New Enemies and New Friends: Chapter 13

I don't own Inuyasha, poor me *sniffle*

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The pack left the village just after dawn. They still had no clue to direct them to Naraku so they randomly went from village to village for days, hoping for some rumor that might prove to be the one that would lead them to the demon‘s hidden lair. They were walking through a lightly wooded area when Inuyasha suddenly stopped and looked up.

"Get down here you bastard. I can smell you, Byakuya."

As the others looked on in surprise, Naraku’s watcher offspring calmly leapt from the high tree branch he had been standing on.

"Hello Inuyasha. It has been a long time, hasn’t it?" Byakuya said cordially.

"Cut the fucking small talk." Inuyasha yelled, "Did that bastard Naraku send you to finally tell us where he is or do I just have to kick your ass to get the location."

"Actually," Byakuya replied, "Naraku is nowhere near here. He sent me to retrieve a shard that was taken after the demons he set against each other had been killed and I’m to bring him the demon that does have it."

"Well you’re out of luck fucker." Inuyasha snapped, "No demon took that shard if it’s the one I think and there’s no way in hell you will get it."

"A demon didn’t kill those two, you say." Byakuya glanced over the group, "So I assume your new companion is the one who took it since you haven‘t claimed the victory for yourself. I’m afraid my orders were very specific, I’ll have to be taking the shard and the woman."

Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga transformed. Miroku and Sango braced for attack while Kagome readied her bow. Karma stepped forward so that she was standing slightly to the side and behind Inuyasha with a hand on the hilt of her largest dagger.

"I don’t know who the hell you think you are." Karma stated, "But if you work for this dude, Naraku, I’ve been told about, there’s no fucking way I’m going anywhere with you."

"You weren’t being asked." Byakuya replied when from behind him, Sesshoumaru stepped out followed by Jaken and Rin who was riding on the two-headed lizard.

"Byakuya, I advise you to return to your master." Sesshoumaru spoke startling Naraku’s offspring who turned slightly to see who the newcomer was, "I will not allow a pawn such as yourself deprive me of returning the honor to my bloodline."

Return to me, leave the shard and woman be for now. Naraku’s voice said in Byakuya’s head. With a shrug, Byakuya took out a piece of paper, which transformed into a large crane.

"It seems my orders have changed." He informed them all as he jumped onto the paper bird and flew off.

"Hi Lady Kagome! Hi Lady Karma! Rin hasn’t seen you in forever and ever!!" the little girl called completely unaware of the tension that still hung in the air after Byakuya was far from sight.

"Um, hi Rin." Kagome called as she nervously watched Inuyasha face-off with Sesshoumaru.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha questioned, threateningly still holding Tetsusaiga over his shoulder.

"Not that it concerns you, scum," Sesshoumaru answered in his typically emotionless voice, "but I picked up Byakuya’s scent two days past and have been tracking him, I thought, to Naraku."

 

Miroku and Sango moved to either side of Karma to hold her back if her temper blew as they expected it to from Sesshoumaru‘s choice of name for Inuyasha. Karma smiled grimly as she realized what the pair was doing.

"Hey, Little Bit." She called in a voice almost as grim as her smile before nodding to Sesshoumaru stiffly saying, "Lord Sesshoumaru, I can’t say I’m happy to see you again."

Inuyasha turned his back to his brother shocked by Karma’s use of title in regards to the demon. After a completely dumbfounded moment, Inuyasha shouted at her.

"What the fuck are you doing calling this asshole lord anything? I don’t give a shit if he helped you out or not! I don’t want to hear that shit again!"

"Your adoptive sister is merely holding up her end of a bargain," Sesshoumaru answered to provoke Inuyasha, "and she shall continue to show proper respect, is that not correct Karma?"

"What fucking bargain?" Inuyasha asked her and continued before she could answer, "I don’t really give a damn, you’re not honoring a bargain with a bastard like him when I’m here to protect you."

Karma grabbed hold of his arm before Inuyasha could charge Sesshoumaru. In a firm but depressed voice, Karma told him, "I gave my word, brother. I won’t break that even when it’s given to the likes of him."

Inuyasha shook off her hand and with a glare at Sesshoumaru, he sheathed his sword.

"You’re going to tell me what fucking bargain you made with him and when it happened as soon as this bastard leaves. Understand me, Karma?"

Sesshoumaru looked Karma in the eye before saying with a hidden meaning that she alone realized, "I have business to attend to in the south, so I shall leave you to explain our agreement to your pathetic family."

"I hope hell is the southern destination you’re fucking headed to, Lord Ass…Sesshoumaru." Karma said furiously as he and Jaken boarded the lizard with Rin and flew off.

Her family all gathered around Karma once the lizard was out of sight.

"What fucking bargain?" Inuyasha questioned sharply.

"What happened, Karma?" Kagome asked gently at the same time as she took one of Karma’s hands in her own.

Karma stared at their clasped hands for a minute to decide how much and what exactly to tell her friends. Once she decided, Karma pulled her hand from Kagome’s and hugged herself while she looked at the ground, unable to lie while seeing their worried faces.

"I ran into him on my way to the hot spring about a week after your brother caught the chicken pox." Karma’s voice was a softly musical copy of Sesshoumaru’s emotionless tone. "He was planning to murder us and when he told me so, I lost my temper. I tried to kill him first but I couldn’t. He caught a knife I threw in midair. I…um…I guess I amused him or something by my weak attack. He agreed to leave us be as long as I gave my word to show him what he considers proper respect."

"That doesn’t sound like something Sesshoumaru would do." Miroku said when Karma quit talking.

"Are you sure that’s all?" Sango asked with concern.

"Yes, that’s all." Karma somberly answered as Kagome wrapped a comforting arm around her waist.

"Your not alone anymore, Karma. What’s family for if not to share your burdens?" She asked rhetorically trying to break the sadness that seemed to cling to her normally vibrant friend.

"Why the hell didn’t you just tell me sooner, idiot?" Inuyasha asked in irritation.

Karma finally looked up from the ground as she countered with embarrassment and guilt, "Would you be so quick to admit you failed in defeating an enemy, Inuyasha? I know you warned me that Sesshoumaru was too powerful for me to take, but I didn’t realize how much power he could hold over me until then. Regardless of how it came about, I must keep my word. I’m sorry if you can’t accept that."

"I don’t think you’re telling me everything, Karma." Inuyasha looked thoughtful as he said this.

"I told you what pertains to you so PLEASE just let it be." Karma begged.

"So there is more." Inuyasha picked up that fact surprisingly fast considering his denseness when faced with most subtle hints. "I’ll drop it for now but eventually I will find out what else there is to know on my own so you might want to consider telling me before then."

Karma nodded slightly and the group continued their journey. As they walked along the woods grew into a thick forest. When they reached an abandoned cottage set in a small clearing by a gently babbling brook, Inuyasha announced that they would use the cottage for the night.

"Why stop now? Sunset isn’t for at least four more hours." Karma asked in surprise.

"Because tonight is the new moon." Inuyasha stated believing that it explained everything.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Karma questioned.

"Feh, you worked with half-demons and don’t know the significance of a new moon. Guess some things won’t change after all." Inuyasha said smugly.

"On the night of the new moon," Miroku explained, "Our dear half-demon here, becomes fully human until the sun rises in the morning. It is a secret that few know of and we do not discuss until the need arises."

"Inuyasha will begin to feel the effects pretty soon." Kagome added, "We always stop early because of that. I didn’t think to mention it before since we met you the day after a new moon and Inuyasha and I were in my time for the last ones."

"I’ve never actually paid much attention to the moon’s phases other than to admire a full moon." Karma said thinking to herself, Sesshoumaru must know about this and that’s why the fucker showed up, Inuyasha won’t scent his smell if he’s human and by morning it should fade completely. Out loud she continued, "I bet you look like a dweeb in human form, little brother."

"There are plenty of trees around here." Inuyasha growled in a mock threat at her teasing remark.

Karma rolled her eyes and went inside to investigate the cottage. After dinner, as it was nearing night, Karma told everyone she was going to take a walk alone to relax before bed. After listening to a few protests, Karma explained that she wanted to do it in an attempt to not have to use her pills to go to sleep and that she was perfectly capable of finding her way back in the dark if she happened to stay out that long. That settled the argument because no one really liked knowing she had to rely on medication just to sleep. She left heading west but after losing sight of the clearing Karma veered south. The sun was making its decent as Karma was suddenly lifted from behind and carried high into the treetops. She instantly knew her capture was Sesshoumaru but instead of yelling curses at him as he expected, Karma wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face against his armored chest. For a brief moment, the demon lord thought she was actually thrilled to see him and true joy filled his heart for the first time in his life. It quickly passed though as Sesshoumaru realized the woman in his arms was trembling in fear and gasping for air that refused to fill her lungs.

"It is only I, Sesshoumaru." He said trying to reassure her, "Surely my fierce wild fire is not afraid of an expected encounter."

Karma raised her teary face momentarily and Sesshoumaru read the panic in her gaze as she begged, "T…t…take m…me to the gr…gr…ground."

He instantly did as she asked allowing her feet to touch the solid ground as he hugged her shivering body tightly in his embrace. He stroked the hair falling down her back softly, while he rested his chin on the crown of her head. When she quit shaking, he let out a low laugh and raised her emerald eyes to meet his amused amber gaze.

"You will face a demon as powerful as I, Sesshoumaru without the slightest trace of fear yet when you are perfectly safe in the trees you nearly die from it."

"Can’t you stop yourself from being an ass for once?" Karma said sternly but ruined the effect with a small sniff as she tried to push away from him.

"I did not mean to be," Sesshoumaru said gently rubbing his thumb on her cheek but refusing to let her go. "I am truly amused to be less terrifying than a mere tree in your eyes."

Karma’s heart swelled at the admission but she was highly distrustful of his intentions, so she snapped, "Quit playing games with me. You ordered me to meet you when summoned so let’s get this over with so I can go back."

"I have decided I would prefer conversation to sedating my desires this night. Unless of course you object." He told her softly.

"Don’t fuck with me, Sesshoumaru." Karma said with her eyes beginning to swell with tears, "You don’t give a rats ass about me other than as a sex toy and I damn well know it so there‘s no point in having a conversation that‘s just going to piss me off."

He stared down at her silently annoyed that tears in a human’s eyes had the power to wound his heart.

"Come."

He released her waist and took her by the hand as he spoke and led her to a large tree, which he leaned against as he sat down forcing the woman to sit in front of him. Pondering his next words, Sesshoumaru studied her delicate features as Karma glared at him through narrowed eyes.

"Will you quit staring at me, you heartless bastard?" Karma burst out, hating the way his gaze alone was beginning to turn her on.

"I enjoy looking at you," Sesshoumaru stated, "you are a vivid array of colors and curves attractively combined with a vivacious personality. I am not heartless as you have named me or I would never have spared your family’s life and I would remove you from them without regards to your wish of staying with such an unworthy pack."

"I knew you would just piss me off if I listened to you." Karma attempted to stand but Sesshoumaru bent one knee and forced her gently to his lap so that her back was resting against it and her legs were over his other one.

"Do not run from me." He told her then after a long pause Sesshoumaru added a word that stuck in his throat, "Please."

Karma quit struggling shocked at his use of the word and with a pounding heart, she stared into his eyes uselessly trying to read his mind.

"What are you playing at Sesshoumaru? Is this some kind of new plan to use me to hurt Inuyasha?" She asked confused by his behavior.

"I would prefer if it were." The demon lord informed her, "Unfortunately my half-brother has nothing to do with this other than I believe I am starting to understand why my father gave his life to save his human mother and Inuyasha as well."

"What do you mean?" Karma asked quietly not daring to hope it was what she wished him to mean.

He sighed and leaned his head back against the tree before answering, "I have been unable to remove you far from my thoughts since first meeting you. I found myself staying in Inuyasha’s territory just in the hope of encountering you again. When I saw you and the other woman flying off alone towards that village, I ordered Jaken and Rin to stay behind as I followed. You are magnificent to watch in battle, but when you almost sacrificed your own life to give a few more seconds to the woman’s I found myself remembering another woman whose life was uselessly wasted and I could not allow such a thing to happen to you."

"Who was it that died?" Karma interrupted with a twinge of jealousy.

"A sorceress named Kagura, who was an offspring of Naraku. She came to me to die and for the first time in my life, I felt anger on behalf of another being. Toutousai came to me to reforge my Tenseiga into a true weapon instead of the useless decoration it had been previously to me. In no time I was able to open a small path to the other world. Despite all my efforts, I was unable to enlarge it until I saved you from death. I was furious to know that it meant I had feelings for you and when I overheard your little chat at the lagoon I decided to rid myself of such a weakness and punish Inuyasha at the same time." Sesshoumaru paused expecting to be forced to restrain Karma from jumping up in outrage but she remained still with her gaze fixated on his face. "When I came upon you bathing I found myself unable to kill you as intended. It annoyed me but I revised part of my plan. When you threatened to die by your own hand rather than be my concubine, I was forced to again revise my plan because I could not allow you to leave this world. I am a man who is normally in total control of his emotions but with you, they become uncontrollable. I do not like it but I am beginning to accept it. You will never comprehend the joy I felt when I believed you were clinging to me because you cared for me."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes ashamed at admitting feelings for any human at all but even more so because he knew Karma despised him and prayed for the strength to kill him even though she strongly desired his body. He felt her shift and tightened his hold with his eyes still closed to prevent her escape.

"I will not allow you to leave me." He said harshly from the power of the emotions he couldn’t contain.

Instead of a reply, Sesshoumaru felt Karma lean toward him and being careful of his armor’s spikes she pulled his head to hers giving him a soft kiss. Sesshoumaru’s eyes popped open allowing her to see the surprise and hope within their jeweled depths. He saw the heartbreaking sadness that clouded Karma’s own emerald gaze.

"I do care for you, arrogant asshole that you are but it doesn’t matter because as long as you are my family’s enemy you are mine as well, Sesshoumaru. I may not be able to control my feelings but I won’t meekly surrender to them when people I love dearly are threatened by the object of my affections."

The demon lord laughed softly and kissed Karma passionately before resting his forehead against her own.

"You are a fool, my wild fire." He whispered softly, "I said I was beginning to understand my father’s actions and in understanding I no longer believe the half-breed’s existence to be an insult. I harbor no fond feelings for Inuyasha but I will not harm him or the rest of your family unless they allow harm to come to you."

Karma pulled her head away from his and raised her hand to trace the markings on his face.

"Exquisite." She whispered to herself causing Sesshoumaru’s eyes to glow with happiness before Karma grinned wickedly.

"Do you really think anyone is capable of keeping me out of danger when I’m so impulsive I had the nerve to attack the powerful Lord Sesshoumaru, himself? I really don’t think I’d forgive you for hurting my friends because of my own actions." She sat back into her original position against his raised leg and ordered, "Take of that damn armor I’m going to end up hurt by those fucking spikes."

He smiled at her impertinent tone and complied with her order before telling the woman, "I shall watch over you to ensure you do not place yourself carelessly in harm’s way."

"I won’t leave my family," Karma insisted shaking her head, "and I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to hang out with us."

"I have no wish to travel with that rabble no matter how fond you are of them." Karma gave him a warning glare before Sesshoumaru continued, "I will travel far enough away that Inuyasha will not detect me or my servants but close enough to be quickly at your side should you have need of my assistance."

Satisfied by that plan for the moment, Karma snuggled against Sesshoumaru’s armor free chest and began to play with his fur. She was completely unaware of his growing desire as she fondled it fascinated by its softness and living warmth.

"What is this?" Karma asked him, "It feels alive."

"It is alive." Sesshoumaru answered as he pulled it from her hands to brush her face and neck with the fur’s softness. "It is a rather sensitive part of me which enables the transformation into my true form."

"No shit?" Karma asked in surprise, "How sensitive?"

"Enough so that if you do not stop stroking the fur, I will be forced to change my mind about only having conversation this night." Sesshoumaru replied a little amused that Karma was more interested in the fur’s sensitivity than the fact he required it to change forms.

Karma was beginning to test the truth of his revelation when Sesshoumaru stopped her.

"Inuyasha and his woman are calling for you."

He set Karma aside and replaced his armor before standing and helping her to her feet.

"I told them I’d be fine." Karma pouted.

Sesshoumaru kissed her to express his own feelings on the matter before looking down at Karma with a rueful smile.

"They are being wise for the first time in their existence. Your family knows that your impulsiveness will result in your death if you are left alone for too long."

Karma could hear Inuyasha and Kagome now so she reached around to grab Sesshoumaru’s ass before replying, "I’m not that bad. Now get out of here."

He gave her another deep kiss as he grabbed her posterior with both hands to lift her up to his level.

He set her down then disappeared into the darkness of the treetops. Karma was smiling to herself as she headed in the direction of the voices calling her name. She met up with Inuyasha and Kagome and after assuring the annoyed human Inuyasha that she was just fine they walked back to the cottage. As soon as they entered the clearing Karma let out a laugh as the starlight finally allowed her to see the details of Inuyasha’s human form.

"You’re adorable, baby brother." She taunted much to Kagome’s amusement.

"I’m still strong enough to kick your ass, wench. So you had best watch what you say." Inuyasha growled out.

"Then prove it." Karma responded curious to see how skilled her adoptive brother actually was without his demon powers.

"You’re as bad as a man sometimes, Karma." Kagome said shaking her head at the challenge.

"This is going to be fun." Inuyasha stated as he removed his sword still sheathed and handed it to Kagome for safekeeping. Miroku, Sango and Shippo came out of the cottage as they heard the voices of their friends. Karma laughingly ran up to them, removed her own sheaths, and laid them in a pile on the ground. As Inuyasha and Kagome joined them, Karma began to pull hidden knives from her combat boots and lifted her pant legs to unstrap sheaths hidden on each leg. Other than Sango who already knew of most the hidden daggers, the group stared in shock as the pile grew.

"How the hell can you move with the weight of all those weapons?" Inuyasha asked when Karma pulled her chopsticks from her hair and stuck them in a pocket.

"Training." Karma said with a shrug, "Are you ready to get your butt kicked, little human?"

"We’ll see who the winner is." Inuyasha responded as they moved to the center of the clearing with the others watching from a safe distance.

"This is going to be interesting." Miroku said to the others as Karma and Inuyasha began circling each other.

Inuyasha suddenly flew at Karma, his arm raised to delever a blow to her head. Karma gracefully caught his arm with one of her hands then placing the other atop it quickly she braced herself and swung her leg up to deliver a kick to his side. He blocked the blow by grabbing her leg and attempting to swing her to the ground using it. Karma used his own force and her grip on his arm to flip him over her back where he landed standing a few feet away, while she was forced to crouch on the ground. Without pause he launched at her again as she was on the ground, she had just enough time to realize Inuyasha was expecting her to jump up in order to avoid his attack. As he got too close to change direction Karma sweeped his legs out from under him with one of her own. As he fell to the ground she backflipped away from him landing on her feet. In an amazingly acrobatic move, Inuyasha used the force of his fall to flip himself over and land on his feet as well. Karma rushed him with her own arm raised to deliver a blow but at the last possible second, she flipped over his head and kicked both legs against his back sending Inuyasha face first to the ground at the same time she did. Somersaulting once Karma was immediately on her feet but couldn’t turn around in time to dodge a blow to the back of her shoulder by Inuyasha, who got up faster than she did. Taking the blow, Karma delivered one of her own to Inuyasha’s ribs. As the sparing pair leaped around each attempting to gain the advantage over the other their friends attempted to keep track of each move.

"It’s amazing that they can both move so fast." Miroku stated.

"The only way I can tell who is who, is by the starlight showing streaks of red topping black and flashes of black over red." Sango pointed out.

"This is ridiculous," Kagome said worriedly annoyed, "one of them is going to get hurt and they both think it’s juat a game."

"It is a game, Kagome." Shippo explained, "Even if they do get hurt, it’s fun to test your strength to its full potential. When Karma sparred with me, she let me hit her with everything I could and she didn’t get hurt. You know she heals fast and Inuyasha will be back to normal by morning."

Kagome still didn’t like the sparring and knew if she had been in this time when little Shippo had participated she would have gone off on Karma for being reckless with the child. Meanwhile on the battlefield Inuyasha believed he had Karma’s style figured out, without her daggers the woman usually relyed on her legs to attack and mainly blocked using her arms. He tested the theory with a few well-planned attacks and noticed she was completely unaware of the actions.

"I hope you’re ready to lose to your superior brother!" Inuyasha taunted Karma inorder to distract her a bit.

"You’ve barely scratched me, baby boy." Karma teased back, knowing Inuyasha was trying to get her angery enough to lose track of the fight.

Karma was beginning to tire so she waited for Inuyasha to strike, conserving her energy. When he did, it was a straight shot aiming for her gut. Karma knocked the blow away with her arm and raised the opposite leg in an attempt to knee Inuyasha in his undefended ribs but Inuyasha was expecting exactly a move like that and caught her leg with the non-attacking arm and the other, which Karma had slashed downward, pulled the supporting leg from beneath her. Inuyasha kept hold as Karma hit the ground hard on her back then instantly flipped her over and sat on her back with her legs pulled back to him.

"Okay, you win. Now let go." Karma said after making a vain attempt to break the hold.

Inuyasha got up and after helping Karma to her feet, gloated majorly about his victory. Karma put up with it good-naturedly, while to herself she was thinking, This was a good idea, even though I lost. I’m not still worked-up from that punk Sesshoumaru’s kisses. She smiled widely at her own reminder of her and Sesshoumaru’s talk. It’s good to be me, sometimes. Kagome and the others rushed out to meet them halfway back to the cottage.

"That was a great fight!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Karma, if you could fight like that why didn’t you when we sparred?" Miroku questioned.

"I had a little extra energy from the walk, I guess." Karma shrugged still smiling.

"You’re taking the loss better than I expected." Sango informed her.

"I really wish you would save the fighting for demons." Kagome cut in before Karma could answer Sango. "It isn’t like you all ever get a chance to stay out of practice anyway and I don’t want anyone to get hurt again just to test your skills."

Inuyasha and Karma grinned at each other, remembering the excuse they had used to explain Karma’s dislocated knuckles. Kagome rolled her eyes thinking they were only grinning to annoy her. Everyone slept peacefully that night. Karma didn’t need to take any sleeping pills and Inuyasha was too worn out by the fight with Karma to stay awake as he normally did on the night of the new moon.