InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Rejected Love ( Chapter 56 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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Kagura/Naraku watched with an enraged look as the daiyoukai she'd had her eye on for so long asked that miko wretch to marry him, and fumed. Swiping her clawed hands through the pool of water she'd spent so much time setting up for a scrying, she cursed the fates that had kept her from her goals.

"He should be mine! She is a simple ningen, barely above being a child!"

Suddenly, the voice that she'd been hearing lately in her mind spoke up. Why do you scream so? All is not lost. You must find a way to make them think the other has betrayed them, and their own hatred will then do the rest. And then... you can have the youkai Lord - and the shards of the jewel that they hold.

"But how do I tear them apart," she mused. "They seem to be too close to believe simple lies about the other."

The miko... she is... uncertain, and fearful that the great youkai that she loves doesn't really love her back... she is the weak link. Remember the list of flowers that they have used for this little 'secret language' game of theirs - you must simply scry it out and find an appropriate one to signify rejection, or something along those lines. It will strike her heart, and taint her with hatred for her pain - and then, when she accuses Sesshoumaru... you step in.

Simple.

Kagura thought about that for a while, then nodded to herself, and set about getting her little water mirror to look into the list that the voice mentioned.

With that, she spied on the group for most of a day, finally scoring gold when the little ningen child Kagome had protected from them in nightmares so fiercely took out her list to look up some flowers.

It took all of a moment to find what she was looking for.

"A bouquet of withered flowers, hmm? Very easy to acquire," she purred softly, "and yet, very painful for the little ningen. This will take even less time than I thought."

It took a couple of days to find a good time to deliver her little bundle of rejection, but finally, Kagura had her chance: Kagome had accidentally left something behind in her time, and had to go back through the well to retrieve it.

If she was quick, she could get the dead blossoms to the well before Sesshoumaru arrived... all it needed was for Kagome to see them and realize their meaning before he got there.

With a venomous smile, Kagura prepared to move.

Kagome shivered a bit as she ran towards the well; she'd had the eerie feeling for several days that she was being watched, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. The sensation was even stronger today, making her hurry towards the well out of a sheer desire to get away from whatever was causing it.

It faded as soon as she hit the time stream, and she could only hope that whatever it was was gone when she went back through - then she smiled, remembering that Sesshoumaru would be there when she hopped back out.

He says it's for my protection, but I think he just wants more kisses - after all, he let me go to the well alone... sort of. She chuckled, knowing that he had prepared the way for her, clearing the path of any unfriendlies by sweeping the entire area with his youki in a threatening manner.

It sure works, too, scaring just about everything away.

She shook her head, and went after her first aid kit, and it's refill supplies... there was no way she was leaving that behind - especially with the fight she knew was coming.

When she finally made it back through the well and landed back in the past, her first thought was that she'd beaten Sesshoumaru there - and she giggled a bit. He's gonna be annoyed - I told him twenty minutes, and it only took fifteen. But he felt me return, he'll be here.

She crawled out of the well slowly, but as she put her hand on the edge of the well to pull herself out, she felt it hit something, and she frowned. Settling on the lip, she lifted her legs over, and looked down; she'd knocked whatever it was off, and when she saw what it was, her mind froze for several seconds.

A bunch of dead flowers...? Wait... her frown deepened as something floated up through her memory, then her eyes widened in shock.

Rejected Love! Rejection...

For one single, breathless moment in time, pain slammed through her, almost breaking her in two - and then she shook her head violently in rejection of the message.

"No!"

He wouldn't... Sesshoumaru isn't like that! He wouldn't dishonor anyone that way. And besides... she looked down at her wrist... his mark is still there, and if he didn't want me, it would have faded.

So who...?

Just as she thought that, the daiyoukai landed in front of her, looking from her, to the bunch of dead flowers at her feet - and drawing the correct conclusion from them immediately.

Anger flaring to life within his diamond-hard gaze, he dripped his poison over the abomination, and then caught his miko's gaze.

"Is this what caused that reaction in you?" When her eyes widened in surprise, he narrowed his own. "I felt your fear and pain, miko, though they faded into anger quickly."

She finally nodded. "H-hai," she whispered. "When I came out of the well, they were there, just sitting on the lip of it."

Sesshoumaru stared out into the forest surrounding them, and searched with his senses - he felt no youki or threatening presence, nor did he catch any scent of Naraku or Kagura - but this was something they had done, he was sure of it.

After all, it was not really difficult to hide your scent and youki...

"From this point on, you are not to be alone either going, or coming, from the well. I will be with you. This was an attempt by the spider/kaze to sow dissension between us. For this, they will pay dearly - I will not tolerate anything that tries to take you from me."

Kagome stood up, the shock and anger finally wearing off enough for her to stand, and blinked up at him. "Okay. I understand." She sighed, then looked a the burn mark from his poison. "It's tedious to be followed all the time, but I know why you're doing it."

He flicked a glance at her. "Hn. Be aware, Kagome. I will never repudiate you - do not ever be taken in by any attempts like this."

She smiled up at him. "I know... for a second, the shock hurt - but that's why I got mad - I knew you hadn't done this. I... trusted you."

"I will never give you cause not to, miko. Remember that." He held her gaze for a moment, then, satisfied with what he saw in it, motioned for her to precede him. "Come. It is time to leave."

With one last, menacing glance around the clearing, he turned and followed his miko from it.

You will pay dearly for this, Kagura - or Naraku - whichever one you really are.

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A/N: Typical Naraku, trying to split people up with thoughts of betrayal. Good thing it didn't work.

Amber