A/N: I am so sorry, this took so long. I am trying, I really am. I hope there are at least some of you still interested in this story, lol. I am so bad at updating, but my life has been really hectic. I haven't had much time for anything lately.
Okay, so I felt I had to mention that at the current moment I don't remember whether or not I said Naraku's compound was a palace or not, but I am changing his new location to an estate, even though the look of the place will remain the same, the architecture of that particular type of building is the same as a Heian/Sengoku era estate for Lords/Daimyo or possibly distant royal family members not in one of the palaces or in the main palace. Sorry if this inconveniences anyone.
Disclaimer: Last year I haven't owned Inuyasha and I don't own it this year either. This work belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Shonen Jump and Viz Media.
Warning!: This chapter contains graphic scenes that include rape and violence, especially in the first part of the chapter. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up on what you'll be in for in this chapter. If this is not for you, please turn away now. I do not condone rape, however, it is a device used in this story occasionally to further the plot and/or create emotional turmoil.
Traveling back to the compound was an interesting affair. Byakuya had calmed a bit on his constant attempts at conversation and incessant chattering. Glorious silence reigned over the rest of their trip, giving her some time to think clearly. Passing once again through the now familiar life-threatening barrier Naraku had erected around his ominous abode, both Kagura and Byakuya strode down the dreary looking pathway and onto the veranda overlooking that eyesore of a courtyard. Taking off their shoes, their tabi-clad feet thumped down the path of the beautiful hardwood flooring. They headed straight for Naraku's favorite room, knowing he would be there, to drop off the items they collected and to receive further instruction.
Upon arrival, they felt weighed down by the air, thick with a dark aura. Miasma floated throughout their master's quarters like a heavy fog. Kagura felt as though she were suffocating, body becoming lethargic from being deprived of fresh oxygen, but Byakuya's face remained passive. He was not completely unaffected, however. Despite his calm facade, she could see small beads of sweat slide down the profile of his neck and accumulating in the dampening lining of his collar.
Opening the shoji screen, they both bowed and stepped forward. The aura only seemed to darken at their presence. Naraku was obviously not in a good mood.
'What's got his fundoshi in a knot?' Kagura thought to herself, eying the half demon warily.
He didn't say a word, simply sitting in the shadows with an agitated look on his face, waiting for them to speak.
"Master Naraku, we have acquired the items you have requested. The old bat took the bait you sent her and is quite content with the moonstone. I assume she will expect the same conditions you set under the contract despite receiving the stone. Haggling wasn't easy, but the transaction went smoothly and she finally consented to assisting you. There were some hiccups in our initial approach, but they didn't damage things too badly." He said this while smirking in Kagura's direction.
She narrowed her eyes, gritted her teeth and balled her fists, wishing for a chance to yank him by the hair and bash his head against one of those misplaced boulders in that run-down courtyard.
Naraku nodded and the dream-weaver continued.
"My master, I would also like to speak with you about another matter privately."
Holding up a hand to stop him from expounding further, Naraku glanced over at Byakuya, for the entire time he had been glaring holes into Kagura's forehead.
"Later...for now, go and inform Kohaku that I have a mission for him. However, I do not wish to be disturbed for a couple of hours. Is that understood?"
Forehead wrinkling in consternation, he did as he was bid to do. He did not really want to wait, but it's not like he had much of a choice in the matter. What since would it make to raise his master's ire when asking him for a favor...of sorts?
"Yes sir, it shall be as you command."
Kagura stood off to the side scowling at Naraku's newest addition to their motley crew.
'There goes the resident "pretty boy" kissing ass again. I hope he slips on some sake and cracks his skull on a sharp rock...or maybe fall on a dagger.'
As Byakuya bowed and departed with a flourish, Kagura took his lead, determined to get some time to herself finally after all that's happened. She only got as far as the shoji screen.
"Kagura." The tone in that voice was laced with such venom, a malevolence the likes of which she hadn't heard for a long time.
Gulping slightly, she slowly turned to face him. Byakuya paused in the hallway for a moment, but continued on to do as he was ordered. Pissing his master off was a sure way to get his requests ignored.
"Yes, master Naraku...was there something you needed?" She tried to keep the disgust from morphing her face or seeping into her tone, just as she tried quelling the tremor in her leg muscles screaming at her to run, but it was so damn hard!
His red eyes flashed in a sort of amused hatred as he glared at her from across the room.
"Indeed." He stared for a while longer, assessing her from a distance and watching her squirm under his fierce gaze.
She had to know what was coming next, but she still hoped against hope that he would not do what that look promised. She didn't even know what the cause of this was! What the hell had she done wrong this time?! Not that the bastard ever needed a reason to do anything he did. Most of his torturous actions happened without provocation or warning, much to the mortification of his victims.
A whimper tried to sneak its way past the confines of her throat, but she would be damned if she let it! She'd stay strong in the face of her fear, despite the pain she knew she'd undoubtedly feel.
The floor creaked under him as Naraku stood from his spot in the darkness and made his way toward Kagura, a panther in hot pursuit.
A crack echoed throughout the room as Kagura's face swung violently to the side. Red blossomed across her cheek and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, but she would not let them fall. She didn't ask questions, didn't fight or defend, just accepted and endured it. Fighting was futile and much more painful, this she knew well by experience.
Naraku sneered. Obviously he had been up for some sport and she refused to deliver. He would have his way anyway, however, the wind witch was determined not to make it more fun and exciting for him, the insane bastard.
Abruptly, her body was hurled to the ground hard enough to break her back. A pained gasp escaped her cherry colored lips and her demonically sharp nails punctured and marred the tatami mat underneath her.
"What did you think you were doing in the forest? Did you think you wouldn't get caught, that I wouldn't find out about your transgressions?" He whispered menacingly in her ear, eliciting a shiver of terror to run down her already aching spine. It was impossible to get enough oxygen as the wind was literally knocked out of her and his weight crushing her chest. She wracked her brain in a last ditch effort to come up with some excuse, trying to pinpoint what the hell he was talking about.
'What forest? What have I done? What were we doing? Nothing happened!'
She began to recount the entire trip just as he began ripping off the layers of her kimono. All she was coming up with was constant chatter from his nerve-grating lackey in a one-sided conversation she wished she had not been present for. He definitely couldn't have been speaking of that. The mission itself had gone smoothly and as far as she could tell, Goshinki was the only one of the bastard's incarnations that could read minds, so it's not as though Naraku had been privy to what she was thinking at the time.
Every tear with his nails created a gash on her porcelain skin. Despite her attempts to remain quiet against the onslaught, she could not hold back her screams of agony as her skin lay in pieces and blood poured out over the rough texture of the flooring. Her hair was undone from the feathers holding it in place, splaying behind her like a Rorschach photo. The copper scent of blood became thick in the air as it trickled down her sides and pooled underneath her, the straw work of the mat digging into the backs of her now bare arms. Her chest now bore the same shade as her lips and he was finally down to the final layer. However, Kagura had still not figured out the incident he was referring to until...
'Oh yeah...
...that time in the forest...
...by the lake...
...in the fog.
That's what he's talking about.'
"I have eyes everywhere!" As he said this, she felt another rip, soundless, but much more painful. She tried closing her legs, the muscles in her nether regions contracting in an attempt to push out the invader to no avail. It had been a long time since she had sex and that area had closed itself back again. But he had no mercy. His girth rammed itself deep within her, tearing tissue and bringing in its wake a tidal wave of agony. Kagura could not hold these tears back. They ran down the sides of her face and dripped onto the floor, somewhat diluting the red there. He cared not, held no sympathy. He only watched in sadistic satisfaction as her nails tore more gashes into the mats and screams began to erupt from her lips, frantically shaking her head from side to side.
Gripping her hair, he jerked her head back, giving him the opening to viciously bite the side of her neck. Another scream echoed through the room and down the hall. Blood spurted from this wound as well, adding to the myriad fluids leaking from her body. Instinctively, she tried to run away from the pain, but his grip was too strong, his member buried too deep and his jaw locked too tightly around her throat. His thrusts were hard and unforgiving. It was as if she had committed the worst form of blasphemy in her one pleasurable moment in the forest.
However, through the thick haze of excruciating pain, she thought to herself, 'What would I have done if I had known I would be caught?' And she smiled...through her pain she smiled.
Naraku's pace slowed momentarily as he stared, confused. His anger took over then, backhanding her across the face and bursting her lip, a bruise forming over her left cheek. With every thrust, a new bruise was also created. His ire was raised the longer she smiled, the more he hit her and the more her body jerked from pain. She couldn't feel it. Her physical body was present, but her mind was long gone, in a distant place where pain couldn't reach. All she saw was the demon of her fantasy, her secret crush, the man that would never look twice at her but would forever haunt her dreams. She would die before she gave up the sweet dreams she created with the Adonis that graced her unconscious moments. That flicker of candlelight in her heart that was almost doused by this evil creature's maelstrom burst forth full force, giving her the conviction she needed to stand her ground.
Despite the rape, the agonizing pain, the beatings she received, the harsh treatment dealt out and the punishments that left her half-dead...if she had the chance to change what happened...
'I'd do it all over again the exact same way.'
The sky roiled with dark gray clouds, but it wasn't as dark as it was the previous day. Slow strokes of cloth on metal along with the slight clinking of a chain sounded from the veranda. Gazing off into the distance, past the dead shrubbery of the dilapidated gardens, Kohaku sat polishing the blade of his kusarigama. He stared out over the landscape, but that is not what he saw. His memories were starting to return. Gruesome images of battles forgotten, only remembered by the blade he held delicately in his calloused hands. Those callouses remembered as well, every sinew in his muscles retained a memory of every swing they made with that cursed blade, every parry and slice embedded in his being. But his mind was not supposed to remember. Such was the promise Naraku made, the bargain Kohaku accepted as he gave himself to the evil that controlled this place. His mind's eye saw what that same evil forced him to do to his brethren, the people he grew up around, those that treated him like family and would have died for him. But no matter, erasing them was as easy as requesting Naraku to spin his magical web of forgetfulness and he would be just as ignorant to these events as he was the first time Naraku gave his mind reprieve from the horrendous acts he carried out in that horrid compound.
He hated himself. Everyday he remembered, he hated himself. He hated that he had to forget his beautiful sister, Sango, the bright coral that gave light and life to their one-time home, their village of slayers. What could he do though? He didn't want to cause her worry or grief, which he was undoubtedly doing. However, his very existence was regrettable at this point. He was not worth saving and as he continued to watch the reel of gory images of brethren slain, his body awash with their blood, he felt he deserved to be the puppet of this demon. At this point he would rather have Naraku as his puppeteer than to be forced to face his own demons.
The sound of feet padding down the veranda came closer to his location. A summons then. That was good. That meant he did not have to seek his master out. He still retained some pride, small amount though it may be. He didn't fancy asking Naraku for anything despite needing for everything. Even now, he had distanced himself from the vile being. Kohaku simply could not stomach being in his presence for too long, especially when his memories returned. If he wasn't there to get them erased, he did not want to be present at all. Most times, he chose the farthest position in the area away from Naraku. Kohaku did not turn as the person stood behind him.
"Master Naraku has a mission for you and has summoned you to his quarters."
Ah, it was the new guy. Like Kagura, Kohaku did not like Byakuya. He was too fake. His ambition was apparent no matter how feebly the man tried to hide it. He had no idea what possessed Naraku to want to make another incarnation, but he supposed it was not his business. So long as the man allowed him to keep to himself, he would just have to tolerate him.
Slowly standing, he collected his polishing supplies and weapon, holding it fondly.
"He stated he did not want to be disturbed for at least an hour."
Nodding in understanding, he left to wait outside his quarters. There were only a few reasons Naraku's attention would be elsewhere to the point of not wanting to be disturbed, and most of those reasons were disturbing in their own right. Steeling his nerve for what he might walk in on, he quietly made his way to the other side of the building.
It took a while, but he was in no hurry. Whatever Naraku was up to, the boy did not want retaliation to fall upon him. That had happened one too many times. Even without his memories, he retained the sense not to encroach upon Naraku's private time. Physical and mental scars resulted from such an act.
He heard the screams before he even reached the hallway of Naraku's private quarters. It was Kagura, no doubt having done something to royally piss the master off. Or maybe she had done nothing. You never knew with that hanyou. There were many times he had done nothing and had been slapped around. He understood her pain. He understood perfectly well what it was like to be forced to do something you don't want to do, that you would never choose to do in a million years. But it happened, and there was no way you could take it back. He understood the physical pain as well, when he remembered...but he did not fancy dwelling on it. Those were also memories he could not change. That was another reason he stayed far away from Naraku whenever possible. He never wanted a repeat of that time Kagura had been gone from the compound and he couldn't find his pleasure elsewhere. Never again...never again.
The screams and wailing continued to emanate from the shoji screens as he knelt next to them, awaiting the completion of this horror show.
Deep in his heart, he wished he could save her. He was a soft child by nature, no matter how mindless he became when killing. His chest constricted and his nose burned with every shriek she gave, but he would not cry. Tears would do nothing for him and certainly could not help her. A feeling of worthlessness bloomed inside of him, as it had been since Naraku's spell had weakened. He could do nothing, lest the demons of his past remain to haunt him indefinitely.
The young slayer could not tell how long he sat listening to the pain seeping through the walls, pouring itself into his ears. But eventually silence came. It descended upon the hallway like a heavy cloud. After a few minutes some shuffling was heard. Kohaku knew to sit still, Naraku would sense his presence before long...he probably already had. Thus, he waited to be acknowledged. More shuffling and a sharp intake of breath. The master must have been allowing her to save some of her dignity, which was more than she got normally. Many times he had been called in to see her sprawled over the floor matting, completely undone and a bloody mess. He thanked the heavens he would be spared the sight this day.
"Enter, Kohaku." The bastard's voice was slightly winded, but the boy caught it only because he had been paying attention.
The scent of blood hit his nose, wafting from the large puddle in the center of the floor as he slid the shoji screen aside. Absently he heard the rumbling in the distant clouds as he knelt in front of his master, keeping his eyes trained on the gashes dug into the floor. The monster's mood must have been greatly improved because his aura was not as dark and ominous as it was earlier.
"Master Naraku, I was told you had a mission for me." He tried to keep the knowing tone out of his voice, but no doubt his master had heard it. He may not need to ask him to take his memories. Naraku could always tell when his past came back to him. He carried himself differently, it seemed.
Having his memories erased was both a relieving and disturbing experience. He wanted the assistance desperately, but he hated being so close to the cause of all his woes. He always felt sick and numb as if he had been subjected to some kind of numbing poison but somehow could still feel things crawling on him. Goosebumps would cover his skin and the need to run outside and hurl into the deadened shrubbery was great. But he couldn't move, restrained by fear and loose muscles that would not heed his command. He awoke with no knowledge other than the orders of his master, but before his mind went under...
"Yes, I have a retrieval mission for you. But before that, how are you feeling?" His crimson gaze was calculating as he watched the slayer shift uncomfortably.
"I have been fine master. However, I have been having strange dreams of late."
"Hmmm..." Nodding sagely, as if he needed no confirmation as to what was going on, he shifted away from the puddle of blood in front of him. "Come here, Kohaku."
Slowly, the boy left his weapon in place as he inched his way toward Naraku. Once there, he was yanked into the man's lap, reclining on his arm. He hated this procedure. It felt wrong to him. It was a level of intimacy that frightened him. His master did not need to make this such a long drawn-out affair when the process was as simple as touching his forehead or the back of his neck.
As Naraku met his forehead with Kohaku's, they both began glowing slightly for a short while. When Kohaku re-opened his eyes, they were dull and dead to the world.
The position he was in no longer mattered to him as he lay nonchalantly in the hanyou's lap. He was once again a blank slate, possessing no feelings. Once again, he had no inclination to do anything but what his master ordered. His master's word was law, and it ruled his entire existence.
"Now, Kohaku. Your mission is simple. I want you to find Ryukan and our new "guest". What should have taken a few days has been extended for far too long. It is high time they get here! Bring them back for me." With a kind smile, much like that of the prince he once emulated and totally unfitting his character, Naraku lightly kissed the top of the boy's head.
"I will do as you command, master."
Walking silently down the hall adjacent to the one leading to Naraku's private quarters, a ghost-like girl stared blankly ahead. Kanna, calm as ever, meandered the building with no real direction in mind. However, she always found herself in this wing of the estate.
She knew why though. It was because master Naraku occupied most of his time here. She felt close to him, since her conception. If she could, she'd attach herself to his hip. No one knew her feelings, as they never showed on her face. This was not her fault. It was how she was made, but that didn't mean she didn't have them.
Screams sounded from around the corner. Kagura. The urge to roll her eyes was great, but her face did not change. High-pitched screeches echoed past her, but Kanna cared not. She felt no sympathy for that wind harlot. She knew what had set her master off into a monstrous rage earlier and refrained from shaking her head several times at the idiocy of that insufferable woman. She had a front row seat to many of these idiotic moments during missions as she plotted things against Naraku-sama that would never work. Kagura received the master's love frequently, no matter how rough and painful it was. However, Kanna was left abandoned, watching from the sidelines. The unfairness of it all!
The master only requested her presence when he needed to know information his other incarnations couldn't get him or see his enemies. That did not make her love or admire him any less, on the contrary, her feelings for him increased. However, it was quite frustrating that he never seemed to notice her as much as he did the mirror she always carried. How Kanna wished she could use her hands in other ways. A deep longing to run her fingers through his wavy locks or trace designs with her finger lightly across his sleeping face. He did not know this...no one knew this. Goshinki never even knew it. It was a secret she would most likely take to her grave.
Never did she outwardly complain about her position, but Kanna had continually been treated as an apparition. Just once, she wanted her master to view her in that way. Even that slayer...a boy was chosen over her, who would have assisted him willingly. But this was one more reason she did not feel sorry for Kagura.
What the master said was law and was not to be questioned as far as she saw it. His orders were absolute. So if the witch disobeyed, she deserved whatever came to her. The girl just wished she had the ability to voice her thoughts and share her feelings as freely as Kagura did her discontent. That woman was ridiculous, from her hairstyle down to her clothes, to that stupid fan she carried around with her. Kanna tolerated her because she was one of the master's creations. She remembered one time when Kagura had tried to make a pact with her. Kagura had the nerve to ask her whether she would betray her to Naraku. Kanna had not answered the question, but it should have been obvious. Of course, if she was going against the master, he would be informed of her treachery. Kagura would find no ally here. As far as Kanna was concerned, the wind witch should at least be grateful...nay, thankful to the master for her existence. But she wasn't. The leech had never been grateful for her creation, despite owing everything to Naraku-sama, just as Byakuya did and Kanna did...just as Kohaku does every time master Naraku suppresses his horrendous, nightmare-inducing memories and renews the expectancy of his life. Kohaku was only kept alive due to the mercy of Naraku-sama. She couldn't understand the boy's purpose in the master's plans, but she felt it was not her place to ask.
The sounds continued, each one creating a new scar in her heart, widening the void a little more with the fact that he was entering someone else again, and not giving her any attention. Was it her fault that her body did not age properly? No, it wasn't. It was his will that she stayed the way she was and she would say nothing against his choices. Was that even the problem though? Based on his past actions, age and appearances did not matter. So what made him avoid her so much? A migraine began building in her temples from thinking too hard. It hurt, it was very painful to deal with these feelings internalized behind her frozen mask on a day to day basis. Maybe one day, she might get a chance to show him how deeply her love ran. Until then, she'd bear with the undeserving witch getting the attention she craved.
Continuing down the hallway, she kept brooding on the path of her thoughts, finally choosing a direction. Perhaps the garden might be a better place to spend her time instead of a hallway that would only make her depression worsen.
A/N: Again, I am so sorry for the impromptu hiatus...this story has had a lot of that lately it seems. I shall not abandon this story and I am grateful and humbled by any who still find interest in this story. I shall try to update soon. Thank you all so much!