A/N: I have not abandoned "Dark Reflections", I just need to write something a little light-hearted, though this won't stay that way. Thanks to Jaf for helping me organize my thoughts on this story. Hope you all enjoy! I do not own Inuyasha, just enjoy writing fics.
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Sesshomaru raised his blade, attempting again to cut down his foe with Bakusaiga, or at least make contact. Unfortunately, the trickster Byakuya always avoided the deadly sword by mere centimetres, while a horde of lesser demons rushed in to attack.
The demon lord would cut down the lesser beings just in time to once again, attempt, and fail to destroy the trickster. Under normal circumstances, the Lord of the West would have dispatched his foe quickly, but he wasn't the only target; beneath him, Rin huddled behind Ah-Un, Kohaku, and Jaken as the four protected her from any of the demons that strayed from Byakuya's hordes. This served as a distraction, causing him to keep part of his attention on his pack.
Sesshomaru didn't understand the point of the fight. He didn't scent Naraku nearby, Byakuya never attempted a killing blow, and the lesser demons weren't a true threat. It made no sense.
“Why do you waste this one's time?” Sesshomaru demanded.
Byakuya's eyes remained dead, and his smile blank as he again made a half-hearted attempt to harm the demon lord.
Drawing a sword, he brought it down towards Sesshomaru, missing his head; instead, the trickster caught his long silver hair, slicing the ends off.
As he avoided it, another wave of lesser demons rushed him. Snarling in frustration, he drew his whip and lashed at the approaching vermin. A few avoided him and flew towards Kohaku and Rin. The demons were fast but the slayer was faster, killing them quickly. With Sesshomaru temporarily distracted by the attack on the humans, Byakuya appeared at his side, sword coming down towards his right hand. As with Sesshomaru’s head, he barely missed, instead severing the tips of his claws.
Bakusaiga was swung again but the trickster pulled back, avoiding the blade. He floated higher, out of the sword's reach. Sesshomaru lashed his whip, but instead of hitting his opponent, it hit Byakuya's sword. Small cracks splintered the metal, until the sword shattered. The force caused the tiny pieces to rain down on Sesshomaru and his pack. He gritted his teeth as a few pieces passed through his arm and into the grass. One piece pierced him next to his right shoulder blade, becoming lodged there. The others weren't as lucky, all four of his charges yelled in pain as numerous pieces of the sword pelted them, and became embedded in their bodies. Sesshomaru growled and turned to attack Byakuya, but the trickster had vanished.
But his scent lingers.
The demon Lord started moving north, following the trail.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kohaku called, urgently. "Rin is bleeding!"
Glowering in the direction his opponent had fled, he turned around and flew down to his pack.
All four were injured, but his human ward seemed to be in the worst condition. Rin was on her hands and knees, wincing at every movement, her checkered kimono was covered in countless, bloody tears.
"We need to get her wounds cleaned and wrapped." Kohaku said.
Sesshomaru nodded, he knelt and picked the girl up, the movement caused her to shriek in pain. As carefully as he could, he arranged her small body in the crook of his arm and led his pack to a nearby river.
Had he remained a few minutes more, or paid closer attention to his surroundings, he would've noticed some of the demon remains from the battling were still moving. He would've noticed that the viscous tentacles were slowly heading in the direction Byakuya had fled. He also would've noticed floating inside of it was the hair, blood, and claws he had lost during the battle.
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In a dark room, many miles away from the battle, Naraku waited patiently for his incarnation to return to him. On the wooden table in front of him, he had almost everything he needed; a small cloth bag with a little bit of rice in it, a needle and thread, and a straw poppet. It was all in place as he waited for the final ingredients; then he would enjoy watching as his enemies fought amongst themselves. The hanyou was a powerful being, and while he didn't need to use deceit and trickery, as a spider, it was in his nature to draw his prey into his web.
"Master,” Byakuya said, as he entered the room. "I have returned with what you desire."
Naraku held out his hand, Byakuya smiled and dropped the pieces of the Youkai Lord into his master's waiting palm. A few strands of silver hair, three claw tips, and a few diamond shards with Sesshomaru's blood on them. Smirking, the spider dropped them into the bag with the rice, sewed it shut, and pushed it into the center of the straw poppet's torso.
"What of Kagome?" Naraku demanded. "Do you have the pieces of her, as well?"
Byakuya nodded and pulled a plastic hairbrush out of his sleeve. Naraku pulled six strands out, braided them together, and recited the spell.
"One to wash away resistance. One to light your passions aflame. One to take your very breath away. One to bury you in desire. One to pierce your heart. And one to plant the seeds of love."
The nearly complete jewel in his chest glowed with a dark purple light, adding unmatched strength to his dark magic. He then tied it around the top of the poppet's head. The energy from the jewel continued to lend its strength to the spell, causing the straw poppet to slowly turn black.
"When you look at her, she radiates beauty. Her eyes draw you in, her face enchants you, and her body awakens yours"
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Jaken and Kohaku sat next to the small fire the boy had built, a pot of water boiling over it. Ladling a small amount into a bowl, he dipped a rag into said water and pressed it to worst of Rin's wounds. She whimpered as the hot compress inflamed the wound, making it more painful.
"I'm sorry," Kohaku said. "But the heat will help keep it from festering."
"If that's the case," Jaken mused. "Perhaps we should cauterize the wounds."
"We can't Master Jaken, there's too many of them."
Rin whimpered again as more blood soaked her kimono.
"The wounds need to be stitched." Kohaku insisted, "But first, we need to remove the metal shards."
"Ah, I see," Jaken said, nodding. "How do we do that?"
"We don't" Lord Sesshomaru spoke-up, as he lead Ah-Un over to them. "We will take Kohaku and Rin to a human village and have one of their healers tend to them."
"Humans, my Lord?" Jaken said. "Surely a youkai healer would be superior to any-"
"Jaken," Sesshomaru said. "How would youkai know how to heal a human?"
"Um, well…I mean…"
"Lord Sesshomaru" Kohaku said. "You don't need to trouble yourself with going to a human village. With the right tools, I can tend Rin's wounds"
"And who would tend yours?"
Kohaku opened his mouth to argue that he didn't need a healer when he remembered he was, somehow, alive again.
"We will find a nearby village." Sesshomaru stated.
His decision was final. Kohaku started to pack up their small campsite when Rin started whimpering. She was trying to sit up, but every movement reopened her many cuts.
"Rin, be careful," Kohaku said, gently pulling her to a sitting position. "You'll make yourself worse."
"Kohaku?" Rin whispered. "I'm afraid of going into a human village. Do you have your weapon?"
"Of course Rin," he said, pulling his sickle and chain out to show her. "You don't need to worry about it, I'll protect you while we're there."
"I know," she sneered
Before he realized what was happening, Rin grabbed the sickle out of his hand.
"Rin, stop!"
With blank eyes, she pushed away from Kohaku and jumped at Jaken. The toad screamed as she buried the blade in his arm.
Sesshomaru moved to pull Rin off the kappa when Ah sank his teeth into the demon lord's shoulder.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken shouted, both in distress and in concern.
"Master Jaken!" Kohaku shouted. "I've got her!"
Grabbing the chain end of his weapon, he easily disarmed Rin and used the chain to bind her arms and legs.
Jaken fell back, clutching his wound. Blood poured down his arm, but it was quickly forgotten as he concentrated on his Lord who was currently being attacked by half of his dragon steed.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken yelled, waiving the staff of two heads at the dragons.
"Do not!" Sesshomaru snapped as he easily pulled his arm away.
Ah snapped at him again, but Un got in the way, fighting it's other half.
Taking the brindle, Sesshomaru did to Ah as Kohaku had done to Rin and bound the dragon; making sure the leather was secure around the scaly snout before releasing Ah's head.
"What is going on?" Jaken shrieked, "Why would they attack us?"
Kohaku looked at Rin's bloody, struggling form; the mindless look in her eyes as she tried to get to Jaken. He knew that look.
"A jewel shard." He whispered. "It was embedded into them when the sword exploded!"
"So that was the purpose of the fight," Sesshomaru said.
The Youkai Lord felt rage boil in him; how dare Naraku! His audacity knew no bounds.
"But there are so many wounds on both Rin and Ah-Un" Jaken sighed, "We don't know which one has the jewel shards."
"No," Kohaku said as he started putting out the fire. "But we know someone who can
find out."
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Like MCR and eyeliner to an Emo kid, your reviews keep me from plummeting into the dark abyss of despair.