InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Separation ❯ Truth ( Chapter 9 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: King Baka 
Kagome learns the truth behind her mission.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.03.2008 | Updated On: 10.14.2013 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
Kagome learns the truth behind her mission.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.03.2008 | Updated On: 10.14.2013 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Fanfiction of the Week: Cannot Be Broken, by White Dire Wolf. If you’re like me, and Alternate Universe stories aren’t your forte, I dare you to read this one and not make an exception. The only problem was that once I started reading, I couldn’t freakin’ stop!
Truth
Kagome kept her eyes tightly closed as she plummeted toward the Earth. She didn’t want the last thing she saw to be the ground rushing up at her. At some point she was certain her life would flash before her eyes, and she would get to see her friends and family one last time. Of course, her biggest regret would be never seeing Inuyasha again. He might find a way to break the seal, only to find her dead and gone. Elation would turn to bitter despair in a heartbeat. I’m sorry, Inuyasha…
She had been falling for less than a second when the impact came—from the side. And instead of hard pavement, she found herself nestled up against a warm body. Someone had caught her, cradled her in strong arms, and was carrying her away from the Muramai International building. Her eyes flew open, and the first sight that greeted her was the black-clad shoulder of her savior. Looking up to thank him, her words died in her throat. A woman?!
There was no doubt; the ample bosom she was just now noticing and the woman’s long, wavy auburn hair proved it. Gold facial markings marked her as a youkai, as did the strong aura Kagome could now sense. Far from being afraid, Kagome simply wrapped her arms around the stranger’s neck and held on for the ride. And, perhaps most importantly, she did not look down. Instead, she studied the woman’s flapping wings, the long appendages immaculately feathered and incredibly powerful.
When they finally landed, Kagome released her hold and stepped back to get a better look at her rescuer. She was tall, at least six feet in height, and of thin build. Her clothing was entirely black, from tight latex pants to midriff-revealing tank top. Her feet were bare, and aside from her facial markings the only things that revealed her youkai heritage were the massive wings which flexed one last time before folding elegantly behind her back. She was very much like Inuyasha in this regard, Kagome reflected; the hanyou's ears branded him an inu-youkai, while this woman's wings labeled her as some kind of bird of prey. Glancing at her surroundings, Kagome noticed that she had been take to what looked like an old, wood cabin. The room was small, maybe seven meters by five, and there was a dilapidated looking computer and fax machine sitting on a desk in one corner. Her brief inspection completed, Kagome looked up into the face of her rescuer.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said simply, bowing in a show of respect. “I am Higurashi Kagome. Might I know your name?”
“Call me Miu,” the youkai responded, all business. “I'm Daisuke’s partner. You’re safe now.”
“Partner?'” Kagome repeated curiously, unsure of what that meant.
Miu's hesitated a moment before answering. “W-we work together for the G.O.Y.”
Kagome chose not to comment on the other woman’s discomfiture, thinking that perhaps she and Daisuke were more than mere co-workers. More importantly, Daisuke had never told her anything about a partner or a larger organization. It appeared that she had been correct to suspect him of concealing information from her.
“What’s the G.O.Y.?” she asked, trying to keep her irritation with Daisuke out of her tone. She was surprised, however, when a dangerous glint entered Miu’s eyes instead.
“The Global Organization of Youkai. Daisuke did tell you about this, didn't he?”
“…”
Miu groaned and smacked herself on the forehead. “That baka. Well, I guess it can’t be helped. I suppose he spun you some bullshit story about stealing from this company, right?”
Before Kagome could respond, the radio at Miu’s waist came to life.
“Miu? Do you have her?” came Daisuke’s anxious voice.
Miu wrenched the radio from its holder. “Yeah, I got her. I took her to safe location Beta. And I found out that she didn’t really know what she was getting herself into, thanks to you.”
“Hey, what are you telling her? You know she’s not privy to classified—”
“Oh, come on, Daisuke. How can you ask a person to risk her life without telling her the stakes?”
“We’ve been over this. It’s part of the job.”
“Yeah, for normal humans. This girl is anything but normal. No offense, Kagome,” Miu hurriedly added, but the miko waved her off. Today, it was a fortunate thing that she was abnormal. “She was cornered by Hijigoku himself and escaped. If that doesn’t convince you that she can handle the truth, you’re an even bigger baka than I thought.”
They both heard Daisuke sigh in resignation through the radio. “Fine, I suppose I won’t object to giving Kagome some more information. Just don’t go overboard, sweetrobin.”
“Don’t call me that!” Miu snarled, her composure breaking for the first time. Kagome hid her amusement behind her hand, now more sure than ever that something was going on between these two. Sango and Miroku’s relationship came to mind.
“Oh, did I use that awful nickname again?” Daisuke wondered, his mirth easily coming through the radio. “A slip of the tongue.”
“Whatever. Just get over here.”
“Already on my way.”
There was an audible click, and Miu returned the radio to her belt. “I’m really sorry about him,” she told Kagome sincerely. “He’s so focused on the job that he sometimes doesn’t think about what’s best for the people caught up in it.”
“It’s okay,” Kagome told her. “I’m alive. No harm done.” Though she was still upset with Daisuke for holding out on her, it would do no good to take it out on Miu, who seemed friendly and had already argued with Daisuke on her behalf.
“You’re kind to say that. In your shoes, I’d be royally pissed,” said Miu, walking over to a wall and pulling a bottle of sake down from the shelf. “Would you like some?”
Kagome’s first reaction was to refuse, since she was underage. But with the day she’d had, who would blame her for having a little drink? It would not be her first time; her mother had secretly allowed her to try a little bit last year at Jii-chan’s birthday celebration. Ah, what the hell?
“Please.”
Miu blinked in mild surprise, then smiled. She skipped the formalities and quickly poured each of them a cup. Kagome inhaled the vapors, noting the slightly fruity aroma before sipping. She sighed; the sake was good, and while it was not very potent, perhaps it would calm her frayed nerves.
After taking a couple sips of her own drink, Miu launched into an explanation of the formation and function of the G.O.Y. Formed hundreds of years ago, the G.O.Y. was tasked with keeping the existence of youkai a secret and making sure no rogue youkai started an open war with humans. Kagome was relieved to learn that the vast majority of youkai existing today wanted to coexist with humans. A fact fortunate for both sides, since humans outnumbered youkai by at least a hundred thousand to one. The relative rarity of youkai did explain why she had never sensed a demonic aura in the present until today, except for those two incidents soon after her fifteenth birthday. Unfortunately, the youkai world had its bad apples just as the human world did. The G.O.Y. suspected the man known only as Hijigoku, CEO of Muramai International, as being one of them, an extremist plotting to overthrow the status quo and start a war with the humans. At that statement, Kagome finally remembered that she carried something which could confirm that very suspicion.
“Oh, Kami,” Miu muttered as she skimmed the pages. “You got this off Hijigoku’s personal computer?”
“What’s that about Hijigoku’s personal computer?” Daisuke asked as he entered the room. He immediately moved to look over Miu’s shoulder, not even sparing a greeting for Kagome. The miko was a little put off to say the least. But judging by their rapt expressions, she guessed that this was a major break in the case.
“Kagome,” Daisuke uttered at last, “do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
She shook her head, suddenly unsure of herself. She need not have worried; in the next instant Daisuke was embracing her, practically jumping up and down like an excited schoolgirl. To say she was a little weirded out by the display would be an understatement.
“You’re going to get me a big ass promotion, that’s what! Not to mention stopping a dangerous fanatic. With this, we’ll finally be able to raid Muramai and take down that bastard Hijigoku for good. I could kiss you!”
“Leave her alone,” Miu uttered dryly, pulling Daisuke off her. “She’s suffered enough.”
“Oh, are you not as excited as I am, sweetrobin?”
“I am, but I’m not a child. And I’m not kissing you either. Go drink some sake and take a damn chill pill.”
“There’s no time! I need to take this to headquarters, and then they’ll probably have me lead the raid. It’ll be so exciting to see those stuck-up bastards’ faces when I bust down their door!”
“Hold it!” Kagome cried suddenly, startling both youkai. She had been the forgotten third wheel in their little espionage party for the past few minutes, but she was not about to let Daisuke forget about his promise.
“The only place you’re doing right now is back to the shrine with me,” she told him in no uncertain terms.
His eyes widened in alarm, then narrowed as he tried to keep up a cool demeanor. “You know, Kagome, you never did upload the virus. So technically—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” she ordered, her miko energy flaring so violently that both youkai took a step back, their hair standing on end. “A minute ago you said you were getting a ‘big ass promotion’ for this. Don’t even pretend that what I just brought you isn’t a hundred times better than whatever you were going to get from that virus.”
“True,” Daisuke admitted grudgingly. “Very well,” he said magnanimously, still trying to pretend that he was the one doing her a favor. “I will hold up my end of our agreement, but only after I report to headquarters and lead the raid on Muramai.”
“Not good enough,” Kagome answered firmly. “Honor your side of the deal. No delays.”
Part of her was shocked at how obstinate she was behaving. But she was so close to her goal; she could practically see Inuyasha standing in front of her, trying to hide his happiness at her return behind his usual gruff façade. After the near-death experience she had endured for these people, not to mention being left in the dark regarding some key information which might have helped her, she was in no mood to wait while Daisuke ran off to enjoy his glory hard won by her labors. Besides, she needed him alive, and there was no guarantee that he would survive this raid on Muramai.
Daisuke looked like he wanted to argue the matter further, but Miu’s hand on his shoulder stilled his tongue. “Go with her,” she said seriously. “I’ll take the evidence to headquarters and lead the raid. You owe her this.”
Now outnumbered, a panicked Daisuke scrambled for an escape. But the miko and youkai were unwavering, and eventually he surrendered. As he trudged miserably after Kagome, he missed Miu’s amused smirk as she called after them.
“And on the way there, make sure you give her a nice, long apology for being such a baka!”
Kagome glanced back at him over her shoulder, stifling a smirk of her own. This might actually be fun.
“Y-yes, Hijigoku-sama?” answered the frightened underling.
“Why don't you tell me...why that bitch was in my office?!” Hijigoku snarled, turning to bare his teeth at his subordinate. He loomed over Kusanagi, his youkai markings flashing and his eyes glowing fierce scarlet. His formidable aura crackled around him, threatening to explode at any moment.
“W-wait, Hijigoku-sama! Do not kill your faithful servant!” Kusanagi pleaded, but his master was unmoved. He judged that he had about two seconds before Hijigoku-sama lost patience and burned him alive.
“S-s-she was the new girl hired by software development, O-Okajima Takara. All her credentials checked out, though I don't know who interviewed her.”
Kusanagi paused as his master moved behind his desk to use the computer. Several seconds later, Hijigoku growled, “The file says that you interviewed her.”
“What?! That's a lie; I never met her before today!”
“I see,” Hijigoku responded thoughtfully, “continue with your report.”
“W-well, when that fat human Nakamura brought her into my office, I sensed that something was amiss. She wasn’t acting naturally. It was as if she knew…so I decided to keep an eye on her. I observed her run into the men’s restroom, which I thought was maybe just an honest first-day mistake. But she seemed afraid about something, so I waited for her to come out. She dropped a flash drive on the floor and then tried to lie to me. So I grabbed her and started dragging her to one of the interrogation rooms…” Once again Kusanagi paused, knowing that this next part of the story could potentially end up being his last words.
“And?” Hijigoku prodded impatiently.
“And she hit me with the strongest blast of miko energy I've ever felt,” he said, motioning to his blackened torso as evidence. “I was fortunate to survive; if I had held on for another second she would have totally incinerated me. I called security and we almost had her when the lucky bitch managed to jump into a closing elevator. That's how she got up here, and I guess your office doors were unlocked—”
“Do not presume to shift the blame for this mess onto my shoulders,” Hijigoku growled dangerously. “If not for your incompetence, she would never have escaped your grasp.” Those words were harsh, but the fact that Kusanagi still drew breath seemed to indicate that his master recognized how powerful Okajima had been. Perhaps he would survive another day after all.
“Do you still have the flash drive in your possession?” Hijigoku demanded.
“Yes, Hijigoku-sama. I will have the techs analyze it.”
“Good. Report back to me when we have some answers.”
About ten minutes later, Kusanagi once again stood before his master’s desk, this time sure that he would be incinerated on the spot. He had considered running away, but knew it was futile. The only choice was to throw himself at his master’s extremely limited sense of mercy. A fool’s hope, but it was the only hope he had.
“Well?” Hijigoku-sama inquired.
“The flash drive had some kind of self-destruct. It burned itself out before we could access it.”
Silence. Dark, foreboding silence. Kusanagi closed his eyes, not wishing to see his end coming.
“Kusanagi.”
He cringed. “Y-yes?”
“Get out of my sight before I kill you.”
Kusanagi froze for a moment, then darted out of the office before his master could change his mind.
“And get someone to fix my fucking window!” Hijigoku called after him.
The doors slammed and Hijigoku listened in silence to the diminishing sound of running footsteps, trying to regain his composure. It was not an easy task; he had never before wanted to fry his first underling so badly. But for the moment, he needed Kusanagi, especially if his fears were correct. Grimacing, he ripped the ruined concealment ring off his finger and replaced it with a backup from one of his desk droors. He relaxed slightly as the familiar sensation came over him, concealing his demonic features once more, then snarled in displeasure. Soon, no youkai will have to hide their appearance ever again.
At least, that was his ultimate goal. But now it seemed that his carefully laid plans had been discovered. Hijigoku was no fool; he knew full well exactly which document he had left open on his computer when he stepped away from his office. He had been gone less than five minutes, and no subordinate would dare enter his office when he was not inside. He hadn’t anticipated that some miko bitch would use it for her own private bunker. That she even got into the building…someone hacked into the personnel files. That in and of itself was not a grave concern; the electronic security shielding his own private files was a hundred times stronger. That’s why they sent her…they couldn’t get in from the outside, so they tried to hack in from the inside. And he had a fairly good idea precisely who ‘they’ was. Damn those G.O.Y. bastards! Just when my plans were almost ready to come to fruition!
But perhaps he was overreacting. Maybe the miko hadn’t thought to look on the computer screen in her panic. If Operation Purity remained undiscovered, it would proceed as planned. If not, then all his hard work was about to be ruined by some self-righteous council of youkai who thought they had the wisdom to dictate to the rest what was right. There was not enough time to destroy the files, move the weapons, or hide the evidence. The only thing he could do was get himself out of the line of fire. Kusanagi was the only other soul privy to his plans, and he would let the poor bastard take his place in the execution chamber. He had personally seen to it that all the other youkai in the company supported his line of thinking when it came to humans, and had hoped to garner their support when he launched his campaign. Of course, the mass of human employees remained entirely ignorant, unaware that their doom was being plotted on the top floor. Yes, it would be extremely unfortunate if his plans were to go up in smoke, but there were others who would support him regardless. Others who shared his vision of a world dominated by youkai, and had been forced to hide in the shadows because of it. Refugees spurned by youkai society for the crime of trying to better it. His first order of business, no matter what, would be tracking down the miko and finding out what she knew.
I will find you, you little bitch, you can’t hide from me…
“Kikyou…I will avenge you and slay Naraku, but after that, my obligations end.”
So that’s what I am now, an obligation?
Kikyou sighed; the same thoughts had haunted her each day and night since that fateful encounter. At first, she had cursed Inuyasha, condemned Kagome, and blamed everyone but herself for her current predicament. More recently, however, a new emotion had begun to creep unbidden into her thoughts. Guilt.
“I…I won’t be going to hell with you. I want to live, Kikyou.”
And wasn’t that his right? Did she have a right to ask him to die for her? Concrete answers eluded her, but she was beginning to understand why Inuyasha had chosen Kagome over herself. And she hated it. She did not want to feel guilt, nor did she want to be remorseful for her actions in her two lives. But she could not banish her new emotions, just as she had been unable to control the bitter anger that gripped her for a long time after her resurrection.
“I hope that, someday, you find peace.”
I hope you find peace as well, Inuyasha.
She surprised herself with that thought; when was the last time she had sincerely wished for anything good to happen to Inuyasha? Certainly not during this hollow shell of a life. Nevertheless, making such a selfless wish lightened her spirits, and for the first time since her resurrection, a genuine, contented smile found its way to her face. Her momentary happiness faded quickly, as did the smile, as she heard the incessant buzzing sound yet again. I fear that I shall never find peace in this world, not as long as these servants of Naraku keep following me. They had shown up on the second night, and she had fully expected an imminent visit from the dark hanyou. That visit had never come; instead, the bastard gloated from afar, keeping a presence near her no matter how many insects she destroyed. Sometimes, it was all she could do to keep her sanity, to cope with the constant reminder of what she had done, the lives she had disrupted. Worst of all, she had deprived Inuyasha of the one woman who could truly accept him, and love him as he deserved.
THUNK!
Her arrow lodged in the tree, having passed straight through the head of the annoying creature. It would buy her a few moments of peace before another one would take its place. But insects or no, she would never find peace in this world, and Naraku knew that. That was why she was still alive, wandering through the forest drowning in her misery. But perhaps she could use it to her advantage. I will see you dead, Naraku, and then I will leave this world for good.
A/N – The nickname “sweetrobin” is new; it came from George R. R. Martin’s A Song if Ice and Fire series. Truly epic. God, I love it. And I thought it sounded better than “beautiful bird,” which is what I used originally. Plus, the fact that Miu is a bird of prey would make her hate being called a robin all the more.
Fanfiction of the Week: Cannot Be Broken, by White Dire Wolf. If you’re like me, and Alternate Universe stories aren’t your forte, I dare you to read this one and not make an exception. The only problem was that once I started reading, I couldn’t freakin’ stop!
Truth
Kagome kept her eyes tightly closed as she plummeted toward the Earth. She didn’t want the last thing she saw to be the ground rushing up at her. At some point she was certain her life would flash before her eyes, and she would get to see her friends and family one last time. Of course, her biggest regret would be never seeing Inuyasha again. He might find a way to break the seal, only to find her dead and gone. Elation would turn to bitter despair in a heartbeat. I’m sorry, Inuyasha…
She had been falling for less than a second when the impact came—from the side. And instead of hard pavement, she found herself nestled up against a warm body. Someone had caught her, cradled her in strong arms, and was carrying her away from the Muramai International building. Her eyes flew open, and the first sight that greeted her was the black-clad shoulder of her savior. Looking up to thank him, her words died in her throat. A woman?!
There was no doubt; the ample bosom she was just now noticing and the woman’s long, wavy auburn hair proved it. Gold facial markings marked her as a youkai, as did the strong aura Kagome could now sense. Far from being afraid, Kagome simply wrapped her arms around the stranger’s neck and held on for the ride. And, perhaps most importantly, she did not look down. Instead, she studied the woman’s flapping wings, the long appendages immaculately feathered and incredibly powerful.
When they finally landed, Kagome released her hold and stepped back to get a better look at her rescuer. She was tall, at least six feet in height, and of thin build. Her clothing was entirely black, from tight latex pants to midriff-revealing tank top. Her feet were bare, and aside from her facial markings the only things that revealed her youkai heritage were the massive wings which flexed one last time before folding elegantly behind her back. She was very much like Inuyasha in this regard, Kagome reflected; the hanyou's ears branded him an inu-youkai, while this woman's wings labeled her as some kind of bird of prey. Glancing at her surroundings, Kagome noticed that she had been take to what looked like an old, wood cabin. The room was small, maybe seven meters by five, and there was a dilapidated looking computer and fax machine sitting on a desk in one corner. Her brief inspection completed, Kagome looked up into the face of her rescuer.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said simply, bowing in a show of respect. “I am Higurashi Kagome. Might I know your name?”
“Call me Miu,” the youkai responded, all business. “I'm Daisuke’s partner. You’re safe now.”
“Partner?'” Kagome repeated curiously, unsure of what that meant.
Miu's hesitated a moment before answering. “W-we work together for the G.O.Y.”
Kagome chose not to comment on the other woman’s discomfiture, thinking that perhaps she and Daisuke were more than mere co-workers. More importantly, Daisuke had never told her anything about a partner or a larger organization. It appeared that she had been correct to suspect him of concealing information from her.
“What’s the G.O.Y.?” she asked, trying to keep her irritation with Daisuke out of her tone. She was surprised, however, when a dangerous glint entered Miu’s eyes instead.
“The Global Organization of Youkai. Daisuke did tell you about this, didn't he?”
“…”
Miu groaned and smacked herself on the forehead. “That baka. Well, I guess it can’t be helped. I suppose he spun you some bullshit story about stealing from this company, right?”
Before Kagome could respond, the radio at Miu’s waist came to life.
“Miu? Do you have her?” came Daisuke’s anxious voice.
Miu wrenched the radio from its holder. “Yeah, I got her. I took her to safe location Beta. And I found out that she didn’t really know what she was getting herself into, thanks to you.”
“Hey, what are you telling her? You know she’s not privy to classified—”
“Oh, come on, Daisuke. How can you ask a person to risk her life without telling her the stakes?”
“We’ve been over this. It’s part of the job.”
“Yeah, for normal humans. This girl is anything but normal. No offense, Kagome,” Miu hurriedly added, but the miko waved her off. Today, it was a fortunate thing that she was abnormal. “She was cornered by Hijigoku himself and escaped. If that doesn’t convince you that she can handle the truth, you’re an even bigger baka than I thought.”
They both heard Daisuke sigh in resignation through the radio. “Fine, I suppose I won’t object to giving Kagome some more information. Just don’t go overboard, sweetrobin.”
“Don’t call me that!” Miu snarled, her composure breaking for the first time. Kagome hid her amusement behind her hand, now more sure than ever that something was going on between these two. Sango and Miroku’s relationship came to mind.
“Oh, did I use that awful nickname again?” Daisuke wondered, his mirth easily coming through the radio. “A slip of the tongue.”
“Whatever. Just get over here.”
“Already on my way.”
There was an audible click, and Miu returned the radio to her belt. “I’m really sorry about him,” she told Kagome sincerely. “He’s so focused on the job that he sometimes doesn’t think about what’s best for the people caught up in it.”
“It’s okay,” Kagome told her. “I’m alive. No harm done.” Though she was still upset with Daisuke for holding out on her, it would do no good to take it out on Miu, who seemed friendly and had already argued with Daisuke on her behalf.
“You’re kind to say that. In your shoes, I’d be royally pissed,” said Miu, walking over to a wall and pulling a bottle of sake down from the shelf. “Would you like some?”
Kagome’s first reaction was to refuse, since she was underage. But with the day she’d had, who would blame her for having a little drink? It would not be her first time; her mother had secretly allowed her to try a little bit last year at Jii-chan’s birthday celebration. Ah, what the hell?
“Please.”
Miu blinked in mild surprise, then smiled. She skipped the formalities and quickly poured each of them a cup. Kagome inhaled the vapors, noting the slightly fruity aroma before sipping. She sighed; the sake was good, and while it was not very potent, perhaps it would calm her frayed nerves.
After taking a couple sips of her own drink, Miu launched into an explanation of the formation and function of the G.O.Y. Formed hundreds of years ago, the G.O.Y. was tasked with keeping the existence of youkai a secret and making sure no rogue youkai started an open war with humans. Kagome was relieved to learn that the vast majority of youkai existing today wanted to coexist with humans. A fact fortunate for both sides, since humans outnumbered youkai by at least a hundred thousand to one. The relative rarity of youkai did explain why she had never sensed a demonic aura in the present until today, except for those two incidents soon after her fifteenth birthday. Unfortunately, the youkai world had its bad apples just as the human world did. The G.O.Y. suspected the man known only as Hijigoku, CEO of Muramai International, as being one of them, an extremist plotting to overthrow the status quo and start a war with the humans. At that statement, Kagome finally remembered that she carried something which could confirm that very suspicion.
“Oh, Kami,” Miu muttered as she skimmed the pages. “You got this off Hijigoku’s personal computer?”
“What’s that about Hijigoku’s personal computer?” Daisuke asked as he entered the room. He immediately moved to look over Miu’s shoulder, not even sparing a greeting for Kagome. The miko was a little put off to say the least. But judging by their rapt expressions, she guessed that this was a major break in the case.
“Kagome,” Daisuke uttered at last, “do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
She shook her head, suddenly unsure of herself. She need not have worried; in the next instant Daisuke was embracing her, practically jumping up and down like an excited schoolgirl. To say she was a little weirded out by the display would be an understatement.
“You’re going to get me a big ass promotion, that’s what! Not to mention stopping a dangerous fanatic. With this, we’ll finally be able to raid Muramai and take down that bastard Hijigoku for good. I could kiss you!”
“Leave her alone,” Miu uttered dryly, pulling Daisuke off her. “She’s suffered enough.”
“Oh, are you not as excited as I am, sweetrobin?”
“I am, but I’m not a child. And I’m not kissing you either. Go drink some sake and take a damn chill pill.”
“There’s no time! I need to take this to headquarters, and then they’ll probably have me lead the raid. It’ll be so exciting to see those stuck-up bastards’ faces when I bust down their door!”
“Hold it!” Kagome cried suddenly, startling both youkai. She had been the forgotten third wheel in their little espionage party for the past few minutes, but she was not about to let Daisuke forget about his promise.
“The only place you’re doing right now is back to the shrine with me,” she told him in no uncertain terms.
His eyes widened in alarm, then narrowed as he tried to keep up a cool demeanor. “You know, Kagome, you never did upload the virus. So technically—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” she ordered, her miko energy flaring so violently that both youkai took a step back, their hair standing on end. “A minute ago you said you were getting a ‘big ass promotion’ for this. Don’t even pretend that what I just brought you isn’t a hundred times better than whatever you were going to get from that virus.”
“True,” Daisuke admitted grudgingly. “Very well,” he said magnanimously, still trying to pretend that he was the one doing her a favor. “I will hold up my end of our agreement, but only after I report to headquarters and lead the raid on Muramai.”
“Not good enough,” Kagome answered firmly. “Honor your side of the deal. No delays.”
Part of her was shocked at how obstinate she was behaving. But she was so close to her goal; she could practically see Inuyasha standing in front of her, trying to hide his happiness at her return behind his usual gruff façade. After the near-death experience she had endured for these people, not to mention being left in the dark regarding some key information which might have helped her, she was in no mood to wait while Daisuke ran off to enjoy his glory hard won by her labors. Besides, she needed him alive, and there was no guarantee that he would survive this raid on Muramai.
Daisuke looked like he wanted to argue the matter further, but Miu’s hand on his shoulder stilled his tongue. “Go with her,” she said seriously. “I’ll take the evidence to headquarters and lead the raid. You owe her this.”
Now outnumbered, a panicked Daisuke scrambled for an escape. But the miko and youkai were unwavering, and eventually he surrendered. As he trudged miserably after Kagome, he missed Miu’s amused smirk as she called after them.
“And on the way there, make sure you give her a nice, long apology for being such a baka!”
Kagome glanced back at him over her shoulder, stifling a smirk of her own. This might actually be fun.
* * *
Hijigoku gazed passively out the jagged hole that used to be one of his window panes, his calm expression belying the fury raging inside him. “Kusanagi,” he said evenly, never taking his eyes off the swiftly vanishing winged figure carrying his prey. “Y-yes, Hijigoku-sama?” answered the frightened underling.
“Why don't you tell me...why that bitch was in my office?!” Hijigoku snarled, turning to bare his teeth at his subordinate. He loomed over Kusanagi, his youkai markings flashing and his eyes glowing fierce scarlet. His formidable aura crackled around him, threatening to explode at any moment.
“W-wait, Hijigoku-sama! Do not kill your faithful servant!” Kusanagi pleaded, but his master was unmoved. He judged that he had about two seconds before Hijigoku-sama lost patience and burned him alive.
“S-s-she was the new girl hired by software development, O-Okajima Takara. All her credentials checked out, though I don't know who interviewed her.”
Kusanagi paused as his master moved behind his desk to use the computer. Several seconds later, Hijigoku growled, “The file says that you interviewed her.”
“What?! That's a lie; I never met her before today!”
“I see,” Hijigoku responded thoughtfully, “continue with your report.”
“W-well, when that fat human Nakamura brought her into my office, I sensed that something was amiss. She wasn’t acting naturally. It was as if she knew…so I decided to keep an eye on her. I observed her run into the men’s restroom, which I thought was maybe just an honest first-day mistake. But she seemed afraid about something, so I waited for her to come out. She dropped a flash drive on the floor and then tried to lie to me. So I grabbed her and started dragging her to one of the interrogation rooms…” Once again Kusanagi paused, knowing that this next part of the story could potentially end up being his last words.
“And?” Hijigoku prodded impatiently.
“And she hit me with the strongest blast of miko energy I've ever felt,” he said, motioning to his blackened torso as evidence. “I was fortunate to survive; if I had held on for another second she would have totally incinerated me. I called security and we almost had her when the lucky bitch managed to jump into a closing elevator. That's how she got up here, and I guess your office doors were unlocked—”
“Do not presume to shift the blame for this mess onto my shoulders,” Hijigoku growled dangerously. “If not for your incompetence, she would never have escaped your grasp.” Those words were harsh, but the fact that Kusanagi still drew breath seemed to indicate that his master recognized how powerful Okajima had been. Perhaps he would survive another day after all.
“Do you still have the flash drive in your possession?” Hijigoku demanded.
“Yes, Hijigoku-sama. I will have the techs analyze it.”
“Good. Report back to me when we have some answers.”
About ten minutes later, Kusanagi once again stood before his master’s desk, this time sure that he would be incinerated on the spot. He had considered running away, but knew it was futile. The only choice was to throw himself at his master’s extremely limited sense of mercy. A fool’s hope, but it was the only hope he had.
“Well?” Hijigoku-sama inquired.
“The flash drive had some kind of self-destruct. It burned itself out before we could access it.”
Silence. Dark, foreboding silence. Kusanagi closed his eyes, not wishing to see his end coming.
“Kusanagi.”
He cringed. “Y-yes?”
“Get out of my sight before I kill you.”
Kusanagi froze for a moment, then darted out of the office before his master could change his mind.
“And get someone to fix my fucking window!” Hijigoku called after him.
The doors slammed and Hijigoku listened in silence to the diminishing sound of running footsteps, trying to regain his composure. It was not an easy task; he had never before wanted to fry his first underling so badly. But for the moment, he needed Kusanagi, especially if his fears were correct. Grimacing, he ripped the ruined concealment ring off his finger and replaced it with a backup from one of his desk droors. He relaxed slightly as the familiar sensation came over him, concealing his demonic features once more, then snarled in displeasure. Soon, no youkai will have to hide their appearance ever again.
At least, that was his ultimate goal. But now it seemed that his carefully laid plans had been discovered. Hijigoku was no fool; he knew full well exactly which document he had left open on his computer when he stepped away from his office. He had been gone less than five minutes, and no subordinate would dare enter his office when he was not inside. He hadn’t anticipated that some miko bitch would use it for her own private bunker. That she even got into the building…someone hacked into the personnel files. That in and of itself was not a grave concern; the electronic security shielding his own private files was a hundred times stronger. That’s why they sent her…they couldn’t get in from the outside, so they tried to hack in from the inside. And he had a fairly good idea precisely who ‘they’ was. Damn those G.O.Y. bastards! Just when my plans were almost ready to come to fruition!
But perhaps he was overreacting. Maybe the miko hadn’t thought to look on the computer screen in her panic. If Operation Purity remained undiscovered, it would proceed as planned. If not, then all his hard work was about to be ruined by some self-righteous council of youkai who thought they had the wisdom to dictate to the rest what was right. There was not enough time to destroy the files, move the weapons, or hide the evidence. The only thing he could do was get himself out of the line of fire. Kusanagi was the only other soul privy to his plans, and he would let the poor bastard take his place in the execution chamber. He had personally seen to it that all the other youkai in the company supported his line of thinking when it came to humans, and had hoped to garner their support when he launched his campaign. Of course, the mass of human employees remained entirely ignorant, unaware that their doom was being plotted on the top floor. Yes, it would be extremely unfortunate if his plans were to go up in smoke, but there were others who would support him regardless. Others who shared his vision of a world dominated by youkai, and had been forced to hide in the shadows because of it. Refugees spurned by youkai society for the crime of trying to better it. His first order of business, no matter what, would be tracking down the miko and finding out what she knew.
I will find you, you little bitch, you can’t hide from me…
* * *
The shinidamachu floated through the air, their glowing bodies casting the only light in the otherwise dark forest. Their mistress followed close behind, walking at a leisurely pace with no particular destination in mind. It had been this way ever since she had last spoken with Inuyasha, since the day he had shattered the last remnants of her heart. “Kikyou…I will avenge you and slay Naraku, but after that, my obligations end.”
So that’s what I am now, an obligation?
Kikyou sighed; the same thoughts had haunted her each day and night since that fateful encounter. At first, she had cursed Inuyasha, condemned Kagome, and blamed everyone but herself for her current predicament. More recently, however, a new emotion had begun to creep unbidden into her thoughts. Guilt.
“I…I won’t be going to hell with you. I want to live, Kikyou.”
And wasn’t that his right? Did she have a right to ask him to die for her? Concrete answers eluded her, but she was beginning to understand why Inuyasha had chosen Kagome over herself. And she hated it. She did not want to feel guilt, nor did she want to be remorseful for her actions in her two lives. But she could not banish her new emotions, just as she had been unable to control the bitter anger that gripped her for a long time after her resurrection.
“I hope that, someday, you find peace.”
I hope you find peace as well, Inuyasha.
She surprised herself with that thought; when was the last time she had sincerely wished for anything good to happen to Inuyasha? Certainly not during this hollow shell of a life. Nevertheless, making such a selfless wish lightened her spirits, and for the first time since her resurrection, a genuine, contented smile found its way to her face. Her momentary happiness faded quickly, as did the smile, as she heard the incessant buzzing sound yet again. I fear that I shall never find peace in this world, not as long as these servants of Naraku keep following me. They had shown up on the second night, and she had fully expected an imminent visit from the dark hanyou. That visit had never come; instead, the bastard gloated from afar, keeping a presence near her no matter how many insects she destroyed. Sometimes, it was all she could do to keep her sanity, to cope with the constant reminder of what she had done, the lives she had disrupted. Worst of all, she had deprived Inuyasha of the one woman who could truly accept him, and love him as he deserved.
THUNK!
Her arrow lodged in the tree, having passed straight through the head of the annoying creature. It would buy her a few moments of peace before another one would take its place. But insects or no, she would never find peace in this world, and Naraku knew that. That was why she was still alive, wandering through the forest drowning in her misery. But perhaps she could use it to her advantage. I will see you dead, Naraku, and then I will leave this world for good.
A/N – The nickname “sweetrobin” is new; it came from George R. R. Martin’s A Song if Ice and Fire series. Truly epic. God, I love it. And I thought it sounded better than “beautiful bird,” which is what I used originally. Plus, the fact that Miu is a bird of prey would make her hate being called a robin all the more.