InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Centre ❯ Manipulation ( Chapter 30 )

Sorry for the delay everyone! I got an A on my thesis and thesis presentation so all is well. Now I just have one final and if all goes well I graduate! Yatta! Anyway, thanks for your patience. My obstacle is gone so updates will be back to their usually speed.

Chapter 29: Manipulation

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said in the darkness when she ran into the back of him. Apparently he had stopped. The silence was broken with frantic sniffing and his hand tightened on hers.

"I can smell again….dammit!"

"Isn't that a good thing?" she asked.

"It would be if I didn't get this nagging feeling Naraku is doing this on purpose." Kagome sighed, finding a wall to lean against. They'd been wandering around in the dark for what seemed like hours. Her legs were tired and she no longer knew if her eyes were open or closed. What if they got stuck here forever? What if they were stuck in some sort of maze and would never get out?

The wall behind Kagome suddenly gave, sending her flying back. She gave a startled scream as her hand was ripped from Inuyasha's.

"KAGOME!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the tunnel she'd disappeared down. He could smell her, just her. Nothing else was around. Guess she found a secret passage. Without a second thought he jumped in, his bare feet protesting as they slid along the rough downward tunnel.

Kagome winced. She had landed in a bush. While it was a nice bush with beautiful flowers it made for an uncomfortable landing. And getting out of it….well that was twice as hard. Wiggling back and forth as branches snapped she managed to get a foot on the ground and push herself out of it. Twigs were everywhere. In her shirt, in her hair, down her socks, even down her pants. It was more embarrassing than painful.

Kagome quickly glanced around her. Sun hit her face from above, sheltered by leaves from a large tree. There were trees, bushes, flowers, grasses and other planned landscaping. Obviously this was some sort of garden. Odd to see such beauty in a place that harbored such evil.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice came from the tunnel. All too late she realized she should have moved from in front of the bush. The Hanyou came flying out of the tunnel, a streak of red blurring in front of her eyes before the solid body hit her.

And Kagome was back in the bush. This time a heavy Hanyou was on top of her.

"Where are we?" Inuyasha asked as he hopped up easily.

"A garden," she said through clenched teeth. She was seething in anger. He was looking around, oblivious to her struggle in the bush. Her second struggle.

"Oi, bitch, don't take all day," he said, looking back. Kagome gave him a dark glare and stopped struggling. She crossed her arms, still sitting in the bush.

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. Uh oh. She was mad. What had he done this time? Why didn't women tell men when they did something wrong? They always wanted them to figure it out. If men knew what they did to piss women off they wouldn't do it….well, usually. The miko sat in the bush glaring at him expectantly.

`Oh.'

"Bitch, if you can't get out of the bush you should have said something," he growled, easily lifting her out of it. He made a point of brushing her off as well and Kagome blushed as his hands firmly dusted off her ass. Suddenly he stopped, his nose working frantically as his golden eyes narrowed. His nose had caught the scent of something and he looked….concerned?

"Inuyasha?" she asked, a tentative hand upon his sleeve. His ears didn't even twitch. Whatever it was, it had his complete attention. He pulled away from her, walking toward the large tree in what seemed to be the center of the garden. Kagome hurried to follow him, having to take two steps to his one and nearly breaking into a run.

Inuyasha suddenly stopped, causing Kagome to run into the back of him…again. She was getting tired of always running into him. Inuyasha was stiff as a backboard, staring at something in disbelief. She followed his gaze, confused.

A woman stood at the edge of the garden, turning ever so slightly to lock gazes with the Hanyou. Long black hair spilled down her back, a stark contrast to the priestess robes she wore. A small and simple bow was in her hands; a quiver full of arrows slung across her back. Her serious expression softened ever so lightly as she looked at Inuyasha, eyes full of sadness.

"Kikyou...." Inuyasha said, his jaw dropped in disbelief. Kagome's eyes widened as they flew between the priestess and her boyfriend. Was this the woman he had loved? Still loved.....by the look in his eyes. Kagome felt the mark on her shoulder twinge as her chest clenched in fear.

"Inuyasha," the woman said softly, a small smile upon her face. "I've been waiting for the day you would set me free." Her eyes left his and traveled to Kagome, brown eyes narrowing in dangerously upon the young miko.

"And who," she sneered lightly, "are you?"
Kagome gulped nervously, clutching Midoriko's bow like a lifeline.

Ex meets new....this could not be good.

*************************************************************** *********

'Tenseiga?' she thought, looking down at the blade in her hands. It pulsed again as the name left her lips. Was the demon blade calling its master? She looked down at Sesshoumaru. Had he survived?

The youkai's dead body did not move. If anything he looked....more dead. The extremities of his face were turning purple, the blood retreating slowly down his neck. A pool of dark blood formed at her feet. No skin was healing, no energy surrounding him.

He was dead.

Rin's eyes began to mist, her beloved's image becoming a blur.

Movement.

Startled she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. Had she seen something or was it just a trick of her tears and the light refracting from them?

A small toad like creature appeared, chains in his hands. Rin's mouth dropped in horror as another....and another joined him until five of the creatures were all around the dead youkai. Whatever they were doing it didn't look good.

"Get away from him!" she screamed. "Leave him alone!" The ignored her. Rin hated to be ignored.

Raising Tenseiga she slashed at the creatures, watching in satisfaction as they disintegrated. She gave a sniffle, happy she was able to do at least that much, and dropped to her knees, sobs racking her small body.

'I won't leave him.' she thought. 'I protect him even in death. And when I die, I'll travel all over heaven and hell until I find him. I will find you, Sess. No matter where you go, I will find you. God help the fool who stands in my way!'

A demon claw twitched.

*************************************************************** *******

"Sango!" Miroku shouted as the demon energy released died down. Below his staff the skull lay smashed, a small comb broken in half.

"Here," she managed to cough out. The dust cleared and he could see her. Sango lay on her back, breathing heavily with blood dripping down one cheek. A rather skimpy outfit was laying on top of her, minus the demon that had been in it, along with the collar, in pieces.

"You'd look good in that," he joked, extending his good arm to help her up. Sango took it gratefully but smacked him as she stood.

"Pervert. I am not wearing the outfit of a dead enemy. Some things are too kinky even for me." Miroku sighed. When would she learn to tell the difference between his jokes and seriousness? They carefully made their way out, skulls cracking under their feet. Sango fought the urge to be sick. These were real skulls. Human skulls. How many other people had wandered into her lair and been….scalped?

"Here," he said, bending down to pick up Hiraikotsu. Sango watched in amusement as he nearly fell over with the weight. Despite his obvious difficulty he gallantly dragged it over to her. She picked it up with one hand, easily lifting it over her shoulder. Strangely enough Miroku gave her a heated glance.

"What?" she asked, looking down to see if her clothes were still on.

"I love strong women," he said, slightly breathless. Sango rolled her eyes and headed through the small doorway. Miroku followed with a lick of his lips. When all of this was over he was going to lock her in the bedroom for days…..and nights. God help the people who lived next door to her.

Sango slowed, her steps becoming more cautious as she heard an unmistakable sound. The slow crunching and rubbing of insect plates. That could mean one of several types of youkai, but what type did not matter. Any youkai of the insect persuasion was dangerous. More dangerous if it was the poisonous type. The idea of a 12 foot tall bug with a pea brain focused on killing was not her idea of a good time.

"Sango, get behind me," Miroku said as they neared.

"Why? I can handle it," she argued.

"Why waste your energy? I'll just open up the Air Rip."

"Air Rip?" she asked, confused.

"The reason I keep my right hand wrapped in a rosary. It's a void."

"But-" she began only to have warm lips press against hers. Miroku used the distraction to slip in front of her. Sango grumbled but stopped arguing. If the fool wanted to get himself killed so be it.

The small passage opened up into a larger chamber. A large bulky form swung around, its head focusing down upon them. Sango gasped.

It had to be the largest praying mantis youkai she'd ever seen! How the hell were they going to kill THAT? The praying mantis looked down and caught eyes with Miroku. It seemed greatly interested in him. A female mantis then. Intent on killing males. Sango opened her mouth to warn Miroku.

Except he had pulled off the rosary on his arm, holding his wrist as everything became pulled toward him in an unnaturally strong wind. Sango remembered his words to stay behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist, holding herself close. Pressure in the room suddenly shifted, the unnatural winds pulling everything into a flying swirl around them. The mantis screamed as it tried to retreat, but the force pulling it was too strong. Sango watched in amazement as the entire bug seemed to shrink and disappear into his hand.

Miroku hissed in pain as he sealed the Air Rip. A thin line of blood ran from under the bindings, dripping onto the floor below.

"Shit," he cursed, looking at his hand. It was red and raw, torn from the mantis. How could he have been so careless?

More youkai appeared at the doorway, snarling and snapping as they focused on the couple before them. Miroku looked down at his hand and up at the youkai, a heavy decision on his hands. Should he risk using it?

"My turn," Sango said, swinging the boomerang around, using her entire body to propel it in a deadly spin. Soon nothing was left except entrails at their feet.

Sango reached out a hand and helped him up which gave him the opportunity to be closer than normal. He reached up and stroked her cheek with his good hand.

"Thank you, I-" he began.

Sango suddenly pushed him away violently, sending him sprawling into demon guts. Miroku swore and rubbed his head as he stood.

"Sango, love, I wasn't doing anything perverted, why'd ya-"

Sango dropped to a knee, effectively ending whatever he was going to say. She grimaced in pain and reached back over her shoulder, her hand grasping something. He heard the tear of cloth and a strangled cry from her, then the sound of metal hitting the floor.

A sickle. She'd pulled a metal sickle from her back, a chain attached to the end. It looked like the type of sickle demon exterminators used.

"KOHAKU!" she shouted, struggling to her feet. Rage rolled off her, the dark power of one so wronged her very soul demanded vengeance. Even if he had not been a spiritual man he would have been able to see she wanted Kohaku dead. "I know you're here Kohaku! No use hiding from me!"

Miroku's eyes widened in shock as a small boy stepped from the shadowed hall across the way. His clothes matched Sango's in every way except for the accessory color was a green blue to her pink. He looked barely old enough to be out of elementary school, a face of picturesque innocence. Freckles still adorned his cheeks….

And yet there was a scary darkness in his eyes. A darkness Miroku could only assume came from the metal collar around his neck. Somewhere Naraku was controlling this boy. Kohaku.

"Who's Kohaku?" Miroku asked, bending a shoulder to support Sango. Her back was badly bleeding but her mind would not heed the danger she was in.

"My brother," she spat out as if his name were distasteful to her. "And the next person I will kill."

"You can't be serious!" Miroku said, pulling her back as the youth snapped his wrist and pulled the dangerous sickle back to his hand with admirable skill. There was no doubt the boy knew how to use that weapon with deadly accuracy.

"He killed them," she said, her legs wobbling as she tried to pick up Hiraikotsu. The youth watched them with impassionate eyes. He was like a zombie. Moving but unaware of his actions. "My clan….my family…everyone but father. I have to restore our honor….he MUST DIE!" she screamed.

Miroku held her arm back, his staff held across her mid-drift to keep her immobile. She struggled, but the pain in her back was too much. She felt like her spine was on fire, refusing to cooperate with her vengeance.

"I will not stand by and let you kill your own kin. He is your brother, Sango," Miroku said harshly in her ear. "Look at him!"

Tears stung her eyes as she looked up at the boy.

"That is not the face of a killer! Anything he did, he did under Naraku's control! Think, Sango. How better to remove the demon exterminators than with one of their own? Naraku used him! Just like he used us! You know what those collars can do….and he's just a kid. A scared, lonely and confused kid."

Miroku bent down, his cheek flush with hers as he hugged her close. "I know if I let you kill him it would tear you apart….I cannot bear to see that."

Her body trembled under his arm. He watched her hand begin to loosen, then let go completely and Hiraikotsu dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. Tears streamed down her face as she gave in to the pain, falling to the floor in a heap. Miroku dropped with her, keeping an eye on her and on the boy across the way. Kid or not, he was still dangerous as long as that collar was around his neck.

"Sis?" a weak voice called out. Startled, she looked up.

Kohaku's innocent brown eyes blinked back, tears forming on the rims. The sickle quickly fell from his fingers, dropping to the floor. He stepped forward slowly, then began to speed up, all but running to his sister. Sango held out open arms.

"Sis!" the boy cried, sobbing unashamed before them, burying his face in her waist as he clung to her like a lifeline. Sango winced as his arms tightened on her back, but held him close none the less. She began to rock him back and forth, gentle kisses on top of his head.

Miroku was confused as hell.

"Sis," the boy said, sniffling as he brought his head up. "I have to tell you…before it's too late."

"Shh," Sango said, hugging him close. "Tell me what?"

"T-t-the collars," Kohaku stuttered. "Naraku can only control one at a time!"