Artificial Love

MY REVIEWS!!!!! My poor little baby reviews! They’re gone! (ok so it was only like three of them) but STILL!.... I’m ok. Really. Thank you for all of your reviews! Even the missing ones. I cherish each and every one. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Now that I’m done ranting I just want to apologize for the long wait for an update. I have no excuse but my own laziness, and whoever invented the flu must me shot, stuffed, mounted, and shot again!

Disclaimer: Not only do I not own Inuyasha... he threatened to put a restraining order on me. HOW COULD HE! After all I’ve done for the little mutt! I guess it just goes to show, you can never trust the people that you kidnap. Happy reading!

Chapter 7: Curiouser and Curiouser

As Inuyasha and Miroku neared the camp, they sensed that something was very wrong. It was quiet. Their camp was never quiet. None of the usual laughter of the kit, filled the air. No loud gossiping from the girls. No smoke from a fire.

Only the acrid, toxic scent of Naraku hit Inuyasha’s nose.

“Dammit!” Inuyasha cried as he ran out into the clearing where their small camp had been raised, only to find Kagome, Sango, and Shippo sitting rigidly around the dead fire. And then Naraku, leisurely resting against the trunk of a tree, hidden beneath a baboon pelt as always.

“Inuyasha,” he droled in his usual deep tenor. “I have been waiting for you, and you’re...” He turned his head in Miroku’s direction slowly, amusement apparent even without his face exposed. “... friend.”

“You leave him out of this! And everyone else!”

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, prepared to face the sadistic half breed, so unlike himself, that had caused everyone that he knew so much pain. “I’m the one you came here for.”

His voice rang out clearly into the silence, though his tone was low and dangerous, and bordered on a growl.

Naraku chuckled darkly. “You disappoint me Inuyasha. I’m afraid that you think much too highly of yourself. Presuming that you know my intentions.” he made a chiding noise that caused Inuyasha’s growl to intensify, and his hooded face drifted back towards Miroku. “I’m here... to resolve some unfinished business, with you.

Miroku tensed and clutched his right arm unconsciously. “What is your business with me.” His tone was flat and apprehensive.

“I’ve come to tell you that I have grown tired of this little game that I play with your family,” he said matter of factly, his words belying the grin that must have been on his face. “I wish to end it.”

Upon his last words, hundreds of saimyosho flooded out of the dense forest that surrounded them, circling the group as Naraku’s maniacal laughter filled the clearing.

“Farewell, monk.”

A sharp pain seized Miroku’s cursed hand, rendering it immobile as the prayer beads that restrained his wind tunnel snapped, scattering wildly through the air before being consumed by the awesome force that they had been made to restrain. Using his free arm, he turned the wind tunnel skyward, steadying himself against the power of his curse that even now tried to consume him.

The baboon cloaked hanyou bowed his head to a furious Inuyasha, and drew a dagger from within his white fur. Calmly infuriating laughter died on the wind that carried it as Naraku turned the dagger on himself, plunging it into his own heart. What should have been his heart.

Inuyasha fumed as another demon puppet slumped lifelessly to the ground. Not even pausing an instant before bringing down a group of the seemingly endless cloud of poisonous insects that blocked him from Miroku. Hacking at them. Infuriated that the ten yards that separated him from the monk was taking so long to cover. Afraid of what the moments of his absence would mean for his mate.

A tug from deep inside of him caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

“Oh no...”

He turned his face up, to be met with a now dark, moonless sky, as his hair changed color to suit. Day to night as black as pitch. White to black as dark as night. His claws dulled and thinned until they were but feeble, weak. Human.

When at last, he grew as accustom to the smothering loss of senses as he could, he immediately wished that his sight was taken completely. He stared uselessly. What use could he be now to his friend. What use could he be to anyone.

Miroku stood his ground, as he was attacked over and over by the saimyosho that hovered dangerously above in a thick, living fog. Showing no signs that the strong winds of the void in the monk’s hand had any affect on them, they smoothly flew into the darkness of it, not because they were pulled, but by choice. Some even, landed easily on Miroku’s hand and proceeded to strip away at the monk's flesh, expanding the wind tunnel dangerously.

Miroku let out deafening cries of pain as the poison, coupled with the expansion of his curse, sent waves of molten pain throughout his weakening body.

Inuyasha beat against the insects desperately with his feeble human hands, forcing his way by inches closer to Miroku. As the tide of insects swept him backwards yet again, a white blur raced through his peripheral vision, and he caught the high pitched whine that he recognized as his brothers toad like servant.

He hit the ground mere seconds before a tide of pure energy swept across the clearing, disintegrating the saimyosho in one fell sweep. He now knew that his brother was here. Only the sword that he carried could generate an energy to match his fathers blade.

Stiffly rising to his feet, he waded as fast as was possible through the thick layer of insect carcasses towards the still form of his mate.

Inuyasha slowed as he neared the monk. Afraid of losing what he had just so recently found. Afraid that his weakness had cost Miroku his life. Had cost Inuyasha his soul.

Coming slowly to the monks side, the hanyou let out a small sigh of relief at the slight rise and fall of his mates chest. He was alive - if but barely. Sesshoumaru neared the fallen figure of Miroku and Inuyasha felt an unconscious growl rumble low in his chest.

Sesshoumaru took no notice of the protective warning and drew nearer still.

“It seems that Naraku is aware of your vulnerabilities Inuyasha,” he stated in his usual silkily spun speech.

“What do you care. You afraid that he’ll kill me before you get the chance BROTHER.”

He glared at Sesshoumaru vehemently, hating the fact that he had been saved by him. His anger tempered at last by his worry for the monk, who was being given an anti venom by Kagome. It would help to neutralize the toxins, that were even now eating away at Miroku’s insides. A grim expression set like drying concrete on his face as he saw the ward that the monk had used to hold his wind tunnel at bay before it could consume him. It sparked and crackled as it burned against the demonic void that it kept sealed.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes grew almost imperceptibly harder when his brother lowered his accusatory glare. “The next time you are in need of aid, I will let you suffer for your words.”

Sango glanced upwards from Miroku, to see Sesshoumaru turning to leave. She quickly stood and walked after him.

“Lord Sesshoumaru.”

The dog demon turned slowly, letting his cold stare fall on the girl. Sango stared back steadily, letting her intense gaze battle the icy chill of Sesshoumaru’s for a moment.

“Thank you very much. You saved Miroku’s life.”

“The human monk is of no consequence to me.”

Thinking back to Inuyasha’s protectiveness of the monk, he distractedly looked away. “But you...”

He turned slightly to face the forest, inwardly debating which course of action to take. He had no reason to tell her. But he could think of no reason why she shouldn’t know. What disturbed him was that he cared enough to tell her. That he cared at all.

What did it matter. He did as he pleased.

“Come with me. I wish to have a word”

Sango hesitantly nodded, and followed close behind. She didn’t want to admit even to herself that she held a deep respect for a demon. After all, it was her sworn duty to exterminate them. But Sesshoumaru was an admirable foe. For his technique in battle, the eloquence of his speech, and though she would be the last to admit it, even in the sleek catlike grace in his every movement. She couldn’t guess at what went on behind those piercing, amber eyes. He had never lifted his stony mask, or spoken more than a sentence in front of her. It was strange, the way that she wished for a clue from him that she could use to interpret his actions. A slight slip in his defenses. Anything.

She was thinking entirely too much.

After a short while he stopped, confident from what his senses told him that she was still behind him. Still keeping his back to her, he spoke in a soft, uninterested tone.

“Inuyasha has become weaker,” he stated dully, as if the news were nothing to him, though his next statement contradicted his tone. “It was because of that change, that I was so near when Naraku attacked.”

He turned slightly, and seemed to study her for a fleeting moment with a sideways glance.

“It shames me to say that I find you tolerable,” he said, giving her another measured glance. “Out of all the useless creatures that my brother shelters, you are the only one who can make that claim, including Inuyasha.”

“Are you expecting me to thank you for calling me useless, Sesshoumaru.”

He turned to face her completely, his face calm as ever. As if he hadn’t heard her comment. Or chose to ignore it.

“Do you know what has caused this sudden loss of power.”

He hid something in his words. The wording was unusual for him. Or maybe the question behind it was different than the usual sort. Condescending, and perfectly aware that she didn’t know. It was as if he wanted her to answer. As if he didn’t want to have to tell her.

In any event, he quickly changed the subject before she had the time to reply.

“You and the monk are the human equivalent to mates, are you not?”

“Mates?” Sango asked, bewildered and thrown off track by this sudden and very personal question from the demon. “No. I’m not mated to that letch.”

“Very well,” Sesshoumaru said, a bit softer than intended, though his stoic expression never wavered. “The monk bears a mating mark.”

He paused for effect, than continued in the same uninterested tone. “Inuyasha’s, mating mark.”

Sango fought hard against a gasp. She had known. In the back of her mind she had known it, felt it, but she wouldn’t let herself take notice. Didn’t want to believe.

She still didn’t.

“Why are you telling me this,” she said steadily, if a bit too quietly. She locked her emotion in. Too proud to let it escape into her voice in front of the demon.

“I do not know. You are no different from a thousand others that I have killed.”

He looked down slightly, something dark entering and mixing with the iciness of his voice. “Maybe that is the reason. Or maybe because unlike them, you stand unafraid in my presence.”

Realizing what he had let her hear he silently reprimanded himself and turned to leave, but was stopped when he felt a light grasp on his arm. It loosened a bit, and the slayer tensed when she realized what she had done. What he could do to her. But he could sense no fear in her. Only a slight wariness, as she studied him intently for signs of an attack.

Sesshoumaru paused. Allowing the contact for a brief moment, he spoke to her,while looking her directly in the eye. Something that had terrified countless humans before her. She looked back as steadily as ever, though confused a bit about his intentions.

“Even now you do not fear me.”

The timber of his voice belied the smallest amusement, and exasperation. With a small nod of his head, he broke her grip on him gently and returned to the forest.

Sango stood motionless, shocked into silence. When he had looked at her just then. His eyes had been almost... warm.

It is the end of all!!!!! Not realy... um actually... I don’t even know where that came from. Thank you muchly for all of your reviews, even though most of them sadly vanished. I appreciate them. And be sure to check out my new one shot Escape from Pain. I’d really love some reviews on that as well. I’m just not feelin the love. Come on guys 3 reviews? You can do better than that. I love everyone that has reviewed or will review in the future! Happy reading!

Inuyasha: (sitting on the free side of a prison visiting booth eating a whopper) Wow, they just don’t make em like this in prison do they!

Immortality lost: (Drooling, mesmerized by the burger) Give me some, pleeeeeaassssee.

Inuyasha: You want some...(dangles burger in front of drool covered glass) Come get it!

Immortality lost: (lunges for the burger and smacks her head on the glass for the third time) Damn Plexiglas to hell!

Inuyasha: That’ll never get old.

Immortality lost: (recovering from newest head injury) How’s Kagome? You’ve been feeding her and taking her for walks while I’ve been in here right?

Inuyasha: Most of the time. I threw in that idiotic wolf with her, and I think she’s pregnant now. We’re really gonna have to get him fixed.

Immortality lost: He’s supposed to hump Kagome, that’s why we bought him.

Inuyasha: No, he’s in love with Miroku’s leg now. He has to go in there to feed them, cause whenever I do I just get sat. The little bastard humps Miroku’s leg off every time he gets near him.

Immortality lost: Oh, give Miroku a hug for me when you get back. Tell him thank you for the cookies, they will be very helpful.

Inuyasha: How? ... Wait a minute... you’re not gonna do something stupid, like break out or something are you?

Immortality lost: Little old me? Wouldn’t dream of it. Now you run home now, and I’ll see you in a few days... I mean years. (turns to the readers, and winks at the reviewers) See ya on the outside!