InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Confrontation ❯ Out Of The Darkness ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, well Jouyoku is mine, all mine and so is Meibi Kokushi!!

Chapter 7: Out of the Darkness

The sun was shining brightly as she walked outside leaving the others still asleep inside. She couldn't remember much of what happened the night before, but she did recall the sound of the voice that called to her, the regal demanding tone with a hint of huskiness, it seemed to speak to her inner soul. Even though her mind knew she should have probably been afraid, she really wasn't, she was more afraid of the fact that her legs moved of their own accord.

As she stood there in the field in front of her home, curiosity started to get the better of her. She wanted to know who was calling her, and why. Her mind spoke realistically to her, `you know nothing good will come of this…if it was someone that wanted to help you, wouldn't they have made themselves known?' Not really wanting to hear the truth she shook her head and inhaled deeply. Smiling her thoughts traveled to the man well hanyou that she woke up next to and the fact that she could wake up wrapped up in his arms everyday for the rest of her life if he asked her to.

“Oi, what are you doing out here by yourself?” Inuyasha said as he walked up behind her.

“Good Morning.” She said without turning around to face him. She wasn't shocked that he came looking for her, he never slept very long after she had gotten out of bed and if he had she would've really been worried.

“You shouldn't be out here by yourself; we don't know what's after you.” He reminded her as he came up behind her and placed his arms around her hips. Pulling her flush against him he inhaled her intoxicating scent.

“I knew you were going to say that…” she responded as she let her head fall back so it lay on his shoulder, “but I don't know Inuyasha…the voice didn't really scare me…I was more afraid that my legs moved on their own…”

“I don't care whether it scared you or not, `you' stay away from him…do you understand me!” he interrupted her.

“Why you almost sound worried.” Kagome whispered jokingly as she spun around to face him.

“Feh…just promise me that if he calls to you again, you'll fight it, okay.” The hanyou asked pleadingly.

Looking up at him and seeing the concern in his face she blushed a little, “I promise.”

“Come on, Sango and Miroku are probably getting up by now.” He let go of her and turned to walk back towards the hut.

“So what's the plan, I'm sure last night you and Miroku concocted something.” The miko inquired smugly as she followed behind him.

“Keh, the bouzu thinks that we should talk to the old hag, so after we eat we'll go over there.” He responded over his shoulder as he stepped in the hut.

“Good morning!” Kagome yelled from behind the hanyou as they came into the sitting room, seeing their friends wide awake and involved in their own conversation.

“Good Morning Lady Kagome, I trust you slept well?” Miroku said looking accusingly from one to the other.

“Feh” was Inuyasha's response, as he walked pass the others and into the kitchen rubbing his stomach while it growled loudly.

Hearing this Kagome smiled, “let's eat then we'll head over to Kaede's, okay?”

Both the monk and the taijiya agreed in unison as they both got up and went into the kitchen to help prepare breakfast.

S*I*M*O*N*K*A*L of I*N*U*Y

After eating the group made their way to Kaede's hut, the walk was a short quiet one since Sango still really wasn't talking to Miroku, therefore Kagome kept her company in the front while Inuyasha stayed in the back listening to Miroku's endless chatter.

As they arrived into the heart of the village they could tell something was happening. The old woman was in the midst of a group of angry men that weren't from this village. They all seemed to be speaking or rather yelling at the same time. Seeing this, the group ran over to her to try to intervene.

“What's the problem here?” The monk said stepping between the elderly miko and the shouting men with his staff before him.

“Their saying that the women of their village have been wondering off in the middle of the night, when they return a few hours later their different some how.” Kaede said from behind Miroku's back.

“What do you mean different?” Inuyasha asked now standing next to the Monk, but in front of Kagome. His intention was to keep his miko out off sight from the men in front of him. Even at a time like this his jealousy was a formidable foe.

One of the visitors spoke up, “Last night was my wedding night, and at the end of the festivities I looked for my wife but could not find her. The others and I got together and searched for her…” lowering his head as tears came to his eyes he continued, “when we found her, I asked her where she was…but she wouldn't respond to me. When I try to touch her or hold her all she does is scream as if I'm trying to kill her. The only time that she is quiet is when she's a sleep or in the company of other women…I don't know what's wrong with her. Lady Kaede please, help me help her.” He finished as a single tear ran down his cheek.

The other men all told basically the same stories. The women disappeared into the forest then reappeared an hour or so later. When their touched in any kind of way by a man no matter who he is, they scream and fight as if their being hurt but there's no sign of any bodily injury, they all seem to be in some kind of trance or experiencing a feeling of euphoria when they're first found.

“How long has this been going on?” Kaede asked as she stepped up between the monk and the hanyou.

“One night, but every unmarried woman in the village has been placed under this spell.” One of the men replied

“Didn't you say that your wife is experiencing the same thing?” Miroku asked as he pointed to the man whom was just married.

“Yes, my wife was taken but we only married yesterday…she disappeared from our reception.” Lowering his gaze as a slight blush crept up his cheeks he continued, "we were not able to consummate our marriage."

“I see…all of you go back to your village gather your women into one hut and watch over them. I need to research something then I will join ye, hopefully by then I will have the answers you need.” The old miko said as she turned and walked back into her hut.

Kagome and Sango stood silently in the back of the group. As the men all turned to walk back towards the direction of their village the girl from the future asked, “Do you think it's him?”

With out looking at her the taijiya responded, “I hope it isn't, but I think it is.”

“Sango did you feel anything weird last night, besides the voice?” Kagome asked.

“Yeah, I wanted to go to him, but I knew that I shouldn't… and besides he didn't call me, he called you…but that's what doesn't make much sense, it felt like he was beckoning to me as well.” Her friend whispered back.

Grabbing Sango's hand Kagome looked at her friend, who was now looking down at the ground, and said, “We're going to fight this together, okay?”

Before she could respond Inuyasha stuck his head out the door interrupting them, “Oi, get in here!”

The miko looked up at him cutting her eye but she did walk towards him pulling the other woman behind her. As she got closer she hissed while brushing up against him, “do you always have to be so rude.”

“Feh, I've been this way since you met me, do you really think that I'm going to change anytime soon?” He replied with a smirk then turned just in time to watch her take a seat across from Kaede.

“So what in the hell is going on here? Last night some ass was calling to Kagome.” Inuyasha asked as he took a seat next to Kagome.

“Child is this true?” She asked as she looked at Kagome for a reply.

“Yes, but…I wasn't afraid, the only thing that happened was my legs started moving by themselves and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't think I was under a spell because when I checked my aura I didn't find anything evil.” The miko replied.

Closing her eyes while running her hand down her chin, the elderly miko replied, “I see…and Sango did you feel anything when this happened?”

Miroku and Inuyasha both looked at Sango. They knew she was acting strange last night but they didn't think that it was because of the voice; they both assumed that it had something to do with what Kagome had gone through.

The monk was starting to get a little impatient with Sango's inability to answer. `What the hell? Why isn't she answering? Could this thing really be after Sango too?' he thought as his patience ran out, “Sango did something happen last night!” He snapped not meaning to, but he needed to know.

Not meeting their gaze she replied, “I'm not sure, he didn't call to me directly, but I felt a pull on my soul that told me to go to him too…but when Inuyasha came the feeling was gone somehow.”

“What do you mean somehow?” The Monk asked anxiously.

“I mean I still felt it, but not as strong…it was strange, I wasn't afraid like Kagome said”

Staring at Sango, Miroku wanted to grab her and run as far as he could away from this village at least for the next few months. He had heard the stories from Mushin and the older priest at the monastery but he never believed them. He would always make jokes about wanting it to be him that slept for a century and woke to take women at his discretion, `this can't be, that's just a fairy tale, something made up by a bunch of drunken horny priest…this is not possible' he thought, as his contemplations were interrupted by Kagome speaking to the older priestess.

“Kaede-sama do you know what's going on?”

“I am not old enough to know all but in my travels many years ago I heard of a demon called Jouyoku. The tales say that he sleeps for a 100 years then wakes for one reason…”

“Jouyoku!” the group yelled in unison all except Miroku since he already had his suspicions.

“Th... that means Lust!” The young miko blurted out as her eyes grew to the size of large silver dollars.

“Se...sexual desire…” whispered Sango.

“What the fuck!” Inuyasha snapped as he dragged Kagome over to him as if he could hide her from the world with in his embrace.

“Yes child, it does.” Kaede said as she looked at the group that sat in front of her with varying degrees of shock on their faces.

The monk was the only one not shocked by this. Although he had heard of this demon he didn't know very much about him, and he was sure what he did know was probably twisted and made up as the years went by, “what else do you know Lady Kaede?” He asked moving a little closer to Sango.

“What I tell you I have not experienced for myself, but from what happened in the other village and here to both Kagome and Sango it seems to be true. This demon lives off the essence of women. I've been told he will walk the earth for 90 moons with out sleep. He only has a need and desire to bed pure woman. Why? I do not know, but I do know that when he beds a woman she is sent into pure misery at the sight or thought of another man touching her, it's as if he takes a piece of her with him when he leaves.” She finished as she looked at the two now shaking women in front of her.

“Are you sure it's him?” The monk asked, still hoping against hope that it wasn't Jouyoku.

“With everything that I've heard thus far it seems to be so.” She replied solemnly.

“What can we do?” He questioned putting his arms around Sango to try and console her since she was openly trembling now.

“That I cannot answer for I do not know, but there is a very old priestess that lives about 3 days travel to the north, she maybe able to give you more information about Jouyoku. Her name is Meibi Kokushi. She was named for the beauty she held at a young age and the path laid upon her by her ancestors to carry the history of this land and to share it with whom ever should seek it.” Kaede said as she stood and began gathering some herbs that she would be taking to the village to help sooth the women as much as possible.

“Feh, it doesn't matter what the hag has to say, Joeyoyo, or Jokuku what ever his name is will just have to meet the blade of my Tetsusaiga, if he even thinks about coming near Kagome again!” Inuyasha blurted out as he pulled the girl in question closer.

Placing her now packed bag over her shoulder the older woman said, “Inuyasha, it may not be as easy as you may think, but I will trust you and Miroku to watch over and protect them, for once they are lost to him there may not be any way to get them back.”

“Feh, before I let that happen I'll shove Kagome down that damn well and wind scar it to make sure she can't get back through!” Inuyasha shouted as he looked down at the young miko who was looking up at him with a blank look on her face.

“You would send me back?” she whispered almost shocked that he would even suggest such a thing, but a little part of her knew he meant what he said and knew why he said what he said.

“If it meant keeping you away from that walking pus filled lust bag, hell yeah!” he snapped as he removed his arms from her and folded them in front of him. `Sure that would kill me, but I could never loose Kagome to someone like him.'

Kagome didn't reply, but instead laid her head on his shoulder and smiled, she would have to fight this thing if she wanted to remain at Inuyasha's side, after all she couldn't even think about what type of man or demon could do something like this to women with no remorse, and she didn't want to find out.

“So you will be leaving soon then?” said Kaede smiling at his remark.

“Yes, we should stop by the Monastery perhaps Mushin and the other Monks will be able to shed some light on this demon as well.” Miroku said as he stood to his feet pulling Sango up behind him.

She looked at him like he was crazy, and then pulled her hand away from him.

“I may have already lost you, but I'm damn sure not going to give him a chance to get you, so you better get used to me being where ever you are.” The monk said turning to look at her.

Sango didn't respond but she didn't move from beside him either.

As the group turned to walk out the hut behind the old Priestess, “Since we're going to be on the road again, I should go back to my time to get some more supplies.” Suggested Kagome.

Not wanting to start an argument the hanyou replied, “Fine, lets just make this quick, I want to get on the road as soon as possible!” Then he headed for the well that connected the two worlds.

As Kagome started, “Hey, find Shippo and let him know that we'll be leaving for a few days!” she yelled, then she jogged a little to catch up with Inuyasha. Interlacing her arm with his she said, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Nothing,” she said as she smiled up at him then looked back at the road in front of them, wanting nothing more than to thank him for protecting, feeding, and even though he hadn't admitted it loving her, but of course she knew she would probably never have the nerves to tell him that, so she stored that away with the rest of the things she did not dare to tell him at least not until she was sure that she was not something he was using to past the time until Kikyo came back for him.

As they approached the well he scooped her up in his arms bridle style and took off in a light jog, with out slowing down he leapt over the side of the well and into the time slip.

Until Next Time…(Please Review!!)

Darkmikokikyo, thank you ever so much!!