InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride & Predjudice: A Sesshomaru Tale ❯ Dodging Assassins ( Chapter 13 )

Chapter thirteen

Dodging Assassins: Dog on a Doe

 

Kanna stacked her suitcase and duffel bag by the front door. Molly sniffed the bag and knocked it over. It fell spilling its contents onto the floor. The dog found a white sock, picked it up in her mouth, looked around and snuck off. Kanna spotted the dog's stealthy maneuvers and jumped off the couch. “Hey Fur Face, bring that back.”

 

Molly pouted with her eyes but soon gave up the ghost and dropped the sock on the floor at Kanna's feet. She scratched the dog's ears. “I'm gonna miss you too girl.”

 

Kagura came down the stairs. “Got your boarding pass and passport?”

 

Kanna grinned. “But of course! I've been waiting for this my whole life. I've been packed since last week.”

 

“Wow, you should've been a scout. Hey come here.” Kagura reached out and put her hand on Kanna's hand and pulled her to her chest. She hugged her and closed her eyes. “I'm so glad to see you this happy. You don't know what it means to me.”

 

Kanna protested, her face pressed into Kagura's shoulder. “Hey now you sound like my mom or something…”

 

Kagura smiled, “Well if the shoe fits…”

 

Kanna interrupted, “Then it's already in your closet.”

 

“Hey now you can never find fault with a good pair of shoes!”

 

Kanna shook her head. “All I need are my Doc Marten's and Birkenstocks.”

 

“We are so different are you sure we're related?” A car horn sounded in the driveway. “Naraku's here. Let's roll!”

 

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The airport was crowded and they were forced to part an hour before the flight so Kanna could make it through security with time to spare.

 

Naraku held Kagura's hand in his as she watched her baby sister remove her sandals and hold up her arms as they ran the metal wand over her body. He leaned into Kagura. “Hey now it's only six weeks she'll be back soon.”

 

She bit her lip. “I know but it never gets any easier.”

 

“Would ice cream help?”

 

She grinned and allowed him to pull her into his chest. “Ice cream always helps.”

 

 

The next day…

The door bell rang and Kagura was forced to pull herself away from the TV to answer the door. A young man stood on her stoop holding a crisp white envelope. He said nothing but handed it to her and left. Kagura was puzzled until she turned the envelope over and saw a red wax seal holding it closed. There was only one person she knew who have a lackey deliver a letter marked in red sealing wax. She closed the door behind her and perched on the arm of the couch.

 

 

Kagura pulled the heavy wax seal free as she noted the elaborate family crest that no doubt was pressed from a signet ring. She lifted the thick stationary paper from the envelope. Long eloquent hand writing filled the lineless paper.Hasn't he ever heard of email?

 

 

Kagura,

I have no hope of redeeming myself to you that much is obvious. However I cannot leave things between us as they are. I realize I have brought you grievous offense by voicing my intentions in such a thoughtless manner. You cannot be expected to return my affections when I have done nothing to but insult you and lay blame, which should rest solely on my shoulders, at your feet. Please trust that I hold nothing but the deepest respect and tenderness towards you and that I place no expectations on you upon the reading of this missive.

 

I confess I did beseech Inuyasha to give up your friend Kagome. I was intrigued by you at the party where we first danced and asked my circle of acquaintances what they knew of you and your friends. I learned that you are dedicated to your career to the point of being anti-social. I was also told that Kagome broke off an affair with her immediate supervisor upon learning of Inuyasha's arrival. She had never laid eyes on him but already knew she like his situation and wealth enough to pursue him. Based on Inuyasha's brutal history of making bad choices when it comes to women I decided to do everything in my power to put an immediate end to the tryst. I wasn't comfortable when I discovered the depths of his feelings for a woman who wore a rubber batgirl suit to a formal charity ball. You must understand that from a distance, your friend can give the impression of being inane and ridiculous.

 

I realize you have known her for well over a decade. I trust your judgment. If you say she is reliable and pure hearted than it can only be so. But when I heard she was in pursuit of a naïve, rich husband I was only doing my duty when I forbid Inuyasha to continue the relationship. I cannot and will not apologize for doing what I thought was right.

 

In regards to Naraku, that is an appalling subject that I usually avoid at all costs. For you to read about it in this letter is only further proof of my concern for you. Naraku is the son of a good man who worked for my father for many years. Upon his death my Father took on Naraku who was perhaps only thirteen at the time. His father had left him a modest fortune and its management was left in my Father's care. Naraku was frivolous and were it not for his father's good sense he would have been penniless before he was twenty. In addition to keeping the trust fund Father added to it.

 

Sadly I lost my Father while Naraku was in his second year at Oxford. The Trust as well as all family matters passed into my hands. Naraku dropped out of school and ran up excessive debts gambling. I was forced to pay them out of my pocket as they would have drained his trust. I also funded his schooling and bailed him out of jail on at least five occasions. Each time we met he hounded me for control of his money. Over time he only became more and more aggressive.

 

Eventually he learned that Rin possessed a sizable trust of her own that would be released to her upon her marriage or her twenty fifth birthday which ever came first. Naraku encouraged my fifteen year old charge behind my back. Rin is very intelligent but still she was only fifteen at the time and fell prey to his charms, such as they are.

 

I arrived in my Charleston house early one day and found a letter from Rin on the kitchen table. That morning she had left with Naraku and they were heading to Columbia. She'd written the letter against Naraku's wishes only because she didn't want me to worry. To this day there are no words to describe the anger that took over my being. I used every connection I possessed to track them through credit card transactions and traffic light cameras.

 

I found them holed up in a cheap hotel on the lowest side of Two Notch road. I tore the door from its hinges and found Rin alone and crying in the tiny filthy room. On the dresser bureau was a forged letter of parental consent and a marriage license. In South Carolina a fifteen year old can wed if she has such a letter. Fortunately the wedding had yet to take place. Even if it had it would have been easy to dissolve but the emotional toll would have been much greater. Rin was, thank the Gods, untouched. I took Rin to a hotel in the Vista and returned to await Naraku. He must have seen the door and realized his teenage bride had fled because he never made an appearance.

 

Eventually he did come back to the family home but not before Rin was safely away at Julliard. He confronted me and I revoked his honorary position as a family member and relinquished the trust which he no doubt promptly squandered. From that day on he has been dead to the family of Inu. Had this taken place a mere fifty years earlier, I could have ordered his death and had his life's blood drained into a silver chalice. However as we have embraced modern times the matter was settled with lawyers and restraining orders. While they weren't as satisfying, they were none the less still effective.

 

If you find you have any reason to doubt this, it is easily verified. You can ask the Head of the Taigaa (tiger) familyBurikutonu-sama about Naraku being ostracized from my family. Also after Naraku ran away with Rin I came across a few girls who had fallen prey to similar schemes of his but they weren't as fortunate. Upon my insistence they agreed to prosecute and now he has the distinct honor of being a registered sex offender in the States of North and South Carolina. I encourage you to go the S.L.E.D. website and check.

 

If you choose to continue in your distain of me, I only ask that it be because of my actions towards you and not because of blatant falsehoods.

 

It is my fondest wish that this letter find you well.

 

Sesshou

 

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Notes:

Fast answers:

Bullet with Butterfly wings is a Smashing Pumpkins reference and also refers to Sesshomaru taking a slow figurative bullet to the chest when Kagura confronts him. The other odd chapter titles have similar origins. A good many of them are from pieces of Spin Doctor songs. Chris Barron and Mark White are true poets but I don't think anyone realized it with the stupid pop songs they ran to death on the radio.

Doves and Pigeons for example; a dove is graceful and a symbol of beauty and a pigeon is a rat with wings, pigeons are symbolically the lowest form of beggar, especially in New York City. It's possible to mistake one for the other and is another way of saying things aren't what they first appear and one should take a closer look. Eggshells are a reference to broken things. And it goes on from there. Truth is I am really bad at thinking of chapter titles so I got creative.

My cousin found a beautiful fanfic art piece that embodies how I envision Sesshomaru and Kagura in this story, except here she is human. I've linked to it on my profile so go check it out! The link will take a few hours to update but I've already added it. I don't know the artist but they deserve a standing ovation.

Darcy: “I write without any intention of paining you, or humbling myself, by dwelling on wishes, which, for the happiness of both, cannot be too soon forgotten; and the effort which the formation and the perusal of this letter must occasion should have been spared, had not my character required it to be written and read. You must, therefore, pardon the freedom with which I demand your attention; your feelings, I know, will bestow it unwillingly, but I demand it of your justice.” Pride and Prejudice J. Austin.

Mark Darcy: “All right Cleaver, outside.”
Daniel Cleaver: (Half laughing) “I'm sorry? Outside? Should I bring my dueling pistols or my sword?” …..Bridget Jones's Diary 2001