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loveyou-x3000 · 4 years ago

Note

Ohhhh thanks for the Toga and Izayoi as it is so cute!!, maybe you can do Moroha being awesome and tag team fight with mum or dad?

Ok so this one... well, it got way out of hand. This isn’t quite a tag team fic like you asked -- I’m learning I go pretty off course with prompts, guys, I’m sorry -- but it is an InuYasha-and-friends-reappear-in-the-midst-of-battle-fic. None of this really lines up with what’s currently happening in Yashahime, but whatever. Nothing in Yashahime makes sense anyway!

Tag List: @liz8080 @superpixie42 @dangerouspompadour @thebishopkate @lavendertwilight89 @sistasecbhere @thornedraven @ladycelestite @clementinesgulag @keichanz @zelink-inukag @heathersmusings @horriblehowl @animeandfilmotaku @bulba-baby @heavenin--hell @captainyukicho @rightoveryonder @hopidoodle @itsyogirlcaitlin @digital-art-monster @all-my-cuffs-have-buttons @cammysansstuff @glow–bunny @cyncyn981 @nellyvampdragon @sticky-llama-perfection @karina-inuphantom @neutronstarchild

Prompt me!

Riku had them cornered.

Of all the bastards Moroha had ever faced, he was perhaps the biggest bastard of them all, with his smug little smirk and his pompous way of speaking, acting every inch of a lord's son that he said he was. And Moroha had met a lot of that sort, too; stupid, scrawny little lordlings who pretended they were better than her because they had money and "better blood," whatever that meant, even when they were asking for her help against the demons that scared them half to death.

The only thing that made Riku any different from them was the fact that when he picked a fight, he at least had the balls to see it through to the end. Sure, the fight he’d picked this time was against them, and if they weren’t careful he was probably going to kill one of them before sunrise, but hey-- he wasn’t relying on anyone else to do his dirty work, and Moroha could respect that.

Jumping up and back to dodge a spearing attack of rock that he'd summoned from the ground, Moroha landed in the relative safety of the of the Tree of Ages, hidden amongst its branches. He controlled the elements, so far as they could tell: he could move the ground, shape water, spark fire, and guide the wind-- though the last of those abilities didn't seem to work well when he was around Setsuna. Towa had noticed that the last time they'd fought; he’d flung a cutting gale of wind at her when Setsuna, quiet as she was, had grit her teeth and swung her naginata so high and hard that she'd blown Riku straight off the edge of a mountain, redirecting his attack back onto him with twice the efficiency.

Setsuna had always been able to shape the air for her Cyclone Burst, but that? That she’d never done before.

But now they weren't on a mountain, Setsuna was injured, and Towa was trying to protect her sister from all the attacks Riku was launching at them. They’d both been robbed of their pearls not so long ago and without them, their strength was fading fast.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit—"

Moroha scrambled inside her pockets, withdrawing the little clamshell that held her pearl and her grandmother's lipstick. On her shoulder, Myoga jumped up and down, protesting— but she already knew everything he was saying. Yes, she wouldn't last long in a full demon state, but maybe it could give Towa the opening she needed to cut the pretty bastard down. All she had to do was distract him.

While droplets of blood dripped from her wrist and onto the tree, Moroha swiped her pinky across the red rouge. Readying herself, she took a deep breath, concentrating all her energy and—

Riku spun the wind and Setsuna spun it back, distracting her. Where one gale met the other, a glowing scar struck through the open air, and the tree beneath her feet gasped.

A tree couldn't gasp, of course, but it was trying very hard to, rocked with an energy that demanded everyone's attention. Energy pulsed beneath the pads of her bare feet and Moroha startled, clicking the clamshell shut as the Tree of Ages trembled. Myoga held on tight to her ear as she tried to steady herself, claws digging into the bark; and once she did that, the voice of the tree screamed in her ears.

"You won't be free!"

It was the Tree— that priestess, Kikyo, who apparently her mother was, or had been, or something; no one really seemed to agree on the difference and Moroha thought it was all stupid, anyway. How could someone be someone else? But Kikyo (who was not really Kikyo, and also not her mother) screamed and raged and tried with all her might to keep a seal from breaking. Someone was screaming back at her.

"You're not her, you wrinkled old bitch!"

The clamshell in her hand trembled and the well in the middle of the clearing pulsed with yoki once, then twice, reminding her of long summer days and thunderstorms. Red robes and white hair.

"LET ME GO!"

Moroha had never noticed the seal before, but she noticed it now: pink and black and sickly purple, like a bruise, pulsing from an old fletching notch in the tree. Towa screamed for her, but it was too late; the notch cracked, the seal broke, and a pulse of reiki shot through her so hard it made her teeth rattle and purified the rouge right off her pinky. Riku jumped back and his and Setsuna’s winds spun out, and Towa lurched aside, trying to avoid the pink-white light that was now spilling out of the mouth of the dusty old well in the middle of the clearing.

The hate that had been embedded in the Tree of Ages - the onyrō, if the echo of a dying priestess could be called that, left there in the power of her arrow - died an abrupt, sudden death, and all the sudden everything that ghost had been trying to hold in and destroy began to break free.

"What's happening?!"

It was a scream to no one as leaves began to rain down from the branches, even though Autumn was months away. There was a sudden burst of wind then, swirling of its own accord, unguided, and new scents came in an onslaught: reiki, yōki, and something in between; pain, anguish, hate, and unbridled sorrow; storms, iron, metal, tears, and flower blossoms. All of them were mixed and strange and rainbow-colored, until the first body came soaring out of the well.

A yōkai with brown furs, jet black hair, and piercing blue eyes shot straight out of the lancing light and into the night sky, seeming to hover in the air above them before he plummeted back towards the earth. Somewhere on Kirara's back, Kohaku called out a name:

"Koga!"

Once, there had been a battle in this clearing. Kohaku had told them as much. After all three of them had been spirited away to safety as infants, their parents and their friends had fought a strange enemy here. The only one to walk away unscathed from it had been that enemy— and Sesshomaru, whom no one had seen since.

Everyone else had disappeared from this very spot, leaving behind only a stunned monk and his family of demon slayers.

Koga - whoever he was - cracked the ground as he landed, and Riku cursed and cursed, flinging expletives in languages she didn't even know. He held up his hands and Moroha's stomach bottomed out, feeling that strange pull that only the rainbow portal had, but a gale of wind knocked him off his feet; again, sourceless, but it dispersed his strange powers.

"What the fuck happened?!"

Then there was another voice, another scent— and it nearly sent Moroha falling out of the tree.

"I saved your life, you mangy wolf!"

A man dressed in red climbed out of the well, shining silver against the moonlight. There was a woman unconscious on his back, chin pillowed against his shoulder; another girl lay sleeping in his arms.

Behind him, the Butterfly of Dreams fluttered up into the sky and all the light in the well faded to nothing.

"You sealed me in a tree, you flea-infested— shit!"

Koga bailed to the left to avoid a trail of fire that shot across the field and Towa slammed her sword in the ground to protect herself, letting it buffet against that wall of yoki until it extinguished itself. Setsuna's naginata fell to the ground beside her as her strength failed her, though she was far off from dying. There was something else on her face— exhaustion, maybe.

Hisui and Kohaku's voices were a mangled mess of names as Kirara brought them to the ground. Kohaku went first to the sleeping girl, taking her in his arms; Hisui went to the hanyō and the miko, wide-eyed and incredulous.

Moroha knew who they were. She couldn’t not know who they were.

“Shit,” InuYasha cursed, adjusting the unconscious Kagome on his back and drawing a sword that sang like a storm, streaking through the night like lightning. “How long has it been, Hisui?”

“InuYasha?”

Moroha was frozen, gone completely silent, watching the young demon slayer speak to her Father. Myoga was gone. Kohaku tried to shake the girl in his arms awake, softly calling her name.

“Rin?”

InuYasha waited impatiently for an answer. Eventually, Hisui found it.

“Fourteen years.”

“...fuck.”

And then there was no more time for talking as Riku attacked again, suddenly incensed, aiming the brunt of his attacks straight at Kohaku and Rin, flinging fire aside at the twins as he did. Moroha lurched when she saw Towa wasn’t going to be able to withstand the attack this time, but then the winds kicked up again, blowing the fire aside, and a scar blazed in its gale once again.

InuYasha swung Tessaiga and Riku disappeared in a burst of white light.

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mamabearcatfanfics · 4 years ago

Text

Instinct - Part Three

Read on below, or here on AO3 if you prefer!

Kaede sighed, rolling her neck from side to side to ease the strained muscles. She rose slowly from her cramped position at the low table where she’d knelt all afternoon, pounding fresh herbs for a poultice. Even though she used a cushion now as a concession to her arthitic knees, her joints were protesting painfully. Overuse, or was another Spring storm brewing, like the one last night? The fingers on her right hand spasmed a little as she shook them out, and she rubbed her aching knuckles absentmindedly. All these little aches and pains. When did she get so old? And why did these troubled times have to come upon her village? Yes, she was still powerful spiritually, but her aging body now came with all these niggling physical limitations that prevented her from seeking direct confrontation. The battle against Naraku and the collection of the Shikon no tama was much better left in younger hands.

Shuffling her weary limbs over to the door frame, she pushed the woven screen aside to look out down the road leading north, away from the village. The sun was setting, throwing its firey colours on to the darkness of the gathering storm clouds in the west. It looked like her arthritic joints had forewarned that more rain was brewing after all. She wondered how her children were doing, and if they were safely out of the weather.

Kaede smiled wryly. Such a motley little group they were. Even though they were no relation, and Inuyasha and probably Kirara were decades older than herself, she did think of them as her children, the closest she would ever get to having a family. Even though she was well liked in the village, loved even, the position of miko was a lonely one, set a little apart from the daily lives of others. Having that rag tag bunch burst into her life had brought her troubles, yes, but also joy.

She’d known Inuyasha longer than any of them. When she was just a simple village girl and her much older sister Kikyou was priestess of the village and guardian of the Shikon no Tama, he’d been there, looking no different than he did now, over fifty years later. Around Kikyou he’d been reserved, almost hesitant in his manner, as if he were afraid to upset her and draw attention to his half youkai nature. But he hadn’t been that way with herself, meeting her teasing questions with his usual gruffness, willing for the most part to suffer her childish fascination with him.

She could admit to herself now, she’d had the smallest crush on him – the innocent feelings of a ten year old girl for an older man who was beautiful, strong and unattainable. He was a big brother figure when for so long there had only been her and Kikyou, whom she’d adored as one who could do no wrong. And then Kikyou had died, accusing Inuyasha of fatally injuring her as she sealed him to the Goshinbuko in retaliation.

Kaede had visited the tree often in the weeks following Kikyou’s death. Yelled at Inuyasha, screamed at him, asking him how he could have betrayed them, when he’d shown evidence of loving Kikyou, when she herself had looked up to him as a big brother and a protector. In the following months when she could steal moments from her new role at the shrine, she visited the Goshinboku to sit amongst its roots underneath his silent beauty to weep hot heavy tears over the way her life had turned out. She had never wished to be a Miko, but she was helpless under the weight of village expectations when they discovered she also possessed reiki after Kikyou’s death.

Over the years, those feelings had settled. Her grief had dimmed and she had accepted her role as village protector and healer, enjoyed it even. When her emotions finally ceased to cloud her memory, she recalled how Onigumo’s prescence had made her feel, the crawling uneasiness that crept up her spine whenever she visited that cave in Kikyou’s place. But there had been no answers to her lingering questions. And now… now she had more answers than she knew what to do with. Inuyasha had awakened and returned to her life, and so had Kikyou in a warped and twisted form. Onigumo had become the half demon Naraku and Kikyou’s reincarnated soul was housed in a girl five hundered years from the future. Fate truly had a warped sense of humour it seemed.

She was still learning what to make of Kagome, her far distant descendant who fell through time. She seemed to be such a spirited girl, always willing to speak her mind, never afraid to raise her voice, which was not in itself a bad thing, considering the circumstances. She had a good heart, always willing to give others a chance and try and see a situation from another’s perspective. And Kaede could plainly see that girlish heart longed for Inuyasha.

Was fate playing a part in this too she pondered? Inuyasha’s feelings for Kagome were also strong; Kaede was sure he meant for them to be hidden, but it was easy to see the regard he had for the girl. He cared deeply for her, in his own way. But what could come from it? Could they really have a future together? Only time would tell.

The last ebbing light of the sunset fell away, and Kaede let the door screen fall, shivering a little as the cool night breeze blew in around her ankles. Time to light a lamp and set the rice to cook.

She had just finished washing the rice and put the pot on the embers when she heard the sound of pounding feet coming up the path to her home, too fast to be one of the villagers, accompanied by the snapping aura of youki. Rising as swiftly as she could, knees cracking with age, she reached for her bow. But before her fingers could grasp it, Inuyasha crashed through the doorway, his chest heaving and expression wild.

“By the Kami Inuyasha” she scolded, “are you trying to give this old woman a heart attack? What is going on?”

He knelt next to the fire, clutching a gasping dark haired figure wrapped snugly in Kagome’s sleeping bag, and turned his beseeching eyes to Kaede. She was taken aback by his frantic words.

“Please, help her. Don’t let her die.”

Kagome woke with a start. She was so cold. Her teeth chattered, and she couldn’t control the intense shivers that shook her body, displacing the blanket that had been tucked carefully around her. But her head felt hot, sweat beading on her forehead then running down her face to dampen her hair and collect in the hollow of her throat. How was it possible to feel like she was simultaneously freezing and on fire – surely that was a physical impossibility. She groaned, wanting to open her eyes, but feeling like even that was too much for her.

Everything hurt. Every breath while she lay on her back cut like shards of glass, the pain excruciating, but she had no strength to sit up. It felt like there was a tight mask held over her face that only let the barest trace of oxygen into her screaming lungs, no matter how much she wheezed to take in air. Her body fought to cough and breathe at the same time, without her having any say in the matter, and she whimpered, panic rising. She was drowning on dry land, with no way to swim to the surface.

Warm hands. There was pressure on her shoulders, a soothing rumble, and she turned blindly towards it, craving the heat and life in those hands and the comfort of that sound. Now that she was upright her breathing felt a little easier, the pain in her chest and back more bearable, now he was here. Those warm hands moved her gently to lean against him, her naked skin shivering against fur and cloth, a deep rumbling sound vibrating against her spine. Warmth encircled her, those hands tugging a blanket up to her chin, and she sighed in relief, tucking her face in against that small patch of smooth skin, resting her nose into the hollow of his throat. The fresh clean scent of cedar and cypress from the woods calmed her. She could barely breathe, but she knew that smell.

“Inuyasha”, she gasped softly, raising one hand to clench her fingers into his suikan, her relief in his prescence palpable. She wanted to open her eyes and smile for him, show him she was glad he was here, but her body betrayed her, harsh coughs racking her already shivering frame.

Inuyasha looked down at the pale girl in his arms. The previous silence of the small hut was now filled to the brim with Kagome’s coughing, the raw sound grating up her throat, stealing the air from her lungs until she was gasping. She looked so fragile, curled up as she coughed into his shoulder, letting out a soft whimper at the end of each fresh burst. It was a pattern that had repeated over and over since they’d arrived here the night before. Just as she seemed to settle and was drifting into sleep, her breath would catch, and another fit would start.

His heart clenched at the sight of her pained face, tears falling from her sooty lashes and down her feverish cheeks. He held her close, tapping on her back and supporting her as he had for the past night and day in the isolation hut.

When they’d first arrived and he’d begged Kaede to save her, the old woman had insisted he leave them in the isolation hut so she could get Kagome comfortable and sponge her down to help her fever, citing propriety. He’d hovered outside, snarling and pacing, listening to a barely conscious Kagome weeping and gasping inconsolably as Kaede tried to calm her with quiet words. After a few minutes, he hadn’t been able to stand it any longer, and had rushed back into the hut, pulling her semi-naked form into his lap, rocking her as he held her tightly in his arms. Almost without thinking, he’d begun to make that grumbling noise that he made only for her, and Kagome had calmed almost instantly, his deep rumbling vibration soothing her almost to sleep.

With a wry smile, Kaede had conceded to the needs of her patient and had handed Kagome’s nursing over to Inuyasha, only bustling in and out of the small hut behind her own to bring medicinal tea, broth, and water to sponge down her fevered skin. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d tapped on Kagome’s back to help her try to clear her lungs, sponged her heated skin with cool water in an effort to bring down her fever, coaxed the bitter herbal medicines down her protesting throat.

Inuyasha laced his fingers into Kagome’s, and she squeezed his hand hard as another coughing fit had her lungs spasming, more tears running down her face as she cried out in pain, finally managing to cough up the greenish phlegm that had been choking her into a cloth he had ready under her mouth.

“That’s it. Good girl. That’s my good girl. I got you.”

He hadn’t wanted to leave her side when she had finally fallen asleep after coaxing her to swallow a little broth to take away the bitterness of her afternoon dose of medicinal tea, but he’d had to. She wasn’t getting any better. There was no improvement, despite his and Kaede’s careful care. And he could tell Kaede was worried, no matter how calm she looked on the outside, which made him even more so.

So, heartsick and anxious, he’d gone through the well. He’d falteringly explained the situation to Mama Higurashi, his voice breaking a little as he told her exactly how sick he and Kaede thought she was. When she’d angrily demanded why he hadn’t brought her home straight away, he’d tried to explain Kagome’s reasoning and her fear of spreading the illness. Told her he was now making the decision to bring her back through the well against her wishes, and that he didn’t care if Kagome was angry with him. He’d just wanted to warn Mama first, in case she thought precautions needed to be taken.

After a few moments of pure panic, Mama had embraced him, soothed him with quiet words that he’d done the right thing in letting her know, and had taken charge of the situation just like he’d hoped she would. While he hovered in the background, she made a phone call to another mother to arrange a sleep over at a friend's house for Souta, then ran out to Grandpa sweeping the temple grounds to explain the situation. He’d wanted to stay, but she’d finally got him to agree to stay with one of his friends for the night, just until the doctor had seen Kagome.

Then she called their family doctor, asking if he could make a house call as soon as possible, explaining her concerns about possible influenza and not wanting to take Kagome to the emergency room at the hospital, just in case. As he left the shrine she’d just finished collecting medicine from the bathroom, and was busily putting clean sheets on Kagome's bed, the bedroom window wide open to and air out the room. All Inuyasha had to do was bring Kagome back through the well. He could feel the fear driving Mama’s nervous energy, but it also gave him hope. He didn’t care what else happened. All he cared about was Kagome.

Now that Kagome’s coughing fit had eased, he propped her limp form up against his chest, reaching for the pyjamas that Mama had given him to dress her in, fluffy, pink and soft. It was easy to tug the pants with the elastic waist up her legs and over her underwear, but the shirt with its tiny heart shaped white buttons tested his shaking fingers.

Kagome thanked him sleepily, her voice raw from coughing.

“Kagome, I gotta tell ya somethin’.”

She blinked her eyes open, looking blearily upwards and taking in his tired anxious expression with concern.

“Inuyasha, you okay?”

He snorted, sighing exasperatedly at her, and smoothed back her damp fringe.

“Stop wastin’ your breath on me, dummy, it’s you that we need to worry about at the moment.” He took a deep breath, his gaze serious. “Kagome, I want you to listen to me”, he said, his voice slow and deep. “I don’t want any fuss, and I’m not gonna take no for an answer. I’m takin’ you back through the well to your Mama.”

“No”, she whispered, reaching up to tug on his suikan weakly, her voice wheezing and cracking, “contagious… don’t want them to die… isolation hut, you promised.” Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, and her bottom lip trembled.

“I didn’t promise nothin’ of the sort”, replied Inuyasha gently, brushing away her tears with his thumb. “Besides, you’ve been here in the isolation hut for over a day Kagome, and you’re just gettin’ weaker. Kaede agrees with me. I ain’t gonna let you get any worse. I know you’re stubborn wench, but so am I.”

He folded down the collar of her pyjama shirt that was sitting crooked, and gently pulled the dark hair caught inside the collar loose to rest down her shoulders. Her tearful expression of betrayal was breaking his heart.

“I explained to your Mama what you were worried about, and she has it all sorted. Your grandfather and Souta are stayin’ somewhere else. She’s got a doctor comin’ to the shrine and medicine organised. It’s going to be okay. You’re gonna be fine”, he said, his voice hitching a little. He pressed his forehead to hers, then planted a brief kiss there as he tucked the dark sweat dampened hair hanging in her face behind her ears tenderly. “That’s what Mama said, and she’s never lied to me, so it’s gotta be true, right?”

His voice cracked a little more, and he took a deep breath, pulling her close to him, tucking her in under his chin to hide his sudden tears, blinking them away before Kagome could see them. He could swear over and over that he would protect her, that he would lay his life on the line for her, but what good was a sword against this?

“Inuyasha”, she whispered, her face burrowing into his chest, “… I’m scared.”

He pressed his lips to her hair, rocking her in his arms as he had the night before, when he was desperate for her to get some healing sleep. “Don’t cry my sweet girl, don’t cry. I got you.”

He eased himself to his feet with her still in his arms, moving slowly and carefully. He paused in the doorway where Kaede waited to say goodbye.

“Don’t cry child”, she said soothingly, patting Kagome’s arm in a comforting manner. “Inuyasha is doing the right thing – let him take care of you. Your body is working hard to fight this illness, but this fever of yours needs to come down, and you need rest. I am sure the healers in your time will know how to proceed, and I have no doubt I will see you again when you are feeling better.”

“Kaede…”, Kagome whimpered tearfully.

“None of that now”, said Kaede firmly. “Off you go. I’m sure your mother is anxious to see you.” She nodded to Inuyasha, her expression calm and kind. “Keep your spirits up Inuyasha”, she said softly, “all will be well, you will see.”

He blinked at the older woman, his own eyes bright, then nodded, his jaw clenched tightly as if to prevent the unspoken fears in his eyes from spilling down his cheeks. With Kagome held safely in his arms, he took off towards the well, his graceful speed pulling them from Kaede’s sight in no time at all.

Once they were safely away, the serene expression dropped from her face, and she raised her tired eyes to the heavens, the late afternoon sun lengthening her shadow far behind her. In her long years as a healer, she had seen very few recover from the lung fever once their symptoms were as severe as Kagome’s, but surely the kami could not be so cruel. She was worried for Kagome, but just as worried for Inuyasha. How would he handle the loss if Kagome died, when he was only just beginning to accept the place she held in his heart?

“Please”, she pleaded, a single tear rolling down her weathered cheek, “please let all be well.”

Mama was waiting for them at the well house, her usually kind brown eyes anxious above a white mask that covered her nose and mouth. Her breath hitched as she took in Kagome’s flushed cheeks and shallow breaths and she blinked away sudden tears.

“Mama, I’m sorry”, wheezed Kagome.

“Shh, baby, everything will be okay, you’ll see. I’m just glad to see you.” Seeing Inuyasha’s startled expression at the mask she explained.

“You said Kagome was concerned about infection, so I will wear this mask unless the doctor says she’s no longer contagious – that way she won’t have to worry. Please take her straight up to her bedroom so we can give her some medicine to help with her fever. The doctor will be here soon.”

She followed quickly behind Inuyasha as he carried her daughter up the stairs to her bedroom, watching silently as he gently placed her on the bed and propped her upright with soft pillows. She handed him two small tablets and watched as Inuyasha coaxed Kagome to take them, praising her when she managed to swallow them down with sips of water.

“Now that we’ve got Kagome settled, we need to disguise you a little before the doctor gets here”, she said quietly to Inuyasha, stroking his shoulder. “I’ve put some old clothes of my husband’s in the bathroom, a t-shirt and some loose comfortable pants – he was about your height, so hopefully they’ll fit well enough.” Nodding, he dropped a soft kiss to the top of Kagome’s head, then left the room.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome called out, her eyes widening at his sudden absence.

“Shh my darling, it’s okay. He’ll be right back after he’s changed into modern clothes. You want him to be able to stay in the room when the doctor is here, don’t you?” Mama soothed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Reaching for the cloth sitting in a bowl of tepid water, she wrung it out, smoothing it over Kagome’s face and wrists, the heat of a mother’s love swelling in her chest. Her baby. No matter how old Kagome got, she would always be her baby.

Kagome began to cough and Inuyasha reappeared in the doorway as if summoned, pulling the dark t-shirt over his head as he sat on the other side of the bed, easing Kagome forward a little so he could tap gently on her back.

“That’s it. That’s my brave girl”, he soothed, as Mama reached for the box of tissues, placing them in front of Kagome. “Cough it up now, that’s the way.”

Mama couldn’t help the sudden tears that sprang up to roll silently down her cheeks, dampening the mask. When had the brash self-defensive boy that had burst into their kitchen over a year ago been replaced with this kind and caring man, his face worn with worry and fatigue? The weight of fear sat heavy on his shoulders, but his eyes when he looked at Kagome held an intensity of feeling that could not be denied.

She had been watching the growing attachment between her daughter and Inuyasha with trepidation at first, unsure how any relationship between them could work. They were both still so young! Where would they live? Inuyasha was half youkai - was it possible for them to have children? And what would happen when the first blush of love receded and Kagome began aging and Inuyasha did not – would he turn her aside? Questions, too many questions that had no answers, none that she felt she had a right to ask. There was no denying the love between them. And she felt with all of her heart that they were made for each other, and meant to be together. But she knew only too well, that love, no matter how strong, could be taken away, and she was petrified, for both of them.

She had grown to care for this boy like a son, this vagabond half demon from the past that had burst into their humdrum modern lives. Kagome had explained his lonely life previous to their quest for the jewel, and Mama had decided from that moment to love him fiercely, whether he wanted it or not. She could feel the neediness in him; it was hidden deep down, so deeply that he probably didn’t recognise it himself, but she could see it. She had welcomed him into her family, done her best to show him that she valued him both for himself and as a protector of her daughter, accepted him as he was. And now just look at him.

Kagome closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

“Inuyasha”, she said quietly, watching as he maneuvered himself to sit on the bed so Kagome could lean against him, “when was the last time you ate?”

His slow blink and blank stare had her nodding. Not recently then. “What about Kagome?”

“I managed to get her to take a little broth around midday. But not much. She said that eating makes her feel sick.”

“Alright, I’ll just make something for you then.”

“You don’t hafta. I’m alright.”

Smiling, she reached forward as she stood, softly tweaking one of his pointed twitching ears.

“I know I don’t. But I want to. You’re taking such good care of my daughter Inuyasha, let me take care of you.” Tactfully ignoring the sudden brightness in his amber eyes, she left the room to go down to the kitchen, turning to take one last look at them before she headed down the stairs.

Inuyasha had his head bent forward, his lips pressed firmly against the crown of Kagome’s head, his own long white hair falling either side of her face like a protective curtain. He was making a sound she could only compare to Buyo’s contented purring, deep and low. It was a calming sound, and even though she knew it wasn’t meant for her, Mama took comfort in it. Kagome was as safe as they could make her, until the doctor arrived. Yes, she was very ill, but she was also young and strong. Their little family would get through this, and come out the better for it, she was certain.

Part Four

#mamabearcat fanfics #instinct #inukag fanfic

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avionvadion · 4 years ago

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Forest Deep: a fanfic mixing Secret of the Cursed Mask and the actual Inuyasha anime itself. https://archiveofourown.org/works/24115702/chapters/58056064

Summary: Naraku had one goal- to destroy Inuyasha. Now with his new companion he has an idea how to make that happen. Brought to the Feudal Era by an unwanted Summoning, Irene's in search of her older sister and the one who brought them there. With the help of her new friends she might just find them, but it's hard getting through battles- nonetheless the day- with her lung problems. Why is this Naraku so cruel? What does he gain from hurting people? Who is his new friend- and what's underneath that mask she wears? Irene doesn't know. But she'll find out- one way or another. She just wished she had her sister beside her as she did it.

The first drawing is basically the story cover. I drew it back before Irene’s hair had a consistency and I had a better grasp of the art style XD The second image is from the end of chapter 20 and the last one is for chapter 15.

Story:

"I-It's…" Oh gods. "It's a saying where I'm from. Just- Just ignore it. I speak nonsense. Um. Look. You don't want to stay here, right? I don't want to stay here either. I have a sister I gotta make sure ain't dead, some friends to get back- granted… they probably don't want anything to do with me anymore, and an evil half-demon to stop, so~!" I huffed and stood, brushing some dirt off my pale blue jeans. I walked over, holding a shaky hand out to her with a grin. "You can come with or you can stay here and go crazy! Your choice."

Her eyebrows knit together. "For what reason did you desire the Magatama fruit? Most here are… filled with greed. They want its power for themselves. I, too, was selfish and… it brought me here."

"It…" I hesitated. Memories of the villagers falling came to mind. "I… I need the fruit to break a barrier. If the barrier doesn't break then… more people are gonna die. And… I don't want to see that happen."

"That's sounds awful…" Shizuno said, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "A-Are you certain that it's not another lie someone told? You could have fallen into a trap."

"I mean, probably?" I made a face, moving my head to the side and shaking it, shrugging my shoulders. "Buuut I have no reason to distrust him, you know? I-It's weird. Like, yeah he can be pretty shady when he wants to be, but he's helped me out this far and it's because of him I can talk to Shikigami spirits and heal people. So! I think he's nice. He did mention that this would be really dangerous and I was a firm believer I wouldn't survive. Was that a lie? Nope. Here we are! In a magical space surrounded by a bunch of crazy people."

"You are…" She frowned. "...strange. You speak of dire circumstances, yet you smile so brightly. Why do you behave so casually?"

"I just do." I was still so tired. "Life just sucks. That's how it works. No use mopin' about."

Unless of course several people had died. Damn it. I can still hear their screams, the children calling out for their parents as they ran for their lives. The blood splattering onto the ground… and staining Kohaku's kusarigama.

"Anyway! You never answered my question. You comin' with me?" I stretched out my fingers and wiggled them at her, staring at her expectantly. "You know you waaaant tooooo~! Far over the misty mountains cold~ to dungeons deep and caverns old!" My voice cracked and I coughed, hacking into my sleeve. My voice really could not go low. It was so distressing. The woman gave me such a strange look, but she reached out and took my hand. I felt so lightheaded. "Oh? Yay!"

She shook her head at me, folding her hands close to her chest. "We could be trapped here in eternal suffering," Shizuno told me, "yet you sing? Why?"

"Because if we're gonna be suffering eternally," I declared, holding an index finger up wisely, "we might as well have fun with it. Sadly I don't remember all the lyrics, but! It's a good song." I approached the mountain wall, staring up and squinting my eyes as I tried to gauge how far up we would have to climb before we reached the next ledge. My hands were all scraped up. "Okay… calm down. We can do this. You up for the climb?"

"Y-Yes, I suppose… what about you?" She stared at me, frowning. "Your skin is quite pale…"

"I'll be fine." I had to be. "My… My friends are waiting for me."

If they even still thought of me as one.

"And… your sister?"

I didn't answer. I wasn't even sure she was alive. "If I don't get that Magatama fruit… more people are gonna die. I… I don't want her to be one of them." I looked back at Shizuno, forcing another closed-eye grin, ignoring the lump forming in my throat. I had to be strong- for her. She was in pain as well. Her entire village was destroyed. "So we gotta keep going. Up and at 'em!"

I cracked my knuckles and reached up, grabbing onto a root sticking out from one of the rocks. This part of the wall was covered with vines, but there was no telling if they could all hold. Shizuno followed behind me uncertainly, grabbing onto a rock and climbing. "Th-This is very dangerous!"

Well, obviously. But I was convinced that we couldn't quite… die here? I've seen so many people wandering around and not one skeleton. At least there weren't any demons nearby in this spirit realm that could eat us. I don't think I'd taste very good. Ick. My mind flashed back to the mansion and I cringed, temporarily halting in my climb. Don't freak out. I had to stay calm. This is fine.

I'm fine. Always. Always fine.

I may be slowly breaking apart, but I'm fine. It's how I am.

This is just life.

It's my fault those villagers are dead, so I have to avenge them. Don't I?

Suddenly the vines I was climbing broke and I let out a small shriek, falling back towards the ledge below. The wind around me picked up pace and suddenly my descent slowed, causing me to blink. Then once I was close enough to the ground it stopped and I hit my head, crashing hard onto my back. "O-Ow! Frick!" I cringed and curled onto my side, bringing my hands up to the back of my aching skull. It was being put through so much abuse today. "Dude, that hurt!"

"A-Are you alright!?" Shizuno called down. She was at least thirty feet above me, clinging tight to some vines. "The wind just- how on earth-!?"

"Spirits." I hissed, wincing at the bump that was definitely going to be there for a while. The wind helped enough for me not to die, but wasn't completely forgiving to leave me free of injury. "Eugh…" That seriously hurt, but at least it wasn't fatal. This proved that one of my theories were right. Kazumi would have us wander forever in insanity, but she would not have us kill ourselves. "Frick."

I stumbled, wobbling over to the wall and leaning against it for a moment until my vision cleared. The world was trying to spin on me.

"Need to… keep going." I wheezed. This air spirit guardian person was such a sadist. "Have to… save them…"

My fingers gripped weakly at the roots. I wouldn't be able to climb in this state.

"Naraku… must be… stopped…"

I'm so dizzy. My forehead pressed against the rocky mountain side, eyes closing as I waited to catch my breath. That scared the crap out of me- falling like that. I hated it. After a few long minutes I grabbed at the vines again, fingers feeling numb and tingly, and I kicked at the wall with my bare feet. Being weak is one thing, but being stubborn was another. I was determined.

"I will… defeat him…" I wheezed, reaching up and grasping tiredly at a rock jutting out. It crumbled and I had to go for one higher up, stretching my arm painfully. "Barrier… it will break…"

Naraku sent Kohaku and Kanna after me, and why? Because Anastasia wanted my soul for some god awful reason that still wasn't explained. He made them attack the villagers that were helping me, and if Kagome didn't crack the mirror and force the souls to be freed so many more would already be dead. They tried to help me and Naraku forced Kohaku to kill them because of that. He was awful.

He was more of a madman than anyone else in this place.

The air around me seemed to grow gentler, my body becoming lighter and moving a bit faster. It was almost as if it was giving me a boost, but I knew that couldn't be the case. It was so aggressive earlier. After what surely must have been an hour I reached the ledge I fell from, reuniting with Shizuno who watched as I fell onto my front, eyes closed and breath heavy. "You are not the most healthy person, are you?" She asked.

"I wonder what… gave you that idea?" I wheezed, the sarcasm dripping off my tongue. "I told you… sickly human… didn't I?"

She gave a small smile, almost amused by my weird ways. "You did. Will you be able to make it to the top? There is still quite a ways to go."

"Yeah, just… need to… rest a bit first. Is that okay… with you?"

Shizuno nodded. "Yes… we have all of eternity, after all. Time does not seem to pass in this place. I have seen many arrive here, yet… they never aged. It is rather concerning, but there is nothing we can do. I fear many years have already passed since I was first brought here."

Wait, what? Oh no. My eyes widened and I sat up, looking at her in alarm and ignoring the rapid pounding of my heart. "N-No way… no, no, no! We… We have to hurry! I-I can't-!" I can't be trapped here forever. I have to get that fruit as fast as possible. If Maria was still alive then I can't be left behind. "The mountain! W-We have to… to climb…!"

I stumbled over, dazed and desperate, grabbing at the roots and struggling to climb. Shizuno dashed over and caught me when I fell, startled when she felt the heat radiating from my body. "I-Irene! You are feverish!"

"M'fine." I mumbled. "Have to get… to Sango…"

She, Miroku, Shippō, and Kirara are all up there dealing with the air spirit alone.

"Don't wanna see 'em hurt…"

I'm so sleepy. I want to take a nap.

"Gotta beat Naraku… and his dumb barrier thing…"

"Rest first. We have time." She said softly, voice so soothing. Shizuno carefully moved me away from the wall, keeping her arms around my waist, setting me down on the ground beside her. My head fell against her chest and my eyes closed, giving in to the comfort she gave. A hug felt so nice right now… yet her body was so cold. Her fingers ran gently along my hair, fiddling with the short strands. "You are fighting so strongly right now, are you not? It must be hard…"

"S'not… just… hurts."

"Why do you want to fight this Naraku so bad?"

"He hurts… people." I told her quietly, finding myself being lulled to sleep by her gentle touch. "They… helped me a-and he… killed them."

"He did?"

I nodded, making a small noise of confirmation. "He had… Sango's younger brother… attack. H-He's controlled by him, so he can't… fight back. She's always crying when she… has to face him. I don't like it. She's so much better… when she's happy…"

"I see. So Naraku is the one to blame."

Yes. He made Kohaku hurt them. It was all that evil half-demon's fault that the villagers are dead. "Naraku… killed them…"

"If that is so… then you should be able to climb the mountain now."

"...What?" My eyes slowly opened and I blinked, turning my head to look tiredly at Shizuno.

Her features seemed to change as the wind around us blew stronger, her long black hair shifting into something shorter and more white in color. I yanked myself off of her lap, watching as her colorful kimono become a pale blue, a white cloth draped over her shoulders and wrapped around her arms. As I stumbled into an upright stance, standing and backing away slowly, her dark eyes became an icy blue, lips dark and almost purple in color. I hadn't seen her entire appearance before, but I was certain now as to why Shizuno looked so familiar.

"K-Kazumi?"

…

"Where did she go!?" Sango demanded, whirling around to try and locate where the air spirit disappeared to. They were just talking when the mist became stronger, the entire area around them being covered in fog. The demon slayer couldn't see five feet in front of her. "Miroku! Shippō!"

"Here!" The fox demon informed, about ten feet back.

"I'm over here!" The monk shouted somewhere from her left side, sweeping at the area around him with his staff. "I'd use my Wind Tunnel to suck in this mess, but I might anger the spirits further if I did and cost Irene her life! Sango, what should we do!?"

"I-I don't know!" For once the demon slayer was at a loss. There was no enemy to fight, no goddess to appease. Only a spirit set on challenging their friend to a test of truth. "I… never realized she felt so guilty for what had happened…" Sango said after a moment, looking down at the hiraikotsu in her hand, closing her eyes with a pained expression. "I was only focused on myself. Miroku, I…" She rested a hand over her face, ashamed. "I'm a terrible friend."

"No, Sango, don't blame yourself." The monk shook his head. "I, too, did not notice. I was believing us to finally be able to close the gap and become proper allies, and yet…"

"She's always blaming herself!" Shippō stated, frowning deeply. He appeared greatly bothered. "Irene has such a guilt-complex for some reason! I don't get it! She's always apologizing for every little thing, no matter how small it is! Inuyasha was always yelling at her for it!"

"I-I thought she was just shy." Sango admitted. "But… I guess there's more to it. What do you think, Miroku?"

"Anything could have caused it." He informed them, something unsettling forming in his stomach. The monk always had been unable to refuse helping a young woman in need and the one in trouble now was a friend. Yet how could they protect her if they didn't even know what was wrong? If they couldn't even reach her where she was now? Why did Irene feel the need to place the blame on herself? "I'm afraid we'll just have to ask and pray she will tell us when she returns."

"I hope so…"

…

"H-How did you-!?" I pointed at her, dumbfounded, then gestured to where the brunette used to be. "Sh-She was just- hah? Gah! Shapeshifter!"

I took several more steps back. The woman's expression became blank once more, resembling more of the air spirit I had met earlier. "She was nothing more than an illusion. I created her as a guide, just as I have done time-and-again for those who come up this mountain. A rare few have ever been able to accept their truth and continue forth up the mountain. They were always too trapped in their greed, their selfishness… and would never think twice about abandoning someone else if it meant reaching their own goal."

What is she saying? I don't understand. My head hurts so much from this; I was still so dazed.

Kazumi closed her eyes, opening them only when her purple lips tilted upwards into a smile. "You have passed my test, Irene. You have accepted that Naraku was the one to blame for the villagers deaths. The children did not die because of you. I have seen into your mind… I know what you saw. I know how you felt. With this test I was able to attune your heart and I have come to the decision that you are indeed worthy… of a Magatama fruit."

"But… I literally didn't do anything?" I don't get it. I'm too dizzy for all this. "I just climbed a mountain…"

The air spirit looked amused by this and went on to explain. "Though they scared you, you tried to approach those wandering souls and save them. When you saw the apparition I created… you tried to give her the courage to go on. Though… unorthodox in the way it was done… you remained strong for her for as long as you could. But you are only human- and one who is prone to illness cannot keep on for long." She glanced up at the mountain, icy eyes following the path up. "The wind will help you on your climb up the rest of the mountain. You need not fear falling; now that your mind is clear of guilt… the roots and rocks along the cliff will not break."

I'm still so confused, but alright. "Um, thank you…?"

"Do not thank me just yet." She warned. "If you so much as waver in your thoughts you will fall once more down to the bottom, and your soul will wander here for all eternity like the rest." Kazumi waved her arm and then she was gone, replaced by nothing but more fog.

My eyebrows raised and I shook my head incredulously, unable to believe the audacity some spirits could have. Like, seriously? Jeez. Crazy lady. She was so much nicer as Shizuno. At least she was giving me some advice… kind of. Was this all because I blamed myself for what happened with Kohaku?

That's what I'm getting from that conversation anyway. Ugh, I have such a migraine. I want to go home.

I need another hug.

I walked over and grabbed at the roots, hands shaking. They didn't feel as weak and numb as before, but they were bleeding. I had scraped them up quite badly during my climb. That strange feeling appeared again as I tried to move up the mountain, like the wind was giving me a boost. I supposed it actually was doing that, as it was helping me move a lot faster than before. I reached the next ledge in record time.

I tried not to think too much, focusing on the task at hand, determined not to fall below.

My heart wanted to waver, to believe that the children's deaths were my fault, that everyone who died should have blamed me, but… Shizuno's words stuck. They may have been protecting me, but it was by Naraku ordering Kohaku that they were killed. I had no control over the boy's actions. It was not my fault.

It was his.

The fog slowly cleared away the closer I got to the top and the people wandering around had vanished. I huffed and trembled, feet and hands scratched up and blistered, legs and arms sore. If not for the wind pushing me up- as if trying to say hurry up, stupid human like an irritable spirit- I would have collapsed long ago. I dragged myself up to the top ledge where I had been thrown off when I first met the guardian spirit Kazumi, struggling to push myself forward, and wound up clawing at the ground.

My poor fingertips were all bloody.

"I-Irene!?" I recognized that voice. I fell on the ground and rolled onto my back, wheezing and letting out a few coughs. I was so exhausted. "Oh, thank god! Miroku, Shippō, look!"

"Irene is back!"

"She passed the test!"

I could see the group dash over to me, Sango quickly kneeling by my side and helping me sit up. I began to tear up at the sight of her. Wasn't she mad at me? "Irene, you're burning up again! How badly did you stress yourself out!?" She asked, voice almost going into a sisterly scolding tone before relief crossed her face. "I'm so glad you're back…"

She surprised me by leaning down, wrapping her arms around me tightly."I should have paid more attention to your feelings. I'm so sorry."

"I-It's okay." I choked out, awkwardly hugging her with my arms so not to get blood on her armor. I'm such an idiot. They didn't hate me after all. "I-I'm fine. You're the one who was upset, so…"

"But so were you!" She pulled away, gripping my shoulders tightly with her hands. "All this time you've been festering hate and guilt inside of you- and for yourself no less! Ever since I've met you you've been apologizing left-and-right for things you had no control over! Irene, it's okay to be selfish! Not everything is your fault!"

I couldn't speak, too stunned by what was happening. This day was so dizzying. "I-I just… want to help." I finally got out, stuttering on my words. Her eyes were so intense; it felt like they were boring into my soul. "I-I can't do anything useful, so…"

"What do you mean by that?" Miroku demanded, stepping up. Kazumi was still nowhere in sight. "You've helped us countless times; we've told you before. Just who told you that you were useless? That made you believe you could guilt yourself for everything?"

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nocturne-inuyasha-ff · 5 years ago

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Chapter Eighteen: Atonement

Nocturne - Chapter Eighteen: Atonement

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

o - o - o - o - o

Her resolve was clear, and she knew what she had to do. 'Find them' was the obvious answer, but that led to its own set of obstacles. She'd no idea where to look, except to the west. Even young Rin did not know, stating that there was never one place they'd settled. Kagome chewed on her lip in thought. It would take resourcefulness on her part to locate them, and it was her stubbornness that had landed her in this position in the first place. Had she only allowed herself to be wanted and happy, but now was not the time to lament. Not when she had plans to make and a journey to be had.

Still, as Kagome sat with her friends, she allowed herself to relax a bit. They spoke for moments on topics that focused on happiness rather than the growing tension of the situation that would soon require discussion. The men were still banished outside, probably kicking rocks close to the house waiting to be allowed back in.

"So, Sango, do you know what's going on with Inuyasha and his new...um... friend?" Kagome asked, emphasizing the word. She really had no clue what the new arrival was to him and how he could become so close to someone who had just recently been an enemy. Kagome had difficulty wrapping her mind around it. Then again, it would be hypocritical of her to deny him this.

Sango shrugged, not thinking much of it. "It's hard to say. At first, when Inuyasha brought her here, he seemed more prone to ripping her heart out than anything. He was furious at her involvement in your capture, but once he realized that she was lost, frightened, and used, he eased up, even going so far as to protect her from Sesshomaru."

"He did, did he?" Kagome replied rhetorically. She looked away from her friends, thinking about this development. "Sesshomaru must not have been convinced that she was completely to blame. I can't fathom him, allowing even Inuyasha to get in his way if he felt crossed." Maybe this 'Shizuka' was a victim, too.

"That is likely so," Rin said. She held her hands in her lap and laced her fingers, looking elegant and wise beyond her years. "But, it does not seem that Inuyasha views Shizuka romantically. At least, not yet. He is enthralled with her, a creature just the same as him. Her existence, though, seems to have been much more turbulent than even Inuyasha's."

Kagome had not thought of it that way. "Hmm, I suppose you are right. He seems awfully protective of her." He'd been protective of her once, too. "It is good that he has someone that actually needs it."

Sango laughed, recognizing Kagome's dismissive attitude. "You are not indestructible, Kagome. And if I am not mistaken, you need help from time to time. Also, did Sesshomaru not protect you from the evils across the sea?"

"It is different," Kagome responded in a playful but defensive manner. "Inuyasha would suffocate me with his view of protection. Ever since I'd come back, he seemed afraid I would break, and it was stifling. That is how many of our disagreements started..."

"Then it is well that he now has a companion he can protect and will accept it without question," Sango repeated with a gentle smile.

"There is also the added benefit that he does not have to worry that she will disappear, nor does he need to worry that she will break. I can only imagine that she is resilient, being hanyou like him," Kagome rationed aloud. This relationship would be just what he needed to heal from their break. Hopefully, Shizuka could give him what he needed and deserved. She only wished him happiness, and it was likely he wanted the same for her.

A thunderous roar sounded overhead, the heralding of the downpour that was immediately unleashed on the earth. The heavy spill of droplets ricocheted off the ground and pelted the house in a deafening symphony. The suddenness of the downpour and thunder caused the women to jump.

"Was it supposed to rain?" Rin asked, smoothing her skirts.

Sango stood up and walked to peer out from the doorway. The pelting of rain caused the door curtain to become damp as the water splashed up after hitting the hard ground. In a matter of seconds, soaked people came running inside — Miroku with the children and Inuyasha with Shizuka.

Miroku flung his hands to air dry and ran a hand through his damp hair. The children all groaned to be brought in so suddenly from a trip playing with their father. "Awe, can't we stay out and play in the rain, Papa?" one of the girls whined.

Miroku passed his youngest child over to his mother. A strike of lightning was the answer causing the children to give varying shrieks of surprise. "That'll be a no," their father told them, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. "Unless you were looking for a new hairstyle, girls?" He ruffled the tops of the twins' heads and laughed.

They giggled and grabbed one another's hands to skip into the adjoining room away from the adults. Sango bounced her child on her hip who thought the motion was hilarious. His elder brother pouted near his father. "This is so boring, mama. You grown-ups will just talk, and there's nothing to do!"

"Nothing to do?" Sango parroted. "I find that hard to believe. If you are so bored, I can think of a list of things for you to…" she began.

"N-nevermind, I will go play with the girls, I guess." He made a look of disgust when talking about the older girls and sighed before heading after them.

Sango chuckled after him, but then her face turned grim. She looked down at her youngest and set her jaw. He looked up at her expectantly. "Mama, more!" he said, calling for her to continue bouncing him up.

"No, now you will go with your siblings into the other room while mama and papa talk."

"Awe," he cried out. Sango put him down and walked him to the other room where the sounds of giggles and protesting could be heard. He gave her a pleading look, "Mama, I miss you."

"Nice try. Get," Sango said with a smile and ushered the small child inside. Once she was satisfied he was out of earshot, Sango came and sat down near her friends. "We should speak of this matter that hangs in the air," she said.

Miroku nodded and went to sit next to his wife. "Yes, I agree."

Sango gave a level look to all present in the room. "I don't think any of us have truly grasped the gravity of what's been happening and the danger we are in."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh. That's fucking ridiculous. What danger could that be?"

Kagome looked over at him and shook her head. "It would seem the mess I've become involved in is much more tumultuous than we could have bargained for."

Miroku tried to ration aloud. He crossed his arms and pondered. "How so? It could not be any worse than what we've already endured." He was referring to Naraku, Kagome knew, their enemy of old and the one that originally brought them all together.

"It will be," Kagome whispered. The realization dawned on her of what she had unintentionally unleashed. Like Pandora's Box, all manner of hell would be unleashed upon them. The question was no longer if, but when.

Kagome explained to them what had happened and all that she knew, their faces growing concerned once she relayed what Sesshomaru had just concluded to her hours before. Taking their child likely had an ulterior meaning than to draw her to him, she found.

Sango's fists clenched into balls on her lap. "That would explain why he advised me to invite my brother and his new kinsmen here." She slammed her fist upon the ground, startling Kagome and Rin. "Now my children are in danger?" she asked desperately.

Miroku leaned over and grabbed Sango's shoulders. "Calm down, please, my love. The world is an ever-dangerous place, full of encroaching malevolent forces whether they be human or yokai," Miroku consoled. "We will deal with this matter as we do with any other." He paused before adding, "Tactfully."

Kagome felt immensely guilty, and this had been her fault somehow. "We will do what we must to ensure their safety. I will not let anything happen to any of you because of me."

"Fuck. We don't know a damn thing about any of this shit," Inuyasha growled. "I say we go over there, and I cut the fucker down with Tessaiga! I ain't afraid of him."

"Maybe you should be," Sango warned, gesturing to the woman beside him. "Do you think she is the only one of her kind, you fool?"

"Whadya mean?" He asked. He turned to look at Shizuka, who had her eyes glued to the ground. She looked mortified to have the attention on her.

Kagome moved to go closer to Shizuka. Perhaps asking her questions would help shed light on some things. As Kagome walked by the door, the flap parted, and the pelting rain sprayed inside for a brief moment. Kagome made a noise in protest and shielded her face.

A small, sopping wet creature burst in and scaled the closest person like a tree. That person happened to be Kagome, and she shrieked aloud. Tiny claws stuck through her clothes as it worked it's way up her body, and Kagome stiffened with fear.

Inuyasha bolted up and plucked the pitiful creature off from Kagome's back, where it clung in fear. He held it by the scruff of its neck and raised it aloft in the air. "What the?"

Kagome turned to see what had bolted into the house so suddenly and was surprised to see Inuyasha holding what looked to be the most adorable kitten ever. "Is that? Kirara?" Kagome asked in confusion. The small creature looked like Sangos yokai companion but somewhat different. It did not have the same markings as Kirara, looking to be a completely solid cream color with only a black blaze that started at its nose, ran up its forehead and tapered off behind the ears.

Sango and Miroku had bolted up as well to investigate the intrusion. Sango eyed the small thing. "No, it's not. It's only got one tail and the markings are much different."

"It does look like Kirara though, doesn't it?" Rin asked. "It must be a nekomata. What's it doing here?"

As if answering her question, Kohaku burst inside. He panted and once he saw the nekomata contained, he put his hands on his knees and took deep breaths. Rainwater dripped from his hair and clothes to puddle on the floor. "Sorry, sister. I couldn't catch the little bugger."

Inuyasha flung the tiny nekomata to Kohaku. "I take it this thing belongs to you."

Kohaku grabbed it, but the nekomata began to squirm out of his grasp. "No, not really. I've just been taking care of him."

The nekomata gave Kohaku a good swipe and clawed his way free. It jumped to the ground and looked desperately around for a way to escape.

Kagome reached down and scooped it up, pulling it close to her body.

"You idiot, now it's gonna scratch you up, too!" Inuyasha warned.

Kagome gently stroked the creature in a soothing motion, making sure to hold it close. "Of course, you know nothing about cats. He's petrified, the poor thing. Where did he come from?"

Kohaku glared at the nekomata. "He's from Kirara's litter. He's the runt, and I've been trying to take care of him while the other littermates have already moved on. This one, though…"

Sango smiled a bit, "Kirara had a litter? I'm so sad I wasn't around to meet them. I haven't even seen her much since you'd come. Why didn't you tell me about this one?"

"Honestly, after we moved to the village, I thought that this little guy had finally decided to go out on his own. He disappeared right before we'd arrived. It wasn't until the storm hit just a bit ago that I found him scavenging through my things looking for food."

"That is so unusual for a nekomata," Sango commented. She took a closer look at the quivering thing that Kagome still held to her chest. "It looks so much smaller than Kirara ever did. Is it supposed to be fully grown?"

Kohaku scratched his head and shrugged. "As I said, he was the runt. Yokai mature faster than typical animals. Kirara had the litter and weaned them before I'd even known she was gone. This little guy followed her around, and that's how I found him."

"Wow. Is it that quick? Does she not have a mate then?" Rin asked. "How romantic!"

Kohaku gave a nervous chuckle. "Actually, that is not how it works for...umm...the nekomata." He seemed hesitant to tell her. "They kill the males after mating," he cleared his throat as if trying to dislodge the discomfort of the situation.

Rin put a hand to her mouth in disbelief and giggled uncharacteristically. "Oh, my!"

Kagome looked down at the little Neko, which had finally begun to quit shaking. "How bizarre," she mentioned.

"Most yokai are," Kohaku replied while staring at Rin.

"What's going to happen with him now?" Kagome asked. "Should we return him to Kirara?"

"No, she won't take him now. At best she would ignore him and at worst she would eat him," he advised. "She hasn't been thrilled that I've been caring for him. She much prefers the attention for herself."

"Well, if that's the case, I'll look after him," Kagome volunteered.

"But Kagome, aren't you planning on leaving?" Rin asked innocently.

"Leaving?" Inuyasha barked. "You just got here!"

"How very astute of you," Miroku said with a roll of his eyes. "But, you may also understand that Kagome would want to be reunited with her child."

Inuyasha looked a little sullen but closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Yeah. Makes sense, I guess."

"But that does bring a question to mind, what are you expecting to do with the creature if you are, in fact, leaving?" Miroku asked.

"I could use a traveling companion," she said. The last time she had set out on her own, she'd not had the best outcome. "Plus, he may keep me out of trouble."

"Kagome, I could go with you?" Rin suggested. She smiled at her friend. "I feel like a burden to Miroku and Sango anyway."

Sango gave a mild scoff, "You have never been a burden Rin. You have been a welcome addition, and your way with the children is irreplaceable."

Kagome looked at Rin, moving to sit back down next to her young friend. The young woman had grown so much. It was surreal to think that she had first met her as a child. In this day and age, it would be expected for Rin to marry and settle down. The idea was unnatural for Kagome, but she accepted that it was the norm for the period. Plus, Miroku and Sango would never force Rin into anything she did not want.

She passed the small nekomata over to Rin, who laughed at the kitten-like yokai as it settled in her lap, happy to be warm and petted. Kagome had caught the glanced passed between Rin and Kohaku. Maybe everyone else was ignorant of the growing attraction between the two, or they had chosen not to embarrass the pair by calling it out. Either way, Kagome had no plans to pull Rin from the place she'd called home for the past few years, even if she'd selflessly volunteered.

"Thank you, Rin, but no, that won't be necessary. I will be okay on my own this time," she assured.

Inuyasha looked at her from the corner of his eyes. Something in him softened. "I don't think it's a good idea. We all remember what happened the last time you took off, and if they don't, then I surely do."

"I'm not going looking for any more witches, Inuyasha, but thanks for your concern," Kagome answered with grit. She hadn't been looking for trouble then either, but it had found her nonetheless. Careless is what she had been, and this time things would be different.

"Brother, come sit by the hearth and dry yourself unless you must leave right away?" Sango asked.

Kohaku looked around, "Are the children near?" worry evident in his voice.

Miroku donned a look of mild annoyance. "This is their house. Where else would they be?"

"I-uh just thought…" he prattled, running a hand through his hair.

"Do not give him a hard time, Miroku. You know he is uncomfortable in their presence."

"It's been years," he mumbled, clearly not convinced of his brother in law's dislike of their children.

Sango waved her husband off, "We were discussing the circumstances behind your move to the village, brother."

"Ah, yes," he replied. With his attention now focused elsewhere, he looked determined.

His sister filled him in on what he had been absent for, and Kohaku nodded grimly, his lips set into a hard line. Once Sango had finished, Kagome asked, "Have either of you ever heard of the DaiOzuko? That is the clan of yokai that I seem to have set off."

Both siblings shook their heads in response. "While there have always been tales of the Yaoguai and we are versed in the tales, neither of us had ever seen one until recently," Sango said, referring to the Zhen bird that had taken Kagome.

"It would seem that Yaoguai and Yokai alike share similar ancestry. It would not even surprise me to learn that Inuyasha's father hailed from across the sea," Miroku observed.

Inuyasha scoffed, "Pfft. Yeah right. I would know."

Kagome looked over at him, and he seemed smugly sure of himself. Now was not the time to argue with him, and there was no way to know the truth. She sighed and reached over to pluck the small nekomata from Rin's lap. The tiny creature began to shake again; this time, she thought it was purring.

"I will make sure to bring back news," Kagome told them. "I'll be leaving tomorrow after the storm passes."

Rin grabbed her arm, "So soon?"

"Yes, waiting is only misery."

"Keh. Well, I'm sorry that we are making things so miserable for you," Inuyasha said.

Kagome wished she'd had something to throw at him. Even if she had, it would be highly inappropriate, so she settled with a glare. His insensitive remarks were just one of the things that had led them to where they were now. Maybe in another 30 years, Inuyasha would be the mature man that Kagome had needed. Of course, that would have been 30 years too late.

It was a pity that Kagome had not recognized the immaturity sooner, but how could she when she had been immature herself. She had grown in her time here, but Inuyasha had not. Kagome recalled from a book read back in the future that said men's brains did not fully mature until they were 25. During the years she'd spent with Inuyasha, he'd never seemed to have gotten past the teenage years. Yokai, even half-yokai, seemed to have very odd aging mechanisms.

"I think I am going to call it a night," Kagome announced.

"But Kagome, it's still pouring," Rin said with concern. The others voiced concern as well, but Kagome waved them off.

"We haven't even discussed what to do," Inuyasha complained.

"The storm is passing, and now it is just a little rain," she told them, dismissing their concerns. "I'll be fine. I won't melt." Kagome rose and moved to the door, moving the little nekomata under her hakui to protect it from the rain. She nodded to her friends. "Nothing is going to happen right away. We have time to prepare and that is what I am going to do. I have to go to them first."

She didn't need to tell anyone who 'them' was. Everyone knew, and it was unlikely they would stop her from leaving. After all, her friends had advocated for her to find her happiness. She just hoped like hell that this would be it.

Kagome sucked in a breath when the rain began to pelt down on her. It would soak through her clothes soon, even though the rain had dissipated somewhat after the storm moved further and further away. The little nekomata squirmed inside her hakui, mewing his distaste at being taken outside where the wetness was. At least he was dry for the moment. He was a subtle reminder of what she was missing...

o - o - o - o - o

The gods of weather smiled down on Kagome the next day. The storm had ushered in a bout of sunny and mild weather. This weather would do well on her journey to find him.

She'd gathered supplies necessary for her trip and set off on foot with the little nekomata riding on her shoulder. The tiny yokai seemed to have taken to her quite well. Honestly, as soon as she'd fed it some dried meat she'd had leftover at her house, it had become smitten with her, continually mewing and rubbing on her leg in the hope of more.

The little scavenger, she'd thought and pondered on a name for him. Kohaku hadn't mentioned a name, so he must not have one. She listed a few aloud while she prepared for her journey, all to be snubbed by her tiny new friend. "How about Rei, you feisty little thing?" He mewed happily at the name, and it was settled. Rei, it was.

Days past as they headed west. Kagome had no idea where she was supposed to go except for a general sense of the direction. She knew that she would begin the day with the sun traveling at their backs and end with the trees pulling the sun back down for the night's rest.

On the third day, Kagome sighed deeply. She seemed to be getting nowhere fast. Rei walked happily beside her, only too happy for the food she would give him. She stopped and kneeled beside him. "So, do you think you can help me out here?" She asked him.

Rei cocked his little head to the side confused by Kagome's words. Kagome scratched behind his ear and his red eyes closed with pleasure. "Look, I've seen your mother transform into a larger form. What do you say, buddy? Care to give me a lift for a bit?"

The nekomata seemed to ponder her request and ran a few feet away. He stood there for a moment, looking uncertain. Perhaps he was unable to transform unless he had two tails like his mother, Kirara. That made sense, she thought.

Kagome called him back, "Don't hurt yourself, little one. You'll get there. Sometimes it just takes longer for others."

Rei bobbed his head as if he understood, which was probable. Kirara always exhibited the ability to understand them, so it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that Rei could as well.

They continued onwards, journeying westward. As they walked, Kagome could help but be reminded of a story that somewhat resembled her own.

It was a fairytale about a king who had fallen in love with a princess from another land. However, the king had been cursed by a witch to resemble a giant, white beast during the day only to return to his true form at night. To break the curse, a woman must marry him but never lay eyes upon his real face for three years lest the king be forced to go and marry the witch.

The king had chosen well because his young bride was beautiful and pure, never to betray anyone, and she had fallen in love with him despite his beastly appearance. Never once did she try to see his face when he came to her at night because he had made her promise not to do so. They were both faithful to their word. In his human form, he arrived at night and left in the morning before she awoke.

Life was well and good for the princess and the king and it was not long before the princess learned of a child in her belly. However, after the baby had been born the king took the child and disappeared with her. This happened twice more, year after year, always on the third day after the baby had been born.

The princess was devastated and lonely, her days spent in a grand castle without her children or her love. When the king would visit her at night, he would soothe her tears and tell her to be patient and that all would be well soon. But after hearing those same words for three years was she was not consoled. Instead, she begged to visit her mother, whom she missed terribly. The king knew his bride was miserable and allowed it.

The princess told her mother of her woes and how she did not even know what her husband looked like. The queen joked that he must be terribly ugly or terribly handsome to hide his face. Her mother advised she wait for the king to fall asleep and look upon his face with the subtle light of a candle so as not to wake him.

After the princess returned home, many months passed until curiosity finally won her over. She smuggled a candle into their bedchamber, which he had forbidden, and waited for her husband to fall asleep. Once the princess heard the gentle snores of sleep, she slipped from the bed and lit the candle to creep over to where her husband lay.

She held the candle over his face, swathing him in the soft glow of light. Her breath caught in her chest. He was beautiful. Breathtakingly so.

The princess felt ashamed for breaking her promise never to look upon his face and made to move away, but the tallow from the candle dripped on his brow, waking him from his slumber.

He grabbed her wrist angrily and shook her in a rage, yelling that had she just waited one more month, his curse would have been broken, and they could have lived happily together. He now had to leave and marry the witch that had cursed him in the first place. After that, he magically disappeared from her sight, leaving her truly alone.

The princess was at first distraught, and then after she had decided not to wallow in self-pity, she picked her self up and resolved to journey out and find her king and take him back, no matter the cost.

Kagome chuckled to herself as she recalled the tale. There were obvious parallels to her situation. Sesshomaru had taken her daughter, and now she was on a self-redeeming quest to get them both back. She only hoped her tale had a happy ending.

o - o - o - o - o

The pain of his injuries was nothing compared to the humiliation he felt. The wounds had healed as well as they could, given the circumstances behind them, but he would be left with a deformity to his face. Such was the nature of spiritual injuries like the one he had taken.

Fan sulked for days on end in one of the undamaged rooms of his sprawling palace, never leaving for any purpose. Food and other amenities were routinely brought to the room but largely ignored by the room's occupant.

He'd underestimated the power of the Nippon miko greatly and was left with a permanent reminder of his arrogance. Fan had taken a full blast of unadulterated spiritual energy that had meant to purify all that he was, an attempt to erase his yoki from existence and snuff him out completely. He'd thought he could take that energy and redirect it, or at the very least absorb it as he had done before with other shrine maidens similar to her. Never in his many years had Fan encountered an individual with spiritual powers so great. Granted, he had never had cause to seek a being with such powers out, nor they him.

Now Fan felt an insurmountable urge to extinguish those who held such power for the threat it would cause to his kind. Should the mortals feel inclined to rise against the yokai, even those as powerful as Fan, they would be a burdensome foe.

A knock at his door was left ignored, as he had any time someone came to call upon him. The door slid open, and his sister, Tsering, approached carefully. He'd never once struck out at his dear sister, yet she always tiptoed around him like a mortal walking on the frozen layer of a lake, cautious not to step on the thin parts that would send them plummeting to their doom. Like the lake of ice, Fan's mood was just as unpredictable. He currently felt a wave of sullen anger that had not bubbled over into his actions just yet. It would not be long, though, until the anger would begin to fester.

"Brother?" Tsering called out tentatively.

She'd visited multiple times since the incident and had been the one to find him in the wreckage, always sitting with him in silence until she inevitably left. Today was the first day that she had broken the silence, and the sound of her voice made him cringe inwardly. The thought of placing his hands around her throat and squeezing until the senses had been suffocated from his loving sister passed through him. He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that their life forces were not as inexorably linked as he had initially assumed. There has always been a doubt in his mind that his frail twin could not be spiritually joined in that sense. No, that had been but a tale his unfortunate parents had likely fed to him when he was susceptible to such fantasies. Their ploy had worked for his sister, but not for them. Now he knew that it, too, was a lie.

His eyes burned with a fury that stopped Tsering dead in her tracks. The look he gave her caused her words to dry up in her mouth. Good, he thought. She seemed to reconsider and leave, but something urged her forward with tentative steps.

"Th-the elders have called on you," she stammered. Her eyes flitted around the room like a nervous animal, gauging any route of escape should escape become necessary.

Fan stood and smiled at his sister. "Beloved sister, of course, they have. They want to know what brought the strongest of them low."

Tsering could be seen visibly swallowing her nerves, attempting to smooth her hair in an attempt to seem composed. "There's no way you could have known brother," she whispered.

"You're right," he said with a wistful sigh. He looked at her, sweetly, "Because you did not tell me."

Her face was usually pale, as was a common sign of beauty, but now the blood drained from her face giving her the look of a corpse that had not realized its death. "I-I-I," she stuttered.

Fan walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Lovely sister, you tremble? Why?"

The words seemed to be caught in her throat, and she blinked several times. "She was a mortal and beneath my notice. How was I to know she held such power? I'd only ever seen her briefly once," she attempted to say with haughtiness.

"Hnn," he grunted and released his grip, strolling to a window. He looked out to see the ruins of the castle beyond. This was the first time he had moved to look outside since the incident several days ago. Now seemed an opportune time to plan. Now was the time to let go of his humiliation and plot out revenge on the human woman and her lover.

He would make them suffer, yes, that he would do, and he would relish in their misery. And he would undoubtedly enjoy it for a long, long time. Rarely had he taken such an intimate involvement in any plots, but this grievous act of aggression could not be ignored or treated in an offhand manner. He would need to oversee the details personally and expediently. Time was not on his side, and Fan could not allow his usual method of patient and tactful maneuvering that usually required centuries for the pieces to fall into place to assuage him into inaction.

Fan smiled to himself as the gears spun in his head, and he noticed that his sister was still in the room, waiting for a reply to her earlier comment. "You're still here?" he voiced aloud.

In a brazen moment, Tsering responded, "You never gave an answer to the elder's summons."

Fan gritted his teeth. Those withered old bastards would demand a reply, and he knew that Tsering had an internal debate on who she was more afraid of. It would seem she held more trust in her brother than the elders. He did not know why he had tolerated their rule for so long anyway. It was likely because they had given him free rein and never once questioned his actions. Now they called him like a pup to heel. Perhaps the elders could use some reminding of who was truly in charge.

"Of course, I shall come. I must answer for this mess, shouldn't I?" he said with a smile.

Tsering's mouth fell slightly agape as she stared at her brother. Fan's smile had become even more sinister. Now, after the miko's attack, he was left with a permanent smirk that scarred the left side of his face. The skin had been burned away, leaving muscle and fangs permanently exposed. Even his eye, which he had regained some sight out of, was mangled and mottled looking to be glazed over. He knew how frightening his countenance now appeared. The spiritual blast had rendered his healing yoki inert where the concentrated power had hit. His face would now always appear scarred.

Had the elders learned of this? Is that why they would call on Fan? Were they upset that one of their infamous members had been dealt a devastating blow that showcased their mortality? The elders, unlike Fan, preferred to hide in obscurity and leave their younger clan members to do all of the dirty work.

Fan could see his reflection shining in one of the rare mirrors hanging in his room. No one had thought to remove it before bringing him here, and he had not taken the opportunity to explore his new deformity.

When Tsering noticed the mirror, she sighed. "I can have it removed if you wish, brother," she offered.

He stepped closer and touched his scarred face. "Hmph." He considered his reflection. It was quite jarring to behold. He rather liked it. "That will not be necessary."

Tsering's brows wavered with uncertainty. "I will advise the elders," she replied and left without another word.

"Tsering…" his words stopped her in her tracks, but she did not turn around. "It seems prudent to ready my brood." She gave a quick duck of her head to signal her assent and quickly left.

With his sister gone, Fan continued to stare into the mirror. It was not the same as the mirror he had used for the miko, where only one side showed a reflection. This mirror was not hiding anything beyond. Fan reached up to his reflection and took a finger, pressing his claw to the glass and drug it down to create an ear-splitting sound. He did this for several seconds, curving up and down until he was satisfied with the outcome.

Fan chuckled at the image. "Oh, what fun I shall have."

o - o - o - o - o

#Nocturne #Chapter Eighteen #Sesshomaru #Kagome #Sesskag #Sesshome #Almost done?#Maybe #Keep Reading Please #Fanfic

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muthaz-rapapa · 4 years ago

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Sekai Seifuku Sakusen Wishlist

Hello people~

Say, does anyone still remember that figure line by Megahouse *retches* ?

Well, it was a short-lived series focused on, as the name (“World Uniform Operation”) suggests, showcasing female characters in their school uniforms.

To my knowledge, all of them were released as 1/10 scaled (eww). And the Precure seasons that had the privilege of getting figures...

Were Futari Wa, Fresh and Heartcatch.

Sailor Moon got theirs as well (the Inner Senshi + Naru) but they were very meh, imo. You were better off getting a more dynamic-looking prize figure at a significantly lesser cost.

Anyways, back to Precure. Not surprised about these three given their seasons’ popularity up to that point. But a shame because as of 2016, there hasn’t been announcement of any new figures. Which basically means, this line didn’t do well. Didn’t do well = the project is more or less cancelled.

On one hand, I’m sorta glad cuz the prices on these figures were ludicrous, especially when made at that scale and with Megahouse’s poor quality track record (I don’t even want to go into all that limited exclusivity bullshit). I bought Tsubomi and Itsuki and they seemed pretty alright. Still too much for a scale with such a simple design, though.

Then on the other, I can’t help but whine to myself a little cuz this is such a great concept. We rarely get merchandise of the Cures in their civilian forms and if they have there Cure alter-egos to go with them, it would be an awesome display on a collector’s shelf.

*SIGH* ...oh well.

That said...if there was a continuation for this series, then here’s my wishlist of the seasons + uniforms I want the most to least:

1) MahoPre - Nobody should be surprised that this is my first pick. MahoPre will always have a very deep, very special place in my heart and as far as uniforms go, the Magic Academy one is indeed my top favorite in all of Precure.

Because duh, it’s for magic school, not regular school, so the design had to match with that idea in mind. And it turned out so charming, didn’t it? I love the magenta/pink color scheme, the plaid bow, the mini sewn-on cape.

Definitely would want the witch hats and wands with them as well. Maybe even the brooms if someone’s feeling generous, enough? hehe :)

Dude, I should just open up my own figure company and make these myself.

2) Go!Pri - I wasn’t a fan of overalls growing up but my opinion of them has shifted to a more positive one recently thanks to seeing the latest fashion trends and Precure’s influence on me.

Really, the character designers draw the girls so cute in overall dresses that I can’t help but think it as well!

Anyways, it seems I have a penchant for academy uniforms or something. There’s a combination of cuteness and sophistication there that I find difficult to resist. Also, the purple undershirt is very fitting since they attend Royal Academy. Wish my school uniform was that nice-looking but alas, I didn’t go to an academy in the Precure world. :P

Anyways, I wouldn’t get all the girls from Go!Pri. Just Kirara and Towa who are my forever favorites. <3

I’ve also seen someone’s fanart of them as a pair (and Haruka + Minami as another pair) based on the Sekai Seifuku Sakusen concept so you can imagine the huge disappointment I felt when I knew Megahouse would never get to this season. *sobbing*

3) KiraPre - As I said in another post, I’m not collecting KiraPre merchandise but the KiraPati uniform is to die for.

I know this breaks the trend of the line needing to be in “school uniforms” but KiraPre’s school uniforms aren’t anything to write home about. These, however, are much more adorable and therefore, more marketable. ;)

4) StarPre - SERAFUKU BISHOUJO SENSHI

For sure, since they both have space themes, it was only appropriate for StarPre to pay homage to Sailor Moon with having the Star girls wear serafuku.

I like the simplicity of it as well. Hehe~ ^^

And whether I would want everyone or not...it really depends on what kind of poses they’re in and if they can complement each other well.

Also, I suppose since Yuni never went to school, she’d just have a figure in her normal Blue Cat outfit which is fine, too.

5) SuitePre - Mm, yes, this one I’ve been waiting the longest for, despite the seasons listed before it on this list.

I wouldn’t say Suite’s uniform is the most unique but I do love the contrast of the overall cyan color with the magenta contours and bow. It’s a shade I don’t think I’ll ever see on another school uniform and even so, it’ll probably be hard to pull off nicely.

Suite managed to do it and I’m sure we can find tons of references to give the girls the perfect pose. So yea, I’d definitely consider the whole set as well if everyone can get a great sculpt and paint job.

As for Ako, she doesn’t have a school uniform so we can just put her in the same group as Aguri and Emiru and call it the Pipsqueak Elementary Squad.

6) HealPre - I love this uniform immensely for how neat and snug it looks. Not to mention, the dark green just makes it look very comfortable to wear overall. I know, maybe it’s just me being weird but it gives off a very calming effect.

And as Precure allows for more variations in clothing and accessories among the main cast, it would make for more interesting figures as well. Then you wouldn’t feel like you’re getting the same figure with only different heads and poses.

...and socks.

Would definitely love to have Nodoka.

7) Hugtto - Pretty much the same reasoning as HealPre’s above.

In all honesty, there’s nothing that special about this uniform so the fact that the Hugtto girls could wear something of their own choice over it really brings out their characters more that way.

8) SmilePre - Also like Heal and Hugtto above but to a lesser extent, I guess.

Still, Smile is quite favored among Precure seasons so I’d think they sell well regardless.

This uniform isn’t half bad either. I’m not sure why because there’s not that huge of a resemblance but looking at their shoulders kinda reminds me of a military officer’s uniform, especially from the back. Just a little bit.

My pick would definitely be Reika in this pose specifically.

9) Splash Star - Let’s say for the record that I like all the Precure school uniforms (or just uniforms in general). So Splash Star should actually rank higher (around where Suite is) given its more unique design.

Hardly anyone else employs brown or plaid so this combination along with the sailor collar over the blazer (?)... I just think it makes Saki and Mai look very endearing. Hmm, yes, I approve! :D

However, this is a season I’m not familiar with so my demand for it is less than the others. But I do think they deserve to get their figures first. What with being the second Precure installment and all. shouldn’t that count for something?

10) Yes! 5 - Oh, I do love the Yes!5 girls.

But...they suffer from lack of variation the most out of all the other teams. Seriously, even in one set of of their casual clothes, they all own the same shirt albeit in their different, respective theme colors.

It’s...weird. But less so on a school uniform, I guess.

Anyways, pose and sculpt would be the trick here. Even though Yes! 5 does have its fair share of fans, with how old and poorly received both their seasons are, you’d be hardpressed to find a lot of collectors willing to shell out for figures of them. So there would have to be more effort in making them look exceptional to draw a crowd.

11) DokiPre - It’s hard to find everyone wearing their uniforms in the same shot and frankly, I think I can count all the times I’ve seen Alice wearing her own uniform (it’s this) on one hand??

I mean, does Alice even go to school with all the private tutelage she probably receives or is it just a formality? ...I dunno.

Whatever. I think this uniform looks nice and the girls look nice but it’s not as eye-catching than if they were to wear their casual clothes.

12) HaCha - Feel bad for putting this last because it certainly isn’t the worst of ‘em (none of them are) and I do quite like it (because there’s red and I like red).

It’s just...hmm, I dunno. I guess it’s because the top’s buttons sorta makes me think of a chef suit. It doesn’t bother me or anything but... it’s just the first thing I think of when I see it. ( ^ ^ ;)

*sigh* With how HaCha’s being treated in S.H. Figuarts department and its polarizing reception in the fandom in general, I doubt this would be a priority on many people’s wishlists. Still, it would be wonderful to see HaCha get even some love, y’know?

~~~~~

Yea.

My dreams aren’t that big but they’re long alright. :3

#precure #merchandise #collection ramblings

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moongoddesslee · 5 years ago

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At Last (Inu Secret Santa Gift)

Title: At Last

Pairing: Inu/Kag

Word count: 1,761

For: @inusecretsanta 2019.

I'm not sure who my giftee is yet but I hope you enjoy both the drawing and little story to go with it. This was fun to draw and write. Sorry if there's a bit of ooc bits, it's how I typically write o.o.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The battle had been tiring and endless for days now. In the beginning, everyone was optimistic and full of confidence. But now out on the battlefield with the smoke clearing and the fires dying down.

Kagome wasn't sure how much more she could handle. She was sitting under some debris. Tired, injured, and thinking she was going to die soon; she just closed her eyes trying to get her bearings.

Coughing Kagome came out of her musings and tried to move and groaned as the pain hit her full force. Her leg was trapped under a rotting log. She hoped it wasn't broken but knowing her luck it was.

Sighing she took a few shallow breathes and tried to keep from coughing. The smoke had cleared some but not enough to allow her to take in as much oxygen as she wanted. Looking around she squinted her eyes and tried to catch the red of Inuyasha fire rat robe.

The last she had seen him he was back to back with his brother chopping off tentacle after tentacle that Naraku sent at them. Miroku had been standing over an injured Sango.

Before the rotten tree had fallen on her, Kagome had hollered at everyone and shot off a few purification arrows. Trying to help as much as possible but staying out of the way.

Closing her eyes again she tried to calm herself. A few moments went by and she looked around again. There was no noise, no fighting, bickering, just nothing.

Panic began to sink in. Kagome hoped she was wrong in thinking that everybody might be dead. Feeling trapped even more now she started to wiggle and drag herself backward.

Trying to free her leg from beneath the log. Minutes went by as she just kept trying. She felt her energy slowly leaving her body the longer she struggled.

Finally, she gasped as her leg popped free and she fell back on to the ground. Laying there for a moment she took a few quick breaths. Sitting up she got up onto her knees and winced as pain rippled through her right ankle. Kagome groaned in exasperation, at least it wasn't broken.

Grabbing a branch off of the tree to use as a makeshift cane she got up on her feet and started shuffling through the smoke aimlessly.

Kagome couldn't help the gagging feeling she'd get every time she would step in guts. She knew it couldn't be helped, but still, not everyone likes to have guts squeezing inbetween their toes. Moving along she kept her fingers crossed hoping none of the others were too injured.

If they were, well, Kagome was sure they were probably dead by now. Knowing Naraku, if he had won none of her family would be alive. She held back tears and kept limping along.

Sometime later she heard panting and the swish of a sword. She squeaked and dropped to the ground fast. Hoping the sword wasn't aimed at her. Then she heard the sword hit and slide into the earth and felt someone's breath on her cheek. Looking up her eyes went wide seeing Sesshomaru.

At that moment Sesshomaru looked so much like his brother. She had never seen this many emotions flitting across his face.

It seemed like something had rattled him so thoroughly that he was withdrawn into himself.

Taking a deep breath Kagome sat up and reached a hand out and cupped Sesshomaru's cheek. Regardless of the warning of possible limb loss comments a long time ago from Inuyasha. It seemed like he needed something to ground him back into the present. He seemed like he was so lost in that moment.

Slowly she watched as his eyes became less glazed. She moved her hand back to her "cane" as Sesshomaru composed himself. He was still kneeling on the ground by her. It was so out of character for him but Kagome knew there was more to Sesshomaru than just his cold stares. She shivered as he looked her over. Nodding his head he stood and waited for her to get up.

Standing she clutched her makeshift cane and hobbled up beside him. "Sesshomaru-sama, I'm sorry for touching you, I only meant to help. Though have you seen any of the others? I've been searching for all of you for a long time."

"Hn." It was the only reply he gave before he started walking. Though he could be pissed off she took it as a thank you and a yes. She sighed and followed him at a distance not wanting to get skewered on his sword.

She watched him as he effortlessly dispatched of the few remaining demons from Naraku's hordes. Kagome had a niggling feeling that Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku might be nearby, hopefully alive.

She gasped as she bumped into the back of Sesshomaru. She looked up at him as he stood there looking back at her over his shoulder. Coming around him she gasped and dropped the branch and ran to Inuyasha's side.

Falling to her knees beside him she looked him over. He had blood splattered all over him. She couldn't tell if it was his or not right then. It didn't help when every time he seemed to move just a little he'd groan in pain. Kagome started to panic when she heard Inuyasha chuckle and he sat up.

Shaking his head at her he smirked, "You know it takes more than these few small bruises to knock me down."

Kagome started tearing up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Inuyasha winced and caught himself with his left hand on the ground. He wrapped his right arm around her and closed his eyes taking in her scent.

Too soon in his opinion, Kagome pulled away from him. She couldn't put her finger on it but it felt like someone was lurking in the shadows, watching them. Miroku and Sango were nearby being held up by Kirara. Shakily she looked around and spotted her bow and a couple of still intact arrows.

As quick as she could Kagome gathered her bow and arrows up. Quickly she readied herself and turned in slow circles sweeping the area. Her whole body engulfed in a blinding pink light. She shot a hesitant glance at her companions. Inuyasha was standing once again and both him and Sesshomaru had their swords drawn.

Then as if in slow motion, Kagome turned to where her back had just been facing. She could hear the others hollering her name. Her eyes widened and she drew her bow taut and closed her eyes for a brief second. Hoping to herself that she wouldn't miss her mark. Opening her eyes quickly, Kagome aimed and waited patiently.

Naraku was heading straight for her. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru darted forward towards Naraku. At the last second just as Naraku's hands were about to touch her, Kagome let her arrow fly. It engulfed the area in a blinding pink-white light as the arrow sunk into the bastard's chest.

Kagome yelped as she felt a hand on her shoulders. Inuyasha had turned her around and covered her body with his. The last Kagome saw as the light surrounded them was Sesshomaru kneeling on the ground covering his eyes and Naraku thudding to the ground screaming in pain.

Everything was silent as the light dissipated from the clearing. All that Kagome could hear was the beating of Inuyasha's heart. Feeling him move, Kagome looked up and surveyed the area. Naraku was no longer on the ground and nowhere in sight. None of the bodies from the slain demons were there anymore. It was as if no battle had even occurred.

Kagome watched as Inuyasha stood and offered her a hand up. She took his hand and laughed as he pulled her up off the ground and caught her. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru as he walked away. She grinned as he stopped at the sound of Rin's voice yelling his name. Kagome's eyes softened as she noticed the smile in his eyes as he darted off in the direction Rin was in.

Shaking her head, Kagome turned her attention back to Inuyasha and blushed. He was still holding her up with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Leaning down Kagome blushed even brighter while kissing him square on the lips. At first, Inuyasha didn't move, he was in shock for only a moment before he deepened the kiss. Gasping Kagome put as much enthusiasm as he did into the kiss.

It was soft and sweet but passionate and quick at the same time. She thought that it was about time he actually kisses her.

They both broke from the kiss panting heavily to take in some much-needed oxygen. Kagome leaned her forehead against his and smiled shyly.

"This ain't no time to be getting shy wench," Inuyasha whispered as he rubbed his nose against hers. "What was that kiss for?" He raised his eyebrows as he stared into her eyes.

Kagome sat back in his arms a little and grinned seeing the slight blush on his cheeks. Giggling she winked at him blushing an even brighter red. "Because..."

His ears were perked and aimed directly at her. She pecked his lips again and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head as he returned her hug. He buried his face into her neck taking in her scent.

"Kagome..." "Inuyasha..." They both laughed and sighed happily.

"I just wanted to say, I love you." Kagome hid her face against his neck. Inuyasha blushed and nudged her face up towards his.

"I love you too," Inuyasha muttered as he kissed her again while setting her on her feet. Kagome walked over to where Naraku's body had been, leaning down she picked up the Shikon Jewel. Taking Inuyasha's hand they started to walk out of the clearing. Miroku and Sango following behind them on Kirara's back.

As they all left there was a soft melodious laugh that filled the area. Then a soft blue light flickered out and disappeared just as quick as it came. It seemed the gods were keeping an 'eye' on them.

And as the tales say, they all went on to live happy, full, and exciting lives. Even with a few unwanted but happy curveballs thrown in by the mischievous gods.

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starlight-ascension · 5 years ago

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What Your Fave Character Says About You: GoPri

Haruka: You love the aesthetics of either flowers, fairy tales, or powerful badasses who could be mistaken for oversized 6-year-olds when not fighting. You either write extremely self-indulgent fanfiction in your head, or still fantasize about being a lost princess or a pop star or a changeling with magical powers and fairy origins or something. Or both.

Minami: You thrive in the summer and your favourite Disney princess is probably Ariel.

Kirara: You have chaotic energy, and Kirara represents everything you aspire to be. You probably like astrology and read a ton of magazines. You either have or want glow-in-the-dark star stickers on your ceiling.

Towa (post-ep. 22): You constantly joke about arson. You love fantasy creatures and species and wish you were a member of a species that doesn’t exist in real life. Your favourite Fresh character is Setsuna.

Puff: You think Puff is the most adorable creature ever. You liked Palace Pets as a little kid.

Aroma: You give zero fucks about everything. Except when it comes to precure. Then you definitely give a fuck about things.

Kanata: You never thought of Haruka’s dream as ridiculous, and precure is just one of the many animes you watch. When KiraKira came out, you were genuinely expecting Pikario to be a Cure, and have a slight resentment towards Ciel as a result.

Miss Siamour: You can tell the difference between cat breeds, and your browser history consists mainly of YouTube. You definitely pretend to be doing a makeup tutorial whenever you put on makeup. Your second favourite character is Kirara.

Yui: You would unquestionably survive the apocalypse and thrive in the aftermath. You also draw a lot.

Dyspear: You’re obsessed with terrifying and badass female villains to an insane degree. You also love badass outfits.

Princess Twilight: You either want a goth GF more than anything else, or you are a goth GF. You secretly indulge in slightly sadistic fantasies about being what amounts to an anime villain. Everything with post-ep.22 Towa also applies here.

Close: You’re part of an alternative and “edgy” subculture like emo or punk. You read/watch a lot of fantasy and/or play D&D.

Shut: You always, always root for the underdog.

Lock: You laughed your ass off when you first saw him and then realized immediately that he’s probably going to turn out to be one of the most dangerous villains. You’ve read the Evil Overlord List a bunch of times.

Stop and Freeze: You have a digital photo album saved on your computer consisting entirely of screenshots of their outrageous poses.

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mythicamagic · 6 years ago

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Demonic Christmas Trees - Sesskag oneshot

Summary: While making the rounds of gift-giving in the Feudal Era, Kagome stumbles upon Bokuseno. She decides to brighten up the Tree Youkai by giving him a little decoration, much to a certain Daiyoukai's confusion.

Secret Santa Holiday Gift Exchange over on Dokuga for Kaoruhana.

Prompts: Tree, Green, Gold, Lights.

Demonic Christmas Trees~

Kagome felt very much like Santa that year. It probably had something to do with her appointing herself the unofficial Feudal Era delivery service. The idea had come along when Sango had wanted to give Kohaku a gift, intending it more for New Years, but her brother appeared to be too busy to visit. Since Sango had three children to care for, Kagome had set out with the gift in hand.

After travelling a fair distance, she'd arrived at the village and delivered it to the boy, who in turn passed over a gift for Sango. Borrowing Kirara for the journey back to Edo- from there Kaede had asked for herbs to be delivered the next village over. And from there, an old man with buck teeth had asked for a kimono to be given to his daughter in the Western Lands. And then-

It spiralled out of control. Kagome had put her foot down. She agreed only to deliver gifts intended for loved ones between the dates of the 25th to New Years.

So while the residents did not share her enthusiasm about the holiday overly much, Kagome branded it as 'Christmas deliveries.'

She was at that moment flying over the winter landscape of the Western Lands, having just delivered the beautiful emerald green kimono. She patted Kirara's side as they glided through the chilled air. "We'll be home soon girl, thanks for the help. You deserve a big juicy boar youkai."

The nekomata gave a pleased roar, and Kagome inwardly said her apologies to Kohaku. She'd kind of borrowed his companion for longer than expected, but it was much easier to travel on the back of a demon.

A particularly strong gust of wind sent them banking hard to the side, and Kagome gasped when the bag on her shoulder lurched. One of the parcels wrapped in brown cloth tumbled from within, spiralling down into the snow-sprinkled forest waiting below.

"Ah! Kirara, hurry!"

She tightened her legs, bracing herself as they dived down from the sky. Feeling the wind rush past her face and kick up her hair, the miko gripped tight and shifted her weight once they were level with the trees. Kirara swung around the numerous trunks, while Kagome scanned the floor and branches above for any sign of the package.

"I don't see it anywhere," she worried.

Kirara made a rumbling noise, gliding slower through the quiet forest. Kagome eased up to look over the great cat's head, squinting. A large clearing opened up to them, letting in vast sunlight.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. The brown present was tucked safely in the branches of a lone magnolia tree. It stood in the middle of the clearing, its trunk aged and bark faded. Snowfall sprinkled its branches. Kirara glided above the present while Kagome lowered herself down to stand on a branch. Wobbling unsteadily, she quickly sat down. Breathing out, she reached out- trying to grasp the package held in the twigs.

"It is quite rude to climb on someone without introduction, let alone without permission." Came a deep, grumbling voice.

Kagome gasped and clutched the branch tight when it moved beneath her, stretching and relaxing like muscle. Peering down at the trunk hesitantly, she noticed an aged face had appeared in the bark, looking up at her with tired eyes.

"O-oh, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't know you were a-" she cut herself off. What even was he?

The tree gave a dusty chuckle. "It is fine. I suppose unexpected company is preferable to none at all."

Kagome swung her legs over the side of the branch, tilting her head as Kirara landed beside her, transformed into her more kitten size. "I think so too. Don't you have any company expected though? It's the holidays. No one should be alone at this time."

The tree paused as though deep in thought. "I do not know what a 'holiday' is but no. I have not been visited in some time. The pup only comes to see me if he has a question."

"The pup?"

His wizened eyes danced slightly. "Mn, better known as Lord Sesshoumaru."

Her heart skipped a beat, a gentle blush touching her cheeks. "O-oh," she murmured. Him again. Her bag suddenly felt very heavy. She then slowly grinned at the tree as something dawned on her, "wait. You call the Killing Perfection 'pup?' That's amazing."

He gave another rumbling chuckle. "Yes, but I am ancient enough to get away with it. Do not attempt it yourself," he added, amused by her pout. "Are you deeply acquainted with him?" He asked, noticing her features flush.

"N-not deeply. We're just friends, kind of."

"Mn."

"Anyway," Kagome drew herself up to stand after grabbing the brown package and putting it in her bag. "If you're alone, that means you're not expecting any gifts this year, and I won't stand for that." She gave a squeak as her balance became precarious, waving her arms in a windmill-like motion to stay upright.

His heavy lids slowly shut and opened in a blink. Kagome grinned down at him, taking her bag off her shoulder. "It just so happens that I have something that would be perfect for you."

Walking at a sedate pace through the forest, the Daiyoukai blended in with the snow-covered environment seamlessly. His boots crunched in the snow quietly. Golden eyes remained fixed ahead. Though there was a severeness about his countenance, Sesshoumaru in the privacy of his mind was...daydreaming.

In fact, he was quite uncharacteristically unaware of his surroundings, lost in thought. He stopped dead when reaching the edge of a frozen lake, blinking. He'd gone the wrong way.

Turning with a graceful pivot of his heel, he carried on around the lakeside as though he'd taken the detour on purpose.

The cause of his musings remained unspoken out-loud. He had decided to visit the tree, seeking advice for his predicament. Council would perhaps soothe this madness.

He blinked upon hearing a familiar cheery voice.

"Don't worry, you'll look great, I promise!"

Venturing closer, a clawed hand reached out to brush an ice laced branch aside. Walking out into the white clearing, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Bokuseno waited in his usual place, expression slightly put out. Long black rope was wrapped around his branches, but they looked thin and strange. Odd. Arching a brow, Sesshoumaru looked to the upper left, seeing yet more rope being draped onto the higher branches by the miko. She rose up on tiptoe, arched her back- and made his breath catch simultaneously.

"Do you want any further up?" She grunted, managing to loop them onto the higher bare branches.

"I don't think the Pup will be able to control himself if you do that." Bokuseno gave a chuckle.

Kagome jolted, whipping her head around. "What?"

The burst of movement sent her dipping back precariously over the edge. Her heel slipped free from the branch. Giving a yelp, she felt a strong force seize her waist, making her dip into it. Her body was then yanked up like a rag doll- face smooshing into a warm neck. She inhaled a familiar scent. Blushing wildly, her hands latched onto the chest plate pressing against her ribs.

Sesshoumaru righted her on the branch, and she breathed out with relief upon regaining her footing. Lifting her head, she swallowed. "H-hi. Thanks for the save," Kagome smiled weakly. Hooded golden eyes bore down on her, strangely intent.

"Hn. What are you doing, miko?"

"Just giving a friend a gift," her smile was genuine this time.

Glancing down at their positions, she could feel the heat radiating off him in waves, drink in his closeness. Quickly removing her hands, Kagome grit her teeth when he did not move his arm from around her. He always made everything so difficult.

"Are you certain Bokuseno consented to this...defacing?" He rose a brow. Such decoration was unlike the ancient tree. The youkai below them gave a rusty sounding snort.

"She could not be stopped, my Lord."

Her eyes widened. "H-hey! You said this was okay!" Kagome felt her cheeks burn brighter. She tapped Sesshoumaru's arm lightly. "You can let go now, by the way."

"You may fall again."

Curse him and his ability to unbalance her. She folded her arms to resist the urge to touch him, huffing. She blinked when he extended a slender hand, touching a blank light.

"That's a light," she explained. "The things around the branches are wires. They're soon going to be filled with a power source called electricity," she answered his unasked question. "I use these things called batteries to power them."

Curious gold blinked. He made a noncommittal noise, remembering her school textbooks they'd looked over at the village together. "Why...use these as a gift? And for what occasion?"

"W-well, in my day, people put lights around trees for the winter holidays. I thought it might cheer Bokuseno up, since someone hasn't been visiting him often enough, apparently."

His gaze flattened, and curving his arm tighter- brought her in closer. Her startled squeak turned into a yelp when he jumped from the branch, and satisfaction curled within him. She grabbed him tight in the fall, arms wrapped around his neck. Drawing herself away once they landed with barely a sound, Kagome gaped at his proximity.

A deep cough resounded in the clearing- and she quickly let go.

Bokuseno rose a brow at them, gaze shifting to Sesshoumaru, who only relinquished his hold when the miko stepped forward. She pressed a black switch hanging down from one of the branches with a 'click.'

His branches became bathed in warm glows of red, white and green. The lights changed colours within their limited spectrum every few moments, as though playfully winking at them. They each gave off a pretty glow, brightening up the dulled bark.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly. A clawed hand rose- long sharp nails curving around a hanging light and bathing his skin green- then red. It felt a little warm.

"Here Bokuseno, have a look," she pulled out a mirror, tilting it to show the tree his higher branches.

Humming, the crows feet around his eyes deepened as he smiled. "I thank you, girl."

Sesshoumaru got the distinct impression the demon was just humouring her, but said nothing.

"Come on, Kirara. We should get going," Kagome murmured and turned, waving at the tree. "Happy Holidays! Now that I know where to find you, I'll come visit, okay?"

As the tree youkai hummed, she glanced at Sesshoumaru and felt the weight of her pack double. I really am a coward.

Why wasn't she giving it to him?

Shifting her pack on her shoulder, the small neko jumped from the tree branch and exploded into flames, flying down. Kagome's raised fingers soon met buttercup coloured fur, grasping it as she made to climb on.

"Miko."

She paused and looked at him. The Daiyoukai gave the nekomata a once over, before averting his gaze. "This one can take you back, if you wish."

Her heart jumped. Sharing a look with Kirara, her fingers tightened in the fur slightly. "O-oh. Yeah, alright. I guess I have been working you pretty hard, girl." She smiled and petted the cat demon, "you deserve a rest. Do you want to fly back to Kohaku?"

Kirara gave a loud roar, nudging against her hand as Kagome laughed. "Okay, okay I get the picture. Get going then. Thanks for all your help," she ruffled the top of the great cat's head, stepping back when she leapt into the air. The twin tails picked up behind her, form sailing higher and higher above the clouds in leaps and bounds.

Once she was gone, Kagome looked back at Sesshoumaru awkwardly. "So, uh…" her grip tightened around the strap of her bag. Give it to him!

Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and began walking away. Sweat dropping, Kagome waved quickly at Bokuseno and followed. Her boots crunched noisily in the snow.

Trudging for a short while with silence between them, Kagome rubbed her arms. His voice came softly, like a flurry of gentle snowflakes. "Why do humans give gifts on these 'winter holidays?"

She hadn't expected his question, and quickly raced a few steps to catch up with him, walking by his side. "It's a tradition, but one still very new to Japan. We don't celebrate it like they do overseas, but it's become quite popular lately. I like it."

He supposed she would. Giving gifts matched her character.

She waved her hand. "Besides, Christmas Eve is especially popular for-" she quickly cut herself off, cheeks warming. No way she could specify that.

The forest lay still, almost like they were in a forgotten snow globe, awaiting a mischievous child to shake it up. He stopped with her by the frozen lake he'd passed earlier. "How sentimental," he uttered.

Kagome smoothed her hands over her ruffled skirt, thankful she'd worn thick tights. "I'm guessing you don't approve?"

"Hn, it runs the risk of being frivolous. Gifts should only be given as a reflection of intent."

Kagome gripped her bag tighter, looking up at him. Within the winter landscape, he looked like he belonged to the ice and snow. Like he were some otherworldly thing that she'd probably never fully understand. She came from a warm home, where the smell of baking filled the air and hugs were given thoughtlessly. He looked removed and untouchable.

And yet…

Kagome breathed out, and his gaze shifted to watch it become visible in the air. She lowered her bag from her shoulder and reached in- pulling out the brown package that had given her so much trouble.

Pressing it into his hand, Kagome smiled. "Happy Holidays, Sesshoumaru."

Curious gold blinked and widened marginally. "…Is this frivolity?"

"No," she glanced away, cheeks warming.

"Then what is your intent?"

"Would you please stop analysing me and just open it?"

He gave a quiet huff that she found strangely endearing. He held the package in one hand and went to slice open the string holding the cloth, before pausing to inspect it. The string was white and crisp, tied into a bow. Glancing up, the demon decided to humour her. He pulled the string until it came loose, and carefully pulled the cloth aside.

Kagome fussed with her hair, looking at the frozen lake as her heart did summersaults. He was going to laugh at her or kill her. Why had she done this, again?

Sesshoumaru pulled out a white scarf, noting it's soft quality. A splash of colour caught his eye, and he lifted the material higher. The end of the scarf was coloured red and had a honeycomb design patterned onto it.

"I got it made for you, I mean I tried- tried to knit it. But then I figured you might not like wool and I suck at knitting." She babbled, waving her hands animatedly in the air. Dipping her head, her face flushed. She chanced a glance at him from under her lashes.

The Daiyoukai stood lost in thought, thumb grazing the crest of his house. His eyes narrowed slightly, before falling shut.

Oh no, she knew it- he hated it.

Turning away, Kagome jumped when something soft wrapped around her waist- dragging her back toward him. Her hands grasped mokomoko as she quickly looked up. Sesshoumaru shifted closer, leaning down until they were eye level.

"How do I express my thanks in your way?"

A nervous laugh escaped her. "A simple thank you is enough!"

"No, it is not," his claws grazed her hair, fixing a stray lock back into place behind her ear. But his traitorous fingers flexed wider before he could stop them, tangling themselves in lush black stands.

Blushing brighter, Kagome grasped the scarf and reached up. "H-here, you put it on like this!" She squeaked. Of course he knew how to put a scarf on. But her hands wouldn't stop as she lifted the heavy fall of his hair up to slide the scarf around his neck. The hair fell soft and fine in her gloved hands, brushing the exposed skin of her wrist. Tying the scarf loosely, she swallowed at his proximity.

"You mentioned Christmas Eve earlier but stopped, what is it?" He asked in soft, dulcet tones.

Her hands rested on the spot just above his chest-plate, basking in the warmth of him. "It's basically recognised as a...date for couples," she murmured.

"Hn, I see." Slit pupils roved over her face, settling on her lips. "Is it customary that this one give you a gift in return?"

Kagome smiled, blue eyes glittering. Her heart thundered in her chest. "No, but I'll be upset if you don't."

Silver hair slid over his shoulder, tickling her cheek as he leaned closer. "We can't have that…"

Firm lips pressed against hers suddenly, guided by impulse and her rapid heartbeat in his ears. Kagome inhaled sharply, eyes widening. She slowly forced herself to relax and close them, reeling from pleased shock. Realising she'd frozen, she parted her mouth slightly, kissing back. She shivered when his hand settled on her hip, claws catching the material as he pulled her closer. His other curled tighter into her black locks, twining them around his fingers.

After a moment, Sesshoumaru pulled away to look at her. Gold eyes burned bright, lips slightly red. "Does my gift suffice?"

Shaking her head, she smiled mischievously. "Definitely not."

"I see. So your intention with giving the gift was to ensnare me."

"Oh absolutely. It's working, isn't it?" Kagome grinned.

"Hn."

She didn't talk about how long she'd had a crush on him for, nor did he share his regard for her. In fact, they didn't talk about anything for a while. She pulled her gloves off- burying them in his hair and cupping a striped magenta cheek.

He felt warm and wonderful- and as his lips moved over hers, nipping her bottom lip like the cold bite of winter- Kagome's heart sang with gladness for the yuletide.

End

#sesskag #sesskag fanfiction #sesshoumaru x kagome #inuyasha fanfiction #sesshomaru #kagome higurashi

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mariaarnt · 6 years ago

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Rhythm is a Dancer

Ship: Sesshomaru/Kagome

Rating: T

Tags: Dancing, grinding

For: @wintermoon25 (sorry I abandoned that fic in 2007 lol)

Words: 2068 (I got carried away)

Setting: AE where the well never reopens for Kagome and she goes on with her life, gets an internship as an office gopher at a high-end antiquities dealing company that has ties to the shrine, only to discover the company owner is Sesshomaru. They’re both shocked, but eventually end up something like friends because they’re both terribly lonely.

Kagome stared out at the flashing lights and moving bodies on the dance floor and sighed, sipping her nearly empty drink. She really wished her date hadn’t bailed, or that she was at least here with Yuka and Eri so they could go out and make idiots of themselves. Instead, improbably, she was here with....

“Would you like to dance?” Sesshomaru’s voice was somehow still calm and collected even as he nearly shouted to be heard over the music. When she’d made the mistake of mentioning that she’d been stood up, he’d graciously offered to take her out and she hadn’t been able to come up with a nice enough excuse to refuse.

She laughed nervously. “You don’t have to!” she half-shouted back. “I know this place probably does a number on your ears, and it’s even louder out there.”

“Nonsense,” he waved a hand elegantly. “You didn’t want to come here to watch other people dance.”

Well, it was hard to argue with that. It was always hard to politely argue with Sesshomaru. It was like playing go when you barely knew the rules - he was always ten steps ahead. It made her long for the days when she would have been brave enough to shout the bare truth at him, chance of dying be damned.

He held out a long, slender hand, and she smothered another sigh by downing the last of her drink and leaving it on the table. As they made their way out into the crush, she prayed that no one from the office was there. She’d never hear the end of it. He wasn’t her boss, exactly, because he didn’t really run the company. He was more of a figurehead, offering advice and guidance but only when it was asked for.

Kind of like the emperor, she thought, glad his back was to her so he would see the goofy smirk on her face. She’d just imagined him wearing the emperor’s traditional regalia and for some reason found it hilarious.

Sesshomaru found a relatively open space on the floor and turned to face her just as a new, high-tempo song came on. Despite her reluctance, she smiled - at least it was one of her favorites. She determined to have a good time of it and just ignore the fact that Sesshomaru was there making it weird.

Before long, though, that proved difficult, although not in the way she expected. As it turned out, Sesshomaru was a pretty good dancer. No, that wasn’t fair, she admitted to herself. Sesshomaru was a fantastic dancer. As in, rather than just sort of bouncing to the beat as most guys did, he knew actual moves, and beyond that didn’t look like a complete idiot doing them. But then, it was hard to imagine Sesshomaru looking like an idiot doing anything. Except maybe wearing the emperor’s regalia. With a laugh, she did her best to match him, comfortable in her usual incompetence.

“What’s so funny?” he asked over the music.

“You’re really good at this! I didn’t expect that!” she shouted back.

That earned her one of his rare, mysterious smiles. A small one, which was either a warning or a promise. The kind she had used to fear, in another life. But now she was just glad to see him happy.

The music changed into something more driving and intense. She’d only intended to humor him for one song, but she realized she was having fun, and didn’t feel like stopping yet. This song seemed popular - the dance floor was quickly crowded, and they were forced to move closer. Not that Kagome minded, exactly, it just changed the sort of dancing they were doing to something a little more... personal. And honestly, she was starting to really get into it. It wasn’t until she felt Sesshomaru’s hands brush her hips that she realized he was too. She glanced up at him, surprised, and found that same dangerous smile. He tilted his head a fraction and raised his eyebrows. The unspoken question was clear - did she want him to stop?

Did she? Some rational part of her brain argued there was probably some reason she should, but between the noise and the alcohol and the way he was making her move, she couldn’t really think what it was.

So instead she closed her eyes and took the half step to close the distance between them. It felt amazing to let go and just exist in the moment. When was the last time she had felt like this? It brought back memories of the wind rushing past her as she soared high above the ground on Kirara’s back, of the moment of tension before the arrow was released, the thrill of victory. And for once, the memories didn’t make her want to cry.

But then the music shifted again, this time slowing down until the bass thumped like a heartbeat. It was the kind of song Yuka irreverently called a ‘grinder.’ Not the sort of thing Kagome ever danced to. But Sesshomaru adjusted his tempo to match effortlessly, and suddenly the effect of their bodies pressed together was entirely different. Her face felt hot, and she opened her eyes and looked up to tell him that they should probably stop... only to be struck speechless.

His yellow eyes blazed like molten gold. She recognized his intense expression as if she had seen it yesterday instead of years ago - it was the look he got when he was about to kill somebody and enjoy it, and with a shiver she recalled that it was not the first time the look had been directed at her. She tried again to say something, but nothing came out.

He seemed to sense her distress, and it brought back that dangerous smile. His fingers tightened on her hips for a moment, but then he released her, stepping back. For a moment she felt adrift, suddenly out of synch with the music and off balance. She had meant to leave the dance floor, but now her feet wouldn’t move. She was frozen as Sesshomaru brushed past her, and for one humiliating second she thought he would leave her there.

But then his hands found her hips once more, and he pulled her back against him, back into the rhythm of the music, and he moved her body in a way she’d never experienced before but instinctually recognized, his hips tilting against the curve of her rear in a pattern far older than either of them.

The flush on her face suddenly spread to most of her body, and she might have let out an undignified squeak. But while most of her was utterly, unbelievably mortified, there was a rather significant portion that absolutely refused to back down. She had fought tougher demons than Sesshomaru - by a narrow margin, admittedly, and never alone, but still - and she wasn’t going to run away now. Not to mention that considering Sesshomaru’s instincts running away was probably a very bad idea.

So she stood her ground, put her hands over his, and arched back against him with abandon. She refused to be embarrassed, and she was going to enjoy her night out, dammit. His grip tightened on her hips, and he seemed to sense the challenge because he turned the intensity way up. She let go of her embarrassment and let the music drown out the part of her brain that was nagging that this was wrong, and just danced. And for once, it was effortless. With the subtlest twitch of his fingers, Sesshomaru let her know which way to move, and they melded into the beat as if it were part of them. Her hands wandered up her own body, relishing the intoxicating feel of the music moving through her. Taking a risk, she reached up and threaded her fingers into his silver hair, finding it exactly as soft as it looked. She traced the edge of his ears, and despite the illusion he wore to look human, she could feel the points of them. Her fingers wandered down his cheeks, tracing the invisible stripes she remembered.

As if following after her touch, Sesshomaru dipped his head and tucked it into the crook of her neck, brushing his nose against her ear so she could hear the pleased growl that rumbled in his chest against her back.

Oh gods, Kagome thought helplessly. The music swallowed her moan, but she suspected he could hear it anyway. This was... this was more intoxicating than anything she’d ever felt. She wanted more, wanted him, and the shock of it was a mix of terrifying and liberating that set her head spinning. One of his hands drifted slowly from her hip to her stomach, splaying there to press her back, his thumb just brushing the swell of one breast. Her breath hitched in her throat, and for a moment nothing existed but the music and his hands and the feel of his breath coming fast against her neck.

And then the music shifted again, but this time it was to something light and peppy. Suddenly she became aware of the world around her, of the sideways looks the other dancers were giving them, ranging between disapproval and voyeuristic interest. She stiffened and pushed away, and to her surprise he let her go without any resistance. She whirled around, and nothing could have prepared her for the flush of color across his high cheekbones. He wasn’t playing her then - he’d felt it too.

“I--I--” she stammered, not sure what she meant to say. “I can’t,” she blurted, although she didn’t know exactly what she was referring to.

He tilted his head in the endearing manner of dogs everywhere, and in that moment he looked so damn much like his brother that she felt something inside her tear wide open. Without another word, she turned and ran. Even though she knew it was stupid, knew you should never run from a predator, she did it anyway. She didn’t stop until she had pushed her way through the exit and could draw in a deep breath of the crisp winter air. After a few gulps, she hugged herself and then realized how stupid she had been. She’d left her coat inside, and her phone was still in the inside pocket.

“Dammit, Kagome,” she muttered, and her breath puffed out in a cloud. It had gotten much colder, and the low-hanging clouds threatened snow at any moment. She glanced at the door, at the man checking IDs. How could she get back in? Turning her back to him, she watched the traffic and tried to think what she should do.

Suddenly, a familiar warmth fell over her shoulders. She looked down to see the edges of her own coat.

“You forgot this,” Sesshomaru said quietly, his voice as emotionless as usual.

She looked up to see him studiously pretending not to be interested in her. He was wearing his wool peacoat, belted tightly.

“Thank you,” she murmured, her face hot again.

They stood there a moment, studying the bustle of late-night Tokyo. “I apologize if I was too forward,” he said at last. “It was not my intention to frighten you.”

Kagome let out a breathless laugh. She couldn’t exactly claim that he hadn’t, but how to explain that she had enjoyed it? “I think I frightened myself,” she said instead. “It’s been so long since I felt... anything, really.”

He nodded as if he understood perfectly. “Would you like a ride home?”

She turned to face him, remembering how to gather her courage and screw it to the sticking point. “I don’t want to go home,” she told him.

He looked at her finally, and his gaze cut right through her, seeing her as she really was, as no one else in this time really could. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he pulled the keys to his car out of his coat pocket. “My place, then?”

Draw the bowstring back, and then let it go. “Sure.”

#minific #requests are open #Sesskag #Sesshomaru/Kagome #Sesshomaru #Kagome #InuYasha #fan fiction #dangit #now I want to write a whole story for this

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