InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Humanity ❯ Outcasts ( Chapter 20 )

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 20: Outcasts

 

“I don't see why he had to take Kagome with him.” Inuyasha complained to the rest of the group the next day. They were all traveling down the dusty road toward a nearby makeshift town of castaways. The place consisted of all those people that were treated badly because they were different. Sango had heard of it before they had found Inuyasha. It was where the group had been headed.

 

Willa sighed heavily and looked up at the sky. She didn't want to go into any town, human or otherwise. But they had to find a way to quell her powers. Staying with the quick tempered hanyou forever wasn't what she wanted. She longed to be with Edward and her friends back home. Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt someone leap onto her shoulder.

 

“Inuyasha, that guy took her because you have his woman.” Shippo was exasperated by how dense his elder could be. “That way he knows that you'll take good care of Willa. Geeze even I know that!” The kitsune shrieked as the hanyou took a swing at him, missing only because Willa dodged.

 

She gave a low growl. “Stop being so mean to him. He's just a boy.” Taking Shippo from her shoulder she held him in her arms like a mother would do. The child had a satisfied smile on his face. But her eyes seemed to glaze over as she looked off into the distance.

 

“Whatever.” Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms. He could sense that something was wrong with the girl. She missed the alchemist, that much he could tell. But there was something else he didn't understand. `Perhaps it has something to do with her powers.' She nodded slightly, showing that she'd heard his thoughts.

 

Sango strolled up next to her. “We're getting close, aren't we?” The other woman nodded again, not bothering to look at the slayer. Miroku gave her a questioning glance so she explained what was going on. “She can hear their thoughts from here. That's how she knows we're getting close.”

 

Understanding, the monk stopped walking. “Perhaps Inuyasha, you and Willa should stay here.” At the glare he received from the hanyou he held out a hand. “You would have to stay here with her and Tetsusaiga to stop her powers. Otherwise they may overwhelm her. Sango and I will go into the town and ask if there are any demon sword smiths. Then we will return with the information.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, though he didn't want to. Gazing back into Willa's eyes he could see that much more would overwhelm her completely. “Fine, but hurry up and get back here. I don't wanna wait forever ya know!” He had agreed, although it was through clenched teeth, like a child.

 

At that the monk and demon slayer left with Kirara. Shippo didn't want to be left behind. But he also didn't want to leave this new girl without someone to look after her. The boy knew how insensitive Inuyasha could be at times. Therefore he decided to stay with them, giving her someone to talk to and hopefully he could distract her thoughts.

 

They walked back a short distance before taking a seat in a small glen. It was just far enough to keep the voices from entering Willa's mind. She sighed with relief. Smiling down at the kitsune she admitted. “You're right, you know. I am glad you decided to stay with us.”

 

The child was alarmed but then smiled widely. He knew that she could hear his thoughts sometimes. Perhaps they came through most of the time. “Do you always hear what we're thinking?” He questioned, taking a seat beside her. Inuyasha was sitting against a tree to her left, Tetsusaiga lying across his lap.

 

She shook her head. “No, not always. I can block them most of the time. Like right now I don't know what you're thinking.” A frown crossed her face like a cloud passing over the sun. “But the closer we got to that town the harder it was to keep from hearing them. Too many to block out I guess.”

 

Shippo nodded slightly, trying to have the most grownup expression he could. “Yes that makes sense. But after we have you a sword made like Inuyasha's, you won't have to worry about it.” He smiled bright at the thought. “You'll be alright then, and your boyfriend will comeback and you'll be ok.”

 

They heard a humph, and turned to see the hanyou glaring at them. “It's not just going to be alright after that. She'll still have to learn to use the sword. And as for that guy…” He growled slightly, causing his nose to wrinkle. “He won't be any protection for you. He can't even keep his own arm through one battle!”

 

Willa couldn't stop herself. She gave the man a hard slap across the face. “Don't you dare talk about Edward like that! At least he really loves me and doesn't question it all the time!” Her frown was hard enough that the man paled several shades. He should have known better than to cross a woman in love.

 

He didn't try to respond. Instead the kitsune spoke up, “Anyway, so do you like to play games?” Willa nodded so Shippo explained how to play one he had with him. He wanted to keep the two adults from spending all their time fighting. Not to mention, he hoped it would help to relax the tension that hung in the air.

 

 

The town didn't have a name posted on a sign as so many do. Instead it was more like a large camp. The shops were housed in tents in case the owner found need to flee from the area. It was evident by the lack of children and families that this was not a welcoming village. Instead it was like a war camp, where the strongest ruled.

 

Miroku stood in front of one the less threatening shop owners. “Excuse me sir, could you tell me if there is a metal worker around these parts?” His words were determined though his heart was racing. The demon aura was strong and almost overwhelming. He was glad Willa had not come.

 

The owner was a small satyr and he addressed the monk in a raspy voice. “Not round here. But down in the valley. Near that human village, there be a metal worker.” His gaze moved toward the demon slayer, who had changed into her battle gear before entering the encampment.

 

“We need a magical sword.” She explained in a rather demanding tone to give herself some authority. The looks she was receiving were unnerving and left her apprehensive. “It needs to be made by a demon sword smith, not a human one.”

 

The satyr's eyes narrowed. “What would a human want with such a weapon? To kill us perhaps?” But then he nodded slightly. “Or to free us from the others? For why else would a demon help such a warrior?” He pointed toward Kirara, and with another nod whispered, so only they could hear. “Go to the human metal worker in the woods south of their town. Tell him your needs and he will decide if you be trustworthy.”

 

Miroku bowed slightly in gratitude then took Sango by the arm. It seemed that there were more people crowding the streets now than earlier. Eyes watched them as they passed through town. `I have to get her out of here. I don't like the looks of things.' But their departure would not be so easy.

 

“What's wrong human? Don't want to stay and have some fun?” A voice called from the crowd. Glancing around neither of them could locate the owner, but everyone was examining the two of them. “Why not stay and grace us with your presents little man? Maybe throw a couple of sutras our way.” A tall gargoyle stepped forward with a wicked grinn.

 

“We don't want any trouble.” The monk replied, readying himself for the oncoming battle. Sango did the same behind him. Kirara burst into a ball of fire, transforming into her larger form and letting out a growl. “We only came to get some information. Now that we have it we'd like to leave.”

 

The gargoyle chuckled. “Oh so you would like to leave would you? Don't want any trouble, do you? Well then you shouldn't have come into our town! You humans refuse to accept us as we are. So why should we accept you?” The crowed roared with laughter. “No, you think we're all like those red eyes monsters that roam this land. So I will assume that you are no better than a monster yourself.”

 

He lunged forward but stopped as Kirara jumped between the two men. She roared ferociously at him. “We know you're not like those red eyed creatures.” Sango protested. “Our friend was taken by them. And now we've met one that wasn't fully changed. All we want to do is help her.”

 

“Not changed fully?” A female voice came from the crowd. The gargoyle turned to peer at the person who spoke. A woman with black feathered wings pushed her way into the clearing. “Then there are others like me? Who were taken but weren't fully transformed? Was she deemed useless too?”

 

Miroku shook his head. “No, she and our friend escaped before they had a chance to finish the process.” He took a step forward cautiously. “Tell me lady, do you mean to say that you were once a human too? That they changed you to look like a dark winged angel?”

 

The girl shook her head. “No, I have always been part bird. They wanted what you said, an angel. But they weren't able to take the color out of my wings.” Tear ran down her face. “They couldn't do it but they wouldn't change me back either! They left me to look like this!” Another birdlike creature came forward and wrapped its arms around her.

 

His wings were black like hers, but in place of hair he had feathers. He also possessed a feathered tail. In place of ears he had those like a normal bird would possess. “She can't fly.” He explained to the newcomers. “Like she is she can't get off the ground at all. That's why we're here. We've been cast out of our clan.”

 

Sango nodded sadly. `It's worse than we thought. Whoever is doing this isn't only going after the humans. They're trying anything to get what they want.' She turned her attention back to the gargoyle. “We only want to help our friend. After that we're going to try and stop whoever is doing this. And if possible, we'll try to turn everyone back to normal.”

 

The creature nodded then motioned for a path to be cleared. “Be on your way then humans. And know that you may think of us as allies in your quest. Goodbye and good luck.” A cheer went up among the crowed as they departed, though the gargoyle whispered to a friend. “They're fools to take on such a task.”

 

“Are they?” The satyr asked timidly. “It would seem to me that we be the fools. We who will not stand up and fight for ourselves. Though their quest may indeed be foolhardy, let them take it. It may prove more sensible than merely letting things be as they are.”

 

 

Willa looked up long before the others rejoined their group. As they turned the corner, bringing them within view, she stood to greet them. “Well, what did you find out?” She was trying hard to keep herself from allowing their thoughts to enter into her mind. “Do they have a sword smith?”

 

“No.” Sango shook her head but continued quickly. “There's one south of Fort Promise. Apparently everyone thinks he's human. But from the way that satyr spoke he must not be.” She laid a hand gently on Kirara's back, who hadn't bothered to return to her smaller form. “So we'll go there next.”

 

“Did you have much trouble?” The hanyou's tone was curt with the slayer. He didn't wait for them to question how he knew. “Kirara's transformed, that must mean that you had some problems. Was it very much or can we leave without my having to go back there and take care of a few people?”

 

Miroku frowned, “No Inuyasha. Everything is fine now. We did have a slight misunderstanding. But it seems that one of their demon women was transformed into a dark winged angel by the same people who changed Willa. Since they couldn't take away the color they just let her go. Unfortunately that means she's still different so she and her mate were abandoned by their clan.”

 

“That's just mean.” Shippo exclaimed, wanting to be a part of the conversation. “People should accept others for who they are. Not go by what they look like on the outside.” He crossed his small arm and scowled to show the conviction behind his words. “It's just not right!”

 

Sighing Willa turned her gaze to the path. “Well, we had better get going. Standing here talking isn't going to accomplish anything.” The others nodded as they began to walk along the dirt road. `People shouldn't be like that, but most are without even realizing it. Even the nicest guy can be turned off by someone like me. Most just don't want to take the time to get to know people.'