirin sniffed his trickling droplets for a second or two before it dropped its head low, bowing before its master who had returned. He went closer to the animal, his hand combing through the soft mane on its head as he murmured softly,

“…Old friend…”

The Kirin responded to his kind touches and rubbed the side of its head against the palm of his hand. Ryoushin gently led the shinjyuu towards the humans and said,

“…I believe you will need him for flying…Handle him gently, Kirins do not respond well to harsh treatment…”

Miroku inclined his head to show his gratitude. “Thank you.” He said. “Shippou, Sango, and myself will ride Kirara. Inuyasha and Kagome can ride the Kirin.”

Ryoushin nodded and handed the Kirin over to the monk who took it carefully by its antler, then turned to Shouri and said,

“You shall ride with me.”

Shouri smiled as a sign of her agreement, though her eyes turned gloom when her sight captured her brother, who had made his own preparation and ready to take leave. Her heart wished to have a conversation with him, yet at the same time, it shrank when she saw him distanced himself from her. Sensing that it was not yet the right time for a reconciliation attempt, she turned to Ryoushin, who was watching her intently outside her knowledge.

A sheer layer of white cloud covered his body as he transformed into his beast form, a beautiful tiger with shiny black-striped golden pelt and the same cerulean blue eyes. He lowered his body so that Shouri could easily hop onto his back. Once settled on top of him, her fingers scratched the sensitive spot just behind his ears, her loving touch caused the giant cat to purr comfortably. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her cheek against the soft pelt of his head, thinking that she could easily fall into peaceful slumber with his fur as a perfect headrest.

Kagome observed the tiger and made a comment on how small his transformed beast was compared to Sesshoumaru in his gigantic white dog form. Ryoushin's was only slightly larger than an ordinary tiger, about the same size as Kirara in its large state.

“I have heard that the holy tigers are capable of two stages of transformation…” Miroku responded to her comment. “The first stage is what we are seeing right now, very similar to their animal counterpart. To the holy tigers, their smaller form is very convenient for hunting and it is also used in their traditional mating ritual. Then the second stage is their monstrous beast form, just like that of any other full-blooded youkai.”

“Hmm…” Kagome hummed as her respond, still watching the inu princess who was whispering to the tiger's ear so softly.

Not wanting to waste time anymore, they rode their beasts and continued their journey towards the Mountain of Gods. According to Ryoushin, it will still take them about three days until they reached their destination. They will fly for two days, though they have no choice but to proceed with their last part of the journey on foot. It would be too dangerous to fly, for they would be very close to the mountain by that time.

`Three days…' Kagome whispered inwardly as she tightened her arms around Inuyasha's waist. She bit her lips, noticing that her heart was pounding faster than normal. `Just another three days and we will face Naraku…'

 

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Inside a dark room lit only by two dim lanterns, the raven haired demon sat down on the polished wood floor with the brown leather pouch perched on his lap. He untied the lace that held the pouch closed and carefully took four scrolls out of the brown envelope. Their sizes were identically small, the width of each was only a little more than the length of a middle finger. It would be difficult to distinguish them from one another if not for the blood red stamp on the surface of each, indicating numbers from one to four.

Naraku smirked in satisfaction as he impatiently opened the first scroll, taking only a quick glance over all the characters written in black ink on that long sheet of snow white paper. The scroll with number two written on the stamp was the same case, though it contained characters with different meanings as the sequence to its predecessor. His smirk grew wider as he started to open the third scroll, his mind planned to spend the entire day and night to study them all. With careful planning, he would be able to execute his plot and summon the undead by dawn.

Kagura stood still in one dark corner of the room, utter disgust was on her face as she watched her master focusing all his attention on those scrolls she stole.

`How long will it take him to study them all…?' She wondered warily. Her mental question was left unpondered since a sudden shocked, furious growl came from the previously quiet and focused youkai, snatching her from her realm of thought. Her brows knitted, her pink eyes were staring at her master, wondering what had gotten into him this time.

On the floor lay the fourth scroll, unfurled to display long plane of white paper. Yet it was a mere blank piece of paper, completely clean and spotless. Not even one single character, not even a dot of ink was on its surface. The demon turned to glare at her, slowly rising from his sitting position. With glowing scarlet eyes, he took his time to approach her, his sheer black cloud of evil youki started to rise from behind him.

“…What did you do to the fourth scroll…?” He growled between clenched teeth. Kagura stepped backwards as her master drew near, her fan was tightly clutched in her hand.

“I did nothing!” She snarled at the demon he loathed so for keeping her freedom away from her and treating her like the lowest slave. “I did not even open the pouch!”

Naraku's scarlet eyes narrowed into two angered slits as a cruel, evil smirk was spread on his lips. It was no mystery to him that this one incarnation of his had been trying to detach herself from his manipulation. It was sensible, and very possible, that she would stand in his way in obtaining those four scrolls that held the secrets to open the gates to the afterlife. After all, she was the one who had voluntarily assisted Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru to come this far against him.

“Don't come any closer!” She growled fiercely, though a hint of fear had tainted her tone and scent. As he expected, all the years of torment that he had inflicted upon her had rendered her fearful towards him, though it did not stop her from leaking information of his whereabouts and weaknesses to those who wished him dead.

Not paying any heed to her warning, he advanced, causing the female to open her fan and launched three crescent shaped blades that flew at him in great speed. Without exerting much of an effort, he dodged them, letting them crashed against the opposite wall. Her action angered him nevertheless, causing his eyes to glare at the cornered female, his hand lifted to the level of his eyes as his fingers flexed and stiffened alternately. Then, his fingers closed in as if he was crushing something that was not there. In that instant, Kagura felt a sharp pang on the left side of her chest, the spot where her heart should have been. Her body fell, her front slammed against the hard floor, her hand clutched the part that was most painful.

“…Damn…you…” Breathlessly, she cursed the demon towering before her fallen body, her claws raked the wood floor beneath. “…Damn you!” She screamed out, her pink orbs glowed with hatred. Her curse of anger only triggered him to tightened his hold of her virtual heart while the actual limb was safely hidden somewhere in the palace. Once more she cried out in pain, her breathing labored and her mouth parted to supply air into her tortured lung. Her hair that was neatly tied up was now disheveled and cascaded down passed her shoulder.

Naraku's cold, cruel eyes watched the whimpering female who lay helplessly on the floor. He stepped forward and bent his knees, taking a fistful of those shiny black locks and roughly yanked her head upwards, straining her neck. He lowered his head to inhale the scent radiating from the helpless female. She smelled like him, she belonged to him…

“You're a fool if you think you can free yourself from me, Kagura…” He hissed into her ear, causing her body to shiver when his hot breath grazed her skin. “…As long as you're living, you will always be my slave…Always…”

Her eyes widened when she heard his spiteful words. She jerked her hair free from his grip and hatefully spat in his face. He snarled at her act of defiance and struck her face so hard that her body crashed against the opposite wall. He stood up and took steps toward her writhing body, his malicious nature urged him to punish her more, his rotten mind wished to see her suffer more.

Her eyes widened in terror as she saw him reached out for something from behind his back. Her body squirmed and she tried to crawl away when he held that whip before her, the one that was adorned in razor-sharp metal thorns all around.

She let out a terrified gasp when he pushed her head to flush with the floor, his other hand that gripped the whip raised high above her. Her screams tore the silence of the dark, gloom palace as he smeared the first lash on the skin of her back, which just started to recover from his act of cruelty the night before. The thorns mercilessly ripped her already wounded skin along with the fabric of her kimono, drawing blood from those fresh gashes on her scalded flesh.

As he lashed her over and over again, her blurred vision captured the sight of the magnolias, the same ones that were tucked in her hair. The cluster of flowers laid still on the floor in front of her, a silent witness to her pain and anguish. Her trembling hand reached out, wanting to touch their soft petals that seemed so close before her. Alas her fingers only managed to caress thin air. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she was deprived of that one thing that might provide her comfort in such time of suffering. Her lips uttered one silent whisper, mouthing his name, though he was not there to answer her call.

“…Sesshoumaru…”

 

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The pack flew high in the air with the stunning scenery of lush green trees stretched beneath them, as far as the eyes can see. And far ahead on the horizon, they could see the Mountain of Gods, hidden behind thick mists, its peak was so high that it pierced the clouds. So far, no beast of the forest had dared to attack them, an advantage of traveling with the lord of the Shintora. They had traveled all day long without pausing, shortening the distance to their destination little by little. The orange-colored sky was a sign that the sun was on its way to set and it was almost time for them to find a suitable place for the night.

Shouri tightened her arms around Ryoushin's neck and for the hundredth time that day, she nuzzled her face against the soft, fury pelt of the tiger. And for the hundredth time that day, he let out a low, warning rumble as her simple gesture of affection made him wanted to land somewhere, pin her down on the ground and kiss those beautiful lips of hers over and over again. She giggled sheepishly and whispered her words of apology in his ear, earning a soft purr as a response from him. Still caressing her intended mate's fur between her fingers, she turned to sprawl herself on his back and relaxingly watched the pallid fuchsia sky above. She took a deep breath and for a moment, gave her mind a well-deserved break from the disturbing memory of her arguments with her brother, from the weight of the curse, from all the things that burdened her heart.

A growl that came from the tiger beneath her, alarming but mostly surprised, shattered her peaceful moments. She turned back on her belly, eyes scanned the empty air before them until she found what had captured Ryoushin's attention.

“…What is that…?” She heard Rin, who was riding the two-headed dragon in front of them, asked. Her finger was pointing at a white object far ahead that was drifting in the wind, swaying up and down clumsily as if it had lost its course.

Shouri narrowed her eyes to allow for a better observation on the object, and her forehead frowned as she recognized what it was.

`…Is it not the feather boat that belongs to that wind youkai…?' She whispered inwardly.

At the same time, Sesshoumaru's sharp vision had captured what his sister saw as well. He had no doubt that the white flying object was Kagura's feather boat. His eyes widened as he saw a female figure fell off the boat, the vivid colors of her kimono proved that she was indeed the wind sorceress. She was unconscious, judging from how her body was completely still even when she fell from the sky down to the awaiting pack of trees below. He froze for a moment at the sight of her body plummeting to the earth, hesitated whether he should or should not save her for the second time in one day. Finally, he gritted his teeth and let his body transformed into a blue sphere of light and dipped into the air below to catch her.

“…Nii-sama!” Shouri called out to him, yet he was descending with the speed that was beyond all stopping.

Sensing where she wanted to go, what she wanted to do, Ryoushin changed his course and chased the sinking ball of blue light that contained the youkai lord. The remainder of the pack too, halted their beasts and turned their direction to follow the tiger's lead.

He caught her in his arm a few seconds before her body crashed into the hard ground, the distinct scent of her blood filled his nostrils. His hand that was on her back sensed the dampness there. His forehead frowned as he realized that Naraku had once again tortured this rebellious minion of his, though the reason was still a mystery to him.

After safely landing on the ground, Shouri stood still and observed her brother and the female stranger, wondering why on earth he saved her time and time again, wondering who she was to him.

`Just as well…' Ryoushin thought as he watched the unpredictable lord of the Western Lands carried the fainted female to a nearby cave. `It is time to settle for the night anyway…'

 

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The mirror of vision was showing her in the arm of a certain youkai lord. Naraku chuckled, his hand was rubbing his chin as he fixed his eyes on the intriguing sight.

`I knew that one day she would be of use for me…' He thought, head slightly turned when he sensed the dragon entered his chamber. Those blasted, now-useless scrolls were still lying on the floor, all spread out in a hap hazard manner.

Seiryuu took the blank fourth scroll and observed it for a little while before a sour smile was seen on his lips. With his hand he crumpled the piece of paper and hurled it to the dark corner of the room.

“…That brat…” He hissed angrily. “He fooled you…”

“Calm yourself, Seiryuu…” The other demon said, his index finger pointed at the mirror which scene had changed. Its surface was now showing the golden haired holy tiger accompanied by a silver haired female youkai. “We can still make other arrangements…Do you see who he is with?”

Seiryuu narrowed his eyes and moved closer to the mirror. “The female inu? Who is she?” He asked.

“She is his mate-to-be…” Naraku's slick voice responded. “She is his weakness other than those two cubs…” A smirk appear on his lips as he thought,

`…What a valuable hostage she is…considering that she is Sesshoumaru's kin as well…'

“Make arrangements to snatch the correct fourth scroll from him…” The ryuu youkai coldly said. “Or somehow get him here to open the gates himself… I will leave the method to you, Naraku…”

The raven haired youkai said nothing, yet his ruby eyes followed his so-called ally left the chamber. He could not wait until the time comes when he gets rid of the dragons…

 

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It was such a drastic change from the bright, airy mood in the sky above to the dark, gloomy forest beneath. The humans had started to light the fire to escape shadows, also for protection from the air that started to grow chilly, since they were getting closer to Mountain of Gods. Soon enough, they went to browse the surrounding for something edible to eat. Shouri had also disappeared, doing something that only the Gods knew what.

Sesshoumaru sat Kagura unconscious body on the cave floor, catching a glimpse of the ghastly scalded skin on her back when he leaned her against the rocky wall. He watched her as those long eyelashes started to flutter and she opened her ruby eyes, staring into the depth of his own amber ones. Though her eyes were already opened, she seemed as if she was still trapped in the realm of her dream, lips moving so slightly that he could not catch that one word she mouthed. Again, she tried to speak and this time, he heard her faint, raspy whisper.

“…Sesshoumaru…?” It was his name that clung on those scarlet lips.

He made no effort to respond and continued to observe the rousing female instead. Perplexedly, she gazed around her only to find that it was just the two of them inside the fairly small cave. Her ears could capture noises coming from outside, noises she could recognize as the voices of Inuyasha and his companions, as well as the little girl and the green imp who were always with this youkai lord before her.

“…Why…” Her soft whisper started to ask.

“Why are you here?” He snatched her question. His voice was cold, unemotional, just like his facial expression, just like how he had always been. She could only stare at him confusedly, not knowing what to say since it was the same question she had in mind.

“You have obtained those scrolls.” He explained almost impatiently when he sensed her puzzlement. “What more did your master want?”

Weakly, she shook her head. “The fourth scroll was fake…” She quietly said. ”He got mad and…” She could not complete her words, yet he knew what she was trying to tell him. The scent of her blood was vivid in the air, explaining everything that had happened to her.

`So that is why the tiger remained calm even when the scrolls were stolen…' Sesshoumaru thought as he watched the silent female. `One of them is fake…'

Kagura lowered her head and bit her lips, thinking what on earth she was doing there. She could not deny that she longed to go to him after she escaped from the palace. Never did she expect that he actually found her and saved her, though his usual cold demeanor did not show that he was glad to do so.

Uncomfortable silence filled the small cave, stifling them as they both grew mute. After some insufferable moments, Kagura shifted her eyes upward to stare deep into those pools of gold that were watching her intently. He was watching her intently… He looked as handsome as ever, with his strong facial features, his beautifully sculpted lips, his smooth alabaster skin, and his sun kissed eyes. They were only inches from each other that Kagura could feel the warmth radiating from his body, she could smell his masculine scent. She inhaled deeply and felt the scorching heat that scalded her cheeks. Her scarlet lips were slightly parted, causing the male before her to shift his eyes lower to stare at their enticing moisture.

Slowly her trembled, delicate fingers rose, wanting to touch the silkiness of his skin. She was hesitant to touch him, her fingers floated in the empty air. When she finally felt his warm skin, he did not snatch her fingers away. He let her linger, he let her graze the smoothness of his cheek, tracing the deep magenta stripes there.

“…Why did you save me, Sesshoumaru…?” She whispered, her voice sounded frail and hoarse yet mellifluous and tender at the same time. “…Why…?”

He was frozen, his lips were sealed tight, his eyes held emotion that no one could interpret. His sizzling gaze bewitched her, held her captive. She did not even realize when her body leaned towards him ever so slightly, as if pulled by an invisible string. So close was she to him, his breath felt warm on her cheek. Her hand that was on his face slid downward and rested itself against his firm shoulder. He made no gesture to stop her forwardness. Again, she slowly leaned forward, her head lifted as she brought her lips closer and closer to his.

Just when they were a hair breadth apart, he turned away, leaving her to state at his profile with bleak eyes. Feeling ashamed and dejected, she squirmed away, clutching her hand that had tasted the warmth of his body close to her chest. She lowered her head in shame and bit her lips, her eyes shut tight.

`…So it is impossible…' She thought, bleeding inside. `For someone like me…'

She tried to hold back tears that were about to roll down her cheek when she heard him spoke,

“I will get someone to treat those wounds on your back.”

She did not even bother to respond to his words, her glassy eyes were fixed on her lap. He straightened himself up and stood before her for a moment, staring down at her lowered head. With no more words, he turned around on his heels to leave the cave, his mind pondered whether or not he should ask Shouri to tend for Kagura's wound. He gave up his hope when yesterday's dispute suddenly reappeared in his mind, the same dispute that had left his sister bitter, it seemed. His chest rose and fell as he heaved a sigh while he gave it another thought.

No, Rin would be his best bet…

Soon enough, his steps reached the mouth of the cave, stopping abruptly when he almost ran into a certain female who was about to stroll into the cave. She too, halted her steps and looked up, her green eyes widened in an emotion that was a mixture of shock and discomfort before she hastily lowered her gaze and stepped aside to make way for him. Outside his will, he winced when he saw that she, the closest kin he had, was forced to feel uneasy before him. He lowered his eyes to stare at her hands, forehead frowned as he noticed the small bowl of green concoction and several clean wrap clothes she held within her palms. As if sensing his curiosity, she quietly said,

“…These are for those wounds on her back…” Her head was still bowed low.

He stiffened for a moment before nodding as a response. Without even lifting her eyes to look at him, she strode passed him, her silky silver locks swayed with every step she took. He watched her body swallowed by the darkness of the cavern, knowing that he should have talked to her and settled their dispute, yet the distance between them grew wider still.

Shouri saw the female stranger sat still with her back leaned against the cave wall, her complexion pale as if blood had drained from her body. Slowly, her head turned to the side when she realized someone approaching, bright pink eyes slightly widened as she recognized the looming female. Shouri held her cool emerald gaze, watching the motionless female rather cautiously, this female whom her brother had protected twice. A sharp, merciless pang of jealousy stabbed her heart, though she could not keep curiosity from seeping in. Her words were left unsaid until she knelt next to Kagura's body.

“Turn around…” She muttered, setting the bowl of concoction along with the clothes on the ground. Kagura squirmed for a bit before she lifted her back off of the cave wall and revealed her rear body to the inu. Shouri flinched as she saw the wind sorceress' ravaged skin and flesh, all caked with dry blood the torn kimono could not hide. Kagura turned her head to peek at the female behind her, feeling awkward and ashamed of her tainted form.

“Loosen your garment…” Shouri told her with a voice slightly softened, her hands gently helped to strip the kimono off of the wounded back. Kagura bit her lips when the clinging cloth tugged her broken flesh and sighed in relief when they managed to take the fabric off. Instinctively, her arms lifted up to cover her nude breasts in a modest manner, even though there was no one to see her

Shouri ran the tip of her finger along one deep gash on Kagura's back, her heart cringed as she involuntarily felt a hint of compassion for the female's suffering. What was once a smooth plane of white flesh was now broken and marred with cuts and welts from a whip, the skin around was all purpled and bruised. Her hand picked up the dampened cloth next to her and started to clean the wounds. She could feel Kagura's body stiffened, even the slightest dab of the wet cloth seemed to have pained the injured female. She lightened her tending so that she would not add more ache to the already tortured flesh.

“…Your brother…” Kagura whispered softly, causing Shouri's hand to freeze in its task. The silver-haired female stared at the dark-haired one before her, who sat still with her head hung low and shoulders crouched. Her slender arms clutched the gathering white and purple striped fabric tightly to conceal her breasts. Shouri said nothing and her silence gave Kagura the cue to continue.

“…He confuses me…” She finally completed her words. Shouri did not respond for a little while but then she uttered,

“He confuses many.” Her voice was as thin as a piece of paper and cooler than the chill night air. Kagura felt a soothing cool sensation when Shouri spread a little amount of the green salve on her hot, scalded skin. She bit her lower lip, wondering what made her wanting to confide in the sister of the mysterious male who was beyond her reach.

Once finished applying the soothing salve on Kagura's back, Shouri started to wrap a long, thin piece of white cloth around her torso, gradually covering the entire wounded part of her body. As the inu princess gazed upon those smooth coal black tresses, she could not help but wonder whether the wind rider held a particular feeling towards her cold brother. Her slender hand hung in the air as she hesitantly decided to voice her curiosity,

“…Do you…” Yet all the words that were ready at the tip of her tongue refused to go unleashed, leaving her froze with unspoken query that tasted bitter in her mouth.

The wind sorceress shifted her head to gaze at her with questions in her eyes. Shouri held her gaze for a moment before she shook her head.

“…Nothing…” She whispered, her hands continued their ministration until Kagura's wounds were fully covered with the clean strips of white cloth.

“I will see that your kimono gets mended…” She said, taking the discarded, soiled fabric from the sorceress' hands and replaced it with a clean one of her own. “Meanwhile, you may wear this…”

Kagura nodded and clutched the bundle of white fabric handed to her while her pair of bright pink eyes followed the retreating steps of the inu princess.

 

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Inside the Forest of No Return, two young holy tigers were cheerfully chasing a butterfly, its black glossy wings seemed to glimmer under the flickering fire nearby. Both cubs jumped up and down to catch the beautiful black butterfly, yet it floated so high above them, out of their reach. Ryoushin was sitting near his playing wards, quietly tending the fire. From the corner of his vision he caught the object of their attention, forehead frowned almost instantly as he seemed to have seen the black-winged creature somewhere, sometime.

“…Shinsei, Shinzou…” His usual calm voice called for his two youngest wards, who immediately stopped with their delights and turned to look at him. The elder's cerulean blue orbs were stern as he spoke, “Leave the butterfly alone.”

Hiding their scowls and dissatisfaction, the cubs complied and returned to sit in front of the fire. Ryoushin's narrowed eyes silently followed the graceful movement of the butterfly, slowly floating away and completely disappeared beyond the depth of densely packed trees.

At a leisure pace it flew, slowly and slowly until it found a safe place where it could rest and watched the surrounding without being disturbed, perching on top of the bark of a tree. Little did it know, a small yet very sharp dagger flew swiftly, directly towards it. The glistening blade pierced the tiny whimpering body all the way through, pressing it down to the tree. It flapped its withering wings for a moment before laying still, dead.

An inuyoukai with silver bluish hair took his time to loom from beyond the darkness, slowly approaching the motionless butterfly. His lean fingers picked the stabbed dagger, letting the lifeless insect dropped to the ground. Calmly, he threw the small blade in the air only to catch it skillfully with his other hand, a thin smile was on his lips.

“I am sorry, Grandfather…” He muttered softly. “But I think you shall not follow us anymore…”

 

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When Shouri breathed the air of the open ground, she saw Sesshoumaru stood against a tree nearby the cave, as if waiting for her to show up. Half of his body was swallowed by the darkness of the night, yet his silver hair, his white clothing, everything about him seemed to emit radiant glow. She saw him extending his hand, beckoning her to come closer, leading her further away from the camping ground towards a small open field on the side of a cliff. Once they were both in a place where no one could hear what they might discuss, he finally opened his mouth and asked,

“What made you decide to help her?”

The questioned one was silent for a moment before her calm, muted voice answered,

“If she is your precious one…”

Though very faint, Sesshoumaru noticed a hint of curiosity within her voice. He could not help but burrowing his forehead at those words she just spoken. His precious one?

Shouri stood silently, watching her brother's unreadable expression. She uttered those provoking words to poke at his true feeling, of course, yet he still refused to confide in her. Instead, he chose to ignore the bait.

“…Your cheek…” He started to say, yet stopped all of a sudden with his two spoken words clung in the air. Shouri studied him and for a mere moment, thinking that she saw a sliver of emotion flickered in those striking golden eyes. Somehow he looked just as ill at ease as she was, though it seemed impossible for such a powerful and poised youkai lord.

“Your cheek…” He repeated in a heavier voice as he took a few slow steps towards her, stopping only when he was inches before her. His hand lifted up as if wanting to touch her suffered flesh, yet it suddenly paused in the air. “Does it hurt, still?” His voice was low, and gravely somber.

She inclined her head before she answered quietly, “It was not the cheek that hurt…”

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes in silent regret. He could not pretend that he did not understand the implicit meaning behind her words. A brief moment passed before the youkai lord opened his eyes, two pools of gold stared at the silky spread of silver layer before him.

“Whatever I did…” He muttered and heaved a deep sigh. “I did not mean to do it.”

“…What did you mean to do, my Lord?”

A pair of golden slits glared at the bowed silver head. If she had meant to entice his anger, he could promise that she would not succeed. But he did not sense any foul meaning behind those words, only genuine request for an explanation. His mouth remained tightly shut, refusing even a single word to escape. He just turned around to watch the stars when her almost inaudible whisper reached his keen ears,

“…I do not understand…”

He made no effort to turn around to lay his eyes upon her, and waited for her to continue instead.

“When my memory was returned to me, I thought that everything will be like it used to be… We will be like we used to be…It turned out that I am gravely mistaken.”

When Shouri heard no answer from her brother, she took steps to bring herself closer to him, though he still had his back to her.

“…Aniue-sama…” Her soft voice called him. “…I hardly recognize you now…”

A deep voice answered her call. “Did I not tell you that a warm heart is a weakness, and therefore not required in the path to become the strongest, Shouri?”

“…Even so, must you conceal your every emotion?” She asked.

“Blatant display of emotion is for humans, not for higher beings such as us.”

“…You would not share them even with me? I am your sister, the closest kin that you have…”

This time, he pretended he did not hear her whispering voice. She said nothing else and returned her head into its lowered pose. His own head was lifted up, allowing his eyes to appreciate the sky bathed in millions of stars. She could not help but winced when he spoke next,

“…You are asking me to be someone I no longer am, Shouri…” When he closed his eyes, he could still see vivid images of happier times flashing within the dark void.

“Sometimes I see reminiscent of your old self inside you…” He heard her whispered. “Like a flicker of a candle light in the night… Like a falling star that quickly disappear before I even had the chance to soar my wish to the sky…”

Again, Sesshoumaru remained silent as cool night breeze blew and tousled their twin tresses. Shouri watched her brother with her misty green eyes, silently admiring his ethereal beauty though his coldness caused her heart to ache.

“I am what I am, Shouri…” He spoke with his usual indifferent voice, yet this time she could hear a slight hint of gentleness in his tone. He turned around, his piercing golden eyes bore into her emerald ones.

“That part of me you seek for was stripped away 200 years ago.” He said. Shouri bit her lower lip to hold back tears from rolling down her moist eyes when she saw those orbs that seemed to hold no emotion whatsoever. His beautifully sculpted lips looked stiff on that perfect alabaster skin of his face.

“Whether or not you want to spend your affection on me, I will leave it up to you.” He continued, moving closer towards her now. A strange emotion reverberated through his body when he looked deep into her eyes, her tear-filled green eyes. Something inside told him he should not have said those words, they seemed to hurt her so. Meekly she nodded and inclined her head in desperate effort to hide a drop of tears that rolled down her soft cheek.

She knew he did not leave her much choice…

Her blurred vision saw his boots on the ground right before her. Quickly she blinked her eyes to rid all those tears and lifted her chin up only to stare back into his eyes. To her surprise, he lifted his hand and let his knuckles graze the silkiness of her cheek, gently wiping all traces of tears left on her face.

“You do understand…?” His low voice asked.

It was more difficult than she thought, to curl the corners of her lips upward and smiled, yet she did it nevertheless. His hand trailed down her face, his thumb and index finger captured her delicate chin, causing her to smile again. He gave her a slight nod before he lifted his hand off of her and turned around to leave.

She watched him walking away until he was lost from her sight, leaving her alone at the edge of the cliff to relish the starry night sky. She looked up at the crescent moon, admiring its color that was almost identical to her own hair. Her pointy ears twitched when she heard approaching noises from the dark forest behind her. Without any need to turn around, she recognized the steps.

“Do you remember when we were children…?” Her voice was nothing but a soft whisper, her head turned slightly to the side to reveal her beautiful profile. “Once we heard a story about the monkey who saw the reflection of the moon on the surface of a lake. He thought that somehow the moon had fallen from the sky into the water. So he climbed onto a tree, and with a bamboo rod he tried to fish the moon out of the river.”

She returned her gaze to the silver moon above them before she continued, “Over and over again he tried, until his fruitless effort caused him to fall into the lake and drowned…”

She gave out a soft laughter and shook her head, the smile on her lips was saddened. “I remember laughing at the foolish monkey… So stupid, I thought, for mistaking the reflection for the real thing… But now I realize that I am just as foolish… I saw something that never was…”

Yuusou was standing next to her, his equally green eyes stared straight into her clouded face, observing her for a moment. He heaved a deep sigh and moved his hand to tousle her silver tresses.

“You are smart, Shouri…” He told her softly. “You have always been… But you need to learn to read between the lines…”

His world startled her. She looked at him with questions in her eyes, her head tilted to the side like a curious little bird. Yuusou only gave her a smile as his answer and patted the top of her head lovingly.

“Your brother loves you.” He said. “That you can be sure of…”

Slowly, her sad smile turned into a sweet one, and she nodded. She did not fully understand, but she knew he was right.

“Now let us return to the camp.” Yuusou said, taking her hand into his, gently coaxing her to follow him. “Your tiger is looking for you…”

 

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Kagura tightened the pale blue obi around her waist, the palm of her hand smoothened the pristine winter white kimono she was wearing. The fine silk fabric of her borrowed clothes felt incredibly soft on her skin, an expensive piece of material befitted of a high-born which caused her to feel even more awkward and uncomfortable. She had decided that she would not wear her hair up like she usually does, she would leave those raven tresses cascaded down her shoulder for once.

Hesitantly she walked out of the small cave, greeted by the chill night air that made her body quivered slightly. She saw Shouri sitting in front of the open fire accompanied by the golden haired tiger, who gave her the briefest attention before he turned his head away. Sesshoumaru was nowhere to be seen, while Inuyasha and his companions were gathering around another fire nearby. She stood still at the mouth of the cave, not knowing what to do or where to go, feeling utterly alienated until the smooth, velvety voice of the inu princess startled her,

“…Come closer to the fire…” Shouri said, fingers beckoning her to enter the glowing ring of light. Kagura remained still while those emerald eyes were fixed on her, but then she welcomed the invitation. As she sat on a log of wood before the crackling fire, she noticed that besides herself, there were only another three who gathered there: Shouri, the tiger, and the inuyoukai unknown to her with bluish silver hair and an upside-down crescent moon emblem on his forehead. She squirmed uncomfortably when she realized those green eyes of both inuyoukais were staring at her, studying her. The holy tiger paid her no heed, aiming his beautiful blue eyes towards the pitch blackness of the forest.

Shouri maintained her calm exterior while she silently observing the wind sorceress before her. Kagura's loose hair fell onto her shoulders in shiny black ringlets that framed her heart-shaped face. Her features were delicate, from her high cheekbones, her small nose, to those pouty cherry lips. Shouri had to admit that she was quite attractive, though it was a pity that the jet black color of her hair made her looked so human. But the unique hue of her eyes certainly made up for that. She had a pair of beautiful pink eyes, like the color of magnolias.

Those pink eyes blinked when they noticed Shouri's attention, causing them to return her emerald gaze. Kagura watched the female inu across her, sitting so calmly on a bigger log together with the tiger whose arm snaked around her slim waist possessively. The warm glow of the fire caused a halo to appear around her silver head. Her immaculate, porcelain white skin was a perfect backdrop for the deep magenta stripes on her cheeks and her bright, twinkling green eyes. She looked positively radiant.

A soft sound of snapping branch snatched all of their attention, causing heads to turn to the side and found the cold youkai lord approaching the fire. Shouri could not help but let a thin smile to curve on her lips when she saw the slightest surprise in her brother's eyes when the dark-haired sorceress came to his view. For just a second did his step halted, yet a moment later he regained his composure and continued walking towards the fire. When he sat himself on a solitary log of wood, his face had returned to its normal cold-self.

“…Where have you been…?” Shouri softly asked.

“Nowhere.” He replied, an answer so predictable unlike him, himself.

A moment passed by in silence until Ryoushin opened his mouth and said,

“…Did your master ordered you to come back and steal the correct fourth scroll?” His voice was smooth, cold, his eyes were aimed at nowhere but the darkness of those places that were not touched by the light. Kagura squirmed a little when she heard the piercing question. She shook her head softly.

“No…” She said. “At least not yet… He will, I am sure… very soon.”

His respond was a soft grunt. For a moment, there was no other sound but the crackling fire. Kagura's eyes were watching the burning wood intently when she spoke,

“…You shall not tell me anything about the fourth scroll…” Her words caused Ryoushin to shift his eyes slowly until they were fixed on her. “As I said, Naraku will sooner or later command me to steal it. I'd rather not know its whereabouts. I don't want him to obtain the scroll…”

“Why would I tell you?” Ryoushin said in a sharp tone. He brushed a lock of golden hair away from his face so that he could stare right into her eyes. His lips curled slightly to form a sour smile. “Besides…” he continued. “You, or your master, will not be able to obtain it anyway. I destroyed it many years ago. I burned it to ashes.”

What he said surprised them all, heads were turned and eyes were widened.

“...That was why you were so calm when the other three were stolen…”

Sesshoumaru's icy voice reached his ears and it caused his eyes to travel across the fire, staring straight into the golden orbs of the cold youkai lord. Ryoushin sighed and shifted his eyes back to the fire.

“The secret of the gate to the afterlife shall remain unknown…” He muttered to no one in particular. “I knew that sooner or later, someone will want to open the gate… It just had to be done. And this way, you do not have to worry about Naraku opening the gate and summon the undead. Shall I remain childless, the secret will die with me.”

“…Well it is good to know in a way…” Kagura said. “But I know my master well… He will not stop at this. He will find another way to open the gate, no matter what the cost is.”

Ryoushin gave out a soft, mocking chuckle. “There is no other way. He cannot force me to open the gate for him.”

Sesshoumaru frowned, his eyes narrowed into two golden slits that observed the tiger intently. He dislikes the fact that this male held the key to everything that Naraku wanted. That alone made him dangerous… He quietly watched his sister laid the palm of her hand on top of Ryoushin's knee. The smile on her face, the complete trust that she had for the tiger made the burrow on his forehead grew even deeper.

Yes, he did not like it…

 

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Kagura lay still on the floor of the cave. She tried to force her self to drift off to sleep, yet her eyes remained open and stare at the pitch blackness surrounding her. Everything around her was quiet, it was a complete silence. If she had her heart within her body, she would have been able to listen to its beating. Again, she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep, yet the memory of her master, the echoes of his words threw her back into the realm of reality and caused her eyes to pop open. She could still hear him whispering into her ears, each word sent chill down her spine. She shook her head furiously, trying to get the monster out of her mind. Feeling aggravated while her fear kept rising, she straightened her back and wiped her exhausted face.

`…What am I thinking…' She sighed inwardly. `…What am I doing here? What am I trying to gain? My freedom?'

The thought alone caused an ironic chuckle to form within her. She knew she was trying to runaway, a futile attempt to escape from the master who had controlled her for so long.

`As long as you're living, you will always be my slave…Always…'

She could not keep her body from shivering when those words kept coming back into her mind over and over again like waves upon a shore. All those torture he had inflicted upon her was imprinted deep inside her. She knew she could not remain there, for no cave was deep enough or dark enough to hide, or save her from him. And her heart was still within his grip.

She moved her trembling hand, blindly searching for her own kimono in the dark. She found the neatly folded garment beside where she lay. She took off the expensive, borrowed white silk kimono and slipped into her white and purple one.

She stepped out into the open air. Far in a distance, she saw the flickering fire, though only Shouri and Ryoushin still remained around it. She was glad that their backs were to her, making it easier for her to leave unnoticed. Quietly, she stepped away from the cave to enter the darkness of the forest.

Shouri rested her head against Ryoushin's shoulder, a smile was curved on her lips as she realized the wind sorceress' futile attempt to slip out so quietly.

“…So she decided to leave…” She muttered, loud enough only for him to hear. `My poor Nii-sama…' She sighed inwardly.

He did not respond for a moment, only grazing the back of her hand with the gentlest and most affectionate manner.

“There is a place in this forest filled with blooming magnolia trees all year long, even in the coldest, most harsh winter…” He softly said. “They said the pungent scent of the flowers can calm the most ferocious beast… It was my mother's favorite place on earth…She used to take me there…”

Shouri lifted her cheek off of his shoulder to gaze at him. He returned her stare and smiled,

“Her eyes were like those flowers…” He said.

A graceful smile was curved on her lips as she leaned her cheek back on his shoulder.

“…Hmm…” The soft purr was her only respond.

 

On her way to find the right path back to the palace, Kagura stepped into a different realm where everything was soft pink, the sight before her took her breath away. There were blossoming magnolia trees as far as her eyes could see, packed together to form a magical, ethereal landscape. Every flower, every bud seemed to glow under the faint moonlight. She stepped forward, and found herself surrounded by the pink mist, by the sweet fragrance of those flowers.

She blinked when she sensed someone approaching, her eyes widened when she recognized the tall figure that was looming from behind the mist. How could she not recognize him…? Those silver tresses, those sharp golden eyes… His strong features had been etched in her mind.

She stood still with her body stiffened at the sight of him. He did not stop until he was before her, standing so close that again, they were only inches apart.

“…This time, it is you who found me…” She whispered, a sad smile was on her face.

“You are going back to Naraku…” He said, more a statement than a question. His words caused her to turn away with her head lowered. Her black hair was still flowing freely down her shoulder, shielding her face from his piercing gaze.

“I have no other choice…” She whispered. “I have no place to run to…” She could not help but to give out a sad laughter. “It is ironic that my only place is with him…”

She turned around to face him with the same sad smile on her lips.

“I never thanked you for what you did…” She said. “…I mean, you saved my life… Twice. So thank you, for that…”

His face remained blank that she almost certain that he did not catch what she said. Instead, he looked around at those blooming magnolias around them before he fixed his eyes on one tree.

“Magnolia…” He whispered softly, as if to himself. “The oldest tree of them all, it is said that magnolia had existed since the beginning of time, as old as the world itself… Having survived until today, the flower is a symbol of dignity and perseverance…” Slowly, he turned around to fix his golden eyes on her. His voice was softer when he spoke the next, “…Just like you.”

The wind blew and tousled their black and silver tresses, lifting soft pink petals that covered the ground as she stood still before him, wide-eyed. The petals danced around them, surrounding, trapping them inside a realm that was as beautiful as a dream.

His words touched her, moved her, causing tears of joy and sadness to well up within her eyes. Her vision grew blur that she had to blink her eyes to rid of the dampness there. She turned her face away to hide those tears when all attempts failed.

“…I am not as strong as I seem to be…” Her whisper sounded hoarse, raspy. “You don't know how much I hate going back to him… These flowers may seem strong and beautiful when in bloom… But harsh winter will come sooner or later, and they will all wither away into nothing… And just like them, I will too…”

There was a pause before he said,

“In this place, the flowers are in bloom all year long…”

She looked around her, that everlasting picture of beauty and serenity. She search for a silver lining in the dark clouds of her own life, yet found none.

“I…I have to go…” Her quivered voice said while her eyes refused to look at him. “If I do not return soon, he will come and look for me…”

Just when she turned on her heels to escape, his hand caught hers, entrapping her within his firm grip. With a gentle force, he spun her lithe body around so that she had no choice but to stare into those deep pools of gold. Her lips slightly parted as she tried to catch her breath, her beautiful pink eyes stared wide as he lowered his head to touch his lips on hers. It all happened so fast that when she came to her senses, she was within his strong and warm embrace. Her body stiffened in alarm, yet soon enough she gave in to the sweet sensation of the moment. He was tugging her lips with the tenderness that she never thought possible, his arm was holding her so tight that for that moment she felt safe within his embrace. Her hands rose to cup his face before traveling down to clutch the soft fabric of his kimono, so tight that the joints of her fingers turned white. She knew she loved him, and with every passionate kiss she wanted him to feel it. She clung onto him for as long as she could, not wanting to let go, though each second seemed to shatter her, pained her soul.

When he finally let released her, she looked up to him and saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes that she could not interpret.

`It was enough…' She told herself. Through her tears, she smiled at him. `Enough…'

He let her hand grazed his cheek for a moment longer. With the same smile still on her face, she whispered softly,

“…Farewell, Sesshoumaru…”

Just like that, with the next wind that blew, she was gone. He remained standing between the magnolia trees, looking up to see a white feather boat flying high in the air, carrying her with it. He closed his eyes briefly before turning around to return to the camp, leaving the beautiful realm of sweet magnolias.

`…Farewell…' He whispered inwardly, without even looking back.

 

 

FINALLY!! I am truly sorry for the delay, but my life was so busy for the past month, especially with school and all… But I am so glad I managed to finish this chapter. It has been sitting in my laptop for one and a half month. Great news, I'm starting my study break this week, and since I have no exams in my program, it's pretty much one week of holiday! I hope I can post one or two chapters before I have to go back to school. Again, sorry this chapter took so long to write, I hope you enjoy it. Review PLEASE…