InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Thirst of Darkness ❯ Chapter 3
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: KitsuneforlifeYokoschick 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.09.2011 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 302 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.09.2011 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 302 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha
Inuyasha glared at his brother. Just because Sesshomaru was his lord didn’t mean that he could control him—he wouldn’t be controlled by anyone.
After a moment of staring at his brother, Inuyasha turned back towards his slave. She belonged to him no matter what the spider lord said; he had claimed her physically. With that thought, Inuyasha’s anger dissolved into smugness. He almost laughed with victory as he looked Naraku in the eye.
The sudden confidence boost that played across Inuyasha’s face set Naraku’s nerves on edge. Did the golden-eyed hanyou believe that he had some type of upper-hand? Clearly the dog was ludicrous. “What is it, mutt?” Naraku bit out between clenched teeth; his power rose with anticipation for a fight.
Inuyasha openly smiled at the lord; Sango shivered—her former master smiling was never good. “You cannot take what doesn’t belong to you. She bears my mark; therefore, she is my slave.” Inuyasha smirked, the spider demon would have to return his slave—it was the law.
Sango’s hand instinctively went to the bite scar that rested on the left side of her hip. No, she would not accept having to return to that mongrel. On shaky legs, Sango took an unconscious step back as if it putting more distance between her and Inuyasha would change what he had said.
Naraku, however, was not fazed by the younger demon’s information. In fact, he was relieved. He placed a hand on Sango’s shoulder, for means of comfort; she flinched, but made no move to break the contact. He smirked as she slightly relaxed. “Inuyasha, you disappoint me. I thought that you were smarter than that.”
“What was that?!” Inuyasha growled. How dare this other demon insult him? Naraku obviously didn’t know the power he wielded with his sword.
“You heard me. What you said is true about having to return your slave because she bears your mark; however, you do not know the rest of that law, do you?” Naraku asked, slowly crossing the distance between them, leaving Sango behind.
Inuyasha reached for his tetsusaiga, seeing the hidden threat of Naraku approaching him. “What the hell do you mean the rest of the law?!” Surely there wasn’t more to the law that he hadn’t known about, was there? He was drawn out of his thoughts when the air grew thick, cackling with Naraku’s rising energy. It was tremendous, but nothing that he couldn’t handle.
Naraku watched with little interest as Inuyasha drew his sword. The thing had grown in size and length, resembling that of a fang. Naraku, however, was not impressed, nor did he falter in step. He was glad that the mutt had accepted his challenge. Although Naraku wouldn’t kill him, he did intend to put the dog in his place—on his knees. Stopping within a few feet of the growling demon, Naraku held out a hand, gesturing the hanyou to strike.
Without hesitation, Inuyasha lifted his sword above his head. With a downwards stroke, he unleashed numerous waves of yellow energy, destroying the grassy landscape in its wake. Naraku stood his ground, emitting a barrier at the last moment, shielding him from the attack.
Inuyasha was flabbergasted. How could someone—much less Naraku—so easily deflect his attack? His pause gave Naraku the necessary time to suspend him in the air by his throat. Inuyasha thrashed about, trying to kick free to no avail. His golden eyes met cold, deadly crimson ones as he tried to yell profanities to the demon that held him by the neck.
“Inuyasha, do you want to know the rest of that law?” Naraku asked in a serious tone. The silver-haired demon didn’t seem to hear him. He was too busy trying to break free of the choke hold. Naraku squeezed his neck tighter, growing impatient. “Well, do you?”
Seeing that his escape attempts were useless, Inuyasha dropped his father’s fang and dug his claws into Naraku’s wrist; dark blood spurted from the wound. The black-haired demon seemed to not notice his injury—he didn’t so much as flinch. Inuyasha began to panic. He didn’t want to die by Naraku—or anyone for that matter. Miasma shot into his eyes, burning and blinding them, and he was dropped on his ass rather disgracefully. Pain shot through Inuyasha’s ribs as a sickening crack rung through his ears. He coughed up blood from the impact of Naraku’s foot, he assumed. The second son of Iuntashio rolled over onto his hands and knees, continuing to cough up the red liquid and rubbing his eyes.
“Now, there is a more fitting position for you, dog.” Naraku chuckled, walking back over to Sango with his wrist healing in the process. For some reason the short time being more than a few feet from her was proving to be too much on him. He wasn’t in any type of physical pain from the separation, but he had started to grow highly uncomfortable and anxious to be close to her. A humorless chuckle escaped his mouth; just what was she doing to him?
The hanyou was too busy coughing up blood and trying to get the poisonous substance out of his eyes to pay attention to Naraku’s retreat. Damn the spider demon to hell! How dare he make a mockery out of him?
When Naraku reached Sango, he reached out to the claiming mark on her hip, causing her to shy away from his hand. He touched her anyway, running his thumb across the mark through her ragged clothing. She shuddered from the caress, closing her eyes to the sensation. “Inuyasha, you never answered my question,” Naraku taunted, still rubbing the mark.
“Fuck you!” Inuyasha yelled across the clearing with a cracked voice.
Naraku chuckled at the silver-haired demon. “Ah, thanks for the invitation, but I decline,” Naraku said, never tearing his gaze from the girl in front of him. Without warning, he dropped to his knees, and torn the scruffy clothe from her side, exposing Inuyasha’s mark. Without hesitation, he leaned in, sinking his teeth into the scar there.
Sango’s eyes widened, and a scream was torn from her throat as fangs sunk into her skin. She struggled, confused as to why Naraku was biting her. Large hands went to her waist, stilling her from flailing. Before fear could replace her confusion, Sango grew light-headed. She buried her small hands into the pool of wavy, black hair, trying to pry his mouth off her hip. She failed, and darkness sucked her into the never-ending abyss.
After sealing the fresh wound with his tongue, Naraku gently lowered the unconscious girl to the ground. His attention was immediately drawn to Inuyasha, who was still on the ground. “The rest of the law states that if another demon was to claim your slave, then they would assume responsibility for that slave. I must admit, I am quite saddened by your stupidity, Inuyasha. You disgrace your father.” Although Naraku didn’t care that Inutashio was dead, he was angered at the fact that the dog lord didn’t die by his hands; it would have been a great feat, even for him.
“Shut up!”
“Silence, Inuyasha! You’ve caused enough trouble. Return to the castle, now,” Sesshomaru demanded, leaving no room for an argument. He had grown tired of Inuyasha’s little show, and Naraku was correct, the hanyou was a disgrace to his late father. His father would never allow somebody like Naraku defeat him. It was embarrassing to have half of his father’s blood running through the hanyou’s body.
Inuyasha glowered at the general direction that Sesshomaru was in, putting all of his hate into the icy gaze. Slowly, he rose, holding his chest where his fractured ribs were, wincing from the pain. “This is not over, Naraku.” He staggered off, tripping over the uneven ground a few times from his partial blindness. It took a while, but eventually, he disappeared in the cover of the trees.
When he was sure that Inuyasha was gone, Sesshomaru turned his golden eyes to Naraku. “Tell me, what are your intentions for the girl?”
Naraku chuckled. It was odd that the western lord was even speaking to him, but for him to ask about a former slave of his younger brother was… amusing. The dog even spoke casually, as if they weren’t enemies. In reality, they both were long-time rivals, despising each other from birth. It didn’t help that they were both lords of opposing lands. “What’s it to you, Sesshomaru? Could it be that you care for this mortal’s well-being?” Ah, it was so fun to press the other lord’s buttons.
Sesshomaru scoffed at the accusation. Him care for a human? Never. It was silly for the eastern lord to even suggest such a ridiculous idea. He couldn’t even believe that this lowlife would even suggest such a thing. It was infuriating. His impassive stare gained a hint of iciness before he answered the question. “I, Sesshomaru, care for no one. If I were you, I would watch what I say.”
Naraku’s trademark smirk tugged at his lips. He was on to something, but he would not start an unnecessary war over something as trivial as words, although he was quite confident that he would win despite the ties that his and Sesshomaru’s previous battles had resulted in. One day soon, he would overcome the silver-haired lord and take everything that he had. Until he devised such a plan to do so, however, he opted to be polite. He had more important matters to take care of at the moment—Sango. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You think too highly of yourself. You are too far beneath me to ever think that you could ever offend me with your meaningless words,” Sesshomaru was quick to retort.
Naraku glared at the golden eyed lord. His endeavors of being nice dissipated, and he saw the western lord as he was—his longtime rival. He hated the way that the bastard always thought that he was superior, and he hated the way the dog managed to escape with his life every time that they fought. One day, he would take Sesshomaru’s life and piss on his grave afterwards. The western lands were almost his; he could almost taste the victory. His thoughts of hatred were interrupted by that annoying, impassive voice.
“Treat her well.” Sesshomaru disappeared as soon as the words escaped his lips, leaving a very confused Naraku behind.
Naraku’s hatred was thrown into the bin of the forgotten because of that one sentence from Sesshomaru. The whole time that he known the dog demon, he had never known him to care about anyone. Sesshomaru had always been a selfish, non-caring prick. Why out of all of the ludicrous things to say had he chosen to say something about Sango?
Naraku scowled at the area where Sesshomaru once stood. The dog demon had no right to give him commands especially not about Sango. No one was allowed to care about Sango but him. She was his and his alone. A weird emotion boiled in his veins, and he tried to decipher it. Could he be… jealousy? No, jealousy was a weak human emotion, and he was not weak. The weak fell at the hands of demons who awaited such a downfall, and he needed no such handicap to hinder him.
He frowned when he looked to the unconscious girl. She was not good for him, but he could not even think of abandoning her. Whoever put some type of spell on him needed to die a slow, painful death. He refused to become dependent on a woman—a human woman at that. Hopefully, he hadn’t lost himself that much… or was he already lost?
It wasn’t until Naraku noticed that he had been starting at the girl for some time that he chose to move. He needed to preoccupy his mind with something else, and staring at her would get him absolutely nowhere. Maybe he was overdue for a kill? Yes, bathing in the blood of a weaker demon would surely create a big enough distraction to forget about her, right? When he failed to find the enjoyment of that thought, he frowned. What the hell was happening to him? He had always enjoyed a good kill.
He scowled and reluctantly made his was over to Sango. The sooner he got her to his castle, the sooner he could put some distance between them. She was clouding his mind, and he didn’t like it one bit.
He grabbed her, cradling her close. Despite the negative thoughts that swirled through his mind about Sango, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of serenity when she molded perfectly in his arms like she was made for him. The faint sound of her heartbeat played throughout his demonic hearing, further soothing him. The slight warmth of her body heat seemed to turn his insides to mush. As much as he hated what the woman unconsciously did to him, he couldn’t help but be wrapped up in her. He shook his head, hoping to dispel such thoughts. He refused to fall prey to such foreign, absurd feelings.
0-0
“Sango? Sango!”
A viscous shaking of her shoulders followed the worried voice. Groggily, she emerged from her deep slumber. Her eyelids fluttered, slowly opening to the bright white light. She closed her eyes to the pain, opening them at a slower pace so that her pupils could contract and adjust to the offending light. A sharp intake of air had her looking for the source from which it came.
“Sango, I’m glad that you’re awake.” The warm loving voice filled her heart. She would know that voice anywhere.
“Father? Am I… am I dead?” She was bewildered as to why she was here. The last time she was here she was dying. Now, she wasn’t so sure. A soft chuckle reached her ears and a smile appeared on her father’s face. Why was he smiling?
“No, my dear, you are very much alive, just sleeping.”
Sleeping? But if she was sleeping then why was she seeing her father? She didn’t mind, of course. She preferred being here with him instead of in the real world. “Why can I see you, then?”
“It appears as though it is easier for me to contact you… ever since your near-death experience.”
Sango nodded, unable to find her voice, for her throat was constricted with happiness. Her father was here, again. She felt safe and warm. As long as she was with him then everything would be okay.
“Sango, do you remember having any other family aside from your mother and I?” He helped her to her feet, pulling her into an embrace. He muzzled her hair, reveling in the thought that he could actually hold his daughter.
Why was he asking that question? What could he be talking about? Raking through her memories of the time where she used to live in the village with her family, Sango remembered no other family. She barely remembered her mother—she was only five at the time. It was such a shame—the way that human memories depleted over time. “No, I don’t remember, why? Is there someone else that I should know about besides you and mother?”
“Yes, you have a little brother. He was born the night before our village was attacked. Before I died, I hid him inside of our cellar with the hopes of someone finding him soon after. Well, somebody did find him, they named him Kohaku. He looks much like you, and he has grown to be a fine young man.”
A younger brother? In the span of a few seconds, love for an unknown person built within Sango. She had a living relative! Her heart swelled with happiness. The happiness didn’t last, however. Taking on the role of an older sibling, her mind wandered to Kohaku’s well-being. What if he was sold into slavery? What if he lived every day in fear? She frowned as visions of her past captivity invaded her mind. In that moment she felt the fear of being shackled to the floor, awaiting a cruel master to do whatever he pleased to her body. She flinched, a vision of the same thing happening to her brother coming to mind. Demons didn’t discriminate against gender, and he was also a potential target to the cruelties.
“No, Sango, actually it is quite the contrary. He is well taken care of. You might be surprised when you find out who has taken care of him.” Her father gave a reassuring squeeze, calming her.
Sango let out a breath that she wasn’t aware that she was holding. Maybe the fates were kind to her brother and allowed him to be taken to Midoriko’s land. She smiled. However, her short reprieve didn’t last for long. Just like before, her father began to turn transparent, and his embrace began to lose substance. She tightened her arms around him, trying to delay his departure, but her arms went through him, meeting air. “Wait, father, please don’t go!” She wanted more time with him. It wasn’t fair that he had to go!
“I’m sorry, Sango, but my time is here is done.” Tears shimmered in his eyes. He didn’t want to leave just as much as she didn’t want him to. Sadly, there was no way to add more time.
“I love you, father.” She tried her hardest to keep her voice from cracking. Saying good bye was never easy, even if it was for a short period of time.
“I love you more. Be strong. Until next time….” His translucent arm reached out to Sango, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He offered a small smile before he leisurely faded into nothing.
0-0
She slowly came into consciousness, thanks to the light of the sun. She stirred, discovering that she was being carried. Although she was still tired and wanted to go back to sleep, she resisted the urge. She wasn’t comfortable with having physical contact, and she was still mad about the demon biting her. “Put me down, I can walk on my own.” A chuckle answered her, vibrating through her body. She opened her eyes to glare into the red amused ones.
“Very well, then.” Naraku gently put Sango on her feet, making sure that she was balanced before letting go. “We are almost there; I’ve covered a lot of ground during the night. Will you be able to walk the rest of the way?” Naraku felt empty without the woman in his arms, and he cursed himself for feeling so… weak.
Sango eyed the demon lord suspiciously. Was this some kind of trick? No one has ever given her the option to make a decision for herself. When she found nothing but seriousness on Naraku’s face, she almost smiled. “I can make it on my own,” she assured weakly. Maybe she might be able to tolerate him until she was fully emancipated.
They resumed walking—or rather Sango had to run to keep up with Naraku’s long strides—in an awkward silence. After some time a sudden lightheadedness had overcome Sango, and she tried to ignore it. She stared at the back of the demon that she was following, or at least tried to keep an eye on him, but the world seemed to be spinning. Her steps faltered and slowed, forcing her to stop to regain herself. Her legs started wobbling, and she found herself falling to her knees on the hard ground. She vaguely heard her name being called, and a hand went to her shoulder. Her last thoughts were of the warmth that emanated from the hand and how cold her body was in comparison. The world around her wouldn’t stop spinning, and after a few moments, she fell into the vortex.
A/N: Reviews are appreciated, and I thank everyone who reviewed for the previous chapters!
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Inuyasha glared at his brother. Just because Sesshomaru was his lord didn’t mean that he could control him—he wouldn’t be controlled by anyone.
After a moment of staring at his brother, Inuyasha turned back towards his slave. She belonged to him no matter what the spider lord said; he had claimed her physically. With that thought, Inuyasha’s anger dissolved into smugness. He almost laughed with victory as he looked Naraku in the eye.
The sudden confidence boost that played across Inuyasha’s face set Naraku’s nerves on edge. Did the golden-eyed hanyou believe that he had some type of upper-hand? Clearly the dog was ludicrous. “What is it, mutt?” Naraku bit out between clenched teeth; his power rose with anticipation for a fight.
Inuyasha openly smiled at the lord; Sango shivered—her former master smiling was never good. “You cannot take what doesn’t belong to you. She bears my mark; therefore, she is my slave.” Inuyasha smirked, the spider demon would have to return his slave—it was the law.
Sango’s hand instinctively went to the bite scar that rested on the left side of her hip. No, she would not accept having to return to that mongrel. On shaky legs, Sango took an unconscious step back as if it putting more distance between her and Inuyasha would change what he had said.
Naraku, however, was not fazed by the younger demon’s information. In fact, he was relieved. He placed a hand on Sango’s shoulder, for means of comfort; she flinched, but made no move to break the contact. He smirked as she slightly relaxed. “Inuyasha, you disappoint me. I thought that you were smarter than that.”
“What was that?!” Inuyasha growled. How dare this other demon insult him? Naraku obviously didn’t know the power he wielded with his sword.
“You heard me. What you said is true about having to return your slave because she bears your mark; however, you do not know the rest of that law, do you?” Naraku asked, slowly crossing the distance between them, leaving Sango behind.
Inuyasha reached for his tetsusaiga, seeing the hidden threat of Naraku approaching him. “What the hell do you mean the rest of the law?!” Surely there wasn’t more to the law that he hadn’t known about, was there? He was drawn out of his thoughts when the air grew thick, cackling with Naraku’s rising energy. It was tremendous, but nothing that he couldn’t handle.
Naraku watched with little interest as Inuyasha drew his sword. The thing had grown in size and length, resembling that of a fang. Naraku, however, was not impressed, nor did he falter in step. He was glad that the mutt had accepted his challenge. Although Naraku wouldn’t kill him, he did intend to put the dog in his place—on his knees. Stopping within a few feet of the growling demon, Naraku held out a hand, gesturing the hanyou to strike.
Without hesitation, Inuyasha lifted his sword above his head. With a downwards stroke, he unleashed numerous waves of yellow energy, destroying the grassy landscape in its wake. Naraku stood his ground, emitting a barrier at the last moment, shielding him from the attack.
Inuyasha was flabbergasted. How could someone—much less Naraku—so easily deflect his attack? His pause gave Naraku the necessary time to suspend him in the air by his throat. Inuyasha thrashed about, trying to kick free to no avail. His golden eyes met cold, deadly crimson ones as he tried to yell profanities to the demon that held him by the neck.
“Inuyasha, do you want to know the rest of that law?” Naraku asked in a serious tone. The silver-haired demon didn’t seem to hear him. He was too busy trying to break free of the choke hold. Naraku squeezed his neck tighter, growing impatient. “Well, do you?”
Seeing that his escape attempts were useless, Inuyasha dropped his father’s fang and dug his claws into Naraku’s wrist; dark blood spurted from the wound. The black-haired demon seemed to not notice his injury—he didn’t so much as flinch. Inuyasha began to panic. He didn’t want to die by Naraku—or anyone for that matter. Miasma shot into his eyes, burning and blinding them, and he was dropped on his ass rather disgracefully. Pain shot through Inuyasha’s ribs as a sickening crack rung through his ears. He coughed up blood from the impact of Naraku’s foot, he assumed. The second son of Iuntashio rolled over onto his hands and knees, continuing to cough up the red liquid and rubbing his eyes.
“Now, there is a more fitting position for you, dog.” Naraku chuckled, walking back over to Sango with his wrist healing in the process. For some reason the short time being more than a few feet from her was proving to be too much on him. He wasn’t in any type of physical pain from the separation, but he had started to grow highly uncomfortable and anxious to be close to her. A humorless chuckle escaped his mouth; just what was she doing to him?
The hanyou was too busy coughing up blood and trying to get the poisonous substance out of his eyes to pay attention to Naraku’s retreat. Damn the spider demon to hell! How dare he make a mockery out of him?
When Naraku reached Sango, he reached out to the claiming mark on her hip, causing her to shy away from his hand. He touched her anyway, running his thumb across the mark through her ragged clothing. She shuddered from the caress, closing her eyes to the sensation. “Inuyasha, you never answered my question,” Naraku taunted, still rubbing the mark.
“Fuck you!” Inuyasha yelled across the clearing with a cracked voice.
Naraku chuckled at the silver-haired demon. “Ah, thanks for the invitation, but I decline,” Naraku said, never tearing his gaze from the girl in front of him. Without warning, he dropped to his knees, and torn the scruffy clothe from her side, exposing Inuyasha’s mark. Without hesitation, he leaned in, sinking his teeth into the scar there.
Sango’s eyes widened, and a scream was torn from her throat as fangs sunk into her skin. She struggled, confused as to why Naraku was biting her. Large hands went to her waist, stilling her from flailing. Before fear could replace her confusion, Sango grew light-headed. She buried her small hands into the pool of wavy, black hair, trying to pry his mouth off her hip. She failed, and darkness sucked her into the never-ending abyss.
After sealing the fresh wound with his tongue, Naraku gently lowered the unconscious girl to the ground. His attention was immediately drawn to Inuyasha, who was still on the ground. “The rest of the law states that if another demon was to claim your slave, then they would assume responsibility for that slave. I must admit, I am quite saddened by your stupidity, Inuyasha. You disgrace your father.” Although Naraku didn’t care that Inutashio was dead, he was angered at the fact that the dog lord didn’t die by his hands; it would have been a great feat, even for him.
“Shut up!”
“Silence, Inuyasha! You’ve caused enough trouble. Return to the castle, now,” Sesshomaru demanded, leaving no room for an argument. He had grown tired of Inuyasha’s little show, and Naraku was correct, the hanyou was a disgrace to his late father. His father would never allow somebody like Naraku defeat him. It was embarrassing to have half of his father’s blood running through the hanyou’s body.
Inuyasha glowered at the general direction that Sesshomaru was in, putting all of his hate into the icy gaze. Slowly, he rose, holding his chest where his fractured ribs were, wincing from the pain. “This is not over, Naraku.” He staggered off, tripping over the uneven ground a few times from his partial blindness. It took a while, but eventually, he disappeared in the cover of the trees.
When he was sure that Inuyasha was gone, Sesshomaru turned his golden eyes to Naraku. “Tell me, what are your intentions for the girl?”
Naraku chuckled. It was odd that the western lord was even speaking to him, but for him to ask about a former slave of his younger brother was… amusing. The dog even spoke casually, as if they weren’t enemies. In reality, they both were long-time rivals, despising each other from birth. It didn’t help that they were both lords of opposing lands. “What’s it to you, Sesshomaru? Could it be that you care for this mortal’s well-being?” Ah, it was so fun to press the other lord’s buttons.
Sesshomaru scoffed at the accusation. Him care for a human? Never. It was silly for the eastern lord to even suggest such a ridiculous idea. He couldn’t even believe that this lowlife would even suggest such a thing. It was infuriating. His impassive stare gained a hint of iciness before he answered the question. “I, Sesshomaru, care for no one. If I were you, I would watch what I say.”
Naraku’s trademark smirk tugged at his lips. He was on to something, but he would not start an unnecessary war over something as trivial as words, although he was quite confident that he would win despite the ties that his and Sesshomaru’s previous battles had resulted in. One day soon, he would overcome the silver-haired lord and take everything that he had. Until he devised such a plan to do so, however, he opted to be polite. He had more important matters to take care of at the moment—Sango. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You think too highly of yourself. You are too far beneath me to ever think that you could ever offend me with your meaningless words,” Sesshomaru was quick to retort.
Naraku glared at the golden eyed lord. His endeavors of being nice dissipated, and he saw the western lord as he was—his longtime rival. He hated the way that the bastard always thought that he was superior, and he hated the way the dog managed to escape with his life every time that they fought. One day, he would take Sesshomaru’s life and piss on his grave afterwards. The western lands were almost his; he could almost taste the victory. His thoughts of hatred were interrupted by that annoying, impassive voice.
“Treat her well.” Sesshomaru disappeared as soon as the words escaped his lips, leaving a very confused Naraku behind.
Naraku’s hatred was thrown into the bin of the forgotten because of that one sentence from Sesshomaru. The whole time that he known the dog demon, he had never known him to care about anyone. Sesshomaru had always been a selfish, non-caring prick. Why out of all of the ludicrous things to say had he chosen to say something about Sango?
Naraku scowled at the area where Sesshomaru once stood. The dog demon had no right to give him commands especially not about Sango. No one was allowed to care about Sango but him. She was his and his alone. A weird emotion boiled in his veins, and he tried to decipher it. Could he be… jealousy? No, jealousy was a weak human emotion, and he was not weak. The weak fell at the hands of demons who awaited such a downfall, and he needed no such handicap to hinder him.
He frowned when he looked to the unconscious girl. She was not good for him, but he could not even think of abandoning her. Whoever put some type of spell on him needed to die a slow, painful death. He refused to become dependent on a woman—a human woman at that. Hopefully, he hadn’t lost himself that much… or was he already lost?
It wasn’t until Naraku noticed that he had been starting at the girl for some time that he chose to move. He needed to preoccupy his mind with something else, and staring at her would get him absolutely nowhere. Maybe he was overdue for a kill? Yes, bathing in the blood of a weaker demon would surely create a big enough distraction to forget about her, right? When he failed to find the enjoyment of that thought, he frowned. What the hell was happening to him? He had always enjoyed a good kill.
He scowled and reluctantly made his was over to Sango. The sooner he got her to his castle, the sooner he could put some distance between them. She was clouding his mind, and he didn’t like it one bit.
He grabbed her, cradling her close. Despite the negative thoughts that swirled through his mind about Sango, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of serenity when she molded perfectly in his arms like she was made for him. The faint sound of her heartbeat played throughout his demonic hearing, further soothing him. The slight warmth of her body heat seemed to turn his insides to mush. As much as he hated what the woman unconsciously did to him, he couldn’t help but be wrapped up in her. He shook his head, hoping to dispel such thoughts. He refused to fall prey to such foreign, absurd feelings.
0-0
“Sango? Sango!”
A viscous shaking of her shoulders followed the worried voice. Groggily, she emerged from her deep slumber. Her eyelids fluttered, slowly opening to the bright white light. She closed her eyes to the pain, opening them at a slower pace so that her pupils could contract and adjust to the offending light. A sharp intake of air had her looking for the source from which it came.
“Sango, I’m glad that you’re awake.” The warm loving voice filled her heart. She would know that voice anywhere.
“Father? Am I… am I dead?” She was bewildered as to why she was here. The last time she was here she was dying. Now, she wasn’t so sure. A soft chuckle reached her ears and a smile appeared on her father’s face. Why was he smiling?
“No, my dear, you are very much alive, just sleeping.”
Sleeping? But if she was sleeping then why was she seeing her father? She didn’t mind, of course. She preferred being here with him instead of in the real world. “Why can I see you, then?”
“It appears as though it is easier for me to contact you… ever since your near-death experience.”
Sango nodded, unable to find her voice, for her throat was constricted with happiness. Her father was here, again. She felt safe and warm. As long as she was with him then everything would be okay.
“Sango, do you remember having any other family aside from your mother and I?” He helped her to her feet, pulling her into an embrace. He muzzled her hair, reveling in the thought that he could actually hold his daughter.
Why was he asking that question? What could he be talking about? Raking through her memories of the time where she used to live in the village with her family, Sango remembered no other family. She barely remembered her mother—she was only five at the time. It was such a shame—the way that human memories depleted over time. “No, I don’t remember, why? Is there someone else that I should know about besides you and mother?”
“Yes, you have a little brother. He was born the night before our village was attacked. Before I died, I hid him inside of our cellar with the hopes of someone finding him soon after. Well, somebody did find him, they named him Kohaku. He looks much like you, and he has grown to be a fine young man.”
A younger brother? In the span of a few seconds, love for an unknown person built within Sango. She had a living relative! Her heart swelled with happiness. The happiness didn’t last, however. Taking on the role of an older sibling, her mind wandered to Kohaku’s well-being. What if he was sold into slavery? What if he lived every day in fear? She frowned as visions of her past captivity invaded her mind. In that moment she felt the fear of being shackled to the floor, awaiting a cruel master to do whatever he pleased to her body. She flinched, a vision of the same thing happening to her brother coming to mind. Demons didn’t discriminate against gender, and he was also a potential target to the cruelties.
“No, Sango, actually it is quite the contrary. He is well taken care of. You might be surprised when you find out who has taken care of him.” Her father gave a reassuring squeeze, calming her.
Sango let out a breath that she wasn’t aware that she was holding. Maybe the fates were kind to her brother and allowed him to be taken to Midoriko’s land. She smiled. However, her short reprieve didn’t last for long. Just like before, her father began to turn transparent, and his embrace began to lose substance. She tightened her arms around him, trying to delay his departure, but her arms went through him, meeting air. “Wait, father, please don’t go!” She wanted more time with him. It wasn’t fair that he had to go!
“I’m sorry, Sango, but my time is here is done.” Tears shimmered in his eyes. He didn’t want to leave just as much as she didn’t want him to. Sadly, there was no way to add more time.
“I love you, father.” She tried her hardest to keep her voice from cracking. Saying good bye was never easy, even if it was for a short period of time.
“I love you more. Be strong. Until next time….” His translucent arm reached out to Sango, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He offered a small smile before he leisurely faded into nothing.
0-0
She slowly came into consciousness, thanks to the light of the sun. She stirred, discovering that she was being carried. Although she was still tired and wanted to go back to sleep, she resisted the urge. She wasn’t comfortable with having physical contact, and she was still mad about the demon biting her. “Put me down, I can walk on my own.” A chuckle answered her, vibrating through her body. She opened her eyes to glare into the red amused ones.
“Very well, then.” Naraku gently put Sango on her feet, making sure that she was balanced before letting go. “We are almost there; I’ve covered a lot of ground during the night. Will you be able to walk the rest of the way?” Naraku felt empty without the woman in his arms, and he cursed himself for feeling so… weak.
Sango eyed the demon lord suspiciously. Was this some kind of trick? No one has ever given her the option to make a decision for herself. When she found nothing but seriousness on Naraku’s face, she almost smiled. “I can make it on my own,” she assured weakly. Maybe she might be able to tolerate him until she was fully emancipated.
They resumed walking—or rather Sango had to run to keep up with Naraku’s long strides—in an awkward silence. After some time a sudden lightheadedness had overcome Sango, and she tried to ignore it. She stared at the back of the demon that she was following, or at least tried to keep an eye on him, but the world seemed to be spinning. Her steps faltered and slowed, forcing her to stop to regain herself. Her legs started wobbling, and she found herself falling to her knees on the hard ground. She vaguely heard her name being called, and a hand went to her shoulder. Her last thoughts were of the warmth that emanated from the hand and how cold her body was in comparison. The world around her wouldn’t stop spinning, and after a few moments, she fell into the vortex.
A/N: Reviews are appreciated, and I thank everyone who reviewed for the previous chapters!
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