InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sleeping with the Enemy ❯ Reunited ( Chapter 29 )

Chapter Twenty Six:

Reunited

 

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Thank you to Tainted for nominating this fic in the Iyfanguilds first quarter 2006 fanfic contest for best romantic alternate pairing...and to night_owl_chris and beccaatoo for seconding and thirding it! That really does mean a lot to me! You guys rock! Good luck to everyone in the running!

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Naraku unhurriedly walked down the corridor towards Kagome's room. Her unintentional confession accompanied with the sight of her staring unhappily into Kanna's mirror had caused him to rethink his decision to keep her with him. The more he allowed himself to entertain the thought of her leaving, the more his inner demon began to voice itself. The demon wanted her gone. Kagome was a weakness, something that would hold back his demon and it's desire for the Shikon Jewel. He had found both his demon half and human half both wanting her gone but for very different reasons. While his demon was selfish and power hungry; his human half knew that being there with him, her friends hating her and her own home not being safe, would eventually change her. She would become bitter and possibly grow to despise him. Though he realized how great a weakness it truly was, he did not want Kagome to dislike or distrust him.

 

Never before had any being claimed to care for him nor shown him their full trust. He found that, in some strange way, he had mistaken control for trust. Always he had desired to control other people. However, the feeling he received from a being willing placing trust in him, rather than him controlling that person, was foreign and yet something he found himself desiring. There was a strange sense of power that came from being able to gain trust, rather than demanding control; to know that the person would remain faithful and loyal to him without force or manipulation.

 

Regardless, he had finally come up with a solution that both of his halves could agree upon. One that would allow Kagome to return safely to her comrades, sating his human half's desire for her safety, while allowing his demon to be rid of her. For a moment he stood silently at the door to her room. It was almost a surreal moment. He wondered how he had grown so accustomed to the idea of her being with him and why the thought of her leaving wasn't as pleasant as he once would have imagined it to be.

 

As if she had sensed him there, she opened the door. The look of surprise on her face told him the opposite, however.

 

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?” She asked.

 

“Come with me, Kagome,” he said, rather than reply. She noted the somber tone in his voice and nodded. Rather than explain further, he simply began walking slowly down the corridor. Kagome followed him in silence, wondering if he actually intended to say something or wait for her to ask what it was that he wanted. After a moment, however, his deep voice filled the sound of the desolate hall.

 

“Soon, Kagome, you will return to your village,” he said simply. She stopped walking, stunned by his change of mind and confused about his reasoning. It had been him that pointed out how much danger she would be in if she were to return to her friends and that there was no way that she could hide what had happened between the two of them after Kikyo had used her enchantment arrow.

 

“But—Kikyo's arrow,” she began. Naraku turned to face her and then gave a slight nod.

 

“An enchantment arrow allows a priestess to kill or injure those that are not pure,” he said. “You were not killed, Kagome. You are not pure, yet despite giving yourself to me, Kikyo's arrow could not kill you.” Truthfully, that fact had left him shocked. There were few beings that were thought to be as evil as he. How it was that Kagome still held onto enough purity that such a powerful spell could not kill or even seriously injure her, he didn't understand fully. Though, he had began to wonder if it were Kagome herself. If she truly did care for him and could see some sort of salvageable being inside of him, perhaps there wasn't anything to taint. If her feelings were true, they were not dirty or evil. That realization had left him at great odds with his own newfound emotions.

 

“But they'll still know what happened,” she protested.

 

“Perhaps,” he acknowledged. “Or perhaps they will believe you had other motives for coming to me.” Kagome stared at him blankly so he continued. “Purity and evil are in the eyes of the beholder. If they believed that you came here for another purpose, they might also believe that is what tainted you.”

 

“Why else would I come here?” She questioned. “You could have killed me or taken the jewel shards and they know I wouldn't be stupid enough to come here alone.”

 

“Perhaps you believed you could save an innocent life. It is in the nature of a priestess is it not, Kagome?” She stood in silence, still confused about what he was insinuating. “They would not despise you, if they believed that you attempted to rescue the young demon slayer and you nearly purified me in the process. Perhaps you foolishly believed that you could deceive me.”

 

Kagome listened to his reasoning, taking it in fully. Could she lie to them? Rejoin them in their hunt for the jewel and allow them to believe the lies?

 

“What about Kikyo, Sesshoumaru and Kagura?” She asked timidly.

 

“Kikyo and Lord Sesshoumaru only know what they have been told. Kikyo's enchantment did not harm you terribly. If a priestess were lying to her comrades and attempting to manipulate her enemy, even if it were to save a child, it might taint her soul enough to be affected by such a spell. Sesshoumaru has nothing more than suspicions and what he learned from me directly. As for Kagura, I am sure even InuYasha must know that she cannot be trusted.” Everything he said made sense to her. She could go back and let them believe these things. But a part of her didn't want to lie and a part of her didn't want to leave no matter how wrong that made her.

 

“They wouldn't believe me,” she said flatly. Partly because she believed it to be true. How could she look them in the eye and say such things without giving herself away? Partly because if she convinced him of it, she wouldn't have to make the decision to stay or go.

 

“Perhaps not, though—” he said and watched her intently. “If you returned with the boy, it would give your story credibility. He is of no use to me now.” The words left Kagome almost stunned. Now she had to choose between saving Kohaku and lying to her friends, or staying with Naraku? She suddenly felt the desire to cry again though couldn't seem to find the tears within her.

 

“I guess so,” she said quietly. “I guess that means that you'll be going after the Shikon jewel again. Will you try to kill me next time we meet?” She asked, she had intended the words to sound bitter and accusing but they came out meek and sad. Naraku stood in complete silence, his eyes not leaving her face before he turned and stared at the Shoji door in front of him.

 

“If I wished you dead, I would not be sending you away unharmed,” he replied. Soon he would face his night of weakness. Even though he held little demon in him, it was there nonetheless. Just like InuYasha and any other half demon, it was not something he could avoid. Once this night came, he could not guarantee that his demon's dark nature wouldn't begin to overtake him again. His lust for power would begin to grow stronger and his demon's desire to be rid of Kagome might also begin to grow. Without offering her further explanation, he slid the door open and waited for her to enter the room. She tentatively walked past him and then gasped at the sight of Kohaku sitting in the corner of the room alone.

 

“Kohaku?” She quickly rushed over to the boy and dropped down beside him. His eyes slowly rose to meet her own, though he held no recognition of the girl.

 

“Who are you?” He queried meekly. She smiled at him through the tears that were beginning to sting her eyes. This was Kohaku, Sango's brother. Not the Kohaku that was merely a puppet to Naraku.

 

“I'm a friend of Sango,” she replied. “She misses you so much, Kohaku.”

 

“Sango?” He repeated the name hopefully. “Is she mad at me?”

 

“No, she's not mad at you. She loves you and wants you to come back safely,” Kagome assured him.

 

“Did I really kill them?” He asked with so much agony lacing his voice that it nearly broke her heart.

 

“No, it wasn't you,” she said softly. The words seemed to lift away a great weight from the boy's conscious.

 

“The strange girl said that Naraku deceived me,” he replied quietly. “She showed me the battle in her mirror but it was different than I remembered.” Kagome looked at him curiously wondering what Kanna had possibly shown him.

 

“Different how?”

 

“We fought the demon,” he said then took on a proud look. “Sango was so amazing. She killed it with one blow. But then I was knocked down, I was unconscious and—the demon—killed them. It was Naraku.” Kagome sat in silence for a moment. What he said was partly true. Naraku had killed them. How could she possibly tell him any differently? That it has been his hand that had done the slaying, though it was Naraku's will.

 

“Naraku is the one that killed them,” she answered truthfully. The boy looked at her, desperately wanting to believe the words and the image he had seen.

 

“How will we escape?” He asked in a hushed voice. Kagome looked back to the doorway but didn't see Naraku standing there.

 

“Wait here,” she said and then stood and walked back to the door and peered out. Naraku was standing silently down the corridor, presumably waiting for her. She glanced back at Kohaku and then walked slowly down and stood beside him.

 

“I have to take him back to Sango,” she said. “They need each other.”

 

“InuYasha is coming for you,” he replied. “Kagura is bringing them here. If you take the boy now they will no doubt find you quickly.” Kagome could hear anger in his voice when he mentioned Kagura but chose to avoid mentioning it.

 

“What about you?” She asked him.

 

“I will be leaving,” he replied, not offering to tell her where he intended to go. He believed that if she knew that she could not return, she would allow her friends to believe the lie he had concocted. For a moment both remained silent, understanding that she would be leaving and not returning to him again. Their future was unwritten. The Shikon Jewel still needed to be completed, Naraku's demon would again begin to regenerate and her friends would be weary of her trust, at least for awhile. What lay before them both was a mystery.

 

Kagome glanced at him briefly and then down to the portion of the jewel that was attached to her neck. He could have killed her, he could have taken the jewel, and given his weakened state, it surely would have helped him regain the power he needed in order to continue on his quest to regain the remainder of it. Yet, here he stood allowing her to leave and take Kohaku with her. He was sending her back to her friends with an alibi and excuse for her betrayal. How could this even be the same man that had done so many terrible things? Suddenly, she realized that it wasn't. This wasn't the bitter, hateful Naraku that had let InuYasha and Kikyo believed they had betrayed each other. This wasn't the same demon that had cursed Miroku's family and destroyed Sango's life.

 

When they had met Sango they had also learned about the origins of the Shikon Jewel. Inside it both good and evil existed. The priestess Midoriko would forever continue to battle the demon that had been trapped inside as long as the jewel existed. Whenever the jewel was possessed by someone that held malice in their hearts, the jewel became tainted. Yet, when someone pure held it, the jewel was pure and could be used for good. Perhaps, people were no different. Evil could not exist without good. Naraku was born of evil and malice, born of Onigumo's twisted desires for power and for Kikyo. Everyone had always assumed that Naraku was nothing but pure evil. But, perhaps, deep down there had been a glimmer of good inside him. How could anything evil exist without some form of good to counter it?

 

It had not been until Kagome had touched his life that the good had began to show itself. What if, like the Shikon Jewel, Naraku's heart and soul had been tainted in darkness, and the kindness of someone as pure and good as Kagome had been able to bring forth the good in him? It was not merely an emotional change, of course. She had accidentally purified many of the demons in him, allowing him to become more vulnerable to human emotions, fears and temptations. But despite this weakness, he had yet to succumb to the desire to take the jewel from her. Was it really possible that he now put more value on her life than on the Shikon Jewel?

 

“I should go,” she said. “Kohaku's scared.” She turned and began walking towards the room where the boy awaited her.

 

“Kagome,” he said but kept his back to her. She stopped walking and turned towards him when his silky voice caught up to her. “Hebiakui is a powerful demon. As long as he possesses so many shards of the Shikon Jewel, you will not be safe.” She stared silently at him for a moment before nodding and blinking back the tears in her eyes. Before any more could be said, he continued down the corridor and then entered another room. She stared at the empty hall for a moment, wanting terribly to rush after him and tell him that she wanted to stay and send Kohaku out on his own to be reunited with his sister; but she realized that there were many reasons why she couldn't, the most important being that InuYasha and her friends would still come for her and with Naraku being in his weakened state, it would only lead to his death. Finally, she returned to the room Kohaku was waiting in and smiled at the young boy.

 

“We've gotta go,” she said. “Before Naraku finds us.” The words felt heavy, as though she were betraying Naraku by simply saying them but she also knew that if they didn't leave soon, InuYasha would arrive at the castle and it would only end in pain for everyone.

 

*

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru!” The demon lord winced privately at the annoying shriek that came from his faithful imp the second he was within view. Rather than offering to reply, he scanned the area. Rin was no where to be seen, but he could sense her nearby.

 

“Jaken, where is Rin?” He said simply. The small toad stopped in his tracks and took on a worried look.

 

“I—uh—the human child is being a nuisance, m'lord,” he began. Before more could be said, there was a squeal of delight followed by Rin's pleasant voice.

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru!” She said happily as she, followed by Ah and Un, walked through the trees. “I'm so glad you've returned.” The demon lord simply offered a nod and then looked back to Jaken.

 

“A demon has gained possession of the Shikon Jewel,” he said. “My incompetent brother will not be able to retrieve it.”

 

“But m'lord?” Jaken gave a questioning look. Sesshoumaru had never cared to have the jewel, so he couldn't understand why he would care who possessed it, let alone if it was returned to InuYasha. “Why do you care which demon possesses the jewel?”

 

“No human or demon should possess such great amounts of power,” he replied, not bothering to explain himself further. Though, it was true he had no desire for the jewel, he did not want any other demon's gaining it and abusing the power it would bestow upon them. No lowly demons deserved to have such great powers.

 

“I am going to find this demon and do what both my brother and Naraku have both failed to do.” He had ever intention of gaining the entire jewel so that it could be destroyed and all lowly demons, humans and half breed would finally accept their rightful place in the world. “You will keep Rin safe.”

 

“Y-y-yes, m'lord,” the imp replied with a bow. Threat of death wasn't necessary, the tone in Sesshoumaru's voice spoke louder than the words ever could.

 

“Jaken,” he said in a silky voice. The servant looked up into the golden eyes of his master, but said nothing. “Do not fail.”

 

*

 

Miroku looked around in confusion as InuYasha, Kouga and Kirara all stopped abruptly and grew attentive of their surroundings.

 

“What is it, InuYasha?” He inquired but got no immediate reply. He glanced at Sango who just shrugged slightly and looked around the area. She couldn't sense any danger but then, she wasn't a demon.

 

“It's Kagome,” Kouga finally growled and then took off with all of his speed. InuYasha was in quick pursuit and it took all of Sango's strength to keep a tight enough grip on the half demon that she wouldn't fall off. Kirara followed along quickly as well, carrying both Miroku and Kagura. The once, demoness' eyes narrowed.

 

'What is Naraku up to?' She pondered silently. Had they smelled Naraku they would have said so. Why would he allow Kagome to leave and travel on her own?

 

“InuYasha...” Sango struggled to speak. She was well aware of his urgency but was afraid that his emotions might lead them into a trap.

 

“It's not just Kagome,” he said as he leapt high into the air and then landed with grace and began running again.

 

“Naraku?” She questioned, bitterness lacing her voice at the very name.

 

“No,” he said and took to the air again, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the scent he was picking up.

 

“Then who?” She asked once his feet were again on the ground.

 

“It's Kohaku,” he replied and then stopped abruptly when he came upon Kagome and the young demon slayer. Both appeared unharmed and were walking along together as if it were something they did every day.

 

“Kohaku,” Sango breathed as InuYasha sat her on the ground. Kouga stopped beside the half demon and momentarily the others were there as well. No one moved. No one breathed. Was this some sort of trap? Would a demon or puppet appear and kill someone if anyone dared to advance towards them? Would Kohaku simply attack?

 

“Sango?” The tremble in the boy's voice nearly broke Sango's heart. How cruel it was for Naraku to use her brother that way. Give him back his memories and life long enough to torment him and then drag him back into his dark world.

 

“Kagome,” InuYasha said finally. She looked almost frightened of him, which led the half demon to believe that at any moment something terrible would happen. Finally, Miroku got off of Kirara and took a few steps towards the young demon slayer and Kagome.

 

“Kagome, where is Naraku?” He questioned. The girl took in a breath and let her gaze move from one to the next. Could she really lie to them?

 

“He's—gone,” she said tentatively. The monk looked to the young boy and then back to Kagome questioningly. He knew that the sight of the boy had to be tearing Sango apart.

 

“Gone?” He asked. Kagome nodded blankly. It wasn't entirely a lie, he had told her that he would be leaving. Finally, Kohaku began sobbing and it drew everyone's attention from Kagome.

 

“I'm so sorry,” he said between his sobs. Sango's eyes were now glistening with tears. She wanted to go to him, to hold him and assure him that she loved him and didn't blame him for what had happened. But she feared moving towards him would cause something terrible to happen.

 

“Sango?” Miroku said in a soothing voice. It was finally the monk that stepped up to the boy and put a comforting arm around the boy's shoulder.

 

“You are not to blame for what happened,” he said. “Naraku is a vile demon that has caused much pain.” After a moment he led the boy to his sister who couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed forward and hugged him.

 

“It's not your fault, Kohaku,” she soothed. “Father wouldn't want you to blame yourself.” InuYasha watched as both siblings cried and Miroku stood comforting them and then he turned his attention back to Kagome. She was still standing silently but her gaze was now fixed on Kagura, who was staring back at her.

 

“I'm sorry, InuYasha,” she said quietly. Her eyes met his and then she shook her head sadly.

 

“Kagome,” he said quietly. “What did you do?” He again looked to her and then the boy. Had she gone to Naraku and done something stupid in exchange for the his life? Before he could ask, Kouga spoke up.

 

“Is the witch tellin' the truth?” He questioned gruffly. “Did you go to Naraku willingly?”

 

“Yes,” she answered and then looked to InuYasha again before looking back to Kagura who was now watching her with a renewed interest and intensity. One that left Kagome chilled right to her very core.

 

*

 

A/N: Sorry for yet another cliffie! I'm being prepped for my hospital stay and I should be going in next week to have my stem cells harvested and then, I can go in as early as late next week for my high dose chemo. I'm taking my lap top with me, so I'll be able to write when I'm up to it and I should be able to access the internet too, so updates aren't out of the question. I'll be playing that by ear. High dose chemo is pretty harsh, it would kill me without my stem cells, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes as planned and a month or so from now I'll be in full remission and can put all this cancer stuff behind me.

 

I'm going to add a link to my web site to my fanfiction . net profile. I'm going to try to add entries to my blog while I'm in the hospital, so my family can read up on how I'm doing and I can avoid taking dozens of calls a day. So if I don't update this for awhile, you can check my site to see if it's my health or sheer laziness that's keeping me from updating. lol Really hope to be updating this again soon! Wish me luck!