InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Truth About Cats and Dogs ❯ Sesshomaru's Threat ( Chapter 5 )

Recap: Kirara and Inuyasha went to see Totosai, who gave them the items they sought along with a short history lesson. On their way back, Kirara and Inuyasha ran into Sesshomaru, whose bad manners led to Kirara challenging him to a fight, which, after seeing Sesshomaru's true form, she quickly backed out of; but not before she scratched Sesshomaru in the face.

 

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Chapter 5 - Sesshomaru's Threat

 

“Look, Lord Sesshomaru, a shooting star!” Rin squealed, pointing up into the sky.

 

Rin closed her eyes, pressing a hand to her chest as she silently made a wish. Once she had finished, she turned to Sesshomaru, who was sitting in the shadow of a tree his head turned to one side and hanging downwards. Rin tilted her head to one side questioningly, wondering if she should ask him what was wrong.

 

Just as Rin was debating what to do next, Jaken appeared over the brim of the hill, leading Ah-Un with him.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken has returned with Ah and Un!” Rin called to Sesshomaru; but he did not so much as blink in response.

 

With a small frown, Rin skipped over to greet Jaken, her frown deepening when she found Jaken mumbling to himself as he walked.

 

“Hello, Master Jaken,” she said to him.

 

Jaken grumbled something indecipherable in reply, to which Rin merely grinned.

 

“Master Jaken?” she continued, moving to walk alongside him as he trudged slowly across the ledge. “Lord Sesshomaru has been very quiet.”

 

“Lord Sesshomaru is always quiet, you fool,” Jaken quietly replied.

 

“But I'm worried, Master Jaken!” Rin insisted. “Lord Sesshomaru hasn't moved from under that tree, and he hasn't spoken and he hasn't eaten and-”

 

“Yes, yes, enough!” Jaken growled. “Maybe he isn't talking to you because you are such an irritating little girl. Let me his humble vassal handle this. Here.”

 

Rin dumbly accepted Ah-Un's reins as Jaken thrust them into her hands, watching as he marched off towards the tree Sesshomaru was lurking beneath.

 

“Milord, your humble servant has returned,” Jaken began. “And I bring-yaaaaaaaaa!”

 

Rin and the two heads of her dragon demon companion watched silently as Sesshomaru's foot appeared out of the shadows, kicking Jaken into the air. Their eyes moved up in an arc as Jaken flew away from the point of contact, screaming all the way until he finally landed over the other side of the ledge with a thud.

 

Rin turned to Ah-Un, but both of the dragon's heads looked about as confused as she felt, and so she turned back to the shadowy hollow Sesshomaru had successfully concealed himself in. Deciding that she would succeed where Jaken had failed, Rin released Ah-Un's reins and started to march boldly towards the tree. However, before she had even crossed half the distance, a strong gust of wind whirled around her legs, knocking her over so that she landed flat on her face.

 

As Rin lifted her face from the dirt, she saw Kagura land gracefully in front her, facing Sesshomaru.

 

“Yo,” Kagura said, opening out her hand.

 

Jaken fell from her grasp, landing in an ungraceful heap. He struggled to his feet, hurriedly rearranging his clothing.

 

“I didn't ask for your help, wench!” Jaken shouted up at Kagura, waving a fist at her.

 

“Hey Sesshomaru, you servant is revolting again…” Kagura drawled sarcastically, glowering down at Jaken.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru does not wish to see you right now, wench!” Jaken yelled back at her.

 

“I'll be the judge of that,” Kagura replied, smirking confidently.

 

Jaken glowered up at Kagura, seething silently in his own anger. Rin cautiously crept closer to Kagura, looking up at her curiously. Kagura glanced between the two, her attention distracted from them both when she heard movement ahead of her. Looking up, she saw Sesshomaru stand up in the shadows and start to walk towards her.

 

Smirking again, Kagura readied herself to greet the demon lord with a witty remark; but as he stepped into the light, all thoughts of sarcasm left her mind, and her confident smirk faded to a look of horrified disbelief.

 

“What the hell happened to you?” she asked, almost choking on her words.

 

“It's nothing, a mere flesh wound,” Sesshomaru calmly replied.

 

Jaken turned around, screaming as he caught sight of the four gashes across one side of Sesshomaru's face, which ran from the corner of his left eye to the left corner of his mouth. Rin edged closer, leaning over to afford herself a view of the left side of Sesshomaru's face, gasping at what she saw.

 

“It will be healed by morning,” Sesshomaru added, his tone unchanged.

 

“You know Sesshomaru, that looks like a pretty nasty wound to me…” Kagura said slyly. “But I think I have just the cure for it.”

 

Kagura stepped up to Sesshomaru, reaching a hand up towards the injured side of his face, but Sesshomaru quickly caught her hand in his own before she reached the wounds. Kagura met his eyes, smiling coyly at him. Sesshomaru remained expressionless, his tight grip of her hand unrelenting.

 

“Unless you have come here to tell me the whereabouts of Naraku, you had best be on your way, Wind Sorceress,” Sesshomaru said, his voice still lacking in emotion, but somehow managing to successfully convey his threat.

 

“I don't know where Naraku is, and I don't care, either,” Kagura replied. “Because without him around, I'm free to do whatever I want.”

 

Kagura slowly dragged her tongue along her teeth, her smirk widening when she at last saw a flicker of emotion in Sesshomaru's eyes. However, before she could act upon it, Sesshomaru roughly released her hand and turned his back on her, walking back towards the tree he had been sat under.

 

“I've just come from the village Inuyasha and his friends are camping in,” Kagura said, smiling again as Sesshomaru stopped abruptly, just outside the shadow of the tree. “I had heard so many rumours, I simply had to go and see it for myself,” she continued. “Inuyasha, brother of the mighty dog demon Lord Sesshomaru, keeping company with a cat demon…”

 

Kagura had to fight back a grin as she heard a short, small growl rumble in Sesshomaru's throat.

 

“The demon fire-cat Kirara,” Kagura continued with a sigh. “And I believe you have had the pleasure of meeting her already, Sesshomaru.”

 

“Leave,” Sesshomaru grumbled, before disappearing back into the shadow of the tree.

 

“And it seems that those who know of Kirara the fire-cat have had many things to say about her,” Kagura continued, swinging her fan at Jaken, sending him tumbling away from her ankles. “I hear she has befriended humans for many centuries. She has even helped humans to slay demons. She comes even from the demon-slayer's village.”

 

Kagura narrowed her eyes, watching as Sesshomaru's shadowed form sat back down beneath the tree. Although he was pretending to be preoccupied, she knew he was still listening to her.

 

“Aren't those cat claw-marks on your face, Sesshomaru?” she asked.

 

Choking on a gasp, Kagura leapt into the air, barely managing to avoid Sesshomaru as he pounced at her, his claws closing around the empty space her neck had taken up only moments ago.

 

“Really Sesshomaru!” she said, trying to sound perturbed. “Is that any way to treat a lady?”

 

“You are no lady,” Sesshomaru darkly replied. “And you are in my way. Leave. Now.”

 

“We really aren't much fun tonight, are we Sesshomaru?” Kagura said teasingly.

 

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes slightly, grabbing his hand roughly around the hilt of his Tokijin.

 

“Alright,” Kagura said abruptly. “Just one more question.”

 

Kagura waited for Sesshomaru to say something, but all she got as a reply was the sound of Sesshomaru's knuckles cracking as he tightened his hold around the hilt of his deadly sword.

 

“In my travels, I have heard this fire-cat demon Kirara described as something of a beauty,” Kagura began, opening her fan and lifting it up to cover the mounting smirk on her face. “As one who has had the pleasure of meeting her, what do you have say to that, Sesshomaru?”

 

Sesshomaru paused before replying, during which time Jaken rejoined them, dropping to his knees as he tried to regulate his breathing.

 

“The fire-cat, a beauty?” Sesshomaru asked monotonously, his hand still gripped around his sword. “I should as soon call my brother a wit.”

 

“That was all I needed to know, thank you Sesshomaru,” Kagura replied, whipping out a feather and soaring up on the winds.

 

“Curse that witch!” Jaken growled breathlessly. “What did she want?”

 

Sesshomaru did not answer Jaken, instead watching Kagura leave, his hand still holding the Tokijin.

 

“Milord, I returned with news for you,” Jaken continued, when Sesshomaru did not answer his question. “The old sword-smith Totosai said he will make a sword or some armour for the princess, but he still refuses to make anything for you.”

 

“Jaken?” Sesshomaru said his eyes still fixed on the sky, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword.

 

“Yes, Milord?” Jaken chirped.

 

“Return to Totosai, and get me what I asked for,” Sesshomaru calmly commanded. “And do not even think of returning to me until you have it, understand?”

 

“But-”

 

Sesshomaru smoothly unsheathed the Tokijin, turning it towards Jaken. Jaken screamed, falling over backwards in his hurry to put as much distance as possible between himself and the lethal, pointed tip of the blade.

 

“Aye, Milord,” he said weakly, struggling to his feet once more.

 

As Jaken scurried off to fulfil his orders, Sesshomaru returned his Tokijin to its sheath, turning his head towards the remaining members of his group.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru, Ah and Un are hurt!” Rin called to him.

 

Sesshomaru slowly turned, walking over to investigate Rin's statement. Closer inspection of his dragon-demon steed informed him that it was indeed hurt. Whilst the wounds were not serious, they would hamper the beast's progress for the best part of the next few days, much to Sesshomaru's annoyance.

 

“We must clean the wounds,” Sesshomaru announced, turning his back on Rin and Ah-Un.

 

“Yes, my Lord,” Rin replied, gathering up Ah-Un's reins behind him. “Come on.”

 

Sesshomaru led Rin back over the curve of the hill to the river than ran below, stopping by the water's edge. Rin eagerly walked into the water, pulling Ah-Un with her. As she set about washing Ah-Un's entire body, Sesshomaru began looking up at the sky again, becoming so lost in his own thoughts, he did not immediately register that Rin had started talking to him again.

 

“-can make it sorer,” he heard Rin say. “So would you like me to wash your wounds too, Lord Sesshomaru?”

 

Sesshomaru inhaled sharply through his nostrils, turning his head to look down at Rin, who was grinning eagerly up at him.

 

“Would you like me to clean your wounds, Lord Sesshomaru?” she asked again, cupping her hands below the surface of the water and lifting them up, filled with water.

 

“I have no wounds,” Sesshomaru flatly replied, turning his uninjured cheek to Rin, hiding his wounds from her view.

 

“Oh…” Rin said softly, her fingers opening slightly.

 

Sesshomaru tightened his jaws as he heard the water trickle from between her fingers, his nerves suddenly unusually raw. As Rin began to sing a song about Lord Sesshomaru's magically disappearing wounds, Sesshomaru had to fight back a growl. Rin began to dance as she sang, carelessly splashing water all over Ah-Un, who eventually took offence, one of its heads gulping up a mouthful of water and turning to spit it at her.

 

“Oops…” Rin whispered, her eyes doubling in size as Ah-Un misfired, and hit Sesshomaru square in the face.

 

Sesshomaru swiped his hand at his face, moving the wet hair from his eyes.

 

“Father was right,” he said dully, ignoring the questioning noise Rin made in response to his remark.

 

Sesshomaru spun around on his heels and walked slowly back over to his tree.

 

“Cats bring nothing but bad luck…” he finished, before dropping down by the tree. “I will have to take care of that pesky fire-cat…”

 

Sesshomaru looked down thoughtfully at his hand as he cracked his knuckles, his mind formulating his next course of action.

 

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“I love my new kimono!” Sango cried, hugging the fabric and spinning around in delight.

 

“What do you think of my new clothes?” Kirara asked the others, indicating her new outfit.

 

Inuyasha made a grunting sound, before spraying her with a barrage of potato chip crumbs as he gave her his blunt reply.

 

“You look just like Sesshomaru, you stupid jackass.”

 

Kirara's eyes widened, and she hurriedly looked down at herself, then over each of her shoulders.

 

“Inuyasha!” Shippo moaned. “Don't be so rude!”

 

“No…” Kirara said slowly. “He's not being rude, he's being honest! Look at me! I'm dressed just like that filthy dog!”

 

“Yeah,” Inuyasha agreed.

 

“Don't listen to him Kirara, you look just fine!” Sango assured her.

 

“No I don't!” Kirara wailed. “Look at this material! The colour, the cut of the silk, the… Damn it!”

 

Miroku began to giggle like a schoolgirl as Kirara began to tear off her clothes, shredding the fine fabric with her claws in her frustration.

 

“Kirara!” Sango scolded her.

 

Kirara paused, watching Sango for a brief moment before resuming her mission to destroy her clothing.

 

“Kirara stop that, right now!” Sango ordered.

 

Kirara obediently stopped, but she began to make small whimpering sounds, hanging her head in shame.

 

“Wear your old clothes,” Sango said.

 

“What?” Inuyasha yelled. “You mean we wasted two days and all that time hunting for nothing?”

 

“Not nothing,” Kirara said meekly. “Sango got a lovely new kimono.”

 

“Ah, spare me!” Inuyasha snapped. “I'm leaving, you can all just catch me up later!”

 

Inuyasha marched off, leaving the others dazed in his wake. Miroku was the first to recover.

 

“Kagome, Shippo, Sango, you go ahead on Kagome's bike,” he said. “Try to calm Inuyasha down.”

 

“What are you going to do, Miroku?” Sango asked him.

 

“I'm going to stay here and help Kirara out of those clothes,” Miroku replied.

 

Sango snarled at him, her eyes suddenly burning with repressed rage.

 

“I meant help her get her old clothes back,” Miroku hurriedly added. “And then change for the… And the…”

 

“Why don't you go with Kagome and Shippo and calm Inuyasha down, and I'll help Kirara?” Sango suggested darkly.

 

“But I-”

 

“You're a monk, aren't you? Why don't you “read him a sutra, to calm his nerves”?”

 

Miroku laughed nervously, backing away from the fuming Sango.

 

“We'll catch you up,” Sango pressed.

 

“Right,” Miroku agreed.

 

Sango watched Kagome and Shippo leave on Kagome's bike, followed by Miroku, who continually stole glances over his shoulder as he went.

 

Once they were out of sight, Sango turned back to Kirara, who was standing in little more than her new body armour - which, Sango had to admit, also looked rather like Sesshomaru's - and a chunk of torn white silk that hung around her thighs. Her hands were hanging loosely at her sides, shreds of white silk dangling from her claws. Her head was hung low, and her cheeks were red; from anger or embarrassment, Sango could not tell.

 

“Let's get your old clothes back, Kirara,” Sango said softly.

 

Kirara quietly nodded her head.

 

“And don't worry about Sesshomaru,” she added.

 

“I'm not worried about Sesshomaru,” Kirara hurriedly replied, her head snapping up as her eyes met Sango's. “I'm only worried about which method I should use to kill him the next time I meet him.”

 

Sango began to narrow her eyes as she saw a flicker of an unusual emotion pass over Kirara's features. She opened her mouth to question her friend, but Kirara spun around, turning her back to Sango before she got the chance to speak.

 

“My mother warned me about dogs,” Kirara said, folding her arms across her chest indignantly. “She said that dogs bring nothing but pestilence and filth, and she was right.”

 

“Right…” Sango said slowly. “We really should get going if we want to catch up with Inuyasha and the others.”

 

“Inuyasha can't out-run me, he's just a dog!” Kirara tetchily replied.

 

“I didn't say he could out-run you, just that he has gotten a head-start on us-”

 

“And I can still beat him, like the dog that he is!”

 

Sango pulled a face at the back of Kirara's head, but Kirara was too busy festering in her own anger to notice or even to care. Although Sango was not really sure of exactly what had transpired between Kirara and Sesshomaru - after all, Sango had never seen Sesshomaru in his true, dog-form - she took solace in the fact that the group never crossed paths with Sesshomaru too often, so hopefully they would not see him again for some time, giving Kirara sufficient time to calm down and come to her senses before confronting him again.

 

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Next Chapter: The gang continue their search for the missing Naraku and the remaining shards of the Shikon Jewel, but their progress is hampered by the arrival of a certain wolf demon. Chapter 6 - Koga's Intervention.