InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Delusions ❯ Chapter Nineteen ( Chapter 19 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

uthor’s Notes:

 

 

 

 

Delusions

 

Chapter Nineteen

 

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

 

 

 

 

“It talks now,” Sōrin observed.

 

“I don’t give a fuck what he can do, except die,” Inuyasha responded.

 

“I won’t make that easy for you,” Mōryōmaru told him.

 

“Good, I like a challenge,” Inuyasha said.

 

Sōrin looked to Inuyasha and rolled his eyes, “Can we please quit posturing and get to business?”

 

Inuyasha grunted and replied, “Shaddap! Didn’t I teach you to respect your elders?” Without waiting for a response, he attacked the golem. Sōrin twirled his staff and ran to attack.

 

Kagome watched the scene unfold. It was a replay of before. Inuyasha and Sōrin attacked while Mōryōmaru countered easily and defended himself against them. She thought it was odd that the golem and Byakuya would move to attack them. What purpose did it serve? The child, Hakudoshi, did say that it was trying to collect something. But what on earth could they have that Naraku wanted?

 

Watching Byakuya in the distance she broke away from the group and aimed her arrow at him. He was not too far away that she could not hit him if her aim was true. It had been a long time since she had channeled her spiritual power but the flow of spirit came with ease. It was like unstopping a bottle and the stream of power flowed to the tip of the arrow where she could see a glow. Breathing in, she focused on her target. He was also eyeing her and she could just make out a smile on his red lips. As she was about to release her arrow, she felt a twinge of pain in her shoulder, which threw her aim as the arrow loosed and missed Byakuya by several inches.

 

“Tsk tsk tsk,” she heard in her head.

 

Frustrated she grabbed another arrow and turned to lose it on something she knew it would hit. She quickly turned and fired the purification arrow at Mōryōmaru. The arrow flew true and was about to hit it’s mark when a purple barrier appeared around the golem.

 

Inuyasha’s and Sōrin’s onslaught was interrupted when the bubble popped into place to stop the arrow. “What the…” Inuyasha yelled.

 

They both took several steps back. Sōrin looked to Inuyasha for guidance, but the hanyō only stared at the golem with a snarl on his face.

 

“Why aren’t they attacking?” Miroku asked.

 

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Inuyasha yelled back.

 

The child, Hakudoshi appeared, “I can answer that,” he said with his soft, disdainful voice. Everyone turned to see the child approach, as he walked towards the scene with a barrier erect.

 

“We’ve come to collect.” he said simply. He sneered at the assembled group.

 

“Yeah, you said that before, runt, and you can’t have the girl or Kagome!” Inuyasha challenged.

 

Hakudoshi feigned surprise, “Why would you think I’d waste my time with either of them?”

 

Confusion crossed Inuyasha’s face. Even Kagome wondered why they had troubled to snatch either Amaya or herself in the first place if that is not what they were after. Kagome spared a glance at her daughter who wore a look of quiet determination. Thankfully, she was not their target. What was their intention then?

 

“Well, whatever the hell it is, you ain’t getting it!” Inuyasha snarled. He gripped Tessaiga and unleashed a barrage of attacks on Hakudoshi’s barrier in an attempt to shatter it. The child laughed and returned the attack on Inuyasha who had to jump out of the way to avoid the blow.

 

“Fool! Like you can stop me!”

 

Inuyasha leveled Tessaiga and swung the enormous blade to make a Wind Scar. Rather than let his barrier absorb the blow, Hakudoshi teleported a few feet away.

 

“Dammit, stay still!” Inuyasha yelled as he continued to try and hit the nefarious child. He would assault Hakudoshi which resulted in him teleporting around, toying with Inuyasha. “Arghh!” Inuyasha yelled as he jumped to attack once more. This time, rather than teleport a mere foot or two away, Hakudoshi reappeared behind Kagome. His barrier snapped down and he re erected it with Kagome inside.

 

Kagome gasped once she had realized that she was inside the barrier with Hakudoshi. Her eyes widened and she was lifted up off of the ground in a matter of seconds.

 

“Mother!” screamed Amaya. She leapt up and tried to reach through the barrier but, of course, the barrier easily deflected her. “No!”

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled. He gritted his teeth and stood down.

 

The child laughed again, his small, menacing chuckle, “All too easy!”

 

“And you just said you wouldn’t waste your time with her, you little bastard,” Inuyasha said. He looked on, his face alight with rage.

 

Hakudoshi only shrugged, “I lied,” he said simply and teleported away, taking Kagome with him. Inuyasha roared and swiveled around to launch an attack at Moryomaru, but the golem was already in the air, it’s large wings flapping in the air.

 

“Get back here and face me!” Inuyasha called.

 

Without an answer, Moryomaru flew off and joined Byakuya in the distance. Inuyasha watched, lamely, as they disappeared. He couldn't protect her when she needed him the most and now she was gone.

 

“Don’t just stand there! Let’s go after them!” Amaya yelled. She approached Inuyasha and began to run in the direction that their enemies had flown. Inuyasha looked almost crestfallen, but after seeing Amaya run off after her mother, he was instilled with a sense of determination and leapt after her, leaving his mortal friends behind.

 

 

 

 

Kagome felt immense waves of demonic energy emit from the child-like yokai. Being so close to him made displeasure course through her entire being. ‘Why are they so interested in me now?!’ she wondered. ‘What do they want from me?’ Hakudoshi said nothing to her to even give her an idea.

 

She was trapped in his barrier as he flew away and she could not move even to look behind her. The thought of being near these incarnations made her head spin and her heart beat within her chest which in turn made the blood pound into her ears like drums.

 

They did not travel for long, but Kagome figured that they had actually covered more distance than it seemed. They had finally stopped at a village and she was lowered to the ground where she saw Byakuya waiting, a wicked smile upon his lips. She did not catch a glimpse of the giant golem, Mōryōmaru, anywhere. He must have gone elsewhere for some other reason. She absently wondered where. However, instead with Byakuya was a face that she had not seen in years and had not wanted to see ever again: Naraku. Though his face was as she remembered, his body was now changed. Even more demonic in appearance, if that was possible. He now had three tail-like tentacles coming from his back and new armor.

 

The village was devoid of people but the buildings were all standing, unharmed. Whether the villagers had all been killed or hid in their homes, she did not know. ‘Is this his base of operations?’ she thought, ‘Or just a means to an end?’ She thought she could feel signs of life emanating from the homes surrounding them, so it would seem that Naraku and his minions were just laying low and taking advantage of people’s natural instinct to stay hidden from powerful yokai and allow them to do whatever they wanted as long as the villagers were left in peace.

 

“Here is the woman, Naraku,” Hakudoshi said. His barrier had vanished and whatever held Kagome had disappeared as well.

 

She looked around at her surroundings and took a step towards Naraku. “What do you want Naraku? Can’t get your goons to do it?”

 

Naraku smiled his secret smile and put out a velvety laugh that taunted Kagome. “They’ve done what I’ve asked and more,” he said.

 

Byakuya stepped closer to Naraku. He also wore a knowing smile that was meant to unsettle Kagome. It was working and Kagome did her best to stand strong. She would not let them know that his presence tormented her.

 

“Though,” Naraku started and shot a cold glance to his closest incarnation, “it would have pleased me more had this not taken so long to come to fruition.” Byakuya merely quirked an eyebrow at the condemnation, “You wanted suffering,” he said.

 

A chilling wind blew threw the village square and ushered in a silence for a moment. Finally, Naraku stepped forward to Kagome, closing the distance between them. Hakudoshi and Byakuya staying put as they watched their master.

 

Naraku ran a finger down Kagome’s neck and lingered where her scar was. It took all she had to resist a shiver of dread and stare him right in the eyes without flinching. ‘Just hold your ground,’ she chided herself.

 

“You’ve been holding onto something for me. I thank you for keeping it safe,” Naraku said.

 

Kagome was sure that a confused look crossed her face, “What are you talking about?”

 

Instead of answering her, he looked to Hakudoshi, who still stood behind her, “Have you gotten the others then? I’d like to finish this now before the hanyo shows up.”

 

Hakudoshi merely shrugged, “That was Kagura’s job. I did my part. It would have been easier had I known which girl to grab in the first place.”

 

Naraku’s head snapped up, clearly uninformed of the entirety of the previous day’s proceedings, “What are you talking about? There is only one miko!”

 

“There were two, Naraku. I’m only as good as the information I’m given and there were two dressed in strange clothes at the well. Not one like I was told,” the child explained in a haughty voice.

 

“Strange clothing?” Naraku turned his attention back to the woman in front of him, his eyes flashing menacingly, “And who might that have been, hmm?”

 

Kagome did not answer. She knew that Hakudoshi was referring to her daughter. Better not to say anything at this point. They had not recognized the relationship yet. However, that did not stop Byakuya from chuckling in the background. Naraku’s eyes narrowed and without turning his head he addressed the noise, “Care to fill me in, Byakuya?”

 

“Inuyasha’s whelp with the miko. It seems I was beat to the punch, sadly.” Byakuya laughed. He brought his hand to his mouth to suppress a smile.

 

Naraku continued to stare at Kagome, his lips pressed into a hard line. Slowly, the corners of his mouth inched up into a snide smirk. “That is interesting,” he purred, emphasising the words in a fashion that did not sit well with Kagome. “A whelp, eh? Hmm. That is interesting indeed.” His violet eyes hardened. “Well,” he began, “in any case, we will just have to hold onto you for a bit longer.”

 

He turned and walked back towards Byakuya. In a commanding tone he addressed his incarnation, “I would suggest that you withdraw from this position soon. But you may do as you will. Just don’t lose it this time.” He then turned his head back, looking past Kagome, “And Hakudoshi...go ensure Kagura completes her task. Tell her that I don’t suffer insubordination very well and that my patience is beginning to run thin.”

 

Kagome watched as he flew away to some unknown destination. Hakudoshi left wordlessly as well, but in a different direction, leaving her alone with her old tormentor. She wanted to run, but knew she would not get far. In her heart she knew that her best chance was to wait for Inuyasha. If she had just put her faith in him in the first place years ago, she wouldn’t be in this mess. ‘He will come for me,’ she told herself. But the thoughts of what Byakuya would do while she waited ran through her mind.

 

Byakuya, with his coy smile, beckoned her to follow him. She hesitated for a moment, ‘He can toy with my body and maybe even my mind, but I won’t let him toy with my heart. Inuyasha...please hurry!’ she silently called. Dropping her head, she followed him meekly.

 

 

 

 

Next time on Delusions……

 

….Amaya had little in the way of survival skills since she had led a sheltered life with her mother in a time where survival skills were unneeded, so Inuyasha gathered wood and built a fire for them. He did it out of habit rather than necessity. He’d been around his human companions for so long that it became second nature to do human-oriented tasks. He knew that his demon half kept him warmer in colder temperatures than a human’s body would and he suspected that Amaya was built similarly to him but the night was cold and the fire became a buffer of sorts….