Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ From Wishes to Eternity ❯ A better mousetrap ( Chapter 6 )

Well, this chapter took longer than I thought. The visit to Fluffy-sama (cue evil laugh) was not planned at first, but I thought hey, why not? Otherwise it would just be boring information gathering. It felt a bit like filler without it and I want every chapter to advance the plot at least a little. You'll notice that everyone's favorite bat demon is making a reappearance and that a few old favorites from the IY fandom make their cameo.

 

By the way, I don't really think Sesshomaru and his household (read and you'll see) will be making a reappearance in this story, and if they will be, it will be only another cameo-thing. As for good old Kagewaki-sama, I'd give you a hint, but I think you might figure this one on your own. Chocolate for those who do! Meanwhile, the chapter is here!

 

PS: I'll be posting a chapter from my PotO story next, as I have left it stagnate for a month and with nearly twenty-two thousand page views… well, once we get past that mark, the chapter will miraculously appear there!

 

The ending for this story has been officially planned out already and just as an answer for KagKur fans who might ask themselves this: yes, Kurama will be making an appearance in the latter chapters. You'll see. (Hint: read and review!)

 

X X X

 

A better mousetrap

 

X X X X X

 

 

“You seem ticked off.“

 

Kuronue was momentarily silenced by what he privately called the glare from a frozen hell. That would likely be the greatest manifestation of inner anger he would be receiving from Youko, as the kitsune maintained a certain degree of control over negative emotion when it was not aimed at those who had caused it, but on a list of death glares ranging from one, “I am mildly irritated” to ten, “I am wishing the cause of my rage a slow and painful death, by my hand, if at all possible”, the current stage was somewhere between four, “really angry” and six, “a medium stage of rage”, the bat youkai guessed humbly. That was relatively livid and, despite being wary of his companion's potentially violent reaction, Kuronue couldn't help but give a slight smirk.

 

“So your grand master plan to capture the priestess was unsuccessful?” He didn't really need an answer - it wasn't his intention to gloat, but nor was it to rage. He was simply disappointed that a well-thought-out plan such as the one Youko had presented him with had failed. Try as he might, he couldn't imagine a sane (or insane, for that matter) female in existence that would be able to withstand such a heavily backed seduction strategy. Hell, females threw themselves at the kitsune´s feet without him even looking in their general direction previously. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that. “Tough luck, my friend; your miko must have immense willpower.”

Instead of ordering his friend to shut up - especially for his use of the words your miko - Youko merely offered another from his collection of death glares. Teasing was his game. “That had nothing to do with it. She had given in with relative ease; but then we had a slightly annoying interference.”

 

“Who would have dared?” Kuronue said, without irony now.

 

“She had been fighting a demon I helped her a bit with. I don't understand how he broke free of the little organic prison I had constructed for him. His strength seemed to increase when the priestess was fully intoxicated and he moved to protect her.” Youko explained dispassionately. He didn't really understand these impulses to protect others when they were of no significance to him, especially if they were potential enemies. “In addition, I believe he mistook her for his mate, who I gathered is likely dead and the priestess bears some resemblance to her. Unfortunately, the crazed fool bought her time to recover and escape. I don't suppose the same trick will work on her again.”

 

Kuronue frowned deeply. “At least you've gotten rid of him.” he said without any doubt. “That could be one annoyance off our backs. If you manage to separate the miko from the rest of the group again, perhaps you can get close enough for another shot at it.”

 

“No.” Youko interjected, silvery hair falling into his face when he shook his head curtly. “He is likely still very much alive.” There was clear distaste in his voice, as if he had to force himself to admit such failure.

 

That was the most stunning revelation of the day, because Kuronue couldn't imagine Youko sparing people who foiled his plans in any way. And this demon had clearly meddled one too many times to even be considered for pardon. The only other possibility was that the kitsune had actually lost, but that was highly improbable, especially as Youko looked more disgusted than willing to tear someone's insides out.

 

The kitsune caught up with that immediately and gave a slight sneer. “Third person interjection, nothing like you might imagine. I was about to finish him off when a cloud of miasma surrounded his body and took him away in a swirl. Some other demon I have yet to identify, locate and make deceased. But rest assured that such an insult shall not be tolerated.”

 

And as Youko was very precise in keeping his promises, the bat demon had no doubt that whoever had interfered with his fight with the offending demon had just made himself a new and powerful adversary. He decided to leave the matter be for the moment. There were more important things he wanted to ask the fox, mainly, what his next course of action would be. It was doubtful that he would abandon the pursuit of the priestess just like that.

 

And truly, behind all the annoyance and anger he felt at the moment, Youko´s mind rested on the image of the priestess for the moment. Clearly, she was in a similar position, as she had not appeared to recognize the demon either. Thus, as it was obviously her case to pacify the demon somehow, she would likely research whatever possible about the creature and hopefully find something useful on the miasma cloud as well. Then, it would be a simple matter of persuasion to extract the information from her, with her consent or not.

 

In the meantime, another method of obtaining both the jewel and the priestess was required, to ensure the success of the information gathering. But before he could even start laying out his foundations for the next plan, one of the thieves that specialized in “scouting” for information, entered rather hurriedly and immediately apologized for the interruption, as he was awarded with a semi-cold glare himself. But everyone had been instructed not to enter unless they had a very important reason.

 

“This better be good.” Kuronue muttered to himself and partially the scout as well, as Youko truly didn't seem to be in the mood for unimportant information right now.

 

Without a hurried explanation, though certainly squirming underneath the cold gaze that seemed surprisingly close to a silent interrogation, the demon presented an official-looking sheet of paper to Youko. The fox demon took and unfolded it, and as he took in the contents, his expression seemed to soften slightly, but it was more alarming than comforting, as a sneer played around the corners of his mouth. In a few seconds, he handed it to the curious Kuronue to read. The bat read the few lines carefully and, upon finishing, understood what his friend found so… amusing.

 

“Isn't this a little too convenient?” Kuronue asked after dismissing the messenger in Youko´s stead. Apparently, the obviousness of the trap didn't bother the kitsune at all, as his eyes were quickly regaining a certain playfulness that seemed trademark for his kind, but which Youko displayed rarely, especially in company… unless, of course, something wicked was heading their way, fast.

 

“Traps work both ways.” Youko noted in a slightly faraway voice, which signified that he was already planning something. What Kuronue didn't know was that he was in fact reliving the image of the priestess in a mind's eye. After the warning and then the blatant escape she made, he hadn't expected her to make such an aggressive move. Its intent was clear as day, but he could give her credit for making a decent plan. Even if she would be very surprised at the results once they would meet again.

 

“So you intend to go there.” It was not a question. “You know I'm coming with you. This'll be too much fun for me to miss it.” Kuronue said with a hopeful grin.

Youko didn't return it, but the spark in his eyes rekindled, which was enough of a sign. Besides, he knew the bat youkai would come with his approval or without it. He simply wondered what had triggered the change of strategy of his opponent. It didn't seem to him that the priestess or her friends had a detective-like function, as their main priority was the protection of the jewel. Or perhaps it was a twisted way of recognizing that he was no easy opponent.

 

And so, until the date written on the paper came, his thoughts strayed to the priestess more often than usual, assessing, judging, calculating. Wondering.

 

He wondered…

 

Of course, even he couldn't construct an entirely plausible theory of what exactly had led to this move. Especially as he was to receive intelligence of the group's next visit to Makai that had finished some hours previously only the next day. The dwelling of Sesshomaru was very well secured against unwanted eavesdroppers.

 

Not even a set of complete instructions could have prepared Kagome and her friends for entering Sesshomaru´s estate. Actually, the word estate didn't really fit the place. It was more like a palace, simple but tasteful, signifying everything Ayame had informed them the taiyoukai stood for: wealth, influence and power. Miroku had considered suggesting that they leave most weapons behind to show their respect, but in the end, his wariness of Makai won out. In any case, Sesshomaru himself was a demon, A-class at the least from the vibrations they sensed while passing through the corridors of the castle, and certainly not an ally of their cause.

 

In fact, Miroku wondered exactly how Kagome intended to persuade the inu lord to aid them in their quest. He had heard of how half-demons are treated by other youkai, even their very own blood kin, and it certainly wasn't a pleasant thing. Perhaps Sesshomaru would go as far as to deny the existence of a brother in the first place, rendering their trip useless. But that was the best possibility. The worst was that he would be offended by the very name of his half-brother and send his guards to kill them. That would make the trip a little bloodier, but still useless.

 

Unfortunately, Kagome and Sango didn't seem to see the point of his worries. They were too optimistic and honorable, both of them, too much for their own good, even after their long lives. The monk had a feeling that his abilities might be required throughout the debate, just in case Sesshomaru would appreciate their presence about as much as the vassal that was leading them to his lord's main hall, a rather small frog youkai who kept casting them dark glances and muttering occasionally to himself - something unpleasant, for certain. Not that Miroku was being overly cowardly, but he knew when he wasn't very welcome somewhere.

 

“Houshi-sama, are you all right?” Miroku´s train of thought was broken when he noticed Sango had fallen back slightly to catch up with him. There was a look of mild concern on her face and, in any other case, the monk would have gladly grabbed her into a forceful embrace to tell her that she was overly kind to worry about him when he didn't deserve it… and maybe try, for the billionth time, to avoid getting slapped and yet remind himself of what her backside felt like.

 

And a fine backside it was, he thought wistfully, but strangely regained his seriousness before even his cursed hand could twitch and move against his will. “Yes, but there is a great amount of youki surrounding us. I gather most of it comes from the lord of this castle; he is a strong demon, clearly. I am simply worried how the discussion will go.”

 

Sango nodded gravely, sharing the sentiment. “Yes, but Kagome-chan seems certain that he will help us. I wonder why…” she trailed off and received no answer, as they finally reached the desired room.

 

Sesshomaru, it turned out, was already waiting for them. Kagome recognized him mainly because of the long snow-white hair that matched that of his half-brother, though it was longer and a bit straighter. The second part of the resemblance were the magenta stripes on his cheeks, but all obvious similarities ended there. The more shocking part was that, in both Kagome and Sango´s eyes, though the latter had never seen InuYasha, the taiyoukai somewhat resembled Youko Kurama. Perhaps it was the white clothing, though only the color was matched, or the slightly impassive and cool expression, or, most likely, the pale golden eyes that were, despite the color, frosty.

 

To Kagome´s disappointment, not even the dog-like ears InuYasha had had were present on Sesshomaru´s head, replaced by pointed human-like ears that were exactly where those of a normal human would be. Of course, the large pelt swung over his shoulder seemed to make him slightly less tall and menacing, but, like with the fox demon, his obvious physical beauty somehow also managed to give warning of him being very dangerous.

 

He had been examining a scroll when they came; once he spotted the guests, he swept them with his eyes and passed the scroll to a servant, who quickly bowed and accepted it. “Leave us.” His voice matched the impression of a statue that he gave - perfect but utterly cold. Everyone, including the toad-like youkai that had escorted them, bowed down to the very ground and left through doors the guests hadn't spotted yet and that vanished after they left.

 

The trio also dropped to the ground in a customary greeting bow, as the lord was already sitting on a relatively simple but still throne-like chair. “I have received your message. You have approximately twenty minutes of my time.” Sesshomaru said in a dispassionate tone. “Your message spoke of InuYasha. What of the half-breed?”

 

“We would like to ask you for information about your half-brother.” Miroku said, just in the case the demon lord followed the classical archaic etiquette requiring Kagome and Sango to leave the discussion to the only male in the group, him.

 

The eyes of Sesshomaru narrowed slightly, though it made very little change in his overall expression. And, somehow, he ignored both Miroku and Sango, fixing his eyes on Kagome, as if she were the one who spoke. “Why should I tell you anything about the half-breed bastard? I have no obligation to aid you. Why are you asking about that filth?”

 

Miroku couldn't really speak now. Instead, he glanced at Kagome, who struggled to keep her eyes in lock with Sesshomaru´s, though it was proving slightly difficult. Even though she had no intention of telling a lie, she knew that she would have to tell him the truth because of his senses, even though Koenma certainly wouldn't approve. “He has been performing random and brutal killings in Makai. Reikai intelligence wants that stopped and your brother… pacified.” Kagome finished, reasonably certain that he wouldn't be too offended by that if he referred to his own brother as “that filth”.

 

A delicately sculpted eyebrow seemed to rise, but then again, the inu youkai lord's face remained precisely the same. “You will not kill him.” This caused all three of the guests to almost gasp in surprise and give their host a rather startled look. But from what little they could read of his face, they had clearly misinterpreted his words. “Should you ever manage to capture the half-breed, I demand that you bring him to me. His death will come by my hand only.” Sesshomaru said, in answer to their unspoken question.

 

Sango recognized this as a custom of her own time - it could be interpreted as saving face, but in reality it was more like a reservation for the killing of an unwanted family member. Kagome nodded, though on the inside, she disapproved. Something in her was against the death of the hanyou, especially after he had defended her. “Agreed.” She said softly.

 

It seemed to satisfy Sesshomaru, in any case, as he could tell she was being honest. Humans - he had never been fond of them and these three had once been of that race. But he regarded them with a grudging respect that he would neither admit nor display, due to the honor their task provided. “Then it serves my purpose to tell you what you require of the half-breed. Ask.”

 

“I must ask if you know something about his involvement with a priestess known as Kikyo.” Kagome asked delicately.

 

“This Sesshomaru knows nothing of the priestess that hunted the half-breed, other than InuYasha being infatuated with the human.” The dog lord said with clear disapproval for such a relationship, even though he clearly despised his brother.

 

Kagome´s heart fell a bit, but she posed her second question. “Does the name Naraku mean anything to you?” She didn't notice Miroku´s surprised glance and the following frown.

 

This time, her hopes were fulfilled. Sesshomaru´s eyes narrowed considerably, as if he had been forced to swallow something particularly sour. “Naraku, huh? He is a hanyou after InuYasha´s life.” The first information stunned the priestess briefly. “He used to be a ningen that sacrificed his soul to weak demons in return for powers and a new body. A disgusting creature that deserves death. He sought an alliance with me against InuYasha. He failed but escaped my sword and never showed his foul face to me again, to his fortune.”

 

“An old human relation of his told me this name. Is this Naraku still alive?”

 

The taiyoukai seemed to need to force himself to nod slightly. “I have never received news of his death. Perhaps he is also the reason why my half-brother has allowed the blood to rush into his head, literally.”

 

“Please explain that.” Kagome asked. Kagewaki had been only vague about the instability of hanyou blood and as she herself had little experience with half-demons, she was anxious to know more.

 

“InuYasha is the product of a mating between my father, an ancient taiyoukai, and a human female. The blood of our father is too strong for his weak body and, in life-threatening situations, takes over his instincts to protect him. A defense mechanism that turns him into more of a beast than he already is. Repeated transformations might result in a permanent change. If the priestess you mentioned has perished, likely the half-breed has lost his mind already.” Predictably, there was only disgust on Sesshomaru´s face.

 

As there was little else of importance to ask, Kagome lowered her head to the ground again, the others following suit. “Thank you very much for your time, Sesshomaru-sama.” He had not even asked for their names, but either he knew or wasn't interested at all. The fact that he had aided them willingly seemed a miracle alone.

 

“Remember our agreement.” The taiyoukai said, almost threateningly, instead of a farewell. The guests understood that they were effectively dismissed and left slowly, without another word.

 

Once the door had closed behind them, Sango finally spoke. “Did you find out what you needed, Kagome-chan?” she asked, a bit more quiet than she otherwise would have been. “I think he told us little what we couldn't have figured out on our own. Except for that Naraku person, the archives would have likely told us everything…”

 

“I don't think so.” Miroku interjected with a surprisingly dark expression. “He told us everything of importance; briefly, but he did. Our interest is finding a means of detaining InuYasha and stopping his rampages. However, if he has already slipped into the critical stage of his transformations, I don't really think there is much we can do.”

 

Sango nodded, but Kagome remembered the moment InuYasha had a chance to kill her and mistook her for Kikyo - then, his eyes had seemed to clear out somewhat and he didn't look as menacing…

 

“In any case, we have to find him first.” Sango noted, stopping the philosophical debate before it could start. “We will have to consider him a standard enemy youkai before we can find out how to subdue him without violence.”

 

“There is a way.” A girl's voice said behind them. The trio turned around to spot a young girl dressed in a checkered yukata, who was startling only because she looked utterly human, facing them with a smile that seemed very out of place in Makai. “You can stop InuYasha from behaving wildly, if you give him the sword.”

 

Though none of them had any idea who the girl was, Sango recovered first and asked immediately: “What sword? How can that help?”

The girl gave another smile. “The sword that was given to him as a means of sealing his youkai blood, Tetsusaiga.” she explained. “It looks like a rusty old blade but can transform into a mighty fang-like katana in the right hands. It is the key.”

But Kagome, even though she recognized that sword, had trouble believing that. “But he had that sword with him when we fought and used it to break my holy barrier - and he was in a state of frenzy then!”

 

“Can you be certain?” the girl asked. “I have been told that the sword transforms only when its wielder has the intention of protecting humans. Perhaps he was only mad with grief. The sword unleashes the most of its power when defending a human, you know.”

 

And finally, it made sense. What if InuYasha had already entered the critical stage and the sword's influence was fading? Miroku posed another question while Kagome was replaying the scene in her mind. Sango only watched and waited, clearly wondering who the strange girl was. It seemed that she had the longevity of a demon but her form was distinctly human-like.

 

“Why hasn't Sesshomaru-sama told us this?”

A small giggle came from the girl, in thorough contrast with Sesshomaru´s previous behavior. “He wouldn't tell you this. The sword is an heirloom of their father, the taisho-sama, and it was left to the younger brother while Sesshomaru-sama inherited its sister sword, Tenseiga, which has powers he believes are of no use to him.”

 

But before any of them could ask about Tenseiga, the frog youkai that had escorted them through the castle appeared seemingly out of nowhere and made a beeline for the friendly girl. “Rin! Why are you taking to Sesshomaru-sama´s dismissed guests?! Aren't you supposed to be studying?!” he demanded, knocking his overly large staff against the ground. It was a rather harsh greeting, but received a smile in return.

 

“Ah, but I'm bored, Jaken-sama, and they looked friendly. You know how rarely I get to talk to anyone who was human like me once…” Rin retorted, playing with the hem of her yukata in an almost childish gesture.

 

“I thought you were part human, Rin-san.” Sango noted, earning herself a smile from the girl.

 

“That's Rin-sama to you, taijiya-san, and I would advise you all to leave as requested.” No, Jaken certainly wasn't the friendly kind of youkai, if there was one, Kagome decided, but everyone else ignored the toad, following Rin´s own example.

 

“That's right, but during the Great Split, I didn't want to leave Sesshomaru-sama. So I asked if I could stay with him and here I am.” Rin said with a light shrug, but Miroku understood what she meant. She had sold her soul to a very weak demon that was easily overcome by her even without the aid of her taiyoukai guardian and that had been enough to ensure her survival in Makai. Essentially, it was similar to what had created Naraku, only that the demon had no will of its own and was virtually dead, having passed on its powers to the girl.

 

“Pardon me for asking, Rin-sama, but are you Sesshomaru-sama´s mate?” Miroku asked. The girl seemed about Kagome´s age, a bit younger perhaps, and had clearly been around for quite a long time, judging by what they had heard. Sango glared at the monk. She didn't like where this was going, ignoring even Jaken´s spluttering and incomprehensible words.

 

Rin gave a merry laugh. “Maybe someday. I love Sesshomaru-sama and wish to stay by his side forever. That alone makes me happy.”

 

“In that case…” Before Kagome or Sango could even blink, Miroku´s best Buddha face was in place and he had taken a surprised Rin´s hands into his own in a gentle gesture. “Would you bear my child, Rin-sama? It would make me very happy…”

 

In addition to the bang from Hiraikotsu the monk received, it seemed that Jaken´s staff could also produce fire.

 

Kagome treated Miroku´s wounds that night, as Sango was still too cross with him for flirting with another woman, especially with a ward of their host and a dangerous demon at that. They were only mild burns, nothing too serious, but the priestess had her mind elsewhere. In fact, her thoughts strayed to Rin. A human child that had chosen to live with a demon and sold her soul for it… now, admittedly, if she had been a love-struck girl, it could have been understandable, though she couldn't imagine Sesshomaru putting up with something like that. No, there was something different about their relationship, which attracted her attention…

 

“Thank you, Kagome-sama.” Miroku said when she finished her treatment. “I hadn't anticipated that. I was a bit distracted by Rin-sama, you see.”

Kagome shook her head reproachfully, but decided not to comment on that. She rather hoped that one day, he would admit that he was more distracted by Sango than some girl he hardly knew.

 

“You seem a bit faraway, is something wrong?” Kagome blinked. The monk was being surprisingly perceptive. Not exactly what she needed in this situation, as she had allowed her thoughts to stray once more to her encounter with InuYasha and, through that, to a certain fox demon. Not that it was anything even close to a sign of lasting attraction - heaven forbid - but she was wary ever since she had encountered Youko. Tricking her so easily and effortlessly had not been a pleasant experience and he seemed to be able to achieve it without problems.

 

Seeing that Miroku was giving her an x-raying look, she admitted her worries to him before he could even think of implying that she was spending a surprising amount of time thinking about the fox demon.

 

However, she was surprised by the frown she received. “I have been thinking of him as well, Kagome-sama; I haven't forgotten the incident. And I doubt that he will give up so easily. Demons can bear great grudges. I know enough about that.” he said, clearly bitterly, making Kagome wonder what made him say that. But he didn't elaborate that thought. “And I believe I've thought of a suggestion regarding this Youko Kurama. It might spare us some problems.”

Kagome nodded eagerly. “Go on, Miroku-sama.”

 

“His main advantage is that he is known to be very unpredictable in his moves. This might be a game of chess, a very intellectual combat, in the end.” Miroku explained. “And I believe we should be the ones making the first move. As long as Kurama is free, we cannot be certain when we are attacked again. What I propose is a trap.”

But the priestess lost her enthusiasm at that point. “Miroku-sama, remember that we know this is an expert on traps and puzzles.” She said, a bit darkly. “He will be expecting that if we make the first move.”

 

“Of course he will.” Miroku retorted, expecting no less. “But I believe he will jump at the opportunity nonetheless, believing he can outsmart us in our own game. If we are careful enough, we should be able to pull this one off. This is the plan. We will organize a private dueling tournament - only the most worthy contenders from among the demon realm in one-on-one matches. Masks allowed, to preserve the suspense and anonymity of the contenders, and ours as well, before the right time comes. The winner will be offered the ultimate prize - a fight with you, for the sacred jewel. Please hear me out before deciding, Kagome-sama.” He noted as Kagome was about to interject. “Kurama will definitely come. The demons will fight amongst each other and, as you and Sango have both seen him, you should be able to identify him at least in battle. Then you and I will be able to trap him in a holy barrier while Sango keeps the others at bay with her abilities.”

It was a plausible plan, but Kagome still felt worried. She could battle demons with her powers with ease, but actually starting a betting parlor on who will win… and what if the Makai Lords became interested themselves? She asked the monk that, but he only laughed. “Kagome-sama, do you think they are happy with having a master thief on their hands? If anything, they might actually help us with the plan. Think of it as the perfect mousetrap. We have the trap…”

 

“And the jewel is the cheese?” Kagome asked, laughing a bit against her will.

 

Miroku, understanding, chuckled slightly as well. “Yes, the cheese. The bait. It will be risky, but it will work. Trust me, Kagome-sama.”

”What if Kurama doesn't come?” It was the last suggestion she needed to pose.

 

But the monk didn't doubt for a second before answering firmly. “He will.”

”And why will he?”

”Because, Kagome-sama, he has been presented with a puzzle and, unless his sources are better than ours, knows nothing of InuYasha or Kikyo. You are the only piece visible to him now, and he has to make a move to solve the mystery.”

”Why would he do that?” Kagome asked.

 

“Youkai don't forgive easily and InuYasha rescued you.” Miroku reminded her. “The kitsune is bound to view that as an insult that must be punished. Assuming InuYasha has survived their last encounter, it isn't the last we've seen of either of them.”