InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ He Comes ( Chapter 8 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 10.15.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 265 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 10.15.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 265 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
He Comes
_________________________________________________________________ ______
Small tabi clad feet padded noiselessly down a long corridor. As she made her way to the chamber she recalled from years past, Izanami’s again began to mentally question her the course of action she had recently chosen.
She still could not believe what she had done last night. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she remembered Naraku’s warm body pressed against hers, his lips on her bare flesh, his strong hands touching her in ways she had never been touched before. ‘He saw me naked!’ she thought as she bit her bottom lip anxiously. ‘And he touched me… everywhere.’ A chill ran down her spine, and her heart began to race. The memory was still so… vivid.
It was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to her and yet she couldn‘t tell a soul. A heavy sigh passed through her lips and she shook her head slightly to rid of the dizziness that was threatening to overtake her.
She had told him about the amulet, she remembered. She knew she shouldn’t have but she did anyway. She had been so swept away by the emotions of the moment that she just blurted it out. The miko frowned slightly. Could she really go through with this? She knew that she was forbidden from taking the amulet from the palace. She should have never even mentioned it to someone who was considered an outsider but what else could she do?
Naraku would likely be killed if she did not aid him. And she was by no means powerful, experienced, or even courageous enough to fight by his side so how else could she help him? It was her job as a miko to help people by whatever means was available to her. She had to do this; she had to go through with it. She would deal with the consequences later. If her parents were furious with her for taking the amulet it would not matter. The only thing that was important was that Naraku remained save and alive. As his future wife, it was her responsibility to do what she could to aid him.
As she rounded one of the many corners on her way to the chamber, she recalled the conversation they had had last before they went their separate ways.
After she had told him about the amulet, he asked if she thought she would be able to release the dragon and bring it and the amulet to a small village before the next nightfall. It was the village that he knew Inuyasha and his comrades were currently residing in. He had even given her a hastily scribbled map that briefly detailed how to get to there.
Izanami wrung her hands nervously. She knew the dragon had been placed in a secret location and was bound with heavy chains held fast by enchanted locks. She knew that the keys were hidden as well, but she did not know the specifics. Hopefully it would not take her too long to find the keys and release the dragon.
That would be the difficult part but once the dragon was released, it should be relatively easy to get to the village. With the dragon at her command, she should make good time. Once she located him, she would turn the amulet over to Naraku so that he could do as he wished. If he killed his enemies through use of the dragon, so be it. While the idea was discomforting to her, she could not help but feel that perhaps they deserved it. From what she had seen, Naraku was an innocent and honorable man who had been through enough already. Did he not deserve to live a peaceful life like anyone else?
Slowly the miko looked up. Standing so innocently in front of her was the chamber she sought. Her miko eyes allowed her to see the barrier that glowed gently about the edges of the doors. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. For at least a moment, she stood there staring at the door, her stomach twisting in knots. She bit her lower lip and her small hands curled into fists. Steeling her determination, she placed her hand on the wooden doorframe before sliding the shoji down its track. The purity she carried by way of her maternal relatives insured that the barrier did not reject her.
She slipped into the chamber closing the door behind her. The dimly lit room carried an ominous feel and even though she never recalled being in this chamber before, it felt strangely familiar. Izanami tried to ignore the uneasy feeling as her eyes landed on two small heavily warded altars. Slowly, she made her approach. She focused her attention on the altar to her right. Reacting to her presence, the altar and the surrounding area lit up in a pale pink glow. To anyone else, the altar would have appeared to be barren. But a small gasp escaped her lips as Izanami looked upon the luminous object it held.
The amulet…
Her eyes scanned it carefully taking in its individual features. In its center there was a large green gem; an emerald perhaps as green as green as her very own eyes. The outer casing was made of gold and the edges were constructed in the likeness of short, wide arrow heads; each holding a small jewel in its center. At the top, there was a red jewel, to the right, there was a yellow jewel, at the bottom, there was a white jewel, and at the left, there was a pale blue jewel.
Hesitantly, she reached through the barrier touching the amulet for the first time. Her delicate fingers traced the cool smooth surface of the emerald. A slight chill rushed through her body. It caused a strange feeling in her. She closed her eyes shutting out the external stimuli around her as she focused on the amulet. She took a moment to marvel at the repressed power she could feel thrumming beneath its benign façade. She could feel it calling to her. It was almost as if it was asking her of the dragon‘s location; begging to be taken to the creature, to be reunited with it. It was… odd.
She pulled her hand away, and opened her eyes again. Slowly, her attention was drawn to the other altar. Moving cautiously she made her way to it. There sitting on the altar was a large scroll. It too was heavily warded. Reaching through the barrier, Izanami lifted the scroll. The ancient parchment carried a faint pink glow; a manifestation of the preservation spells that still held tight.
Unrolling the paper, Izanami studiously skimmed over the information it held. Gasping, her heart began to race as terrifying realization set in. “Oh no…” she breathed quietly. “There is no way I would be able to do this within just one day.”
As she continued her inspection, she noted that the keys were scattered so far apart, that it would likely take several days just to locate one of them. Not only that, but the exact locations were not clearly specified. ‘Damn it!’ she mentally cursed in an uncharacteristic moment of frustration. She really should have listened better to the stories of her youth.
She had been informed about the dragon and the amulet, but she either was not told or did not listen well enough to know the details of the dragons’ bindings. Apparently, Naraku did not know either. He had told her that he had been seeking information regarding the dragon and the amulet, but apparently he also did not realize that it would take such a significant amount of time to even locate the keys!
As she read on, she was further discouraged to find that only a powerful priestess would be able to locate the keys. Since their locations were not specified, the priestess would need to be lead by her senses in order to pin point where each one was hidden. She suppressed the urge to rip the parchment to shreds. She knew her limits; she did not possess nearly enough spiritual power to do such a thing. She had never held feelings of resentment toward her mixed blood, but in this moment she felt a small amount of bitterness toward the fact that being part demon, she would never possess the spiritual power of a miko who was fully human.
“I must warn him.” she told herself quietly. He had planned to go to the village this very evening, but there was no way she would be able to release the dragon and meet him in time. She had to stop him from going. They would need to find another way to deal with his enemies. Resignedly, she released a low grumble before placing the scroll back in its previous position.
She turned away from the altar swiftly making her way to the door. She exited the room and tipped quietly back down the hall. If she departed now, she might be able to locate Naraku before he made it to the village. She had stayed with him most of the night and they had only separated just before dawn.
She had not rested well and even now her eyelids were heavy with fatigue. It mattered not though, she needed to get to him so that he would not engage his enemies just now. It would not do for him to go into battle with the false confidence that she would be arriving with the dragon to aid him.
So distracted by her inner turmoil, the priestess did not notice the familiar tingle of youki as it drew ever closer to her location.
“Izanami?” a masculine voice broke through her turbulent thoughts.
Izanami practically leapt from her own flesh as she turned to see the one who had called to her.
“Father!?”
The hanyou smiled gently. “You speak as if you did not sense my approach.” he said quietly. Then looking around them he asked. “What are you doing down here?”
Her eyes widened slightly, her mind frantically searching for an excuse as to why she was so near the chamber which housed the amulet. “Oh, I was just…”
Unknowingly sparing his daughter, the panther hanyou cut her off. “Well, it is of no importance. What matters now is that I have found you at last.”
Her brows drew together in confusion. What was he talking about? Had he been looking for her? And if so, why? It was not possible that he had perhaps discovered the secret of her dealings with Naraku… was it? The miko’s heart began to race.
Taking in the slightly worried and confused look on his daughter’s pretty face, her father frowned. “What is wrong? Surely you have not forgotten what day it is?”
When she did not answer, his frown only deepened. “Well, I suppose you have been rather busy these days. I have not seen much of you as of late. But I certainly did not expect that you would forget your own mother’s birth date!”
A small gasp escaped Izanami’s lips as recollection washed over her. ‘Mother’s birth date.’ her mind repeated quietly. ‘I have been so preoccupied with Naraku that I completely forgot!’
“Well, don’t just stand there girl! There is much to do. We are expecting many guests for this evening’s celebration! I will require your help.”
Barely suppressing the urge to sputter, Izanami snapped back to reality. “Oh, yes… of course. But, there is something I need to do first. I…”
“More miko duties?” he asked dryly. Before she could answer he continued. “Not today! You have been working hard. You will take this day off to spend with your family.” Holding up a hand, he stopped her argument before it could be voiced, he continued. “This subject is not debatable! Surely you can spare a single day away from your duties. Today is an important day for your mother and I will not have her disappointed by your absence.”
Looking into his daughter’s emerald eyes that faintly reminded him of his own, he could see the hesitance wafting beyond their glossy surface. He would have none of it. “Now come!” he ordered. “As I said before, there is much to do!”
_______________________________________________________ ________________
“Thanks for everything Lady Kagome!” Rin’s small arms wrapped around the miko’s waist, a bright smile plastered on her lips.
Kagome returned her embrace as she smiled down on her. “No problem!” she said brightly. “I really enjoyed your visit.”
Rin pulled away to look up at her. “Maybe I’ll get to stay with you again some time.” she threw a look over her shoulder but Sesshoumaru, who stood a short distance away, made no move to acknowledge her words. Undeterred by his lack of response, the girl’s smile did not fade.
“I’d like that very much.” Kagome told her.”
Sensing the demon lord‘s impatience, she turned her attention back to the miko. “Well, I’d better go now.” she said, her hands tightening on the small bag of “feminine supplies” Kagome had given her.
The miko smiled and helped the girl situate herself onto the dragon demon’s back. She then stood back as Ah-Un slowly began to walk away. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”
Sesshoumaru gave her an unreadable look. Although her words were a statement, they came off as more of a question, a question that could have been directed at no one but him. For a short time he merely stared at the miko, his thoughts known only to him. For her part, Kagome remained unaware of his perusal, her attention still fixed upon his young ward until a low growl drew his attention away.
“Bout time you came back to pick up the brat.”
The miko rounded on the one who spoke. “Inuyasha…” she began threateningly.
“Don’t ‘Inuyasha’ me!” he yelled back as he folded his hands into his sleeves. “So this is why you snuck off! Since when do you go out of your way to be alone with Sesshoumaru?!”
The miko’s cheeks flooded with color. “Don’t you talk to me like that, Inuyasha! You make it sound like I was doing something… inappropriate! And besides, I’m not alone with him, Rin is here. I didn’t ask you to come because I wanted her departure to be a peaceful one! If you’d grow up and stop fighting all the time, I wouldn’t go off without you!”
In the meager light of the rapidly fading day, Sesshoumaru looked on with an expression of mild boredom. The bland look he wore belied the mild interest he held of the argument between the two.
‘Since when do you go out of your way to be alone with Sesshoumaru?!’ The whelp’s words echoed through his mind. If he was not mistaken, (and he most assuredly was not) there was a certain trace of jealousy accompanying the hanyou’s words. In spite of himself, Sesshoumaru found this to be terribly interesting. Over the years Inuyasha had displayed many negative emotions toward Sesshoumaru, but to his knowledge jealousy had never been one of them.
The demon lord was honest enough to admit, if only to himself, that it had been he who had felt the sting of jealousy toward his brother. Pathetic though he may be, Inuyasha had possessed something that, at the time, he had felt should have belonged to him.
The Tetsusaiga.
He was further displeased that in spite of the boy’s obvious idiocy, he wielded the sword well. So well in fact, that he managed to inflict serious injury upon his person… on more than one occasion at that. A slight frown knit into Sesshoumaru’s brows at the recollection.
He had abandoned his desire for the blade years ago, but having the hanyou express feelings of jealousy toward him was strangely… gratifying. Indulging in such a thing was beneath him, he knew but he rather enjoyed this intriguing new feeling.
As they continued to argue, the demon’s eyes trailed lazily from his hanyou sibling to the woman who stood before him.
Of course he would never dare lay a finger upon the woman, but an interesting idea wafted tantalizingly into the fringes of his mind and a small dark smile tilted the corners of his lips.
____________________________________________________________ ___________
Tendrils of dark wavy hair wafted in the cool night breeze. Unaffected by the chill, a solitary figure stood in the shadows as malicious thoughts drifted through his mind. The crimson gaze of Naraku took in the starlit skies above. ‘Where is she?’ he wondered silently. He had taken his position near the outskirts of Inuyasha’s forest. The appointed time had arrived and yet there was no sign of Izanami or the dragon.
Perhaps she had changed her mind about aiding him? The idea was strangely distasteful. With a light frown, he was forced to admit that he thought better of her than that. She was not so dishonorable as to go back on her word. Perhaps she merely had difficulty deciphering the map he had given her? That was a likely possibility. The miko had admitted to never having made use of such a thing before. He frowned thoughtfully.
Whatever the case, it mattered not. His primary enemies were together in one place and he would not miss this opportunity to destroy them all and complete the Shikon jewel. He did not require the use of the dragon to dispose of these fools. Lord Sesshoumaru could prove to be a bit of a difficulty, but the jewel, even in its current incomplete state would grant him enough power to destroy even him.
Besides, he had greater plans for the dragon anyway. He would simply claim the creature afterwards.
Then, with both the completed Shikon jewel and the dragon at his disposal, each region of this land would fall to him. None would be able to stand against him and any who apposed his will would die without mercy.
But, for right now, he would seize this opportunity to destroy his enemies and complete the jewel.
___________________________________________________________ ____________
Running as fast as his feeble legs could carry him, an elderly man made his way to the familiar sounds of bickering. Tripping over a large bush, the man burst into the clearing. Plummeting to the ground, he barely managed to save his nose from crashing into a large rock.
All eyes turned on the old male as he struggled to right himself in the dirt. Kagome hesitantly approached. “Are you okay?” she asked as the man moved to a sitting position. Holding a hand over his chest, he struggled to regain his breath. He was from the village, Inuyasha realized. As the male struggled to stand, Kagome slowly approached to help him. The hanyou had seen the old geezer many times, and while he seemed pretty harmless Inuyasha could not shake the feelings of distrust he held toward those he did not know well. With that in mind, he quickly leapt into the space between the pair, pushing Kagome behind him.
“Damn it old man! You could have gotten yourself killed surprising us like that! What the hell do you want anyway?!”
Standing now, the man gulped down a few more deep breaths before he turned to the hanyou. “I… have come to… to warn you. N-Naraku… has been… seen in the area.”
_____________________________________________________ __________________
He Comes
_________________________________________________________________ ______
Small tabi clad feet padded noiselessly down a long corridor. As she made her way to the chamber she recalled from years past, Izanami’s again began to mentally question her the course of action she had recently chosen.
She still could not believe what she had done last night. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she remembered Naraku’s warm body pressed against hers, his lips on her bare flesh, his strong hands touching her in ways she had never been touched before. ‘He saw me naked!’ she thought as she bit her bottom lip anxiously. ‘And he touched me… everywhere.’ A chill ran down her spine, and her heart began to race. The memory was still so… vivid.
It was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to her and yet she couldn‘t tell a soul. A heavy sigh passed through her lips and she shook her head slightly to rid of the dizziness that was threatening to overtake her.
She had told him about the amulet, she remembered. She knew she shouldn’t have but she did anyway. She had been so swept away by the emotions of the moment that she just blurted it out. The miko frowned slightly. Could she really go through with this? She knew that she was forbidden from taking the amulet from the palace. She should have never even mentioned it to someone who was considered an outsider but what else could she do?
Naraku would likely be killed if she did not aid him. And she was by no means powerful, experienced, or even courageous enough to fight by his side so how else could she help him? It was her job as a miko to help people by whatever means was available to her. She had to do this; she had to go through with it. She would deal with the consequences later. If her parents were furious with her for taking the amulet it would not matter. The only thing that was important was that Naraku remained save and alive. As his future wife, it was her responsibility to do what she could to aid him.
As she rounded one of the many corners on her way to the chamber, she recalled the conversation they had had last before they went their separate ways.
After she had told him about the amulet, he asked if she thought she would be able to release the dragon and bring it and the amulet to a small village before the next nightfall. It was the village that he knew Inuyasha and his comrades were currently residing in. He had even given her a hastily scribbled map that briefly detailed how to get to there.
Izanami wrung her hands nervously. She knew the dragon had been placed in a secret location and was bound with heavy chains held fast by enchanted locks. She knew that the keys were hidden as well, but she did not know the specifics. Hopefully it would not take her too long to find the keys and release the dragon.
That would be the difficult part but once the dragon was released, it should be relatively easy to get to the village. With the dragon at her command, she should make good time. Once she located him, she would turn the amulet over to Naraku so that he could do as he wished. If he killed his enemies through use of the dragon, so be it. While the idea was discomforting to her, she could not help but feel that perhaps they deserved it. From what she had seen, Naraku was an innocent and honorable man who had been through enough already. Did he not deserve to live a peaceful life like anyone else?
Slowly the miko looked up. Standing so innocently in front of her was the chamber she sought. Her miko eyes allowed her to see the barrier that glowed gently about the edges of the doors. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. For at least a moment, she stood there staring at the door, her stomach twisting in knots. She bit her lower lip and her small hands curled into fists. Steeling her determination, she placed her hand on the wooden doorframe before sliding the shoji down its track. The purity she carried by way of her maternal relatives insured that the barrier did not reject her.
She slipped into the chamber closing the door behind her. The dimly lit room carried an ominous feel and even though she never recalled being in this chamber before, it felt strangely familiar. Izanami tried to ignore the uneasy feeling as her eyes landed on two small heavily warded altars. Slowly, she made her approach. She focused her attention on the altar to her right. Reacting to her presence, the altar and the surrounding area lit up in a pale pink glow. To anyone else, the altar would have appeared to be barren. But a small gasp escaped her lips as Izanami looked upon the luminous object it held.
The amulet…
Her eyes scanned it carefully taking in its individual features. In its center there was a large green gem; an emerald perhaps as green as green as her very own eyes. The outer casing was made of gold and the edges were constructed in the likeness of short, wide arrow heads; each holding a small jewel in its center. At the top, there was a red jewel, to the right, there was a yellow jewel, at the bottom, there was a white jewel, and at the left, there was a pale blue jewel.
Hesitantly, she reached through the barrier touching the amulet for the first time. Her delicate fingers traced the cool smooth surface of the emerald. A slight chill rushed through her body. It caused a strange feeling in her. She closed her eyes shutting out the external stimuli around her as she focused on the amulet. She took a moment to marvel at the repressed power she could feel thrumming beneath its benign façade. She could feel it calling to her. It was almost as if it was asking her of the dragon‘s location; begging to be taken to the creature, to be reunited with it. It was… odd.
She pulled her hand away, and opened her eyes again. Slowly, her attention was drawn to the other altar. Moving cautiously she made her way to it. There sitting on the altar was a large scroll. It too was heavily warded. Reaching through the barrier, Izanami lifted the scroll. The ancient parchment carried a faint pink glow; a manifestation of the preservation spells that still held tight.
Unrolling the paper, Izanami studiously skimmed over the information it held. Gasping, her heart began to race as terrifying realization set in. “Oh no…” she breathed quietly. “There is no way I would be able to do this within just one day.”
As she continued her inspection, she noted that the keys were scattered so far apart, that it would likely take several days just to locate one of them. Not only that, but the exact locations were not clearly specified. ‘Damn it!’ she mentally cursed in an uncharacteristic moment of frustration. She really should have listened better to the stories of her youth.
She had been informed about the dragon and the amulet, but she either was not told or did not listen well enough to know the details of the dragons’ bindings. Apparently, Naraku did not know either. He had told her that he had been seeking information regarding the dragon and the amulet, but apparently he also did not realize that it would take such a significant amount of time to even locate the keys!
As she read on, she was further discouraged to find that only a powerful priestess would be able to locate the keys. Since their locations were not specified, the priestess would need to be lead by her senses in order to pin point where each one was hidden. She suppressed the urge to rip the parchment to shreds. She knew her limits; she did not possess nearly enough spiritual power to do such a thing. She had never held feelings of resentment toward her mixed blood, but in this moment she felt a small amount of bitterness toward the fact that being part demon, she would never possess the spiritual power of a miko who was fully human.
“I must warn him.” she told herself quietly. He had planned to go to the village this very evening, but there was no way she would be able to release the dragon and meet him in time. She had to stop him from going. They would need to find another way to deal with his enemies. Resignedly, she released a low grumble before placing the scroll back in its previous position.
She turned away from the altar swiftly making her way to the door. She exited the room and tipped quietly back down the hall. If she departed now, she might be able to locate Naraku before he made it to the village. She had stayed with him most of the night and they had only separated just before dawn.
She had not rested well and even now her eyelids were heavy with fatigue. It mattered not though, she needed to get to him so that he would not engage his enemies just now. It would not do for him to go into battle with the false confidence that she would be arriving with the dragon to aid him.
So distracted by her inner turmoil, the priestess did not notice the familiar tingle of youki as it drew ever closer to her location.
“Izanami?” a masculine voice broke through her turbulent thoughts.
Izanami practically leapt from her own flesh as she turned to see the one who had called to her.
“Father!?”
The hanyou smiled gently. “You speak as if you did not sense my approach.” he said quietly. Then looking around them he asked. “What are you doing down here?”
Her eyes widened slightly, her mind frantically searching for an excuse as to why she was so near the chamber which housed the amulet. “Oh, I was just…”
Unknowingly sparing his daughter, the panther hanyou cut her off. “Well, it is of no importance. What matters now is that I have found you at last.”
Her brows drew together in confusion. What was he talking about? Had he been looking for her? And if so, why? It was not possible that he had perhaps discovered the secret of her dealings with Naraku… was it? The miko’s heart began to race.
Taking in the slightly worried and confused look on his daughter’s pretty face, her father frowned. “What is wrong? Surely you have not forgotten what day it is?”
When she did not answer, his frown only deepened. “Well, I suppose you have been rather busy these days. I have not seen much of you as of late. But I certainly did not expect that you would forget your own mother’s birth date!”
A small gasp escaped Izanami’s lips as recollection washed over her. ‘Mother’s birth date.’ her mind repeated quietly. ‘I have been so preoccupied with Naraku that I completely forgot!’
“Well, don’t just stand there girl! There is much to do. We are expecting many guests for this evening’s celebration! I will require your help.”
Barely suppressing the urge to sputter, Izanami snapped back to reality. “Oh, yes… of course. But, there is something I need to do first. I…”
“More miko duties?” he asked dryly. Before she could answer he continued. “Not today! You have been working hard. You will take this day off to spend with your family.” Holding up a hand, he stopped her argument before it could be voiced, he continued. “This subject is not debatable! Surely you can spare a single day away from your duties. Today is an important day for your mother and I will not have her disappointed by your absence.”
Looking into his daughter’s emerald eyes that faintly reminded him of his own, he could see the hesitance wafting beyond their glossy surface. He would have none of it. “Now come!” he ordered. “As I said before, there is much to do!”
_______________________________________________________ ________________
“Thanks for everything Lady Kagome!” Rin’s small arms wrapped around the miko’s waist, a bright smile plastered on her lips.
Kagome returned her embrace as she smiled down on her. “No problem!” she said brightly. “I really enjoyed your visit.”
Rin pulled away to look up at her. “Maybe I’ll get to stay with you again some time.” she threw a look over her shoulder but Sesshoumaru, who stood a short distance away, made no move to acknowledge her words. Undeterred by his lack of response, the girl’s smile did not fade.
“I’d like that very much.” Kagome told her.”
Sensing the demon lord‘s impatience, she turned her attention back to the miko. “Well, I’d better go now.” she said, her hands tightening on the small bag of “feminine supplies” Kagome had given her.
The miko smiled and helped the girl situate herself onto the dragon demon’s back. She then stood back as Ah-Un slowly began to walk away. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”
Sesshoumaru gave her an unreadable look. Although her words were a statement, they came off as more of a question, a question that could have been directed at no one but him. For a short time he merely stared at the miko, his thoughts known only to him. For her part, Kagome remained unaware of his perusal, her attention still fixed upon his young ward until a low growl drew his attention away.
“Bout time you came back to pick up the brat.”
The miko rounded on the one who spoke. “Inuyasha…” she began threateningly.
“Don’t ‘Inuyasha’ me!” he yelled back as he folded his hands into his sleeves. “So this is why you snuck off! Since when do you go out of your way to be alone with Sesshoumaru?!”
The miko’s cheeks flooded with color. “Don’t you talk to me like that, Inuyasha! You make it sound like I was doing something… inappropriate! And besides, I’m not alone with him, Rin is here. I didn’t ask you to come because I wanted her departure to be a peaceful one! If you’d grow up and stop fighting all the time, I wouldn’t go off without you!”
In the meager light of the rapidly fading day, Sesshoumaru looked on with an expression of mild boredom. The bland look he wore belied the mild interest he held of the argument between the two.
‘Since when do you go out of your way to be alone with Sesshoumaru?!’ The whelp’s words echoed through his mind. If he was not mistaken, (and he most assuredly was not) there was a certain trace of jealousy accompanying the hanyou’s words. In spite of himself, Sesshoumaru found this to be terribly interesting. Over the years Inuyasha had displayed many negative emotions toward Sesshoumaru, but to his knowledge jealousy had never been one of them.
The demon lord was honest enough to admit, if only to himself, that it had been he who had felt the sting of jealousy toward his brother. Pathetic though he may be, Inuyasha had possessed something that, at the time, he had felt should have belonged to him.
The Tetsusaiga.
He was further displeased that in spite of the boy’s obvious idiocy, he wielded the sword well. So well in fact, that he managed to inflict serious injury upon his person… on more than one occasion at that. A slight frown knit into Sesshoumaru’s brows at the recollection.
He had abandoned his desire for the blade years ago, but having the hanyou express feelings of jealousy toward him was strangely… gratifying. Indulging in such a thing was beneath him, he knew but he rather enjoyed this intriguing new feeling.
As they continued to argue, the demon’s eyes trailed lazily from his hanyou sibling to the woman who stood before him.
Of course he would never dare lay a finger upon the woman, but an interesting idea wafted tantalizingly into the fringes of his mind and a small dark smile tilted the corners of his lips.
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Tendrils of dark wavy hair wafted in the cool night breeze. Unaffected by the chill, a solitary figure stood in the shadows as malicious thoughts drifted through his mind. The crimson gaze of Naraku took in the starlit skies above. ‘Where is she?’ he wondered silently. He had taken his position near the outskirts of Inuyasha’s forest. The appointed time had arrived and yet there was no sign of Izanami or the dragon.
Perhaps she had changed her mind about aiding him? The idea was strangely distasteful. With a light frown, he was forced to admit that he thought better of her than that. She was not so dishonorable as to go back on her word. Perhaps she merely had difficulty deciphering the map he had given her? That was a likely possibility. The miko had admitted to never having made use of such a thing before. He frowned thoughtfully.
Whatever the case, it mattered not. His primary enemies were together in one place and he would not miss this opportunity to destroy them all and complete the Shikon jewel. He did not require the use of the dragon to dispose of these fools. Lord Sesshoumaru could prove to be a bit of a difficulty, but the jewel, even in its current incomplete state would grant him enough power to destroy even him.
Besides, he had greater plans for the dragon anyway. He would simply claim the creature afterwards.
Then, with both the completed Shikon jewel and the dragon at his disposal, each region of this land would fall to him. None would be able to stand against him and any who apposed his will would die without mercy.
But, for right now, he would seize this opportunity to destroy his enemies and complete the jewel.
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Running as fast as his feeble legs could carry him, an elderly man made his way to the familiar sounds of bickering. Tripping over a large bush, the man burst into the clearing. Plummeting to the ground, he barely managed to save his nose from crashing into a large rock.
All eyes turned on the old male as he struggled to right himself in the dirt. Kagome hesitantly approached. “Are you okay?” she asked as the man moved to a sitting position. Holding a hand over his chest, he struggled to regain his breath. He was from the village, Inuyasha realized. As the male struggled to stand, Kagome slowly approached to help him. The hanyou had seen the old geezer many times, and while he seemed pretty harmless Inuyasha could not shake the feelings of distrust he held toward those he did not know well. With that in mind, he quickly leapt into the space between the pair, pushing Kagome behind him.
“Damn it old man! You could have gotten yourself killed surprising us like that! What the hell do you want anyway?!”
Standing now, the man gulped down a few more deep breaths before he turned to the hanyou. “I… have come to… to warn you. N-Naraku… has been… seen in the area.”
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