𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯 犬夜叉 ♡ ; 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚔𝚞 𝚡 𝚘𝚌

Wit's End

How was she going to return back to the room? Empty handed, confused, and with an exasperated look on her face? The shard were missing yet again, the shards her own mother gave her were missing. There was already an existing issue brooding on the horizon: Mei's original shards were still nowhere to be found. She couldn't track the shards she buried in the ground. She doesn't even remember if Naraku had the original shards to begin with.

The thought of her carelessness made her head spin. Never in her days was she so loose and slack in the mind to the point that she would lose not three but nearly six of the Shikon Jewels. How was she going to explain herself. To Mei? To Naraku? To herself?

"Ugh.." this was all becoming to be a bit too much for, even her, to handle.

"What am I going to do.." she mouthed in silence. She couldn't just turn around into the room and casually inform Mei that her shards are missing. She was a rollercoaster of emotions as it was, with today being on the upper end of them. There was absolutely no way she could just... mess everything up. All over again.

She inhaled sharply. Thoughts circulating back and forth in her mind. There was no other choice.

She had to tell Mei that they were missing. That the second group of Shikon Jewels are missing. Regrettably, she turned on her heel and dragged her feet across the tatami mats. They felt as if boulders were tied to her ankles. She dreaded inching closer back to that room. To see her face. To share the bad news.

"Mei." Once Kagura calmed her breaths and shaky fingers, she pulled back the Shoji doors to see Mei sitting on top of her futon, her body adorned with a thin, white, cotton kimono. Her hair swayed down her face on one side. Cheeks flushed and a dreamlike stare in her eyes. The candle's reflection bounced off her pale face, giving her an almost translucent hue.

Did she always look so ghostly? So.. not of this world?

She brushed the ends of her hair. Her wispy lashes extended over her eyes, shielding her ruby pupils like that of a willow tree covering a small family of rabbits from the sun.

When Kagura walked in, she didn't look up. She just continued to brush.

"Mei?" She stopped brushing. Her eyes floating up at Kagura, but they didn't focus her way. What was going on?

Kagura's eyes snaked the room for anything out of place. Nothing was thrown around. There didn't seem to be any signs of an intrusion. She looked around her futon, taking note of her untouched food. Although her fish and rice seemed pristine and full, her glass of tea was-

"Kagura... I'm so sleepy. I was waiting on you to come so I can lay-" Mei slurred the remainder of her words. Her body leaned over to one side, threatening to fall. Kagura rushed to her side, blocking the impact just in time.

"Kid, what did you drink?" Mei's voice turned from the mature woman that she was to something soft and childlike. Murmuring incoherences here and there.

She reached over to the cup and took a whiff. Her nose twisted instantly. She could smell the Gardenia and Valerian from a mile away if it wasn't for the burning incense in the room.

Naraku, did you drug her?

Anger bubbled in her stomach and blew through her ears. Was this how he was 'taking care of her'?

Her body was getting heavier. Kagura lowered her onto the futon, sweeping her hair out of her face and into a neat swirl next to her. Although heavy, her strands were smooth, buttery, and abundant. If she were to run her fingers through it she could almost swear that thousands of individual strands would separate and decorate her palm in its intrinsic fashion.

She threw her head to one side, groaning in her sleep. Kagura looked over and saw what looked to be a protruding bump in her neck.

"Just what-" she reached her finger over to touch it, only to be stopped by the frantic sliding of the Shoji doors.

"Just what are you doing, Kagura?" Naraku growled. Kagura huffed in response, cutting her eyes at him. Retracting her fingers slowly away from her face.

"This has gone far enough, Naraku." Her whispers were aggressive, frustrated even.

"This girl has been through enough and for you to drug her." Her impulses made her stand to her feet, facing Naraku head on. She walked closer to her, a fire burning in her eyes.

"Is unethical. Mei has done nothing wrong here and for you to keep her in this stupor is utterly- !"

Naraku pulled Kagura's arm and pinned her to the wall, holding that same arm over her head.

"What makes you think I did this, Kagura?" She could feel the fire burning through her skin the more he looked down at her. Disgusted, annoyed, and irritated with her accusations. He gripped her wrist tightly, making her gasp in pain.

"She was just fine before I left her in your care. She was doing well, and now she's nearly comatose with you here. Tell me why I shouldn't obliterate you myself."

"Naraku, I-"

"You have let her slip through your fingers under your care far too many times. From Inuyasha, to Hide, to this. My patience is growing thin with you. So thin that it disappears at any angle. If she didn't care so much about you and if she wasn't carrying my child I-"

"But I didn't, I- I didn't do this! She was like this when I came back!" Kagura threw her head back and forth, swallowing a sob.

"You're hurting me, Naraku!"

"Shut up, Kagura. Let's not forget that you are in fact my creation and if I want to dispose of you, I can. And I am near my wits end holding you in good graces when you are causing me more harm than good right now. If you can't do something so small such as babysitting my bride and mother of my child, then I'll just have to-"

"Because how can you look at her after what we've done! H-"

"Naraku? Kagura? Why are you doing that to her, Naraku?"