InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ After-effects ❯ Growing bonds ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and the gang do not belong to me... Yuna however is my own creation.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

Chapter 6: Growing bonds

 

It was a very quiet couple that exited the well. Kagome was still trying to come to term with her separation and Inuyasha didn't know what to say to comfort her so he kept quiet. As it was though, the two didn't have much time to dwell on the events that had just taken place because a voice interrupted their respective musing as soon as they set foot on solid ground.

 

"Well you sure know how to keep someone waiting," said the voice lightly.

 

Both turned in the direction it had come from to see a dark shape wearing a cloak.

 

"Who are you," demanded Inuyasha, his hands instantly straying to the Tessaiga at his side.

 

"Me, I'm just a pitiful youkai trying to survive in an unforgiving world," the form answered jokingly.

 

"Cut the crap! You've been waiting for us, so obviously there's something we have that you want," snapped Inuyasha losing his patience quickly.

 

"Ah! Straight to the point, I like that. You see I've come for the lovely little jewel your woman is currently wearing. Now if you were to just hand it over, it would spare all of us a lot of trouble, wouldn't you say?" he asked in his eternally jovial tone.

 

"Do you honestly think we would do something that stupid?" asked Kagome with a dangerous gleam in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to be given time to sulk a little and this guy with his bubbly attitude was seriously trying her patience.

 

He appeared to think over what the young miko had said before answering. "Well to be honest... no, but it never hurts to try now does it?" he asked before drawing a blade from under his cloak.

 

"Keh! After Naraku, defeating you will be a breeze," shot the hanyou while drawing his own sword which instantly transformed.

 

"We'll just have to see about that," said the youkai before launching himself at the hanyou full speed.

 

The impact of the blades caused sparks to fly everywhere and the force of it made Inuyasha slide back a few inches. His loss of ground didn't last long though because with a sudden grunt, he pushed back his opponent.

 

"Not bad for a half-breed," mocked the form. Its playful tone was betrayed by his weary movements though; he was now careful of his opponent.

 

Noticing this change of behavior, Inuyasha decided to press his advantage a bit. "Now who underestimated who?" he taunted.

 

The form didn't answer, instead it started to circle the hanyou slowly, looking for an opening. Not falling for the ruse, Inuyasha carefully maneuvered himself so that he would remain between the youkai and Kagome.

 

For her part, the young miko was feeling highly frustrated at her powerlessness. "Damn it! If only I had a bow, I could help Inuyasha!" she thought angrily before she suddenly remembered what had happened in Naraku's castle. "Wait, maybe I can help him, all I need to do is remember how I did it," she reflected.

 

Oblivious to Kagome's musing, the two opponents had started another exchange. So far, both looked evenly matched, but with his wound, the hanyou knew he couldn't keep this pace up forever. His only chance was to end the fight as quickly as possible, and to do that, he needed to use the kaze no kizu. His opponent kept pressing him though and he simply didn't have the opening he needed to perform the attack.

 

Behind him, Kagome was concentrating hard, digging deep within her soul, trying to awaken the power that she knew resided there. She searched and searched, totally unaware of what was happening around her, until she found what she had been looking for. It felt pretty much like lighting a candle and with the rising flame, the surge of purification power became stronger. Opening her eyes, she could see that the two were still exchanging blows but that Inuyasha had started to visibly slow down.

 

"His injury is troubling him," she thought worriedly. She looked at the fight for a few seconds, trying desperately to find a way to release her power without touching the hanyou, but he would always stay between her and her target. "Dammit Inuyasha, move to the side, jump, duck but for heaven's sake get out of the way!" she cried mentally. "Wait... duck... That's it!" she exclaimed.

 

The hanyou was starting to seriously worry about the outcome of the fight. His injury was putting him at a great disadvantage. He was currently in a blade to blade struggle against the unknown youkai and he was losing ground fast. That was when Kagome suddenly spoke up from behind him.

 

"Osuwari!" she yelled and instantly the hanyou was thrown to the ground.

 

The unexpected lack of resistance against his push caused the unknown youkai to lose his balance and stumble forward a few steps. He probably would have fallen over Inuyasha's prone form if a huge beam of purification energy hadn't slammed into his chest and thrown him backward at that precise moment. He flew for several meters before he crashed against a tree trunk and fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

 

The hanyou, who by now had recovered from the spell picked himself up from the ground and was about to give a piece of his mind to the miko behind him when a moan from their opponent stopped him. Turning around, he could see that he was slowly struggling to his feet.

 

"Not dead yet are you?" snarled Inuyasha. "Well this should finish you off," he smarled before launching his favorite attack. "Kaze no kizu!" he yelled and watched as the beam of energy raced toward its destination. It connected with a huge blast of energy and when it cleared, all that was left were the burning remains of a cloak.

 

"It didn't hit him," thought Inuyasha warily as he scanned the trees for any sign of their opponent. "Where is he hiding!"

 

As it was, his question was answered when the voice of the unknown youkai suddenly resounded from all around them at once. "I'm impressed you managed to best me," it mocked lightly. "This is a feat that demands some sort of reward," it continued in the same tone of voice. "I'll give you the privilege of knowing my name: Mattemaru. Remember it the next time we meet," he finished and with that he was gone.

 

******

 

"Whoooey! That was too close for comfort! These guys didn't defeat Naraku by chance!" exclaimed Mattemaru as he contemplated his still smoking arms and the smoldering spot on his chest where Kagome's beam had hit him.

 

"But that girl... channeling her powers like that. It shouldn't be possible," he reflected more seriously.

 

"Well in any case, I think I'll let them enjoy their victory for a while. I wager the boss is dying to get an update," he chuckled before heading off.

 

******

 

"Are you alright Kagome?" Inuyasha asked after he was sure that the youkai was gone.

 

"Yeah, but how about you? He didn't worsen your injury did he?" she asked with concern.

 

"No, he didn't even scratch me," answered the hanyou with a worried frown.

 

"Kagome..." began Inuyasha hesitantly before he was cut off by the young miko.

 

"Don't even think about it," she said darkly. "I'm not going back through the well again even if it means using 'the word' until your back breaks," she finished determinately.

 

An angry staring contest then started between the young miko and the hanyou. Neither wanted to let go of their idea, but in the end, it was Inuyasha who relented first. "Let's just get back to the village," he said with a hunch of his shoulders.

 

Kagome looked at him in concern. It wasn't at all like Inuyasha to give in so easily. "Inuyasha... What's wrong?" she asked softly.

 

"What's wrong?" he began in a low tone. "I'll tell you what's wrong!" he said, his voice suddenly exploding. "We've just been attacked by a freaking youkai that's after the shikon jewel! That means others will come! That means you are in danger! That means someday, eventually, maybe something bad will happen to you!" he finished in a whisper.

 

The young miko looked at him for a long time, surprised by the outburst, but finally understanding what was plaguing his mind. "Inuyasha... I'm sorry," she spoke with downcast eyes. "I didn't actually think you'd be that concerned about me," she continued. "I'll... go back then, if you think it's the best thing to do," she finished and quickly turned away to hide the tears that were welling in her eyes.

 

She had taken one step toward the well when the voice of the hanyou stopped her. "The thing is Kagome... I don't want you to go. I need you by my side, I... I feel... stronger and happier and more at peace and... and..." he trailed off, not knowing what else to add to his list. "I love you and don't want anything to happen to you, but at the same time... I don't want to be away from you... It's... confusing," he finished in a whisper and raised his head to see that Kagome had walked up to him.

 

"I know Inuyasha," she said softly. "I can't bear to be separated from you either," she whispered. "But I told you before, as long as we're together, we can accomplish anything," she said gently, but firmly.

 

He remained silent for a while, gazing into his love's deep brown eyes. In them he could see all the pain and suffering she had endured in the past. He could see all the trials she had faced and yet, through all that, there was an unwavering conviction and determination to face what was to come. Confronted with such a powerful emotion, the hanyou couldn't help but feel his confidence return. "She's right, we faced countless trials before and this one's not going to be any different," he thought while a smile appeared on his lips.

 

"You know you're the craziest girl I've ever met," he said wrapping his arms around the girl in front of him.

 

Sensing the change, Kagome couldn't help but smile back at the hanyou. "You know it and love me for it," she whispered hotly.

 

"You got that right," said Inuyasha in the same tone, right before he captured Kagome's soft lips in a sweet and tender kiss.

 

******

 

Yuna swallowed the last of her food and sighed in contentment. She felt pleasantly full which was not a feeling she had experienced often. In fact, since waking up, none the things that had happened to her were things she was used to. First, she had experienced the comfort of a futon. The soft and fluffy mattress and the warm covers were a striking difference with the straw she used to sleep in. Secondly, her wound had been expertly cleaned and bandaged. That was yet another surprise. In the past when she had hurt herself, it had been up to her to see that her injuries didn't get any worse. And last but not least, a meal, a real meal, and with Kagura-sama to top it all off. She simply couldn't believe that her new master was someone this considerate of her well-being. So, to make a long story short, she was in heaven right now.

 

"Kagura-sama... I thank you for your infinite kindness," she said softly with as deep a bow as she could manage with her injury.

 

She stayed still for a few seconds, waiting for some sort of acknowledgment but none came. So she dared to raise her head slightly and could see that the sorceress was looking at her with a rather surprised look on her face. "Kagura... sama?" she spoke again, suddenly fearful that she had done something wrong.

 

This seemed to shake the female youkai out of her trance because she suddenly shook her head, as if discouraged. "Well... I guess it can't really be helped," came the cryptic reply.

 

"Yuna... stop bowing like this," said the female youkai in a sympathetic tone. The child looked uncertain for a moment before she pushed herself back into a sitting position.

 

"Now look..." Kagura began but stopped short. How was she to explain freedom to a child who had grown up in servitude and knew nothing else. "Wait, maybe she does remember a little of her life with her mother. That would be a good start," she mused.

 

For her part, the ten years old was confused by the sorceress' reaction. She had meant to flatter her new master but apparently, she had not taken her thanks well. "Maybe I offended her without knowing it," she reflected before a horrifying thought crossed her mind. "Maybe... she's trying to tell me she can't keep me," she mused, feeling dread creep up her spine.

 

She couldn't really explain why she was feeling this way but, just like she had wanted to cook her a meal, just like she had wanted to help her out of the hot spring, just like she had wanted to save her life by taking the arrow in her place, she now desperately wanted to stay by her side. Gulping down her fear, she prepared herself to beg the youkai to reconsider her decision, but it turned out that Kagura was faster by a split second.

 

"Yuna... do you remember what your life was like... with your mother?" she asked softly.

 

The question was so radically far from the child's actual train of thought that all she could do was stare dumbly at the sorceress before her. "Yuna?" asked Kagura when no answer came from the ten years old.

 

The said girl snapped back to attention at the voice of the sorceress and blushed a bit in embarrassment. "Well... not much," she answered meekly.

 

"I see... Is there anything you do remember?" inquired the youkai again.

 

"I remember that she would always try to keep me inside our house. She said that bad people would hurt me if I went outside," spoke the girl softly.

 

"Really? Do you know why?" Kagura questioned, curious this time.

 

"... No," whispered Yuna softly.

 

Sighing a bit, the sorceress rubbed her temple in exasperation. Things were definitively not going the way she had planned. She had thought that the girl had at least some concept of what freedom was, but as it turned out, even her mother had kept her locked up, though for what reason, she wasn't sure. She promised herself she would find out, but now wasn't the time for this. "Well, maybe a more direct approach will work better," she mused a bit discouraged.

 

"Tell me Yuna... have you ever dreamed of... being free?" she finally asked.

 

The ten years old looked in confusion at the sorceress before her. She couldn't for the life of her understand where all of this was going. She didn't see any link between her childhood and the question she had just been asked. But still, it was not her place to question her master, so she answered as best as she could.

 

"I... I'm not sure I understand," she said fearfully. This was probably the boldest she had ever been in her entire life. Daring to imply that her master was not giving her enough information was probably going to earn her a good flogging, but there was simply no other choice. She had no answer to supply because she didn't understand the question.

 

"Well I mean free as in not being a slave anymore," explained the sorceress totally unphazed by the question.

 

This was yet another bewildering moment for Yuna. She had expected anger and there had been none, in fact, she even got the information needed to form her answer. Things with Kagura were drastically different from what they had been with her former masters. Finally realizing that the youkai was expecting her to answer, she jarred herself out of her thoughts and spoke.

 

"I... I'd be lying if I said I hadn't," she began carefully. "But it's because my former masters were cruel to me, unlike you Kagura-sama," she added immediately.

 

"I see," chuckled the sorceress and Yuna felt relief wash over her at the positive reaction. "Now then, what if I told you that you are not a slave anymore?" asked the youkai, looking carefully at the child's reaction.

 

It took a few seconds for the full meaning of the question to sink in the child's mind. When it did however, her eyes widened like saucers. "But Kagura-sama... that would mean... that you are not... my master," spoke the ten years as tears started to appear in her eyes.

 

Kagura raised an eyebrow in surprise upon seeing this. She had expected many things, but definitively not that. "What's so wrong about that?" she asked in confusion.

 

"If... If you're not my master...then that means that... I can't stay... by your side," she sniffed sadly.

 

Such a simple and naive statement, yet the sorceress could suddenly feel her heart swell upon hearing it. "Is she... that attached to me already?" she mused, tears threatening to start.

 

In truth, Kagura had felt an attachment for the child almost the minute they had met. Not being used to this sort of thing, she had not acknowledged it until yesterday when Kagome had surprised her in tears. But even when she had admitted her feelings, she had half expected the child to feel different. In a way, it was a sort of self-defense mechanism against the pain she knew would assault her if she were to be rejected. But now... now Yuna had just admitted feeling the same way. It made her happier than she ever thought possible... and also incredibly afraid that she wouldn't be up to the task of taking care of her.

 

"Taking care of her?" she reflected incredulously before the words of Kagome resounded in her head. "You may not realize it, but you have decided," she had said to her. And the girl had been right, her heart had been set then, and even more so now. She had just been too stubborn to realize it. "Am I that easy to read?" she mused almost amused by that fact. "Well... I suppose it's time to take the plunge," she thought, focusing back on the present and the child in front of her.

 

"Yuna... why wouldn't you be able to stay by my side if I'm not your master?" she asked gently.

 

"Because..." started the child but trailed off. A baffled expression replaced the tears when she couldn't give any reason to the youkai in front of her.

 

"So you see, there's really no reason for you to be sad," added Kagura when she noticed that her point had gotten across.

 

Yuna only nodded in answer and looked at the ground nervously. It was all so overwhelming that she didn't know what to think anymore. There had not been a day in since her mother's death that she had not dreamed of a better life, one where she wouldn't have to be afraid of being flogged or being starved to death. And now, fate had finally smiled upon her in the person of Kagura who offered her what she had craved for the most all these years. But now what? What was she to do? How was she to react? She had no idea. While her bleak future had suddenly turned bright, it had also become far more uncertain than it had been up to now and, truth be told, it scared her, it scared her a lot.

 

She jerked slightly in surprise when a warm hand suddenly made contact with her shoulder. She raised her head and noticed that Kagura had moved and was now sitting beside her. "It's scary isn't it? To think about the future and not knowing how it's going to turn out," spoke the female youkai dreamily. The expression didn't last however and it quickly switched back to a normal and friendly one.

 

"But you know, it's okay to be afraid," she continued. "Everybody fears the unknown, it's normal. However, not everyone has the courage to face it," she said again and fell silent.

 

"The thing is Yuna that I'm scared too. I never had to take care of someone other than myself and I'm not sure if I'm going to be up to the task. But I'd like to believe that if we both do the best we can, things will work out somehow," she confessed softly.

 

Yuna didn't know how to answer to such a heartfelt speech. Was there even an answer to give? One thing was for sure, Kagura's words had not left her unaffected. She felt a swirl of conflicting emotions rush through her causing her to want to cry out with happiness and at the same time to cower in a corner in fear. But then, her gaze met the sorceress' and all of it simply dissolved into nothing only to be replaced with an odd sense of familiarity. As her mind tried to work out where she had seen this look before, something strange happened. For a split second, the red eyes of the sorceress turned gray. Her black, neatly tied hair turned deep brown and shoulder length. The pointed ears were replaced with human ones and the shape of her face changed slightly.

 

The apparition was gone almost as soon as it had come. But it was enough. She had seen and remembered the only other woman who had ever looked at her like this: her mother. Warm and happy and safe, that was the only way to put into words what Yuna felt at that very moment. Gone were her previous fears and gone were her uncertainties of the future. There was only one certainty now: Whatever would happen, Kagura would be there to face it with her. This brought a huge smile on her face as she spoke up.

 

"Kagura-sama... I'll do my best," she said softly but firmly.

 

The sorceress wasn't sure exactly what she had done, but whatever it had been, it had successfully calmed the child's fears. "Then I'll give this back to you... for good," she spoke showing her a white feather. Seeing the flash of recognition in the ten years old's eyes, she smiled and continued.

 

"That's right, it's the one I handed to you the other day to protect you," she began. "Now let this be the symbol of our promise to always do our best and to always be there for each other," she spoke solemnly. When she finished her sentence, she deposited the feather in the child's outstretched hand.

 

It might have been the light, but Yuna could have sworn she had seen it glow softly when it had touched her hands. Dismissing it as her imagination, she clutched it tightly in her hand and put it to her heart. "I swear Kagura-sama... I won't disappoint you," she said more seriously than she had ever spoken in her life.

 

"You won't Yuna... You won't," answered the youkai reassuringly.