InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Song ❯ Rude Awakenings ( Chapter 10 )

Previously in Chapter 9:

"While I was at the big stone house," Shippo said, referring to the castle in Kimara, "There was a strange lady there, she taught me a lot about herbs and remedies. I heard the guards say that she was some kind of sorceress or something." He shuddered. Plainly, he hadn't liked this `sorceress' very much.

Kagome took note of what Shippo had told her. A sorceress? Maeka and Jin's employer? It seemed a possibility, she decided to talk to Miroku and Kikyo, they were a priest and a priestess, they might know something about her.

8 P (hehehe…)

Chapter 10: Rude Awakenings

"…And then he told me that there was a sorceress there, in the castle." Kagome finished Shippo's story and looked at the two priests expectantly. Kikyo frowned. She seemed worried by this new discovery… very worried.

"Not many people these days have extended knowledge that this sorceress seems to have. I'm not sure that this being is even human!" Kagome gasped. She hadn't expected this reaction at all. Not human? Then that must mean that she, or it, was a…

"So you're saying it's a demon?" Miroku asked curiously, "Interesting…" Kikyo shook her head.

"You misunderstand me. Not all things that aren't human always have to be demons." Miroku and Kagome looked at her quizzically. Kagome's brow wrinkled, "Then what is she?"

"She could be many things, including a demon." Kikyo informed them, "But my best bet is that she is some kind of sprite. A fairy of the forest perhaps. They are the one's that have the most knowledge about herbs and healing."

A deep silence settled over the three travelers. They all wondered what a spirit of the forest had to do with Inu Yasha, and with the Demon Song. Spirits weren't demons… so what could she do with it?

=^. ^= (kitty)

The next day Myoga left the group, with the promise of more information about the Demon Song and their mysterious `sorceress'. Inu Yasha, for one, wasn't too disappointed to see him go. In his opinion, adventures held no place for cowards like Myoga the flea.

Myoga hitched a ride on Kirara who would be his traveling partner. Kirara would ensure that Myoga got around safely and quickly. Not surprisingly, Inu Yasha wasn't too sorry to see the little pyro cat go, though Kagome would personally miss her.

At dusk on the day Kirara and Myoga had left, the stone turrets of the castle of Kimara came into view. They stood like menacing sentinels in the failing light. A barrier between the weary travelers and Kimara.

Shippo began to squirm and shudder to be so close to the place he had been held just a week before. Kagome, noticing the Kitsune's fright, picked him up and cuddled him close to her chest, cooing to him. Inu Yasha shot her a look, "You're such a sissy Shippo." He complained. Kagome lowered her eyelids and glared at Inu Yasha. He shut up after that.

The closer they got to the castle, the more everyone began feeling uncomfortable. There was a blanket of foreboding surrounding the cold stone house of the sorceress. The hairs on Kagome's neck were standing on end, and the little fox demon in her arm was shivering violently. Even Inu Yasha looked uncomfortable.

He sniffed the air, and cringed. The rank stench of old blood filled his nose. He looked at the others. Their faces showed no sign that they could smell it, only Shippo and Inu Yasha realized the hidden dangers, shielded from the noses of the humans. They exchanged uneasy glances: this was not good.

*_*

"So you've figured out my little secret! Ah, well, it's no matter to me. The little knowledge that you posses is no match for me! Little did the priestess realize that I am much, much more than a mere forest spirit!" the sorceress laughed evilly.

A Hanyou, a demon slayer, a priest and a priestess would be almost too easy to destroy. The only thing she was worried about was the young girl. She had strong Miko powers; unusually strong…

It wasn't wise for Jin not to investigate further the true power of this girl. She was no doubt the Chosen One. Jin was weak. He had underestimated her, that was his mistake. Not that it mattered to her; the girl might have some power, but not enough to defeat the sorceress of Kimara!

>.<;;;

The weary group of adventurers took up inhabitance at a local inn. The people there were oddly quiet and tended to avoid the travelers. The group received odd glances and stiff service.

The townsfolk looked as though they were only half awake. A dazed expression inhabited their eyes, and Kagome knew this was no coincidence: this was the sorceress' doing! Glancing around wearily, Kagome noticed a ragged man sitting in a corner of the stuffy inn's restaurant.

He was smoking a long cigar and gulping down a large glass of something that looked very nasty. He was watching them. Noticing that Kagome was staring at him, he nodded to her. Kagome frowned, wondering why he didn't have a dazed expression on his face like all the others.

Sesshomaru whispered something incomprehensible into her ear. Kagome, infatuated by the strange man, didn't seem to realize that he was talking to her.

"Kagome!" He hissed, clearly a little annoyed that she hadn't noticed him (who wouldn't be?). Kagome looked up, surprised, and said the fist, and stupidest thing that came to mind.

"Huh?" Sesshomaru blew out an exasperated breath, "Pay attention, will you?" Kagome nodded, "See that man over there?"

"How could I miss him?" She asked sarcastically. Rolling his eyes, Sesshomaru continued, "I thing he's one of the sorceress' men."

Kagome nodded, but in her head thought were unraveling. Why would the sorceress send out a guard that wasn't in a dazed stupor? What was the point? Everyone else seemed to be blissfully unaware of all the things their overlord (or overlady…) seemed to be doing, why not this man as well? Was there a possibility that he wasn't bad at all?

Kagome was too tired to ponder these things now, it was already hours past when she would have liked to be in bed and her companions looked dead on her feet. She knew the matter of the strange man would be bothering her, but if it was a problem it would be dealt with later…

0.o

Myoga hopped off Kirara's back and patted her affectionately. It had only been a day since he had been gone and he had made most interesting discoveries in which he knew his master, Inu Yasha, would be very happy-or in this case, unhappy-to hear.

The most pressing matter he wanted to discuss with Inu Yasha was the way they were going to get into the castle… he could of course go through the front, but he himself would not get through anyway, unless they found a way to breach the barrier, and the only ones who would even have a chance at that would be Kagome and Kikyo-if anyone.

Myoga shook his head and sighed. It was a hard job being a spy. The next thing he would do is search for a decent place to rest his tired head. Even the most pressing of matters could wait for tomorrow.

>.<

She was running through a barrier-a gate of some sorts. But no! It wouldn't let her through, and that crazy woman was laughing her fricking head off! God that pissed her off. `Shippo can go through.' The woman told her between evil laughs, `But not you, or the partial demons!' What partial demons? And how did she know Shippo's name?

The barrier and the woman begin to fade and a voice within her very spirit seems to rise from within her, `You are the Chosen One… save them… save them all!' She wanted to ask who `them' was and how she would save them but her vision was becoming blurred…

"Kagome! KAGOME!" Kagome opened her eyes, her vision was still blurry, but when she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes the face of Inu Yasha swam slowly into view.

"Whu? Where's the woman…what?" She asked, confused. Inu Yasha looked at her in a concerned way. "Are you okay?" Kagome looked at him, now she was really confused. Where were the barrier and the woman?

"Kagome… you do know that it was a dream… right?" Inu Yasha asked carefully, not wanting to piss off a sleepy and half conscious teenage girl. She nodded, "I understand now… it was just so-so real…" She told him.

"That's just how dreams are… it doesn't mean anything." He told her, but Inu Yasha wasn't so sure himself. He didn't like it very much when he was woken up by the sound of Kagome screaming-even if it was just a bad dream.

"Okay, well, I'm okay now, so… you can, err…leave now." Kagome said dropping obvious hints for Inu Yasha to scram. He understood and made his way out of her room. Kikyo came in while he was going out.

"Get a move on it buttface, I want to talk to Kagome alone. " She told Inu Yasha's retreating back, "Or does it pain you to be away from your love for more than five seconds? By the way, Myoga's here." The back of Inu Yasha's neck became noticeably red, and he hurried out of the room.

"Why do you guys hate each other so much? I mean now that you know that you were betrayed, what does it matter that you kind of-" Kagome tried to find the right words.

"Killed each other." Kikyo said bluntly, "You see, there's this saying, `opposites attract' and I think that was what happened. I was a quiet, humble priestess. And he was an arrogant, proud demon. Even if he was only half demon…" She let out a little laugh.

"Oh." Kagome said, not knowing anything else today.

"Yes, well, after the whole Naraku ordeal, I realized that our love would never have lasted anyways… that's just the way it was. We both have changed so much since we met, it's time we go our separate ways."

"Then why do you keep trying to kill him?" Kagome inquired, puzzled. Kikyo laughed, as if she had been let in on an inside joke that Kagome had not. "Kill him? Oh, you don't understand. When we first met, I had many a chance to rid the earth of that pestering Hanyou, but I fell in love. Now I want to see if I'm still as good as I used to be. The only problem is that Inu Yasha refuses to fight me-so I was trying to get him mad so I could fight him… but-a certain someone always seemed to get in my way." Kikyo said with a bemused smile on her face.

Kagome blushed. She remembered Kikyo's last attempt to `kill' Inu Yasha. She had gotten a large bump on her head, courtesy of yours truly. She blushed deeper. Trying to change the subject she asked, "so what did you want to talk to me about, again?"

Kikyo settled on Kagome's unmade bed, "Ah, yes. Myoga just arrived, with Kirara of course, he'd like to talk to both of us at noon by the broken down mill on the outskirts of the town. He says it's urgent." Kikyo placed a hand on the ruffled bed covers, and pushed herself up.

"You'd better hurry. It's already 11 O'clock!" Kagome gasped, she wasn't a morning person, but she certainly hadn't ever slept in later than 9…ever. She'd better hurry if she wanted to eat a decent breakfast before meeting with Myoga.

^.~

"What do we do?" Inu Yasha asked Miroku sadly. "This is so confusing. I didn't ask for this to happen." Miroku patted him brotherly. "It's okay; I'm sure she feels the same way about you. I mean… I hope she does. That would really suck for you if she didn't huh?" Inu Yasha glared at him, "you're not helping you know." He pointed out.

They both sighed, a little forlorn. They were both clueless when it came to girls. Personally, Inu Yasha thought he was at least a little better off that Miroku though… he didn't grope people for Kami's sake!

^.^

Kagome trotted down the path towards where the mill stood on the fringes of the odd town. The mill was old, and had been out of work for so many years that now it was just a place to meet, or a picnic spot. The stones had crumbled and moss and vines had found their ways into the cracks in the side until gradually it became a pile of rocks and gravel.

Kagome spotted Kikyo. She had her hand outstretched and she was talking to a speck that was Myoga. She sped up a little and waved to get their attention. Finally she arrived at the spot that Kikyo was sitting and slumped down next to her.

"Whatsup Myoga?" She asked holding out her hand for the flea to jump onto. He looked troubled and Kagome began to worry that something horribly wrong was amiss.

"You can't tell Inu Yasha, understand?" Myoga's tone was as worried as his expression. Kagome made a confused face, "okay…"

"The sorceress has created a barrier around the castle." Kagome shook her head, "So? We can break it." Myoga sighed and shook his head as well. Clearly Kagome was missing something. "It's not that simple… this woman has strong powers. The barrier keeps out anything that's human; even if they are only half human-like Inu Yasha."

Kagome realized what Myoga was getting at, "So you don't want to tell Inu Yasha just yet because he'd throw a giant fit. I get it!" Myoga nodded gravely, "you or Kikyo might be able to break it if you combine your Miko powers, but I'm still not sure of the full extent to this woman's power!" Myoga sighed uneasily and continued, "There's one more thing that I think you should know." Myoga glanced uneasily at Kikyo. "Will you tell her?"

Kikyo nodded. Fixing her piercing gaze on Kagome she took up where Myoga had left off, "The sorceress of Kimara is-" Kikyo was cut off by the sound of a high pitched scream; not unlike that of a young child.

"Kagome, take these." Kikyo shoved her bow and arrows at the bewildered girl, "I must warn the others!"

>.<

Sorry I left a cliffy, but I wanted to save this one part for next time. I know you guys are gonna hate me, but hey, it's finals week, I'm stressed, give me some slack! Okay hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. I'm finally getting into the main plot. Yes! I'm happy…^.^