InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Precious Declaration ❯ Fight this Freedom ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter Four

Fight this Freedom

 

Kagura sat on a hilltop looking down on Sango and Inuyasha as they traded blows with a gigantic boar yokai.

 

The boar had started off the day as a friendly sort but after a fast visit with the man in the baboon mask baring the free gift of a Shikon no Tama shard, he was foaming pissed.

 

He was also six times his usual size. Sango's Hiraikotsu boomerang slammed into his side. The great Boar threw back his tusked head, opened his brown snout screaming in rage. His whiskers bristled as his claws made a blind grab for the Taijiya.

 

Inuyasha had Tetsusaiga out and sliced the boar's belly with the red blade of his living sword.

 

Kagura shifted her position and saw Kagome behind her hanyou quickly loading her bow with sacred arrows. Miroku stood beside watching Naraku's bees shaking his head.

 

Kagura shook her head, `Is a boar really the best Naraku could come up with? This is insanity. They'll have a pulled pork dinner and I'll have to tell his royal baboon-ness about his latest failure.'

 

She propped her chin on her fist and lay back to watch the carnage.

 

The sacred arrows flew through the air but bounced off boar's armor.

 

Naraku's plan had to have more to it than this. It just didn't make sense.

 

The boar was putting up a good fight but she knew he didn't stand a chance in hell of winning.

 

Inuyasha flew at the yokai and knocked him off his feet. Sadly for the irritating hanyou, the huge boar fell on him.

 

The miko screamed, “Inuyasha!”

 

Then she loosed another arrow and it struck the boar in his snout. He shook his head covering the small band of fighters in a nasty mixture of pig's blood and…snot.

 

Kagura was immensely glad for her hidden spot, well out range of the gore.

 

Inuyasha pulled himself free of the boar's gigantic ass and then ran full speed…in the opposite direction?

 

Kagura frowned, something was happening but she couldn't see what.

 

She moved carefully through the trees keeping the fleeing hanyou in sight. Her question was answered soon enough when Inuyasha raised his sword and pounded into the side of another yokai.

 

His opponent moved with the speed of the wind and Kagura's eyes widened as she recognized the red honeycomb print on the white kimono flying in the air with the force of Inuyasha's blows.

 

Sesshomaru.

 

She had gone four long weeks without so much as one sighting of him. Kagura's eyes drank in the vision of him. His right arm moved with a liquid, lethal grace. His hair flew behind him like a razor silver banner.

 

Inuyasha ducked as Tokijin's blade swung out over his head. He returned the missed blow with a jab of Tetsusaiga that Sesshomaru easily side stepped.

 

Kagura decided she'd never understand the reason behind the brother's blind hatred for one another. It was risky to turn their backs on their primary opponent to fight each other.

 

Their battle was a deadly ballet. Had she not known the risk they were taking she would have found the conflict beautiful. Was everything the Taiyokai did so full of fluid grace and blood?

 

Sesshomaru spun out of Inuyasha's reach and slid Tokijin's blade under his defenses landing a blow on his ribs.

 

The hanyou fell back but regained his determination and advanced on his half brother.

 

The horror of the damage they could inflict on each other filled Kagura's mind as she realized that this must have been Naraku's true intent.

 

Sesshomaru's hair swung around him and her ears picked up the clang of Tokijin meeting the hot blade of Tetsusaiga.

 

Could this cold being who so willingly turned his blade on his brother be the same man who'd held her in his arms?

 

She bit her bottom lip and frowned. `Fools. Don't they see this is a sit up? The fucking boar hasn't pursued them. They've fallen into Naraku's trap. He wants them to rip each other apart.'

 

Kagura's throat filled with acid from her churning stomach. She couldn't allow them to kill each other. Inuyasha had a chance in hell of defeating Naraku if he just worked with Sesshomaru.

 

And Sesshomaru… well her feelings around him were muddy at best but she didn't want to see him felled by his own brother's sword at Naraku's whim.

 

Kagura took a deep breath and whipped out her feather. She flew down to the battle field and pulled out her razor fan.

 

Inuyasha barked, “Wind bitch, this ain't for you. Get the hell out of here.”

 

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed gold fire but he said nothing.

 

Kagura snapped open the fan and called out, “Dance of the Dragon!”

 

Inuyasha hit the dirt; he'd seen what she'd done to the wolf yokai tribe. Sesshomaru stood waiting. The demonic gusts of wind whipped around them but were harmless.

 

Before her wind gusts wound down she barked, “Idiots can't you see? You are falling into Naraku's trap! He wants you to destroy each other.”

 

Both Inu-yokai dropped their arms.

 

Inuyasha gave her a dark glare, wondering why he should trust the Wind Witch but then she did know the hour of his transformation. And Naraku had yet to attack while he was weak so perhaps…

 

Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin and gave her a nod. Kagura's hungry eyes drank in every second of his presence before her.

 

He seemed unaffected but she remembered the heat that moved under his cool skin.

 

Inuyasha pulled himself back on his feet. His sword arm relaxed but he kept Tetsusaiga ready by his side.

 

Sesshomaru's crescent moon shone under his silver bangs. His lips thinned into a firm line. “Witch, you take great risk in coming here.”

 

Kagura flashed her short fangs, “I didn't come here, I was sent.”

 

He nodded and sent his brother a dark smoldering look of hatred.

 

Inuyasha hissed, “Bastard, to fucking hell with Naraku! I'm coming for you.”

 

Sesshomaru countered, “Half breed, I refused to give that thing the honor of speaking his name and I will not dance for him on puppet strings.”

 

Kagura jumped back. “One of you has got to take a shot at me…”

 

Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga at her in a half hearted attempt at striking her. A white flash of energy struck her feet.

 

Sesshomaru growled but saw the rules of the new game. “Kagura when is his time of weakness?”

 

She snapped her fan closed, “I'm not sure but very soon. He's gone a long time without it.”

 

He opened his mouth displaying his long canines. “Soon then?”

 

Kagura gave a faint ghost of a smile, “Perhaps.”

 

Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin and strode past her, his hand reached out and for the briefest of moment's his fingertips brushed her sleeve.

 

Inuyasha noticed the gesture but dismissed it. Why would Sesshomaru the cold bastard care for anyone besides himself?

 

 

Kagura bit her bottom lip, “Shall I let you know?”

 

Sesshomaru answered without turning his head, “Yes… if you are able.”

 

Her lip trembled with a feeling that was best left unnamed. “I shall do what I can.” She threw down her feather and shot off into the sky.

 

Had Kagura followed the example of Lot's wife and turned back she would've seen the golden eyes watching her leave.

 

_-_-_-_

 

 

Sesshomaru stood looking into the sunset. Jaken was behind him pulling at the reigns of Ah-Un.

 

“Lord the hanyou, he's leaving.”

 

The Taiyokai silenced his toad follower with one hard glare. “There are bigger things at play here. Let him go.”

 

Jaken opened his beak then shut it. He shook off the ominous feeling of wrongness. “Sir, shall we fetch Rin?”

 

“Yes, go. I'll find you later.”

 

Jaken shook his head and dragged his feet behind him. The two headed lizard growled and snapped at him. Ah, the miserable life of a toady…

 

_-_-_-_

 

Kagura sat on her knees the hem of her kimono pooling around her. She leaned forward until her nose was pressed against the fresh wood floor. “My lord.”

 

The long brown haired man in front of her leaned back against the wall. He twirled a baboon mask on one finger as he spoke. “So the hanyou and his brother live?”

 

She answered without hesitation. “Yes lord.”

 

He sighed but didn't seem as angry as she'd expected. “That is… unfortunate but fixable.”

 

Kagura lifted her nose inches from the ground and watched his bare feet pace the floor. “How? What do you wish of me?”

 

Naraku cut her a fast glance from the corner of his eye. Evil or not, he still had killer eyelashes, it was positively unnatural. “Things aren't always as they seem. I have… other projects in the works.”

 

He leaned against the window. “Let's let them wonder about my latest game. I've better things to do for the moment.”

 

Naraku opened his hand and studied the flawless white skin of his palm, the very same hand that held her heart and life. “I'll get to them soon enough.”

 

Kagura held her breath waiting for her orders. The bare feet stopped by her head. “Kagura!”

 

“Yes lord?” Her belly pressed against the floor and every second she lay there added to her ever growing stores of hatred for this man.

 

“You are dismissed.”

 

At long last. She backed up on her hands and knees as she rose. “Thank you lord.”

 

“And this time…Don't wander so far from home.”

 

Kagura's throat clenched, “Yes lord.”

_-_-_

 

Kagura sat on the bench on the porch over looking the miasma. The stench alone was enough to sicken her.

 

She sighed and leaned her head back against the house wall. What the hell was she going to do?

 

She had her moment and now it was over. How did she even have the right to want more when she'd gotten more than she could have ever wanted?

 

Did she have a chance in hell of winning her freedom? The fight was worth it but if she won the battle could she win the war? And if she did, what did she want?

 

Sesshomaru.

 

Would he even want her if she escaped?

 

Suicide.

 

That's all this was, suicide. Everywhere she looked was a dead end. But she still had the moment.

 

Living in the moment was one thing to cling to, her only reason for going on. Revenge burned deep in her belly but suddenly escape was more important than making Naraku pay.

 

`Oh fucking hell. This place is the pits.' She lifted her fist and pounded out an indiscriminate beat on the wooden porch planks.

 

The miasma thinned and left a sulfur taste in the air. The smell was offensive but sweet.

 

Freedom.

 

Naraku was on the move and taking his miasma with him.

 

Kagura watched a random snake yokai fly through the air and escape through the hole in the miasma.

 

Her lips pursed in a smug grin. Maybe tonight things weren't as dim as she'd first supposed.

 

`Fuck Naraku.'

 

_-_-_-_

 

Kanna stood voiceless holding up her mirror by Naraku's side.

 

He sat in an oozing mass of himself, rebuilding and strengthening his form.

 

His voice was unchanged. “Show me the mirror.”

 

Kanna lifted the mirror and reflected his boiling skin in her glassy eyes. “She's seen the hole lord.”

 

Naraku barked, “Good. Let her go.”

 

The girl offered, “You want me to keep up with her movements?”

 

The melting man chuckled, “No, I've decided to trust Kagura to do the right thing.”

 

Kanna bowed her head, her silver hair moved with her skimming her chin. “As you wish my lord.”

 

_-_-_-_

 

 

Sesshomaru stood in the glade watching the moon. His blood sang to him in tones of undeniable promise.

 

The trees moved with the light breeze, speaking to him of her movements.

 

The witch was on her way.

 

His hand clenched by his side and a single drop of crimson ran down his ashen arm. Today when he laid eyes on her on the battle field, he was almost glad to see her alive and whole.

 

This was unacceptable. No woman could be allowed to hold such power over him. If she was foolish enough to come to him, he'd make her pay.

 

_-_-_-_

 

When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions
May wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
As the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you
so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth
So is he for your pruning. …. The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran