InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Humanity ❯ Thoughts ( Chapter 13 )

Humanity

By Joyfulmusic

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Inuyasha. Never have, never will.

This fanfic contains some spoilers. I haven't seen the whole series of either show so I'm not sure how they end. But that's why this is a fanfic

 

Chapter 13: Thoughts

 

Edward could not wait any longer. He had to do something. Willa had been missing almost two weeks, with no clues as to where she was. The thought of her being with those creatures was eating away at his heart. Standing from where he'd been sitting at the dining room table, he looked over to the younger Elric.

 

Al had an arm lightly draped around Morrisa's shoulders. The woman was worn out although she had only gotten up an hour ago. Sleep eluded the girl, refusing to let her rest. Now, with her eyes closed, her head against his armor, she was able to go to that place between the real and dream worlds. In that she found some peace, and a little comfort.

 

“I'm going to start searching the woods around the city.” Mora stirred at Ed's announcement. “You two stay here, in case Willa comes back. But keep looking around town. Try to find anything, or anyone that might know where she was taken. Meanwhile I'll explore the surrounding area.” His eyes beamed with resolution.

 

“Brother.” Alphonse shifted with anxiety. “You can't do that. It's too dangerous to go out there alone. Those things could attack again. At least let me come with you.” The armor rose from its seat, gazing back at his new love. He didn't want to leave her, but couldn't risk his only family member being without help in such a situation.

 

The alchemist shook his head. “No, we have to split up if we're going to find her. I can handle myself. Mora needs you for protection. Besides, if that thing comes back here one of us should be in town to track it down.” He gave a confirming smirk. “It's the best way Al. I can't just sit around doing nothing, you know that.”

 

The suit nodded. He knew his brother hated not being able to do something. They did need someone to check outside the city. Yet he couldn't help but feel that the older Elric didn't mean he would be coming home every night. The truth was that the young man planed to stay gone until the job was done. It would be nerve-racking for the younger sibling. “You'll come back at sundown?” He questioned, though he already knew the answer.

 

“No, Al. I may have to search farther out each day.” Ed frowned, sighing deeply. “But I will come back, just as soon as I know something. Once I get any information, any lead, I'll be back.” Alphonse gave an affirmative nod, though the alchemist knew he didn't really mean it. He realized the younger would worry, but this was a quest he had to go on. Like the philosophers stone, the chance wasn't something he could simply let go of.

 

 

“Kagome.” Miroku put a hand on the miko's shoulder as they walked, his face unreadable. “It will be alright. We shall find Inuyasha.” His words were compassionate. Unfortunately his hand was not so kindhearted. Once it had moved from her shoulder, it traveled down her back to gently press against her butt.

 

The girl grimaced. She didn't have time for the monk's nonsense. With a quick movement she backhanded him across the face. As he stumbled away she sighed. `Where are you Inuyasha? It's been over a month. Are you hurt somewhere? Lying out, dying all alone?' Tears welled in her eyes as the thought crossed her mind.

 

Sango saw this and moved to stroll next to her friend. “It's alright. We'll find him soon. I'm sure of it.” She smiled warmly, holding Kirara in her arms. The search seemed to be going so slowly that even her own heart wondered if he were alive. But logic told her that Inuyasha would not be killed easily. She had to believe he was still out there, for Kagome's sake if nothing else.

 

Meanwhile Shippo took the chance to jump up on the young miko's shoulder. “Don't worry Kagome. Inuyasha's too proud to die.” The child was young enough not to understand the pain those words could cause, although he'd meant them to be reassuring. Sango cleared her throat causing the boy to look at her with a puzzled expression. “What? What did I say?”

 

“Nothing Shippo.” Kagome reassure the child, taking him from her shoulder into her arms. “We're just worried, is all. It's been a while and we still don't have any idea where he's at.” Her sad eyes turned to the sky above. The trees blocked part of the view, but she could see puffy white clouds overhead. `Inuyasha, please come back.'

 

 

Willa's eyes opened. She was lying on a pile of dried leaves in the middle of a small clearing. The sky was mostly clear, with only a few cotton like clouds overhead. Again she was aware of the strange impression that her senses were new and heightened. Her eyes could see clearer than they ever had, and she could hear the faintest noises in the distance. Smells came to her that she would have never noticed before.

 

`Smell…Someone is near…someone strange.' Sitting up she realized her balance had been restored. Glancing around the clearing she could see no one. It was empty, save for a few squirrels, which were dashing around in the limbs above her. But those weren't what she could smell that was so odd. True she had picked up on their scent, and the things which they'd collected, but she knew they weren't what she was looking for.

 

As memories gradually began to surface, a hand rose slowly before her, revealing the nightmare as reality. She did have claws, and with a flick of her tongue she could feel the long sharp fangs. Then she moved to touch the top of her head. Sure enough, there were the silken catlike ears.

 

She stood cautiously, trying not to make a sound. Glancing around quickly, she could see a path, only a few feet away from the glen. Moving slowly, a hand on each tree as she went, she started for the trail. `I have to get home. I've got to get back to Edward. He'll be worried about me.' Thoughts of his having turned from her were pushed aside. She knew he wasn't the same as in her past, but he would be concerned, wouldn't he?

 

“Where are you going?” A voice came from behind her. Quickly she whipped back around to see the thing that had been in the other cage. It was standing back in the clearing with its arms crossed, frowning at her. “I said where are you going? Or didn't you hear me the first time?”

 

Insists kicked in forcing Willa to growl at the stranger. She bore her fangs at him and went on the defense, readying her claws for an attack. Her face was in a scowl at the beast. `What am I doing? I'm acting like an animal!' Her mind screamed at her to stop but she found that she was unable to.

 

“Whoa!” It put its hands out before itself. “I just saved your life! You could be a little grateful ya know!” He didn't want to hurt her, knew that she didn't realize what was going on. She'd spent a whole day unconscious and his nose could smell the fear on her. `She's not meaning to attack. It's the demon blood, she can't control it.'

 

Taking a few steps toward her made the girl jump backward into one of the trees. She growled again, powerless to stop herself. She shook her head fiercely, trying to regain the control she so desperately desired. He stopped to watch her actions. Something inside told her to attack, but her heart told her not to. Finally she was able to speak. “Who are you?” She demanded, with the voice of a crazy woman.

 

“I'm Inuyasha.” He called up to her. “You've been changed somehow. They added my blood to your body. That's why you're acting this way. You've got to fight it! You have to take authority over it or the demon blood will control you!” He'd been through that when Tetsusaiga was not at his side. It had been next to impossible to overrule the nature that had been passed down to him by his father.

 

The girl shook her head again. `It's too hard. I can't do it.' She growled again just before her sixth sense took over. Closing her eyes she let out a screech of pain. Bringing her hands to her head caused her to loose her balance. It was futile to stop the onslaught of memories and feelings that went through her mind.

 

 

As she fell from the tree her eyes snapped open and she could see things. Inuyasha as a young boy, running into his mother's arms crying. He'd been teased for who, and what he was. Later, as a man, he followed some dark haired woman in a strange outfit. It was the priestess Kikyou. They smiled together, talking like friends. Willa could feel the love he had felt for the miko. And then the betrayal as her arrow came flying through the air, striking him in the chest. It had bound him to a tree for fifty years while the woman died.

 

Then she watched as another girl, dressed in a school uniform brought him from the sleep of death. This new girl had pulled out the arrow, but he had tried to kill her. Yet with a string of prayer beads she was able to subdue him. A jewel, which resembled a clear marble, had been shattered.

 

Willa watched as the quest to retrieve the fragments began. Soon there was a small fox child, whose father had been killed by a set of brothers. Then there came a monk, who was kind yet lecherous. He had a hole in his right hand. The three traveled, learning more of the demon named Naraku, who had placed the curse on the monk's family. Another girl appeared, this one was a demon slayer, who had a fire cat as a pet… no, as a friend. Her family had been killed by Naraku and she'd been tricked into battling Inuyasha. However now she traveled with the group.

 

As the quest continued Inuyasha learned to value the lives of his human companions. He had even fallen in love with the girl who wore a school uniform. While he'd tormented the fox child, he cared for him as a little brother. The monk and slayer had become his friends. No longer alone, yet still he was unaccepted by most people, for he was a half demon, a hanyou.

 

 

Inuyasha moved quickly and was able to catch the girl in his arms. As he gazed down at her he could see into her wide blue eyes. She seemed to be in a state of shock, traumatized by something he couldn't understand. True, she had plenty to be disturbed about, but this was something different. It was like the look Kagome got when she sensed a jewel shard, however much stronger.

 

He laid her on the ground gently, brushing her hair away from her face. Then, with a sigh, she closed her eyes, scowling deeply. Her lips quivered and her breath was forced. He could hear her heart pounding wildly inside her chest. The smell of apprehension was even stronger than it had been when she first found her new ears.

 

With a sudden gasp her eyes opened wide again. Her breath slowed, as did her heart rate. She stared at him, trying to see if this was the real world. Blinking slightly brought her back to herself. Slowly she sat up, holding her head with one hand. “Inuyasha... hanyou… half demon, half human.” Struggling to regain some composure she reached out a hand to him. “I'm Willa. And thank you… For saving me.”

 

Standing he took her by the arm and pulled her up. “What happened just now? You looked like you saw something.” His voice wasn't as hard as it usually was with strangers. Instead, he spoke with the same tone he used when talking to Sango. It wasn't all sweet, but at least it was better than his usual attitude in situations like this. Though, he wasn't sure he'd ever been in a situation like this.

 

She shook her head. “Memories… I guess it's my talent. It must have been enhanced when all my other senses were.” Realizing he couldn't possibly understand she tried to clarify. “I've always been able to perceive things. Like emotions people try to hide, or sometimes secrets. But just now, I saw your life. Memories, yours, came rushing at me so quickly that I couldn't take it.”

 

Inuyasha took a few steps back. This wasn't what he needed, there was too much he'd tried to hide. Too much that shouldn't be let out. He shook his head at the girl. “No, you can't have seen my past. You know nothing about me. You're just a weak human who's been transformed by demon blood.” He was baking away quickly now.

 

Willa's face fell. `No! Don't leave me. Not out here! Not alone!' Her lip quivered as her ears lay back. Now she knew they were a that of a dog, not a cat. “I'm sorry. I don't mean to know. Please… I need help. I have to get home. Please, at least help me find my way back to town.”

 

Her plea fell on his soft heart, melting it instantly. She couldn't help what she was anymore than he could help being a hanyou. A frown passed over his face. “I'll help you. But first we find my friends.” He pointed one of his claws at her. “And I don't want you telling them anything. You got that?” She nodded quickly and began following the demon, who had turned to leave.