Splintered Coral – Part Twelve

Important: Curse this site. I don't LIKE its bleeping dividers, but it's eating MY dividers. Grr...

Disclaimer: Nuh-uh. Not me. It's all Rumiko Takahashi's, the murderer of awesome characters. [mourns]

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The ball fell to the floor with a clatter before rolling in front of the seated Naraku. Calmly, he picked up the prize, examining it before flicking his red gaze to Kagura, who watched him mutely.

"Really, Kagura, you should be more responsible. You might have broken it, and I'd have been...displeased..." the hanyou said with the air of one too distracted to give a proper scolding.

The wind witch gave an unconvinced snort. "That thing has survived worse falls. Besides, what in the world are you planning to use those for?" she asked, resting her weight against the wall with crossed arms.

A chuckle emanated from Naraku's throat as he stood and made his way out of the room. "That, Kagura, you shall have to wait and see."

A frown carved itself into her expression, and she reluctantly decided to follow. "I'm sure that you are aware that I don't appreciate your surprises." All Kagura received in reply was silent smirk, to which she narrowed her eyes. A moment later, a thought struck her. "What of the boy, Kohaku, though? Aren't you going to use him against Sango like you always do?" Kagura did not expect to be answered, but surprisingly, she was.

"Kohaku is unnecessary. Though I'm sure it would be enjoyable to introduce him to the current situation, he will wait and remain ignorant. However, when I do present his sister to him, it shall be amusing. Especially once she has expired."

It was then Kagura's turn to become unresponsive. Although it was a tad uncharacteristic of her, the wind demon felt a bit of pity for the young taijiya. After all, Kohaku was in a worse situation than she was. Naraku could strip the boy of his very personality whenever he wished, while he could merely order and threaten her about. Then again, he did have family and friends fighting for his freedom, even if he unaware of that.

"Kagura."

"Hn?"

"Go hover out of sight, and be prepared to be useful if I have need of you. Take Kanna with you." Sometime while Kagura had been distracted by her own thoughts, the pale, childlike demon had materialized behind her. Distaste for the situation welled up inside of Kagura. So, he wanted her under supervision, did he?

"Come, Kanna," she said curtly, stalking off without another word towards Naraku. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder, 'Just what does that bastard have planned?'

x=x=x

"Saimyoushou," Miroku muttered distastefully, glancing skyward at the buzzing insects. "Apparently Naraku doesn't want us to get lost..."

"I don't like it," Ansho said with a scowl. "He's got this all planned out, and we're walking right into his trap. Maybe we should have waited to go meet up with Inuyasha and Kagome-chan before making this decision."

"Too late now," Miroku replied, eyes trained ahead of him.

He was there. Naraku—sitting there on the steps of his stolen castle with a smug appearance. Though the monk and his companions stood quite a ways away—on the other side of the courtyard's entrance—there was no mistaking the identity of the hanyou. The only question was whether it was just another golem or not..., but that was unlikely. The fact that the typical baboon hood did not cover Naraku's face was just one of the hints towards that answer.

But Naraku only held Miroku's attention for so long, for the houshi was momentarily distracted by a glint next to the reclining half demon's hand. As he recognized the source of the slight flash, a deep scowl etched itself on Miroku's features. Not just one, but both of the orbs were there.

In Naraku's possession.

"Why monk... You look surprised. Surely you're not too disappointed in my small collection, are you?" Naraku smirked.

Miroku's grip on his staff was turning his knuckles white as he began to march forward, but Sango caught him by the back of his robes.

"Houshi-sama!" she hissed. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Miroku spared her a dark glance. "Both of you, keep your guard up. Let Kirara watch our rear." Brushing her hand away, he moved forward again, dangerously intent on the bone that he had to pick with his lifelong enemy. Sango spluttered, looking towards Ansho for help. However, the taijiya merely shook her head.

"Let's just listen to him for once," Ansho said in a hushed tone. "There's more going on in that thick skull of his than he's letting on. I think he..." Ansho trailed off.

"He what?" Sango gave her other self a quizzical look.

"Never mind. Kirara, watch our rear. Come on, Sango..." As the two made their cautious path behind Miroku, the cat demon obeyed her order, transforming into her larger size in a burst of flame and zigzagging behind her two mistresses.

In the meantime, Miroku had again halted before Naraku. "What are you planning, Naraku? I know you're up to something, and that you've laid some sort of trap now that we're here." Miroku's anger thickened—Naraku didn't seem at all uneasy beneath the malevolent glare he was receiving.

"Trap, houshi? Truly, you aren't insinuating the idea that you think I waste my time rigging holes in the ground that you may fall through, are you?"

"Cut the bullshit! I know you have something planned!"

With a chuckle, the hanyou raised one of the two orbs to eye level, examining it before locking eyes with Miroku. "Don't we all have plans though? Take yours, for example. Let me take a guess at them. You plan to kill me, hn? And then what? Find some way to put Sango back together so that you can... Let me guess. You are a lech, like your forefathers, so maybe...You plan to screw her?"

Miroku saw red. "You bastard!" he yelled, leaping forward. "You know absolutely nothing about me or my plans!" In a blur of gold, his typically innocent-looking staff arced downwards in a deadly curve, but Naraku swiftly dodged.

However, he left one thing behind.

One of the orbs.

As Naraku's plans would have it, the ornate top of Miroku's shakujou slammed down on the silvery sphere. And then there was a horrifying crack. The houshi was motionless as he stared at what he had done.

He had broken it.

An eternal second later, a cry reached his ears.

'No...'

His eyes flickered towards the source of the sound, and he saw Sango lying on the ground, Kirara beside her and Ansho looking away. Tearing his gaze away from the sight, he looked instead towards Naraku, inexplicable fury rising within him. With a feral growl, one that he would usually expect out of Inuyasha instead of himself, Miroku rose to his feet.

'He'll pay.'

x=x=x

"Inuyasha! We have to hurry!"

"I know, damn it! I'm hurrying!" Inuyasha growled over his shoulder. "We're catching up!" Kagome nodded, desperate to believe him.

Shippou whimpered from beside her. "Kagome? Are Sango and Miroku gonna be okay? And Ansho and Kirara?" The schoolgirl gave the kitsune a small smile.

"I think that they will, Shippou-chan."

"Feh. Of course they'll be fine. Ansho can hold her own, and Miroku's smart enough not to let Sango get hurt. Don't be such an idiot, Shippou."

"I'm not an idiot!"

"Yes, you are!"

Kagome could help but truly smile this time. 'Thank you, Inuyasha.'

x=x=x

"Ah! Kirara! What did you do that for?" Sango groaned, pushing the youkai, who had bowled her over, away from her. After she did so, she noticed Ansho's tense stature. "What's wrong?"

The single, whispered word she received in response was all she needed to hear.

"Kohaku..."

Sango's head snapped towards the same direction Ansho's faced and saw exactly what she expected to see. Her—their—younger brother stood there, staring their way as he drew his weapon towards him by the chain. Sango couldn't help but notice that he looked different than he usually did while being controlled. Then..., it hit her. He wasn't expressionless!

Was it possible that he had been recovering his memories? But, why was he staring toward her and Sango with such...distrust? Both of the girls' breaths caught when he spoke.

"What's going on? Why are there two of you? Which one of you is my ane-ue?" he asked, his young voice shaky.

Sango, using Kirara's back for leverage, slowly stood. "Kohaku..." she said. "Both of us. We're both your sister." She reached out a hand towards him hopefully, but he shook his head and stumbled backwards.

"No! I only have one sister! You both- you're impersonating her, aren't you? This is another game of Naraku's, isn't it? This isn't funny!"

Ansho was silent, her visage anguished, but Sango pressed on. "I know, we don't think it is either. Kohaku, please... Let me—us—explain." Abruptly, Ansho's hand snatched Sango's upper arm.

"Wait-! His eyes, they're not..."

'They're not his...'

"I won't let you dishonor her!" Kohaku raced towards them, his scythe at the ready. Ansho shoved Sango aside and quickly slid Hiraikotsu from her shoulder.

"Sango! Get back with Kirara. I'll fight him!"

Helpless and unable to give assistance, Sango obeyed, slipping with the fire cat into the shadow of a wall.

x=x=x

Kagura had to struggle to prevent herself from ripping the fibers of her feather from beneath her. Naraku! That jerk! He had lied to her!

He had said that Kohaku was unnecessary and that he would remain ignorant of the situation. And now she was infuriated. It wasn't so much the boy's involvement that angered her, but more that Naraku knew that she wasn't to be trusted. Ever since she had run off during that time in which he had been...temporarily unable to pull himself together...he hadn't trusted her.

If she wanted to have any chance at freedom, she needed to know what Naraku was up to!

Inhaling deeply, Kagura forced herself to calm down and merely continue watching. After all, she had to keep on a good face for Kanna.

Who knew whether or not her own sister would betray her to the hanyou that had created them?

Miroku was hardly conscious of what he was doing. All that mattered was that he kept attacking Naraku, although his opponent was constantly dodging the swings of his staff and the paths of his spelled scrolls. At least some of the odds had to be in his favor! A strike had to hit eventually, and end this constant dodging on both of their parts.

"Tired yet, monk?" Naraku taunted with an amused gleam in his blood-red eyes.

"Not until you're dead," was the reply.

"That's what you plan on, isn't it?" The hanyou laughed at Miroku's renewed rage. "Yes, you want this other orb too, don't you?" he asked, pulling it out from where he had hidden it—beneath the white fur of his baboon robe. "I wonder if your other Sango can catch it? What did you call her? Ansho?" Without another word, he hurled it over Miroku's head.

Startled by the sudden change of tactics, Miroku followed the movements of the glimmering ball as it flew towards Ansho. Only, she didn't notice it at all, he noted with a lurch of his stomach. It had just begun its downward descent when one of Naraku's drab tentacles materialized out of nowhere, smacking into Miroku and hurtling him a distance away into the stairs Naraku had been previously perched on.

Miroku wasn't conscious to see the orb intercept the path of Kohaku's scythe, which easily sliced it, shattering it into countless shards.

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Aamalie: =D Do you guys have any idea how awesome it feels to be inspired for this story after six months of nonstop blockage? I almost feel like crying. I got four pages of this chapter written in like... an hour an half. Plus what I wrote during blockage. (Which took me a whole day.) Dora, you seriously deserve an award of SOME sort. Or you did, until you told me the chapter was too short. -.-;

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Raining Skye- ;.; Nee... chapter 374 sucks. My hopes for SessKagu are destroyed. It's the ultimate sin. Kagura rawked. As for the no-InuKag subplot... x.x I hate Mir/San fics that interrupt everything with Inu/Kag. It's Mir/San for a reason. Grr.

Monika-chan- x.x Actually... The ending IS coming. Soon. =3 So is fluff.

Vampire-elf- =P I think this is a bit better than my last, no? Sorry I didn't send it to you... You're not online at the moment... and yeah. =(

Zero27- =3 Last chapter is a thing of the past. I love this chapter. It's awesome, no? [gushes over it]

silentmiko242- o.o Kagura is the BEST! How dare you insult her!!! [whacks you upside the head with the Digital Sledgehammer]

Ghoul King- Oh ye of so little faith... You think I'd make you wait another four months?! ...Maybe I should. [evil laughter] And no. Last chapter wasn't nice. This one was though. =D

Naanaami- Have read it... x.x Must get to reviewing it. I've been lazy review-wise lately... [hits self]

Vilja- Yes. Believe it or not, my fics do have plots. Shocker, no?

Xichiathik- Of course I continued it. x.x I don't like discontinuing things. =P And I'm sure you're an excellent author. You just need to think up a shocker of an unusual plot that will attract people =) Secret to my success.

Siren of Erised- x.x I was originally planning to leave Kohaku outta this, but Dora convinced me otherwise. xD Figures...

J.M.M.Harris- ...Ansho rawks.

IronRaven- [shrugs] She's stupid so that the plot might move on... xD

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...As for YOU, Corisu and Lonnie... And Kip, May, and Dora... You should all be ashamed. I didn't get a review from any of you. For shame. =P I think some of you don't realize that I do recognize my reviewer's names and I notice when you don't review... I just notice some people more than other. xD

By the way, how many people had to go back and reread the entire story for the last chapter?

Yeah. Me too.

Review!