InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny's Bond ❯ Soul search, shard hunt ( Chapter 3 )

Just a reminder, Takehashi Rumiko owns most of these characters. The ones she doesn't own came from my overactive imagination. I'm not making any money off this work either so please don't sue me.

 

Destiny's Bond

Ch2: Soul search, shard search

By Lance the Flamesniper

 

Kouga sat himself down on a rock outside of his den. Though he hadn't said as much, his pack knew he wanted time to be alone. When the time came, they knew, he would tell them what he was thinking. Though in all honesty he had no clue what to think of any of what was happening.

 

It was clear now at least in his mind that he had been approached by two beings who looked human, but both were obviously not. They were, he was certain, not incarnations of Naraku or Naraku in disguise. He was also certain they weren't youkai of any type he was familiar with either. Whatever they were, they seemed to want to help him with his current problem, though he wasn't completely certain why. Am I even certain they weren't the same being. Shape shifters aren't really that uncommon, but their scents were different. So I'm dealing with two beings working in concert perhaps? Makes sense, but it still doesn't tell me why they're interested in my doings? Kouga thought then nodded to himself.

 

“This scroll is a marriage contract, but if I'm betrothed to marry, why was it hidden? In fact this scroll looks like it would be older than I am,” Kouga mused aloud.

 

His thoughts drifted back to the woman's words. “The other is one you found long ago but have misplaced over time. Look for her and you will find her. Do not despair though young wolf, with her your clan's future will be assured. Search your heart and truths you'll find. Search your past and your future find.”

 

“Finding this woman will assure my clan's future,” muttered Kouga. “So this is someone who would be willing to marry me and bear cubs. More to the point it's someone I've met but misplaced over time. What could that mean?”

 

After several hours of sitting and thinking, Kouga nodded his head and came to three very important conclusions. Each one had an earth shattering impact on the world around him as well as his outlook on others. The first was probably the easiest: He was going to stop hiding what he was.

 

Most of the humans and even Inu Yasha didn't realize it, but Kouga was more powerful than he let others believe. It was for his own protection he did that. After all at now 19 seasons old he was the youngest Taiyoukai in known history. That also meant that he had to conceal his powers and in many cases dumb them down while acting like a dullard himself. Of course once he got some jewel shards he could naturally do more with his power but instead used them as a disguise: He was Kouga who was only superfast when he had his jewel shards in. The thought of his jewel shards reminded him of the other decision he'd made, the one his pack would probably not understand: He was going to give up his shards of the Shikon no Tama.

 

Using the Shikon Shards had in fact seemed to limit himself more than they actually helped. Mostly because on many cases he found himself doing things based on their will, not his own. It was a little confusing to him but had something to do with the jewel's desire to twist one's wishes to their own accord. Something about that tugged at a deeper memory though he was at a loss what that was at the time. Thus they had to go. Fortunately he knew someone he could trust to keep those shards safe: Kagome.

 

That brought him to the final thing he decided on. It was also the most difficult for him to accept. That was that he would have to stop pursuing Kagome. Deep in his heart he knew something about their relationship seemed strained and problematic. Granted their relationship began with his kidnapping her, but other than that there was a feeling that while he cared for her, she didn't feel quite the same. She didn't hate him, but didn't love him either. And now I find out that I am to marry whoever is written upon this scroll… There was only one thing he could do then: ask Kagome honestly and truly what her feelings for him was.

 

With that in mind Kouga's mind began to drift…

 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

 

Up on a nearby hill sat a man in a grey kimono. He, like Konran, had a flute and a sword but unlike Konran his powers were tied more to the flute and his sword was grey. At the moment he was only playing for amusement.

 

“Musoka, I have need of your assistance,” Konran said as he stepped out of the shadows.

 

Musoka looked over his shoulder, his brown eyed gaze showing his annoyance at the interruption. Slowly he took the flute from his lips and turned to face Konran. “And exactly what do you need my help with?”

 

“There is an ookami youkai nearby. I have need of you to play the song of remembrance so he will recall what he needs to.”

 

“I see,” Musoka replied. “It's that same wolf that you and Youmei seem so interested in, isn't it?”

 

“Hai,” Konran replied. “Were this not important I wouldn't ask you.”

 

“I also suppose you won't tell me what this is about until after every bit of it is over, right?” Musoka asked skeptically.

 

“It requires a great deal of delicacy and if all of us were to be involved constantly or knew every detail other powers might see fit to intercede and the goals we hope to attain would be further thwarted.”

 

The grey clad man nodded his head in understanding then put the flute to his lips. Without further word, he began to play a soft, soothing tune.

 

%%%%%%%%%%%

 

Young Kouga blinked as he opened his eyes. Nearby was his mother, picking Sairo peaches. The trees themselves were their little secret. No one else in the pack knew where these treats were. He'd been napping for a while now and felt like exploring.

 

“Mom! I'm going to explore for a while!” Chimed Kouga.

 

“Okay dear,” Tsukikawa replied with a knowing smile. “Be careful.”

 

Kouga nodded before taking off at a quick pace. Not far from the grove was a walled village. Kouga knew that meant humans and more accurately taijiya. Kouga knew about taijya from hearing his father rant about them: they were killers of youkai. The thought made his tail swish nervously.

 

Just then he felt something tap him on the top of the head. The young wolf jumped easily five feet straight up with a startled yelp.

 

“Got you!” a young voice said with a giggle.

 

Kouga landed gracefully in a low crouch looking toward the person who snuck up on him then blinked in surprise. Standing behind him with a wooden bokken was a little girl in a light summer gi with a green skirt. “Who are you?”

 

The girl said her name but for some reason he couldn't recalled it. “You're a wolf Youkai aren't you?”

 

“Yes I am! My name is Kouga,” Kouga replied puffing out with a little pride, then seemed to deflate. “You're not a demon slayer are you?”

 

The girl giggled. “Not yet. Maybe someday.”

 

“Oh.”

 

The young girl looked the wolf over blinking when she noticed his claws. “So wolf demons really do have claws!” she exclaimed taking his clawed hand in hers.

 

Kouga blushed then realized something. “Careful! They're…”

 

“Itai!”

 

Kouga winced then finished. “Sharp. Are you okay?”

 

“Mm-hm,” The young girl said with a nod. “Just a little scratch! Wanna play?”

 

Kouga smiled, he liked this human for some reason. “Yes! Ever play hunter-hunter?”

 

“Dunno, how do you play it?”

 

“We each try to tag the other on the heel. Who ever tags the other the most wins.”

 

“Sounds like fun!” the young girl said as they both took off.

 

The game lasted for several hours. Kouga gained most of his points by being quick, while his new friend used clever tricks and traps that Kouga quickly learned to avoid. The game ended in a tie, because both dropped onto a hillock exhausted.

 

“Ko-kun,” the girl asked. “Are all youkai bad?”

 

“I'm not bad, but I guess some of us are.”

 

“Oh,” the girl said dejectedly. “My father says all youkai are monsters.”

 

“I don't want to be a monster. I'm going to be a good demon that helps people, especially my pretty new friend.”

 

The young girl blushed crimson at that. “Do you really think I'm pretty, Ko-kun?”

 

“Uh huh! Very much so,” Kouga replied with a blush. “Why do you ask?”

 

“The people in the village are scared of me,” the girl said sadly as she toyed with a shard of reddish jade on a silver chain. “I'm stronger and faster than the others so they don't talk to me.”

 

“That's their problem. I couldn't think of a better person to be friends with and help fight bad demons.”

 

“Then,” the girl stammered as she thrust the shard toward her new friend, her face going an even deeper shade of red than before. “Take this. It has my name carved into it. When we are all grown up I will see this and know you are my lord and ally. No matter what else I will always be on your side.”

 

Kouga took the item and responded in turn. ”No matter what else, I shall try not to become a monster in honor of you, my Taijya no hime-chan.”

 

Girl giggled as her blush deepened only to pale as she saw something over his shoulder. “Ko-kun! Run!”

 

At the girl's shout, Kouga took off from where he was sitting. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see a spear sink into the ground where he had been sitting mere moments ago. He then saw a man in Taijya armor stomping toward the young girl. He seized up the spear and prepared to throw it again only to have his young friend block his line of sight. Kouga breathed a silent sigh of thanks and took off into the woods, still clutching the shard tight in his hands.

 

%%%%%%%%%%%%

 

Kouga came awake with a start. His mind flooded with memory of his young friend, the first human he ever befriended. He also remembered his father trying to beat the location of the demon slayer village out him. He later followed him and his mother and attacked the village. Kouga's soul still burned with anger every time he thought of his father's gloating tone as he talked of killing his friend. Though he never really believed that but never was able to get into the village to find out for certain.

 

As his mind replayed the very vivid dream, no it wasn't a dream it was a memory he mentally corrected, his eyes widened in complete understanding. Clearly this was the answer he'd been seeking when he drifted off to sleep! She must be the other one involved in the contract. It was a slim chance, but what else could he believe. It also must have meant she was still alive. He hoped so. He'd made some mistakes, like allowing the shards to cloud his thoughts enough to allow his wolves to wipe out a human village, but otherwise had tried not to be a monster. He reached into the pouch of his kilt and removed the shard of stone; it dangled off the silver chain it was affixed to glinting in the early morning light. “'Search your heart and truths you'll find. Search your past and your future find.' That woman had said. Well my friend being alive is a truth. Now I must find her! Ginta! Hakkaku!”

 

“Yeah boss?” the two asked as the ran out to where he'd been sitting.

 

“Come with me! We're going on a journey,” Kouga said then took off in a cloud of dust; the pendant still clutched in his hand and the scroll tucked into his pelts.

 

“Boss wait for us!” Ginta cried as the two took off after their leader.

 

%%%%%%%%%%

 

Miroku was walking silently at the back of the group's procession. Over the last few weeks things had gotten very strange within the group. First there was Inu Yasha's attempts to be more civil toward Kagome, going as far as to even let Shippo's attempted theft of his ramen slide, though part of that he supposed had to do with the fact that the new moon would be rising tonight and Inu Yasha always acted very different around that time. Kagome herself seemed to be lost in thought, as if something that didn't make sense was on her mind; though Miroku could probably chalk that look of confusion up to the fact that Sango had taken her aside to talk with her when they were leaving the village that morning. This, inevitably, brought him to the last member of the group and her increasingly strange behaviors.

 

Sango over the last few days seemed to become more and more hostile toward him. Had it been merely her responding to his lechery he would have understood. But lately there had been such anger in her eyes and she'd not been sleeping well. Not that she was telling him any of these things, he merely watched, from a safe distance.

 

Sango for her part was still trying to fight down the inner voice that had began to get more and more vocal in its dislike of “that baka houshi” as it called him in its most polite moments. She didn't know where this inner voice came from, but it continuously told her things were wrong, and had been all her life. Then there was the dreams she'd been having… Sango shook her head quickly dispelling all those thoughts. They were going to be near her old village. It was odd that she never thought of it before, but her home village was only a few miles away from the southernmost border of the Northern Lands as the youkai called it. Though thinking about it, up until a few years ago there was a full scale war going on between the Taiyoukai of the West, Sesshoumaru and Taiyoukai of the North, an ookami Youkai named Benjira. The Taijya of course were brought in by human villages, but strangely, her father had ordered her not to go on missions in that area.

 

For Kagome the last few days in the modern world had been unusual. It all had to do with the fact that she kept sensing youkai in her school only she was unable to pinpoint their location. It made her uneasy. Then there was the girl in her class that kept staring at her intently. She knew the girl was new, Yuka had told her that much as well as giving her a name: Orihime Onikami. Star princess Demon god? What kind of name is that!? Compounding her confusion was what Sango had told her about the strange thoughts she's been having. It all seemed so, random and yet, Kagome wasn't so sure it was… Kagome was snapped out of her silent reverie by a familiar tug on her soul. But something was wrong even with that, a feeling Kagome chalked up to having improved in her training as a miko: between experience, Kaede, visiting other temples (at her mother's suggestion) and her grandfather she couldn't help but improve.

 

“Jewel shards! Two of them coming in fast!” It seems like Kouga, but something's wrong his spirit energy seems different.

 

The group wasted no time in preparing for battle: Inu Yasha drawing Tetsusaiga, Miroku taking a two handed grip on his shakajou, Shippou readying his fox magic and Sango unslinging her Hiraikotsu. Kagome stepped back behind Inu Yasha and the others before getting ready her bow. Just because she thought it was Kouga coming didn't mean anything. Kagome relaxed only slightly as the all-too-familiar tornado entered the clearing. But then things got strange again.

 

The tornado veered around Inu Yasha, instead of the usual running over him. Up close the energy Kouga was putting out was even more intense. The tornado dissipated leaving the all too familiar form of the Wolf prince before her.

 

“Hello Kagome,” Kouga replied. “Didn't think I'd run into you today.”

 

“Like hell you didn't ya damn wimpy wolf!” Inu Yasha began.

 

“Actually muttface,” Kouga said. “I was actually on my way somewhere, a demon slayer village, when I came across you. Kagome, may I talk to you it's important.

 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

From the top of a nearby hill Youmei and Konran watched the scene: Youmei with a neutral expression, Konran openly smiling.

 

“Seems things are about to get interesting,” Konran said amusedly.

 

“Yes,” Youmei said. “Very interesting, indeed.”

 

TBC