InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Brother's Keeper ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: InuYashaReader 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Action / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 08.04.2011 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 329 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Action / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 08.04.2011 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 329 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter Nine:
---
Most of the time, you usually get yourself into trouble. Trouble never comes to you right? An excuse, a large one, cable of getting out of most sticky situations. And InuYasha felt no different here. He was in trouble, but he hadn't gone toward it, it had come toward to him.
Racing through the thicket with a throbbing ankle wasn't slowing him down at the least, but the horrid pain in his side was. Jumping from the window, InuYasha hadn't expected it to such a steep fall. And a large tree slamming him in the gut with one of its large branches on his fall didn't help either. This body could glide, but he didn't know how to glide, he just knew how to run, and that's exactly what he was doing.
Luckily the branch hadn't hit him in the side injury, but left his empty stomach and yet even more pain. InuYasha wasn't a stranger to pain, but running full speed when your vision was starting to blur because of it, was a sign he better stop soon.
Hearing and seeing no pursuers at the current moment, InuYasha hoped up into a tall tree to catch his breath. Clutching his side, InuYasha felt the blood leak over on his palm and on his white kimono. InuYasha glanced down to see the wound had completely ripped open, spewing more blood then InuYasha had first thought.
“Damn.” InuYasha cursed. Ripping off his kimono leaving his chest bare he wrapped the loose garment tightly around the wound in hopes of slowing the blood flow. Remembering how Kagome fixed wounds InuYasha put as much pressure with his hands as he could, but his vision was still blurring, and it wasn't closing even with his youkai healing.
Closing his eyes, InuYasha rested his head against the trunk of the tree. The evenings noises started to emerge, the sound of crickets and birds calling for their mates to return for the night. Sitting on his rear now, InuYasha felt the tension in his legs decrease. This body was so different then his, more bulky and a little off. It was not made for hoping through trees that's for sure.
InuYasha felt the sweat break out on his forehead, and he opened his eyes to glance down at the wound again. It wasn't healing. InuYasha growled in anger and ripped off the tied kimono, throwing it over a nearby branch. That hurt.
Leaning back InuYasha closed his eyes as the soft, cold wind blew at his wound, sending strange cold shivers through his body. He didn't know if running was the best of ideas anymore. InuYasha blinked, how did Aisuru close his wounds so quickly? Closing his eyes again, he swam through the vague memories that he had of this place, and remember her licking her fingers and then putting her fingers to the side of his wound. She had used her saliva.
That bothered InuYasha somewhat, but it had worked. Bringing up his own hand, he licked his entire palm and brought it over the open wound. That sent a fire up his side.
“Shit!” InuYasha gasped as he grabbed a nearby branch to keep from falling out of the tree he was currently in. Keeping his hand over the wound, the fire of pain began to lessen and fade as he felt the wound start to close under his hand. He knew Inu youkai saliva could heal, but he really never considered using it for certain reasons. He didn't think Miroku, Sango, and Kagome would appreciate him licking their wounds in order for them to heal faster. It would have made them uncomfortable.
The pain had subsided, and the night air was starting to take the setting suns place. InuYasha needed somewhere to take shelter for tomorrows journey to find the well. Grabbing a branch, InuYasha hoisted his body back up and looked behind him, the dark castle loomed. InuYasha felt his stomach twist into a knot when he looked at it. It was dark and gloomy, an unwanted place, a place where you didn't approach. InuYasha was starting to see where Sesshomaru got his behavior from.
Taking one last look, InuYasha continued his journey on the tree tops. Keeping his ears up for anything suspicious, InuYasha grabbed a branch and sniffed the air. His nose was finally working, and he smelled something that made his mouth start to water. Food. Cooked food.
InuYasha immediately started to follow the scent with his stomach growling all the way. Jumping on to the top of a tree branch InuYasha spied the movement of a small village, with a large fire and cooked food filling the air. Only, it seemed to be a human village.
InuYasha froze, what was he going to do now? The childhood memories started to pour in his mind of stealing when the villagers weren't looking. He felt no different here. InuYasha groaned and idly, sat on the branch he was perched on. He was hungry, and he was half tempted to scare the villagers and take some food without a problem, but in his mind, he knew that was just wrong.
The entire time he was with Kagome and the others, they usually had to fight youkai that was a burden to such villages, and if InuYasha stole from this one, he would be no better then the youkai he and his group slew.
The food was taunting though, he could smell it. Chicken? Cow? He wasn't sure what they were cooking, but it smelled like heaven. Ramen would be even better, but there was no Kagome here, he would have to deal with what he had.
Slipping down the tree cautiously and aware of his wound, InuYasha darted quickly behind one of the huts. Glancing quickly to see he wasn't noticed, he peeked around the corner to see two small, frail men. Their small spears over their shoulders, and the tips dulled and bleak. They could barley protect themselves better yet an entire village.
InuYasha heard the sound of a twig snap and froze. The two men glanced quickly around, but their sense of direction was off. They were blind. InuYasha blinked and straightened his back, he always avoided human villages when he was alone. Now that he had his friends, they always kept villagers at bay to avoid a conflict of housing a hanyou.
Realizing they were blind, InuYasha felt a little more confident. Maybe he could just ask for food, saying he was a nomad and couldn't find anything decent for the night. It was still technically stealing, but it was the most appropriate thing to do in the situation.
“Uh...hello?” InuYasha said, as he approached the two older men. They both froze and swung their spears in random directions, before one of the men titled his head and aimed the spear in InuYasha's direction.
“Who's...there?” The man pointing the spear at him, whispered.
“I'm just a nomad, I'm only asking for food so I can be on my way.” InuYasha felt weird asking humans for food, but his stomach was pretty much cussing him out since it was growling so much.
“Food, boy?” The other man grumbled. “We barley have enough for ourselves. Yet, by the sound of it, a youngster like yourself. We don't have enough to share, you better not be a bandit, we have protection you know.”
InuYasha frowned. “Protection?”
“Inu youkai, they guard us, we give them food. But of course some type of...what were they Grison?”
“Beats me, they destroyed our trade with those Inu youkai though. Stupid creatures, the lot of them.” The one named Grison mumbled.
“I just need some food.” InuYasha said, “Then I'll leave.”
“No, you want food first, then a place to stay, then you'll start bedding our women. Do you take us for stupid boy?” The other man asked. InuYasha almost gagged on the thought of bedding with a common village woman.
“I'm on my way home, and...” InuYasha hated to think what Kagome and the others would do to see him lie to some blind men for food. “...I was robbed, I'm injured on my side, and my horse was taken along with my belongings, I just need some food.”
“Robbed eh?” The old man named Grison smirked. “I do smell the iron rich blood on you.” InuYasha froze. Smelled?
InuYasha's eyes widened, these weren't two old human men. They were blood thirsty youkai. What the hell is wrong with my nose?! InuYasha thought frantically.
“Heh, sorry, I'm late for my own party.” InuYasha said quickly and jumped on the nearest roof to escape before the two youkai had time to react.
“We don't eat you nobles.” InuYasha spun to see the two youkai on another roof. “But we don't like you. Get out of here, you're the reason those horrid Kami-Youkai, or whatever they call themselves, are here.”
“Damn it all, I have no damn idea who the hell they are!” InuYasha roared, “I'm just looking for a well to get home!”
“A well?” The youkai named Grison frowned. “The only well around here is full of water and its near a large human village outside the forest. But look here Inu, tell your daimyo-sama to either get rid of the whatever youkai, or step down.” The youkai snarled, “We're sick of them controlling our food trade, I hate eating the same thing over and over every damn minute of the day.”
“I'm not associated with the daimyo-baka.” InuYasha snarled back. “He can go to hell for all I care.”
“Then leave nomad, or we might decide to eat you. Your blood is starting to give an invitation of taking your fragile body and chopping it up.” The other youkai said. “Beat it.”
InuYasha hated being told what to do, but he listened and once again disappeared into the forest, with still an empty stomach. InuYasha sighed, well maybe he could find the well now and eat when he gets back to his time. It would be better food then then now, but his stomach had other ideas.
In the next clearing InuYasha found a nice sized rabbit and pounced, breaking its neck instantly. Quickly ripping the pellet off, InuYasha devoured the raw rabbit in four big gulps. Wiping his mouth, InuYasha spat out a bone that had got caught between his fangs and started his mission towards a large human village.
InuYasha listened to the quite sounds of the forest, and was glad for once, he was absolutely alone. It felt like the times before Naraku, before Kikyo even. He felt somewhat free, and yet, still so alone. It was a mixed feeling, a feeling of joy, and a feeling of dread. Being alone in the woods reminded of how he was chased by countless youkai wanting to eat a small innocent hanyou child, and of human villagers chasing hoping to have a price on his head. Those memories had been buried so long ago, and now, they were resurfacing.
InuYasha stopped, and this time he was certain he smelled human, he sniffed three times before he got closer. This was defiantly a human village. Even though it was night, there were still guards around marching with their horses around the roads between huts. The village was in the exact spot that Keade's village was. InuYasha blinked, where was the Goshinboku?
Staying on the outskirts of the village InuYasha went of the somewhat familiar hill, yet it was a lot less steep. Climbing up, InuYasha disappeared into the small brush only to be seen with a surprising site.
The Goshinboku, or well, a very young Goshinboku, stood there, shorter then InuYasha himself. Men, woman, and even children chanted around the tree, holding hands, the familiar blessing hung around the small trunk.
InuYasha blinked, unsure of what to think about the whole situation. He didn't have too. One of the kids noticed him and screeched, pointing at him frantically.
“Youkai! Youkai!”
Everyone moved at once, all the men grabbed their nearby weapons and the woman grabbed their children or each other and huddled away. InuYasha stood rooted to the spot, not trying anything at first.
One of the men ceased his defensive position and frowned at InuYasha's appearance. “Are you one of the warriors of the Inu youkai clan?” He asked.
InuYasha narrowed his eyes, and pulled up his face in a sneer. The man got back in his defensive position.
“No I'm not.” InuYasha snarled. “And never will be.” He turned his back on the humans and started to walk away, looking for the familiar path to the Bone Eater's Well. It was so utterly different it spooked him, InuYasha didn't think the Goshinboku had ever been that small. How far did I go back? InuYasha was starting to feel panic rise in his chest, what if he couldn't go back?
Jumping up, InuYasha finally saw what he had been sought out for the entire night. The Bone Eater's Well. InuYasha stopped and stared at the well, it look fairly new. The wood was polished and there were blooming flowers on each side. The vines that usually surrounded the well were not there, it look like a completely different well then InuYasha had been used too.
“Here goes nothing.” InuYasha said, he could hear the humans footsteps coming his direction. Leaping up, he dove into the well, ready for the familiar flash of white light. Instead he was met face first with water, causing him to choke and grasp the sides of the well, realizing now he couldn't breathe.
Ignoring the pain that was starting to build in his lungs, he swam down as far as he could go his hand touching the bottom. Nothing happened. He beat the floor and the walls as hard as he could through the water, nothing was happening. The well wasn't working, he couldn't go back. He couldn't go home.
---
Most of the time, you usually get yourself into trouble. Trouble never comes to you right? An excuse, a large one, cable of getting out of most sticky situations. And InuYasha felt no different here. He was in trouble, but he hadn't gone toward it, it had come toward to him.
Racing through the thicket with a throbbing ankle wasn't slowing him down at the least, but the horrid pain in his side was. Jumping from the window, InuYasha hadn't expected it to such a steep fall. And a large tree slamming him in the gut with one of its large branches on his fall didn't help either. This body could glide, but he didn't know how to glide, he just knew how to run, and that's exactly what he was doing.
Luckily the branch hadn't hit him in the side injury, but left his empty stomach and yet even more pain. InuYasha wasn't a stranger to pain, but running full speed when your vision was starting to blur because of it, was a sign he better stop soon.
Hearing and seeing no pursuers at the current moment, InuYasha hoped up into a tall tree to catch his breath. Clutching his side, InuYasha felt the blood leak over on his palm and on his white kimono. InuYasha glanced down to see the wound had completely ripped open, spewing more blood then InuYasha had first thought.
“Damn.” InuYasha cursed. Ripping off his kimono leaving his chest bare he wrapped the loose garment tightly around the wound in hopes of slowing the blood flow. Remembering how Kagome fixed wounds InuYasha put as much pressure with his hands as he could, but his vision was still blurring, and it wasn't closing even with his youkai healing.
Closing his eyes, InuYasha rested his head against the trunk of the tree. The evenings noises started to emerge, the sound of crickets and birds calling for their mates to return for the night. Sitting on his rear now, InuYasha felt the tension in his legs decrease. This body was so different then his, more bulky and a little off. It was not made for hoping through trees that's for sure.
InuYasha felt the sweat break out on his forehead, and he opened his eyes to glance down at the wound again. It wasn't healing. InuYasha growled in anger and ripped off the tied kimono, throwing it over a nearby branch. That hurt.
Leaning back InuYasha closed his eyes as the soft, cold wind blew at his wound, sending strange cold shivers through his body. He didn't know if running was the best of ideas anymore. InuYasha blinked, how did Aisuru close his wounds so quickly? Closing his eyes again, he swam through the vague memories that he had of this place, and remember her licking her fingers and then putting her fingers to the side of his wound. She had used her saliva.
That bothered InuYasha somewhat, but it had worked. Bringing up his own hand, he licked his entire palm and brought it over the open wound. That sent a fire up his side.
“Shit!” InuYasha gasped as he grabbed a nearby branch to keep from falling out of the tree he was currently in. Keeping his hand over the wound, the fire of pain began to lessen and fade as he felt the wound start to close under his hand. He knew Inu youkai saliva could heal, but he really never considered using it for certain reasons. He didn't think Miroku, Sango, and Kagome would appreciate him licking their wounds in order for them to heal faster. It would have made them uncomfortable.
The pain had subsided, and the night air was starting to take the setting suns place. InuYasha needed somewhere to take shelter for tomorrows journey to find the well. Grabbing a branch, InuYasha hoisted his body back up and looked behind him, the dark castle loomed. InuYasha felt his stomach twist into a knot when he looked at it. It was dark and gloomy, an unwanted place, a place where you didn't approach. InuYasha was starting to see where Sesshomaru got his behavior from.
Taking one last look, InuYasha continued his journey on the tree tops. Keeping his ears up for anything suspicious, InuYasha grabbed a branch and sniffed the air. His nose was finally working, and he smelled something that made his mouth start to water. Food. Cooked food.
InuYasha immediately started to follow the scent with his stomach growling all the way. Jumping on to the top of a tree branch InuYasha spied the movement of a small village, with a large fire and cooked food filling the air. Only, it seemed to be a human village.
InuYasha froze, what was he going to do now? The childhood memories started to pour in his mind of stealing when the villagers weren't looking. He felt no different here. InuYasha groaned and idly, sat on the branch he was perched on. He was hungry, and he was half tempted to scare the villagers and take some food without a problem, but in his mind, he knew that was just wrong.
The entire time he was with Kagome and the others, they usually had to fight youkai that was a burden to such villages, and if InuYasha stole from this one, he would be no better then the youkai he and his group slew.
The food was taunting though, he could smell it. Chicken? Cow? He wasn't sure what they were cooking, but it smelled like heaven. Ramen would be even better, but there was no Kagome here, he would have to deal with what he had.
Slipping down the tree cautiously and aware of his wound, InuYasha darted quickly behind one of the huts. Glancing quickly to see he wasn't noticed, he peeked around the corner to see two small, frail men. Their small spears over their shoulders, and the tips dulled and bleak. They could barley protect themselves better yet an entire village.
InuYasha heard the sound of a twig snap and froze. The two men glanced quickly around, but their sense of direction was off. They were blind. InuYasha blinked and straightened his back, he always avoided human villages when he was alone. Now that he had his friends, they always kept villagers at bay to avoid a conflict of housing a hanyou.
Realizing they were blind, InuYasha felt a little more confident. Maybe he could just ask for food, saying he was a nomad and couldn't find anything decent for the night. It was still technically stealing, but it was the most appropriate thing to do in the situation.
“Uh...hello?” InuYasha said, as he approached the two older men. They both froze and swung their spears in random directions, before one of the men titled his head and aimed the spear in InuYasha's direction.
“Who's...there?” The man pointing the spear at him, whispered.
“I'm just a nomad, I'm only asking for food so I can be on my way.” InuYasha felt weird asking humans for food, but his stomach was pretty much cussing him out since it was growling so much.
“Food, boy?” The other man grumbled. “We barley have enough for ourselves. Yet, by the sound of it, a youngster like yourself. We don't have enough to share, you better not be a bandit, we have protection you know.”
InuYasha frowned. “Protection?”
“Inu youkai, they guard us, we give them food. But of course some type of...what were they Grison?”
“Beats me, they destroyed our trade with those Inu youkai though. Stupid creatures, the lot of them.” The one named Grison mumbled.
“I just need some food.” InuYasha said, “Then I'll leave.”
“No, you want food first, then a place to stay, then you'll start bedding our women. Do you take us for stupid boy?” The other man asked. InuYasha almost gagged on the thought of bedding with a common village woman.
“I'm on my way home, and...” InuYasha hated to think what Kagome and the others would do to see him lie to some blind men for food. “...I was robbed, I'm injured on my side, and my horse was taken along with my belongings, I just need some food.”
“Robbed eh?” The old man named Grison smirked. “I do smell the iron rich blood on you.” InuYasha froze. Smelled?
InuYasha's eyes widened, these weren't two old human men. They were blood thirsty youkai. What the hell is wrong with my nose?! InuYasha thought frantically.
“Heh, sorry, I'm late for my own party.” InuYasha said quickly and jumped on the nearest roof to escape before the two youkai had time to react.
“We don't eat you nobles.” InuYasha spun to see the two youkai on another roof. “But we don't like you. Get out of here, you're the reason those horrid Kami-Youkai, or whatever they call themselves, are here.”
“Damn it all, I have no damn idea who the hell they are!” InuYasha roared, “I'm just looking for a well to get home!”
“A well?” The youkai named Grison frowned. “The only well around here is full of water and its near a large human village outside the forest. But look here Inu, tell your daimyo-sama to either get rid of the whatever youkai, or step down.” The youkai snarled, “We're sick of them controlling our food trade, I hate eating the same thing over and over every damn minute of the day.”
“I'm not associated with the daimyo-baka.” InuYasha snarled back. “He can go to hell for all I care.”
“Then leave nomad, or we might decide to eat you. Your blood is starting to give an invitation of taking your fragile body and chopping it up.” The other youkai said. “Beat it.”
InuYasha hated being told what to do, but he listened and once again disappeared into the forest, with still an empty stomach. InuYasha sighed, well maybe he could find the well now and eat when he gets back to his time. It would be better food then then now, but his stomach had other ideas.
In the next clearing InuYasha found a nice sized rabbit and pounced, breaking its neck instantly. Quickly ripping the pellet off, InuYasha devoured the raw rabbit in four big gulps. Wiping his mouth, InuYasha spat out a bone that had got caught between his fangs and started his mission towards a large human village.
InuYasha listened to the quite sounds of the forest, and was glad for once, he was absolutely alone. It felt like the times before Naraku, before Kikyo even. He felt somewhat free, and yet, still so alone. It was a mixed feeling, a feeling of joy, and a feeling of dread. Being alone in the woods reminded of how he was chased by countless youkai wanting to eat a small innocent hanyou child, and of human villagers chasing hoping to have a price on his head. Those memories had been buried so long ago, and now, they were resurfacing.
InuYasha stopped, and this time he was certain he smelled human, he sniffed three times before he got closer. This was defiantly a human village. Even though it was night, there were still guards around marching with their horses around the roads between huts. The village was in the exact spot that Keade's village was. InuYasha blinked, where was the Goshinboku?
Staying on the outskirts of the village InuYasha went of the somewhat familiar hill, yet it was a lot less steep. Climbing up, InuYasha disappeared into the small brush only to be seen with a surprising site.
The Goshinboku, or well, a very young Goshinboku, stood there, shorter then InuYasha himself. Men, woman, and even children chanted around the tree, holding hands, the familiar blessing hung around the small trunk.
InuYasha blinked, unsure of what to think about the whole situation. He didn't have too. One of the kids noticed him and screeched, pointing at him frantically.
“Youkai! Youkai!”
Everyone moved at once, all the men grabbed their nearby weapons and the woman grabbed their children or each other and huddled away. InuYasha stood rooted to the spot, not trying anything at first.
One of the men ceased his defensive position and frowned at InuYasha's appearance. “Are you one of the warriors of the Inu youkai clan?” He asked.
InuYasha narrowed his eyes, and pulled up his face in a sneer. The man got back in his defensive position.
“No I'm not.” InuYasha snarled. “And never will be.” He turned his back on the humans and started to walk away, looking for the familiar path to the Bone Eater's Well. It was so utterly different it spooked him, InuYasha didn't think the Goshinboku had ever been that small. How far did I go back? InuYasha was starting to feel panic rise in his chest, what if he couldn't go back?
Jumping up, InuYasha finally saw what he had been sought out for the entire night. The Bone Eater's Well. InuYasha stopped and stared at the well, it look fairly new. The wood was polished and there were blooming flowers on each side. The vines that usually surrounded the well were not there, it look like a completely different well then InuYasha had been used too.
“Here goes nothing.” InuYasha said, he could hear the humans footsteps coming his direction. Leaping up, he dove into the well, ready for the familiar flash of white light. Instead he was met face first with water, causing him to choke and grasp the sides of the well, realizing now he couldn't breathe.
Ignoring the pain that was starting to build in his lungs, he swam down as far as he could go his hand touching the bottom. Nothing happened. He beat the floor and the walls as hard as he could through the water, nothing was happening. The well wasn't working, he couldn't go back. He couldn't go home.