InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Lust ❯ Inuyasha's Inner Struggle ( Chapter 7 )

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Chapter 7: Inuyasha's Inner Struggle

 

The bright glare of the light caused Inuyasha to raise his arm to shield him from its rays. As his eyes focused to the world around him, he realized he was standing on a beautiful green hill, in the middle of a huge expanse of lush plains. He looked around, and saw nothing but endless field in any direction. Looking up, the sky was pure blue and immensely clear.

 

Scanning the horizon, he could make out no landmarks. No mountains; No trees; nothing but endless grass. Turning around he continued to scan the plains. He was sure there had to be something here that was different. He began walking slowly down from his hill, keeping his sense keen for any danger. It was odd that he couldn't smell or hear anything, nor could he feel the blades of grass under his feet. It felt more like he was gliding slowly than walking.

 

Inuyasha then stumbled upon a small body of water, but he immediately noticed something peculiar about it. The water was a perfect sphere, and the water was as smooth and clear as glass. It was then that he noticed another oddity. There was no wind at all either. He walked over to the water, and crouched down at the bank. He looked through the clear water, but could notice no flaws in the shape. It was a perfect half sphere.

 

He tentatively reached a hand out to touch the water, but he felt nothing as his hand drifted into the clear mass, and not even a ripple disturbed the placidity of the surface. Inuyasha moved to pull his hand back, but soon realized he couldn't. He pulled at it with all his might, but it would not budge and inch. Then, suddenly it began pulling his arm further into its depths. Inuyasha struggled to pull himself free, but the more he pulled the faster he was being dragged in. Soon it pulled his entire body into its depths, and was slowly dragging him to the bottom.

 

He was fighting to keep the air in his lungs as he plummeted further and further under the still water. He had nearly given up hope, when suddenly he stopped. Looking up, he saw a hand clasped around his wrists.

 

On the outside of the water, knelt Kagome, her small white hand holding him steady. He looked up at her, and internally smiled. He closed his hand around her wrist, and she slowly began pulling him from what would have been his watery tomb.

 

He noticed something interesting. When he was alone, he had nearly given up hope on life, but when Kagome was there to offer her aide, he found the strength to hope, and dream, and think of all the irrational things he wanted. He knew as long as she was there by his side he could do anything at all.

 

As he looked up into her blank face, he smiled contently, and she slowly faded into wisps of smoke that drifted away into the crystal blue sky.

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The cold air against his flesh was the first thing Inuyasha noticed as he slowly returned to consciousness. Slowly he was regaining his senses. He could feel the rough stone against his skin.

 

As his heart beat settled, he felt the blood flowing back into his ears, and he detected the light sound of shuffling feet against the floor. His nose was slowly regaining its previous sensitivity, and he felt his heart sink as he smelled that familiar damp stale air. On top of that, he smelled Naraku.

 

The senses in his limbs were slowly returning, and he tried to shift them to encourage blood flow to return. He felt resistance. He sighed softly. He was captured by Naraku. Again.

 

Sure enough when the numbness in his wrists and ankles faded, it was replaced by the feel of metal against flesh. He couldn't help but find this whole situation hysterically ironic, and he began to chuckle slowly out of his control. A part of him wished he had died there on that grass. At least he would be free of this maddening torture.

 

Not only had he failed to keep his freedom, but he also failed to make Kagome his mate. He began to laugh louder, almost hysterically. His situation was beginning to affect his psychological stability.

 

Almost on cue, Inuyasha heard Naraku's voice mumbling something in a not so distant location. Calming his laughter slightly he listened intently to what he was saying.

 

His voice was dripping with detestable satisfaction as he spoke with a deep confidence, “Relax my dear Kagome, I promise not to hurt you,” he chuckled softly, “I need you well for our mating rituals anyways. I would hate to have you tired or injured, because it will not end quickly.”

 

Inuyasha could not tell if Kagome had been gagged, or if she merely was refusing to answer Naraku. Regardless, he wanted to hear her voice so he knew she was alright, at least for the time being. The way he had been bound this time prevented him from raising his head to look. He had been shackled firmly to the ground; both his wrists and ankles were caged.

 

The true tragedy of the death of both Miroku and Sango had not yet set in, but now Inuyasha's mind drifted slowly to them. He wondered how they had been killed. Had they put up a fight?

 

It seemed unreal that they could both be gone. The two lovers who had already sworn themselves to each other never made their final vows. And now Inuyasha was facing the same fate with Kagome; he had been so close to making her his for forever.

 

He needed a plan, but he was faced with what seemed to be a hopeless situation. He was trapped in Naraku's castle, and his Tessaiga was certainly hidden somewhere deep inside the castle. He smiled. He was remembering more and more every day.

 

If only he had his trusty Tessaiga, he would never have been bent to the will of Naraku. Alone, he knew it was a hopeless fight, but with the fang of his father, anything was possible.

 

He clenched his fists tightly, his claws digging into his palms. The fuse of his temper was growing shorter and shorter. After everything he had finally shared with Kagome, he couldn't let it all end like this.

 

His mind flashed forward three years:

 

There he was with Kagome, beautiful as always, looking slightly more mature, and in her arms, a boy, an infant with black hair, brilliant golden eyes, and two triangle ears atop his head… It was their pup, and she was holding him tightly, smiling cheerfully, the young child's eyes full of hope and wonder, his hands reaching out for all the knowledge in the world...

 

Inuyasha's eyes were glimmering with hope. Someday he would make it a reality. But before then, he faced a major obstacle; Naraku.

 

Inuyasha knew there had to be a major weakness in Naraku's plan. It was only a matter of time before he would find it, and exploit it, but it was time he didn't have.

 

This whole ordeal had taken a tremendous toll on Inuyasha's mind. Every minute he was feeling the strain growing further and further. Was this what it felt like to descend into insanity? Inuyasha didn't plan on finding out. He was at least grateful he was sane enough to think about his mental status.

 

But he knew that prolonged exposure to this kind of mental stress could tear the fabric of his mind apart. The thought of freeing Kagome kept his mind on edge.

 

The slow footsteps that closed on Inuyasha caused his thoughts to sharpen. He knew there was little Naraku could do at this point to make any matters worse.

 

A swift kicked to his side knocked the wind from him, and he coughed roughly.

 

“Good to see you awake, Inuyasha,” Naraku said coldly. Inuyasha heard him kneel close to his ear, “I thought you'd enjoy the return trip to what will ultimately be your grave.”

 

“If you plan to kill me, Naraku, why not do it now? You have everything you wanted.”

 

The sound of Naraku standing back up was minimalized as his foot smashed down on Inuyasha's head, causing Inuyasha to groan in pain and grit his teeth. Naraku's foot did not leave his head as he talked, and he continued pressing painfully against Inuyasha's skull.

 

“You betray me after I took mercy on you Inuyasha, and you thought I would give you such a simple death?” He laughed heartily, “By the time I am done with you Inuyasha, you will be begging for your death. Hell will seem like paradise by the time I let you die.”

 

Inuyasha smiled. Naraku had already torn out his heart, what else could he do?

 

“Smiling Inuyasha? I think you need a demonstration of the anguish to come,” Naraku raised his foot from Inuyasha's head and repositioned himself so he was crouched by Inuyasha right hand. He wrapped his hand around Inuyasha's, placing his thumb against the inside of Inuyasha's middle finger. “Take this as a lesson Inuyasha,” he pushed his thumb forcefully against Inuyasha's finger, breaking it backwards.

 

Inuyasha screamed in pain, the feeling shooting up through his arms and resonating throughout his body. Though the blood was pounding in Inuyasha's ears, he could hear Naraku standing up. His wondering of what Naraku was planning next was answered when Naraku's foot smashed down on Inuyasha's broken finger.

 

Inuyasha screamed out in pain again. It was a terrible throbbing ache in his finger that pounded viciously.

 

“I hope that will teach you to test me Inuyasha, and that was but a taste of the pain to come. But forgive me, Inuyasha, there is much preparations to be made before I steal the thing you care about most from you. I hope you enjoy hearing the sounds of your bitch screaming while I claim her,” his footsteps slowly trailed off.

 

Inuyasha clenched his teeth together tightly; angered by Naraku's words and that he was unable to do anything to prevent what just happened. The pain in Inuyasha's finger was subsiding into a slow throbbing pain as the blood pumped into it.

 

Inuyasha could have sworn he just felt the shackles around his wrists tighten. He couldn't be sure, because his senses were impeded by the pain in his finger, but they certainly felt tighter around his wrists, almost to the point of cutting off his circulation. He decided not to think much into it, and turned his thoughts back to more pressing matters, like his and Kagome's escape.

 

He assumed that these shackles were much like the ones he had been held in before, so he refrained from attempting to break free from them. A part of him thought that Naraku would be cocky enough to have refrained from restraining him properly, but he didn't want to take his chances. He was already feeling very weak from the lack of physical exercise and proper nutrition. It was only a matter of time before he would be too weak to do much of anything at all. He had to find an escape soon.

 

He knew Kagome was being held captive somewhere nearby, but he was unable to see her from his current location. He debated calling out to her, but it was likely that Naraku would be nearby and listening; it was too much of a gamble.

 

All he had to rely on was his thoughts; he held the lives of himself and Kagome at the edge of razor; one false step, and he doomed them both.

 

“Kagome,” he whispered to himself, “Don't give up just yet.”