InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
AN: So, this idea sprung after reading The Black Jewels Trilogy for the eighth time. It's not a direct rip off, just loosely based on the Anne Bishop series. I like to think I changed it enough to make it interesting, and I hope that you all enjoy it. Arigatou gozaimasu

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DARKNESS
By: DemonSaya

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Chapter 2
She Who Walks in Darkness

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Dusk had settled over the Shadowlands.

A wry smirk turned up those slightly pouting lips and his golden eyes stared across the rather ill-treated earth. Naraku exploited these lands and it disgusted him to no end. The rather strange and quite mad woman, Izayoi had spoken of something yesterday that had nearly knocked him flat on his ass when she'd said it.

Naraku didn't know yet. That half-breed wasn't as accustomed to the ebb and flow of darkness as others in the Shadowlands. He didn't let his hands get dirty by descending into those inky depths. He feared the darkness, he sent others instead. Strong ones to do his bidding.

Ones who would likely be executed if they'd said no.

But they would never tell Naraku if they sensed her presence in the darkness. Most of them would never even notice if they did. Most of them couldn't descend deep enough that they might feel her.

He, on the other hand, was a different story.

He lightly drug his black nails across the stones that framed the window. He was strong. Likely stronger than Naraku himself was. The man claimed to be his father, but Inuyasha was no fool. There was less of Naraku in him than there was of Izayoi. The woman, like Inuyasha himself, was a special kind of Witch. She'd been touched so deeply by the darkness that it was almost a part of her blood. She was one of the mortals who were Touched who were practically immortal due to their connection with the darkness. She would have been a force to be reckoned with if Naraku hadn't broken her on the tip of his spear prior to her reaching her maturity.

Naraku would have probably like to have tried to break him as well. Too bad for the sonuvabitch that he was strong enough to be a force long before he'd reached maturity. Naraku had tried once to slip under his mental barriers and break his power, but he'd received an abrupt mental bitch slap from the younger half breed and then Inuyasha had turned that fiery gold gaze on him and gave him his coldest smile.

Naraku hadn't tried that stupid trick since.

Despite the differences in their power, Inuyasha still wound up one of Naraku's bitch slaves. Due to a ring that had been placed on him when he was very young, which Naraku controlled and couldn't be taken off by just anyone. So, Inuyasha was stuck in this place that he hated, surrounded by more people he hated, with one or two whom he tolerated because if he didn't he'd probably just kill himself.

Izayoi was a different story.

He'd always had a strong bond to the woman, ever since he was a child, before she'd taken that final step into the darkness which she rarely was able to slip out of. She didn't take good care of herself when she was walking the paths through the darkness, so Inuyasha spent much of his time caring for her.

The night before, during her brief moment of lucidity, she'd spoken words that had both excited and terrified him. No one who was Touched by the darkness hadn't heard the stories of Midoriko, the Daughter of Darkness. Stories of a child so dark, she could walk the roads that twisted through the Realm. It had been a childhood dream to serve someone so powerful. Someone who could use their powers to bring peace back to the realms.

But he'd quickly learned through the centuries that dreams came to nothing, and hope had long since died. Years of Naraku's pet rulers using him in ways he didn't care to think, being passed from one to another through the realm, being treated as less than a person, despite being called Naraku's son. Evidentially the son of a ruler wasn't given the same respect as the ruler himself.

Not that Naraku was actually his father.

At a point in his life when he no longer believed in the fairy tale, he'd been told it wasn't really a story after all. That it was actually history. A history that was coming about for a second time. Five hundred years after the first Daughter had been executed by frightened humans, little piddly mortals who are untouched by the Darkness. A second Daughter.

Inuyasha felt anticipation and fear in equal parts.

A second Daughter had come and he would serve her. He would become a part of the sacred inner circle that formed around some people, and he would belong for the first time in his miserable existence. He closed his eyes to the raped land, lifting his face to the sky as stars began to freckle it. He, who was both demon and Touched by Darkness. He would serve.

One of those wicked little smirks turned up the corner of his pouting lips. But first. First, he'd have to escape this hell he was in.

And Izayoi. He'd have to get her out as well. It wouldn't do to leave the woman who'd protected him throughout his childhood in Naraku's clutches. No. He'd help her escape as well, and maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to leave the darkness that held her for so long.

The sound of his door opening caused his eyes to snap open and he turned a cold gaze on the person who had entered without knocking. Then, his expression became more mild. “Ah, Kagura.” He said in a non-plussed manner.

“You're being sent to Yura of the Hair this time.” She said quietly. “Naraku wills it.”

Yes, Naraku would have sent her to tell him. The last person he'd sent besides her had been dissected into quite small pieces by the time the guards had realized what that cold sensation emanating from the room was. Kagura, however, was in the same situation as he, one of Naraku's 'whores', sent to various rulers to become a beast of burden or something to be used in bed.

Kagura was one of the few people he tolerated.

Naraku knew he wouldn't kill her.

“Brave of you to come tell me. But then, you couldn't say no, right?” He said, assuming a slightly bored tone of voice. Most people were more frightened of that then his anger.

“He didn't ask me to.” She said quietly. “I'm worried for you. Yura is rather fond of playing with her food, you know that.” She fidgeted a bit. “Naraku is hoping she'll break you.”

A cold smile turned up the corners of his lips. “Perhaps he does...” He said, setting his bare feet on the cold wood floors. “But Naraku seems to have forgotten something...” He pulled the robe he wore tighter around his shoulder and stopped when he was beside her, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.

“What is that?” She asked impatiently.

“I like to play with my food as well.” He purred into her ear, then left the room with a slight, cold smile on his lips.

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Kagome stared out of her bedroom window, her stormy gray eyes peering across the Realm of Light. They were calling her. She could hear voices she recognized and other's she didn't calling out to her. Some, extending their hands in friendship. Other's sought guidance. Other's, these made her laugh, feared her. More still, feared for her safety.

If only they all realized that she wasn't that important.

Yes, she was certainly strong. Not that her family knew that.

The only exceptions were a few of the house hold staff, and her brother.

Souta...

She watched as a witch taught the boy how to control his abilities. He was strong. He would become even stronger. If he was unbroken when he finally reached maturity, he would be strongest in the family. But not as strong as her.

Never as strong as her.

“Kagome, dear, we only want what's best for you...” Her mother said softly. “This place helps you...”

“It does more harm than good.” Kagome said coldly. Her voice was deadly, dark like midnight. She needed to go to the others. She needed to see them.

Her mother stiffened at the sound of that voice. “You brought this on yourself, with those stories! You know that! We've been warning your for months! There is no Daughter of Darkness!” The woman said, her voice cross.

The girl returned her gaze towards where her brother was learning to control the magics. She was untaught. A ball of raw talent, of ability honed from necessity. She mentally descended to the quiet darkness and ignored her mother's cross words. It wouldn't matter what her opinion was. She would be sent to that hellish place, which rested on the edge between the Realm of Light and the Shadowlands. That whorehouse that masqueraded as a hospital. The place where families sent the 'Touched' when they were 'unmanageable'.

A place she'd been in and out of for ten years.

She muttered something in a language that was part of what she was and heard her mother go silent. She looked towards the woman and saw sadness in her eyes. Her mother only wanted to help, but Meadowbrook did more harm than good. The people, the 'doctors' who ran it were closer to monsters than the demons of the Shadowlands that those humans of the Realm of Light feared. “What will you do, Mother...” She asked softly. “When the Daughter does appear?”

A hand connected with her cheek, and Kagome flinched. “There is no daughter, Kagome.” The woman said softly. “And until you stop telling those wild stories, you'll just have to stay at Meadowbrook...”

Kagome watched her mother get up and walk from the room. Her voice settled into the one that was like midnight and she whispered her reply softly. “Someday you'll see...”

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Kaede was doing her shopping in town, Miroku escorting her. Ordinarily, she would have brushed the gesture aside, but in the past few weeks, things had been growing more awkward for women who had been Touched who still lived in the Realm of Light. It actually reminded her of when she was just a girl and Midoriko had been executed.

So Miroku remained with her while she did her shopping, buying items for medicines, for ritual, for whatever they thought they might need. They'd been walking through the market for a good while, trying to ignore the discomfort people felt when dealing with those who were Touched, when something mischievous tickled at Miroku's senses.

Something mischievous and familiar.

He turned, glancing around discretely. Yes, there was something there. He could feel it. Something ancient and mysterious and youthful and mischievous. Something that distinctly reminded him of the encounter he'd had almost a week ago in the darkness.

Something brushed his arm and he looked over.

He found there, a girl, barely entering puberty, with smoky gray eyes looking up at him, twinkling. She was wearing a rather quaint dress, something that looked more like something a mother would want her daughter to wear than something he figured she'd actually clothe herself in. The dress was made of pink taffeta and cream lace, with pink bows holding those ridiculous ringlets back from her face. But those eyes held thunder and midnight and darkness. He sucked in a sharp breath.

“I know you, don't I.” She said calmly, hands, clad in white lace gloves laced together in front of her. “You seem familiar.”

His heart pounded in his chest, and he tried desperately to not throw his arms around her. He knelt down a bit, grinning at her. “I believe we might have met.” He agreed, glancing towards where Kaede was. The woman had paused and was glancing towards them, ancient eyes wide in shock. He returned his gaze to the girl and saw her looking towards Kaede, a knowing expression on her face. “I am Miroku.”

Her gaze moved back and she tasted the name. “Miroku...” She smiled. “It suits you.” She said, nodding. A voice called out from not far away and her expression turned irritated. “It seems my mother is looking for me. Would you mind playing escort?” She asked easily, extending her hand.

His eyes widened in surprise. A wry grin spread across his face and he offered his arm, nodding. “Very well.” He agreed. When her hand laced through and rested lightly on his arm, he felt the power surging through her. It was easy when he was as close to the darkness as he was. Idly, he wondered if anyone weaker, or touched more lightly by the Darkness would have felt anything at all.

He led her through the crowd, eyes glancing towards Kaede now and then in worry. He didn't want to leave the older woman alone, but he couldn't leave the girl either-

“You needn't worry for her. She will be safe.” That voice was not a child's voice. It held the same midnight that he'd seen in her eyes. It was the voice of the one he'd heard while he was in the darkness. He glanced towards her, finding her looking at him knowingly.

“Kagome, there you are!” The voice was shrill with stress.

Miroku looked up and found a pleasant looking woman wearing a rather unpleasant expression. He immediately didn't like her. It was a natural response, he supposed, seeing the way she was reaching towards the girl like she was inferior. A light mental brush told him her power was significantly less than his own and he looked at her pointedly.

“Girl if you ever run off like that again-” She realized there was someone escorting her daughter and her mouth snapped shut. Probably a wise decision, Miroku thought. “Who are you?”

He was good at misleading people. He wanted to say something harsh to this woman, but he'd be sweet as candy if he had to be. “Ah, I'm merely a kind soul who found a young lady wandering around on her own and offered to help her find her mother.” He said calmly. “It isn't safe for young ladies to wander around on their own lately.” He glanced pointedly down at the girl and watched as she extracted her arm. He dropped down so he could look her in the face. Lightly, he tapped a finger against her nose. “Now you be careful from now on, Lady.” He teased, seeing her eyes looking annoyed. “But if you ever find yourself in need of an escort, do give me a shout.”

She grudgingly grinned up at him. “I will. Thank you, Miroku.”

Her mother nudged her. “Don't act so familiar.” Her mother chided.

He smiled pleasantly, restraining the urge to slap the woman for treating the girl like a mere child. “Not a problem, madam.” He said calmly. He bowed politely. “If you'll excuse me, I need to go find Lady Kaede.”

He turned on his heal and headed away. Meanwhile, he seethed inside. Why? Why had that woman been given someone so important as the Daughter of Darkness. Someone so precious that she should be guarded and protected.

Kagome's mother huffed. “Madam?! Do I look old enough to be called Madam and not Lady?!”

Kagome sighed softly, watching him go, wishing she could have gone with him instead. “He was just being polite.” She said softly.

Her mother sniffed in disdain. “You could at least have found someone to escort you who wasn't a servant. It isn't appropriate. Now let's go.”

The girl ground her teeth together and followed her mother as she was ushered into the coach. She knew where they were going now. There was only one place that her mother would take her out to go.

She was going to see Dr. Onigumo at Meadowbrook...

As the coach drove away, she found violet eyes looking at her in concern. She simply smiled a bit and waved goodbye.

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AN: Thankies to those who reviewed the last chapter. Hope this one didn't disappoint. It's likely that Inuyasha and Kagome might meet next chapter Lovies everyone to pieces, and I hope you're enjoying this. Regardless, let me know. I'd love to hear what you think <3