InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Batsu ❯ Tears of Blood ( Chapter 2 )

The scent of blood was heavy in the air as Kouga trudged back to the den, Inuyasha cradled in his arms. He glanced down at the now unconscious hanyou. Tears still streamed down his cheeks. Tears of blood. Guilt washed over him anew, and he almost gave in to the desire to break down and start weeping. Already, he teetered very close to brink of exhaustion, his battle with Inuyasha and his guilt taking their toll on him. Kouga violently shook his head in an effort to stay awake, to keep pushing himself forward.

 

`Can't stop now,' he growled to himself, gritting his teeth. `Can't stop . . . he needs a healer.'

 

Kouga had thought about taking Inuyasha back to the human village where he resided, so he could heal, but ultimately had decided against it. He'd been the one to assault the hanyou, he'd been the one to ensure that Inuyasha would never be able to survive on his own, he'd been the one to violate him violently and repeatedly . . . he'd been the one to break him. Not the hanyou's friends. He'd take responsibility for his actions by keeping Inuyasha with him, and not dumping him onto someone else. It was the only honourable thing left for him to do.

 

`No,' he told himself as familiar territory came into sight. `There's something else I can and will do. But I'm not going to leave Inuyasha just to seek her out. Not yet. I need to make things right with him first . . . and hope to the Gods above that he doesn't die. At least the den wasn't that far away . . . I don't know what I'd have done if I'd have to carry back to that human village.'

 

His body ached from the strain he was forcing onto himself, his vision began to blur, but Kouga refused to give up, to give in. Inuyasha's life depended upon him reaching AoiAme, the tribe's healer.

 

“Kouga!” a familiar voice cried out in greeting. Barking and howling soon followed the voice.

 

“Huh?”

 

Through hazed eyes, he glanced up as Ginta, Hakkaku, and half a dozen wolves came running towards him. Part of him felt relieved. His clan knew that he was there.

 

`I made it,' he thought as darkness claimed him.

 

* * *

 

AoiAme watched as Kouga and the hanyou he'd been carrying slept, both having been brought to her unconscious. She'd had to raise the hanyou's head on a couple of fur pelts, to help ease his breathing. Given their appearances, they were both exhausted and needed the sleep, the half-demon more so. She then sighed and shook her head.

 

Something had happened between the two, a fight of some sort, a fight that would have left the silver-haired male at a severe disadvantage if Kouga hadn't brought him back to the den. All of his ribs had been broken, some of them two and three times. He had deep gouges along his chest and sides, up and down his arms and legs, and five slender gashes on both sides of his face. There were bruises all along his face and chest, and between his thighs. Another bruise had started to form at the small of his back, and she'd shuddered with the realization that the hanyou had been violated. Who had done, she didn't want to guess; the thought absolutely appalled her. His hands and wrists were shattered. Even with her skills, they'd never heal properly. But the most disturbing sight had been the amount of blood that covered the hanyou. With the exception of a few patches here and there on his clothing, nearly all of it belonged to him. It had taken her nearly a day and a half to tend to the hanyou's injuries and clean him. Though he rested quietly, for the moment, AoiAme couldn't say that his life was out of danger just yet.

 

Then there'd been Kouga. When she'd initially seen the blood on him, AoiAme had panicked, thinking it was his. Then she'd taken a closer sniff and relaxed some when she'd realized it wasn't her leader's. From what she could tell, he'd been more exhausted than injured. Once she'd seen to both of her wards, she sat back on her haunches, and gazed at the two sleeping males, her eyes constantly going to the wounded half-demon that Kouga had brought back.

 

`But it was Kouga who injured him . . . that much is obvious. The hanyou's blood was on his hands. Why did he bring the half-demon back? He hasn't liked him since their first encounter. Kouga's said as much. He even vowed revenge after the hanyou and his friends left with one of the jewel shards.' AoiAme frowned. While Kouga's desire for revenge against the half-demon burned, it still hadn't gotten to the point where that's all Kouga could think about. They'd gone on with their lives. `Then our one brother returned . . . said the half-demon was killing them without reason other than to get a hold of another jewel shard, dying moments after Kouga had left . . . why did you bring him here, Kouga? The tribe will be after his blood for the death of our comrades.'

 

The groan of a youkai waking caught her attention, and she glanced at Kouga. For a moment, he appeared to be confused and slightly disoriented, and he looked around, taking in his surroundings. When his eyes landed on the hanyou, they widened. Panic and concern tinged the air as Kouga scrambled out from underneath the fur blankets to the silver-haired male's side. He quickly inspected the hanyou, his worry growing. Then he glanced up at her, his breathing coming in uneven rents. Concern began to sear the air.

 

“Is he . . .?”

 

“Alive?” AoiAme raised an eyebrow then nodded. “Hai. That was quite a number you did on him, Kouga. He'll be lucky if he survives on his own after this . . . Why did you bring him here after nearly killing him, especially the scent of our brothers' blood on him? I could smell it on his clothing . . .”

 

“Because . . .” he murmured, his shoulders sagging. From relief or something else, AoiAme couldn't say as she watched him, her eyes wide with alarm.

 

Kouga's words were cut off as the half-demon started to stir. A groan then a whimper escaped the younger male, and his face contorted in pain. His breathing became laboured as he struggled, albeit weakly, with some unseen foe.

 

“I didn't do it . . .” came the raspy, pained moan. “I swear . . . someone . . . help . . . please . . . stop . . . I didn't do it . . .”

 

What happened next, AoiAme would never forgot. Not for as long as she lived.

 

Kouga, instead of shaking his head and glaring at the half-demon, took the male into his arms and cradled him close. Guilt washed over his own features, and he appeared ready to break down. A choked sob escaped the hanyou at that moment, and, in horror, AoiAme saw the tears that had formed in his eyes. The scent of blood filled the air as the half-demon's cheeks were stained crimson. Of course, she'd seen the blood on his cheeks and around his eyes, but had figured it was from the number of facial injuries that the hanyou had sustained. Not this. She trembled as the realization set in, Kouga no longer needing to say the words. Only those who were innocent and punished wrongly cried like that. Only innocents cried tears made out of blood.

 

“Kami . . . he was innocent . . . Kouga, what the hell is going on? What did you do to him?”

 

“I . . .” the blue-eyed male paused then took a deep breath, lowering his head, “I . . . punished him . . . for the death of our brothers . . . I was so filled with rage that I . . . I went out of my way to humiliate him . . . and to break him . . . He tried to tell me . . . but I didn't listen . . .”

 

AoiAme's knees gave out on her, and she collapsed to the ground. In cold shock, she could only stare at her leader as he cradled the half-demon closer to him. The younger male continued to whimper and cry out, pleading in his dream-state for Kouga to stop and his lithe form trembling. He didn't have the strength in him to do much else. Before she could say anything, Kouga took a deep breath then raised his head, his eyes flashing ice.

 

“I was set up and so was he . . . it was a trap . . . why, I'm not entirely sure, but we were. The person responsible wanted me to take Inuyasha out . . . We have a new enemy now, AoiAme, an enemy that threatens our tribe's existence . . . An enemy named Naraku.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure about this, Kouga?” came the inquiry. The wolf leader sat before the council, pleading not only his case for his actions against Inuyasha but the hanyou's case as well. Everything had come out. How the one had returned home, on the verge of death, and stated it was Inuyasha doing the slaughtering. How Kouga had found the half-demon at the sight, covered in blood. How he'd attacked Inuyasha, and kept the silver-haired male on the defensive. Kouga told them everything, from when the thought first came to him to the vile act itself and ending with Kagura's words to him. Then he'd finished and sat in silence. He kept his head bowed. Though he had shamed himself, he refused to let it completely destroy him. And it could, if he allowed it. Guilt hounded him and it threatened to overwhelm him as well as depression . . . but he wouldn't allow it. He had a pack to think about, their safety and survival relying on his strength and his know-how . . . if they didn't exile him for his actions. The council would have every right to, after this.

 

“Hai,” he nodded. “Very sure.”

 

“This is a very serious offense,” came the casual remark.

 

“I know,” he replied, “and I intend to take full responsibility for my actions.”

 

“Is there anything else?” the foremost elder, a wolf named Gekido, inquired.

 

“Yes . . .” he raised his head, his face steeled with determination. “I intend to find the wind witch and this Naraku . . . the ones responsible . . . and make them pay. With their lives.”

 

“I see . . .” Gekido nodded, his eyes lowered and his hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Please step outside, Kouga. We need to think this over . . . and discuss it. We'll let you know of our decision.”

 

With a curt nod of his head, Kouga rose to his feet then exited the Council's audience chamber. He had put an extra burden on them, he knew. But he wouldn't feel any better about the situation until the Council members had decided his fate. Everything he did, he did for his tribe. He loved his tribe, after all. They were his reason for continuing to live, for not giving up. They were his first and foremost responsibility, as well as Inuyasha.

 

Once he was outside, he paused for a moment then headed for AoiAme's cave to check on Inuyasha, though he doubted that the hanyou had regained consciousness. He'd been out for a few days, despite the demoness's attempts to wake him, and it had the healer worried. Inuyasha choked whenever they tried to give him medicines and broths, even when they pinched his nose. Blood-filled tears continued to flow from the hanyou's swollen eyes. The hanyou had also coughed the crimson liquid up. He grew weaker with each passing day, his life draining away, and it worried the wolf. If Inuyasha died because of his stupid and arrogant mistake . . .

 

`No!' Kouga shook his head, viciously shoving that thought aside. `Inuyasha will not die. I won't let him. I'll find a way . . .'

 

He then took a deep breath then let it out. Allowing negative thoughts made negative actions happen. He had to look at it in a different light.

 

`He is recovering . . . the bruises are going away and so are most of the gashes . . . and his breathing has improved. He's getting better.' So he kept telling himself as he continued on his way.

 

As he approached, Kouga saw AoiAme standing outside her cave, apparently waiting for him. He frowned. She never stood outside her cave to wait for him unless she had some news to give him about Inuyasha's health.

 

`And if she's out here then that means . . .'

 

Panic surged through him as the thought came to him, and he quickly hurried to her, quietly praying for the hanyou's health. The severity of Inuyasha's remaining wounds made themselves very clear in a very glaring light.

 

“AoiAme? What . . .?”

 

The healer drew a deep breath then let it out, her eyes looking weary.

 

“He's still alive, Kouga,” she stated, answering his unfinished question. “Still out but alive.”

 

Relief washed over him for a moment, and he took a deep breath. The half-demon still lived. He could relax once more and pray for Inuyasha's continued improvement. Then he remembered that AoiAme was waiting for him . . . and still hadn't said why. Curiosity finally got the better of him.

 

“Then why are you out here?” he inquired, tilting his head.

 

“Because I need for you to watch over him for a while,” she snapped, tapping her foot impatiently. “You've triggered another curse, Kouga. Congratulations.”

 

“Triggered another curse?” he frowned then blinked, shaking his head. “AoiAme, what are you talking about?”

 

“What am I talking? What am I talking about?!” Her voice rose slightly, and she advanced upon him. Kouga shrank away from her, knowing better than to fight a wolf demoness when she was angry. His own mother had taught him that lesson. “The half-demon's pregnant, Kouga. By the will of the Gods, he's expecting your pups.”