Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Moonlight's Shadow	By : northstar Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Naraku/Kagome Views: 40637 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha�.well, I do have this nifty Sesshoumaru
wall scroll that I bought myself as part of my Christmas. Now that he�s on my
wall, staring at me, I feel far more motivated to finish the Sess/Rin lemon I�m writing. Now if only I could find a Naraku wall scroll for this story�
WARNINGS: Bad language in this chapter. Mentions of rape and post trama.
[AN] Okie dokie�I
posted this without proofreading. Good part�you get this sooner. Bad part�there
may be some oopsies in this. I promise to get around
to reposting it. Really. Those of you who have been
reading from the beginning will notice I changed the title. Actually, even back
when I started writing this story, I had it saved as Moonlight�s Shadow. I
don�t know if any of you know the song Moonlights Shadow by Groove Coverage,
but that was part of the inspiration for this story. (Of course, the original
song, tune, and lyrics belong to their respective owners). I titled it �Touch
Me Not� in the beginning because I thought it was going to be nothing more than
a Naraku/Kagome lemon and that Moonlight�s Shadow was
maybe a bit much as a title. But now I have a reason for calling it that. You
will see, eventually. Mwaha.
Oh yeah. This chapter is mostly filler. But important filler. *Gasp* There is a plot line! Don�t
worry though, more Naraku/Kag smut coming soon!
>:D

Enjoy.

Ch 6 Cleansing

=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=

Kagome lay quiescent in Sango�s
arms, very carefully not thinking of anything. Her mind was as blank as she
could make it, although she could feel the dark memories lurking somewhere
close, biding their time. Instead, she focused on the brush of air across her
cheek, taking simple joy in that emotionally uncomplicated sensation. The wind
was cold, the air thin at this high altitude, and Kagome felt lightheaded.
Coupled with the drowsiness caused by the static buzz of her pain, it wasn�t
long before her grasp on consciousness relaxed and she slipped into a state of
semi-sleep. The gentle motion of Kirara�s flying
lulled her, and Kagome wondered absently if they would go on flying forever
until Kirara grew tired and they fell into the sea.
She knew she should feel concern at the prospect of all of their deaths, but
she couldn�t be bothered to care. She felt nothing; she was empty and that
satisfied her.
Sango glanced down at the girl in
her arms. Kagome�s eyelids were half closed, veiling her blank brown eyes. Her
breathing was slightly labored, though steady, but Kagome felt cold to the
touch and Sango couldn�t help but worry. Could shock
be setting in? She needed to keep Kagome responsive; if for no other reason
than the selfish wish to be reassured that the other girl was going to be
alright.
�Kagome!� Sango
called insistently. When she got no answer, she pressed her mouth against the miko�s ear and tried again. �Kagome!!�
Kagome blinked sleepily. �Sango?�
she said in a distant voice.
�Ka-go-me!!�
�What?� Kagome woke up enough respond irritably.
Sango relaxed, not realizing that
she gone tense. She smiled in relief. �I thought I had lost you there for a
moment!�
Kagome frowned, not fully understanding Sango�s
words. Was Sango concerned because they were going to
fall into the sea? She opened her eyes fully and looked at Sango,
although the effort was almost more than she could manage.
�Don�t worry. I�m strong swimmer. I�ll save you,� she
reassured Sango, confident that this would make her
friend stop worrying so she could go back to not caring.
Sango mirrored Kagome�s frown and
worked a hand free so she could press it to Kagome�s forehead. Her frown
deepened and the anxiety in her deep brown eyes sharpened.
�You�re running a fever! And you�re clammy to the touch!� Sango exclaimed.
Kagome stared up at her and felt an echo of Sango�s concern; not because she comprehended what Sango was babbling about, but because seeing her friend
distressed caused her distress.
Maybe Sango doubted her ability to
swim. After all, they hadn�t met Sango yet when she
jumped into the river to save the village child. Save? Save? Hmmm�
Wasn�t there someone she was supposed to save? Ah yes, she had to save Kikyo. From Naraku.
That was right. Kagura was going to carry Kikyo away as she went to Naraku
and let him�
Sango froze in surprise as Kagome
went from being still to violently struggling in her arms. Automatically she
tightened her grip, preventing Kagome from breaking free and plunging to her
death. The other girl moaned and whimpered, flinging her arms wildly as she
kicked out at some unseen assailant.
�Please!� Kagome
pleaded desperately. �Oh please, please.
NO!�
�NO! NO NO NO!�
Kagome screamed, managing to swipe Sango across the
mouth and land an elbow in the other girl�s ribs.
�Umph,� Sango
protested weakly, passively enduring the wounded miko�s
assault.
Kagome let out a shrill scream, one that raised the hair on
the back of Sango�s neck, and then went limp.
Cautiously, Sango eased her hold,
repositioning Kagome so that she rested easier in Sango�s
arms. This time, upon seeing Kagome fading into unconsciousness, Sango let her go, thankful that Kagome seemed more peaceful
in her sleep.

Kagome woke slowly, found herself still in Sango�s arms, and wondered when she had drifted off. They
were still flying, though Kagome was pretty sure that they should be close to Kaede�s village by now. She looked up at Sango, who was staring straight ahead over Kirara�s head, and noticed that Sango�s
lip was busted and bloody. Searching her memory, Kagome dimly remembered
striking out at the girl. She reached up and traced the swelling with a
tentative finger. Sango jerked at out of her revere
and glanced down at Kagome in surprise.
�You�re awake,� Sango commented to
fill the suddenly awkward silence.
�Did I do that?� Kagome wondered aloud. �I�m sorry,� she
added softly.
�Don�t be. You didn�t mean to!� Sango
hurriedly reassured her. �If anyone should be apologizing it should be me!
Kagome�I�m so sorry I wasn�t there for you! I��
Kagome stilled Sango�s words with
her hand. She reached for a smile and found with tired relief that she had one
for Sango.
�You�re not to blame, Sango,� she
said, the words coming so naturally that she didn�t even have to think about
them. �And even if you were, of course I�d forgive you.�
Sango�s guilty look melted away
into the warm, intimate smile one friend gives another, and Kagome felt
satisfaction as her friend�s guilt faded away. She let her eyelids droop for a
moment, enduring the jostling of Kirara�s landing and
Sango dismounting without protesting the pain it
caused her.
�I�ll take you to Kaede and put
you to bed�� Sango was saying as she walked towards Kaede�s house.
Kagome�s eyes flew open. �I want to be clean first!� she
demanded with more life than she�d shown the entire journey.
�Kag�� Sango
started.
�Please Sango!� Kagome dropped her
voice to a low murmur. �I need to get
clean!�
�Okay,� Sango soothed. She stopped
walking towards the house. �Is it okay if we see Kaede
first?�
Kagome didn�t even pause, but shook her head fearfully. �I�m
afraid,� she admitted in a small, small voice. After Kikyo�s
reaction, Kagome didn�t know how the old miko would
react. From Kikyo, Kagome had come to expect only
hostility and disgust, but from Kaede, who was like
the tough old grandma Kagome had never had, words like �whore� and
�abomination� would be more than she could bear.
Sango turned and hiked back to
where a large Kirara sat watching. With a slowness
that aggravated Kagome�s pain rather than easing it, Sango
set Kagome down beside Kirara. She faced the miko, her earnest brown eyes roaming over the other girl�s
frightened face as she gave Kagome�s shoulders an encouraging squeeze.
�I�m going to go inside and get the first aid kit, soap,
shampoo, towels, and clean clothes. Kirara will keep
you safe until I get back. Okay?�
Kagome swallowed then nodded. She watched tensely as Sango disappeared inside Kaede�s
hut. The sound of female voices ensued, and then Sango
reappeared�without Kaede following her�and Kagome
unconsciously relaxed.
Sango juggled her armful of stuff
as she approached, shifting it so that she could keep a hold of everything.
�You�ll have to carry everything so my hands are free,� Sango apologized as she stood over Kagome.
Kagome shook her head to show she didn�t mind and reached
out to relieve Sango of her bundle. The sudden urge
to be clean was so strong that Kagome wanted to gnash her teeth with
impatience, but her fear of alienating Sango was
greater and she kept silent. She hated
the fact that she was so helpless that she couldn�t even bathe herself properly.
She was grateful beyond words for Sango�s
understanding and willingness; but underneath that aura of good feeling was a
sullen resentment towards Sango. Sango wasn�t the one who had been
raped. Sango
wasn�t the one who�d been stripped of her pride and self worth. Why did it have
to be Kagome that these things
happened to? Not that she would wish Naraku�s touch
on Sango�never that!�but why did that have to happen
to her, Kagome? She had thought she was strong; she had been so confident so
that even when Naraku held her captive, she had dared
laugh in the face of that danger.
Never again, she
vowed. I won�t let that happen ever
again!
�Never again,� Kagome murmured.
�Huh?� Sango made a questioning
sound as she lifted Kagome in her arms.
Kagome felt the weight of her tears press against her eyes
and turned her head away to hide the tell tale streaks that the droplets left
as they trailed down her cheeks.
�Never again,� she repeated louder, affirming her own
resolution. �I won�t ever let myself be a victim again.�
Sango held her tighter and was
silent as she tried to put her feelings into words. At last she spoke,
hesitantly, as if unsure how Kagome would react.
�I know�that you have every reason to doubt us, and that no
matter what we do, we can�t undo what was done�but believe me, Kagome, when I
say that we will protect you! None of us are strong enough to take on Naraku by ourselves�but together, we will defeat him!�
Kagome rolled her head around to meet Sango�s
gaze and the demon slayer was very unsettled by the haunted shadows in Kagome�s
eyes.
�I believe you,� the wounded girl started softly. �I believe
that you will do everything you are able to�you and Miroku
and Shippo and Kirara�and Inuyasha. But this is Naraku. There was nothing we could do�nothing I could do�� Kagome gave a little hiccup as a sob caught in her
throat. �Oh god, Sango�I felt so helpless! He�h-he touched
me and it felt g�good! I liked it�what he did to me! I feel so dirty. How could I feel like that, Sango? How?�
Sango cradled the crying Kagome
against her, at a loss for words. What could she say? What reassurances could
she give? She was too sexually inexperienced to offer any rational explanation.
So she did what seemed best and silently held Kagome as she sobbed. She mounted
Kirara and told her to carry them to a nearby hot
spring.
�You�re not dirty, Kagome,� Sango
said after a lengthy pause. �Naraku did this to you.
Everything is his fault! He forced
you��
�He didn�t. Not completely. Don�t you see Sango? That�s what�s so wrong! I said�even though I
lied�that I would let him�that I was willing�� she shuttered in Sango�s arms, took a ragged breath and continued. �He
wanted me to�with him�willingly. I only said I would because he was going to rape Kikyo
right in front of me! But then no one came and Kagura
left me with him and then he touched
me and I LET HIM!�
Kagome�s outburst shocked Sango
and she kept quiet, fearing that anything she said would be the wrong thing to
say.
�I kept thinking�any moment�that someone would come�so I
cooperated�� Kagome kept talking, as if she couldn�t stop herself now that
she�d started. �And then it was too late and he was inside of me and�and��
The wounded girl fell silent and Sango
felt a momentary twinge of ill placed curiosity before she could suppress it.
As a virgin herself, sex was something of a mystery, but right now was hardly
the time for that kind of query.
Sango brushed Kagome�s damp bangs
out of the girl�s eyes, offering the comfort of her touch. Because she was at a
loss for what else to do, Sango did it again,
extending the motion of her hand to sweep gently over Kagome�s hair.
�I�m so sorry,� she whispered softly as Kagome�s sobs grew
into harsh, frame raking shudders, �So sorry. You were so brave, and we failed
you. To face down Naraku all alone�none of the rest of us are that strong,
Kagome. No matter what happened, you are you�strong, brave, and beautiful�and
no one, not even Naraku, can change that. I will always be proud to have you as a
friend, no matter what.�
Against her chest, Kagome stilled, and Sango
sensed that she was thinking over what the demon slayer had said. Kagome raised
her chin and met Sango�s gaze, her dark eyes serious.
�Even if I destroy the world?� the miko
asked softly.
The strange light in Kagome�s level stare made Sango bite back her immediate, flippant answer. For a
moment, she actually considered the possibility of Kagome bringing about the
destruction of the world. Still, it only took her a split second to decide.
�Even then,� she replied firmly.
Kagome studied her. �I believe you,� she said slowly, a
faint smile curving her bruised lips.
�Of course,� Sango replied
lightly, a little unsettled by the gravity of the moment.
Both girls fell silent as Kirara
started her decent, but unlike the silences before, this one was almost
comfortable. The giant fire cat settled onto the ground, shrinking back to her
smaller form after Sango dismounted. The demon slayer
started forward, but stopped when Kagome tightened her grip on Sango�s front.
�I�d like to walk,� she asserted.
�Are you sure? Cause it�s no problem�� Sango
started.
�Please?� she insisted.
�Alright,� Sango acceded. She
braced herself so that she was stable and then assisted Kagome as the girl
settled onto her feet. There was an awkward moment as Sango
took the stuff Kagome had been holding from her, but at last the girls made it
to the hot spring. Sango left Kagome leaning against
a rock as she stepped aside to undress herself. She heard Kagome give a hiss of
pain as she lowered herself into the frothing hot water. She came over by
Kagome, concerned for her friend.
�Are you ok? Would you like some painkillers?� Sango asked.
�Aspirin please,� she replied. �And a couple cold packs, for
my head and the m�burn.�
The demon slayer rummaged through the first aid kit and
brought back both items; which Kagome took gratefully. Sango
lowered herself into the water, the temperature causing her own breath to
catch.
�Sango?�
Kagome asked.
Sango looked up, thinking that
Kagome must have thought of something else she wanted.
�Thank you,� Kagome said; the first glint of her old self
back in her eyes.
Sango smiled. �You�re welcome.�

=#=#=#=

The wind carried her home. Home, to him. It was inevitable;
eventually she had to return to her
master. She had no other choice�she was a wind tamed to serve every whim of the
vile creature Naraku.
The mountain air was frigid, as crisp as a blade. Kagura shivered with repressed fear, hoping without any
true conviction that her master�s mood was better than the weather. This
emptied temple was one of Naraku�s many hideouts.
Privately, Kagura thought that her master got a sick
kick out of defiling the formerly holy place. When he had first acquired this
place, he had raped her on the altar with more than his normal enthusiasm.
She shivered again, this time with remembered terror. Would
he rape her as punishment? No�this time her offense was serious enough that no
less than her demise would satisfy him. She feared death, she whose life was an abhorrence against nature in so many ways, but she also
welcomed it because death was its own kind of freedom.
Freedom.
That which she craved most.
That which she could not have.
Because of Naraku.
And because of Kikyo, who showed Naraku
how to create ones such as her and Kanna.
Kanna.
Kagura wondered idly as she walked
slowly towards her doom, whether the pale child could help her. She gave a
rueful snort. As if Kanna would even miss her. The
child had no emotion whatsoever and was a perfect, obedient puppet.
As if summoned by Kagura�s
thoughts of her, Kanna stepped through one of the
side doorways into the hall and directly in Kagura�s
path.
�Master is waiting,� she said in her soft, even, dead voice.
Kagura halted, almost took an
involuntary step back, and swallowed convulsively. Her grip on her fan
tightened until her knuckles turned white. Maybe if she provoked him and he
counter attacked, she would die a quick death�
�Kagura.�
Her name fell off of his tongue like a staccato note with
every syllable clipped and precise. She froze instinctively, her fear urging
her to run, but she had learned the hard way that running away only made it
far, far worse. Still, she found herself unable to move forward. For all of her
false bravado, Naraku scared the shit out of her. It wasn�t just that he was cruel and abusive; it
was that he was cruel, abusive, and creative.
She would never understand the way his mind worked.
�Kagura,� Naraku
repeated and this time she responded, shooting forward before she corrected her
pace to a fast walk.
Her master sat beneath the shelter of an awning, a lit
brazier nearby providing warmth, looking out on a breathtaking view of jagged,
snow covered mountains. He lounged in his usual position, with one leg bent on
the floor and his elbow resting upon his vertical knee. He was wearing a dark
burgundy robe�one that looked exactly like the one Kagome had worn�with the
white baboon pelt pulled down across his shoulders.
Even when Kagura stopped and stood
over him a few feet away, he did not turn from contemplating the pristine and
sterile view before him. When he did not speak for several minutes, she began
to fidget, opening and snapping her fan shut agitatedly. She looked about the
room, wondering if this was one of the rooms the monks had used for meditation.
There was nothing as far as decoration or adornment, just bare wood and stone. Naraku, in contrast, looked like the rich noble whose body
he had stolen. What had been the name of that poor soul? Teijiro? Not that it
mattered; if anything of the original person remained, it was buried deep
within the quagmire of Naraku�s being. Still, if she
hadn�t known that Naraku dwelled beneath that skin,
she would have been able to appreciate the beauty of the scene before her.
Against the even whiteness of the snow, his dark form stood out in stark
profile. He was all long limbs and lean muscle; Naraku
allowed no extra fat to mar the body he dwelled in. He was also incredibly
strong and limber, as flexible and tough as spider silk. Kagura
knew first hand�how many times had she struggled futilely against him? She
wouldn�t force herself to count. Not that it mattered anymore though. She was
dead this time for sure.
�You betrayed me,� Naraku
commented, not bothering to look at her, �Again.�
Kagura said nothing, knowing that
defending herself was useless. He would either kill her or he wouldn�t. It was
very rare for Naraku to ever change his mind.
�I should kill you,� he continued.
Kagura blanched at that. Had she
thought him handsome? He had all the appeal of a coiled cobra. And he wasn�t
going to kill her, which meant he had something worse than death in mind for
her. She felt her adrenaline surge and contemplated running. Maybe she could
make it far enough away she could find someone to kill her. Like Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha.
�But I have a use for you yet,� he informed her.
Kagura stilled, escape forgotten.
Her gut curled with terror. Of the two, punishment or servitude, Kagura didn�t know which was worse. What use could she
possibly have to him? She knew that
she had done the one thing he wouldn�t forgive by taking Kikyo
away. It had been impulsive and foolish, yet it filled her with that heady rush
of daring and dread that her disobedient acts always did. It had been almost a
relief, the knowledge that this time he would destroy her at last.
�You, my treacherous zephyr, will help me trap the miko, this time for good,� he stated with the absolute
expectation of her compliance.
The thought of facing Kikyo made
her shutter, but her anticipation of Kikyo�s
destruction, even by Naraku�s hand, was greater. The
irony of her first being instrumental in Kikyo�s
rescue, and then being instrumental in her recapture was not lost on Kagura; but this time no errant whim of compassion would
drive Kagura to intercede. As far as Kagura was concerned, that bitch deserved whatever Naraku did to her. Indeed, Kagura
would be perfectly happy if Kikyo and Naraku succeeded in destroying one another.
�How will I be helpful in trapping Kikyo?�
she asked with a touch too much eagerness.
Naraku frowned and turned to pin
her with a cold, suspicious glare. She stilled, like a rabbit under the hawk�s
shadow, and when he smiled with cruel amusement she trembled with icy, stark
fear.
�Not Kikyo; the other one,
Kagome.�
Kagura�s spine snapped straight
and she drew herself to her full height.
�No,� she said with only a small quaver.
�Are you defying me?� he asked in a low, deadly voice.
She paused. Fear froze her tongue for a moment then she
replied.
�Yes.�
She expected to feel the excruciating, aching pain of him using
her heart against her. When there was none, she gaped at him, unable to conceal
her shock.
His smile widened into a showing of his white, sharp teeth
as he took in her surprise. His eyes should have been hard and blazing with
rage; instead they were glittering with anticipation
and excitement.
She took a step back and swallowed nervously.
�You believe, and I have let you, that causing you pain is
the worst punishment I can inflict upon you and thus
you have come to the conclusion that you may do as you please because you can
endure that pain. Let me correct that, my captive wind child. Until now, your
free will and your ability to act independently from myself have been enough of
an asset to allow you your fits of disobedience. But should they ever prove a
hindrance to my plans�such as now�I will immediately and with great
satisfaction strip you of any ability to disobey me. As for your awareness of
self, that sentience that you possess now; that
I will allow you to keep as I reabsorb your body.�
He paused, his smile widening with wicked smugness.
�Imagine, Kagura, being one with
me again, being trapped inside my body; conscious and aware, but unable to do
anything but endure. Now tell me, is this misplaced loyalty to Kagome worth the
limited freedom you have now? For indeed, although you bitterly hate my control
over you, I assure you wind child, that there are far, far worst fates I can
gift you with.�
Kagura clenched her teeth,
grinding them together in impotent rage. Her belated, twisted sense of honor
railed against her coming betrayal, but her deepest and truest yearning for
freedom demanded she do as he says.
They glared at each other for a moment, his eyes filled with
the cool assurance that she will obey, hers filled with furious frustration and
defeat.
Kagura whirled and stalked out,
not bothering to wait for him to say anything further. He knew, and she knew,
that he had effectively forced her compliance.

=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=

[AN] Thanks as always for the reviews! I�m so glad you like
my twisted, but fun story. 123 reviews. Wow.
- 5
- 6
- 7
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Moonlight's Shadow