InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Delusions ❯ Chapter Twenty-Five ( Chapter 25 )

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

Author’s Notes:

 

 

 

 

Delusions

 

Chapter Twenty Five

 

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

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

 

 

 

 

They walked for miles; no one speaking to the other as they trekked along. Sōrin led the way with Amaya and Rin following several feet behind him, both girls giving the sullen man his space. He absently wondered how long it would be before one of the girls broke the silence, especially because at this pace they would not make it back to the village before nightfall. Actually, at the rate they were going, it may take days, but Sōrin enjoyed the peace experienced from walking and contemplating his earlier duel with Inuyasha. He felt his face tighten as anger washed over him as he remembered his humiliation.

 

As if on queue, Amaya called ahead, “Sōrin, why are we wasting time like this?” He should have expected no less from the annoyingly inquisitive newcomer. He glared over his shoulder at her and kept walking. At least Rin had the sense to let him sulk, though he figured it was more a habit of her upbringing than her personality. If she were truly a companion to Sesshōmaru, then she must be schooled enough not to test his temper.

 

“Sōrin, are you listening to me?” she raised her voice. He heard Rin whisper to her but pointedly blocked out whatever she had to say. He had no time for their gossip about him. He trudged onwards. A few moments later Amaya jumped in front of him and held her hand out for him to stop. “Stop!” she said.

 

He attempted to walk around her but she grabbed him and yanked him back, causing him to lose his balance. She was stronger than she appeared, had he forgotten?. “Dammit, what do you want?!” he snarled in frustration.

 

“Look, I don’t like this any more than you do, but do you have to act like a petulant, spoiled brat?” she asked. “Petulant?” he growled.

 

“Yeah,” she said, “You sulk more than any child I’ve ever known. It’s beyond ridiculous.”

 

“Fuck off,” he said and then pulled away from her, continuing on ahead.

He hoped she would leave him alone to his thoughts. Perhaps he was being ridiculous, but he was still angry. He listened as she ran up to him and matched his stride. He looked back to see Rin struggle to keep up without running. “I know you’re upset Sōrin, but maybe there is something to be done here.” He regarded her cooly, “Oh? What do you have in mind?”

 

“Well, first, we should get back to the village. It probably is safer for Rin there anyway and then perhaps we can work something out that benefits us both,” she proposed. She seemed optimistic, despite everything. He thought she looked on the verge of tears earlier when Inuyasha had sent her away but now she was determined and it showed clearly on her face and in her actions. He sighed, “Fine.” He jumped into the air, transforming into an owl. Flying overhead he waited for Amaya to approach Rin and coerce her onto her back so they could make it back to the village.

 

They arrived just as the sun began to set. Thankfully, Sōrin landed just outside eyeshot of the village, where he could not risk being seen by villagers. Amaya landed near him and Rin slid off her back and promptly began to rub her legs. Rin eyed them tentatively, not much had been said on the remainder of their trip home. “Do you need a place to stay?” she asked Sōrin.

 

He shook his head, “No, thanks. I still am under orders to get this one home,” he gestured to Amaya.

 

Rin eyed him suspiciously. “Right. Don’t do anything rash,” she said. She started to turn to leave and then must have thought of something more to add because she turned around to look at Sōrin. “I’m sure that Inuyasha had his reasons,” she said. “I know he trusts in you and your abilities more than was implied.” She gave a knowing smile, “He is just like his brother, Sesshōmaru. They are headstrong and prideful, but that does not mean they do not care.”

 

He did not respond but nodded. Rin smiled again and walked towards the village, “Good luck you two,” she called over her shoulder. They watched as she crested the hill and disappeared out of sight and into the village. A few moments passed after they had lost sight of her they began to walk back the way they had come. They had only made it a few miles at a decent speed before Amaya slowed down her pace and broke the silence.

 

“So, did you come up with any ideas?” Amaya asked. He watched her as she strolled along before falling into step. “Aside from disobeying and going back? No,” he said.

 

“Oh,” she said with uncertainty. “I’m glad you know the way around, otherwise I would get lost,” she laughed. “There are sooo many trees,” she joked. Sōrin raised a quizzical brow, “Trees?”

 

“Yes, trees,” she answered. “There aren’t as many in my time. Plus I have a phone I can use for GPS to help me get around if I don’t know where I’m going,” she rambled.

He just stared at her, intrigued but confused by her statements. “I lost you, didn’t I?” she asked when she saw his confused expression.

 

“At trees,” he responded. She smiled and laughed, “It’s so easy to forget that this is not home, even though it kind of is. It’s so close, yet so far away. I wish I could show you.”

 

He studied her face and wondered where his mentor was in there. She had the traits of her hanyōu father; the ears, the coloring, but that was where it ended. He figured she looked more like her mother, but he didn’t know Kagome well enough to draw any similarities. Her hair was more delicate than Inuyasha’s near wild mane and she had soft rose-colored lips which she currently used to smirk at him. He shook his head and berated himself for allowing his thoughts to wander. “The thought of there being no trees is very perplexing,” he said, quickly recovering his thoughts.

 

“There are still trees,” she affirmed to him, “Just not as many…” she trailed off. “We’d better get going,” she gestured with a thumb.

 

“Yes,” he said absently scanning the horizon. “We have time though. Inuyasha won’t attack during the new moon.”

 

“What? Why?” she asked.

 

“He loses his yōkai abilities and becomes mortal during a new moon. I guess he failed to mention that,” Sōrin explained.

 

Amaya looked up at the sky, regarding the stars twinkling in the twilight. She must have been wondering if and when her period of weakness would be. “It’s different for everyone,” he answered her unasked question.

 

“Oh,” she said absently, still looking up. Suddenly, she looked back at him and smiled, “See, I told you that you weren’t dangerous.” Her statement startled him and he remembered their conversation days ago, alone in the woods. “Dangerous enough to be sent away,” he said shortly.

 

“Well, I’m not afraid of you,” she assured him. “Maybe of your tumultuous moods,” she said haughtily and grinned, pleased with her ribbing. He narrowed his eyes at her jeer and rolled his eyes. It was during this small exchange that he felt something cold within his chest. He clutched at his chest and looked down. “What’s wrong?” Amaya asked, suddenly concerned with the change in behavior. “I…” he began.

 

“Perhaps a little more dangerous than he lets on,” a child’s voice said, “Given what he is.”

 

Sōrin and Amaya shot around and saw that Hakudoshi and Mōryōmaru had appeared. “I..I didn’t even sense them!” Amaya exclaimed.

 

“By design, girl,” Hakudoshi advised her. The demonic aura washed off of him and the monster beside him now.

 

Sōrin’s staff materialized in his hand and he held it up, ready for battle. He saw from the corner of his eye as Amaya also took a stance, one that he was unfamiliar with, but her form suggested it was for the impending battle. The child-like yōkai eyed them with disdain and his monstrous companion was eerily silent by his side. “Pass the shard to me and I will make certain your death is swift,” he said.

 

“Too late, asshole,” Sōrin yelled. “What have you done with my mother?” Amaya yelled from beside him.

 

“Enjoying herself, I’m sure,” the abomination said. Hakudoshi snickered before barking out a childish laugh.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. Sōrin looked over at her briefly, “I don’t think we want to know, Amaya.”

 

“The shard now! I may look like a child but I have no time for games,” Hakudoshi said.

 

“Like I said, half-wit, it’s not here,” Sōrin stated, his staff still poised and ready. Hakudoshi glared and looked over at Mōryōmaru who looked over to him, “They’re lying,” the golem said.

 

The child held a hand out to silence the monster. “No, they speak the truth. I don’t feel the shard’s presence any longer.” He smirked at them, “Mōryōmaru, dispose of that one…” His smirk deepened into an evil grin, “but bring her,” he said pointing to Amaya, “I think she will bring us good fortune when we rejoin Naraku.”

 

“Tough chance,” Amaya shouted. Sōrin could feel her yōki rising with her anger. ‘Good,’ he thought. She would need that anger if they were to battle the golem.

 

Hakudoshi began to depart but lazily pointed out, “Try to be quick.” He disappeared and the beast Mōryōmaru did not hesitate to attack. He began his assault by launching a barrage of blades from his body. Sōrin spun his staff to deflect the attack from himself and Amaya. Mōryōmaru was quick with his retaliation and drove a tentacle-shaped spear towards Sōrin’s chest. He deflected the next attack and parried, dissipating and reappearing to try and confuse the creature. He landed several successful blows but every time he would put a dent in the beast it would regenerate. “It’s not working,” Amaya called from behind him. She had learned the use of her claws as she swiped away anything that came her way, though Sōrin kept the creature busy enough with his attacks to keep Amaya relatively unscathed. “No shit!” he yelled back at her. He narrowly avoided an arm in the shape of a hook the sailed within inches of his chest. “Dammit,” he grunted.

 

The creature had separated into two distinct bodies, his main one still held it’s usual shape but the other formed a grotesque fleshy creature with hooks for arms. The body of this creature emitted a purple haze from around it, killing the flora in its immediate vicinity. It stood still only for a moment.

 

“Amaya!” Sōrin shouted with urgency? He deflected another spear and grunted, spinning his staff to assault Mōryōmaru.

 

“What?” she asked, eyeing the creature unsteadily. She wiped her brow with her sleeve and stumbled a bit.

 

“That’s miasma,” Sōrin said quickly, “Poison. Stay away from it.” Finally, he activated his barrier. The creature hesitated at this revelation but recovered quickly and strengthened its assault.

 

The fleshy, hook creature took a step in Amaya’s direction and she noted that the miasma seemed to be limited to only a few yards from the creature’s epicenter. It launched itself towards her and she side-stepped quickly. It didn’t take the creature very long to turn and run at her again. She seemed hesitant to attack, not quite sure of herself and she had slowed in her actions a bit. Sōrin noticed as she struggled to stay clear of the manipulation of flesh. He parried another attack from the main body and dissipated to be closer to the smaller beast and in front of Amaya again. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to battle with two creatures who acted autonomously of one another.

 

“Sōrin...I...something’s wrong…” Amaya said weakly from behind him. He shifted to look at her and found her on her hands and knees, black hair pouring over her shoulders and brushing the ground. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” he breathed. She was turning human. He looked up to see the waxing moon rise in the sky.

 

Mōryōmaru had been instructed to bring Amaya back alive and the creature seemed to sense the change in her enough to call it’s fleshy appendage back. The thing stepped back to Mōryōmaru’s open hand and was quickly absorbed. However, miasma still lingered in the area. It would be hours before it dissipated and Amaya was too close to it. She looked up at him, a trickle of blood spilling out of her mouth. He pushed his barrier further out and enclosed her in it. It took some effort on his part, he had been suppressing his yōki for years and now he was trying to access it on a whim. These techniques, while there, were like atrophying muscles that refused to cooperate. With that being said, he was still proficient in combat and he threw himself at the creature with his staff.

 

The creature was relentless with its attacks. Sōrin was on the defensive more than he was able to attack. It threw itself into his barrier multiple times and only then did it take a moment to regain it's bearings as pieces sloughed off and had to be regenerated. Fortunately, the barrier was strong and held after each assault. It was then that he realized that he may have the upper hand after all. He risked a moment to look behind and check on Amaya, she had regained her footing and now stood clutching her stomach, but she seemed okay.

 

He dropped his barrier and roared at Mōryōmaru, “Come and face me you abomination!” He transported closer and drew the creature away.

 

“Puny demon. I shall absorb you, too,” it said as it launched a blade at him.

 

“I don't fucking think so,” Sōrin bellowed. He let Mōryōmaru get close and then he reformed the barrier around the both of them.

The beast chuckled, “Hehehe.”

 

“Sōrin! What are you doing?!” Amaya yelled. He didn't have the opportunity to respond as he unleashed a large blast of yōki energy that he concentrated into his staff. With only a few feet of space within the barrier, Mōryōmaru had nowhere to go except against the barrier as it felt the brunt of the impact. Sōrin saw the golem’s eyes flash open in surprise as the barrier wall began to disintegrate its body. “Aghhhhh!” Sōrin yelled as he poured his strength into the wave of demonic energy that continued to push the creature into nothing.

 

Panting hard, he fell to his knee and his barrier snapped off. Mōryōmaru was gone. Amaya ran over to him and grabbed his shoulders with concern, “Are you ok?” she asked gently. Rather than answer, he nodded. “I need a moment,” he groaned.

 

She knelt beside him, holding him as a form of support. “That was amazing,” she said quietly before adding, “Thank you”.

 

Feeling recovered he stood, “What for?” he helped her to her feet, her dark hair spilling down her back. “Saving me, you dummy.”

 

“Well, Inuyasha would be pretty pissed of if I hadn't.” He tried to make it look like it was nothing.  Her eyes fell and she looked a little disappointed, “Oh, right.”

 

“Are you ok?” he asked, remembering the blood which she had absently wiped away from her mouth. She took a moment to think about it, “I think so,” she said hesitantly. “I feel different than before, a little nauseated I guess.”

 

“You're sure?” he asked again. He began to assess her. She looked flushed and a sheen of sweat had broken out on her forehead. He hesitated and reached out a hand to touch her cheek. He felt her jolt from the touch and he quickly pulled his hand away, “You're hot,” he said.

 

“You're not so bad looking yourself,” she said a little deliriously and that's when her knees gave out. He caught her easily but he felt frantic, not knowing what to do. Why would she be burning up he wondered. He didn't know much about human ailments, he'd had no reason to. There had to be an underlying cause, he determined. Quickly he laid her down and checked her over. Sure enough, he found a wound on her side, blood had matted to her clothing and provided a temporary bandage of sorts. He peeled the fabric aside to examine it closer.

 

The little miasma demon must have nicked her. The cut was not large enough to be overly concerning but he could see tendrils of residual miasma escape from inside the wound. “Great, she's poisoned,” he said out loud. When would this girl stop giving him such trouble? He pondered. He knew he had to do something quickly, otherwise, she would die a painful death. It was a long shot, but he figured it would work. He knelt over her and placed his hands on the wound. Concentrating on the miasma taint, he pulled it out of her bloodstream. He could feel it as it coursed through her veins, each beat of her heart trying to pull the poison back with its natural rhythms. It was an excruciating and tedious process but the end results were successful. He had been able to pull all of the miasma out. He absently wondered if he had absorbed the poison as he’d removed it from her body.  Not knowing what to do with the remaining miasma in the area, he gently picked up her limp body and carried her several miles away. As he carried her he looked down at her face to check if she was beginning to regain some of the color she had lost. That was good, he thought.

 

Sōrin looked for a good place to set her down and finally, he found an uprooted tree that had fallen against a rocky outcropping, leaving an area large enough for two people to shelter in for the night. Carefully he placed her still form inside the shelter and then squeezed in himself. He looked at her as she lay on the ground and began searching his thoughts. ‘Would she die? Should he go gather wood to start a fire? Was there still poison in her system? What should he do?’ He wasn’t equipped to deal with humans. He had never been sick himself and he never bothered to linger around mortals in the village with their constant ailing. As he watched her, he saw her skin start to chill and she began to shiver in her unconscious state. He hadn’t realized how cold the nights had become and he reached over and pulled her into his chest. Wrapping his arms around her he willed his warmth to her. Now all he could do was wait for the sun to rise and the rest should take care of itself, so Sōrin closed his eyes.

 

Some time had passed, maybe an hour or so, and she had stopped shivering. Amaya began to stir in his arms. At first, she shifted closer to get comfortable but within a second her eyes popped open and she lashed out, hitting Sōrin square in the nose. “Ow! What the hell?” he gasped while she frantically scooted as far as she could from him.

 

“You...You...what the hell?” she shrieked and pointed a shaky finger at him. Clearly, she had recovered some, he thought. Rubbing his nose, Sōrin grunted. “I was TRYING to keep you warm,” he explained, putting emphasis on the word trying.

 

Amaya crossed her arms and rubbed them as she began to shake. “Warm?” she asked dubiously.

 

“Yeah,” Sōrin replied. “Warm...because you looked pretty pathetic over there shivering like a wet dog.”

 

“Don’t you sit over there and be smug,” she said crossly. “What happened?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

 

“You collapsed. You were cut by the creature and poisoned. Don’t worry,” he said when alarm marred her face, “I removed the miasma. You’re welcome.” He gave her a smug smile. Rather than thank him her face turned into a look of utter disgust. “Oh, that is disgusting!” she exclaimed. “Please tell me you didn’t suck poison out of my body?”

 

“What?” he said, perplexed. “No!” he said defensively. “Why would you think that?”

 

She turned her body so that she was no longer facing him and looked at him out of the side of her eye, “No reason..” she said.

 

“You did tell me that you thought I was “good-looking” as you put it,” he mentioned casually.

 

Amaya turned her head, shock evident on her face, “I did NOT,” she assured him through clenched teeth, her response somewhat guttural. Then she quickly turned her head and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and allowing her hair to drape over her face.

 

Sōrin watched her for a minute and almost felt bad for teasing her. She began shivering again as the wind blew through their temporary shelter. With a sigh, he reached over to where she was curled up and pulled her closer to him. When she looked up to protest he stopped her, “Just for a few more hours, until the sun rises. You’re clearly freezing over there.” She looked like she had something to say, but thought better of it and leaned into him, closing her eyes until dawn. This girl from another time was certainly different from anyone he had ever met.

 

As the predawn lit the morning sky, Sōrin woke and waited. The weight of the sleeping girl was not as unpleasant as he had initially anticipated. He watched the sun rise into the sky and the felt Amaya’s yōki return with it. Her raven black hair bled out to become silver locks. She stiffened against him as she roused with the return of her demonic powers. Slowly, she pulled away and moved to sit directly across from him.

 

“No one needs to know about this,” she said, her eyes averted in embarrassment.

 

“Fine,” Sōrin replied.

 

Amaya looked back at him, her gaze unreadable. “They were right,” she said. “I'm just in the way...and last night proves it,” she choked back a sob. Sōrin’s eyes grew big, ‘Dear God, don't let her cry!’ he pleaded. Trying to head off her tears he scrambled for something to say.

 

“It wasn't your fault...you didn't know,” he said. “Not to mention it was your first time,” he added.

 

Amaya took a breath and leveled her breathing, “Yeah, and a fine job I did.”

 

Sōrin internally sighed. He'd never been the one to offer any form of consolation and he wasn't sure if he would do any good at it. “I didn't do any better when Inuyasha first threw me into battle, and I had more training than you.”

 

“Really?” she asked. Her eyes looked hopeful. He didn't have the heart to tell her that his first time battling demons was when he was five. “Really,” he responded. “Look, you'll be fine. You're a hanyōu and your potential is uncharted.

 

She rested her head on her hands, “Hmm.” A moment later she seemed to come to terms with last night's events and exited their shelter. “Are you coming or what?” she called in. With a wry smile at her mercurial mood, he pulled himself up and out to join Amaya. “I think we should lay low for a day, Inuyasha will not attack tonight since he will be weakened by the new moon,” he told her.

 

He could tell that mentioning the weakened state troubled her still and that she was deeply ashamed of the night before. Still, she said nothing about it and simply nodded her approval. “What should we do all day then?” she asked.

 

“We can train you up a bit,” he suggested, untying his wakizashi from his obi and threw the scabbard to Amaya. She caught it in one hand and eyed it, gently removing the blade from it. “It’s a little short, don’t you think?” she pondered.

 

“It’s used for close-quarters fighting,” Sorin advised her. “It is also a backup for your main weapon.” Amaya eyed him dubiously. “Even Sango wears one,” he explained defensively.

 

“Fine, okay,” she said and slid it back into its sheath and tied the short sword onto her obi. “When shall we begin?” she asked.

 

“How about now?” he responded, materializing his staff and spinning it effectively before he swung it towards her head.

 

 

 

Next time on Delusions……

 

….Shippō had returned from scouting the area where Naraku had lied in wait for them. He advised Inuyasha on the layout of the structure and the surrounding area. When questioned if he saw any one in the vicinity, Shippo shook his head; knowing the question inside the question, ‘did he see Kagome?’. Inuyasha furrowed his brow and cursed under his breath. He could sense his power dulling as the new moon was on the horizon.

 

He wanted nothing more than to lash out at anyone or anything that so much as looked at him funny. He was having an increasingly difficult time curbing his temper. His ears twitched at every sound and his eyes darted back while he worried that Naraku may strike while he was weak. He feared that Naraku would dangle Kagome on a string and torment her while he was powerless to stop him. However, Inuyasha had a gut feeling that Naraku wouldn’t strike now. The bastard would wait until Inuyasha made his first move and then use everything in his arsenal to strip Inuyasha bare and destroy him at his core….