InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Perish Once More ❯ Chapter Twenty-Five: Twins ( Chapter 25 )

To Perish Once More: Chapter Twenty-Five: Twins

-Jasmine Fields

****

"Did you find Naraku?"

"Don't tell me you ran away!"

"Heh. No chance at that. Naraku brought another stupid looking sidekick along with him…but that guy gave me a bad feeling…"

At first he was young and the new leader for the tribe and they were merely expressing their genuine concern for his welfare and decision making.

There was still a sense of novelty chasing after the northern brothers' murderers for the sake of vengeance and every other nemesis seemed to take the back burner after Naraku staged the deaths of their fallen tribal members so easily…so they initially thought.

It puzzled them why Kouga was still wrought with grief over the loss of their comrades, but then, the responsibilities that weighed down his heart weren't always easily understood even as they traveled alongside him fighting and following for what he believed was right.

"…and I've learned to trust my instincts."

It wasn't their place to dictate their leader's actions; however, Kouga seemed accurate in his assessments - even while young - about the peril distinctly substantiating Naraku's influence as he engorged and besieged boundaries and territories for his glory and gain.

"I bet Inuyasha's wished he'd done the same. He's probably getting beaten to a pulp by Juuroumaru as we speak."

"You mean, you saw Inuyasha?"

"Yep."

He was eager, frequently overly confident, overly zealous - faults, no doubt - but nevertheless, the hero they merely fantasized of becoming - the one who wanted to win the affections of Sister.

Of course, he wasn't always blameless, they recounted.

"Kouga, I could be out of line for saying this…but if Inuyasha's fighting and Kagome is with him, doesn't that put her in danger as well?"

That certainly had forced him to pause and re-examine, among many things, his actions and intent - not just concerning Kagome, but Naraku's strategies as well.

"Why didn't you say that earlier, you clowns?"

"Why didn't you notice first?"

They endured a severe lashing for their rejoinder, but since the encounter with Kageroumaru and Juuroumaru, they realized that occasionally he heeded their warnings and furthermore had not allowed Kagome out his sights for very long.

If you figure a week or two - bare minimum - was frequent to start with.

During a conversation two weeks past the event, they learned his intervention, at a last minute decision, had been needed in spite of the insults hurled his direction. He kept the girl out of relative danger - and although begrudgingly accomplished, Inuyasha had graced Kouga with appreciation - of sorts.

In the beginning, the kindness that Kagome freely offered with the courtesy of bandaging their wounds and easing their battle pains sparked a natural measly crush from the wolf demon leader as well as the twin brothers…

Not that Kouga will ever find out.

"What about Ayame?"

"Ayame?"

Ayame.

Kouga's simultaneous pursuit of Naraku's head and Kagome's heart only complicated matters for the tribe.

She was another concern that constantly plagues Kouga while he sleeps.

Nobody could reason with him…frequently he scouted the rivers for quiet and solitude. As their suspicions for the purpose of his departures rose with genuine concern, so did his stand-offish remarks expressed for the purpose of

Not that he could be blamed for being so…

…Despondent.

The politics surrounding the approval of Ayame into their clan were convoluted, to say the least.

Firstly, there was the matter that Ayame and Kouga lived through this war against Naraku. It was fairly certain that she would live; however, he was an entirely separate affair.

If he did not live, the wolf demons would upstart an internal dispute and wage war for the elder's sanction and blessing - who would, in turn, grant Ayame's hand to the strongest suitor.

On the other hand, if he did live - and Kouga still adored and sought after Kagome's hand - regardless of whether or not the attachment was returned - and in spite of any aforementioned possibilities of engagements prior to Kagome - Ginta and Hakkaku remained to take on the responsibilities of honoring Ayame and welcoming her under their protection, home, and custody.

Even though it is Kouga's rite to go in pursuit of his heart's desire, sometimes…

They only hoped for the best.

There would be no backing down - Ayame would grow to be part of the pack through what ever means to what ever end that occurred.

Their fate was chosen already - to oblige the wolf-prince and all their allegiances to take for them selves the feisty red-head. In the end it would be her decision, of the two, whom she would reject and whom she would indulge and grant the rites of becoming both her lover and guardian - with the promise of children - pups, to replenish the packs.

Not that Ayame's a problem…

…Or any wolf's to contend with, more precisely.

In the mean time, before all was told, they intended to stay alive - together, if possible, and finish out with Kouga the mission they started out for: to avenge their comrade brothers' deaths.

Kouga will never forget.

Ginta, mindful of his interactive connection to his brother, expressed a nearly stray tongue-tipped thought aloud.

"Kouga has seemed a bit out of sorts lately - some what detached from the world -"

"Yep. Curse his dreaded foul temper."

Rotten and violent - better described it…

After all, a few years without much to show for all the efforts put forth, would inevitably take their toll. Conversation lulled, they tossed aside the grass weed they suckled on.

"And difficult to bear, I know. He has been awful."

"Yep. Gods know that he practically drives the packs to near slavery and starvation to do his bidding with every other whim when neither sight nor scent of Kagome staves-off his contempt."

Frustration mounted and the packs were thinning while waiting for alliances to be forged. The situation was precarious, indeed.

"I don't think he does it on purpose."

He's definitely in a better mood when sister Kagome's around.

If they were completely honest his temperament was much worse with out her occasional bout of encouragement.

"Hey, Ginta?"

"Huh?"

"I know what you're thinking. Don't let him hear you say that aloud. You know how he gets at even the scent of her, let alone the mention of her name."

"I know."

…Depressed if she's with Inuyasha - which is almost all of the time.

"Hey, Hakkaku?"

"Hnn?"

"Do you think we'll ever get the old Kouga back?"

Not since Kagome.

"Probably not. In any case, he's never been easy-going…always in a rush"

"Still. Don't you worry?"

Too bad he's such a pain.

Sniffing, they stepped toward the direction of a hideous squeal echoed in the clearing.

"Yep. Hey bro, I hate to interrupt - but looks like our dinner, boar sufflee, has been served."

Last one there's a rotten turnip…

******