InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 131

Pride (In the Name of Love) 131 / ??
Written by Jezz-Ra
Warnings - Not all warnings apply to all chapters. Yaoi, Het, Rape, Lemon, Violence, Language, Torture, Angst, Incest, Dark (at times). It's a massive story, folks, it's got a little bit of everything.
Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha, don't make money off it. Wish I did.

Sidestories can be found under my author profile at any of my archive sites.
Archived at - inu.adultfanfiction.net, fanfiction.net, and mediaminer.org ::: Anywhere else, ask!
Questions or Comments? - Email me at megami_no_remon@hotmail.com
Update List - If you wish for new chapters of this story to be e-mailed to you directly, please send me an email and I'll add you to my update list! Chapters will be mailed as soon as they're ready to go! If you are on my update list, I still appreciate reviews at any of the usual sites I post to!

// blah // indicates thoughts.

A/N - Headache...so painful. Early shift...also painful.

My Fanfiction dot net reviewers - if I don't reply for a bit it's not for lack of trying. FFnet is still screwed up. They were down the other day, and now half the reviews I get it says I cannot reply to them, for I am not the author. *sigh*

A special review reply - Liera, luv at joo. Lol...didn't expect you to review since you, y'know...chat with me...but it made me smile anyways.
-------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------

When breakfast time finally came around and everyone filtered out of their respective rooms, they were rather surprised to see a bleary-eyed Kagome warily watching Naraku across the table. The kumo was paying her no real attention, absolutely fascinated with the morning newspaper and a tall glass of tropical fruit juice. Kagome took it upon herself to more or less herd everyone in to the table before pushing down the top of Naraku's paper to get his attention.

Naraku hiked an eyebrow at her, then noticed that everyone else was there too. "Ah. Good morning."

There was a general round of responses - a bright and cheery good morning from Rin and the kids, neutral responses from Inuyasha and Miroku, and an almost pained groan from a very sleepy looking Sairex.

Kagome shifted a bit, nervously. "Guys, ah...something happened last night and we felt it best that you knew..."

Miroku blinked. "Oh my...shall I take the children out of the room?"

Kagome blushed violently and Naraku smirked. "Well, I did attempt to propose marriage yesterday but she refused to answer. Otherwise, your suspicions might have been well-founded."

"Oh, shut up, Naraku..."

"That might make it hard for me to tell them what you wish for me to tell them."

Kagome rolled her eyes and lifted her cup of coffee...then slid it over to Sairex. "You look like you need it more than me."

Sairex muttered something about mornings and sniffed at the strange brew.

Naraku sighed. "I wish for you all to know that my mind has been fully repaired and I am back to running at full capacity."

Everyone paused to gape at the kumo in varying degrees of alarm.

"I...also have no intention of going back to life the way it was once. The sacred jewel is gone, and that was always the heart of our disputes. I have since learned several life lessons and how life could be besides the one I had previously made for myself. Even if you will not accept me as a friend or acquaintance, I am not your enemy any longer."

Sairex narrowed his eyes. "How did dis change come to pass?"

"Suspecting a different reaction from me, the dracolich within me bridged the gap you had created within my mind."

Sairex nodded a bit. "I zee..."

Naraku smiled. "Raven, I would have a word with you in private."

Miroku grabbed Sairex by the arm with a dark look at Naraku. "I think you can speak your piece here."

Naraku arched an eyebrow. "Very well, I shall remain here. But my words are for him alone."

Sairex gave Miroku a reassuring smile. "No vorries." The raven made his way a short distance from the table. Naraku followed and leaned in close, whispering softly into his ear. Sairex's expression ran through a vast myriad of emotions before he finally jerked his head back to stare at Naraku. "Dat...just...might vork. Very vell. I vill accompany you."

Miroku scowled at Naraku. "Where are you going?""Ve must make haste back to da Vestern castle. Lord Inuyazha, ve must leave immediately. Zhould dis vork...ve vill not only get rid of Zetsukosei, but free your father as vell."

Inuyasha blinked slowly. "And you trust that slippery bastard?"Naraku rolled his eyes. "As a security measure, I will allow the raven into my mind. Should I try to pull anything, it will be a simple matter for him to destroy me. Besides...do you not think it wise to get me out of this future time, much as I love it? If I am a risk, think of all the trouble I could cause here."

Inuyasha sighed. "Fine. I'll bring you two there...but this had better be good."

Naraku smiled. "Trust me...it will be."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Kimi paced back and forth in agitation. It had been almost a full day since she had offered Toga her apology. She now didn't know what to do. She wanted to prove herself good to her word and release him...but she valued her life and knew Sesshoumaru would be very quick to claim it the moment she did.

She started when she saw a raven with glowing yellow eyes perched in one of the windows. "Eh? Shoo!"

The raven cawed at her mockingly before flying into the room and landing on the floor, its body twisting and stretching back into Sairex's typical humanoid form. Naraku had retaken his normal size and shape as well and stood next to him.

"Eh? Who the hell are you tw-- wait. You're..."

Sairex nodded. "I'm Zairex, chief advisor to Lord Toga and his House. Dis is Naraku."

Kimi wrinkled her nose a bit. "You speak strangely."

Sairex scowled, staring at Kimi with mixed emotions. This was the female who had been Toga's first mate... the first to bear the mark he himself would have likely borne should things have gone differently...and this also was the female that broke Toga's heart. "Da vay I zpeak is not da matter at hand here. Naraku and I have come for Toga."

"You're to the point, aren't you?" Kimi frowned, wondering if she could use this. "Do not take this as blatant refusal...but should I refuse to relinquish him to you, what would you do?"

Naraku smiled like a knife, eyes glittering crimson, and Sairex's expression was just as full of malevolent promise. "I vould kill you. I vould have raised arms against you already had you made any efforts to assault me. I vill not allow you to hold Toga any longer."

"I don't want to."

Both Naraku and Sairex blinked, their respective determined rage fizzling a bit at the unexpected response. "You don't?"

"No. But I value my life. While I do not think Toga will kill me, were I to let him go at this time...Sesshoumaru will."

Naraku smiled, his voice a purr of liquid silk that sent shivers down her spine. "That may be true, but if you refuse to release him, we will kill you now. You are better off to take your chances with Sesshoumaru."

"If I break this orb, Toga is lost forever!"Sairex's glare was sharp. "You lie. I may not be able to perform any zuch zpell of binding myzelf, but I know da vay dat dey vork. If you break dat orb, Toga vill be freed...but it is a good threat to use vith dose dat do not know better. However...ve do not vish for you to break it. Cooperate vith us, ve let you live. Deny us..." Sairex's words trailed off and suddenly blazed into her mind, a painful discordant ache accompanying the words that were roughly deposited in her mind. // Deny us and I vill destroy you from da inside out. //

Kimi shuddered and clutched at her ears, although the action was pointless to stop the painful mental intrusion. "Alright! Just...just tell me what you want me to do and for the love of all that is holy, keep Sesshoumaru AWAY from me!"

"For da duration of our visit, I vill. Naraku, please zeal da door, den come and lay over here."

Naraku did as he was told, stretching out on the rug in front of Toga's throne. "Hm. This rug is rather comfortable."

Kimi frowned. "What....what do you want me to do?"

"Put da orb on his chest and stand back. All I require of you is dat you do NOT interfere vith dis. I have no intention of harming you as long as you comply."

Kimi reluctantly did as she was told before settling down into the throne uneasily. She had no idea what these two were up to, but she could sense the power the two of them held and seriously doubted that she could best them.

Sairex glanced at Naraku, his expression very serious. "If you betray me in dis, Naraku, I promise you dere vill be absolutely nothing left of you zave da pieces I keep vithin myzelf to torment eternally."

Naraku eyed the raven levelly, appearing unmoved by the deadly promise in Sairex's tone and appearance. "I have no cause to betray you in this. It is for my benefit as well. Without the inu, I will lose a great deal of the influence I need to begin a proper new life."

Sairex snorted. "Kaa..." The raven glanced to Kimi in amusement. "If Zezzhoumaru zhould come upon me vith vhat I'm about to do, he'd probably have my head as vell as yours. Believe me, I von't let him in and I von't be zticking around for a vhile."

Kimi eyed the raven, suddenly suspicious. "What are you...going to do?"

"Make a little...svitch."

"Switch?"

Sairex didn't answer, already lost in a quiet chant. One hand was resting on the orb and the other was resting over Naraku's heart. The kumo's eyes began to glow and his body bulged strangely, although it wasn't entirely obvious what was going on.

Naraku's body suddenly jolted sharply, and the orb began to glow a violent crimson. As Naraku's back arched off the ground, the colors in the orb intensified and the thing began to vibrate rapidly with a faint, crystalline whine.

And then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. Naraku relaxed and Sairex carefully, hesitantly lifted the orb. "I tink it vorked..."

Naraku's eyes opened...and they gleamed a familiar shade of sunfire-gold. The voice he spoke in was not his own. It was Toga's. "What the...Sairex?"

Sairex glared at Naraku. "Zpit him out, kumo, or I'll make good on my threat."

"Mm...think of all that one could do with the legendary Inu no Taisho imprisoned in their body..." Naraku's voice had retaken it's customary wicked purr, and his eyes resumed their typical crimson color. "The power I could possess..."

Sairex hissed dangerously, and Naraku sighed.

"You're all so impatient." The kumo extend his arm, which bulged weirdly as it elongated and grew, touching the ground. Eventually the kumo's flesh retreated, leaving a rather dazed and disheveled Toga laying on the floor.

Inside the orb, Tsetsukosei howled madly. The switch had been successful.