InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strike a Pose ❯ The Slander of Kikyo ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12: The Slander of Kikyo.

Kikyo walked into the kitchen and narrowed her eyes. They were all sat there, inconspicuously enough eating breakfast, but they all looked decidedly guilty. Except Sesshoumaru, who merely looked annoyed, but then Sesshoumaru was always the exception to everything.

The first thing that she noticed was the huge bouquet of yellow irises taking up the majority of space on the breakfast bar and also seemingly the source of the dog demon's ire.

“What's with the flowers?” she enquired as she pulled up a stool and sat down

“Kagome got them from that human movie star” Inuyasha smirked “The asshole” he chucked a thumb in the direction of his brother “was upset”

“Cease your snivelling, Hanyou, whilst you still posses the ability to breathe” Sesshoumaru sounded disinterested but his eyes were alight with indignation.

Inuyasha merely chortled into his toast, the apparent displeasure of his older brother making his day.

“So why do you look sheepish?” Kikyo turned on Kagome who jumped in her chair before looking guilty.

“No reason” she protested

“Really?” Kikyo once again cast an eye around the kitchen, something as out of place… and then she noticed it. Rin wasn't sat in front of the TV and Sesshoumaru's morning paper was suspiciously absent.

“There is a distinct lacking of media this morning” she commented airily and nodded in triumph as Kagome and Inuyasha tensed “so what are you hiding?”

She had to duck suddenly as a newspaper came winging her way courtesy of a coffee cup wielding Sesshoumaru “I tire of this charade, she will discover it eventually and will not benefit from your attempts at secrecy”

Kikyo raised a brow at the Inu's speech before turning her attention to the tabloid in front of her. Sesshoumaru, satisfied, turned back to his broadsheet to recommence reading.

Kikyo's eyes dissected the tabloid in front of her and as she read her eyes became wider and wider whilst her face became more and more impassive.

“Oh” she murmured and then proceeded to read aloud “Kikyo Higurashi, formerly the most well known model for the designer brand HG designs, may be dropped today from her modelling label after recent claims from one Naraku Onigumo, a leading fashion photographer, that she is verbally abusive to the other models on set. The modelling agency said that they promote a feeling of harmony between their professional models and that this discontent from Kikyo will not continue. Kagura Ito has been subjected to such verbal abuse, though she is unsure as to why she warranted such an attack. Kagura Ito the lesser known sister of Kanna Ito said she was `belittled for being less of a model than her sister' and that Kikyo behaved `in a crude and unprofessional manner' towards Kagura on set `shouting insults' and `demeaning' the other model.”

Inuyasha was growling “She was the one yelling, not you!”

The phone rang and Kikyo's dispassionate eyes slid across to rest on it before she snatched it from the stand. “Yes” there was a pause “no… it is a false claim… no” she hung up and turned to look at them again “It would seem that unless I can come up with evidence to the contrary I will be dropped from my label”

She turned and walked up the stairs towards her room.

“Kikyo, where are you going? We have to find evidence!” Kagome yelped

“It cannot be done, they will not speak for me” her shoulders straightened out with her pride even in her depression “they hate me”

“Kikyo” Kagome murmured biting her lip.

They waited in silence for the slam of the door signifying Kikyo's isolation from the world and Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru.

“What is she playing?” she asked

He held a finger to his lips and listened for a moment before opening his eyes and shrugging softly “I don't know. I don't believe that she knows either. It would seem she is playing from the heart”

Kagome stood up to go after her sister but was stopped by a clawed hand wrapping around her elbow.

Inuyasha stood there, his eyes obscured from her as she tried to catch them. “I'll go”

The demon and the Miko watched the half demon leave, one with approving eyes and the other with a half smile.

“Looks like I've been replaced” Kagome chuckled “but I'm glad, none the less”

“Indeed, the Hanyou seems to have learnt compassion” Sesshoumaru nodded

“I think he always knew it, but never expressed it” Kagome mused.

“Hn”

Kagome seemed to snap out of it and spinning on her heel she turned around to look at Sesshoumaru and slammed her hand on the table. “Hey!”

“Yes?” he crooked an eyebrow at her

“You are coming with me!” she ordered “we need to recover Kikyo-neechan's good name”

“And why, pray tell, do you require my assistance?” he queried as she threw his coat at him.

“Because I need brains and brawn. I provide the brains and you provide the brawn” she threaded her own coat about her shoulders and looked at him expectantly.

He rolled his eyes and donned his coat “In this partnership little one I provide both of those attributes”

“Bite me” she responded and gasped as a second later she found herself pressed against the kitchen wall with a demon licking and biting her neck. Her knees began to tremble beneath her as he suckled and nibbled on her pulse point repeatedly before slowly drawing away and up her neck to nibble on her ear lobe.

“You would do well not to entice my beast little one” he murmured and smiled as she shivered against him. He snagged the keys from her trembling hand and opened the door to the apartment “I'm driving”

She stared after his back in shock and smacked her head against the wall before glancing around to ensure that Rin was entertained. She sighed and began following the domineering Inu that had just stolen her breath and her car keys.

***

Kagome pushed open the double doors to the huge glass building and skipped inside, a disgruntled Yokai at her side. Saluting the guard she grabbed Sesshoumaru's wrist and dragged him into the lift whilst pressing the button for the top floor.

“Your mother's company is prosperous” he noted

“No shit Sherlock” she rolled her eyes “everything here is amazing and all, but she tends to be just as disorganised here as she is at home”

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened minutely in horror “You mean to tell me she acts the same way in public?”

Kagome snorted “Of course, she doesn't know the meaning of the phrase `tone it down'”

Sesshoumaru watched in dismay as her words were proven correct. The elevator doors slid open to reveal a huge office that took up the entire floor. Every spare space had something on it, be it fabric, paper, sequins or a business agreement, it was like someone had picked up her office at home and amplified it around a hundred time to leave this… whatever this was.

There was one small island of order in the storm of chaos. A small mahogany desk with filing cabinets lining it sat at the beginning of the fabric jungle. Sat behind it was a harassed looking woman in an impeccable eggshell blue suit with her dark hair twisted into a neat bun.

She looked up as they entered and smiled warmly at Kagome. “Kagome-chan, perhaps you can find your mother for me, she ran in this morning complaining that her latest models were going to be doing a shoot in their birthday suits because she had no inspiration. And now I can't find her” she gestured exasperatedly behind her at the office turned explosion.

Sesshoumaru snorted at the notion of finding anything in that… thing.

“Oh, Misako-san, we aren't here for her” she waved a hand dismissively “I'm here because I need to know if Kikyo's reputation is salvageable?”

Misako nodded solemnly “I do believe so, if you can prove beyond a doubt that the accusations are false”

Kagome smiled wickedly “That should be easy, will you find me a tabloid journalist? I have a story to tell”

And with that the Miko dragged the Yokai back to the elevator and disappeared.

Misako blinked, Kagome had always been the exuberant one. She sighed and glanced behind her at the explosion masquerading as an office.

“Megumi-san, come on, we have a meeting in five minutes”

There was a groan from somewhere inside the jungle and Misako rolled her eyes, it would seem they were going to be late.

***

“Where are we going now Miko?” Sesshoumaru queried as one determined Miko towed him long a road he didn't know to an apartment complex he wasn't familiar with.

“Naraku's apartment” she commented blithely

“How do you know where he lives?” he glowered at her

“Google” she replied, as if it was obvious.

“Of course”

She rolled her eyes at him before skipping into the lobby of the apartment complex and gleefully tugging him inside the elevator.

“You have a plan?” he asked as they came to Naraku's floor

“Always” she grinned. She carefully muttered the spell she and Kikyo had used to torment their hated uncle on the Christmas of their tenth year.

Sesshoumaru blinked at Kagome, who was now Kikyo. But, as he discovered after a discrete sniff, she still smelt like Kagome.

“You did not glamour your scent?”

Kagome shrugged and replied in Kikyo's voice “He's an arachnid, he's not going to spend too much time scenting me, after all I look like her and I have her voice”

Without further ado `Kikyo' skipped forward and rapped on the door sharply.

There was a moment for Sesshoumaru to obscure himself from the view of the peephole before Naraku's smarmy voice answered.

“Kikyo, so good to see you” he drawled

“Just let me in” `Kikyo' ordered

The door slowly opened and `Kikyo' put her foot inside before Sesshoumaru stepped up and threw the door open knocking Naraku to the floor.

“My sincerest apologies, I didn't notice you” Sesshoumaru smirked

Kagome melted back into existence and Naraku narrowed his eyes at the duo.

“What are you two kids doing here?” he demanded

“Getting Kikyo's reputation back” Kagome said glowering

“That little bitch got what was coming to her” he snarled jumping to his feet “now get the hell out” he grabbed Kagome's arm and tried to manhandle her out, only to be thrown again by an irate Sesshoumaru.

“Do not touch her Hanyou” he growled slipping a possessive arm around her waist.

“Touching” he muttered pulling himself from the heap he had been tossed in “but get the hell out”

“You're very petty Naraku” Kagome noted “just because she rejected you for Inuyasha is no excuse for slander”

“She wants to hang around with a mutt instead of me she pays the price” he growled

“The price?”

“She looses her fame” he chuckled “it was surprisingly easy, after all no one really liked her, she was too silent. It would've been harder to turn them against you Kagome-chan. But Kikyo no one cares, she's silent enough to arouse suspicions that the gossip might be truth”

“So you did this to her on purpose?” Kagome demanded

“Yes, of course I did. It was so easy to get the tabloids to believe in my lies, especially when Kagura was only too happy to back me up” he chuckled “she doesn't take kindly to being made a fool of”

“So you orchestrated this entire plan as revenge for being jilted?” Sesshoumaru sneered

Naraku growled “Don't act so high and mighty mutt. She chose the wrong option and as such measures were taken to ensure she never forgot what the wrong option would lead to”

“You're a psychopath you know that right?” Kagome glowered at him

“Whatever, just get the hell out before I cal the police”

“We are leaving” Sesshoumaru escorted Kagome from the apartment into the elevator and watched as he face broke out into a huge grin.

“What is it Miko?”

“I got me some evidence” she pulled a small device from her bra and Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. “Now let's go catch us a wind-witch”

***

Kagura smiled as she threw open the door to her sisters house. Normally she dreaded coming home to where the bitch who called herself her sister lurked but today she was in too much of a good mood.

She had been offered several modelling jobs that had rejected Kikyo, she had given an interview with one of the most influential magazines in Japan and Abi-hime and her little posse of prissy models had finally deemed her worthy of their prestigious club.

They were the crème de la crème of the modelling circuit, three amazingly beautiful models who were invited to all of the best parties and who got all the sweetest contracts. Only the foolish passed up an invitation from them, Kanna had done it and so had Kikyo and soon Kagura would see them both disgraced. Only Hime herself was above Abi-hime and even then Abi-hime was often sighted copying Hime.

Kagura held no love for her sister; she was successful and yet never aided her in any way, what happened to family solidarity? Well she would get hers eventually.

Even allowing Kagura to stay in the house came at a price; Kanna made her pay an extortionate rent that kept her nearly out of pocket. But it was worth it to see the awe on people's faces when she revealed she lived in one of the most exclusive neighbourhood's in Japan.

She opened her bedroom door and stopped dead at the sight that greeted her.

Sprawled across her bed was one shirtless Sesshoumaru, staring at her lustfully. Sure Naraku was a good catch but this demon blew him out of the water.

“Kagura” his sultry voice purred at her.

She smirked, this day was truly going brilliantly.

“Sesshoumaru, how did you get in?” she asked coming over to her bed to straddle the demon's waist.

“Kanna let me in” he replied flipping them so that he was pinning her underneath his frame.

She frowned for a moment “Kanna would never let you in”

Sesshoumaru smirked and quickly secured her wrists to the bedposts using her own cuff-links. He then retreated from the bed and smirked as she glowered at him.

“Of course she wouldn't let Sesshoumaru in” the demon clicked his fingers and Kagura watched in horror as Kagome melted into existence once again. “But then again, I'm not Sesshoumaru”

“You little bitch!” she screeched

“Do shut up” Kagome rolled her eyes and sniggered, she could've just asked Kagura in her own body but, as Sesshoumaru was unable to provide backup this time, she had taken evasive manoeuvres. But they were damn funny evasive manoeuvres. “So I want to know why you have a vendetta against my sister”

“She had it coming” Kagura growled

“You sound awfully like Naraku did earlier” Kagome mused

“So what, I just followed his plan and it worked to my advantage” Kagura was still struggling with her cuffs “take these damn things off me!”

“No” Kagome grinned “those are nasty by the way”

“Shut up, a little girl like you wouldn't understand”

“I don't want to understand” Kagome shuddered “and that drawer of yours is nasty”

Kagura actually had the decency to blush at that “Well then you shouldn't have broken in!”

“I was let in by your sister” Kagome rolled her eyes “we've been through this”

“Then get the hell out!”

“First I want to clarify that you lied about my sister” Kagome folded her arms across her chest

“Yes, I lied okay?” Kagura was getting more and more irritated by the second “Now just let me go”

“Hn” Kagome quoted Sesshoumaru “I don't think so”

Blowing a kiss at the stranded Kaze Yokai she twirled on her heels and vacated the room giggling hysterically as the irate demon called out after her.

“Did you acquire what you needed?” Kanna floated to her side

“Yep, thank you Kanna” Kagome smiled

“Here” Kanna handed her the requested document

“Thank you again” Kagome grinned and skipped out of the house and climbed into the car to greet Sesshoumaru.

“Did you do it?” she asked

He nodded “Abi-hime, it would seem, is on our side” he paused and smirked “she was quite enamoured with me”

Kagome rolled her eyes “She'd be enamoured with anything with enough beauty”

“Thank you for the compliment”

Her cheeks pinked in outrage “That's not what I meant!”

***

Kagome burst into the room she shared with Kikyo and startled the Hanyou and the Miko from their slumbering embrace on her bed.

Kagome paused for a moment to roll her eyes and stick out her tongue “That's my bed you guys, please refrains from any such activities”

Kikyo glared at her and Inuyasha blushed bright red “W-we, I-I mean I wasn't” he was steadily turning into a tomato

“I was joking dog boy” Kagome rolled her eyes and threw something at him which hit him squarely in the forehead.

“What's this?” he demanded

“That, dog boy, it our article being published tomorrow in Japan's favourite tabloid newspaper about how Kikyo was framed” Kagome smirked triumphantly

“How'd you do that?” Kikyo snatched the article from Inuyasha

“A taped confession from Naraku and Kagura, a written documentation of what happened when we went to that photo shoot in the woods from Kanna and Abi-hime's vow that she would cast Kagura out from the `coven'” Kagome grinned “and we have ourselves a piece of gold, pus your modelling contract no longer hangs in the balance”

“You're even craftier than my brother” Inuyasha muttered

Kagome took a bow “Why thank you dog boy”

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha and I cherish all of your beautiful reviews.