Chapter Text
Even when the night was at its apex, there were shadows that could be even darker than its heavenly cloak. They clung to every nook and corner, stretching thick, nearly tangible tendrils out along the wooden beams of the ceiling and across the rot-riddled floor, escaping out from the barred windows to wrap the outside of the small, abandoned temple in inky black. It was difficult to avoid them, and Kagura tried her best not to flinch when one of them undulated and widened, getting awfully close to her little toe. She shifted, placing herself further along the empty doorframe of the temple. The jaki wouldn’t harm her - not yet - but she hated to be in contact with it. She was worried it’d swallow her up.
Nausea rolled in her gut, reminding her that she was on edge for a very important reason. She tried to keep her expression as bored as ever as she turned her gaze back to the three occupants of the temple center. Naraku and Hakudōshi were standing side by side, watching Kanna’s mirror, which was reflecting the campsite of Inuyasha’s merry band. It was focused on one person in particular, who looked none the worse for wear despite the state Kagura was sure she’d been left in.
Even she was surprised - she was sure that the hanyō was done for. Something must have happened for her to be all healed up and as good as new like that. But at least they hadn’t blamed her yet.
The shadows spread again, their edges growing jagged. Naraku’s anger was spiking, sending shivers of fear across her arms. He hadn’t said a word yet, but his red eyes were glaring at the mirror with such malice, she was amazed it hadn’t shattered into pieces. Hakudōshi, on the other hand, had a smirk slowly spreading across his face.
“It seems you miscalculated, Naraku.”
Naraku clicked his tongue, his jaw clenching. She had to admit, the kid had balls to try and tease their ‘creator’ when he was like this. She preferred for her skin to stay on her body.
“Don’t you mean that you miscalculated, Hakudōshi?” he replied, his deep voice deceptively calm, “You were supposed to dispose of the half-demon. That is why I created you like this.”
Hakudōshi actually sniggered, lifting his narrow shoulders in a shrug.
“You did. And I suppose you’re right - with all of my preparation, it had never occurred to me that your enemy, Sesshōmaru, would be able to revive someone. You never told me about that particular gift.”
“I did not know he possessed such an ability. This complicates things.”
Kagura’s eyes widened and she couldn’t help herself from speaking, “You’re saying that Emiko was dead? And Sesshōmaru...?”
She hadn’t returned to the apothecary’s house once she’d engaged Inuyasha’s friends. When Miroku had opened his Wind Tunnel, she’d fled, using the excuse so that she wouldn’t have to fight them. Hakudōshi had found her not long after that, taking her with him to this new location. He’d been covered in blood, but he hadn’t said anything about what had happened, and she hadn’t asked. She’d just assumed he’d failed.
“The sword he never uses, the one called Tenseiga,” Naraku replied, “It seems that it restores life.”
“And he used it on her? On a half-demon?”
Hakudōshi glanced over at her, “My thoughts exactly. I thought he cared about no one but himself.”
“He doesn’t.”
“And yet, the evidence in front of us suggests that there’s more than one soft spot in him.”
Kagura scoffed, irritated now more than ever. He couldn’t be serious if he was saying what she thought he was. The very idea of it made her blood burn.
“Are you suggesting that a great demon like Sesshōmaru has... has feelings for...?”
She couldn’t spit out the rest of the sentence. Hakudōshi shrugged again and she grit her teeth at his dismissal.
“He’s shown his weakness for the human child that is with him. I had known of his involvement in saving Emiko’s life at Mount Hakurei. But this is another matter entirely,” Naraku said.
They were ignoring her again. That was probably for the best. Kagura folded her arms across her chest and stared out at the mountain range beyond, listening to their discussion while she soaked in the sight of the open sky.
“Well, your little problem has returned, Naraku. What do you intend to do about it?”
“What was done before. When she died, I felt the curse of Onigumo die with her. Now that we are aware of Sesshōmaru’s attachment to the woman, there will be no more surprises. Kill her, by whatever means necessary.”
“As you wish. I can’t say that I’m upset with this change of plans. This time, I’ll be sure that her body is never found. I’ll cut it to pieces and scatter it across the country.”
“Do what you want. But I have other tasks for you to fulfill in the meantime, Hakudōshi. There is still the matter of obtaining the final shard.”
Kagura stopped listening to them. She was finding it hard not to think about what they’d been saying, what they kept insinuating: that Sesshōmaru, of all people, might care for that squirt of a hanyō, that he might even...
Sullen melancholy started to trickle through her. It was a stupid idea, they didn’t have any proof of that. He’d probably just brought her back to spite Naraku - gods knew that she would have done the same.
Yeah, that was probably it.
It didn’t make her feel any better. It didn’t stop that annoying, unnecessary jealousy from rearing its ugly head. All it did was bring back the memory of his cold golden eyes, and his sharp, marble features. The reminder made her heart flutter and her throat tighten with sorrow.
Sesshōmaru...
* * *
Emiko pressed her heels into the cold, hard-packed dirt beneath her and tipped her head up toward the early morning sky, letting her eyes fall closed. The air was chilly enough to sting her lungs a little when she breathed in deep, and frost had kissed the yellowed grass, causing the tips to glitter in the sunlight. Her yōki rose to her skin, protecting her from the cold; Keiko had left at dawn to retrieve another tsukesage from Maeko, leaving her to wander around in just her sarashi and leggings until then.
It wouldn’t take too long. The general’s villa wasn’t too far from here. But she didn’t want to wait any longer to do this.
Her breath escaped her in a puff of steam as she exhaled. She let her attention fall from the cloudless blue above her and down to the hulking shadow of the fortress that she was standing in front of. What splintered chunks that remained of the gates hung from their hinges, baring the scarred courtyard to her. She pulled her yōki toward her chest, reaching for that same, tingling warmth she’d experienced when she’d swallowed the phoenix egg. The feeling hadn’t completely left her when she’d been resurrected, and she had to assume it was the aftereffects of whatever power had been bestowed upon her.
She’d get used to the sensation in time. For now, it was a helpful side effect to tap into.
It felt like it was a small, writhing ball of energy. She reached inside of herself and pulled at strands of it. Eagerly, it fell apart, wrapping around her yōki; heat flared through her, electing a soft gasp of surprise as it raced through her veins, singing its burning fury. Emiko held out her hand, palm up, and flames burst to life, crawling across her skin. She formed it into a small ball and watched as the rich hues of red and orange flickered and began to change into a bright, blistering white. Her eyes stung, and when she blinked, she had spots that dotted her vision, but it was hard to stop staring at her new ability in wonder.
I’ve only ever seen hints of white in fire that was particularly hot. Father never had flames like this.
The heat of it was causing the grass at her feet to steam. She glanced back at the fortress and her determination was renewed. She set her jaw, pulled her hand back, and increased the size of the fireball.
More.
The air around her crackled and snapped. She cupped the fireball with her other hand and widened her stance, calling upon her yōki.
More...
She could see the flames now out of the corner of her eye, but she didn’t stop glaring at the fortress in front of her. This hellish place had seen the death of her father, now the death of her. She had made the mistake of not finishing the job when she first destroyed it. Back then, she’d been just a pup, and the most power that she could muster was when she called upon her yōkai blood.
She wasn’t a pup anymore, and she was much, much stronger. This time, she’d be sure to raze it to the ground.
More!
The dirt was beginning to whine as rock and earth cracked. The fireball was almost half her size before she finally threw it into the fortress, the anger building up inside her releasing in a ferocious yell. Her projectile struck the center and erupted in a massive wave of white, unforgiving flame that consumed every structure that remained, vaporizing them in seconds. It slammed into the mountainside and began to crawl its way upward, using every precious ounce of fuel it could find to continue its ascent. The previously cold morning had become warm and balmy from the huge blast of heat, and the sparkling dusting of frost she’d been admiring earlier had been melted in a matter of moments.
Emiko straightened up, panting a little, but feeling a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. Satisfaction coiled inside of her like a beast as she watched her yōki eat away at the remains of the fortress, unabated despite the rock it was up against. The sediment that made up the mountain was melting from the force, cascading glowing embers into the air like it was a celebration. She wasn’t sure what would make her fire stop now, if anything. With that in mind, she knew she needed to keep an eye on it while it burned, to make sure it didn’t spread to the surrounding trees. If she had to extinguish it herself, she would.
Besides, she was happy to watch. She wanted to make sure nothing remained this time.
She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, watching the home of Onigumo’s ancestors dissipate into little more than ash. She spent some time admiring the way the manor at the top of the town ignited and collapsed, crumbling onto the road in front of it in seconds. Eventually, her ear twitched as she heard footsteps behind her, meandering their way closer. She waited until Inuyasha was shoulder to shoulder with her, his hands resting leisurely on the back of his head. He eyed her handiwork, his eyebrows raising in disgruntled astonishment.
“Damn. You weren’t joking when you said you got a new ability.”
She hummed in agreement, “I didn’t know what it was until I used it. I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and get rid of this eyesore for good.”
“Good. I fucking hate this place.”
“So do I.”
She leaned her weight toward him so she could bump her shoulder against his. He scoffed and returned the gesture more forcefully; although he was trying to hide it, she could see him examining her for the dozenth time since he’d gotten back to camp. His golden gaze kept flicking over to her, then toward the fortress, then back, making quick assessments.
“Inuyasha, I’m fine. I promise.”
She expected him to huff at her and deny that he was doing anything. To her surprise, Inuyasha looked directly at her, his expression solemn and serious.
“Yeah, you can say that, but I don’t believe you. Even if you’re not hurtin’ physically, no one survives the shit you just went through and comes out ‘fine’. I’m worried about you, Emiko, and I’m gonna be for awhile.”
She stared back at him in surprise, but he remained unmoved. Slowly, her shoulders relaxed. An odd mixture of pride and melancholy was stirring in her chest, twisting together and wrapping around her heart. In this moment, he looked older, more mature than she’d ever seen him, and she felt like she was getting a glimpse of the man he was going to become. She couldn’t help the small smile that grew across her face.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you assert your feelings like that before. You’re really growing up, Inuyasha.”
That did cause a light flush to creep across his cheeks, but he didn’t back down, “I’m not a pup anymore. Look–”
He stopped, finally dropping his gaze to the ground, his mouth twisting into a thoughtful pout. His ears flattened.
“I’ve been real bad at relyin’ on you. The promise we made to each other hasn’t been equal, not ever. I got too used to you watchin’ out for me like you did when I was a pup. You were the one who took care of both of us... an’ I never took care of you.”
“I was older,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, no, I get that. It was different back then. But that’s what I’m saying, now that we’re both grown up, it’s gotta shift. It needs to be equal. The reason you–”
His voice cracked and he faltered before pushing forward, “The reason you died is ‘cause of me. I should’ve known you were in trouble, but I got stuck in that mindset I had when I was little. I assumed you’d come back because you always came back, and I never had to do anything. I don’t want it to be like that anymore. I want to take care of you too, Emiko.”
The sincerity had tears rising to her eyes, but she pushed them back down. She was very sick of crying, and he deserved an honest response, not a blubbering one. She reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.
“I didn’t die because of you, Inuyasha. I was also the one who made stupid decisions and left the camp on my own. But I understand what you’re saying. I don’t doubt your strength, I never have, and you’ve become a great warrior during this adventure. Let’s change our promise, then. Instead of just watching each other’s backs, we’ll take care of each other. As equals, like you said. Deal?”
His eyes were suspiciously bright, but he nodded and reached up to cover her hand in his, “Yeah. Deal.”
“Inuyasha! Emiko!”
“Emikoooo!”
She twisted around to wave at the rest of her friends as they emerged from the barren trees, their clothes bright pops of color against the dull, winter backdrop. Keiko was with them, perched quite happily on Sango’s arm and busy cleaning her feathers.
I see they managed to convince her to join them before she came to me. Hopefully, that doesn’t mean Maeko brought me anything ridiculous.
Kagome broke from the others to jog toward them, a parcel clutched to her chest. Her cheeks were pink from the cold bite of the air, and she was beaming from ear to ear as she held it out to her.
“Here! Keiko just got back with it. It’s a new tsukesage, right?”
“It should be, as long as Maeko behaved herself.”
Emiko pulled away the silken covering that protected the package as the others caught up. Sango and Miroku were staring at the slowly dying fire in awe, the latter of the two the first one to speak.
“So that is what you meant when you said you were given a gift from a phoenix.”
“So it is. I think it’s going to burn through most things, now. I’m very interested in trying it out on Naraku the next time we run into the bastard.”
She unfolded the garment and breathed a sigh of relief when nothing dramatic jumped out at her. Maeko had delivered without any surprises, thankfully. The tsukesage was a burnt orange, a far cry from the blue she’d worn for the last few centuries, and the pattern that danced across the right sleeve, the shoulder and the hem was of gold feathers. She pulled it on and tied it shut with the dark red obi that had been folded underneath it, checking to make sure that it fell to her knees and didn’t restrict her movement in any way.
I have to admit, I’m glad she has a number of these kept tucked away. It’s never easy to get demon cloth.
“It looks lovely on you,” Kagome gushed, “I didn’t know Maeko had more of these!”
“She insisted that she keep several extra for me,” Emiko replied as she slid Hinoseishin into place, “At the time, I made a fuss about it, but it turns out, she was right to keep spares. Don’t ever let her know that I said that.”
Keiko hopped from Sango over to her, looking very proud of herself. Emiko ran her fingers along her crest, giving her companion a teasing grin.
“You’re going to blend in with me, now. Look at all of this red and orange, no one will be able to see the difference.”
“As much as it saddens me to see your beauty hidden from view once again, Lady Emiko, I have to say, it’s good to see you looking like yourself again,” Miroku remarked with a roguish wink. She rolled her eyes at him.
“Quit embarrassing yourself, Monk,” Sango groaned.
“Now that you guys have finally caught up, we outta get out of here,” Inuyasha snapped, “We’ve got a score to settle with Hakudōshi.”
Cold fear rippled through Emiko at the reminder of the child, but Kagome was already replying.
“Mhm, and we have a lead on the final Jewel shard. Let’s get going - we need to get back on the road.”
“Fuck yeah, we do! Ya ready, Emiko?”
She looked over at the fortress one last time. Her white fire had died down to a comfortable smoulder now, streams of magma running down the mutilated mountainside to dissolve with a hiss in the mounds of ash that had formed at the bottom. Nothing remained of the town that had once been there. Even the skeletons had been destroyed. Onigumo’s ancestral home had been well and truly wiped from her lands for good.
Although she hadn’t admitted it to Inuyasha, he was right; she hadn’t escaped from her torture unscathed. Her body bore no marks from Hakudōshi’s efforts, but her attempts to sleep that night had been unsuccessful, and any mention of the child had her fighting the urge to flinch. She didn’t imagine it would get better any time soon. Obliterating the fortress was a small comfort, but one nonetheless. She’d take what she could get.
“Yeah,” she finally murmured. She put her back firmly to the mountain, meeting her best friend’s eyes, “Let’s go.”