InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Learning Love... ❯ Inside/Outside Paradise ( Chapter 2 )

Learning Love

Chapter Two: Outside/Inside Paradise

A squeal of delighted laughter broke through his `nightmare'. Silver-white hair fell away from his face as he sat up in bed. The red violets of the early dawn were just turning to orange. It was too early to be up, but if a human child and a kitsune cub could be up playing already than as a full grown adult youkai he had no excuse to sleep in. His brother would never accept `sorry I had a nightmare and didn't sleep well.' He could feel his older half brother's presence already moving about in the library.

Inuyasha swung his legs out and stood up swiftly. He was dressed in his red and black uniform. He looked in the mirror and adjusted the crescent moon insignia on his right shoulder. Lastly the half dog half wind youkai strapped his father's fang to his side. Tetsusaiga rested against his side with a practiced ease that only came after years of struggling to be the master of his blade. He made his way to the library, actually glad that he finally gave up his endless wandering to return and be his brother's general. `Our father would be proud.'

Cold emotionless golden eyes snapped up from the papers on the desk and observed the pristinely dressed half Inu-youkai that entered the library. Sesshoumaru was internally impressed by how well Inuyasha cleaned up and was presentable. He spoke in a cold even voice, "I'm surprised you didn't sleep in until noon like you did as a child."

Inuyasha smirked at his older brother. They had always had their differences and quarrels, but in the end blood was stronger than disagreements. It was this same emotionless lord who forced Kikyou to release him from the god tree after twenty years of imprisonment on the God-tree. "Naw, I thought if I did that you'd be helpless, so I decided to save you from that annoying vulnerable feeling that we both know you can't stand."

A slight smirk appeared in the older lord's eyes. "Are you ready to start fulfilling the responsibility of that uniform and our father's blade?"

"At last, dearest brother and lord, I am. It has taken me thirty years, but I am finally ready to be your general, if you still want me." The last statement held doubt and fear.

Sesshoumaru was reminded of the little boy who followed him around with adoration in his eyes. He could see that same little boy in the man before him. He internally sighed. "Of course I still want you to be my general. There is no other youkai in the world who is as capable or as loyal as you."

"Thank you my lord. So what is the first order of business?"

"A rather odd missive arrived this morning, before the first rays of dawn touched our lands. It was from Diagotsu, Lord of the North. Apparently the holy mountain Hakureizan has somehow lost its holy purity. He thinks something has come to his lands with the desire to destroy the world or some such nonsense."

"He always was a paranoid fool. As I recall father didn't particularly get along very well with him because of it."

"Paranoia, betrayal, and baseless suspicions are a trademark of all snake youkai. You know that Inuyasha. Why are you acting as if you expected differently?"

"Maybe because as a youkai lord I expected more of him, after all the youkai lords are the standard to which all other youkai are held. Am I wrong?"
"No, you are not wrong." Sesshoumaru paused and surprisingly Inuyasha kept his silence. "However we can not simply overlook the possibility that there really is a threat to this land. Fool he may be, but he is a fool who has ruled his lands for close to a millennium. I am going to send you to the northern lands to discover for us whether there is a real threat or not. You will present yourself to him before you investigate his lands, but you will offer nothing besides aid in tracking down what danger may lurk there. I will leave to you discretion what to do if you do find a danger to our lands."

"Hai, my lord, are there any other instructions before I leave to fulfill your orders."

"Yes, you will be accompanied by my newest vassal." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow to his brother. "The wolf youkai tribe has sworn free fealty to me and their prince will be coming with you. I believe his name is Kouga."

"Kouga!?" Exclaimed Inuyasha, "Why me?"

Sesshoumaru raised a single arched brow and said, "You know this cub?"

"Yeah, he is obnoxious, arrogant, and was convinced I wanted to steal his mate from him for the last year or so."

"And did you?"
"Hell no, I want nothing to do with her. Ayame is sweet enough in her own overly childish way, but I would never crave a woman who throws herself at a man the way she does. The way she clings to a promise he made her when she was twelve is pathetic."

"I see will this cause you two problems?"

"It shouldn't. We've managed to work the hostility into something like a grudging respect for one another. Although the insults do make our strange mutual respect easier to handle, something I never thought would happen."

"Good. Meet me in the great hall just before noon, you and he have quite a distance to go." Sesshoumaru turned back to his reports without a true dismissal to Inuyasha. Inuyasha hid a smirk as he gave a curt bow before turning sharply on his heel and leaving the library. Being his brother's general, as his brother had been their father's, would prove to be an interesting life experience. And just like Sesshoumaru had been their father's heir, so too was Inuyasha Sesshoumaru's heir. Inuyasha went to tell Shippo he would be leaving at noon.

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Sunlight enveloped the room which gave the impression of an ancient forest. The brightness woke the nude figures entangled on the futon. The coldly handsome male features fluttered annoyance at the sunlight. Before he could move from the bed the room was shrouded in darkness as the heavy velvet drapes shut tight. The female stretched against the man. Her warm soft flesh brushed against his cool paleness.

Ruby toned eyes drank in the raven haired specimen of female beauty beside him. His eyes came to rest upon her rosy peaks and he moved swiftly before she knew he had. He attacked her nipple with his teeth and tongue. Her back arched and she moaned out in pleasure. He began to nip and tease, fondle and rub until she was so aroused and her cries so loud that she was completely ready to be taken by him again. He stopped and gave her a cruel grin.

Naraku rose from the writhing woman and said, "Get dressed and meet me outside. You still have to tell me everything that happened to my enemies." He then plucked his clothing from the floor and went back to his room. He ignored the obscene frescos on the hallway walls and went outside after dressing.

Kagome lay there after he left and signed with frustration. Then she mentally yelled at herself. She didn't want his attention. She didn't want the sensations he could create in her body and she sure as hell didn't desire him. She rose and pulled on pale blue lace panties and then slipped into a simple pale violet sundress made of a gossamer material. She looked at herself in the mirror and growled. The cloth was so transparent that her entire body was visible; it simply seemed wrapped in violet fog. She slipped on her sandals and stepped out of her room.

Kagome's eyes studied the walls and she felt her stomach twist in disgust. The frescos were beautiful in a vile obscene way. They drew the eyes the way a horrible accident does and left an aching in the pit of your soul. Kagome knew somewhere inside herself that every image engraved on the wall came from her own darkest nightmares. She shuddered against the coldness in her heart and then turned toward the exit. She stepped out into the warm sunlight and felt her breath catch momentarily at the sight of Naraku wreathed in sunshine.

He stood impassively with his head leaning back and his long raven locks cascading down his back. His exquisite features were softened by the golden rays that kissed his pale perfect flesh. His eyes were closed and his obsidian lashes caressed the milky-ness of his cheeks. His entire form seemed to shimmer in the morning sunlight. A cool breeze floated off the holy mountain and ruffled his midnight tresses. He turned his head and opened his eyes to look at the entranced Shikon miko.

Cool crimson eyes drank in the vision her gossamer shrouded form presented. This was the ultimate prize. He possessed one of his greatest enemies as his captive and slave. He had her beautiful body and face to enjoy to his heart's content. He also had the power of the Shikon no Tama to use as he pleased. He had what he had desired, but he wondered what had happened to his enemies, her companions. "Tell me what has become of my enemies." His command broke the silence and Kagome nodded while licking her lips.

"Your enemies no longer even know you exist. They no longer remember the pain you brought into their lives, nor do they seek you out in any way."

"But they live?" asked Naraku as Kagome paused.

"All who were alive when the Shikon became whole are alive."

"Why?!"

Kagome lowered her head to fight her tears, "They live because I could not kill them."

"Then did so now, get rid of them," his voice quietly commanded to the shaken girl.

"I will do as you command Naraku-sama, but before I do I will say good-bye to you, and thank you for setting me free." The tears were flowing now, becoming beautiful gems as they tinkled on the floor.

"Wait! What do you mean by good-bye and free?"

"When I kill them as you have commanded my heart will die and my soul will join theirs. I will finally be free of my obligations in this world, this life."

"So this command will destroy the Shikon no Tama?"

"No, the Shikon and this body will remain. There will be no life, heart or soul animating it. It will become what Kanna had been, only with less emotion."

"How do you know this will happen?"

She looked up at him with a strange smile twisting her soft beautiful features into something grotesque. "Because I will not allow myself to live after I take the lives of those I love and after that which holds me to the mortal plane is gone, the Shikon will no long have a hold over me either."

"You would rather die than hurt your friends as a command from me?"

"No, I will die if I hurt and kill my friends. It is not a matter of what I would rather do; it is a matter of what I will do. I will obey you and I will die."

"I can order you to not die."

The parody of a smile became even wider and Kagome threw her head back as a dark vile laugh broke from her throat. Her laugh stopped as fierce eyes turned toward him and a cruel smirk graced her lips. "The Shikon has no power over my soul or my heart other than the pain it can create when I displease you. The only power it has over me is over my body and mind. It cannot hold my soul to the physical world if I no longer wish to be here."

Naraku contemplated her words, "Perhaps I will enjoy a lifeless Shikon maiden over the obnoxious one I have now."

"Then I will carry out your wish." She closed her eyes and her body relaxed, violet blue began to swirl about her. Slowly it darkened to a violet muddied with crimson and black. The energy slowly began to spread from her body and flow past the edge of the balcony on which they stood.

"Wait!" Naraku commanded. The energy stopped moving and stayed where it was poised in an unnatural stillness. "Is there a way to make you as you will become without having you kill them?"

"You mean as a trial period, Naraku-sama?"

"Basically," he shrugged.

"Yes, I can lock away my heart and soul inside a jewel. When I do so, the Shikon maiden will become a soulless husk animated only be the Shikon jewel and your will."

"Do that I can always order the death of my enemies at a later date."

"As my lord commands," she quietly replied. Kagome held her hands out in front of her and the dark muddied violet energy quickly returned to her and coalesced between her hands. It slowly lightened to a soft violet-blue with a glowing pink center. The energy continued to shrink within her hands until it solidified into a fist sized diamond with blue, pink and purple tones reflecting from its facets.

Naraku watched as the fire and energy bled from her violet blue eyes. He watched the expressive lips loose their perpetual pout and become a thin cold line. He noticed her laugh lines fade to nothing and the shadows of pain and grief followed the fate of laughter. He waited for the gemstone to fully form before approaching the soulless Shikon maiden. He took it from her hands and noticed them fall lifelessly to her sides. He noticed the listless, lifeless, emotionless gaze which stared at him from empty reflective blue orbs. He shuddered as he walked past Kagome's shell of a body and wondered what the coming days would reveal to him.

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Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru briefed Kouga about the upcoming mission and wondered how he'd stand being in Kouga's presence for almost a week of travel. He just hoped he'd be able to be civil to the wolf the entire trip. This was after all a trial for the western wolf tribe to prove its loyalty to their new High Lord. He would hate to ruin the chances of the wolf tribe finding peace within his brother's domain just because he and their prince did not get along. Inuyasha shook off his secret pleasure at Kouga's discomfort and straightened his uniform one last time.

Sesshoumaru was rather disappointed that the wolf prince failed to notice his brother's presence for the last ten minutes. He wondered if the tribe's fealty was worth the effort of having a proud cocky prince-ling to coddle. He was pleased with the fear that the wolf-ling hid beneath a thin facade of nervous indifference. He thought there may be hope if his brother had a grudging respect of the wolf. Sesshoumaru felt his brother step through the threshold of the grand hall and turned from the nervous prince-ling.

Kouga looked toward the doorway where Lord Sesshoumaru was glancing and almost fell from shock. Walking toward them, calm and regal looking was Inuyasha. He looked stunningly royal and dignified in his red and black uniform marked with the silver crescent of royal service and blood. Kouga couldn't help but be impressed with his former rival and sometimes friend. Kouga didn't know what was to come and so he kept his peace as Inuyasha walked rather gracefully toward them. He stopped about ten feet away and bowed low to Sesshoumaru.

"My Lord, forgive my tardiness, the children didn't want to release me from the gardens." Inuyasha's voice was much more controlled and formal than Kouga ever remembered it being.

"I hope Rin and Shippo didn't harm you in any way." Sesshoumaru's voice was flat and without infliction, but Inuyasha could see the joke in his brother's eyes.

"No my Lord, they did not break my back this time around, I was just a little bit too fast for them." Inuyasha couldn't help the joking smirk that entered his voice.

Sesshoumaru nodded gravely, the laughter dancing in his eyes. "I'm glad to see my brother has learned from his past mistakes, I would hate for my general to die on the battlefield because he failed to learn from his mistakes."

"I try my Lord and brother to live up to the shining example left by our noble father and yourself."

A grave silence fell for one moment and both brothers contained laughter and tears within their hearts. Kouga simply stood in stunned silence. He knew that the two had been teasing each other and yet there had been no laughter or emotional outbursts. He could also feel the reverence and sadness in the ensuing silence. Just before the silence became too much, Inuyasha snapped to a salute to his brother.

"By your leave my Lord, the prince Kouga and I should be going. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Leave is granted General Inuyasha. Be swift and sure. May the Kami guide you safely."

Inuyasha bowed low to his brother and then turned to Kouga. "If you will follow me, my prince?" said Inuyasha as he then quickly exited the hall.

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